The Exceptional Clockwork Journey of The Perpetually Alone Hugo Gerard (NaNoWriMo 2012)

Chapter 7

Awkward spacing, not edited. Read :)

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Chapter 7

“No,” Hugo replied, becoming slightly confused. Well, not that he could think of.

“Are you sure?” Oblivion cocked his head to the side in a matter that was used by someone to study another. “Never?”

“Well…” Hugo trailed off, rubbing the tied ropes that scratched around his wrists. He could think of one time, but that had been irrelevant.

“Think!” Oblivion snarled into the boy’s face.

“Alright!” Hugo squeaked, cowering down. “There was one time.”

“Go on,” Oblivion ushered.

“She was cooking dinner, as per usual, and she just…” Hugo clenched his teeth. “Disappeared.”

Oblivion smirked, his silver eye glinting. “And what do you think that means, Hugo?”

“She was…” Hugo growled. “A Lanrete.”

“She is, boy. You cannot leave your birthright,” Oblivion stepped back, signaling for a guard to come.

“Then how am I almost all Clockwork?” Hugo challenged, sending a fiery glare towards the Lanrete.

Oblivion’s eyes narrowed, and he brought his hand up to grab the boy’s chin. “Because you are the next rightful heir,” he hisses, roughly yanking his head to the side.

Hugo’s eyes widened and he turned his chin to the left and right, back and forth frantically. “I am not the heir.”

“Ah, but you are, boy! Do you really believe my brother has any other sons?” Oblivion snarled.

“I would believe so,” Hugo closed his eyes, snapping the shut.

“Well, dog, he doesn’t,” Oblivion reached his hand forward and pried open Hugo’s eyes, revealing the golden pupils.

“How can you prove my mother is a Lanrete? I don’t believe it,” Hugo spat.

“Well, first of all, all Lanrete serve I, so if I wanted your mother here I could just force her too, would you like me to do that, Hugo?”

“No,” Hugo stuttered, shaking his head free of Oblivion’s grasp.

“Oh, yes, since you are so sure of yourself,” and in one fluid motion, Oblivion snapped his fingers and his mother was beside him, crying.

“Mother?” Hugo whispered.

“Hugo?” the woman looked up from behind her hands, her once deep gray eyes glowing a dangerous, yet beautiful, silver. “I’m so sorry, Hugo. I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in any of this,” she wept.

“Oh, look here, such a sweet little reunion. Too bad I will have to end it,” Oblivion threw his arm to the side, grabbed a fistful of Hugo’s mother, Adéle’s hair, and pressing a knife to her chin.

“No!” Hugo screamed, fighting furiously against his bonds.

“Oh, yes, unless, of course, you were willing to give up some information…” Oblivion cocked his head to the side, studying Hugo.

“Anything, anything! Please don’t hurt her,” Hugo sobbed.

“Anything?” Oblivion’s eyes twinkled in interest.

“Anything,” Hugo whispered, peaking through the ray of sunlight shining through his golden brown bangs that needed a trim.

“Well, then, give me your hand, boy,” Hugo glared at him.

“If you haven’t noticed, you idiot, my hands just so happen to be tied, to a tree.”

“Don’t talk back to me,” Oblivion growled, shoving his mother in the direction of a guard and gracefully slicing away Hugo’s bonds. “Give it to me, Hugo.”

Reluctantly, Hugo held out his hand, palm up. Instantly a silver knife appeared from the pocket of Oblivion’s coat and into his palm. “Now, now, stand still. Wouldn’t want to… Rip anything, would we?”

In one swift motion, the Lanrete took his knife and slide it across Hugo’s wrist, Ambrosia already seeping from the wound. A vial slipped from the inside of Oblivion’s sleeve and collected the dripping blood, grinning the whole time. Hugo just clenched his teeth and looked away.

“Let him go,” Oblivion called, shoving a stopped onto the vial and turning around his tailcoat bristling in the wind.

“Goodbye, Hugo,” Oblivion turned and dissolved into silver dust, carrying into the wind. Rubbing his wrist, Hugo thanked the guards for cutting the bounds, even though they were cursing their leader’s name the entire time, and pulled his mother up from the ground.

Day turned into night as the two, mother and son, silently walked home.

What Hugo didn’t know, however, was what would be the cost of his sacrifice.