Tears of Raven

6

Raven trailed as the last bush caressed her thighs, indicating that the forest territory had come to an end.

A drop of the morning dew fell on her neck and down her spine, causing her to suck in her breath again.

They had walked the entire night and now her bare skin was touching solid stone. As a human, she probably should feel relieved but she had stopped being a mere daughter of the city when she had escaped and now was entering the gargantuan city walls like a slave.

She had dreamt of this moment many times but managed to always escape one way or another. This was not her place; this was what nightmare tasted like and she didn't like it.

The fumes rising from every small village home, resembled death and poverty compared to the white and golden castle opening to her sight.

Her eyes met the fifty feet high dragon stone sculptured around the castle pinnacles roaring back at her and her inside cringe. The last time she had seen it, she turned to give Gelion her back, vowing to never returned. At least it looked smaller now, mostly because she had seen a real one and she knew this was a mere imitation. Stone couldn't hold the same vibrant color or the pure primordial f a dragon could make. It could just mimic.

And mimic didn't scare Raven.

Humans did.

The gates opened, fine golden metal twirling around in a pretentious pattern that, if malted cold probably relieved half thew kingdom from starvation.

"It's a girl."

"The prince caught her."

"Is she..."

"...she is a slave"

Raven caught glimpse of conversations here and there but the prince, managed to pull on the rope around her hands and she stumble a little forward, not lingering.

"Take her to the dungeons. No one raise a finger on her. if I see even the tiniest scratch I didn't cause, heads will come flying around." The prince passed Raven to Baylor. "Can I trust you to keep her in check?"

Baylor sniffed wrapping the rope around his fist, like raven was a dog whose leash needed to be shortened.

"Of course, your highness." The brief pause did not get lost on Raven. Baylor was public mocking the prince, probably to get on his nerve or simply to play around knowing he would never outburst in a public setting without having to follow up with some serious action.

Raven took note of this.

"Are you going to report to his majesty the king, my prince?" his musk eyes found raven of a split second before leaving the party and looking up on the castle walls, where probably the king and queen were just about to have breakfast.

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Raven rose an eyebrow ready to mock him but the next words completely shut her up. "Se she will be dead before the sun will touch the horizon."

Baylor shook his head and pulled raven toward the castle small door. Raven recalled it like the palm of her hand and she didn't even need to open her eyes to find her way.

As soon as the smell of stale humidity hit her nose, her eyes begun to sting yet she stood straightened and followed her captor to the dungeons.

She was chained and left alone short after. Her thoughts echoing in her mind louder tha anything else, even her heart.

"Here." Strong shoulder move through the cell doors awkwardly, placing a glass of water and some very old and questionable bread in front of her.

Raven eyed the man. The second in command, the prince right hand and wonder why he was being kind to his prince's most hatred enemy.

"No one should leave this world on an empty stomach."

He gestured for the glass but Raven knocks it off with the sole of her foot, grunting like a dragon.

"Smart."

She searched for the now faint light coming from the tiny window above her. It was defiantly after noon now.

"What happened to the dragon?"

She didn't look away. She wondered if she could manage to slide her very flexible hands out of the handcuff. Baylor drops on Raven's eyelevel and just stares at her soul making her uncomfortable.

"Why do you waste your time with scum?" the prison door creaks and for a second, Raven sucks in her breath. But a definitely shorter and more petite guy walks in placing his hands on both his sides. "this is now how we treat people like her."

He has no maroon robe or decoration. Yet when his boot connects with Raven's cheek caching her off guard, it hurts just as much as the prince's rough hands tying her up.

"Soldier" Raven feels every little imprint of his boot sinking in her smooth skin and makes a mental note to return every single one of the lines on her face back at this talentless prick.

"People like you should be executed on sight, you're the reason this kingdom is regressing. You refuse to stay in your fucking place." His heavy breath fans on Raven's face as he spits words I do not care to repeat.

Baylor is ready to step in when a maniacal laugh irrupts from Raven's lips.

The soldier falls back frightened. It's a gelid, cold-hearted giggle that not even the worst of nightmares could phantom to make and it comes from the very pale girl on the floor. It resembles a demon's voice for the way it echoed through the black walls of the prison's cell and right into the two soldier's face.

"Rest assured, little pitiful soldier. I will break free from these chains and the first thing I will come to haunt, is you.. Because you're worth just as much as this dirt I have on my face, and I'll make sure to wipe you out of it."

Raven rose on her hands and knees, still grinning as if she was not about to die in a couple of hours.

"Impressive." This time, the voice belongs to the right person but she's too out of herself to be scared.

She lifts her gaze to meet his. She didn't hear him move but what difference does it make?"

The shadow prince is only inches before her and has the look of an absolute murder but his eyes shine of a dimmer light, right at the corner of it. as if felt a little intrigue by the slender girl before him.

"She's very good with her words having gone a long time away from society, you know?" Baylor cuts in but the Prince has eyes just for her.

"Where is the dragon?"

Raven's tongue curls but before she could get her saliva out, the prince has already got hold of both her cheeks forcing her to swallow it right back. The grip is tight but not painful. She has no doubt he would snap her jaw giving the chance though.

"Why would you help a dragon knowing it could be the answer to our imminent war?"

Raven's eyes widen but she is fast to hide her expression. Not fast enough though. "Unless you didn't know!" he realizes.

"She doesn't know of the prophecy."

"Makes sense since she's been in the woods Merya knows how lon-"

"10 years ago today" Raven is careful this time not to let anything slip her emotionless face.

"The night of the fire in the grand hall?" the general asks bewildered.

"Yes, and there is no doubt in my mind that it was her that did it, right C1613? Your mother was C1389, your father unknown."

His hand falls and that was a very rookie mistake.

Raven smiled maliciously before moving her head back and headbang him right in the middle of his forehead with everything she had as her thumbs bent and she slit her wrist off of the heavy iron bracelet, bolting for the door.