Young Writers Society

The chains were heavy on my hands as Kern and I were dragged through the desert. Metal jiggled at our every move. The army – which I had once seen as heroic – now looked menacing and sinister. Metal rattled with the rhythm of our movements as we dragged our feet through the sand.

I couldn’t take my eyes away from our captor. He wasn’t human – not fully anyway. His body almost hit seven foot, his limbs were slightly elongated in an alien way and he had fur for skin. He seemed part dog – more human actually – with a scrunched up dog snout and deep brown eyes. The dogmans face seemed to never change from a scowl.

Eventually, we were pushed head first into the sand. A pair of expensive looking leather boots stood before us. The boots were attached to the black-haired man I had watch battle earlier. He looked down at us with a curious look.

“Ah!”

Kern and I yelped as our chains were yanked. We sat on our heels and stared up at the black haired man.

“I thought you said they were spies?” he chuckled to the dogman. “They’re children.”

Children! Would children have B-cups?

I silenced Little Alison, informing her that we could only dream of having B-cups.

“Why else would they be hiding in that cave, mi’lord?” the dogman questioned, a growl at the back of his throat.

I guessed that the black haired man had some kind of high position in his society. At first I thought maybe a general or captain. However, his affluent armour and clothing brought my mind to royalty.

“They seem like travlers,” he looked us up and down. “No, this place is completely deserted…and we didn’t see any ships on our way here.”

“Ships?” I said, without thinking.

“Hush!”

A swift knee collided with my ribs. I let out a gasp as I doubled over in pain. Kern called out for me. I turned my head towards him and gave a reassuring smile.

“You-”

Before he could curse the dogman grabbed both Kern and my hair. He pulled us upwards onto our feet.

“Listen you two,” he growled. “You’re in the presence of Prince Ashi Aslanto, do you understand?”

We looked at the black-haired man who was rolling his eyes.

“I suggest you keep your mouths shut so you don’t hinder our already short judgement of you,” he pushed our heads forward.

“Must you been so severe Axile?” said the prince.

“Mi’lord, before we can establish their identity: we must assume the worst,” said the dogman Axile.

“Why don’t we just ask them,” the prince leaned down, his face directly in front of mine. “You don’t look like a spy…you look like a little girl.” The way he smiled caused my heart t swell. The sun even seemed brighter when he flashed his grin. “And just a little boy too…no older than fifteen I’d say.” He stood up straight and rubbed his stubble. “Hard to believe Gargor would recruit children; it’s just not his style.”

Axile frowned, the lines on his face seemed to crease even more. “Mi’lord…” he sighed deeply, as if he was getting ready to scold a hyperactive child. “These children are unknown to any of us. Why do you treat them…in such a strange manner?”

The prince ignored us for a second and turned to Axile. A group of soldiers had crowed round us, eager to see the captured prey. The way their eyes fell on me triggered beads of sweat to pour from my skin. So many eyes…they were all over me.

Ally, you’re panicking…take a deep breath.

Little Alison’s words soothed my wild and heavy breathing down to a clam halt.

“My kingdom was founded on travellers looking for a place to call home,” said the prince. “These children seem…lost.”

He looked back at us.

“We are,” said Kern, with a harden face. “In fact…” he bit his lip and gulped. “We don’t know how we got here.”

The prince’s eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement. “What do you remember?”

“Bits and pieces.”

What is that idiot doing! Don’t tell me…he’s going to claim we have amnesia. Little Alison sighed. How original.

“Such as?” barked Axile.

“Our names…our relationship.” Kern looked at me for back up.

“We come from the same place; we think,” I said as strong as I could.

The prince had an even more curious look on his face. His silvery blue eyes travelled up and down us before finally speaking.

“You said they had a claymore on them?” he asked, not looking away from us.

Axile clicked his fingers and a solider appeared holding the silver claymore in her hands. Axile took it from her and gave it to the prince.

