Painted in Red

A man who appears to have long elven hair is strutting around the halls, his mood sullen and foul. The fact that Pinta, his aide and companion, was simply called out to assist quelling up the rowdy Beastkins at the prison cells gives him this irate feeling. No, just being away with her without his permission is what giving him in such a foul mood.

"Tch."

To make matters worse, he cannot get off his mind that Hrefna, that devious raven, ratted him out to his father, just when he was being admonished by him. He just wanted admiration and praise to his valuable decisions, but instead, all he got was a pile of just desserts of berating.

"I did what I think is right!" He speaks to himself, "I'm Vandaldor Erons! The sole successor of the House!"

He quickened his pace. He knew that Hrefna was at the courtyard this evening. She always had been. Almost no one goes through that dilapidated courtyard but her. Maybe she senses some kinship over deplorable places, a reflection of herself. It might be not so far-fetched if that is the case. At any rate, he will face her there at this moment. Confront her to this madness he wrought upon him!

Then suddenly, loud crash was heard on

"What the!?"

He ran and rushes towards where he thinks the loud noise came from. He knew it was somewhere at the courtyard. Is there a fight going on? Then he heard another booming loud noise, this time, it came from afar. There are rumors that there are rebels planning to seize the Balai, but this is just their wishful thinking. Every undesirable group like this were always crushed like a measly insect before they grow to become a source of headache. Are they growing so bold now that they had the guts to assault the House? He knew his father had taken care of that. He's not one to leave loose ends.

But then, all manners of thinking ceases as he took the step to the courtyard,

"...!!!"

Like pigs in a slaughter, all knights of Erons seen here are dismembered in every possible way imaginable, blood splattered everywhere. The plants painted in red; a hellish scene manifested in a physical world.

"Urrph"

Vandaldor was paralyzed, seeing the scenery he wasn't meant to see. Why is he here, what should he do? Fight or flight? He wants to run, he wants to run. Yet, he found his feet struck with fear. His mind just wants to get out. Get out, his mind says.

"DAMN IT!"

To his surprise, he moves his feet forward, towards the pond of blood. What is he thinking? In spite of this terrible scenario, he pushes forward even with this feeling of dread because of just only one thing:

"Pinta…"

Yes, Pinta, is she safe? She isn't here is it? Thoughts race inside Vandaldor's mind as he wade through the corpses of the knights he never knew. He never inclines so much as to know their names as all are the same for him. Now, they're even more indistinguishable to each other more than ever, but because of that, He easily found a girl, painted in red, fallen amongst these corpses.

"PINTA!"

He rushes onwards, then he trips, and rises up. Then again, he trips clumsily. There, he crawls hurriedly just to get to her. It doesn't matter how he appears here and now, Pinta shouldn't die!

"No no no no no no NO!" He cried out loud as he finally reaches his arms towards her and saw her up front. He cradles her body and finally had a clear view on her face,

"Pin-"

…No, this is a different woman. Part of him was relieved, but that doesn't mean all of his worries were faded. Who is this woman?"

"!"

She's still breathing. She appears unscathed, but her clothes were torn apart. Her apparent clothes appear peculiar even with this dim illumination. But no matter how clownish she is, he never wanted to do anything about her, but she could illuminate whatever that had transpired in here. She dropped her off again and stood up. In a nick of time, Knights had appeared enters the courtyard, weapons at hand

Then all stop at their tracks following the example of the leading knight as they saw Vandaldor in the middle of these foul scene. Knights murmured to each other, commenting this dreadful sight. The man in question then turns his head towards the knights and gave him a piercing gaze of command,

"You!" Vandaldor shouted as he points one of the knights up front with his index, "There's someone alive in here!"

"…" They all just stood still.

"What you're all waiting for!?" His eyes went wide and loudly bellows, "Hurry! Aid her!"

"S-Sir!"

Then all knights move with swiftness and stiffness, abiding the command given to them. Most of them was aghast with this crazy scene that their movements affected their performance, but some had already tolerated this scenario beforehand. All in all, it's their job to do what they can, or they will face their pay being cut off them.

"Aid also those who still breathes you hear!" Vandaldor commends loudly as he walks away, covering his mouth. The adrenaline cools off and now, he felt like a fool dragging himself like a sorry man. Why does he think that girl is Pinta? He shouldn't assume like that! he calls out the knight he pointed at earlier and says,

"Hey, had you seen Pinta?"

"Pinta?"

His voice grew irate, "The hooded girl who was always with me, had you seen her?"

"She was at the underground prison the last I know of, But-"

"But what!? "Vandaldor grabs the Knights shoulder, "Did something happen to her!? Where is she!?"

"…Rebels, Rebels had blown off the underground prison. It is unknown as of now what had happened to her."

"WHAT!?" Then he moves his feet as fast as he can away from this scene. How many times he ran this night? Damn those Beastkins, damn them all! His father should had exterminated them a long time ago. Those species are unclean, barbaric, and evil! They're only good as pets, they should not had walked amongst them! All of them must be extinguished in the face of all Theia!

