I don' know long I been down here. Maybe a day, maybe three, maybe more. I lost count after my first piss soaked me knees, then the shite came soon after. My legs gave up standinga long time ago and there aren't even room to stretch. It's all cramped — so tight an' so compact I am, I can feel my bones pressing into the pale skin. Frog Knight shoved me in here like I'm no better than the filth I've been sittin' in.
Forget about him man, just breathe...
I inhale and feel my thighs press against my ribs, I can barely get a gulp of thick warm air as I do. Natural light barely reaches me, just the faint glow from what's left of the runes I been scratching into the wall. Flint's book… I remember it like a fever dream, the symbols, the shapes, even though I didn't get to read much and he way he made 'em sing. But my runes don' sing. They whisper sweet nothing.
I hear their voice, speaking to me but I don't know they say. It's in me head. Feels like it's pressin' on my skull, squeezing like a vice. Every breath I take is heavy, thick with the stink of me own mess. The Queen. I cannae stop thinkin' about her. That bloody silver crown, floatin' like it's somethin' outta a dream. She wants to see what I can do, and here I am—locked away, rottin' and breathin' in the hostile air. I'll be dead before she even lays eyes on me.
Stop it you're spiraling, breathe...
You're so close.
Nothing matters but now.
They're right, so I keep scrawlin'. My fingers are raw, blood mixin' with the piss an' dirt. The runes… they start to make sense after a while, like me hands are movin' on their own.
I remember what Flint said about fire. How it's more than just flames—it's heat. Heat's everywhere, even in this hole. I can see it, I-I want it. I can feel my eyes wide and burnin', I see it. I not in my room no more, I'm in space. The light, not just runes- the light... so bright. The sun? No, two and they're dancing getting closer and closer-
I know...
I see it now...
I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it...
Laser beems...
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" What, who's laughing? This is genius!
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I GOT IT! EVERYONE I GOT!"
Oh... that's me. Snap out of it! You're not mad yet. Get a grip.
The grated hatch opened, the frog Knight told me to get up. I wanted to, but I could even feel my legs or anything for that matter. It feels like I am in space, floating.
He reached in and grabbed me pulling me up from my hole and when I smelled fresh air I realize how putrid my hole really was.
"Nasty little turd." The knight grumbled and he threw me aside on to the floor, "Get him nice and clean. Smelling like flowers or something, he meets the queen in 34 hours and I dare not taint the queens nose." He stepped passed the three maids looking in disgust at me, "See to it that you share that same sentiment and I'll reward you."
He marched off and the maids reluctantly dragged me to a bath. My skin felt like holes poked in them, my eyes bobbed around for sleep. I finally drift off to sleep in the tub.
I wake up in a bed, cleaner than I was though I smelled like something died inside. I look at my hands, gross and still dirty and think inside how embarrassment that not to long ago I completely broken.
I probably still am.
If I was going to be sent to another world why couldn't it be a fairy tale adventure where I forget about home. But my heart is just aching more and more for Earth- for Whales.
I miss me ma and da...
I took a deep breath. Calm down.
The door scraped open and on the other side is a plump lady in a dress a size too small. She bowed curtly, her hands were held infront of her, "The Queen, will see you now."
I swing my legs off the bed, light-headed. I weakly followed her. I'm not in Improst but in the castle, grainite walls polished to gleam. We'd probably slip and fall without the Blue carpet beneath us.
We keep walking down and down winding stairs. I don't know how long I can keep up without collapsing. We enter the throne room through another door from one side.
I look to the imposing giant doors and look to the throne. Except the throne was not there anymore, replaced by a dining table made of wood and a wooden chair. Both carved and decorated. At the table is the queen herself in a red night gown wrapped in her cape, thankfully, I had to get down to my knees and bow.
All I hear is the clatter of dish and utensil, then a long sip. The cup is placed with a clink.
"Your time is up." She lulls into a yawn, "Tell... me vagrant what you offer. Is it knowledge, wisdom or maybe power? Oh I must know." She leaned back to her seat.
