I practiced flying for hours, feeling powerful in the air. I could see everything, as opposed to being restricted to a ground level view. But with wings, I could send powerful gusts of wind at those that I despised, and I could watch as they got knocked backwards and crashed into things. Though there was nobody I truly despised that was in my army - yet - it was still fun to watch the occasional person fall over due to the power of my wings.
When night came, I finally dismissed the wings and headed up to my room, switching on the TV. I mean, I could watch the history channel, but when was the last time that they had actually talked about history? I ended up putting on the news, letting it play in the background as I examined my branding iron again. It still was in a good condition, and so I ended up setting it on my desk and then tried to fall asleep.
Many weeks passed before something interesting happened. Those weeks were spent training my army, who hardly knew anything about magic or defending oneself. It truly was an irritating and boring job, but I didn't trust anybody in my army to teach them the right way, so I had to do it.
Those people I had sent out to find Lucas? They had returned, and they hadn't failed.
I was sitting on my throne - I had gotten one of the people in my army to make one for me - when I saw the doors burst open. I could hear loud, wild roars, like somebody was fighting to get free. But my army was stronger, and soon, Lucas was inside, and chains were being attached to his front and hind paws. We couldn't have him escaping.
"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. The son of the famous Moone, who, might I add, ruined my life. Your father did this to me. He's dead now, as you know, and soon, you'll be joining him."
"You're doing this to me just because what my dad did? How stupid are you?" He fired back.
I let out a growl of anger. "I am not stupid. Who your family is influences who you are or who you grow up to be, and I am not going to be hurt again! You are to have a public execution, and when it happens, I will be there, laughing in your sad little face. So tell me, Lucas Zephyr - what a stupid last name - why did your father chose to ruin my life?"
"He didn't mean to do it, and you know it. It was a result of how trapped you were in lion form! He was full of grief - heck, he was angry at himself - when you left. He cared so much about you, and you killed him. Moone had a spy in your camp, you know, and when he found out that you had joined them, he didn't believe it. He refused to try and kill you. He fought, yes, but only to stay alive. Never to kill."
With each word Lucas spoke, I laughed harder and harder. Moone had fed his child lies; that was obvious. And he was starting to tick me off. I couldn't execute him right then and there. It had to be planned. It would have to be painful. And most importantly, everybody from my army would have to be watching.
"Somebody take him to one of the empty cells. Give him only stale bread and water. We want him to look like the wasted criminal he is when I execute him." One of the stronger looking guards took him to the cells, and I felt relieved. He was finally captured. And Moone's wife had been killed years ago, so if I killed Lucas, then his entire stupid bloodline would be gone, and the world would be freed from stupidity.
"Where do we go?" One of the people from the search team asked, his tone timid.
"Join the rest of my group. You need to be branded, and I do not want any of you to protest. Do you understand?" I paused. "On second thought, stay here. I am going to grab my branding iron. If any one of you try to leave, I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself. Do you hear me?"
They all nodded, and I went up the stairs, grabbing my branding iron and bringing it down. Flames sparked to life in my hand, and I used that heat to heat up my branding iron. I loved the design on the branding iron, which was a lioness at the top, and three claw marks made of iron below her. Others may have needed a minute to interpret the true message, but it was clear to me. Mess with me, and I will strike you down.
Once the branding iron was hot enough, I placed it to the skin of the first one, who had spoken to ask me what they were to do next. He screamed, because it was hot enough to make curls of smoke rise up. I grinned, moving onto the next man. They all screamed, because they were cowards that weren't used to pain. Pain was a part of life, and they were living life hiding away in Moone's lair... At least, they had been, until I came along and set things right.
Once I had put the branding iron on those who returned, I headed up to my room, resting. My legs ached at times, and though it wasn't to bad, I just felt like sitting around and thinking. I was mentally planning out Lucas's execution, imagining the feelings of power that would flood me. He had to have a lot of power, seeing as he came from Moone's bloodline, and Moone was able to change me through just one dream. I couldn't even begin to imagine the power Lucas would have, and how it would make me feel alive. I would feel alive, and I would feel free.
