-Death-Defying Darby and a New Kid-

The day of the torture:

They are all tied up from their wrists to a wooden post that's above their heads.

"I want to do Clay!", Ryder fussed then prodded him with a stick. Clay kicked Ryder in the stomach. Ryder grunted and then laughed. "Take him. Not me. He's only a child. You can kill everyone but him. His youth is his to keep.", Darby pleaded.

Cordelia was about to say, "Like we'd want you people-",

"They're not just people, they're human beings, you fool!", Clay shouted. Cordelia slapped him.

Darby secretly tilted his head towards his wrist and covered his face with his hair so he could use his teeth to unhook the rope. His wrist slipped free and he quickly got his gun and shot everyone.

"Cordelia. I'll spare you, your brat, and your dick of a husband if you promise that we can have half of your money to pay for funerals for all of these people I just killed.", Darby remarked.

"But-I-wha-you don't speak about my family like that!", Cordelia stammered.

"Then get your pompous ass out of here.", Darby ordered. They scampered away.

Darby got the rest of the rope off and helped the others with theirs.

"That was boring.", Clay pouted.

"We almost died. You call that boring, kid?", Oliver told him.

"Well, I see what Clay is saying. I mean, we didn't even get prodded at! Not to mention, I barely got realized.", Charlotte complained.

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Wednesday. "Fucking horses...", Clay groaned as he stretched. Adira knocked on his bedroom door. "Let yourself in.".

"Master, I have come with your breakfast and clothing for the day. I bet your horse Ciara (Keer-ah) will be happy to see you today.", Adira said, merrily.

"I wish I could be in my grave right now.".

"What?! Why?! You love to ride Ciara-",

"No, it's not that! It's that I have to, today. I'm going somewhere in the woods with Charlotte and Oliver. They forced me to join them. And then I have to go out of town at 1, go to a stupid baptism at 1:30, find some stuff for my dumb wedding, situate the problem with our rivals...even though I probably won't do half of that...", Clay mumbled.

Later that day:

Clay rode his white stallion into the dark and scary depths of the forest. Charlotte rode her pitch black stallion, as Oliver rode his brown one.

"Why did you two call me out here into the bleak doorway to the owls call?", Clay asked. Charlotte and Oliver both stared at each other, with a blank but minorly scared expression. "Well, uh...you see-we-....We wanted to call you hear to talk about Darby. We do not trust him, what-so-ever. I mean, he killed a bunch of people at that torture chamber thing!", Charlotte exclaimed

"What are you talking about? If anything, he saved us from our demise! Are you demented?!", he snapped. Oliver stayed silent until he said, "He persuaded Esma to help him overdose Anastasia. It wasn't Ana's fault.".

"And how do I know you're not being deceitful to me?", Clay pressured.

"Would we ever lie to you? I mean, I know that I want to keep my job. But would we really lie to you?", Charlotte kept asking. Clay paused. Darby approached behind them with his black horse. "Hm. And why would Esma ever help me in the first place-",

"Because she's in love with you, you dumbbell!", Charlotte shouted. "You think I'm the dumb one here? Look, I'm not the one hypothesizing over this when that day already ended. Anastasia is alive, isn't she? The doctors said she overdosed. And with that, she did! So stop playing me out as the ponce here!", Darby shouted back.

"Ponce? Like...prostitute ponce?", Oliver snickered. "No! The other meaning! Ugh.", Darby groaned. Charlotte shortly laughed.

"Would you guys stop quarreling?! I think I'm about half-deaf over here! Besides, I have to go out of town right now to go to a idiotic baptism.", Clay declared then started to go the other way on Ciara. Charlotte slowly shook her head.

Out of town:

Clay rode Ciara to the side of a church. "I don't even know if this is the correct one...", he said to himself. Lord Hickman, the mayor, ran up to him. "King! I didn't expect you to be here! Lord Hickman, nice to finally become acquaintance with you.", he introduced as he shook Clay's hand.

"Fancy meeting you here. You know, me and my wife have been really excited to meet you. My daughter really would like an autograph if that isn't too much to ask for, of course. She's always been a fan of you.", Lord Hickman muttered, embarrassed. Clay signed a random piece of paper that he found in his pocket then shoved it at him.

Clay put Ciara in the back of the church then they went inside. "Who's this baptism even for?", Clay whispered to a random kid sitting next to him. "My brother, Troy. My parents say I am too bad of a child for a baptism. They always make me feel like a lowlife. I'm like their slave. I technically am. I do everything around the house. Cook, clean, laundry; you name it, I do it! "Tobias, do this. Tobias, do that!". My name's Tobias. Toby for short. I'm honored to see you, Clay.", Tobias whispered back with a keen smile.

Before they were going to baptize Troy, Clay stood up and shouted, "It's not fair!". Everyone stared at him. "You treat your other child, Tobias, like absolute crap compared to Troy! Why is that, huh? You make him clean, cook, do laundry, etc.! That is unfair!".

Clay walked towards the door, holding Tobias's wrist. He stopped at the door and then flipped everyone off.

Clay hopped on Ciara. "Here. Hold onto the lead.". "Where are we going", Tobias asked. "My mansion, of course. We'll situate you and your family problems after I think of some things. I'm busy.".

Back at the mansion:

"Who is that?", everyone questioned.

"Everyone, this is Tobias. Tobias, this is Adira, Esma, Darby, Oliver, and Charlotte. He might be staying with us for a tiny bit but right now I have to go do some things in Chilly Meadows. Don't worry about me right now. Just... talk to Tobias for the time being.", Clay announced.

Chilly Meadows, Cloud Nine:

Clay knocked on the huge doors to Cloud Nine. Emma answered. "Emma, maid of Cloud Nine, how may I assist you?", she exclaimed with a nice smile smacked upon her rosy-cheeked face. "Clay, king of Twisted Hollows, I'd like to speak with Cordelia.", Clay said. "The queen is busy at the moment. You can come in and wait, though!". Clay went inside and stood against the wall.

Ryder ran up to him. "You're engaged to Anastasia, right?". He nodded. "You don't want to marry her, right?". He nodded again. "Can I have her?". "Ask your mother, you fool.". Ryder grinned, maliciously. "Hey, I got a question. Why is your cook 13 like me? Shouldn't Cordelia hire a more mature one?", Clay questioned. "Oh! That's my sister! No one likes her here, anyways.", Ryder answered.