by Jade Royal
“This is good stuff. You should see your face,” he chuckled.
“One day. You will get what you deserve,” Ashbel promised him. Mage wagged his finger.
“And that is why you’re to stay here with me Ashbel. You get no freedom.”
“You cannot keep me against my will!”
“Oh yes, I can. And I will. Like I said. Your husband is a criminal. What he did to innocent lives still plague people. Mother’s that lost their children, husbands that lost their wives. If I decree that you have to take his place and pay for his crimes, then no one will object. Besides. I’m the king. I make the rules. No one can object. And I know that if I let you go; you may cause problems for me. Even if you tell people I was behind the attack at the castle, I don’t know if they’d believe you because you can very well be senile, but I prefer to be on the safe side. And it’ll just feel good to be able to order around Kapono’s sad, sad, wife.”
“I’ll just refuse! I won’t play this sick game with you!” Ashbel snapped. Mage smiled widely. Ashbel didn’t like that smile.
“Like I just told you, your clan works for me. Including your parents. Refuse anything I ask of you, try to reveal what I did to anyone, or make a fuss and I’ll simply kill them.” The smile erased from his face as he hovered over her. He glanced down at the scars on her stomach.
“And trust me when I say, there will be no hesitation to snuff someone out to prove a point to you. Remember, you’re only alive because I didn’t calculate you having Phoenix blood. And if I knew a way to kill a Phoenix, trust me, I would have sliced you down the moment you stepped foot into my throne room. Now get out. Report to the kitchen and let Bea teach you the ins and the outs. Bring me a meal in exactly one hour. One second late and someone’s going to die.” For good measure, Mage backhanded her fiercely, sending her falling to the ground. The hit from his heavy hand stung, but Ashbel shook it off and stood immediately. She didn’t want to let this crazed man see her defeated or hurt.
“Leave.” She huffed at him but walked around his body and scurried out of the throne room. His threats would mean nothing to her if she didn’t care about the lives of what was left of her clan. Even her parents’ life hung in the balance if she made the wrong move. Still, Ashbel wasn’t going to fall into complacency and let Mage dictate her life. Kapono was her life and she was going to work to find a way back to him. She didn’t know how she would do it, or what she would do but there was no way she was letting the man who killed her baby live in peace. She was going to get Mage Bourbon and she was going to end him.
Cause pain. Hurt them. Hurt them bad! The deadly sin of wrath was a rage that constantly picked at Kapono’s mind. The attachment of the demon was threaded down to his very soul and Kapono couldn’t ever hope to be free. In everything he did, he felt the presence living within him, lying in wait for the perfect moment to attack Kapono’s mind. The pain of living with such a thing within him was like getting punctured with a thousand tiny needles all over his body.
The pain began to the moment Vuur finished casting his spell and Kapono and the sin of wrath were one in the same. Unable to do anything else, Kapono had crawled away pathetically. He could barely walk, and for days he stumbled around Emberdom working his way out of town. As he struggled with the pain in his body, nothing was more painful than when he saw Ashbel’s beautiful face in his mind. He couldn’t touch her, he couldn’t see her, there would be no life with her ever again. If that wasn’t punishment enough, Kapono didn’t know what was. His heart was shredded, his body was continually plagued with tiny pinpricks, and now his mind was being attacked. It was relentless. The urge to kill, the need to cause destruction. The anger. Kapono wanted it to stop, but would it ever? Vuur had claimed it was Kapono’s lifelong punishment. Was this truly what his life would become?
Sitting on a rickety porch in the darkness, Kapono didn’t even know where he was. He’d stumbled upon the abandoned house and took to living there, trying to collect his bearings. Everything he had was gone, including his money and even a basic piece of clothing. Kapono was resorted to living like a wild man. He snuck in the bathhouses of people’s homes when he knew they were not home to bathe, and any time he came upon a backyard where fresh laundered clothes were hanging to dry, Kapono didn’t waste time in snatching the items down. He killed wild animals and made fires in the wilderness for his food. Never staying in the same place once, Kapono was on the constant move, all while his body felt as if it was tearing from the inside out. Days droned into weeks and weeks turned into months. And every night he lay in a fetal position, cheeks wet, eyes swollen from the tears he couldn’t seem to stop crying for his wife and unborn babe. How could he ever continue his life like this? Simple. He couldn’t.
