The Happiest Place on Earth (Edward)

I was shaken awake by an unknown hand, and startled, I shot up, deeply inhaling in preparation to scream. Before I could let out any kind of noise, a hand covered my mouth, silencing any attempt to shout. I heard a familiar voice whispering into my ear. "It'd be best if we stayed silent for the time being."

The moment that I identified the owner of the voice, the fear left my body and peace swept over me. It was far from the animals that I believed to be hunting me. It was Alexandra. She slowly lowered her hand from my mouth. My senses started to recover from the restless night in the unfavorable circumstances, and I began to hear the reason for Alexandra's alarm. A set of Footsteps echoed through the halls of the sewers, and a light could be seen growing from around the corner. As if having the same idea, Alexandra and I put our hands back up against the wall and began to run.

We ran for what felt like years, and I could hear Alexandra's breath behind me, reassuring me of her survival. My legs began to give out, and draining myself of energy, they failed completely. I fell forward, landing on my stomach, and crashing into the grime beneath me. Alexandra tripped over my sprawled-out body, letting out a word unbecoming of royalty as she landed in the muck nearby. Laying on the filthy ground, we caught our breath, breathing in and out, as if each one was our last. After a few minutes, our breathing reached something that could almost be interpreted as normal. We were relieved to find that the footsteps had disappeared, and once again, we were smothered in a blanket of silence.

After a few minutes, Alexandra pulled me up from off the ground. "We need to keep moving," She grunted. "I don't want any more close calls."

Grudgingly, I got up from my position on the floor. I knew that she was right, but still, that didn't mean I needed to enjoy myself. This was the most worn out that I'd ever been. To be honest, it's a miracle that I was able to keep moving at all. We placed our hands back onto the wall, and in the darkness, we continued on. Aside from the occasional grunt from a stubbed toe, and the sound of our shoes splashing through the muck, the journey was relatively silent. At long last, we began to see a dim light shining from around the corner. The light continued to grow until we reached its point of origin, a small grate, barely big enough to crawl through. Alexandra and I rushed towards the grate, and eagerly, I tried to pull it open. As hard as I pulled, the grate wouldn't budge. It was held in place by a lock that looked to be as old as Alisar itself. Alexandra spoke, while shoving me out of the way "Watch and learn pretty boy".

She pulled a silver hair pin out from her now frizzy hair and jiggled it in the lock. Looking on, I prepared myself to laugh, however, the moment of failure never arrived. The lock opened in the course of a few seconds, and fell to the ground. With a kick resembling that of a seasoned warrior, Annabelle forced the rusted grate open and crawled out from the labyrinth of the sewer entrapping us. Lifting my head up, studying the layout of the world before me, I was surprised by how far we had come. We were outside the city walls, and judging by the night sky, we couldn't have been beneath the city for more than 24 hours. A wave of relief swept over me, before almost immediately being overcome by anxiety. I was ecstatic that we had escaped, and yet, I knew that this was only the first step to reclaiming Alisar; to reclaiming my home.

I looked down at what I was wearing. The once regal clothes were now stained an almost absolute black. I looked over to my companion to find her clothing situation not much different from my own. Her captivating, yet plain grey dress was in tatters along the bottom, and stains coated the outside. Her exquisitely curled hair had become messy, and loose ends outlined the back of her head. She looked horrible, although, strangely, managed to look more beautiful than the night before.

I wished that I could admire her for a lifetime, however, my gawking was short lived, my thoughts interrupted by the sound of Alexandra's voice. "Let's get moving", she commanded.

We walked the opposite direction from the grate that we'd come from, our feet pushing through the tall grass, and our bodies disappearing into the field, illuminated by nothing but the silver rays of moonlight shining down from the sky above.

We wandered through the night, finally laying down beneath a singular tree, rising up above the prairie. I sat down, my back resting against the tree trunk in hopes of being able to get some sleep. Alexandra laid down next to me, using my leg as a makeshift pillow. My eyes began to shut, and I started feeling the rhythm of my own breath, pulsing throughout my chest. Right as I was about to drift off, Alexandra opened her mouth. "Hey Ed". She continued on, speaking softly. "I'm really happy that you're my fiance." I was taken aback by her change in attitude.

After a few seconds, I recomposed myself. "Hey Alex" I whispered back. I could feel her breathing, and saw her breathe filling up her lungs and pushing out, as if the ocean waves were one with her soul. She had fallen asleep. Still, I didn't give up on what I wanted to say. "I'm really glad that you're my fiance too." I put my head back up against the tree, and shutting my eyes, prepared for dreams to fill my head.

I saw my father on the staircase leading to the floor of the festival hall. He was giving a speech of some sort. I looked down at my feet and saw that my pants were no longer stained, but a spotless black, the hem being covered by a sparkling white dress shirt.I looked over to see Alexandra standing next to me with a grin on her face. It made me happy. Her joy was contagious and I couldn't help but smile with her. My father continued speaking. Curious as to the time of day, I looked up at the windows resting near the ceiling of the festival hall. Strangely, the only thing that I could see through the window was a darkness devoid of stars. The darkness that I was staring at began to move, and I saw the window start to open. All too slowly, I began to realize that this wasn't a dream, but a nightmare. I looked back to my father, screaming for him to run, but it was too late. I turned my head just in time to see the familiar flash of light explode out of the metal rod the assassin carried, the boom accompanying it ringing through my ears.