***

Inside Balai, at Eustadd's room, Eustadd Erons never had his pen stopped as he heard a loud noise, He just so much took only a single glance outside, noticing a flock of black birds fleeing from the courtyard, and went down to his business as usual. But even though as if it appears he ignored all the suspecting trouble brewing nearby, He carefully understood that this needs action immediately, not with a panic, but with a calm and calculated risks of decisions.

As he expects as much, a messenger knocked at his doorway after a little while to bring the news and entered to his room after he gave affirmation.

"Milord!" The knight bowed quickly and state his report, "Rebels have attacked the underground prison with an unknown type of explosive."

"And?" Eustadd replied nonchalantly, still writing and without even bating an eye at the messenger,

"A-and at the courtyard, many of our knights were...uh… butchered, like pigs in a slaughterhouse…"

This time, Eustadd stops his pen and directed his eyes to the messenger.

"How many?" He asks,

"About more than twenty, milord."

"Survivors?"

"Th-There is, three of them, but…"

"An odd one?"

"Uh…ah, yes milord, all of them were yet identified, seems to be outsiders, and one's a female."

"A female? Is it Hrefna?

"N-no milord, this one's got a golden crimson hair."

"An elf?"

"No Milord, it appears to be a Hume, and…"

"And?"

"And, I've been told that she didn't have any wounds at all, let alone the other two."

"…Curious," Eustadd rub his chin with his fingers, "I want to see them for myself."

***

Moments before, at a dark corner of one of the cells here in this underground prison, Hardy was sitting alone, just waiting for something to happen. He never did have any grasp of time anywhere in this place nor any indication of it, only the unnerving and unending noises of the Beastkins afflicted by lunacy. He was fortunate enough that he was not enjoined to be with those mad lads and jailed him instead in a solitary confinement. Disturbed as he saw It initially, the mad scene got old for him as hours went by. Moreover, anxious at first, it finally became his source of entertainment to pass the moments in the cell. He wondered how long will they continue to yap and growl. Will it be possible to sleep in this case?

"Damn, am I going insane?" Hardy told to himself and chuckled at the thought.

It's also a good thing that Aunt Minky fed him earlier. She knew true enough that it is a dog's world in this prison. He heard that food only gave once in a day in this prison, and the food in question was in fact, questionable enough about its sanitation and edibility. As he thought about it. A prison guard came by and left a food for him under the rectangular bar hole, small enough to claim small things underneath it. True to what he heard; it was just scraps of food that were discarded from an actual ordinary meal. Bones with its few meats, freshly bitten by someone, and things he really doesn't recognize which kind of food it is.

"Well, they treat everyone here like shite dogs we are. Why am I not surprised."

He only stared at it, as pride won't let him eat it. Besides, He never had yet the appetite to stoop so low as that.

Then at the moment's notice, he heard someone paying respect to someone. Then, the noises outside subsided little by little. Curiosity struck him as it made him lean at the vertical iron bars that separates him to the free world,

"Once again, we're glad with your assistance Lady Pinta." One of the Prison Guard said.

"!" Hardy heard the name, the name of the one Vandaldor was so fond of. He knew only one Pinta and there is a great chance that it was her, and there was more probability that she'll actually listen to his plea. To not miss a chance for that opportunity, Hardy leaned and stuck his cheeks further to the bars,

"I hope that Lord Vandaldor is well." The prison guard said nonchalantly

"He is." Pinta said dismissively, "Now, any more you need of me?"

"Yes milady, please follow me."

The path they've taken will pass Hardy's cell, so Hardy did not hesitate to call her out as loud as possible as they're about to pass his cell.

"PINTA! HEY! LADY PINTA"

"QUIET YOU!" One of her Prison Guard Escorts reprimanded him, slamming the iron bars at the same time.

"No no good sir, It's alright." Pinta tapped the guard on his shoulder,

"Milady…"

"So, Sir Bogazi, I'm giving you my few seconds, speak your mind as succinctly as possible." She said it with her eyes, glaring at Hardy like a scum she doesn't even want to be bothered with.

"I…"

What should he say? What should he do to give him the freedom in his case? Hardy racked up his brain as of what Aunt Minky had told him, then it hit him like a hammer on his head,

"Blood Pact!" Hardy blurted with gusto, and looks at Pinta in her eyes, "I want to make a Blood Pact with you!" Hardy knew this is his only way out for as far as he could think of. He'll think of something if something awful just went to his decision.

"…What?" Pinta cocks her head at the sudden request of this prisoner. In fact, she was being slightly amused by this.

"I know you're a reasonable person Pinta, so please just hear me out will ya? I know this is too sudden, but I had to guess that I'll be much use for you lot than being just a sitting trash in this cell!"

"And why should I do that? what do I gain for it?"

"To be your bodyguard! Or I don't know, make me do ploughing things that you don't want to!"

"Ha!" The prison guard who reprimanded him earlier sneered at him, "You think you're tough little guy!?"

"Silence!" Pinta berated the guard, and speaks up to Hardy again, "If that's the case, are you willing to serve the House Erons?"

"That…includes that freak right?"

"I don't know who're you calling freak." Pinta replied in an icy tune.

