"Send him to the dungeons!" Bellowed a voice in the throne room. The king had just pointed his finger at the door when two guards burst in and took away the prisoner that was formerly asking for his forgiveness. The two guards led the pitiful prisoner out the throne room and into a set of stairs leading downwards where darkness is the only thing you can make out. "Get moving" a guard spoke up before mercilessly pushing the helpless boy towards his solitary confinement.
They walked through endless hallways filled with empty cells lit by torches until they finally stopped at an empty cell. It looked cozy on the inside but it only held a single bed that was placed at the far corner of the cell.
The boy looked helplessly at his new abode, his blue eyes started to sting from crying and his cheeks red.
He accepted his fate long before he was captured and taken in the castle but the thought still couldn't process in his head that this will be his future.
"Alrighty Jonathan..In there boy!!" Yelled the guard before pushing poor Jonathan in the cell, landing with an "oof!" On the ground while the guards guffaw at the sight.
They locked up the cell before leaving shortly. Poor Jonathan sat on his bed, head hung low and his arms attempting to wipe clear the tears that stained his porcelain face. He knew he'd be lonely from now, but he also knew it was for the better. If it wasn't for him taking the blame, his best friend, Evan-a boy about his age and his best friend- would be here now. And he knew that he'd be the one who would be broken beyond repair if ever something like that happened, he loved Evan too much to let him get to this point.
So, he lie down, broken and shattered on his bed, he felt cold, empty and lonely. The stillness of his vicinity almost driving him to insanity and led him to think he was going deaf.
But the sound of footsteps evaded his ears before he shot up to see who it was. His face fell into a frown when he saw it was only a guard holding a tray of what he assumed to be his dinner..or...something far..more..dangerous. he whimpered in his cell before the guard opened the gate. Jonathan scampered backwards into the far corner of his room before the guard placed the tray on his bed. He was right..it wasn't his dinner, it was a huge syringe with a blueish looking liquid inside it. It gave Jonathan the chills that shot up to his spine but the guard swiftly took him by the wrist without another word and reached for the syringe "please, no..I beg of you!" Jonathan pleased, his eyes full of shining tears that glimmered in the moonlight that snuck in from his window from he outside world.
"Just stay still or this will hurt far more worse than you think" snapped the guard before finally pushing the long needle in his wrist. Jonathan felt the burning sensation that went with the fluid as it traveled in his veins. The pain traveled from his wrist to his arms, then to his right lung and then..before he knew it, he was on the floor, crying, screaming and thrashing around as he tried to ease the pain but to no avail, it only worsened
He looked up in desperation, his eyes fixed at the guard that was just leaving. He turned back to Jonathan and said something. Jonathan can see the guard's lips moving, an indication of something being spoken, but he could only hear his heartbeat racing. His voice drowned out as his vision swam.
He mumbled a quick thank you to the heavens above that Evan was not in his place before his eyes shut.
FEAR.
it was fear. Jonathan felt nothing but numbness but he can hear sounds..he can hear..voices, familiar ones that always put his heart at ease. He forced his eyelids open but quickly regretted the decision when the painful light invaded his vision.
Then a roar of applaud and cheers filled his ears, like the ones you hear when you are standing in the middle of a large crowd.
And sure enough when his eyes finally adjusted to the light he found himself in the middle of the arena..a place where the king placed an outlaw in to fight to death with different beasts from the jungle or fight his best knights. He shot up, scanning his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of a circular arena about twice as wide as a soccer field. There was no roof at all and the scorching heat of the sun only pricked Jonathan's skin to the bone. The audience-the citizens- where sat on benches by the sides of the circle. Cheering.but it wasn't his name that was being cheered at..it was the king's.
"Long live king Andrew!" Chanted the people.
There was only one escape..one gate that was blocked by huge canopy doors that led to the outside world.
He prepared himself for the dangers to come and somehow..he felt..strong, he felt..invincible, he felt....Delirious.
And when the trumpets were blown it signalled his battle, but his face...only contorted into an ominous smile, his sky blue eyes changed to jet black.
A knight..dressed in a full set iron armor emerged from the doors as the citizens cheered him on.
"Wildcat wildcat wildcat!!" The audience chanted yet again. They were hungry..no..thirsty..for blood, for some fighting to take place and for death.
Jonathan had nothing to defend himself, only his clenched fists and a disturbed mind.
All his rational thinking was gone, he was a different person and all he could do...is kill.
The crowd fell silent when Wildcat-the knight- positioned himself in a fighting stance with his sword and his shield up.
But Jonathan..only laughed deliriously.
"Tell me "Wildcat", do you believe in your king?" Asked Jonathan, laughing at the end of his sentence.
The king at this point, turned pale when he realized the damage that the syringe brought to the prisoner. He realized at that moment..that he gave the wrong serum to Jonathan.
"Stop the fight" the king announced but it was too late.
Jonathan lunged forward fast..so fast that it only took a millisecond for him to reach to Wildcat and yank his sword away from his grasp.
"Where is your king now?!" He screamed before plunging the blade straight into the knight's chest, the blade piercing through his iron chestplate and stopping his heart in a second.
Wildcat fell limp on the ground as the crowd gasped in horror at the sight.
He excelled his last breath and then...silence.
Jonathan laughed menacingly before turning his gaze at the audience.
"Who's next?" He asked. His eyes darkened with blood lust and gore.
"Guards! Arrest him" yelled the king as 50 guards rushed through the canopy doors.
"Everyone out of the arena now" the king ordered before screams of women men and children erupted from the crowd.
"now, where is everyone going? Let's have a feast in the honor of our king" he put as much venom as he can on the last two words before lunging forward, killing a guard instantly.
On the corner of the arena, there stood a boy, his brown eyes filled with tears as he watched Jonathan tear the guards limb by limb. He knew what had happen to Jonathan in the dungeons and the weight of the guilt in his heart was too much.
Evan was a criminal, an outlaw and he had Jonathan for his best friend. He took the blame for Evan's doing to save him..save him from the fate that had befallen into Jonathan now.
and in that moment, Evan wanted to take back all of the crime he had done in the past in exchange for the old Jonathan back. He knew from the very start that he'd eventually have to pay for everything that he has done. He Just didn't expect the consequence to be losing his best friend.
As the arena cleared and the screams dissipated into thin air, Jonathan took out the last guard and fell to his knees panting. Evan stayed, he couldn't leave Jonathan by himself, he couldn't leave the only person he had ever loved and he couldn't find the courage to talk to him. Guilty of the burden that Jonathan bears now.
Jonathan gazed at Evan's direction and grimaced, Evan flinched at what his best friend had become, he hated himself for he was the one who caused this.
He was to blame.
"You'll thank me later" those were the only words that escaped Jonathan's mouth before he fled. Possibly never to be seen again.
"I'm sorry Jonny...i did this" and with that, Evan sank to his knees and cried his heart out, cursing himself and his fate for the things that had happened.
"We'll be kings someday, and we will be able to do anything we want"
And when that time comes, you'll rule by my side forever
-Evan
