Chapter Eighteen

Everett

The light was blinding, even with his eyes closed. The unknown time spent locked in the dark dungeons below the mysterious palace had left him sensitive to the sunlight. His body felt heavy from whatever drug had been put in their food. His mind was foggy as he tried to recall the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness.

Aerilyn.

His stomach dropped at the thought of her name as he forced his eyes open. He recognized the familiar scent of the dirt and felt the air hitting his cheeks. He knew he had to be outside. The burning sunlight left him rubbing his eyes several times to adjust. When his vision finally returned, he was able to take in his surroundings. He was in a small clearing surrounded by trees. It wasn’t much different from the forest he’d wandered with the thief. The thought of her once again had him forcing himself to his feet. He looked around quickly for any signs of life, only to find nothing.

“Aeri!” He screamed, the one word taking too much effort. His mouth was too dry, his throat aching. As he took a step forward, his foot connected with an object. He glanced down to find a long sword resting at his feet. At that moment, he realized what this was. The memory of the king offering them the chance at survival by participating in his games flashed in his mind. This was the first test. He was unsure of what the test entailed, but he knew this couldn’t end well for any of them. He needed to find Aerilyn and the others.

Everett grabbed the sword, tucking it into his belt before he started towards the treeline. The kingdom of Korth was a mystery to all of them, he had no idea where to even begin to find his companions. They very well may not even be in these same woods as he was. For all he knew, this entire thing could be a dream. He wondered how long it would take him to wake up. He wanted to open his eyes and be back in his bed in Orissia. But deep down he knew he was very far from home now.

The sound of rustling trees caught his attention quickly. The branches of the trees began to move as something blocked the light above him. It didn’t take long to recognize the creature that was flying overhead. His eyes went wide as the hound swooped down towards him. He didn’t let himself think before he ran. He debated pulling the sword and taking a swing right then, but he knew the angle left him at a disadvantage. He allowed his feet to take him as fast as they could deeper into the woods. He found himself lost in the twists and turns of it all, no longer knowing what direction he was even headed. Several times, he glanced back to see that the hound was still following closely behind him. He knew that he didn’t have much time before he had to make a decision. He had to form some sort of plan before he lost stamina and the creature caught up to him.

Everett’s fingers curled around the hilt of the sword, drawing it from his side. He held it tight within his grasp as he continued to run. He dodged trees and jumped over fallen branches, never able to run in a straight line. He finally stopped when he saw a small clearing in the trees. The space would give him the upper hand against the creature. He would have an open space to run and make his maneuvers without worrying about tripping over a tree root. He tried to recall every moment he had spent training. The cuffs around his wrists gave his hands an odd weight that he wasn’t used to which would throw him off. The loss of his extra strength would also put him at a disadvantage. Still, he had to put everything he could into the fight so that he could find Aerilyn and the others.

The piercing howl that came from the hound as it swooped down towards him was shattering. His ears rang with the loud sound, almost throwing him off. He lifted the sword, feeling out the weight as he waited for the perfect moment to swing. The hound’s wings were fully spread as it swooped down, the wind hitting his face with the movements. When the hound was only a few feet from him, just hovering above the ground, he swung his sword for its head. The beast was able to move, the tip of his sword only grazing its face. Everett swore to himself as he dodged the hound's tail that came towards him. It collided with his side, throwing him off balance. He stumbled slightly before regaining his footing. The hound prepared itself at the same time, already preparing for another attack.

How the hell is the creature in the light? He thought to himself. Rethinking back to the hound that had stopped on the hill when they had come across the small town. The one before him was now in the light of the sky, almost unphased by it. Too many questions filled his mind. He tried to push them all aside and focus on the task at hand.

The creature howled once more, its head tilting back in a battle cry. The last hounds they’d encountered had used their howls as a way to call for backup. Everett only prayed there weren’t any other hounds nearby. They didn’t know enough information to understand how the hounds functioned. Whether they traveled in packs or alone was unknown to the prince. The hound rushed towards him with its jaw snapping. The sharp teeth came towards him without warning, the rotting smell of its breath filling his nostrils. He took the opportunity to jab the sword into the hound's gaping mouth. Black blood splattered Everett’s face as the creature shrieked in pain. He twisted the sword, confirming the kill before retracting the weapon and letting the hound fall to the ground in a pile of leathery, rotting flesh.

Everett let out heavy breaths, his shoulders rising and falling as he studied the creature. Its body twitched a few times before it finally went still. He watched as the glowing purple eyes faded into nothingness. He stepped away from the corpse, rubbing the back of his hand over his face in an attempt to remove the blood that now coated his skin. The scent of rot still filled his nose and didn’t seem to fade even as he walked away. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do next. The only thing on his mind was trying to find Aerilyn to make sure she was safe. If a hound had attacked him so quickly, he knew one would find his companions just as fast if they were also out in the forest with him.

Someone began a slow clap behind him and he quickly turned, meeting eyes with the king of Korth. “Well, you completed the first game faster than I had expected. I didn’t know you had it in you, prince. I’m glad I get to keep you around and watch you die a more painful death later on. Better to drag it all out,” he laughed, his voice completely void of emotion. “This is your definition of a game? Your childhood must’ve been more fucked up than mine,” Everett shot back. If the words had wounded Azazel, he didn’t show it. He snapped his fingers as two guards came from behind the trees and grabbed both of Everett’s arms. He didn’t attempt to fight, keeping his gaze locked with the king’s. He refused to back down from the staring match.

“You can take him back to the palace, make sure he gets cleaned up for dinner. I’m going to see how the other ones are doing,” Azazel dismissively flicked his wrist before turning his back. “If something happens to her, I will kill you,” Everett hissed. Azazel turned, his eyes blazing as he finally gave Everett a reaction to his words. “I hope I find her dead so that you’d try,” a smirk curled on his lips in a cruel smile, his emotions quickly disappearing once again. The words caused Everett to jerk in the guards’ grasp, trying to free himself from their hold. “You’re going to regret fucking saying that,” he snapped, feeling the guards’ grip on him tighten.

The king of Korth didn’t react to the words and continued to walk away into the forest. He couldn’t help but replay the moment of emotion that had crossed his face at the brief mention of Aerilyn. After the king had taken her for dinner, she’d returned to her cell without any words. He didn’t know what had happened between them, but he could only assume that it wasn’t good. The king was bad news and he wasn’t telling them the entire truth. Everett refused to back down from the fight and swore to himself at that moment that he wouldn’t stop until he found out the entire truth of the mystery kingdom.