Opius was born in Ivorius as the fifth son of Lord Basron, the Lord of Ivorius and Opius' father. He was a wealthy family, and they were respected and had a strong military force. Basron was not very educated, but he was known for his tactical skills in battle. He had two older brothers and two sisters. His mother, Lois, gave him special treatment as he grew up inside the palace. The oldest was Denver, he was six years older. Then came Frank a year later. Lucy and Jessica were twins who were born later the same year. Ozul was born premature, and the doctors insisted on killing the baby, but Lois refused. Basron supported his wife, but he had a terrible feeling in his gut. Many times they thought he had died, but there was always a faint heartbeat. Ozul was a sickly boy who was frail and small. Lois took care of him every day, and the castle servants helped her. He grew up a lot slower than his siblings. He couldn't participate in many activities that his siblings were doing, but he was still a part of the family.
When Ozul turned 13, he was taken to his uncle's house to learn how to be a man. His father's brother was a man who trained in the woods and was very skilled with a bow and arrow. His name was Garland, and he was an excellent teacher.
"Now, Ozul grab that bow, quiver, and that knife." Garland said, packing his own bag.
"Yes Uncle." Ozul said.
He attached the quiver to his belt and there was a sheath for the knife made on the exterior of the quiver. He grabbed a heavy backpack and struggled to pick it up. Garland stood next to him and watched as he finally managed to put it on. He handed the small boy a finely crafted bow made of the darkest wood in the forest. The sky was cloudy, and the forest smelled like wet grass. The sky turned orange as the sun slowly awoke on the horizon. Leaves and branches cracked under their feet. The two traveled deep into the woods, where there was a river running through it.
"There's a cave up ahead. We will rest there." Garland said.
Ozul felt his heart beat faster as they walked through the thick brush. They made it to the cave, where Garland made a fire, and they unpacked their bags. Garland quickly set up his sleeping bag. Ozul spent more time than usual. Garland stood at the entrance of the cave and looked down at Ozul when he finished.
"I did not bring any food with us. You have until sundown to hunt and bring back food for both of us. If you fail tonight, then I will bring you back home and report to your father in the morning." Garland said.
"I understand, Uncle." Ozul's voice shook.
"Now go." Garland said.
Ozul nodded his head and hesitantly walked into the lush forest. His eyes raced around as he frantically looked for anything to hunt. A deer, bird, squirrel, or even a rat. The only thing he felt was the sweat on his brow and the beating of his fast heart. Faint noises of the wilderness echoed throughout. The sound of a twig snapping caused him to turn around in a panic. But it was just an owl staring at him from a nearby tree. He knocked an arrow and shot at the bird, but the owl flew away before it even got close. The sky had turned a light blue, and he knew that it was almost sundown. He ran faster and harder as he tried to find something to hunt. Suddenly, he saw a rabbit dart out from under a bush and into a patch of flowers. He quickly grabbed his bow and knocked an arrow. He took aim and fired. The arrow flew past the rabbit's head and caused it to flee. His eyes widened as he realized that he failed. He dropped the bow and grabbed his hair with both hands and shook his head. He could hear his stomach growling, turning and churning with greed. He picked up the bow and shamefully walked back to the cave.
"I see you have failed to bring back anything. You couldn't even bring back a rabbit or mouse. How disgraceful..." Garland said, "All of your brothers were able to bring back a deer. They even skinned it. Are you even a son of Lord Opius?"
Ozul stood there with tears rolling down his face and mixed emotions filled his mind.
"Go to bed." Garland said, with a disappointed tone.
The silence filled the air. The occasional cricket woke Ozul, and he couldn't fall asleep with the hunger. The flames roared as the wood cracked. He turned over and saw his uncle sound asleep. In the back of his mind a dark thought flourished. His mouth watered and he quietly crawled out of his sleeping bag. He searched his uncle's bag and found nothing to eat. He tiptoed over to the knife and stood over Garland. His breathing was loud, and he was drooling in his sleep. Ozul looked at the knife and back at Garland. He raised it over his head and plunged it into his uncle's neck. Garland's eyes widened and he grabbed his neck in pain. He stared up at Ozul, and then he was motionless. The blood spewed everywhere as Ozul stepped back in shock.