I take a moment to breathe, the air was crushing me as I tried to find the words.
"Let me show you."
"Hmph, good words. And how do you intend to do that?"
"A spell."
A heavy stomp is muffled by the carpet and armour clatter as they took their sword out. I quickly look up and around to find a knight, wearing a bird helmet in a silent scream with a empty maw. I thought was a display but it became animate, "Mage."
The queens words froze him in place, "You dare draw a sword unprompted in my court?" She turns her head, "Have you gone mad, Goodman?"
" 'Majesty he is mage. We must purge this aberration." She sighed now turning herself to the side in her seat, "Look, my father has led many crusades on this matter but this war has gone long enough. Abandoned the thought for now." She turns to me, "it wants to impress me."
I breathe slowly, consciously but my heart is beating like a drum, "I need ink and a parchment for craft." The queen blinks at me, "Craft?" I nod, and she shoots a look at the bird knight,"Well that's not spell-weaving is it? Granted."
She snapped her finger and the lady that throught me here took a deep bow and gingerly step into he door. As it closed all I heard was feint steps going fainter.
She's running.
In that tight dress. The Queen spent the time finishing her meal and when finished her cups' contents the foot steps echoed back, then silence. The door swung slowly and the lady entered to give me the full set like Flint did.
I have what I need now, "We need to go outside." I say softly more like a suggestion.
"Better be a spectacle." She said rising and leading me to her garden.
I put the papers down on the grass and knees before my setup. I dipped the brush in ink coating the white bristles and drew the glyphs. Sewing it with magic I drew four more and folded them together. It looked like a cheaply made fat origami when I was done with it.
I took it in my hands like a precious gem and raised it to the sun, the first glyph activated. The air grew cold as the parchment slowly degrade, then the second glyph is triggered next. The piece now looks regularly folded. I smile because it's actually working.
The next step is tricky because I don't know wether to aim, throwing or plant the glyph and I'm running out of time. The second glyph is slowly burning out to chain to the last one. I take the safe option and put it down and back up quickly and cross my fingers it works.
BANG
I go blind from the bright white light the burn my eyes, my ears ring. The flare of light slowly goes and blurry vision returns. I see the blue sky. When did I end up on the ground? My breathe feels like it's under water and I slowly got up to look at where my spell must have triggered.
The grass is charred in a blacken circle, the air smells like ozone and dirt. I look at the queen with clearer vision. She has her eyes close still and the knight at attention by her, standing between me and her. He probably would have killed me if she didn't have her hand on his sheathed sword.
She slowly opened her eyes, there is no amusement in her eyes as she gently wipes them. She looks down at me.
The Queen stared down at me, her eyes sharp, but her face gave nothing away. I could feel the sweat trickling down my neck, the pressure of her gaze making it hard to breathe. The knight in the bird helmet shifted beside her, his hand twitching on the hilt of his sword. I swallowed hard. My spell had worked—sort of—but it didn't feel like enough. It was supposed to be a laser or something- a smite on the world.
"Is this..." she started, her voice dragging with disappointment, "what you offer? A flash of light? A scorch mark?"
My heart sank. I felt like a kid showing off a broken toy, hoping for praise. I opened my mouth, desperate to explain, but the words wouldn't come. What could I say? That I was on the verge of something bigger? That I had seen fire and suns and power in my madness? It all sounded so small now, standing before her.
"I—" I started, but she waved a hand to cut me off.
"Stand up." Her voice was cold, dismissive. I struggled to my feet, legs weak and unsteady. I barely had the strength to meet her eyes. The knight watched me like a hawk, waiting for her signal to strike me down if I made one wrong move.
"Tell me," she said slowly, her gaze narrowing. "Is this what you risked your life for? This... flicker?" I don't say anything, "I have to admit it is... intresting."
"It... it was supposed to be something greater and more controlled." I plead, "I just need a bit more time, parchment and ink to perfect it. Give me time I swear I'll do better."
"More time? Do you believe my time is worthless?" I limp to the parchment and blown over ink cup.
