3 wilderness 1789

when dawn broke over the horizon is when I finally reached Silverstone mountain range. tired cold and hungry I landed near a cave and sighed. getting dressed as quickly as possible in case people were there I entered the cave. Dirty, no life inside with apple amount of darkness for the shadows and enough moss to make a pillow at least for myself. it's perfect. sitting down I finally let out a deep sigh of relief. brokedale was far behind me now. I wonder what they're doing now that I'm gone? guilt wrecked through me at the thought of poor Martha getting hurt because she told me to flee. no she was smarter then that.

looking next to me I saw my shadows coming closer to me. "hello my friends." I whispered for them to speak. the leader of them I named Nazerath spoke first telling me how far I was and how many months it would take to track me. two months and that's if they could catch my scent. I nodded and slowly smiled as he started detailing how mad they were I escaped and how Martha seemed to dodge the trouble but the others did not as they were hauled off in the carriage that was to take me to the slave trade. I knew she was a wise old woman but why would they haul off my relatives? i told him to continue watching them and to keep me informed at the end of his tale.

gathering the moss that was closest to me I made a makeshift pillow and laid on it. I would have to get proper supplies later along with food. sleep needed to happen first. it was freezing in here. just as the thought passed my mind, my wings decided to take matters on their own terms by ripping my worn dress and encircling me. stubborn things I thought with a smile as they warmed me up. I yawned and slowly drifted off to sleep with my shadows guarding me.

**********

Johnathon P.O.V

"what do you mean she's gone!?" I yelled while throwing all the items off of my redwood desk to the floor with a clatter. the man who was suppose to retrieve Ravenna under the guise of a slave trader, laid curled up on the black granite floor covered in his own inky black blood by my doing. how could he let her get away? we had been waiting for months to get her out of the situation, get her away from those despicable people who claimed to be her family only to have her take flight before dawn.

no one could track her or if they could they were unwilling. folding my six foot three frame into my chair with a sigh, I closed my golden eyes while running a hand through my semi-long brown hair. Jason, my right hand man and closest friend, took it upon himself to remove the stupid vampire who lost my soul mate, down to the dungeons to starve for a few months. leaning forward in my throne like chair I groaned.

why would she run? I admit the idea of slave trade was perhaps not my smartest move but I had no intention of her finding out. so who told her? just then my crow flew in squawking at me. "calm down Crescent. what is it? what did you find?" Crescent, my ever loyal friend told me how it was her head housemaid Martha Rosenbrink who told Ravenna to flee fearing for the girls safety and how the only other detail he could gather was that she flew north. grinding my teeth I attempted to calm down.

Ravenna was now further away from me and there wasn't a damnable thing I could do about it. she was now past the point of where I could safely reach her without stepping on other kingdoms and initiating war, though war for her could be done without me blinking an eye. throwing my throne like chair back into the stone wall behind me I released my blinding white wings from their hold ripping yet another shirt. the added tension was to much for them to bear while being hidden and I didn't care what people thought of me in that moment. i never really cared what anyone thought of me in general.

walking stiffly to the glass door that seperated my study to the patio, I looked outside barely containing my rage and displeasure. another perfect day outside. completely contrast to my current mood which was borderline overflowing, I lit a smoke slowly calming myself down. she would be back. soon enough I would have my queen by my side for all eternity. after all, angels never died. a smile spread across my face at the thought of having her. soon Ravenna Featherstone. soon you will be mine and no one will take advantage of you ever again. you know me as the bloody king and that is for good reason.

I'm king Johnathon Hawthorne of the kingdom of Tearicatia. everything I wish I get either through peaceful means or ones that end in bloodshed. you my dear soul mate, are no exception. looking at Crescent I finally spoke aloud.

"find her and tell me as soon as you do." with a final caw he flew off again to go search for her. in the meantime, I thought silently as I finished my smoke. let's go pay a visit to her dear family. chuckling darkly I decended down the hall and grand staircase to the dungeons below. upon reaching the black faded door and entering I went down more stairs and turned to the first cell holding my favorite prisoner.

"hello Tyler. ready for today's lesson?" I asked with a snear while cracking my knuckles. he started pleading with me to have mercy on him making me laugh. "like you ever gave mercy boy! no...no mercy will be bestowed upon you today nor any day as long as my Ravenna lives." and with that I entered the cell to start today's lesson. the screams coming from the boy who thought he was a man echoed throughout the dungeons cavern making me grin like a crazed maniac.

by the time I was done with him, sixty seven deep slashes from the whip now adorned his once scar free body. his ink blood splattered the thick stone walls that once held the previous unfortunate souls. my bare torso and my white wings were no exception to the splatter like little dots dripping down due to gravity. leaving him moaning in pain I stepped out of the decrepit cell taking care to make sure it was locked and secure before moving back to my study.

*********

Nazerath watched as the king left the man named Tyler alone to head back to his study. as soon as he was gone Nazerath stepped away from the corner he was inhabiting to get closer to the man his mistress called her cousin. he needed to give mistress every detail. looking at the sixty seven deep marks that now adorned the small frame of the man before him, he smiled. mistress will be happy to know the fool earned himself the name for once he thought with glee. with one final look around the dark cell he vanished as if he were never there in the first place. he also needed to warn her the king would be looking for her.