Shifted

1st Chapter

Midnight had already passed. Prince Lakinse moved the curtains so he wouldn't need to watch yet
another sunrise after many sleepless nights. Twenty days had passed since he hadn't been able to
lay peacefully.
He observed the carvings on the dark wooden pillars which held up the baldachin that was giving
him privacy whenever he slept.
When he was able to fall asleep.
Restlessness flamed up in his chest.
Out of sudden excitement, the young prince found himself running across the room.
The room turned into a spiral of golden shine mixed with candle lights and shadows that all those
lights were casting. Usually it would make the room seem larger than it is which, in turn, would
always end up making the young prince feel lonely.
But this time happiness consumed his whole being. He simply didn't mind the fact that he had hit his
head and even scratched his forehead.
Pleasure filled every part of his body, circulated through the entirety of his being and casted away all
tiredness that he had previously felt.
The feeling was so alluring he could not resist.
For a moment he felt his whole body cooling down and all of his weight falling down his feet.
White flashes above him were circled with darkness so gentle, it seemed as if it was enclosing him,
protecting him from all wicked that's lurking beyond.
He felt himself falling but he didn't worry since he knew he would fall onto his bed.
He opened his eyes to find himself laying face down in the dewy grass.
Saliva accumulated in his mouth, causing him to throw up all the chicken that he had stealthily taken
from the kitchen after the dinner was over.
He fell to the ground again, further away from the vomit, and continued to lay face down in the
grass.
The river streaming nearby was soothing enough to make him come to his senses again. He sat up
and started to rub his right arm, hoping he would get the bloodstream flowing back into it.
After a while, he managed to stand up and started seeking his way back to his castle.
He didn't know what happened nor how he had ended up on the river bank but he was convinced
that he wasn't abducted since he wasn't tied. Or even robbed.
"I must have been poisoned," he thought, "that would explain that unusual behavior of mine
earlier".
However, he was thankful for his restlessness. He tried making the whole situation seem a bit less
serious by thinking how he would've had to walk these lands barefoot had he fallen asleep earlier.
The position of the sun indicated that noon had already passed, although only a few moments ago
the sky had been dotted with stars.
Could it be true, what the wise people had been saying?
"Be careful what you wish for."
The prince had been craving for an adventure since the day he learned how to hold a pen. Perhaps
his old wishes were coming true, at last.
Down the river bank, he noticed an unpaved dusty path and decided to take it. However, before
following through with his plan, he snuck away in the bushes and grabbed a branch that resembled a
stake the most. If he had something he could make a spear with he would've been much more
pleased, but he had already reconciled with the fact that he will have to work with what he has.
Shortly after, he started noticing tall white houses peeking through the woods. As he got nearer he
spotted another good sign - a cobblestone road. Cobblestones on the road were worn out which had
raised his hopes even more.
The very moment he stepped out of the forest, he had stopped dead in his tracks. The sight of a
village before him filled his chest with nervousness once again.
Tall white houses standing right by the road, with black roofs on top gave off a ghoulish kind-of
appearance.
There were no backyards, no carriages, no livestock or anything that would indicate that somebody
had been living in this village.
The prince felt thrills going down his neck. He swallowed as he continued following the road which
had led deeper into the village.
He turned around the moment he had heard a noise which resembled that of numerous windows
being closed at once.
The ringing of a bell echoed throughout the whole area which made the prince do a double-take
once again.
In the Kingdom of Oennirifen, the bells were known as messengers of approaching danger.
He grabbed his head, wondering how he hadn't thought of it before.
He crashed into a door of one of the houses, but they didn't open. None of the doors he tried did.
He ran down the street, trying hard not to scream.
The ringing suddenly seemed louder.
A tall building which bore resemblance of a small castle on the hill appeared to be the one
responsible for the ghastly ringing.
He stopped due to a sound of a song echoing throughout its walls.
He tried to make out the words of the song, however, he didn't understand the language these
people were singing in. All he could discern was that the song was formal.
Instantly, the realization made him walk more upright. He made a stoic facial expression.
Now that he had calmed down, he suddenly remembered that he left his branch on the streets.
He observed gardens filled with red and purple flowers, blooming around the building.
Soon, he noticed wooden benches so he sat on the one nearest to the building.
He found himself thinking it could come off as rude to be sitting there and staring at a building of
great importance, which is why he moved a couple of benches deeper into the garden.
He wasn't in Atyieyon, the capital of Oennirifen, anymore. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he was even
in Oennirifen at all.
There were no ancient drystone walls that he had always admired, no round stone houses where the
Atiyeyonian people lived. Even the air didn't feel the same as the soothing air of his homeland that
smelled like the sea.
His body grew tense, still refusing to accept the fact that he was far away from his home, in lands
unknown to him.
He jumped at the sound of laughter that was coming from a child standing nearby.
A tiny girl with big blue eyes and flowy blond hair grinned in his face, revealing small flat teeth.
Instinctively, he lowered himself to her level.
But soon enough, he noticed that the double doors of the building had opened. As soon as a mass of
ordinary people, most likely villagers, came out, the whole place filled with chatter.
They were mostly adults dressed in long and humble clothing.
He instantly lowered his gaze to his black shorts that had barely reached his knees, black shoes with
light heels, and a clack vest underneath which was a white shirt with a lacey collar.
He cupped a gemstone that was around his neck, hanging on a golden chain. On its top, the
gemstone was a light blue color which resembled the summer skies of Oennirifen. On the bottom, it
was as dark as the wilderness of the sea he had enjoyed watching regardless of how many times he
saw it.
