Seventh Crown XI

Do not read if you had not read the previous parts.

Seventh Crown XI

~

What is going on with me? And what is so wrong with his devilish eyes? The man thought, Seriously, I need to calm down, I am acting like a small child. But I need to watch out, he may be dangerous. He has the aura of a beast who is ready to attack and kill.

The soldier continued to think about Cage, about his personality and what his real identity could be; he knew that there was more to this group then it seemed. Cage was ignorant to the thoughts and emotions playing out in the young man's head, but he did see the fear in his eyes. After the permission was given, the gates opened before them and they entered the village. The minute Cage and the group made it through the gates, they were slammed closed and bloted shut. They were not going to let anyone else pass through without them noticing.They dismounted and led their horses.

"My Queen, please, be careful. The path is dangerous." Cage said as he offered his hand to her. She was surprised to see Cage willingly and purposley coming in contact with her. She smiled brightly despite the odd situation that they were in. He gently took her small, soft hand into his strong palm and held it tight, making her feel protected and calm. They didn't unclasp their hands until the had reached the big house that they were headed for. The house was the home of the village leader and his family. They could not stay in the village if they did not talk with the leader, it was the rule for the travelers in order to keep the peace and safety.

We pass through a mountain. This road is the one I saw in the maps my father prepared. Is this really the best route we could travel? Are the people from this village living in the space made between those two mountains? This is amazing, how do they live in such a dangerous place. Somehow I do not care, all I care about is that Cage is with me now.

The Queen's mind constantly cameback to thoughts about such things. Cage gazed at her and a small smile tugged the corners of his mouth upward. The chilliness he usually displayed towards her was dissipating a little bit on this journey. Somehow, the nature around him was making him feel calm and at ease. He was always stressed and busy in the palace in their lands, but on this trip he had a chance to relax and unwind.

The Queen also felt this, it was a nice feeling. The flowers were blooming as the spring woke them up, and the birds were singing their chipper songs. She felt happy, like she was a normal woman with no problems. She felt like she could be a nicer person, if she only could stay like this a bit longer. She knew that soon enough they would be at the fort, and her brutal and harsh mask would go back on in order for her to keep control. The calmness of the nature and the sounds of the water in the rivers will never be something they will always have around them. Both of them wanted to enjoy this time together at least for now. Even if their final destination was not a very peaceful place but a war territory. This was how brutal their world is.

~

The inside of the house was just as big inside as it looked from outside. Slaves were rushing around from one corner to another with big plates full of food. Cage looked around and could assume that this village had not felt what a real war is. Everything was so peaceful, different from the houses near the castle, where people knew about the war and were scared of it. This village was peaceful and calm as the breeze that he felt since they had arrived. This could explain why their soldiers looked in-adept at fighting. They had not joined the army, surely. He wanted to laugh but he did not do it, he did not want to make fun of them or their village.

Well, this is a laughing matter though. They are not men even. And they try to argue with me.

"What is wrong now?" The young soldier from earlier that had been watching Cage all the time because of his beastlike appearance, said.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I did not mean to stare. I was just thinking for something else so.." He tried to aplogize for himself, but it just made things worse. The man became annoyed at Cage and it balanced out his fear. The gazes from the villiagers were making Cage feel kind of uncomfortable, It was something he had not felt before and he did not like it.

The more he had observed the village, the more he had realized that something was off among the men. Although they carried weapons, it did not seem that they had been using them for very long. The doors of all the other houses were solid and bolted shut. There were no children running around loose, and the women all looked nervous. Anyone over about fifteen years of age was armed with some sort of weapon. The hair on the back of Cages neck was starting to rise as they entered the leader's house. The men shot glances at each other, and Cage realized that they felt it too.

They entered a room where the leader and his wife were sitting in straightbacked chairs. The man gestured for Cage and Rebecca to be seated; the guards decided to stay on their feet in case things went awry.

"Good evening, travelers," the man started in a deep voice, "What brings you to our village?" he asked curiously.

Cage answered, "We are just passing through on our way to the North. I hope our being here isn't what is stirring so much worry."

The man froze for a second, but then answered in a tone of forced nonchalance, "No sir, nothing like that." the man started, he then shot a glance over at his wife, as if asking if he should reveal something, "We've been having a spot of trouble lately. Livestock are going missing, babes and children have been kidnapped from their beds. The whole village is on high alert. We don't know what's wrong but we aim to find out, and stop it."

Cage ran his fingers through his already messy hair as he digested this new information. No wonder everyone was staring,, he thought, something wrong is going down in these parts.

"Well sir, my name is Cage, and I believe we can spend a day or two here to help you nice folk out in return for your keeping us over a night or two."

The man nodded cautiously, "Wait, Cage, as in, the Queen's loyal dog? The best assasin in the kingdom?"

Cage shook his head affirmitivley, "Yes, sir, I suppose that's me. Now, when did these strange disappearences start?"

The man's wife answered this time, "Exactly three weeks ago. The barkeeper's eight year old daughter went outside to grab another bundle of wood for the fire and never came back. At first, we thought it may have been a slaver or the such. But then it happened again; the metalsmith's two year old son went to sleep in his own bed and when his parents woke up he was gone. Next day little Miss Annalee down the street had a baby, the mite went missing from her arms while she slept. Six little 'uns have been taken since, along with a dozen sheep, three cows, and a sow with her litter."

This time, Rebecca's face mirrored Cage's frown. "So far it's just children and livestock?" she asked to clarify,

"Yes, Ma'am, that's all. We don't know who did it, except that ain't no human."

Rebecca was immediatly alert, "It isn't human? What do you mean?"

The man paused and thought before he spoke, "When it takes its victims, it doesn't leave any footprints. When it took the barkeeper's daughter, her footprints just disappered. It kills the cattle and leaves only the hide and bones, no flesh and no mauled corpse. It took the babe from its mother's arms without setting off the alarms in their windows and door. The beast isn't natural."

-to be continued-