He could hear them.
They were running behind him extremely fast.
He felt the blood running along his shin as he tried his best to limp in a way that it would help him escape better but he knew that it was all useless.
He couldn't outrun them, no matter what he did.
And even Hiding wouldn't have helped for long, they would have eventually found him anyway so why was he running? Didn't he always hate his life? Didn't he already try to end it before?...then why was he running?...did he really develop an attachment to his life after all those months spent there?...Did he really wanted to live again?...All these questions flooded his mind as he hid himself inside the ruins of an old building inside a old and abandoned Village.
He was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily while holding his leg.
The Hole inside the muscle was twitching as more blood came out from it.
His forehead was losing blood as well and so it was his mouth.
He was really messed up.
That abandoned room's floor was freezing cold and the smell inside it was a mixture of mold and old.
Drops of water were slowly falling down from the ceiling.
But at least for now he was safe.
He tried to take deep breathes to steady his heartrate.
He tried to tell himself that for now he was safe.
But even as his worry slowly disappeared, the Extra sour taste still remained deep down his throat.
As the sound of his breathing slowly faded out from his ears, his mind traveled back in the past.
At the beginning of the months that he spent in that place that looked like Heaven for him.
...
...
...
The powerful light was shot at his eyes in an aggressive way as he had to squint them to not get blinded by it.
The Deep voice of the grey haired armored man quickly reached his ear.
"So...what do we have here?" Said the man while grabbing a dossier from a table near there to then read it out loud "Name, Kaelen...Surname, None...so you are one of those no named bastards coming from the deepest part of Scumville uh?" said the name while smirking down at Kaelen.
Kaelen just looked up at the man in silence as he was clearly angry.
The man kept his smirk "Well, Guess you are one of those with a really nice temper, aren't ya?" Laughed the man before continuing "Sex, Male...Age, 23...Height, 179 cm...hair color, red...eye color, Cyan...from what I read here you have some minor criminal records that say you have been a thief...nothing changed uh?...there is only a difference between where you stole before and where you tried to stole today...In Scumville laws doesn't care at all about you all since you are nothing more than useless trash who doesn't even care about it...but here, in the main palace, You tried to steal from the Human prince, Draeven Highflame, not just a nobody like you and that you used to steal from." The man approached Kaelen as he kept smirking down at him "You know, I Executed people like you for much less...but luckily for you, The Prince, with his immense mercy, gave you another chance and decided to take you as a servant inside his palace...If I were you I would be grateful to him for the rest of your miserable life" Said the man.
Kaelen still looked up in silence at him before looking down towards the ground...he wondered why would the Prince have mercy for him?
...
...
...
Kaelen knocked on the door of the prince's Dining hall as he heard a voice telling him to come inside.
As he entered he could notice how massive the room was.
At the center of it stood a massive and long table with 24 seats and behind it there was a massive fireplace.
Many hunt thropies were attached to the walls and around the room there were over 50 armors.
Kaelen then looked towards the seat at the head of the table where a man with an air of royalty, power and a hint of warmth was sitting while eating a steak with golden cutlery.
He was handsome, the man that any woman would have wished for, black short straight hair, piercing eyes of the same colour, a light skin tone and a mouth who was curved into a relaxed smirk.
He was wearing some royal clothes of the same color of his eyes and his hair with also a golden cloack behind him.
"You must be the man who tried to steal from me...aren't you?" Asked the Prince.
Kaelen simply looked at him in silence and with a vigilant glare.
"Please, have a seat" Continued the Prince as he took another piece of steak with his knife before savouring it.
Kaelen did as he was told as he sat at the other end of the table while still looking at the Prince in silence.
"Would you like me to ask my chef to cook you something?" insisted the Prince as his relaxed Glare never faltered.
But Yet Kaelen remained silent again.
"You aren't a really talkative guy...are you?"
"Why did you have mercy on me?" Suddenly asked Kaelen.
