chapter 6

Chapter 6

           

 

            There was a faint dripping noise that echoed through the empty black space the young man was now aware of occupying. He shook himself from it and opened his eyes to fix his vision. His head thumping in tune with the beating of his heart, gave his eye lids a struggle to open. He sees his feet, both bound by chains, bare, cut, bruised, and black from dirt. He opens his eyes more as his head and muscles begin to relax. He looks around and soon realizes what’s going on. The struggle outside of Gimora gates rushing back to him now; he understands why he is chained to a bare brick wall in a small room, a caged window facing the sun. He lowers his head, arms lifted high by shackles. He exhales slowly, “Nothing I should be too concerned with..” Laughing to himself.

 

            The dungeon door is slowly opened, as numerous guards pour in, lining themselves up on either side of the door. Before long, King Carlucious enters, his long hair gliding behind him. Gold rings wrapped his hands, as his face scrounges into a look of disgust. “I am sorry young man, for such a dreadful setting..” He walks around, looking down at this pitiful fool, at his bare feet, his large arms, covered in veins, his torn rags stained with sweat blood and filth. “Well if you haven’t already been able to tell, I am King of Crimson City, Carlucious.” He raises his hands slightly, extending them out, hoping the robe he wears appears god like to him. “Well, will I be given the honor of your name?”

            The young man sits in silence, looking up at this long haired King, bathed in gold, eyes hard from battle. “My name is Khan.”

            “Well Khan, you have business here in my city?” Khan stirs his feet around to bring them up closer to his body, saying nothing. “Hmm. Well, making trouble, as much trouble as you have made, is not something I really promote in this city of mine.”

              "I only wish to start a new life for myself...King."

              "And where is it you come from?"

              "One of the Tri Islands, Edisona.."

              The King stirs, "The prison sector..?"

He turns slightly to the guards, as one kneels down holding out Khan’s sword, “This was the sword he carried my lord.”  Khan looks up with anxious annoyance.

            The king takes it from him as the soldier falls back into line. Carlucious’ eyes travel directly to the sword handle, as his eyes widen. He does his best to hide his shock. He looks at the sword carefully, doing well to make sure his assumptions aren’t met with careless error. He looks down at the young man smiling, his sly devilish smile. Realizing something. “A lovely sword..” He begins to swing it around, Khan’s patience begins to ware thin. “Perhaps…I can hang on to it. Seems, powerful. I admire it’s craftsmanship.”

            Khan clenches his teeth, his rage being held back with all his might, “That sword is not your own to take.”

            The King crouches low, thrilled inside, mad with joy from the man in his dungeon, he leans toward Khan, “Nor is it yours,” He laughs, “Is it?”

            Khan turns to him quickly, looking for words, frantically searching for the right question. Before he can, he is knocked unconscious.

 

 

            The King walks out the dungeon with General Neela at his side, “I must apologize my warrior, I was wrong to become angry with you before.”

 

            “No apology is ever necessary my lord.”

 

            “I need you to contact our friends over at the Tri Islands, and inform them of there failure. Let them know…we have found him, when they said they had.”

            “Of course, but…it is him? What will we do with him now?”

            They both stop as the King contemplates his next move, “Let him go, and allow him the sword. But we must watch him, carefully, closely. This…is very interesting.”