I stood up in record time, knocking Alexandra's head off my lap. The festival hall around me disappeared, and yet, the sound of thunder stayed the same. I took in my surroundings, and found myself to be drenched, thankfully, not in sweat, but in what I found to be water. It was pouring rain; the water droplets slipping down from the tree that constituted our makeshift shelter. Alexandra got up rubbing her eyes. "You think you could give me a word of warning next ti-." Her voice was cut off by another flash of light, and a booming loud enough to make the heavens shake echoed through the field. We were caught in a lightning storm.

Alexandra and I felt our hair stand on end, and a faint buzzing began to radiate around us. We briefly looked at each other before sprinting away from the tree as quickly as our legs could carry us.. Not more than a second passed before a blinding ray of electricity shot down from the sky, blowing up what used to be our shelter, and blackening the ground where we stood a moment ago. Even after the lightning strike, we didn't stop running. We ran for a few minutes, until the buzzing started up again, filling me with fear.. "Your sword!" Alexandra yelled. I unsheathed my sword, and threw it as far as I could, before screaming at Alexandra to get down. My sword, its point now buried in the Earth in front of us, took the blow as my fiance and I laid face down on the mud beneath our bodies, in fear of us too getting struck by the might of God Himself.

I grabbed onto Alexandra's hand, and squeezed. Turning my head to look at her, I found her to be staring back at me. In the eyes that I guessed would be filled with fear, I instead, saw a determination. Our eyes locked, and our fingers intertwined, we stayed still. Laying speechless in the wet grass, immersed in the sound of the storm around us, our spirits seemed to speak to each other. Without words, I could understand her heart. She wouldn't let either of us die if she could help it. After hours of staying petrified on our stomachs, the sun began to rise, and the clouds around us dispersed. After laying down in fear for a number of hours, I got up, pulling Alexandra onto her feet after me.

I walked over in search of the sword that I had thrown. It didn't take long to find. Lying in a circle of charred earth, was one of the last remnants of my royal possessions. The heavily decorated rapier was deformed, the blade forming a zigzag, as if impersonating the lightning bolt that struck it. Looking at the broken weapon, I began to truly realize the weight of the situation that I was in. I no longer had money, I no longer had Varrick, I didn't even have a father anymore.

I looked down at the ground, and a droplet of water hit the floor. More rain. I turned to Alexandra, and was about to yell at her to take cover before the next lightning storm began, but before I could open my mouth to yell, her hand was on my face. "It's okay," She whispered. "The storm's over."

I looked at the sky to confirm her words, and I found that she was right. The water now falling on the ground wasn't rain at all, but something much more concerning. I was crying. Alexandra's hand brushed the tears from off my face while she continued to speak. "Edward, do you remember how you threw that sword, and saved our lives?"

I refused to speak, afraid that as I answered, a vault that had long been closed would open further than I could handle. Instead, I nodded my head. Alexandra saw my signal of understanding, and again, began to speak. "I know where you are, because I've been there before. It's okay to feel loss, in fact, it's healthy, but right now, there's a storm inside of you. What's important, is that you redirect that lightning before it kills you. Take this pain, and forge it into resolve. Use this as motivation, and there's nothing we can't do together."

Alexandra took her hands from off my face, having wiped away the last tear. Bending down, she took the broken sword; placing it in one hand, and taking my wrist in the other. She began yanking me forward, and with Akrad's princess leading the way, we left the scorched Earth behind and continued on with our journey.

We walked towards the rising sun, its golden rays resting on our bodies, drying our soaked clothes. I held Alexandra's hand in mine, and walking through the tall grass, we talked, heck, we even laughed together. Perhaps it was simply the contrast between my current situation, and the constant death that I faced leading up to this, or it might've been the sleep deprivation, but for the first time since the execution of my father, I felt at peace. I felt like nothing in the world could go wrong. We continued stepping through the field until we came across a small, dirt road. I felt Alexandra squeeze my hand, and looking at each other, we took the first step, travelling along our newfound path.

As we walked down the road, the plains were transformed by towering trees, and the sun was overcome by shade. The path was almost majestic, and wildlife filled the woods, however, no matter how beautiful my surroundings might have been, it wasn't enough to take my mind off the increasing pain coming from my feet. I slowed down my pace, about ready to stop when Alexandra pointed up at the sky. "Looks like this trail isn't as abandoned as it looks," she said. I followed the trajectory of her finger and saw a pillar of smoke rising up from the tree tops. I pushed through the pain emanating from my feet, and continued to walk, inspired by the hope of a warm bed and a decent meal.

