Young Writers Society

Albin's eyes widened from the ground from where he'd fallen in all the commotion. He had been startled into silence for a moment before gathering his wits and finally pulling himself up and cradling his arm. Somehow, when Raiden had bowled him over, his elbow had hit the staircase right where it hurt.

"Raiden, what in this great wide world are-" he bit through his teeth, trying not to yell. The sight of the stranger cut him off as soon as he cast his gaze over to the door.

At first glance, Albin's hand went to the small dagger at his belt. All he saw was the large, wicked weapon being unsheathed. Then, his eyes drifted up to the face of the man- or, rather, boy. The stranger appeared to be no more than a scared young boy.

"Easy." he said deep in his throat, holding out a hand as he cast his gaze to the ceiling for half a beat. As soon as he figured that they were probably safe, he glanced at the boy again, standing straighter and raising his hands. "We are not going to hurt you. Just like you aren't going to hurt us, right?"

He looked over at Raiden and paused a moment. It seemed like he recognized the boy with the scythe- or whatever it was- and he must have had the name right, based on his reaction to it.

"Do you know him?" he asked, jerking a thumb at Raiden.

Kirux frantically shook his head. He didn't know either of the two standing before him, and definitely couldn't trust at least one of them! But even though he knew he should be wary of strangers like the man who had just spoken, he felt strangely comforted - the soothing words were having their intended effect.

For a moment both Larson and Amelia were speechless. Who was this stranger, why did he care so much about the princess of Aaron and what did he want? Larson was still stuck on the other side. Amelia's hand dropped to her knife, but Larson glared at her and shook his head.

"Look," Larson said. "Even if the princess did still exist, it would probably not be the best idea to mess with her. She might have bodyguards or... special skills. Who knows what they teach you in princess school?"

Amelia wasn't ready to give up her identity. She had already been forced to do exactly that earlier in the day. She growled impatiently and addressed the boy called Levi. "We don't have time for this. What do you want?"

He looked the two over incredulously.

"If you were her bodyguard," Levi said, "you're doing a terrible job at it. The bodyguard I know was better at it, and he stabbed his charge in the back."

He strolled up to Larson so he was only a foot away from him.

"And I can make some pretty good guesses," Levi continued on, ignoring the princess and her question to add more to the mystery - and to prove that he knew what he was talking about. "From what I know of royalty, she would have learned a thing or two about fighting. Not too much, but enough to protect herself in case something happened to her guards. She would have learned manners, which she obviously doesn't have, but who has time for manners these days? And she would have learned how to disguise herself, because sometimes you have to do a thing or two without the watchful eye of the kingdom."

He walked up to the princess, stopping so he was even closer to her than he had been to her friend. "To answer your question, princess, I want in. I want in on whatever you two are up to, with no questions asked. I'm sneaky, resourceful, and have certain...powers at my disposal. I would be a major asset on your cobbled together quest."