Sold To The Dragon Kingdom

FIVE

“Geoffrey, the girl is wearing a gold necklace.” My attention snapped back to the brute who had just spoken to their one eyed leader. So his name was Geoffrey.

They both stared at the necklace I had worn around my neck. The same necklace which my aunt, the queen had sent to me along with my dress. Only that they were mistaken; the necklace was not gold but platinum painted in golden color. But it wasn’t the right time for me to argue about the necklace so I took it off quickly before their filthy hands would touch me.

“I can’t let him die.” I found my voice again, after handing over the necklace which the brute rudely snatched away as though it were his Mother’s belonging. “I’m not leaving him here. Where are you taking me?”

His hand smacked me on the cheek, causing me to stagger as I felt the pain spreading through every part of my face. It temporarily blinded my vision. Then came the pumping sensation in my heart as I felt a giant lump beginning to form in my throat.

I wanted to smack him back. I badly wanted to rip his flesh and pound his bones to debris.

“You dare not speak and keep doing as you’re told. Wench.” I heard the brute muttered in my ears while I caught their one eyed leader Geoffrey smirking and ambling into the forest.

Almost immediately, the others dropped their manners and scattered themselves around, some cackling and some chuckling. They followed the dead bodies and scramble for whatever they could find on them.

To stop the brute from pulling me, I decided to voluntarily follow him to wherever he was taking me. I thought I could find out about the reason why the man, Geoffrey called Milan a dragon.

The realization sunk into my thoughts that the men might not actually be ordinary rogues. It seemed as though their target had been Milan and I, right from the beginning. They let the others to fled and focused on attacking Milan and I alone. It could only mean that someone was behind all this.

And maybe they were taking me to see that person.

So many escape plans crossed into my mind. However, I settled on the idea of getting away as far as possible from the group so I could have a better chance of making my plan effective. Then I would come back to save Milan.

The wind rustled with the foliage. The sound of crunching twigs and snapping branches filled the air as we walked through the thick forest, following the lead of Geoffrey. We took another turn to the South and headed into a very narrow pathway which looked like a forest alley.

I could hear the sound of the scuttling rabbits or perhaps those could be mice or squirrels hiding in the branches. We emerged out from the narrows and then came an open space with ancient trees which were so tall like fortresses of the glades. The soil beneath my sandal was dark and sticky, just like the soil around the mountain where we grew up with Milan. It suddenly reminded me of those moments when we used to train with Bethany. She was our friend who had lost her life to the plague which killed nineteen of our warriors when it occurred last year.

Looking up ahead, my eyes narrowed straight at the cave which seemed to be surrounded by a sprouting greenery from all angles. Large green rocks stacked on top of each other by the right side of the cave, with a bent over tree sprawling its branches and partially covering the upper rock. The entry was round and I could see the strong lights coming from the inside which possibly meant that someone was waiting inside.

Geoffrey docked his head as he moved into the entry, to avoid smashing his face on the rock. We followed after.

As soon as I was inside, the wall displayed a large shadow of a man that caused a sudden fear to start creeping into my soul. Even before I could see him, the aura was more than enough of a threat to my instinct. I knew he definitely would be a terrifying man. Perhaps more terrifying than the one eyed scumbag Geoffrey.

Somehow, my gut told me I shouldn’t have entered the cave, but it was too late already…

My breath got caught up and my heart almost stopped beating when the man turned his face around. A pale gold pair of eyes glimmering under a dark eyebrows. His nose bridge was long with a rounded tip and his lips looked exactly like a mirror reflection of Milan’s. I could have sworn he was the same man I had known for years if not for the long hair and beard, and the thin scar that cut across his right eyebrow which differentiated him from Milan.

He clad himself in a cloak that seemed to be made of a high quality fabric, and his booths were shiny; well polished as though he’d never walked the forest with them.

“Allow me a moment of privacy, you two.” He said, in a voice which was so cold, frigid, and completely different from Milan’s. His voice only intensified the threatening aura rallying around him. Looking at his eyes was hard enough for me as his gaze were so unfriendly that it caused me to shiver on the insides. It felt as though my bones had dissolved and and the muscles had completely gone rigid.

Just from the way one eyed Geoffrey and the brute hastened to leave the cave was more than enough to prove to me that the man was dangerously domineering. Perhaps someone who loved to be in control and having people cowering beneath his cold stares.

