4 He returns

After 19 long years, he was going to see who his father was. He was just informed to gather his belongings for he was to be taken to the palace to live now with his 'family'. The family that left him all these years. He knew he was a prince but what he didn't know was why it was this lousy teacher and the annoying cook he saw all his life. His so-called father that was a king never came to visit him, never, not even once since he knew himself. He hated the people staying with him and the old man that came once in a while with long black hair that he was too old to have was the one he hated the most. He didn't see him often but something about that man repelled him to the extent that once he knocked on the door to the cottage, he goes into one of the rooms avoiding the aged man at all cost.

Ling was the name he heard. Anytime Ling was in the cottage, he felt a sensation inside him that he didn't understand. He had never told anybody about these feelings, about the anger and hate he felt inside. Sometimes, he would be doing something...anything at all, and suddenly, everywhere would become red like blood was poured into his eyes. Seth kept all these to himself and told no one about it. He confided only in himself, had an 'it's me against the world mentality '.

He didn't even know how he looked. He hated his life here and hoped, maliciously, that life in the palace with this family he just started hearing about would be better.

Seth hardly spoke to his teacher except when he was asked questions and had to reply. Sometimes, defiantly, he would scribble his replies on papers and pass it to his teacher daring him to do something but his tutor was a gentleman and that made Seth hate him all the more.

One day, during sword training in the field just in front of the cottage they stayed in, he tried to go further than the markings they had placed for him not to ever cross, and a force threw him back to where his tutor stood.

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

"You were not supposed to go there. You have been told severally, Seth. Now, you know what would happen if you try to pass that mark again", his teacher replied.

"So I'm a prisoner then. I thought I was a prince. I demand to know why I am not allowed passage into the lands to see other people. You should know that I am tired of seeing your face and that of the thin cook- I wonder why she's thin like she doesn't eat what she cooks", he laughed at his own joke, a peal of short, wicked laughter.

"You are no prisoner. You're here to be trained for a certain while and when the time is ripe, you'd be allowed to leave here. Be patient and learn all that you can, Seth".

He ran towards his tutor swinging his sword violently at the man, hardly giving him time to defend himself. Seth was good as if naturally gifted with the sword. He handled it like it was a mere extension of his arms. His footwork and body movements mirrored that of a seasoned swordsman. Seth knew this and couldn't wait for a real, full-blown battle to put his skills to work not wasting off in this godforsaken cottage with people that he'd seen every day of his life. He was really tired of their faces.

When he clocked 18, markings appeared on his arms, starting from his elbow area all the way to his back. Yes, he couldn't see the ones on his back but could see those on his shoulder. He knew they had spread to his back because of the pain that accompanied the appearance of these markings. He thought of telling his teacher but after a moment, decided against it. Seth naturally didn't trust anyone and he knew his tutor divulged all information and happenings to that Ling he didn't like one bit. Another day, when the pain was so intense all over his back, his mind went to the cook and he called her because he needed help putting something cold on his back. The pain came with heat and Seth was hanging by a thread, he was almost crying.

She came into his room. He heard the door close behind him but didn't hear anything else. She was supposed to have reached where he was sitting by now but she hadn't and he wondered why. Seth had to turn around because he had his back facing the door, he was shirtless. How could he be wearing clothes with the torment his body was undergoing.

"Why are you still there?", Seth growled at the same time, turning around to look at her and what he saw was disturbing.

She was fixed to the ground and he noticed that the front of her grey dress had turned a darker grey. Did she wet herself? Because of what she saw on his back? Was it that bad? He didn't know if what was happening to him was normal or not, all he knew was he had to be relieved of the heat and pain he felt all over his back, it was as if his flesh was giving way but he touched it and was grateful that he wasn't bleeding at least.

"If you don't move, I'll come to move you myself and it wouldn't be good for you", Seth warned.

She literally made herself walk towards him slowly, visibly trembling like she was approaching a monster. Dipping the towel in the bowl of water she came with, "Boo!", Seth startled her to the extent that the bowl she was about to set down left her hand and the water spilled on the floor. He laughed loudly basking in the fact that she was afraid of him.

"Fetch another water and change your dress before coming before me. I'm waiting, don't waste my time", Seth said.

The cook ran out of his room all too relieved even if it was for a brief moment and dreaded when she was to return to his room to actually put a towel on that confusing sight of a back she had just seen.

* * *

After changing her dress and getting another bowl of water, she quickly made a detour to Seth's teacher's room. She knocked nervously on the door, speaking quietly as if Seth would appear if he heard her voice.

"Come in", the voice from inside the room said. She pushed the door open and walked in. Seth's tutor was at his table writing with his beautiful quill she had always admired even though she had no business with a quill or paper of any kind, she still liked the piece.

"Sir, I saw something just now. I'm confused about how to relay it to you but it shouldn't be kept hidden", she spoke in a hurry and almost out of breath.

He faced her and his brows furrowed not liking what he sensed was about to be said. He just knew it had something to do with Seth and anything to do with that boy made him so uncomfortable so he didn't blame her for how she was at all.

"What did you see?"

"Markings sir. Red, spiral markings running all the way up to his arms and to his back. Some cut deep into his skin but no blood was visible. On his back, it seemed like he had 3 spines. The three bones protruding, pushing out his skin like they were going to pop out at any time. When I took a towel and water to him because he called and asked me to cold press his back, he was not facing the door as I entered. He turned to face me and I noticed the half of his face that has that strange eye had a different skin from the normal skin and sir, it looked like he had horns. They were so long that I could see them from behind, so as he turned.....", tears rolled down her cheeks. They weren't tears of sadness but of fear.

She felt imprisoned and she wanted to quit being the cook at that moment. She knew she couldn't because this was a service to her kingdom. Her mother and her mother's mother were all cooks in the service to the king. Quitting now would be bringing shame to her family's name and that wasn't an option.

"Be strong. I'll see what it's about. You can go now. Act like nothing is out of the ordinary with the boy like we've done all these years. He'd soon be summoned to the palace and you and I would be free at last".

He made a sound and a falcon appeared on his window. Rolling a tiny piece of paper with a message on it, he stuffed the piece into the Falcon's Post and sent the bird on its way. The bird was to take the message directly to the warlock, Ling. It was an emergency. Horns? What in the Milky Way were they in for?