Blood King

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty One

            “Who are you?” Radu demanded his voice shaken and uneasy. He was willing to pull out his sword and fight the man, even though it was against his own morals. But this man, this ominous silent man, terrified him to his core.

            The man slowly moved towards him, quickly Radu unsheathed his sword and held it up along his right side, his stance wide, but not too wide to knock him out of his guard. The man stopped only a few feet away from him. Amidst the darkness he caught a glimpse of his eyes, burning like that fire a deep crimson red. But with everything being as dark as it was Radu couldn’t see what the man looked like.

            But the robes, he recognized them.

            While staying in Valdoria he had heard of a man who wore those robes and those who angered him incurred his wrath in the most violent of ways.

            Radu’s eyes narrowed on the man. “You’re Pheynix Sitri Solomon, aren’t you?”

            A slow smile curled the robes man’s lips, confirming Radu’s suspicions.

            “So you are him, tell what dose a dead man want from someone like me?” Solomon shook his head, and in silence he pointed through the forest to the carriage that Radu’s sister remained in. Fear and dread washed over the young boy as he understood the silent meaning.

            The man was after Eleanor.

            Yet still the boy kept his sword pointed at the robed man. “It was already dealt with!” he told him. “Eleanor was banished, that is why we are heading home. Yes she has done wrong on the King and Princess, but killing my sister would not solve anything. Violence begets more violence! Even the King said so, that he didn’t want to start a war over something as trivial as a woman’s jealousy. Leave now and I swear I will not speak of you, but if you go near my sister.” the grip on his sword tightened. “Then know that I will have no choice but to fight you.”

            The man’s arm fell to its side, almost as if it had given out all of its energy to stay up. Radu kept his eyes on him. Part of him said to call for help, yet it occurred to him that by now someone would notice what was going on, and yet all was quite like the dead. He didn’t even hear voices in the distance.

            It couldn’t have been that late, and if it was a number of men would be patrolling making sure no enemy would attack them. Yet he heard nothing.

            As if realizing this, the man chuckled, sending a cold chill down Radu’s spine. “What did you do?” Radu demanded, voice growing with fear. “What did you do to everyone?”

            Suddenly the man was gone, Radu froze, where in the world did he go? But his thoughts came to a halt when he felt two hands resting firmly on his shoulders. Those hands moved, one along his chest and the other his throat. Everything within Radu had turned to stone, he couldn’t even breath as his head was tilted back to face the man who seemed to have control over his entire body.  That long black hair hung low, like that of a spider’s web ensnaring its pray.

            Radu couldn’t look away no matter what he tired; the man’s eyes kept drawing him in like and endless void. He then felt a sharp pain along the nape of his neck before the man let him go and Radu fell to the ground with a heavy thud along with his sword. His breathing rigged he looked to the robed man who was no kneeling before him, an index finger pressed to his lips.