“Take a seat,” he ordered; to which my feet scurried across and I quietly sat down on a small flat rock I saw. I breathed in silently and tried to control my racing heartbeat.

The light from several lanterns on the ground seemed to have aggravated the heat in the enclosure. I could feel the sweat almost about to dribble down from my forehead.

“You may let your guard down. All you have to do is answer the questions I have for you. And no harm shall come to you if you speak the truth.” I nodded as he said that. He must have sensed my discomfort. Or heck, anyone could easily see right through my tribulation. “You are the shaman from the East Kingdom, so where is the letter of amity?”

I dared myself not to respond to that question. Because I wouldn’t be able to speak the truth. But wait... how did he knew about the letter in the first place? The Queen had warned me not to tell anyone about the letter, so not even Milan knows about it. How could he have known this much about us? Unless the Queen herself, or someone very close to the royal family had fed him with everything beforehand? Could this be a set up? The thoughts lingered on my mind.

Either ways, I needed to stand my ground. Or at least try to.

I quickly shook my head, feigning ignorant of the question. “I have no idea what a letter of amitity is.” I replied, deliberately mispronouncing the word ‘amity’. “I’m not someone you should be concerned about. I don’t even know the location of the East Kingdom or the shaman you’re talking about. I’m just a girl from the hillside.”

“Where from the hillside did you come from?” He narrowed and fixed his eyes on me; no doubt wanting to intimidate me.

“The barley village. We were headed for the Kingdom of South Albon to get the ingredients for a love potion when the rogues attacked us. My family are ordinary traders.”

“Indeed.” His voice was filled with undisguised mockery as he scanned me from head to feet. It was obvious in his eyes that he was slowly getting irritated. “So you used all the love potion earnings to buy yourself an expensive dress to wear on a journey like this.” He said, and my skin tingled. That must have been the dumbest lie. Where was that persuasive ability Milan said were my powers?

The sound of his heavy step caused my attention to snap back, and I saw him standing in front of me. He leaned a little and fixed his eyes on me, his hot breath already fanning my face. “I’m going to cut off your ears, if you lie to me again. This is your last chance. Where did you hide the letter?”

I shivered and held my breath as I thought about giving him the letter. Fulfilling the mission matters, but saving my ears should be a priority, obviously. But heck, the letter was under my corset, and the thought of stripping in front of him to produce the letter made me suddenly cringed. Then I felt something yanked and pulled my neck while I immediately started to choke on my saliva. All my five senses seemed to have become heightened as the tears began to ran down from my eyes. A bubble in my throat obstructed my pipe, forcing my legs to start kicking from the miserable feeling.

I thought I was going to die, or at least pass out, but when he threw me down, my hands scattered into the ground, and I gathered as much sand as I could and vaulted onto my legs. I blew the sand straight into his eyes, temporarily blinding him and utilizing the opportunity to escape.

I ran out of the cave and didn’t even look back or anywhere else as I kept running and aiming for the trees. I jumped straight into somewhere with a cluster of thick branches and quickly hid myself. I made sure I hid my dress as well.

Panting hard, I kept my eyes on the small opening between the branches, checking to see if anyone would appear. It seemed as though I had been running all alone. No one was chasing me.

*********

Helios did not bother himself to catch the shaman after she threw the sand into his face. He didn’t need the letter from the Queen anyway. The plan was to disrupt their journey and to take away their horses. That alone, would cause them a delay until the coronation ceremony of the crown prince takes place. After which the letter would be completely null and useless.

There was something peculiar about the way the fake shaman looked at him, Helios thought as he shook the remnants of dust off his cape. He remembered the look in her eyes when she first stepped into the cave. It was as though she’d seen him somewhere before. But he was sure that they hadn’t met before. Not even the real shaman knew what he looked like even though they’d met a couple of days before she died. It was such a waste that King Galileo wanted her dead.

Helios grumbled to himself as he sauntered out of the cave. There was something he needed to confirm from Geoffrey but the two weren’t standing outside the cave as they should. They weren’t even around the vicinity so he thought they must have decided to chase after the shaman.

Turning himself around, he took a step in the direction of the cave entrance but stopped immediately when he heard a piercing scream. A distressing scream that undoubtedly belonged to none other than Geoffrey the one eyed.