A woman stepped before him.
She was at least a couple of inches taller than him.
Her cheeks were sunken, her thin brown hair was tied in the back. She was dressed in a simple blue
dress that reached the ground and, perhaps even made her look a tad underweight.
She grabbed the little girl's forearm, dragging her away from the prince.
She spoke to the girl in an irritated tone, using the language the prince did not understand.
She took a glance at him, only to warmly smile at him the moment she realized that he was dressed
in velvet from head to toe.
"Oh. One of those." He thought.
He had figured out her intentions, but still managed to respond to her with nothing but a faint smile.
When the two of them finally disappeared in the mass, he perceived many more eyes observing his
array.
He hid the jewel under his shirt, attempting to prevent himself from ending up robbed today.
The mob surrounding him chatted loudly. They seemed to use the same language as that woman
who had shamelessly assessed him a couple of minutes ago.
Anxiety which had filled his chest made him gasp for air, yet again.
He looked around, trying to spot the most vulnerable individuals, so that he would try to gather
some information about his kingdom.
He found an old lady who barely managed to get up, even though she used a cane, so he offered her
a hand which she had gladly accepted.
He let go of her hand the moment he was sure she was standing steadily enough and asked: "Tei
aedave?" which meant "Excuse me?" on ennti, the language he spoke.
She widened her faded blue eyes and mumbled something that he, of course, didn't understand.
"Pe i rusa setee Atiyeyon, Kinjuavnna Oennirifen?"
He asked the old lady for a way to Atyieyon, the capital of the Kingdom of Oennirifen, but all he got
were scowls and a punch in the back from a tall man with a beer belly.
They yelled, mostly repeating curses, phrases such as "heresy", "kill" and "devil" which he didn't
understand, but hearing the tones of their voices and feeling their hateful gazes on him was enough
to figure out that they were displeased by what they had heard.
Had there been a war in the past that triggered the unpleasant memories of Oennirifen?
A young man dressed in shiny green robes raised a hand and began yelling at the rabble.
Judging by the robes he wore, prince Lakinse concluded that the man was educated and perhaps
even an ennti speaker who might be able to show him the way to Oennirifen.
"Why is the mob chasing you, Young Master?"
Lakinse felt sadness emerging in his chest again when he found out that the man, just like everyone
else here, doesn't speak ennti.
Regardless of that, the words that the swarthy man was saying sounded kind, accompanied by his
wide smile.
Lakinse felt his spiky teeth pressing harder onto his tongue, when he suddenly noticed that none of
these people had them.
He felt shivers when the realization had hit him. He must have been different from them. These
people certainly weren't the same as his people.
He looked right into the man's eyes and placed his index finger onto his chest.
"Yienn Lakinse Sakoria."
He found himself unable to combat his pride and elide the fact that he is a prince, which he felt bad
about.
After he said that, a toothless young man spat on his neck and, judging by their looks, dozens of
them were ready to do the same.
"Stop! Don't you see that he only said his name! The young man is just a stranger! He gestured it's
his name using his hand!"
The swarthy man squalled.
Lakinse assumed that the man was some sort of a ruler amongst these people, which relaxed him a
little.
"Friar Pierre." Said the man and repeated Lakinse's gesture.
"Pe i rusa setee Atyieyon, Kinjuavnna Oennirifen? "
The man bit his lips and finally responded.
"I don't recognize the words he's saying, but what I know for sure is that he isn't of Lucifer. He stands
here on the ground of God. He acts as a brother of ours. This must've been a deed of the ones who
trade men as we trade the livestock. Only Heavens know where this kid came from."
Despite the words of their leader, distrust was still mirrored in people's eyes. The mob continued
gazing at him, as if he was their mortal enemy, but still, none of them dared to protest against the
words of the man who lead them.
"Don't fall for it. Don't ever relax. He might seem kind but you never know what these people can do
to you." Lakinse thought to himself as he tensed again.
He looked at the leader and smiled over his shoulder. Then he turned away and began walking in the
opposite direction, leaving the man and the crowd behind.
~~~
The sky turned sullen as the rain started to fall. The smell of rain devoured his senses and began
melting his angst away.
Now that he was completely soaked, he finally accepted the fact that he was lost.
His lips trembled. His knees gave in, causing him to end up kneeling on the muddy path.
This was the first time this day that he surrendered to his feelings.
He felt hot tears of relief streaming down his cold skin.
Exploring the unknown wasn't how the books that he had been reading since the age of 10 had
promised it to be.
"Or maybe I'm just not brave enough." A thought appeared and broke him, once again.
He quickly dismissed it and began to follow the way to what he thought was Friar Pierre's residence.
He caught a glimpse of his own reflection in one of the windows that had been illustrated with
pictures of white doves carrying branches in their beaks, shepherds wedded with light and winged,
breathtakingly beautiful people.
He was surprised by the fact that he didn't look as bad as he thought he would.
His red, wet hair was glued to his face and neck, causing his ears to peak through it. He tossed it a
little and stared into his own eyes which looked like a pair of yellow jade on his clear and sharp face.
He looked paler than usual. Tired.
He was thankful that his clothes didn't look wet since they were black. He wiped mud off his knees.
Now that he had reminded himself of how good he looked, Lakinse began feeling better and he
crawled into a barn behind one of the houses in the village, they didn't seem so ghastly now that
people were walking on the streets.
Not long after, he fell asleep hugging the straws within it.