“Such a fine piece of weaponry…” he stared lovingly at it. “Where did you find this?”

“In a chest…up on that dune.” Kern gestured to the dune with his head.

“A chest?”

“Mi’lord, we found nothing up on that dune after the battle,” informed Axile.

The prince took a few more long moments to analyse both us and the claymore. “Release them; we’ll take them back home.”

“But mi’lord-”

“But nothing, Axile,” snapped the prince, then he turned back to the claymore and started to mumble. “A claymore…a vanishing chest…two children…maybe…”

We looked up at the prince a mixture of confusion and relieve swept over us.

“Why are you just standing there,” said the prince. “I gave an order.”

“Yes…mi’lord.”

Axile snapped his fingers again and two men unlocked our chains. My wrist felt sweet release as the heavy metal was lifted off them. In the corner of my eye I noticed Axile roll his eyes and look away. Wearily, Kern and I stood up and looked at the prince.

“You said you remember your names; care to tell me them?” the prince stepped forward slightly and extended his hand.

The two of us looked at each other with shared sense of nervousness. I looked back at the prince, when our eyes locked I quickly looked down. His superiority was nerve-racking to me.

“Amell…A-Alison Amell,” I said in a hush.

“Amell?” he took away his extended hand to rub his chin. “I feel like I’ve heard that name before.”

“It’s the name of the nobles over in Surim, mi’lord,” informed Axile.

“Perhaps you could be related,” laughed Ashi, he looked at Axile who also had a snigger on his lips. It was as if the two were in on a private joke we weren’t allowed in on.

“And you young boy? What is your name?”

Kern had kept a solid look on his face. Indeed we shared a feeling of anxiety but that was where the similarities ended. Kern wasn’t easily read at the best of times.

“Kern Parks,” his voice was slightly raspy from dehydration.

The prince clapped his hands together then rubbed them. “Well, now we’re all acquainted shall we return to the ship. The two of you must be thirsty.”

Again with the ships? Little Alison said. I thought this place was a desert…where the hell is the water!

I rolled my eyes at her as we followed the prince and Axile through the army. There was a lot of death and injury plaguing the soldiers. The prince tried his best to reassure some of his men as we strolled through them. Most of them took his words lovingly and shook his hands, grateful that they had survived. Others mekely looked away at their wounded or dead companions.

“We’ll see to it that every one of my men and women get proper treatment for their wounds,” he said to Axile. “And burials…”

“When we get back I’ll make the preparations mi’lord.”

War was never anything I had much thought on. Mum once had a boyfriend who used to be in the army. I remember once he had a violent outburst at us as something trigged a memory of his. After that, Mum left him. Actually seeing a battle right in front of me caused me to think differently of him.

I was looking down at my feet as the slushed through the sand when we eventually reached our destination. What I saw shot the breath out from my chest.

Fucking spaceships? Little Alison’s draw dropped, as did my own.

All in all there were three ships: two small ones and a colossal beast of electrical magnificent.

“No way,” I heard Kern breath beside me.

They were silver in colour and looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie. They were beautiful, absolutely, stunningly beautiful.

The prince laughed when he saw our amazed looks. “Bet you’ve never seen one as big as this, eh?”

Actually we’ve never seen one at all, mocked Little Alison.

Kern and I shook our heads not looking away from the metal marvel.

“Don’t just stand there,” Axile pushed between us. “Gawking their like imbiciles.” He muttered that last part under his breath.

What a dick, Little Alison cursed.

Once Axile and the prince were a few paces in front of us Kern spoke.

“If this is a dream…don’t wake me up,” he muttered.

At the belly of the ship held a platform which dropped down into the sand. The four of us – along with a few men who had followed – stepped onto the platform. A beam of light shot down around us and the platform was lifted back into the ship.

The inside of the ship did not disappoint. The amount of advanced gizmos made my heart flutter. However, there was something odd. While the ship was definitely a fine specimen of technological advancement, there were objects which reminded me of the medieval ages. Things such as oil paintings hanging on the walls, golden painted furniture, and one room actually looked like an olden dining room. It was fascinating nonetheless.