"Because I felt like it" Answered the Prince.
"...You...You felt like it?"
"I did"
"...But...but why?...I tried to steal from you...I betrayed you"
"Nah, A Betrayal hurts way worse than a simple stealing attempt...And anyway I'm the Prince so if I feel like doing a thing I can do it"
"..."
"Ok, maybe that sounded a little spoiled, but hey, no need to look at me that way, I'm a good guy, I promise"
Kaelen looked at the prince as suddenly his stomach grumbled loudly. Kaelen placed a hand on his stomach as he looked down at it.
"My offer is still on...would you like me to ask the chef to cook you something?"
"...I don't know If I can do that"
"Well, Since I asked you then You are just giving me your answer...it's something that you do because it's a good manner to answer someone"
"...I guess that makes sense"
"So, what is your answer?"
"...If for you It's ok then I accept"
The prince Smiled "I'm glad"
...
...
...
"Kaelen" Called the prince as he arrived in the royal Garden.
Kaelen was there, taking care of all the plants as, thanks to him, now were more beautiful than ever.
Kaelen turned towards the Prince as he wiped some sweat off his forehead before looking up at him and then smile.
"Oh, Good afternoon Prince, You look happier than usual sir".
"Indeed I am, My Loyal friend, I want you to meet my soon-to-be wife and fiancée...Miss Rose thornhold" Said The Prince while smiling at Kaelen and showing him a beautiful girl with white long and silk soft hair, red eyes, a pale and delicate skin tone and a graceful smile on her face...she was wearing a beautiful dress worthy for a soon-to-be queen.
Kaelen bowed down in front of the girl "Miss, I'm more than enchanted to meet you"
"The enchantment is reciprocated...My lovely Draeven dear told me about you...he said you are more a friend than a servant to him" Said the girl in a gentle way.
Kaelen smiled back at the girl "I'm glad about it miss, and if you ever need something then just ask me, I'll be more than happy to help the soon to be Queen"
"My My, such a kind and caring soul...I am happy and I accept your assistance...I already feel that you will be the perfect suitor"
They spoke for some more time.
Then The Prince broke in "I'm sorry to interrupt you both...But My dear Rose has still to meet many more people and the day is very long"
The Girl turned towards the Prince "Oh, right, I'm sorry...Sometimes I just lose myself in talks and I can't help but go on for long times...silly me" chuckled adorably the girl "Let's get going then, my dear...lead the way"
"Of course My love...See you later Kaelen" Said the Prince as he started to leave with the girl.
"Until next time My Prince" answered Kaelen while waving at both of them.
...
...
...
His breath was increasing the pace quickly as it also became heavier than a ton.
"M-My Prince...what...what are you do-ah⁓" tried to say Kaelen as the Prince's mouth kept his assault on Kaelen's neck leaving hickeys all over it as the imprints of that shared yet forbidden moment.
"P-Prince...we...we can't do this to Miss Rose...you will have a marriage soon and..."
"Hush now...I don't care about it...if I wanted her, I would have searched for her and right now I would be doing this to her...yet I chose you Kaelen...even if today is my birthday I chose to be with you instead of staying with my family and my soon-to-be wife because right now the only thing that I want is you Kaelen...I reclaim you...I need you" Said The Prince as he looked at Kaelen's eyes with burning passion.
Kaelen was flushed and breathing even more heavily as he looked at the Prince in the eyes.
"...Prince...I..."
"I don't want to hear you call me Prince anymore..." Ordered the Prince suddenly "I want you to call my name...call it my love, because the only gift that I crave today is you...I want to claim you as my and only mine...Be mine, Kaelen...I beg you...I need it"
Kaelen couldn't contain himself anymore as he softly brushed his lips against Draeven in a soft and gentle touch.
After some seconds Kaelen broke the kiss as he looked at Draeven with pure love in his eyes.