In the darkness of the porch or where he sat, the glint of a knife he’d stolen from a knife stand in town gleamed in his hand. From the pain of the pinpricks he felt devouring his body, Kapono’s hand trembled as he positioned the knife directly in front of his heart.
Don’t do it, Kapono. The voice in his head gave the quiet demand. The only words the voice had spoken was to order Kapono to fulfill heinous crimes in order to satisfy the demons need to exude wrath.
“Why shouldn’t I? I’m tired of this pain,” Kapono growled.
If you want the pain to stop. Simply do as I say. Kapono had spoken out loud simply to voice his thoughts but he didn’t actually think the demon within him would understand what he said, or even respond.
“We can talk to each other,” Kapono said.
I live within you. Yes, we can talk. I’ve been telling you to fulfill my demands and you have ignored me. That is why you feel pain.
“But I’m not going to kill people. Not again. Not after what I’ve done in the first place. I refuse.”
Suit yourself Kapono. But stabbing yourself in the heart will not kill you. Nothing will kill you because I reside inside your body. If harm should come to your body, I will use my power to keep you alive. You’re cursed Kapono. If killing yourself was that easy to lift this punishment then it wouldn’t really be a curse. But the more you deny our need for wrath, the more pain you will be in. This pain is not normal. It is slowly sucking away your lifeforce and eventually it will kill you. But trust me, this process will take years. There is no way out of pain besides giving into my sin.
Kapono was trembling. Was this the full brunt of the curse he’d been dealt as punishment? He was silent for a long time, glaring down at the knife in his hands. It would do him no good. Slouching on the broken down porch, Kapono didn’t move for a long moment. When he spotted the flash of candlelight, he jerked his head up. Someone was getting close. Gathering himself, Kapono leapt off the porch and hurried off into the darkness. He wrapped a piece of dark cloth over his face, covering everything but his eyes. Covered from head to toe, and with a cloak with a hood his head was covered as well.
Continuing to shake from pain, Kapono hobbled through the streets. In the distance, with his keen sight, he could see the outline of the castle that he once called his home in Emberdom. Even after months, he refused to set foot back in Emberdom. But often times, when he hobbled through the streets, he would look up and wish things were different. Not because he was vain enough to only care about being king. Kapono would take a lifetime as a simple merchant or a builder and be happy if he had Ashbel at his side.
“Oh Ashbel,” Kapono mumbled. He continued into town, keeping his head down as he walked by merchants, packing up their carts for the night after a day of work. What if Kapono has managed to be that kind of person? Just a simple shop owner who packed up his wagon every night and retreated back to a solidly built home where he was greeting by three children and his love? If only that was the life he was given instead of being born with royal dragon blood.
Destroy. Wrath was back in his mind again. Kapono grunted at the pain that slashed through his body from the demand that he refused to comply with. Grabbing his temple, Kapono nearly fell to the ground. The pain was cri
ppling. Choosing to ignore it as best as he could, Kapono forced himself to keep walking. He wasn’t sure where he was going or what he was planning to do. This was his life most nights before he finally fell into a crippled heap in some dark corner crying his eyes out yet again. Still holding his head and looking down, Kapono wasn’t paying attention to anything around him.
DESTROY SOMETHING! Wrath screamed into his mind as if he wanted to tear Kapono’s head to shreds. He stumbled in the street again. Small footsteps rushed towards him but he was too caught up in pain to pay attention to his surroundings. A feminine scent closed in on him before a small woman bumped into him. She was half his size so the impact put her on her ass instead of having any effect on Kapono. Still, she jumped to her feet hastily. She looked behind her with widened eyes as the scent of fear tightened around her.
