Rune Stealer

Cress

So he had good aim, I thought, but what was he doing here?

The man's eyes also ran up and down my body, but when Kian shifted on his feet behind me, the man's eyes slid to Kian. A smile lit up on his face and he stepped out from behind the desk. "Ah, brother," he exclaimed.

"Cress," said Kian as he stepped out from behind me. The man, apparently named Cress, opened his arms wide and wrapped them around Kian, clapping him loudly on the back.

"It is good to see you, little brother," laughed Cress.

Oh so this was Kian's brother, but they look nothing alike. Kian trumped Cress in muscle and size, but I bet Cress trumped Kian in intelligence and how much people liked him.

"And you," said Cress as he directed his attention towards me, "must be Laika." He smiled warmly at me and placed himself in front of me. "A pleasure to meet your acquaintances." Cress grasped my hand and brought it up to his lips. Practically growling, I snatched my hand from his grasp as if his lips had singed my skin. Cress only let out a deep chuckle.

"Maddoxia, please," sighed the King smiling slightly as he shook his head. Cress's face scrunched up in disgust and he turned to face his father.

"You are still the only person who calls me by my first name," informed Cress. King Saar only grunted in a reply. Cress returned to meet my gaze, the side of his mouth hooked in a smile. He looked over my face, his eyes full of wonder. I scowled at him and his face only brightened more. Cress opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as he did, I looked over his shoulder and side stepped around him.

"Saar!" I sang as I walked up to his desk. The King looked up from a scroll he held in his hand and smiled faintly at me.

"What is it you bring me?" asked Saar. I met Kian's eyes and he stepped up to the King's desk and opened his fist over top of it. A leather bag full of coins dropped onto the wood with a loud chink.

King Saar looked at the small pouch disappointingly. Kian noticed this and his fists clenched tightly as a fire burned in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to punch his father.

"Oh!" The King's attention was returned to me. "There's one more thing," I said excitedly.

I shoved my hand into my pocket and brought out the rune soul. "Are you in need of a mathematics rune for one of your accountants, Your Majesty?" A smile stretched across the King's face and he stood and walked around his desk.

"I do, now that I think about it," started Saar," have an accountant who's young and rather stupid." Saar reached his hand out to take the soul. "I'll keep it here for safe keep-" Hastily, I pulled my hands, with the rune soul in them, out of the King's reach, holding it high in the air as if a child were jumping to get it.

"I am sorry King," I apologized, moving my hands close to my chest to shield the rune soul from his vision, "but you cannot touch it. If anyone, but me touches a rune soul it is, for some odd reason, obliterated. I haven't the faintest idea as to why. I'm just special I guess." I gave a childish smile then continued. "Do you have a vial?"

The King fumbled and stuttered as he processed what I just said. "Uh, yes! Yes I do." King Saar went back behind his desk and pulled open the drawers. While Saar searched his desk, I could feel Cress's gaze on me as if he were trying to dissect me and find out what I am made of. It filled me with this uncanny feeling.

"Ah," sighed the King as he went around his desk once again with a clear vial in his hand. He handed it to me and I put the rune inside then handed it back to him. Saar held the vial in his hands as if it were a fragile egg, fascination in his eyes. "I'll set up a time with my accountant so you can, um," Saar cleared his throat, "put it in him."