32 Darius Renatus

The balloon was red. The wind had tugged at the string mercilessly, but the little boy had held on tight until he got distracted by the black beetle in the soil and the balloon had blown away. He watched it drifting into the treetops with distress, the red spot standing out violently against the murky grey sky.

'Stop.' Cyan called out to the wind. He hoped it would cease to blow for just a moment and the balloon would drift back to the ground, but it kept floating in the air, away from him. Cyan ran after the redness in the sky, his boots splashing like oars in the puddles on the ground.

The air was chilly and full of moisture, the angry clouds hanging low and cradling the tallest of trees. Cyan wrapped his raincoat around his shoulders tighter as he ran, not caring where he was going.

He stopped suddenly when the path became dirty and realized he had left his neighborhood far behind. The woods were dark in the evening, and it was like entering a cave as he threw his father's warnings about the big black bear over his shoulder and trudged into the whispering trees.

The ground was damp from the heavy rain, worms poking their heads out of the mud, and moths fluttering around him with a buzzing that made him put his fingers in his ears. One landed on his neck and he blanched, before running deep into the trees to get rid of the insect.

Cyan saw the balloon stuck in a tree and smiled. It hadn't popped, but it was too high up for him to reach for it. He wished his father was there, who could get it for him when he heard a rustle behind him. He turned around in alarm, wondering if the bear would eat him when he saw three men emerge from within the trees, their clothes tattered and hair flying off in all directions.

Cyan thought they looked much like the men in the pirate movies he watched with his busy father during whatever time he managed to get. The men's eyes were hollow and their faces gaunt, full of hunger, which made them look like they were dead. Their mouths stretched into a grin when they landed on Cyan.

'If it isn't the Yarrow boy.' The one in the front snickered. The man was dressed in grey overalls and shoes that were missing their soles. His eyes were the most frightening, one blue while the other grey, glittering maliciously at the boy standing in the woods alone.

Cyan realized he had been backing away slowly until his back hit the tree behind him and he jolted. Fear was quick to nestle in his heart and he clenched his small fists, eyes trained on the three of them.

'How old are you, sonny?' the man said.

'Seven.' Cyan whispered.

'That's quite young to wandering in the woods at this time, now, isn't it?'

'My balloon.'

The man glanced to where he had pointed, the string dangling from the tree, out of reach, but so close. He placed a foot on a branch at the base of the tree and climbed it swiftly, his fingers snagging around the thread and a second later the balloon was in in his hands. 'You want this?'

'Yes. Thank you.' Cyan couldn't believe it had been this easy. Perhaps the man wasn't as bad as he had thought him to be.

'Then come and take it.' the man leaned against the tree truck with his foot placed on the bark, seemingly relaxed and having the time of his life. He held out the hand with the string, inviting Cyan to come closer. The other two men snickered as they watched the older one tease the boy.

Cyan fought with the bushes as he went towards the man who leered at him. He held out a small hand but the man didn't hand him the string.

'What's the magic word?'

'Please may I have my balloon back?' Cyan bit back tears.

He didn't notice as the other two men closed around him silently, blocking out whatever light that was reaching him. He kept his eyes trained on the balloon and watched as the man glanced at something above his head and nodded.

Cyan felt the feel of a scraggly cloth over his nose and mouth and before he could struggle, all life left his legs and he swayed. A harsh arm gripped his body and then he was hoisted in the air, the wind turning into a whoosh for a second before dying down again.

The man's face loomed over him, his moss-covered teeth on display as he grinned like a predator at the little boy's lifeless body. Cyan saw his hand let go of the string as the man threw him over his shoulder and moved away from the tree. The last thing Cyan saw before he blacked out was the balloon rising gently into the air, popping loudly as it hit a sharp corner of a branch.

XXX

His body was jostling slightly, the movements rhythmic and consistent. Cyan stirred, his eyes opening just a fraction of an inch. He expected to be in the boot of a car, but he found his back against a bare stone floor, the hard surface cutting into his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt. The jostling stopped and he realized he was in a dimly lit room, the walls around him caving in on him and if he raised his hand, he could touch the ceiling.

Something touched him at his side and his heart jumped, his body being too tired to keep up with his frantic nerves. It poked him again and he realized it was a finger, the movement causing him to open his eyes wider and immediately close them again due to the cascade of orange light against his eyelids.

The person with the finger placed a gentle hand on his forehead, possibly checking for his temperature. They moved away and a second later water was trickling down his forehead from the rag pressed there, going into his eyes and jolting him from his lethargic numbness.

'Stop.' He groaned, moving his hand to the cloth. The person grabbed his hand and held it down, continuing to press the rag until Cyan eventually gave in and opened his eyes again.

