Chapter Eight

Ayziel

Ayziel allowed his mouth to drop open.

Her forest?

"That is not possible. No one owns a forest. No matter how pretty they are," he argued, leaning his head back against the tree. He peeked at her, watching as a small smirk graced her face.

"You think I'm pretty?" she asked, taking a step closer to him with a glint in her eyes. Even her owl was staring at him now.

Ayziel's face grew warmer, his cheeks turned a light pink colour.

"I…I…was…..I was....I….You know what I was trying to say," he stuttered, pushing back further against the tree, wishing he could disappear.

"No I do not," she shook her head. "But that is beside the point. What are you doing here? What is your name?"

Ayziel looked past the girl's shoulder, even though the sun was setting, he could still see the Taramov forte in all its glory, sitting on the hill. Had they noticed that he was gone yet? Were they already looking for him?

He hoped not.

"You are refusing to answer my__"

"I'm from the forte," Ayziel cut in quickly, peeling his eyes away from the forte and staring at the girl. She said that the forest belonged to her. Even though he knew it didn't, he was certain she knew the ins and out of the forest. She looked like she did.

"The Taramov forte? Where the algons lurk?" she asked, furrowing her brows.

"Algon?" Ayziel eyed her, wondering what she could possibly be refering to with that dreadful name.

"The assistants of the alchemist who lives there. Belizar,"

"Oh" Ayziel murmured. He did not know that they were called algons. He did not know any of their names.

"From the look on your face and the terribly poor condition you are in, I'm supposing you're one of the children they keep locked up in there. You're one of his experiments," she observed, her blue eyes grew sharper when he did not deny it. Ayziel bit his tongue. He hated what he was but he hated it even more being called an experiment.

"Can you help me?" he begged, tears fillind his eyes quickly. Weak. That was what he had become. "I haven't eaten and I am thirsty. I also need to find my way out of this forest and back home."

"And where is home exactly?"

"The great city, Howlsreach," Ayziel gulped, hoping she would not ask furter questions. He deliberately left out the part about him being te youngest Zakari prince. He did not know how she would react if she found out that his father killed children to maintain his position as king.

"What do you have?" she asked after a long moment of suffocating silence.

"I do not____" he shook his head, confused. What did she mean by that? Was she going to take from him?

Ayziel stood to is shaky feet, he had noting of value for her to take. Nothing but the clothes on his back.

"What I meant by that statement is what are you willing to trade?" she sighed, resting her weight on her left leg. "I am more than willing to help but I have a certain rule. I never do anything for free or without certain conditions beneficial to me,"

Ayziel paused, allowing her words to sink in.

She was quite the character. With her fine clothing and leather boots, he doubted money was something she would be eager to accept. He had nothing to give but he needed to survive.

"I have noth--"

"Your life," she jumped in, her eyes shining with joy. "Pledge your life to me,"

Ayziel's eyes went wide. His life?! He could not possibly do that.

"If I save your life, you owe me a great debt. You owe me your life. It's the only trade I will accept from you," she went on as if she could sense his doubts, his fear, his reluctance. She held out her hand to him.

Ayziel bit his tongue, he needed to survive. He was sure that once he made it out of the forest, he would never cross paths with her again. Ever.

He took her hand, shaking it as firmly as he could.

"You have my life," he muttered.

The minute Ayziel said those words, the girl's eyes glowed a bright blue colour and a jolt of electricity shot through is hand that was still firmly holding on to hers. The feeling passed quickly like it never happened and her eyes returned to the dark blue colour they once were.

"Stay here," she smiled. "I'll be back,"

"Alone?!" he questioned, looking around the dark forest. "I don't want to be left alone, let me come with you," he begged, falling to his knees before the girl and grabbing her boots.

"Eirwen will stay with you," she huffed, backing away from Ayziel. The girl turned her back to him, heading deeper into the woods where the darkness swallowed her. A shrill whistle penetrated the still air and a white owl flew towards Ayziel, landing at his feet.

It was the same owl that had been sitting on the girl's shoulder.

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The girl came back that night with a dead rabbit, water and herbs. She grilled te rabbit meat over and open fire she built and ground the herbs before carefully applying them on the wounds and open sores all over Ayziel's body.

She had not left him. She did not leave im.

For three days, their routine continued, she brought him food, water, herbs and grounded elixars. By the third day, Ayziel felt well rested and ready to make his way back home. He told her this.

It was a bright morning that day, the sun blazed furiously, turning the ground hot and shutting the singing birds up. The girl had taken Ayziel to a small cave in the forest where they took refuge from the heat.

