Deadly Magic

Part Five

If the sky had a moon or a sun, it did not matter.

Beneath the tallest tower in the castle layed the deepest pit in Kiacia, who's only light was a single torch. Sunlight, moonlight nor starlight has ever entired. When the deepest chamber was gouged in the dead of the blackest night by workers, they were then murdered and buried below the very stones they had helped place. To preserve the secret dungeon.

Only one door allowed entrance, windowless, barricade four times. Just like a forgotten fairytale, skeletons well passed decomposure layed shackled to the walls. Scampering throughout the room were rats who likely never seen the light of day and certainly had helped with the decaying of the skeletons.

Although it has only been a few hours, Harry did not let the finality of the situation get to him. He was certainly still shocked at the events leading put to his imprisonment.

"The prince," he muttered to himself for the hundredth time. "I can't believe he is the prince, I must have sounded so stupid."

But maybe he liked Harry? Just a little?

Only for a moment, Harry allowed himself to dream what it would be like if he were a prince. Then they could be together, he could live in a castle with the boy of his dreams.

Now of course the reason he was in the dungeon in the first place was because he was a prince.

It was obvious to Harry that his imprisonment did not have to do with the loaf he had stolen but instead because Nik had seen them. That Nik had known that a ragamuffin was desecrating the royal son, which would leave him into a life of poverty and crime. And Nik had to stop it.

"He was worth it though," Harry sighed,  thinking about his ocean blue eyes and the softness of his hands. Harry had touched a god.

A soft meow interrupted him mid thought.

"Dusty?" He asked, looking up.

A faint shadow could be seen of a cat jumping from the beams, slowly moving towards the bottom to Harry.

"Im over here!" Harry yelled happily.

Dusty jumped onto his shoulder and Harry tried petting him as best as he could be rubbing his head against Dusty's fur.

"Boy, Dusty, am I happy to see ya. Turn around!"

After they happily greeted one another for a few moments, Dusty followed the order given to him. With his teeth, Harry pulled out a small needle pinned to Dustys collar that he had placed there for occasions similar to this. Dusty wasnt just used for distractions, but also used to get into and out of trouble.

Harry strained his neck as far back as he possibly could trying to work the needle into the keyhole. It was a cheap lock, obviously when being thrown into the deepest pits of the castle, not a lot was needed to keep you there.

Once he was done, Dusty hissed angrily. Obviously not liking being in the pit for this long. As if Dusty was saying he did his part, it is now Harry's turn and he better do something quick.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going. Lets get to it, as far from the castle as we can. I'll never see him again," he said more concerned about that then their actual escape. Harry thought about how he looked when standing on the roof, pole in hand, the wind blowing through his hair. "He can only marry a prince. Im a buffoon."

"You're only a buffoon if you give up."

Harry turned around.

He saw nothing but darkness, shawdows and rats. The voice sounds weak, human-like. Definitely a prisoner that still had a little life still left in them.

"Who are you?" Harry said into the shadows. "Reveal yourself,"

A soft scuffling was heard, sounds of chains moving against concrete. And within the darkness, an old man walked out. He hardly had the strength to stand, how he moved was a wonder in and of itself. There was a light left within his eyes, a crazy one.

Harry took a step back, slightly afraid of the old man.

"Im only just a measly prisoner like you," the man stated. Laughing slightly, showing off his yellowing cricked teeth. Walking with a old piece of wood used as a cane, he stepped towards Harry. "But together, maybe we could be more."

The old man rubbed him fingers together as though he was counting coins, causing Harry to relax some. People with a craze of greed in their eyes is something Harry was used to.

"Im listening," Harry spoke.

"There is this cave, the cave of wonder, that is filled with treasures beyond your wildest dreams." He said while reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his fist and shoved it into Harry's face, and opened it, Harry nearly fell in surprise.

Rubies.

3 rubies, huge. Dusty, old and chipped, but rubies nonetheless. Rubies that could have bought the quarters of the ragamuffins and even those who lived there.

"Enough treasure to impress your little prince I'd imagine." The man said with a smirk, retreating his hand back into his pocket.

Harry felt a slight blush creep onto his face.

Rubies...

A smile replaced the blush. Those would give him more wealth than he has ever seen. "It does not matter the amount of treasure i have, he has to marry another royal." He said morosely.  "Id have to be born into a noble family or the king would need to grant me the title, which i doubt he would."

The older man took a deep breath and frowned. "Havent you heard of the golden rule? Whom ever possesses the gold makes the rules." An insane laugh leaves the old mans mouth.

"Okay," Harry said cautiously. That rule was true, money did buy almost everything, could definitely bribe all the guards to look the other way, all but Jax, of course. Perhaps the king could be bribed, too... or haggled with. "Why would you share all of the treasure with me?"

Catches- like beautiful prefect boys turning out to be unattainable princes- Harry was used to catches. Free gold, that he was not used to- and highly suspicious of.

"I need young legs and a strong back."

Right?

"The gold is in a cave, in the desert."

Oh.

"I'm not exactly equipped as I'm needed to be able to retrieve it. I need you to go get it for me. Now, about that deal?"

"Sure," Harry laughed. If it wasn't for the rubies, he would have thought the old man was completely insane. "Except, we're in here and the cave is out there."

The old man chuckled.

"Things aren't what they seem!" He said while tapping a stone on the wall with his cane. "So i repeat, do we have a deal?" Holding his hand out.

Harry hesitated, thinking this man was a sorcerer. He squared his shoulders and shook the old man's hands.