Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 13

"What is this, little Red Riding Hood?" Cybelline muttered to herself as she walked up the hilly road.  Cybelline walked in silence up the lush green hills, occasionally passing a sheep who berated her existence with an annoyed bleat.

"You and me too buddy." Cybelline agreed and scratched her head. The sun was high above her head as she followed Ithos's crude map. It's a wonder we made it home from the forest, he might've taken us to Mexico had he used a home made map. Cybelline thought as she struggled to read between the squiggles.

A red stone house, nestled in the green low hills appeared after some time. It had a weathered sort of look to it, and sat in the shade of a lone tree. Cybelline looked around, there were no trees anywhere in these flat lands, except the old gnarled one that seemed to have been here for at least a hundred years.

Next to the tree was a little table, where a mug of beer sat next to a hunk of meat that looked like it had been there for too long. Flies buzzed around the thing, but not even they would get too close to it.

A small, ginger cat napped in the sun on the tree. It was the size of a man's palm, with red and gold fur that glittered in the sun.

Cybelline walked to the gate. The cat raised its head sleepily and meowed a greeting. Daintily, it jumped down to rub its head on Cybelline's leg. Cybelline bent down and scratched the little thing with a smile.

"Who are you?" A figure stood, leaning besides the fence. He was powerfully built, with a wide muscular chest and strong legs, a warrior's body. Cybelline could not tell how old he was. A large, bushy beard covered half of his face and he looked more like a man than a lion.

Cybelline stood up, raised the basket with a cheerful grin, "I was told to take this to you, I'm Ithos and Myrai's new boy. They say hello."

The man waved a hand in dismissal, "Take it back. Tell them to stop bothering me."

Cybelline looked him up and down. His tunic looked like it had seen better days, there was mud and blood caked on his worn boots. Though he looked healthy and strong, he definitely did not look like someone who could take care of himself.

Cybelline shrugged and set the basket on the fence, "That's not what I was asked to do. If you want to give it back to them, take it yourself."  She did not like the commanding tone of his voice nor the way he talked about Myrai and Ithos. But it wasn't worth getting trouble into.

Of course, the less trouble she wanted, the more trouble wanted her 

The basket flew at her back. She whirled around and leaned backwards.  The basket flew over the tip of her nose.  Straightening up, she gave him a confused look, "Aren't you a little old to be throwing a temper tantrum?"

His eyes sparkled dangerously, "What did you just say?" He stepped forward, "Did Myrai not teach you to respect your elders?

Cybelline looked around, "Huh? All I see here is some ungrateful prick."

He glared at her as she picked up the basket and dusted it off, the contents had been safely wrapped and secured. It was almost as if Myrai had guessed this would happen.

She hefted it in her hands, "I'm leaving the food here. You can try to stop me if you want to try."

She smiled sweetly, "However, my advice is that you should eat this slowly, so you don't choke on it and die. But in case you do, I'm sure I can send some of the neighborhood dogs here to take care of your body. So much cheaper than a burial."

She was half his size and just a 12 year old, yet something in the way that she held herself made the man pause.

She walked towards his garden determined to put the basket on the table, as she was about to pass him when he put out a hand, "Stay out of my place."

She grabbed his wrist and twisted. He didn't even wince but reached for her shoulder. Cybelline let go of his wrist. Her size and stature was not made for body to body combat.

The man shook out his wrist, "You're strong. I'll give you that." He blocked the entrance, "But you're not invited. Go home."

Cybelline shrugged, "Doors are for the unimaginative."

She took a step to the side and leaped. She cleared the six foot fence easily and was about to land on the other side. He made for a grab for her collar so she twisted in the air and landed two quick kicks to his chest

Ooof. He fell back to the fence but remained standing. He growled and reached for her again, she ducked like a fighter and threw a lightening jab at his unprotected stomach.

He did not expect a thin, scrawny boy to pack so much power and speed. "What are you? Why are you so strong?" His eyes turned serious as he watched her walk to the table beneath the tree.

She grinned at him, "A well behaved young man who eats all his vegetables."

She placed the basket on the table. A small knife lay beside the meat. It was a beautiful knife with a gold crystal in the handle. Cybelline frowned, it looked a lot like the Folk Blood she had seen, just a different shape. A fine layer of grime covered it.

She reached out to brush away the dirt

A large dagger hit the table a centimeter from her little finger, "Touch that and I'll take off your whole arm."

Cybelline closed her eyes and counted to ten, "What is it about the people here and cutting off people's body parts?" She wanted to know. "Like, is it a tradition or custom that I should also follow? "

The happy go lucky look on her face had changed, there was a coldness that the man had only seen in the cruelest warriors of the battle fields. 

She drew the dagger out of the wood easily, the blade was long as her forearm, "I played a lot with these when I was little." She began a series of complex twirls, the dagger whirling faster and faster in her hand, "So if you think you can cut off my arm before I take your head..."

She grinned savagely, "You're welcome to try."

She threw the dagger with inhumane speed at the man. He turned quickly to avoid it but no sooner had he done so, he was met with a swift kick to the chest. The mountain of a man fell back on the ground, a look of slight shock on his face.

"I'm sure you had a great time meeting me today." Cybelline said with a crooked smile, the careless congeniality back on her face again, "But let's just be friends at a distance."

The man looked at the small figure as it walked past him and down the road.

You went easy on him. The cat admonished. Time was you'd behead him had he shown such insolence towards you.

"I'm not going to go after a kid." Man replied as he got up and dusted his robes.

The cat looked at him with its piercing gaze, its eyes the same color as the gems, Jinon, that child is different. I can feel it in my bones.

The man barked a laugh, "You told me that there were no mice in the house, that you felt it in your bones. I found three eating my bed sheets when I got home." He muttered, "Useless cat, how can you be scare of mice?" He pointed to the house, "Go in there and catch them." 

As I recall, you were the one screaming and standing on the bed when you saw one. Then you ran into the mountains for six months. The cat retorted, while licking his paw.

Jinon glared at the cat, but the creature only turned around, his butt to the man, nice time for a nap. and disappeared into the leaves of the tree.

The man opened the package of food and grabbed a piece of bread. Sighing, he went inside to do battle with mice.