Chapter 31: Red, Red Wine

"Ouch! Good heavens there, chap, you don't think you could be a little more gentle, do you?" "Won't matter how gentle I am. It's a beheading for ye, I'm sure, stealing the king's parrots." McKale was shoved through a set of rather fine looking wooden doors (the likes of which he would a have much rather been able to admire without being jostled about by some bloody fool in a helmet), causing Hush and Sakay to slip off their perches and into McKale's arms. He quickly slung his arms over his chest to keep them in place, wobbling a little in attempt to gain his balance once the blasted armored bloke finished shoving him forward. "Well, this is a nice room, isn't it, Hush?" "Oh, quite, Sakay. Look at the fur rugs." "Mmm, very nice,” the twins cooed in unison. Indeed, the room was a rather nice looking one. The floors were a softer, lighter stone, most of which were covered in thick, white fur, and all along the walls were bright, ivory statues, depicting various noble looking figures. It was a large room, and McKale suspected rather quickly that it was something of a throne room or great hall. Which one was quickly answered as he was led through the sea of carpets to a podium of sorts, where three large, golden thrones were set. In the very middle throne there was a figure, a boyish looking chap with auburn curls on his head and a pale face. He was dressed from head to toe in white clothes, and draped in golden jewelry. McKale suspected that this cheerful looking fellow must be the king. "I'm not the king yet, you awful fool. Good thing too. Dreadful title, king. In fact, the only good titles out there, other than mine own of course, are duke and duchess, and I can't very well be one of them, can I?" "Oh,"McKale gaped a little,” Dreadfully sorry then, I thought-" "What?" the boy turned to a man crouching next to his throne, an odd, slimy looking fellow,” Is it talking to me, Cassander?" "I believe so, my lord." "Whatever for?" the boy waved his hand absently and leaned forward in his throne,” What is it talking to me for, guard?" "I'm not sure, m'lord,"said the guard,” But I believe e'd like to confess." "I'm not a priest,” the boy wrinkled his nose,” If he has something to confess, take to him to the church. Will someone get me some wine?" "No, m'lord, this servant's stolen a pair of yer parrots, as well as robe, an' he's not wearing yer crest." "Not wearing my crest? Well he mustn’t be one of my servants then, is he? Good god, you really are an awful fool, aren't you? He's probably a peasant or some such thing,” the boy turned his eyes on McKale, wrinkling up is face,” Are you a peasant, boy?" McKale puffed out his chest and lifted his chin,” I bally well think not!" "What?" the boy turned to the man beside his throne again,” What did he say? And for god's sakes, someone get me some wine!" "I...bally...well think not, my lord." "Does that mean no?" "I think so, my lord." McKale was starting to feel a little out of sorts now. The boy turned back to him, wrinkling his nose again,” Did you mean no?" "Dash it all, yes!" "What?" Sakay (or was it Hush?) poked his head out of McKale's arms,” He means he's not a peasant, love..." "...he's a,” Hush (or was it Sakay?) furrowed his feathery eyebrows a little,” What is McKale, Sakay?" "Well, I don't rightly know, Hush..." "...but he's certainly not a peasant, aye?" "Oh no, certainly not." The boy leapt down from his throne and sauntered off of the podium, his servant trailing after him. Immediately, the guard dropped to one knee and bowed his head, resting his brow against the hilt of his sword. The boy sneered at him a little before stepping up to McKale,"Talking birds! Where did you find them?" he turned to his servant,” I want them. Ask him how much he'll sell them for." "Surely, my lord, you have no need of-" "By god's holy name, I want some talking birds! And some wine! Where is my wine! I'll have those servants beheaded!" "My lord?" said the knight, lifting his head a little,” That’s what I've been meaning to say, my lord. This man stole those birds from ye." "Did he?" the boy squinted down at Hush and Sakay, who ruffled their feathers and squinted right back,” Well I've never seen them before, but if you say so...Very well,” the boy leaned back, lifting his chin,” Give me back my birds and I'll spare your life, peasant." McKale sucked in a breath and backed away, hugging Hush and Sakay to his chest,” No!" "We're his birds, love..."piped one twin. "...and we're not really birds either..." "...half bird, really..." "....and certainly not parrots..." "...dreadful things, parrots, aye Sakay?" "Quite, Hush." "What do you mean, no?" the boy's lip curled distastefully,” I want them." "Well...well,"McKale steeled himself, lifting his head higher,” Well you're dashed well not going to get them. We don't always get what we want, after all. And they're mine." "Don't always get what we want?" the boy looked taken aback,” Well I don't know about you, but I most certainly always get what I - Where is my wine!" "Here you are, my lord,” said a servant, carefully sliding across the rugs with a goblet of wine in hand. Unfortunately, one of said rugs was not perfectly laid out over the floor, and the poor bloke caught his foot against an upturned corner and was sent lurching forward. The goblet flew from his hands, and the wine from that, splattering all over the boy's clothes. This normally wouldn't have really matter, but the wine was red, and the boy's clothes impeccably white. Or, at least, they had been impeccably white. McKale watched as the boy's face went from pale to a horrid shade of purple, identical to the color currently staining his