Songs of Fallen Stars

17

Elara. 

I can’t help but stare at the people on our way to the dining hall. They have gills on the sides of their necks and some of them are a faint green color. Others look like normal men, they give us hostile glances as we pass by. 

Dining with Midas is the most awkward thing. I think I insulted him right off the bat. 

“Thank you for this beautiful meal Midas,” I say with a half smile. It is all seafood, something I used to love eating, but after the events of today, I feel sick to my stomach. 

“It’s King Midas” He nearly snaps. 

“Oh I’m so sorry.. I thought Rion was the only King” I say desperately looking at Rion for help. He has a huge grin on his face. 

“Yes, Midas… I thought that as well. Please enlighten me.. When did you become King?” He looks at Midas lazily, his chin resting on his hand. He’s enjoying this too much. 

“Well. I am King of my own kind. I never said I was ‘The’ King. I would never try to take the throne from you.. King Rion” Midas goes crimson, not from embarrassment, but I think from anger. He glares at me and smiles at Rion. 

“Well.. I feel like I need some reassurance of your fealty to me.. I want you to bow down to me”, Rion stands and looks down at Midas. He stares at him for a moment, 

“Don’t keep your King waiting”, Rion warns him,

Midas awkwardly gets to his feet and walks over to Rion. He bows half assed in front of him, “No, not good enough”, Rion announces. Midas lowers into a full bow, Rion chuckles and shoves Midas to his knees. Midas grunts. I can see his fingers are exposing sharp nails. He tries to control his anger but loses as he tries to raise. Rion steps on his back, pushing down hard on him. Midas sinks into the floor under the pressure of Rion’s foot. 

“Remember which one of us came out on top the last time you tried to defy me, Midas. You live because I was gracious enough to let you. Do not think that you have any power, here or anywhere. These are my lands, my people. You think you are in charge? You do as I tell you. These people are my subjects. You are my subject. Do not think otherwise. Now.. I said bow.” Rion’s voice is thunderous as he threatens Midas. He removes his foot from Midas’s back as he lowers himself into a bow on the floor. It reminds me of someone of religion praying to their God. Rion is God in this situation. 

“Forgive me, Your Majesty” Midas cries, he is shaking in fear now. 

“Rise” Rion says as he walks back over to his chair and sits down. 

I feel heat flooding through me as I watch him, there was something extremely sexy about what he just did. Asserting his power and making Midas bow and beg at his feet was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. Rion looks over at me and gives me a sly smile as if he’s reading my thoughts. I advert my eyes and look down at my plate. My cheeks are flushed and I pick up a crab leg and pull the meat out. 

“Now then. We are here because I need to see your Witch Cayanna” 

Midas looks uncomfortable at the mention of her name, “What business do you have with her?” He asks Rion with narrowing eyes. 

“That is of no concern to you” Rion snaps, “Where does she reside in these lands?” 

“She was banished. She no longer lives here” 

“Banished? For what?” 

“She was sneaking off kits and eating them,” He says. I gasp in surprise and horror. Eating young children is horrifying. 

“Well then we will be leaving immediately” Rion stands and looks at me, I rise from my chair and we leave the dining hall. 

“Are we really going?’ I ask curiously. 

“I am not so stupid to believe his lies. I can feel her here, some where” He replies and leads me to our room. I sit on the bed and we wait. It is getting more difficult for me to breathe, I feel each breath getting caught in my throat before it makes its way out. 

I lay down on the bed at some point, trying to conserve my energy. 

‘Elara… come to me Elara’ A voice whispers, making my eyes snap open. 

“Rion.. did you hear that?” I ask, looking around the room. He’s asleep in a chair beside the bed. I reach over and shake his arm, waking him. 

“What is it?” He yawns 

“I hear someone calling me. They want me to find them” I tell him. 

“Do you hear it now?” He sits up straight in the chair and listens, 

“No.. but it was just there a moment ago” I say. I look around the room and something about the mirror catches my attention. It has a low glow to it, a slight pink tone. 

‘Elara… Please.. I need your help’ The voice calls out again. 

“There!” I say as I point to the mirror. I jump out of bed and rush over to the mirror. 

Rion pulls me behind him and the next moment we are being pulled into the mirror. 

“It’s a f*****g portal” Rion curses and he holds me tightly in his arms. We are shot around in the dark, landing in a heap. Rion breaks my fall and I crawl off him quickly apologizing. 

“Are you hurt?” He asks, looking me over for any injuries. 

“I’m fine” I tell him, we look around at our new surroundings. It’s a small room, like a storage closet. A young woman is chained and hanging from the wall. I go to help her but Rion holds me back. 

“Who are you?” He asks

“Cayanna… I know who you are, King Rion.. and I know who she is too.. Elara” She looks up at us, her eyes have been gouged out. She sniffs the air, her head turning to me. 

“You really do smell quite delicious” 

“I’ve heard that quite a bit recently” I say awkwardly. 

“It is unheard of to have a traveler from another world in our lands.. You smell so different and it interests many. Your blood is untainted. You will produce excellent offspring. Powerful, the most powerful the lands have ever seen” She goes on. 

“Enough, we are here to ask if there is any way for Elara to go home, to her own world” Rion silences her. 

“Yes and no.. in order to return she will have to sacrifice the thing she loves most. She doesn't love anything, so she will not be able to go home. When she does love, she will be unable to stomach the sacrifice” 

“How do you know I don’t love anything?” I ask, my curiosity peaked. 

“I know many things, child. I know you will never return to your own time. Even if you tell yourself you are strong enough, it is not so. You will never be able to give up the thing you crave most in life. Love” 

Before we can ask any more questions, there are noises outside the door and it is jolted wide open. Midas stands before us, anger bubbling over now. 

“What do you think you're doing?” He grabs me by the arm and pulls roughly on me. 

Rion snarls at him and rips me out of his grasp and back against him. 

“You are not supposed to be down here,” Midas yells at us. 

“You can’t treat people like this! She is a person. You cannot just chain people up and leave them to rot!” I scream at him. 

“Do not tell me how to discipline my subjects, you dog. I will have you hung up next to her, you are nothing more than a w***e. A bed warmer, do you think I will have any remorse at seeing your body hanging next to hers? I will have no second thoughts on it!” He snaps at me. 

Rion gently steps in front of me, 

“How DARE you speak to her like that. I will take your head myself. I warned you.” He steps forward and grabs Midas by the neck with one hand and twists his arm behind him with the other. I can hear the crunch of his arm breaking. Rion stomps on his knee and sends him to the ground. Crunch, his knees break from the impact of hitting the ground. Midas tries to cry out but his larynx is being crushed by Rion. He fights him, he fights so hard but he is so weak compared to Rion and within a matter of minutes Rion has broken his neck and tossed him to the ground. 

Rion turns to me and extends his hand, I take it and we begin to walk out before I stop. I run back to Cayanna and unchain her from the wall. She is dead. 

Tears spring to my eyes as I look at her lifeless body. They killed her. They are all monsters.