Fragment

2. The King of Avalon

  It seemed like ages until he was able to move somewhat freely. Though he now walked like an old man, attempting to grip onto things as he moved. He felt a cane or stick was needed.

  "Hey, you." Ryou said, looking past the bars of the cell to the guard standing in the corridor outside. As he turned to face the cell, Ryou could make out his facial features. He was human, definitely. Dark complexion and black eyes that seemed more kind than evil. He couldn't have been older than 17, standing there adorning the uniform that many other guards also shared. He seemed out of place.

  "Yes?" He asked, his voice still containing a boyish quality. If anything, it made the aforementioned claims more legitimate. His mouth was set in a straight line, as if he were afraid to smile. Afraid to feel happiness, as if something would sense it and come to get him. Ryou felt a pang of sadness for the boy. Forgetting his request for a moment, Ryou spoke. "What's your name?"

  "Jordan," The boy had said, emotion visible in his eyes. Though, Ryou couldn't pinpoint which emotions. Sadness? Anger? Perhaps he was afraid.

  "How did you get here, Jordan?" Ryou asked, leaning against one of the three walls of the cell. Jordan eyed him for a second, and a sense of defense appeared in his eyes.

  "I don't have to explain myself to you. Sit down and shut up," He said hotly, but with hesitation. Ryou, not intimidated by his order, sensed the latter and realized that whatever his history was, it probably wasn't much better than his own. Though, he decided not to speak to him again, for the good of them both. Instead, he slid down the wall to a sitting position, sighing. He'd make an attempt later. For now, he needed rest.

o-o-o-O-o-o-o

  "So, are you ready to learn about yourself?"

  "Ready as I'll ever be." Elliyos replied after taking a deep breath.

  "Your name is Elliyos. Born on November 9th, 1749, you're seventeen years old. You were born to Elijah and Rose in the village of Venn, a small farming village just a few miles from here. Now, here's the kicker. Three years ago... you died."

  It hit Elliyos like a brick wall. Sure, he figured that he had died. He crawled out of a casket for god's sake. Something about being told that you had died just wasn't natural, and he felt it at his very core. He died, and yet, there he was, sitting up in a bed and listening to a man tell him what he already knew somewhere deep down.

  "A man showed up at your village and torched the place with very evil, very dark magic. He found something important in your best friend Senna and took off with her."

  "I tried to save her, right?" he guessed quietly. He didn't remember anything yet, but it felt like what he would do.

  "Yes. He killed you with the same magic he used to destroy Venn. We, uh..." the man paused, looking away for a second. While they weren't sharing gazes, Elliyos could still see his sadness. It was in his eyes, his expression, his posture. It affected him at his core, and that was painfully obvious.

  "We buried you with everyone else." he continued. "Almost everyone died that night. We were forced to hold a mass funeral to honor everyone lost. People still gather on the day to replace the flowers on you-- uh... their, graves."

  Elliyos' mind reeled. None of this made any sense to him. Why was he alive? Why couldn't he remember anything about his past? Of everyone that died that night, whether it was his family, friend, or even strangers, he didn't feel like he deserved to be alive. After what seemed like ages of silence, he finally spoke. Only two words left his mouth, but the man understood.

  "Why me?"

  "We don't know. One of ours found you passed out early this morning in the graveyard. Upon inspection, we found that you had somehow managed to claw your way out of the grave. We also found that someone implemented a memory supression on you, as if they knew this would happen. A pretty nasty one, too. However, someone broke the seal on it."

  "Whatever the hell that is, it's probably where my pain came from.." Elliyos noted. "Do you know who did this memory seal.. thing? Or who broke it? How do you know to begin with?"

  "I'm afraid I don't know either. We know that it happened because of the insignia on the back of your neck. It appears when a suppression as powerful as the one you went through is placed on someone. It then changes when the seal is broken. We also know that both of these people are very powerful. The magic that has been used on you is powerful. Perhaps some of the most powerful magic we've ever seen in all of Avalon. You're of importance, Elliyos. We don't know how, or to whom, but you are.. and it is for that reason that you must be kept safe."

"And how do you plan to keep me safe?" Elliyos interjected. The whole ordeal was beginning to anger him. "These beings are the most powerful you've ever seen, and here you are, just thinking that you can keep me in some castle until it all goes away."

"I never said we were going to keep you here."

"Then please, your highness, fill me in."

"Watch your tone, boy. I don't think you know who you're speaking to."

"Sure, it's on the list, but what DO I know these days?" he shot back. "I don't know a damn thing. Sure though, I'll bite. Being that I am obviously so graced by your presence, who the hell are you?"

"Let's try using our heads, shall we? We're in a castle, I have a luxurious cape, and I'm telling you to watch your tone. Earlier you hit the nail on the head, but I'm sure you were just being a smartass. Let that swish around in that brain of yours and give me an answer."

Elliyos scowled at first. Then, something sparked in his head and he suddenly knew who he was talking to.

"You're the King. Of Avalon."

"Call me Renton. Congrats on the brain still working, by the way."

"So what, am I supposed to bow down to you now?" Elliyos fumed. His gaze stayed locked with Renton's until the King stood from his chair and made his way over to the bed. Within seconds they were face to face.

"I get that you're a teenager, and the whole 'rebellious spirit' thing is cute and all, but I could have let you rot out there. I don't know what these forces want with you, but I'd be willing to bet that you're better to them alive than dead. Do you realize just how easily I could easilly kill you right now? The mere fact that you're alive right now poses a threat to this entire continent, and yet here you are, sitting in my castle. I'm trying to help you, so I would suggest that you treat me with some respect before I throw you out into the cold. Or worse."

The two stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Eventually what Renton said got to Elliyos and he looked away, slightly ashamed of himself. A slight smirk appeared on the face of the King.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." he mumbled, not meeting the gaze of the King.

"Good. Now, if you'd be so kind, follow me. I'll fill you in on the plan along the way."