He was in a very small room, barely enough for two grown-up men, the naked walls standing too close to each other like they were about to topple on top of him at any moment. At the far end, bars were fit in the stone, the ugly steel making him realize he was in a cell of sorts, along with a prison mate who was intent on drenching him to the bone.

He turned towards the man with the rag and his heart plummeted, if he was feeling sorry for himself just now, then he felt wretched for the person sitting across him on the cold stone floor.

The man was extremely old, his fragile body quivering as he handed Cyan a bowl of water and leaned back, resting his head against the wall. He looked so weak that Cyan thought if he poked a finger into his shoulder, the old man would topple backward into the bars.

'Go on, son. Drink it up.' The man said. His voice was tremulous and weary, like he was holding himself together by a string.

Cyan gripped the bowl but it shook, his hands refusing to bear the weight of the vessel just now. He placed it back on the ground and proceeded to wipe his face, his skin tingling as the old man observed him sharply.

After a moment, he sat back against the wall and drank from the bowl, the water cascading down his throat like the elixir of life. Sighing softly at the moist feeling in his previously parched throat, he lifted his eyes to see the man's wizened face smiling down at him like he was looking at his favorite grandchild.

'Uh...?' Cyan muttered incoherently, embarrassed by the affectionate look. He had a feeling the man knew him but was waiting for him to speak up first. 'Hi?'

The man's eyes brightened and Cyan breathed deeply in the sickly yellow light, leaning towards the wall, his back cracking as his bones fell back into place. The room was too small for him to straighten his legs so he pulled them into an awkward fetal position.

'My dear boy!' the man said. 'I knew you would come to me eventually.'

'Err...you did?' he tried to mimic the old man's enthusiastic grin but gave up at once. While he was too tired to even give a small smile, the man's mouth had stretched so wide that his gums were visible.

'I have been waiting for you for ages because I had faith you would appear.'

'I'm sorry, Sir.' He mumbled, hesitating and wondering what the man's reaction would be. 'I really don't know who you are.'

The old man let out a cackle and he involuntarily curled into himself. He couldn't for the life of him understand the humor here, while they were locked in a cell and at the mercy of their captor. Either the man was too brave or he was just plain mad.

'Of course, you wouldn't know me, but I have known you since you were a baby. I see you are without my granddaughter, is she in trouble now?'

'No, but we are, right?'

'Oh, no. You are safe as long as you are with me.'

It was a reassurance of sorts but Cyan's heart plummeted, he was in terrible danger. Not to mention, he had no idea who the man was, who was claiming to protect him. If he had to escape, he would be the one carrying this person.

'C'mere, my lad. I have a story to tell to you.' The old man beckoned, patting the space beside him at the wall across him.

Cyan didn't think it was a time for storytelling. Getting out of this constricted cell was the first priority, but the man was acting like they had all the time in the world. He really was insane.

He shuddered at the man's smile and turned to him. 'Where are we?'

'Ah, fret not, this might not be a safe place but it is indeed better than the Prison.' He beamed at Cyan.

'Prison? I am sure jail would be a lot more comfortable than here.'

'No, not the...just stop worrying, my dear boy. There are some very important things I must tell you before he comes back.'

'Before who...?'

'Shhh.' The man placed a finger on his lips and began secretively. 'Now listen carefully, my name is Darius. Darius Renatus.'

Renatus. He was sure he knew the name but nothing popped up in his mind. He clenched his fists in frustration but the old man must have sensed his irritation and he grabbed hold of his hands to stop him from fisting them.

'I apologize. I don't know you.' He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

'No need, m'boy.' The man waved his hand to shrug off his worries. 'I am the demon slayer of Lapis Valley.'

It was as if all the pieces suddenly clicked into place. The girl in the cabin had mentioned a demon slayer and that they had to go see him. His heart soared, he knew this man would give him all the answers he wanted and he turned to him in his haste. 'Do you know what happened to my parents?'

The man's face clouded, his smile falling as grief and anger settled inside those large pupils. He coughed suddenly, his hands on his stomach and Cyan hurriedly handed him the bowl, ashamed that it was more than halfway empty. He should have preserved it for the demon slayer.

Darius drank deeply before turning to him. 'I'll tell you everything, all in good time. But first, did you meet my granddaughter before you got here?'

'Yes, I met Autumn.'

'Autumn?' The man shook his head. 'No, no, her name is Aurelia and she is my successor as the demon slayer. Did she tell you anything about the relationship between me and your father?'

Cyan jerked his head up. 'Relation between you....and….my father?'

'Yes, dear boy. Your father, Dill Yarrow is my stepbrother.'