"Aaaahh!" Ozul screamed in a mix of fear and horror.
"What have I done?!?!" he shouted.
He threw the knife at the wall of the cave and fell to his knees. His stomach howled louder and louder. He knelt next to him and stared at his neck and watched the blood flow out. Drool leaked out of his mouth, and he couldn't hold it back any longer. He sunk his teeth into Garland's neck and sucked up the blood. He began to take bites from the neck and arms. He consumed until he was satisfied.
Ozul stood up with blood covering his mouth and chin. He smiled softly and washed himself off in the river. He pulled out Garland's body and dragged it into the woods. He dug a grave with his hands and placed him inside. He placed the knife in the dirt and stood over his grave.
"Goodbye, Uncle." Ozul said, in a soft tone.
He wandered back to the cave and fell asleep rather quickly. He woke up to a deer standing outside the entrance. He stood up and carefully and cautiously walked to it. The deer's antlers looked strange. In certain areas, it curved. It easily had over twenty points. It looked directly into Ozul's eyes and tears were shed by the creature. He watched as it walked deeper into the forest.
Ozul packed up and the bag felt lighter, even though it was carrying more. He used the map his uncle packed to get back home. On his way, he saw a beautiful flower. He recalled what his mother taught him about these.
"These roses are called The Rose of Death, or more commonly known as a dark rose." she said pointing to a drawing of one in a book.
"Why are they called that, Momma?" young Ozul asked.
"If someone were to eat even just a small piece of a pedal, they would die within the next few minutes. There's no medicine that could help you. They smell divine and look stunning." she explained.
He crouched and got closer to this rose. He carefully plucked it from the earth and brought it up to his nose, to where it was barely touching. He breathed in and closed his eyes. The scent was calming. He picked off a peddle and placed it in his front pocket. He ripped the head of the rose off and grinded it with both hands until it was just a small pile. He blew it out from his hand and watched as the pieces majestically glided in the breeze. He started walking again, and the smell of death lingered in the air. He didn't notice at first, but now death lingered in his mind and poisoned his soul.
As he continued through the forest, he finally reached the end and saw the small city across the valley. He entered through the gates and went straight to his father's palace. The guards let him in as soon as they saw him. He rushed into the dining room where his family was eating their dinner. They all stared at him in disbelief.
"Ozul?! Is that really you?" his mother asked, running over to him.
"Yes, Mother." he said, embracing her.
"What happened to your uncle?" his father asked sternly.
"He...a bear..." Ozul pretended to cry and hugged his mom.
"No..." his father said.
The whole family sat in silence for a moment.
"Let me go get you a drink, son." his mother said.
"No, allow me to prepare the drinks." Ozul said.
"Sure." she agreed.
He put his bags down and entered the kitchen. He asked the servants to leave. He grabbed the glasses and poured wine into each of them. He reached into his pocket and broke the pedal into six fragments. He crushed each fragment and sprinkled the powder into its respective glass. He then poured a glass of water and walked out. Ozul circled the table and handed each family member a glass of wine and set the glass of water next to his plate.
"Cheers to Uncle Garland!" Ozul said, raising his glass.
The family did the same and they all took a sip.
"Ah!" his mother yelled, clutching her stomach.
She fell to the floor with blood gushing out of her mouth and eyes rolled back into her head. His father, brothers, and sisters all clutched their stomachs and suffered the same fate. Ozul stood over them with a twisted smile on his face. He licked his lips and savored every moment of their death. He then screamed, and knights and servants rushed into the room. A servant grabbed him and comforted him as he cried and shouted.
"The wine... they all had wine." a knight said.
"Dump all of the wine!" another shouted.
The servants ran out of the room and did what the knights ordered. Ozul was taken to his room. When he was alone, his smile grew, and he could not hide his true feelings. Basron's advisor, Nickolus, ruled for five years until Ozul was eighteen. In sorrow he was crowned Lord of Ivorius.