She had yet to tell him her name and he did not ask because he did not want to tell her his.

"I want to leave for my home today," Ayziel voiced, wincing slightly as the herbs the girl was applying to his back burned his wound.

"For what reason could you possibly want to go home?" she hissed. "And stay still,"

He ignored the harshness in her tone. For some reason, she was in a bad mood that morning.

"My father will be waiting for me," he replied cheerfully, beaming at the trees outside the cave.

The girl's movements paused and Ayziel spun around to look at her.

"The same father who locked you up in that forte?" she spat, her eyes were menacing as she glared at him.

"He did not know th---"

"That you were going to be tortured? Poked with needles?" she jumped in, cutting him off before he could defend his father.

Anger flared in Ayziel's chest. "He brought me here to become better,"

"Are you sick?" she questioned, scowling at him.

"No….I...I…." he shook his head, scrambling to find his words.

"I am not stupid, devil boy. Everyone knows what happens in that forte. We all hear the screams, we see the corpses too,"

"That is not true," Ayziel argued, ignoring the term 'devil boy' which she had been using to refer to him for three days now. "No one dies in the forte. We get to go home, healthy and...and"

"Oh how would you know?" she snapped. "They burn the bodies by the river in town. Little children. Girls, boys….Belizar is a mad man and your father is even more mad for sending you there,"

"He does not know about Belizar's torture but once I tell him__"

"You're stupid!" she yelled, jumping to her feet. There was so much hate and fury in her eyes as she looked down at him. "Everyone knows of Belizar's methods. Even those he live outside this kingdom know. The vampires, the witches." she breathed in, sneering at him. "Everyone. Knows. Your father knew. He sent you there to die."

"You're a liar!" Ayziel yelled, standing up and glaring at her. They were so close that their noses brushed together as they breathed hard. Ayziel could see it. She would not back down but neither would he.

"My father loves me. He only brought me here so I would not end up a monster like you!"

The girl gasped, her lips parted for a brief second. Her angry expression fell and then like a blanket, her cold facade covered her face again.

"Your father gave you over to death itself. He does not love you," she shook her head. "Look at yourself. Needle holes, cuts, bruises, all over your body. I can count your ribs for goddess sake. Your lips sore from chewing and olding back tears you should be allowed to let loose. If I was your father, I'd rather have a monster for a son than the shell that you have become. Being a monster is not all bad. It is power and you are a fool for not knowing," she hissed, bumping her shoulders with his as she made her way out of the cave.

The white owl spared Ayziel one last glance before flying after its master.

Ayziel knew she would never come back.

"I'll give you a chance devil boy no matter how stupid I know you are," her voice called out.

He turned around and walked out of the cave to embrace her. She hugged him back.

Ayziel was grateful that she had not left him. He was grateful that she was smiling now.

When they broke the hug, she held his hand and thrusted a small bone hilt dagger into his palm.

"I can not come to see you anymore. My time in this forest is over but devil boy I hope you forge your own path. I hope you become selfish and think of only yourself." she ruffled his hair fondly and he laughed as tears spilled down his cheeks. "Don't let them see you cry else they'd have won before the fight has even begun. The dagger is easier to use when you're close to your prey. Aim for the weakest spot. Preferably the neck and if I was you, I'd ask dear old father what colour the floors in the tower cells are. I hear they paint them red to hide all the blood they spill. If your father knows this too then you have your answer. Follow the stream on the west side to get back to the forte or follow me to get out of here,"

And with one last smile his way, the girl headed north, singing devil boy as she went.

Ayziel smiled sadly before heading west.

When he arrived at the forte, the screams were non-existent and none of the assistants were present. Instead, the royal blue carriage of his father was parked in the yard.

"Father!" Ayziel cried out, running towards his father who held out a hand to stop him.

"I have a proposition for you boy," King Roderick spoke.

Ayziel nodded, eager to hug his father who still hed him at arms length.

"You can continue your treatment here or you can return home with me as an executioner of the third watch. You will undergo training of course,"

Ayziel frowned, remembering what the girl had told him. He thought about it.

Asking his father a meaningless question like the colour of the floors in Taramov forte was not going to change anything.

His father loved him. He only wanted him to be better.

King Roderick eyed Ayziel wearily as if he was tired of him. "So what is your choice? Make it quickly. I do not have all day. Your brothers are waiting for me,"

I hope you become selfish

The girl's voice rung in his head.

He was not going to spend another minute in the Taramov forte. No matter what he had to do. No matter the cost.

"I'll be your executioner," Ayziel replied.