“I’m so sorry,” she rushed out, apologizing to Kapono for bumping into him. Kapono peered at her through eyes that was glazed over from pain. He could sense her dragon power. Kapono rubbed his eyes and glared at her. Her power. She belonged to the Red Breath clan. The same clan as Ashbel. What was she doing all the way over here? Before Kapono could ask her anything, she hurriedly took off. Kapono turned and watched her run away. A shred of pain racked his brain again, making Kapono cry out as he grabbed his temple.
“Get back here! There’s no way you can run!” A male dressed in tight black pants carrying a long machete strode by Kapono as if Kapono was invisible. He was wielding a deadly weapon without a care in the world, and he was obviously pursuing someone.
Kapono closed his eyes. He tuned his hearing, following the footsteps of the man that just strode by him and beyond. He heard the woman’s panicked breathing and a scream of terror. That man was after that woman. Should he intervene?
Blood. Draw blood. This time, when the voice of the demon scarred his brain once more, Kapono didn’t feel that shrill sense of pain. He realized that subconsciously he was already giving into the sin by simply thinking of getting in between whatever was happening between that man and woman.
Grunting, Kapono turned and stalked the man carrying the machete. He followed their scents, finding that the woman had ran into a dark alleyway as if she was attempting to hide. Approaching the entrance of the alleyway, Kapono saw that she was cornered. Crawling backwards on the ground, she was begging her attacker to spare her life.
“Please don’t. Just let me live. Please,” she begged
“You are property of the king. Running away has sealed your death sentence. You were forewarned and you ignored that warning. You deserve your punishment.” The man lifted the machete high above his head.
Strike him down! Wrath demanded. Kapono drew the only weapon he had. His knife. Without preamble, Kapono lunged into the alleyway. Just as the man brought down his machete to strike down the female, Kapono thrust his knife into the man’s back and straight through his chest. The man stumbled forward, his arm dropping to his side limply. His feet moved awkwardly, unable to hold up his own weight. Soon, he fell to the side, hitting the ground with a loud thump.
Wrath’s voice in Kapono’s mind cackled with laughter and glee. Kapono tilted his head back and inhaled deeply. His lungs suddenly inflated. The feeling of needlepoints jabbing at every part of his body slowly sizzled out to a painless hum before disappearing altogether. The rippling of his brain stopped, the searing headache popping like a balloon. Kapono felt as if he could finally breathe. The air he took in seemed so fresh. His body felt alive. The fire that burned in his blood came to life. It was the first time in months his body was not crippled with pain. All because finally he’d given into wrath and exacted some kind of pain and destruction.
Breathing heavily, Kapono looked down at his hands, and then down at his body. No pain. It felt bitter sweet.
“Tha—thank you,” the woman on the ground was shaking as she hugged herself. She was looking at the body of the man who was a moment away from striking her down.
“You should run from here,” Kapono told her. She gazed at him as she got to her feet.
“The new king has turned everyone from my clan into slaves. It’s as if he despises us simply because we used to be powerful. After the decimation of the royal family of the Red Dragon clan the king has been so awful to the rest of that clan and all its allies. All I could think to do was run away! As you can see, the king never lets us to leave.” She began to step forward to get closer to him but Kapono just retreated.
“Who are you? I can’t sense your power, and usually if you sense someone’s power you can figure out what clan they’re part of. But you must be of dragon blood.”
“I’m no one,” he replied. She didn’t believe him. She realized that every time she took a step forward, he would take a step back. He was trying to keep his identity hidden. Wearing that cloak and clothing that covered him from head to toe seemed unusual for anyone that lived in Fireland. It was just too damned hot. She lunged forward, taking a large step to try and close the distance. His eyes widened slightly at her movement but he expertly dodged out of the way.
“Violet eyes,” she whispered. Kapono cursed.
“Kapono?” she asked. “Prince Kapono?”
“You must have me confused with someone else. My name is—is—” Kapono gulped and tried to think quickly.
“My name is Wrath. You sense no power within me because I have none. I just use my natural born strength to protect my home. Fireland.” Kapono didn’t need to say anymore. He ducked out of the alleyway and took off, running swiftly over the cobblestoned street. Without the pain lacing through his body, Kapono felt like himself. He could move as agile as he used to.
