KOA VI: The Hated Secret
I rapped at the battered wooden door, straining my ears amidst the torrential rain, the icy water dripped down the holes of my mouth, wetting those parched lips. Jess huddled near the steps, still clutching fiercely at my long cloak.
Without warning, the door swung open, as a beaming old man stood on the doors. He was dressed in the oddest of suits, a dark blue cloak with a pale pink tunic. Plus a familiar orange cone hat that sat majestically on his head, perched like a crown on a broken king's head. Looked the same as always.
His grin took off like a sprinter as he spied the dark figure with his cold steel mask, that same old rugged air around him.
'Come in, and be damn with the weather!', he shouted fiercely, as the thunder cracked like a brutal whip, the lightning flashes lighting his face up with the brilliant sparks.
I signaled at the small orange figure sitting despondently at the doorsteps, and thrust her in with an almost rough shove, ignoring the high-pitched yelp.
'Get in girl, and don't forget your manners.' I hissed, glaring at the old man's face with an almost contemptuous gaze.
'Prince of Lupravia, always the adventurous one? And who is the other one?' he questioned; those wise eyes almost seemed to pierce my skin, into my thoughts. Never trust a wizard. Especially a sly one like this. My baleful pupils glinted behind the wall of steel.
Jess immediately rushed to the fire, her expression contented as she sat comfortably in the flames. Unfortunately she was still holding my cloak. Great.
Almost sheepishly, she threw it out, still smoking. I let it lay there, my attention focused on the wizard.
'I need a word with you young one first!' the old mage almost screamed. 'In privacy!' he said his tone reducing considerably as she rose to follow.
'Of course Cenere.' Four sullen syllables barely hinting at the dangerous tone I employed.
'Stay there.' I spoke blandly when Jess rose up again. Those blue eyes trailed across the room curiously as I turned around.
I followed listlessly, the steel caps of my boots clinking on the floor, and entered a room, which Cenere promptly locked.
'Look, what in madness are you doing here young one?' The Sorceress' troops and spies are everywhere, and you dare trespass on my abode? My sacred sanctuary? What do you want to do with me?! And who is that girl you bring with you?' The old man looked fit to kill, the purplish blue face swelling.
I calmly walked right in front of him, staring him straight in his eyes.
'Yes. In such times, it's a risk I'll take. Do not forget, that it was MY FAMILY, my family who took you in, MY GRANDFATHER, who sent you to that school to train you in the Arts, MY UNCLE who taught you everything that you have learnt!'
Those words seemed to deal him a physical blow, as he cursed and spat at me.
In a burst of rage, my gauntleted hand shot out, gripping Cenere by his neck, lifting him up as though he was a rag. Our faces face to face, I spoke just one sentence, releasing him from my iron grip.
'Now, it's time for you to do something for me.'
He stood there perplexed, gasping for air. 'I never should have entered that castle of yours, never should have left my village, and never should have stepped into YOUR accursed land, you WEREWOLF!'
The anger in me reached a tipping point; it spread through me, filling my veins, drawing from some deep inner well of fury.
'Do not mention that WORD Cenere!'
Just that, I heard a hushed scream from outside the door. Swinging around, the thought raced through my mind. No, no, did she know my secret??!!! I saw the cobalt blue eyes withdrawing from the keyhole.
NO! NO! NOT MY SECRET!
The lock twisted pathetically in all my sudden strength, as I crashed into the room, regardless of all my wounds, a storming shadow, and eyeballs livid, face taunt. After all my life hiding from others, running from the rest, I could bear neither the shame nor self-loathing anymore.
'What have you heard!!!!!!!? ?' My voice seemed to almost boom a thousand times louder, drowning the thunder, the fear grasping and wringing my wildly beating heart.
'No Nichodemus!' Cenere rasped. 'Don't harm a girl!'
I was past caring; my sword was an inch away from the girl's throat. Quivering, I raised my trusty blade. The hot tears welled up in my throat, as they dripped onto her.
'If only you knew the pain of being an outcast, of spending your whole life hiding in shame! To be born neither human nor beast, to come into this world a FREAK! To have to wear this mask of solitude!'
Suddenly, a bolt of Cenere's magic caught me square in the back, as I almost dropped my blade, howling.
'Cenere!!!!!!!!!!! You evil bastard!' the string of insults burst into my mind, yet I was intent on reaching her.
As I held her limp crying form up, something in my heart stopped. Would it be right to kill this being, the person who healed me? My hands clenched, the knuckles cracking in the gloomy room. For a moment, I lowered my sword, my tough demeanor softening for once.
Another blast of energy hit me, as this time the pain made me drop the tearing girl.
'Stop Nichodemus!'
The look I gave Cenere smoldered coolly, as the numbing pain again racked my still weakened body.
'Fine. I won't.'
I turned to the girl.
'Not a word of this. Not a single word to anyone. If I ever hear something, something so much as a syllable escape those lips, I won't hesi....'
The last crackling bolt of blue hit my face, scorching the mask. Cenere rushing forward...
All was blank as I swayed and fell again, the last bolt from Cenere's powerful magic too much to bear, my beloved mask hitting the floor before I did. Not again...not again...I heard voices shouting as the world swirled in a big dizzy mess and vanished...
