Algernon Black

(Chapter 90) God's Aren't Born, They Rise

Trist gawked at the silver necklace that started to slightly pulse like it was preparing to unlock for a fight and right next to it was the scar on the side of the prince's neck. He tried to grab at Loy's wrist but it only made him squeeze tighter.

"I have to give you some credit." Loy said with a more lighthearted tone, "It wasn't a bad idea." Then the prince's eyes hardened and his voice lowered in barely tamed menace. "But the next time you try to kill me, you better do it." The entire party fell silent, watching the scene but not daring to interrupt as Loy's eyes glowed with such ruthless spite that going any where near him would have made them wet their pants as their king already had. "Because if you fail again, I'll put your head on the point of this castle, and your body underneath it."

Selice shuddered at Loy's voice. The rest of everyone watching did as well. That king voice always reminded her that Loy was a prince, who would one day be king, and she wondered how many people here finally saw that as well.

"Don't go to war," Loy advised, looking at the pathetic excuse for a king in his beady eyes. "You can't even kill me, and this has been your second attempt today. And third overall."

Selice looked at the scar on Loy's neck and it finally clicked. He had said the mercenaries had more than likely been sent by someone with a lot of money, and now Loy finally had the proof of who he always suspected it was. Beal realized it too and gaped at the whimpering king. He thought he would be filled with rage to see who was really responsible for his village's demise, but felt nothing but disgust.

Loy threw the monarch onto the floor, where he grabbed at his bruised throat. Trist tried to yap out orders to his guards but no words came out as Loy damaged his vocal cords, most likely permanently.

Loy stayed standing in front of the king's head seat, looking for a challenge from the crowd. No one dared approach.

Selice's breath caught for a moment, seeing Loy look like everything a king should be, from his austere stance that flexed his broad shoulders to the silent commands his dauntless eyes ordered. And next to the king of Merra who was still whimpering on the ground, Selice was never so proud to know he would one day be king. Perhaps the only king deserving of that title in the entire world. 

"It's time to go," Loy said, seeing that no one would risk their lives to stop him. "It reeks of piss in here." With one more look down his nose at Trist, Loy stepped over the king. Selice followed with Beal and Cal behind her.

Beal looked once more at the king who had his clothes soaked in his own secretions. Once again, he tried to muster anger or resentment, but it didn't come. He got frustrated with himself and left. 

"I'm surprised you didn't try to kill him yourself," Loy said to Beal when they made their exit out of the castle.

"Would you have stopped me?" Beal asked, still wondering if he should go back and finish the king.

"No." Loy earnestly replied. "So why didn't you?"

"Because," Beal whispered, getting shy and reluctant to admit it, "You can destroy everything you hate in this world, but you'd still be left feeling the exact same."

Loy looked down at Beal with the slightest acknowledgment of praise.

"Cal, I thought I saw you drink that wine?" Selice asked as they walked down the final steps out of the castle. Loy turned to look at him with concerned eyes. He had told them not to drink anything just in case it was laced with poison as he correctly thought, but only Beal and Selice had listened to him.

"As I said before, real men can't be killed by poison," Cal said, strutting forward proudly. Beal beamed up at him, obviously thinking that was the coolest thing he'd ever heard someone say.

Loy sighed as the small respect he started to hold for the teenager vanished.

"Beal," Selice sighed, exasperated at the stupidity of the notion. "Don't listen to that." Beal looked between her and Cal, debating if he should.

"Don't waste your breath," Loy said to Selice, walking past the duo of dumb. "If this idiot wants to kill himself, let him do us all a favor."

"Who's gonna kill themselves!" Beal yelled at Loy's back, his small fist held up in anger. "If anything I'm going to kill you!"

"That's the spirit!" Cal said, patting Beal on the back and almost knocking the boy to the ground. "Every man needs a goal!"

"Should murder really be a goal we encourage?" Selice asked Cal.

"Whatever gets you up in the morning," Cal replied, with his thumb up in the air.

"Well that snivelly teenager can try all he wants but he'll never kill me," Loy said, prodding the homicide just as much as Cal.

"Who are you calling snivelly!?" Beal shrieked.

"Why is it when you whine, you do it with your entire body?" Loy shot back, gesturing to how Beal threw his hands up and bounced around whenever he got worked up.

"I don't do that!" Beal said, doing it still.

The petty fight went on for another thirty minutes on whether Beal could kill Loy, and ended when Loy gave him a bloody nose by throwing his bag of marbles at his face.

Tears welled in Beal's eyes from the hit, but he was only upset that his reflexes weren't fast enough to catch the bag. Selice let out a sigh but smiled right after wondering where the next stop would take them.