How To: Piss Off Kings

Chapter 5

His panicked mind made him dash through the gate, which was oddly placed. Large and intimidating, it was made out of only a single piece of dark stone, intricately carved with angels and babies. The only problem was that the gate led to nowhere, and was placed in a forest which blocked the stone from ever seeing the sunlight, save for the bits and pieces that filtered through the leaves above.

Stumbling through the gate, he felt his exhaustion creep into his mind, making him severely dizzy. He put his hand on his temple, and walked around in the dark forest. Ciro gasped for breath, trying to stabilize himself. There was a pounding in his head, and he groaned, slumping down at the base of a tree.
Ciro squinted his eyes, trying to see in the darkness. He had sat down on slightly moist ground, and small flowers poked through a dead log by his side.
He sighed tiredly, and pressed his fingers against his temples. Unfortunately, his headache not only didn't get better, but instead became worse, pulsating along with his heartbeat. Ciro became more and more delirious, until his hands slammed down on the ground next to him, and he ripped the flowers around him in pain.
Almost immediately, he felt the air around him shiver, and the ground beneath him shake.
Before Ciro's eyes closed shut, he mumbled hoarsely.
"Fuck!"

Even before he opened his eyes, Ciro could tell he was in a new place. The ground underneath him was hard and dry, nothing like the forest floor he had been sitting on. There was a light scent of some kind of flower, wafting in the air, and his ears twitched as the sound of water entered them.

He stretched out his paws, and slowly sat up, opening his eyes slightly as he tried to see through the blinding light that was seen even through his closed eyelids.

Ciro POV (I will try to write like this in the future when I write about Ciro)

I elegantly sat up, looking like a beautiful man who had fallen in front of a lovely maiden. Lifting my chin up, my spine curved gracefully as I opened my eyes slowly...? Hmm? WHaT? ExCuSE mE?

Ahem. I seem to have become an animal. But of course, not an animal, but a mythical and magical creature. Hmm....I have decided: this will be noted for further investigation. Taking deep breaths--a signal of a gentleman, I slowly lifted my four paws and took ballerina steps forward. Small steps are etiquette, and any wobbles were simply a figment of the imagination. 

Surveying the area around me, I lifted my chin like any prince would, and beheld upon my beautiful tail. With a pattern like a peacock, but more vivid, shining, and glamorous, my tail reflected the light that glowed from the walls. Everyone knows that a self-behaving gentlemen will stay behind to protect ladies, and will not go out and explore. Exploring and adventuring into dangerous places are for brutes, covered in slime and dirt and bugs and whatever unsightly things there are.

And so, like a good gentlemen, I should stay behind and protect my perfect tail, named Dahlia. Dahlia is a fair maiden who cannot track in dirt or mud, and deserves the best. With my turquoise tufted ears and upright posture, I will wait for someone to come provide assistance. In fact, I should be so kind as to let my fearful lady bath in the hot spring, placed for her convenience at the right side. It would be no good for a gentlemen or lady to greet their assistance with a foul smell. Of course, there was no funny business between ladies and gentlemen, because only dirty and perverted people do funny business.

After me and Dahlia's bath, we sit elegantly upon a heated rock, smooth and polished, unlike the ones found in uncultured places, or in the wilderness. Letting our bodies dry naturally is best for hair and fur and feathers, and so any want for towels is simply unnecessary and unneeded. I am not shivering. I am simply shuddering whilst remembering my horrible dream. A premonition, perhaps, of the terrible, filthy wilderness, and the horrifying people who live in it. Red hair is for savages. The name Sydney is simply uncultured, just like my distant cousin, who's name is by no coincidence, also Sydney. My mother told me that true gentlemen would not take part in her company.

...

...

...it is best for assistance to come soon. Dahlia, even with her bird-like diet, is starting to become too thin, and even though I will not participate in any funny business, I worry for any rumors that may spread after I escort her back to her palace.

...

...

...I think I may take a nap. Beauty sleep is important for both men and women. Ignorant words that men are more capable simply because of body structure is nonsense, and nobody would appreciate a prince with acne. After all, acne is representative of poor personal hygiene and diet, as well as no responsibility or self-control. Dahlia also needs beauty sleep, so I will abide by her wishes. Curling up in an elegant yet comfortable position, my eyes gently close shut.

End Ciro POV

Some time later, a dark skinned, dark haired man walked into the building. With no expression on his face, his eyes traveled up towards the gaping hole in the ceiling, drifting down to the pool of holy water, now muddy with dirt and stray cat hairs. Finally, his eyes landed on the creature sleeping contentedly on the sacred altar. With a long train of a tail, made up of feathers similar to a peacock, and fading upwards into sapphire fur, it was almost fantasy-like, mythical and mysterious.

Unfortunately, the man seemed not to have seen any of the creature's beauty, as he turned around and walked back, mounting a similarly strange creature, with a body similar to a horse, but with elephant-like tusks and a pitch black body.

"Bring it back".