The prince himself was also rather odd. He was far too cheery for someone who, just half an hour ago, had witnessed some of his soldiers being beaten to mere mush by brutes. People came up to him, giving him reports on the ships status. He smiled and took in the information before giving whoever it was an instruction.

“Is it just me or is this guy…” Kern twirled his finger at his temple.

Stopping myself of laughing, I bit the inside of my cheek.

After an extensive trek through the metal beast, we came to a set of sliding doors - which opened up after the prince pressed his palm against a silver screen. The room was massive. There was a red rug with a golden outlined sprawled out leading towards a small platform. The platform held a single red cushioned throne. The prince went up to the throne but never sat in it.

Above the throne, hanging on the wall, was a flag. A flag with a purple backdrop bordered with cosmic blue. Inside the border was the letter ‘O’ in the middle of dove feather.

It’s that damned icon from before. Little Alison and I realised at the same time. It was a flag!

Before I could say anything about the flag the sliding door busted open. A devilishly handsome man, with sharp golden hair and sun kissed skin, rushed into the room.

“Sire! They told me of your-”

He stopped when he spotted Kern and me. Kern awkwardly smiled at him. The man was taken aback slightly.

“Who-”

“Refugees…we think,” said the prince.

“You think?”

“They have amnesia: they only see to remember their name,” the prince shrugged his shoulders and stepped down from the platform. He then wandered over to us and put his hand on our backs.

“Kern Parks, Alison Amell, meet my captain of the royal guard: Resse Bravura.”

Kern and I didn’t really know what to do. As a sign of respect we just meekly nodded our heads at the man.

“Amell? She couldn’t be related to the noble Amells?”

“Her appearance says differently,” grumbled Axile.

“That’s right,” Resse said, rolling his eyes. “Those Amells pride themselves with their elongated blonde hair.”

I grabbed one of my waving dark locks. “Does my hair look bad?” I whispered to Kern who shushed me.

Resse then ignored us and stood right in front of the prince. His eyes were bright with happiness, like a dog who had just seen his master return.

“I wish you would’ve let me join you,” he then looked down. “We lost some good men and women, according to what I’ve heard.”

“We did,” the prince put his hand on Resse’s shoulder.

“If I may ask,” Kern spoke up, startling the grownups. “Why were you fighting.”

The prince smirked and let out a snicker. “Ourium has been at war with the Derums for god knows how long. We’ve tried treaties before but they never seem to work.” He put his hands behind his back. “After this there should be some peace…for a few years at least.”

“What triggered this then?” Kern inquired.

“In the beginning? Some say the king of Ourium fell in love with the queen of Derum and the two had an affair…men back then would go to war for anything. But this time,” he sighed. “Land.”

“Land?”

“It’s complicated…it’s a lot of reasons which just…” he sighed again. “Children shouldn’t trouble themselves which events such as war. It’ll lead them to an early grave.”

Kern crossed his arms over his chest. “Uh-huh…”

“Anyway, Resse?”

“Sire?”

“How long until we are en route to Ourium?” the prince asked.

“Not long, we’re doing a final head count.”

“Good, could you do me afavrour and show these two to a chamber?” the prince asked Resse.

“Of course sire,” the royal guard bowed his head in agreement.

The prince gestured for Axile to follow him out of the room. Just when the sliding door open I suddenly found myself with a strange urge.

For fuck sake, thank him!

I rushed over to the dashing prince. “Your majesty!”

He turned around with a single raised eyebrow. “Yes?”

With his eyes suddenly on me I became exceedingly nervy. In order to stop him with locking his eyes on mine I bowed my head as low as I allowed. “Thank you!”

You look like a fucking moron.

A hand went under my chin and the prince pulled me up until my back was straight and our eyes locked. “Call me Ashi from now on, my dear.”