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"So, I think it's pretty obvious. You?" He asked, turning towards me.
"I don't know."
"What?! Why would you choose incarceration over freedom?!"
"Because it's not freedom and you know that! It's a life of worry and fear. I cannot do that again."
"You think jail is better? Believe me, it isn't. Nothing's worse than being locked up day after day, not even knowing what month it is, how long you've been in. You can go crazy just from the monotony of it all. And that's just, if you're lucky, which we probably won't be. You know what they do with people like us?"
"I thought they did that to everyone."
"Yes, but others can defend themselves by finding allies, who do you think will stand up for a couple of fags?" I hated when he said that word, even though it didn't bear much meaning for me, I knew how hurtful it was to him, how many times he heard it, what kinds of memories he associates it with.
"Do they even care, I mean isn't the crime we've done much more descriptive of our nature?"
"So, you think living in the woods, always on the run would be better?"
"Than that, yes. At least it's not torture." I laughed at his presumption.
"We'll go with that one, then," I said staring at the dark wooden door, a hand growing out of it. I dragged myself towards it, even my body felt repelled by it, my legs barely worked, Ashley almost had to carry me, though he never asked if I'm sure, maybe he knew I could convince him if I tried hard enough.
"Hey, boy, what are you doing? Get back here!" I heard the voice before my vision returned. I didn't even need to see to know who that was. I jolted up and wanted to run, but someone pulled me back down, pinning me, hand over my mouth.
"He's not talking to us, calm the hell down," Ashley whispered, as he let go. We were in a ditch, bushes surrounded us. Behind us a thick forest spread out. In front was a dirt road, leading into the city, which was hidden by the great wall protecting it. Why did it seem familiar somehow? The sound came from one of the guards running toward the gate. It was him. Didn't he...? He looks exactly the same as when I last saw him. My eyes were glued to him when Ashley nudged me.
"That boy. He looks a lot like you." I glanced to see what he meant. I froze. This couldn't be. No, no, no!
"That's me."
"No, this is you, that's a little boy, who looks like you."
"So we won't interfere, problem solved."
"Easier said than done. Let's just stay put for a while." I don't know how he knew, maybe we've been together for so long, but he reached for my hand. It wasn't much, but it was the support I needed, right now. This wasn't what I was prepared for, this isn't just similar to my childhood, it was exactly my childhood. Hopefully, as an adult, I'll be able to steer clear of that path.
"Hey, Algran, wake up, we should find a better place to camp down." I woke, hoping beyond hope to not see the same road and wall, that it was just a nightmare. No such luck.
It was nighttime, dark enough to let us sneak away without the guards by the gate noticing, but the moon shone bright enough for Ashley to hopefully not face plant more than a couple of times, while we search for a hide-out.
"You shouldn't call me that."
"Why?" He asked, smiling. He had told me many times how much he liked my name: it's unique, he always says.
"It's not that common, I don't want people to think I'm related to, well, me. Also better if commoners don't know I'm a dragonkin."
"Right, so what should I call you? Alan?"
"No. Just call me Drake. It was one of the aliases I took after getting out of here."
"Can I veto that?"
"Why?"
"I had a boyfriend called Drake. Didn't end well."
"Really? Our lives are on the line, and you're arguing with me over this?"
"Fine, let's go then, Drake, but don't be surprised if you don't get any." He said, acting hurt.
"That's not on my mind at the moment," I got up, and started towards the woods. Ashley following.
"Could you be a bit more careful, if you're gonna be so loud, we'll be eaten by bears or worse."
"This will do. Now climb." Blinking several times and gapping at me, he asked:
"What?! Up?"
"Yes. We don't want to be eaten, or get caught by any wanderers."
"Can't we find a cave or something?"
"A cave? You know where we are, right? What we want to do is be as far from caves as possible."
"Fine, this one?" He asked touching the tree beside himself.
"Yeah, it's tall enough for us to be out of sight and seems strong enough to bear our weight."
"So it's big and thick?" He asked, smirking.
"How can you even...? Get going!" I threw him some rocks and took hold of mines.
"Like the view?" I snapped out of my pondering, to check out Ash's ass.
"When did you learn to climb?"
"Trees? Doesn't it just come naturally?" I scoffed. Yes, there are trees that even five-year-olds can climb, but not these ones. These were incredibly tall, even if you're an excellent climber, it took a lot of strength to get to the top, and there were no rest-stops on the way, no small protruding, no branches other than those at the top. If that wasn't enough most of them were barkless, thanks to the king, making grabbing on almost impossible. That's where the rocks come in. While walking I picked up some of the sharper ones I could find, they were no dragon scales, but they did the job. "I went wall climbing a lot, after coming out of jail, trying to get over my fear of heights."
"I didn't know you were afraid of heights."
"Still am actually."
"How much further?" I asked, trying to divert his attention from the altitudes we were getting to.
"Tiring out, already?" I could hear the smile in his voice, I didn't want to let him know I could see he was also out of breath, his arms trembling from the effort.