We walked into a town, which we found to be rather small. The tiny road that we came in on seemed to be the primary foundation for the town, but despite its size, I don't believe that there was anywhere I'd rather be. I was taken aback by the peacefulness of it all. Despite the recent events, people continued to walk through the double doors of what I'd assume to be the tavern, smoke still rose out of the black smith shop, and horse drawn carriages continued to walk down the dirt road. Everywhere I looked, I found nothing but smiles. It was hard to think that this place was anything but a refuge from the hardships of the world, however, one thing seemed to be out of place.

At the other end of the town, was what appeared to be a cobblestone windmill, with iron pipes stretching from the ground to it's crumbling roof. Protruding from the windmill were chimneys without number, billowing smoke, but as if needing to exude even more curiosity, it wasn't just smoke that seemed to be leaving the building. An aura of familiarity emanated from the doorway. Opening my mouth to speak, I turned to Alexandra. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Let's avoid it for now." She responded. "We should figure out exactly what this place's deal is before we get too adventurous. Something feels strange here."

My face fell for a moment as my curiosity got put on hold, although I knew that she was right. Perhaps it was the fact that we've been running for our lives the last two nights, but I had a hard time believing that anybody could be this happy. Something was definitely wrong here. Alexandra yanked my hand, pulling me off to the blacksmith's shop. "Let's take care of what we need to do, and then we need to leave." She stated.

My heart fell after hearing that I'd be yet again deprived of a bed. Without the will to refuse, I followed her lead. It was hard to argue with somebody that held my heart beneath the palms of their hands.

Alexandra pushed open the door leading to the blacksmith's shop, and we walked inside. The shop was cramped, as it was filled with the results of a man who's perfected his craft. From wall to wall, surrounding us on almost every side were tools without blemish, however, one small corner of the shop was exempt from the flood of products. We walked towards the counter and rang the bell that sat on its surface, summoning the owner of the establishment. Coming through the door laying just past the counter, a large man, with an equally large smile made his entrance. The man was girded in a stained leather apron, and his hands were covered in scars that could only come from fire. The man opened his mouth, and spoke in a voice as warm as the forge's fire. "How can I help you lovely people today?"

Setting my now deformed excuse for a weapon on the table, Alexandra responded. "We'd like to sell this. I know that it doesn't look like much, but the materials alone should be worth something."

I looked at Alexandra. It wasn't much, but it was one of the only things that I had left from my life of royalty. I sure hoped that she knew what she was doing. The shopkeeper picked up the weapon and studied it, brushing off the soot staining the bent weapon before he spoke. "You're right, the materials are quite good. Where did you find such an item?"

Alexandra snapped back. "We came here to sell, not make small talk.

The man's smile remained unwavering, despite Alexandra's attitude, before speaking in a warm voice. "Fair enough, I suppose. Here's my best offer."

The man put a small bag on the counter, and extended his hand outward, and waited for a handshake to finalize the trade. My fiance picked up the bag, and untying the string, found a substantial amount of gold. Alexandra, doing a poor job at hiding her joy, grabbed the man's hand, and proceeded to put the sack in her pocket. "Pleasure doing business with you." She exclaimed. We quickly walked out of the blacksmith's shop, hoping to leave before the shopkeep could change his mind. We opened up the door, stepped back into the town. Now that we had money, a vast, new world of opportunity laid before us.

We walked through the town, buying everything with any viable use. No matter where we went, we never encountered anything but smiles. The wariness buried deep within my conscience began to recede and I started to believe that this really was the happiest place on Earth. I turned to my companion. "Hey Alexandra" I asked. "Do you think that we could get a room here for the night? I don't know if I can take another night in the outdoors."

It seemed that Alexandra was worn down from the last couple of treacherous days as well, because after thinking for a moment, as if weighing the risks in her head, she responded. "Fine, but we need to leave at sunrise. as long as we head out at dawn tomorrow, we should be safe enough."

I let out a sigh of relief, and despite the trials of the last few days, a smile crossed my mouth. "Let's get some food." I spoke. Taking Alexandra's hand, we walked inside the tavern and placed our orders with another gleeful townsperson. Before long, large plates of grilled chicken and steamed spinach were put in front of us. Barely having time to look at the food sitting in front of me, I dove in. I wasn't sure if it was my hunger, or if this truly was the best meal I've ever had, but I was experiencing what could only be described as bliss. Even the most talented chef in Alisar couldn't provide a meal this delectable. Now that I think about it, I hadn't eaten anything in the last two days, so perhaps that had something to do with what I was experiencing. Having finished my meal, I rose up my head out of what once was a mountain of food and was surprised to find that Alexandra had already emptied her plate. Was there anything that I could do better than this woman?

Staring at the small woman, with a surprisingly large appetite sitting across the table from me, Alexandra began to sway back and forth, slowly dividing into two- no, three exact copies of herself. I was never what I'd consider to be the smartest person in the world, in fact I was far from it, but I had maintained enough of my sanity over the course of the last few days to tell that something was wrong. Very, very wrong. The outside reaches of my vision began to go black, and losing control of one of my last possessions, my mind, I let out one last attempt at making sense of my situation, gathering all of my mental faculties to blurt out, "What's….going on?....Alexan-"