Doesn’t that feel good? Wrath questioned. Kapono didn’t answer because he knew he would already say yes. Giving into the sin and inflicting pain on others relieved Kapono’s body of so much pain, he felt as if he could fly. It wasn’t senseless pain however. Was this the answer Kapono had been looking for? Giving into his sin didn’t have to mean senseless destruction and killing. It would alleviate his pain and give Kapono a newfound purpose. He wasn’t the prince of Fireland anymore. He was one of the seven deadly sins. Wrath.
Firya ran so hard, she stumbled over the cobblestone streets. The plan was to leave Emberdom and never return but for this, she saw no other option. She had to go back to Emberdom. She needed to get back to Ashbel. Even though she was faster than most, it still took Firya over an hour to get back to Emberdom. Waving her hand out, she caught the attention of a horse drawn wagon.
“Take me to the castle,” she ordered breathlessly. “Please. I work for King Bourbon.” Hearing his name only put fright in the owner of the wagon. He wasn’t going to refuse anyone who worked for the new king. The man had instilled an era of fear within his ruling and he only had the throne for two months. That was the main reason she had escaped. She refused to become his slave. However, the only way she was able to escape was with Ashbel’s help. Now, Firya needed to pay back the favor. Ashbel had to know.
The wagon driver left her near the castle. She paid him with a few gold pieces before rushing towards the gate of the castle. For a long time, the castle was never surrounded by gates but the moment Bourbon assumed the throne, that was his first order. He was trying to cut himself off for the people, imposing fear and power. Even though the king seemed imposing, he had his faults and that’s how Firya was able to escape in the first place.
When she approached the gates, she easily slipped through. At night, King Bourbon only had two guards because he was confident that no one was powerful enough to attack the castle. The guards didn’t know she had escaped because Bourbon sent someone to kill her and he would have wanted to keep that under wraps so he didn’t appear to be the monster he was. So, when she entered through the gates she simply nodded at the guards. They knew every worker well and didn’t question when they came and went because they ran all kinds of errands for the king.
Instead of entering through the grand front doors, Firya rushed to the side of
the castle where the servant entrance was located and went by it. At the back of the castle, she bent down and opened the window that would lead to the cellar. It was easy for her to crawl through. At this time of night, the king was deep asleep with another woman in his bed as he did every night. Her presence wouldn’t even be known to him.
In the cellar, Firya rushed up the stone steps one level up. The servant’s quarters took over the bottom floor of the castle, rooms lining the long hall. At the last door in the hall, Firya kneeled down and sent gold sparks of fire under the door. Not a moment later the door swung open and Ashbel jerked Firya inside of the room and slammed the door shut.
“Fir! What are you doing back here?! Your escape was perfect!” Ashbel snapped at her in a hushed tone.
“I’m so sorry Ashbel, but I had to come back. And don’t worry, the man that was pursuing me is dead. If I get out of here by the time the sunrises, I’ll be free. Bourbon won’t know what happened to me but I think he would assume I was dead.”
“Why—why would you come back?” Ashbel asked. Ever since Bourbon gave her the ultimatum, Ashbel had been secretly plotting to help free her clan mates.
“I was nearly caught. Just a second away from death but someone saved me. I don’t know why but he did! He was dressed from head to toe I couldn’t see his face and I couldn’t sense his powers! But Ashbel—” Firya held onto Ashbel’s arms.
“His eyes were violet,” Firya revealed. Ashbel gasped and covered her mouth.
“Kapono?”
“He denied it and called himself Wrath. But I saw his eyes. I know it’s him. Ashbel, he’s out there. And he’s protecting the streets of Fireland. He ran before I can say anything else. But with my freedom now, I can find him and I can tell him everything!” Ashbel felt her knees going weak. She could help her fellow clan mates escape but Bourbon get a constant eye on her. If she dared to leave any one of her clan mates that was left behind would be slaughtered and her parents were at the top of the list. Ashbel had even considered taking her entire clan and running away but then, Bourbon would probably issue an order that would make her the enemy of the entire kingdom. Everyone would hunt her down for bounty. Having Firya make contact with Kapono would be the best option, especially if she was already free.