clothes,” You...you idiot!" McKale stirred uncomfortably. "You've ruined my clothes!" the boy snapped his head toward the guard,” Make yourself useful and chop of his head, won't you?" he sneered and turned back to the servant, cowering on hands and knees amid the furs,” If you're so insistent on turning my throne room red, so be it. We'll paint it bright crimson for you, and we'll even use your own mushy bits to do it. Kind of me, isn't it?" "Yes, my lord,” whimpered the servant. McKale watched with wide eyes and open mouth as the guard got to his feet, lifted his sword over his head, and with a single whollop severed the servants head clean off. There was a splatter of red stuff over the white carpets and the near by walls, and McKale turned away, covering his mouth with one hand and shifting Sakay and Hush into the crook of his other arm. "Chop him up and paint my throne room red, will you, Cassander?" he heard the boy say, which was quickly followed by the sound of his footsteps as he skipped back up the steps to his throne,” And when your done have the servants come in and wash everything white again." "Yes, my lord,” came Cassander's voice,” And what would you have me do with the peasant?" "Oh...toss him and his birds in the dungeon. I'll deal with him later. Now, will someone please get me some wine so I may actually drink it? White wine, this time, thank-you." McKale felt a pair of hands grip his arms,” Off to the dungeons with ye now, thief. Better get rested up, too, the Prince'll have you beheaded tomorrow, no doubt at all." McKale swallowed hard. .:It's all right, love:. .:You can't actually die:. .:We've only known you a couple days...:. .:Not even, really:. .:And we rather like you:. .:You can't die if we like you:. .:Whomever's in charge of this fate thing loves us more than that:. .:Does he?:. .:Or she Hush, and yes, they do:. .:We are, after all, much too perfect for anyone not to love us:. The twins shot McKale a grin as he was shoved down the stairs and into a cold, dark cell. He hoped they were right. .:.:.::.:.:. Cyilume found herself hidden away beneath the shadows of a windowsill, which was casting an awful lot of light in the center of the room but hardly any against any of the walls. This was quite fortunate, really, because she wouldn’t have had much luck hiding in the tower if it didn’t. It was a large, tower, too, and on the other side of it she could just make out the outline of some sort of doorway (open, but dark), at the very top of which was the first block of a stair. Naturally, Cy wanted to get to that stairway and into the building, but she was finding the possibility of actually completing the task rather arduous, for the simple fact that, standing on either side of the door, was a set of guards. Each of which was carrying a pike, a sword at their hips, and a rather thick sheet of chain mail and plate armor emblazoned with the emblem of a white snake. "Did you hear that, Richard?" said one of the guards, leaning toward the other just a little. "Hear what, George?" "Some servant, shouting about demons." 'Richard' rolled his eyes and shifted his pike,” Bloody fool must have seen a gargoyle and thought it was real." 'George' gave a little chuckle,” Servants." Cy flicked her ears back, frowning. If only she could shape shift. It wasn't fair! Why was Shar capable of using all of his abilities while he was still a hatchling? Cy was just as good as him, she should be able to...oh. Cy held back a groan, squishing herself against the wall. She didn't feel so good anymore. "Did you hear that, Richard?" whispered George, just a little more quieter. "Hear what, George?" "A groan or something,” he flicked his gaze left and right cautiously, before leaning to Richard and slapping a hand next to his mouth,” You don't suppose...?" "Don’t' be foolish, George! There's no such thing as demons." Cyilume clutched her tummy and groaned again. Richard looked around warily. "See, Richard, see?" "It's just the wind." "There's no wind today, Richard! It's perfectly clear and sunny out." "It can be clear and sunny and windy at the same time!" "No it can't. Wind blows the clouds over. It'd be cloudy if it were windy." It happened suddenly and without much warning. Cy hadn't been expecting it at all. She felt her limbs shoot out beneath her, growing from stumps to stalks. Her muzzle lengthened and her wings grew ten times their normal size. Her scales became bloated and large, shimmering a lighter shade then they ever had before. Her horns spiraled forth from her face, stretching and growing until they were as long as spears and just as deadly. And god, it hurt. Like being stretched out all over suddenly and forced into a mold. But finally, finally it was over. She shook herself off and lifted her gaze to the guards. "R-richard...is that...?" "Well it's not a d-d-demon, George." "Should we...ah....t-try to kill it?" Cyilume narrowed her eyes and flared her nostrils. "N-n-no, George." "What should we d-d-do?" "Run!" And with that they dropped their pikes and took off out of the tower. Cyilume grinned to herself, fluffing her lengthened and lightened mane. She hadn't expected to grow into her adult self quite so suddenly, but what did she expect? Mum did just lay her eggs before she hatched. Either way, she was glad it happened. She shivered again, forcing her body to shrink and her scales to wither. A moment passed and, finally, she took on the form of a small, grey cat, with glowing green eyes. At least, as a cat, no one would think the wiser of them. Sticking her tail up in the air and curling her feline lips, Cy let out a quick purr and promptly padded toward the stairwell. She had a trio of fools to rescue.