Hardy thought for a while, moving his eyes from side to side in downcast, and then, "Plough it all! Alright then! I will!"

Pinta closes her eyes and shapes her lips. Hardy doesn't even know if she's smiling or not. Is it that easy? He wondered. He can't help but be nervous about this. There must be something he's not seeing here. After a moment, she opened her eyes and said,

"I ask again, will you serve the House Erons with all your mind and soul?"

"…I do(?)" Hardy tried his damndest to resist sounding uncertainty.

"Then, will you serve me with whole of your life, no matter the circumstances?"

"…I will(?)"

"What's your full name?"

Hardy felt his sweat from the side of his head and replied, "…Hardy Leandre Bogazi."

"Then…" Pinta presses her index to Hardy's forehead and said one word, her voice became dreadful to Hardy's ears as she said that one word.

[Kukla]

Hardy felt the noise of silence ringing louder and louder to his mind, then it stopped suddenly like it did not happen to begin with.

Then… Pinta said,

"It's fine now, release him. Hardy will never hurt all prison guards."

"I see." Said the Prison Guard and whipped up a key from his side to unlock the cell of Hardy. "Today's your lucky day little guy!"

"Hardy, don't mind him, come closer to me."

Hardy steps forward, however, something is amiss.

"Kiss my hand"

He did what she told him. This action made it clear to him as he glances to the prison guards, watching at him in clear amusement.

"This is!?" Hardy found that he could not disobey Pinta. It's like that spell he suffered from earlier.

"Pinta, you're doing that thing to me again!?"

"Let me be clear about this, you can move freely, right?"

Then Hardy moves his hand, opening and closing his arm. "You're right!" But then, there is one question that irks his mind,

"I thought we gonna have a blood pact? Then wh-"

"You're insincere."

"What!?" Hardy was taken aback. Is he that easy to read?

"You should know, If I had a blood pact with you, you'll die before I command you to do anything."

"…" He kept silent. He had not any rebuttal to that, assuming that she could read him as clear as blue skies. More words may endanger what little refuge he had from the trouble he's standing at.

"I guess you do understand, either way I-"

*BOOOOM!*

All of them jolted in shock with the sudden noise banged unto their ears. The silence of the mad beastkins died out instantly and the cacophony of noises starts to resound every corner of the prison.

"GUAAAh!"

"HRAAAAGH"

As if the noise is not enough, war cries began to sound from left to right.

"Milady! This wa-"

The prison guard who undone the lock of Hardy's cell was shot through the throat. How did it pierce the iron armor doesn't even matter as Hardy saw this and did not hesitate to take action as he turns to,

"Pinta!"

He embraced Pinta, who was stunned and confused from what was happening, and forced her down to the ground. An arrow flew just an inches away from her head.

"Th-Thanks…"

"Don't mention it."

"But why-"

"Now's not the time! We must go!"

***

In the middle of the night, Beastkins of different kinds had assaulted the underground jail. A hole was blasted at the road near the entrance. Standing atop near the cliff of the hole is a yellow tall lionlike head, with only but a loose brownish jaggy pants for clothes. He was surrounded by a bunch of beastkins of different kinds, encircling and facing away the hole they have made. All of them had a weapon on hand. Some had bows, some had swords, clubs or axes. And some had no need for weapons, for they believed their claws are enough. All of them are in preparation for the imminent combat.

The lionlike figure is glaring, surveying his surroundings as if seeing every corner to every minute detail. At the same time, he was deep in thought. He knew that he cannot take a chance to rest until he did what he must do here. After all, this might the last time he'll breath the air of life. But then, he knew that this is the only way. The only way to freedom.

A beastkin with a whitish catlike features from head to toe and an oversized greyish coat leapt from the hole with elegant grace and landed with the same elegance just at the side of the tall lionhead and said in succinctly confidence as the cat-person slowly straighten her posture,

"Perimeter's all clear Boss."

"Good." Said by the lionhead, "The tip was right on the money. Good thing there are few knights roaming than I've ever imagined. Hehe, they didn't saw us coming. That bomb was not made by magic!"

"But Boss, aren't they too few?"

"True, but whatever tricks they pull on us, we must endure. Kes might had been ambushed, but that doesn't mean we're about to share his fate. Is that clear?"

"Yes Boss."

Then another beastkin came rushing to him. This time, he had a head of a rabbit, but ran like bipedal humes. Without any time to catch his breath, this rabbit-person said,

"Boss! Their reinforcements about to come! Orders!"

"So, they've come." The lion-person smiled gleefully, "No matter, we're one step ahead!"

"FRIENDS!" all had turned their heads unto him, "REMEMBER! THEY CALL US BEASTKINS! BUT NO MORE WE WILL CALL OURSELVES LIKE THAT! WE ARE THE NEW RACE! WE ARE DVOR! LONG LIVE THE DVOR!"

"LONG LIVE THE DVOR!" all shouted in response, their arms raising up to the skies.

"NOW COME, WE WILL MAKE HISTORY!"

"AWOOOO!" Shouted everyone in unison, except his catlike companion.

Then the lionlike figure descends into the hole with his catlike companion in tow, then all descended one by one to raid the underground prison.