"If this is really what you want..." Said Kaelen as he removed his shirt "Then I will give it to you" He then embraced Draeven "Make me yours Draeven...because that is my destiny...to be your and only yours".
Draeven smiled at Kaelen "Oh...My Dear Kaelen...I love you so much".
And so, that Night their Passion brought them together...their bodies moved as if they were merged together...they were like a single soul inside two different bodies...their bound looked unbreakable.
...
...
...
He felt the glass shatter on his forehead as he fell on the ground in pain.
Blood started to fall from it.
"YOU DAMN MALES LOVER SCUM! HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE MY BROTHER AND MAKE HIM BREAK HIS LOYALTY JUST A MONTH BEFORE THE WEDDING!!! I SHOULD KILL YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW FOR YOUR DISGUSTING ACT BUT I WAS TEACHED TO NOT TOUCH DIRT OR MY HANDS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRTY AS WELL!" This Poison rained down from Draeven's brother's mouth as he shouted it with all the air in his lungs against Kaelen.
Behind him stood Draeven's parents who were looking down at Kaelen with pure disgust in their eyes and next to them there was Draeven who was hugging a crying Rose, yet he wasn't looking at her at all...He had a cold glare and it was aimed at Kaelen.
On his other side there was the same grey-haired man that Kaelen saw that day, whose name was Iovos, one of the generals of the Human Kingdom, and the guard chief of Draeven's mansion.
"How could You Kaelen?...I thought you were a friend?...How could you do that to my love?" Asked Rose between her sobs.
Kaelen's breath was becoming faster than ever as he was clearly scared beyond any limit he ever reached. He tried to look at Draeven to see if his lover could do something to try and calm the situation...he would have needed even the simplest sign...but nothing...Draeven was as cold as ice.
"My lord" Said Iovos "What are your orders?"
Draeven looked one last time at Kaelen as Kaelen was screaming with his eyes to Draeven to save him.
"Beat him up until he is barely alive...then bring him here to me so I can execute him myself"
...
Kaelen's heart shattered as he felt an immense soreness invade his throat and his chest.
Acid tears started to line his cheeks as he looked at Iovos approaching form.
Then, without even thinking twice, Kaelen Ran away.
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...
...
Kaelen chuckled weakling and slightly as he looked at his wounded leg.
"He was right in the end...Betrayal does hurt more" he Said as a tear ran down his cheek before Suddenly the whole Building was blew up by powerful magic slashes.
Kaelen flew some meters above the ground before landing back on It in a painful way.
He felt footsteps slowly approaching him as he Turned towards them to then look up at a grinning Iovos.
"so, here We are in the end" chuckled Iovos "You know, I Always wished for this Moment to come...I'm Moved"
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...
...
Flesh Met flesh One last time as Kaelen fell on the ground once again.
He was now completely bruises and wounded as a Laughing Iovos cracked his blood covered Knuckles.
"I think that's enough" Said Iovos "Now Grab him and take him back...he has a really bad time waiting at the palace" he then ordered as the other Guards Nodded and then moved near Kaeren to accomplish.
As Kaeren was Barely breathing on the ground he Just closed his eyes as he accepted his fate.
After all he Always lived alone.
Even After the months and all that happened he was still alone.
Dying alone was his fate After all.
Or so he thought.
Then Suddenly something came down from the Sky like a Meteor as It landed on the ground some meters away from that scene with such Power that It generated a massive explosion of dust and debris and leaved on the ground a crater.
A coughing sound could be Heard as a figure came out from the crater and from the Cloud of dust.
"Ah fuck...I should learn how to Land properly"
Said the man as his appearance was now fully visible for Kaelen to see.
It was a man wearing some Brown medieval rugged clothes and a green cloack.
His hands and his forearms were covered in dirty White bands.
His eyes were two emeralds.
His hair were Brown, wavy and short.
His skin was Light.
He had broad shoulders.
And his glare was the glare...of an Idiot.