"It's been a long time since my last climb."
"Just a few more metres almost at the top." He answered glancing up. "Uhm... Algran, could this be someone else's tree?"
"What? No, most birds moved away from the city, because of the noise and those who stayed got hunted down."
"I meant human."
"Stop joking around Ash. Noone's gonna find us."
"I'm not kidding, I think someone's already here."
"If this somehow changes the future, which is almost certain, know that I love you, okay?"
"Who are you? Don't come any closer, I have a knife. I'm also a dragonkin."
Two doors. That was all I had to choose from. Two doors would potentially decide my fate. What was behind the doors would decide my fate. I had come this far. My stomach did backflips as I stood between the two doors. The room grew colder the longer I stood. I shivered as the cold breeze swept around me. The soft glow of the candles surrounding me did not ease my discomfort like it normally would have. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself. My gaze shifted between the two doors. The first door was unappealing. The tall, dark, mahogany wood stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The doorknob was solid gold and glinted in the soft candlelight. A gold lion head with ruby red eyes doorknocker hung directly in the center. A blood-red curtain draped itself around the doorframe. My blood could be draped around that doorway. I shook. It was cold, uninviting. A feeling of dread washed over me the longer I stared. I turned to the second door.
In perfect contrast to the sinister loom of the first, the second door was bright. The soft white did not stand as tall as the dark and brooding mahogany. This door was delicate. Sparkling crystal replaced the harsh golds. A painted butterfly sat where the lion's head once conquered. Butterflies danced around flowers in the stained-glass windows set in the wood. Small ferns decorated either side. Vines wove themselves around the candelabras. The sheer draping blew in the small breeze The yellow candlelight making the door feel softer, more intriguing. One could say there was an obvious choice. There could be.
I took two steps back. With both doors in my vision, I could see the obvious choice. With its delicate white paint and bouncing butterflies, the door to my right made the most sense. The brooding darkness and harsh air surrounding the door to my left was gut-wrenching. I also knew it was not that simple. How could it be? One door could kill me. One door could make me king or whatever it was the Steadfastmen said.
?Think. How could this possibly be a trick?? I said to myself.
?I should at least make the decision before I waste away.? I laughed to myself at my own joke.
There was only one way to pick a door. I closed my eyes and spun around five times for good measure. The walk to the door was short. I kept my eyes closed as I felt for the doorknob. I pulled the door open as I opened my eyes. The solid gold handle entered my blurry vision. I looked through the entry. Darkness traveled for miles in every direction. I let out a breath. Well, this was the door I chose. I grabbed a candlestick and stepped into the abyss. The hallway was cold and damp. I much preferred the room with the doors. The echo of my footsteps was all I heard in the emptiness. Why was this hallway so empty? I walked for what felt like hours. The sounds of dripping water and moving rocks kept me on my toes. Voices brought me to a stop. I strained my ears to follow the two gruff voices.
The voices grew clearer as I neared them.
?Yeah, he picked the door on the left.? One said.
?Which one was left?? The other asked.
?The mahogany one.? He replied.
?No, I mean, which one is left?? The other asked.
I stifled a laugh. What had I gotten myself into? I kept walking towards the voices. The air grew warmer the closer I walked. More voices entered the conversation. I came to a stop at a door. Light filtered from the bottom and into the hallway.
?So, what do we do now?? A deep voice asked.
?What do ya mean no one can find him?? A different, darker voice asked.
?Well, isn't anyone going to go find him?!? The darker voice boomed.
?Yes, sir. Right away!?
I counted the voices of seven men clammer to stand. A chorus of ?yes sir' was heard. I held my breath as their footsteps grew closer. The door swung open, flooding the hallway with golden light. The candlestick fell from my grasp as I yelled. Seven burly men stood in the doorway. I heaved and scrambled from the wall.
?I thought I told you blithering idiots to go find the boy! We don't have all day! What are you standing around for!?? The dark voice sounded from the room.
The seven men stumbled to move out of the way. The largest one, a man with a gross beard and a kilt, pulled me into the room. A man in a stood at the mantel, poking at the fire. His long, black hair was tied back. His black shirt and pants were decorated with a pattern I did not recognize. This was a strange contrast to my t-shirt and jeans.
?We found him, sir!? The one holding me said.
?Very funny! I don't have time for you-? He cut himself off as he turned.
I gave a small wave. The man smoothed out his shirt before kneeling. The large man let go of me to knee with everyone else
?I'm Tod.? I said, unsure of what to do, ?Uh, you can stand up now.?
?Your Highness, it is wonderful to meet you. I hope to do you a great service, in the same way, I did our king before you.? Sir Reginald stood and smoothed his pants.
?Yeah, about that?I'm king? For real?? I asked.
?Yes, and we are your King's Guard, ready to protect you,? Reginald said.
A window caught my eye as I looked around. The rolling green hills and small villages were unfamiliar. The air was clear and crisp. Women and children rode in horse-drawn carriages. Men were herding sheep, horses, and chickens. This wasn't Brooklyn.
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