"No..." I say dropping to my knees scribbling on the parchment throwing them over each other, dragging ink across in streaks. "No, I got it. This... this was the problem. You- you have Gods right... is there are God for the sky. What is his name?"
I keep painting more and more, my system was flawed. It was missing a few more things.
One of them finally entertains me by answering, "Ascommandi." I wrote the name down in glyph wording and with brisk movement I fold the parchment.
I held it in my hand as the heat abandoned me, my grip tightens. My spell could explode in my hands, but I could also die, the second is off and the 3 and 4 trigger. I close my eyes looking away as i help my hand up away from me.
BVOOM
The low resonating hum scroched the air. The parchment crumbles in my clenched into dust. I slowly open my eyes and look down my arm ti my hand and see nothing has changed except I'm weak.
"I've seen enough." The snapped her fingers and the bird knight stomped to me, I wanted to run but I knew I wasn't going to get far.
"Are you going to kill me?" I breathe as I'm dragged like I'm luggage back to the Palace, "rejoice, The sun will greet you again." She said with a satisfied nods and called out to a someone and disappearing behind the doors I'm dragged through.
I survived.
--
I take my time finally to look around the carpeted floor, the arching grand roof, the stained windows and the contents of the paintings lining the walls. None are what I'd though I'd see especially paintings, they were illustrations of weird humanoids.
I can't take time to properly describe them, the servant lady walks in long stride and pulls herself foot to elegant foot. I stumble along. I do however take time to appreciate the view from behind, not for long before I feel like a perv and look down at my feet.
My hand is burnt red and is starting to blister, I'm glad I didn't just absolutely incinerate my hand or just blew it off. Why did think holding a smiting spell turned laser spell would do. Thank goodness it just feels numb and aches a little, I feel like crap already.
By the time I stop feeling bad for myself were out the castle from another wing. A courtyard greets me, beyond it are tall walls and a rising sun peaking at me. A coach wagon greets me, the horse huffs and puffs but otherwise remaining still. Skinnier and four-legged I thought all horse's look like the ones with Tobu – looked like mythological beasts.
The servant lady led a hand up to enter, I sheepishly greeted the coachman who in turn told me to stay in the back. I entered the wide room and found my seat. Before I could thank the servant to she's already half-way through the door, I don't mind. Instead kick my legs up across the bench and layed down to catch up on sleep.
As I settled into the shallow cushions the door opened. I look up to be greeted by absolutely bloody fear, a frog helm of my nightmare in the hole. I'm just gonna sit up and move the the other side of the wagon – but I don't move, instead I'm frozen in place looking at him.
The silence stretches miserable until he speaks, "Move, boy." I do exactly that as he settled in hunched inside. Breathe heavy, I barely breathe at all, he breathes for both of us. The the other door open, I turn to see a bird helmet thrust in to look inside.
It finds my face and nods but to the frog knight, he giggles hollow then cackling.
"As if your luck couldn't get worse, brother!" He slaps the cabin shaking it, "How long is your assignment?"
"Shut up." The frog helm groans. The bird helm guy, doesn't. "Don't weep and lash like a child goodman. Naught my fault you deeds regarding the boy were revealed." He explains and props a foot in the cabin leaning on it. "How did she know..." The frog helm mumbled.
Bird helm leans in more, to talk right over me. "Well goodman, these castle maidens may have large rears and bosoms, but they also have large ears and lips too, gossip travels like wind in fields." He turns his head to me, "must have been rough in the pit. Appreciate your sanity, boy."
I expected something, an apology maybe. But I nod, he gives me a sardonic tilt of his head.
"Begone now." The frog helm grumbles.
"Ah. Ah. Ah." The other wags his finger, "I ride with you. How fun!" Without warning he leaps into the seat across from me.
He sighs into his seat with exaggeration, stretching out invasivly in the awkward space and you can almost feel his smile behind that gaunt beak.
"Comfy quarters here, goodmen." He cooed gleefully as the carriage lurched forward.