When Morning Breaks
Chapter 3
Claudis didn’t stop shoving Draven till they were off the top floor. They marched through the sea of souls in the halls.
“Ouch! You bloody goat-fucker, that was my foot!”
“Sorry Ozzy!!” Claudis called. Draven followed, he gazed at all the souls around him but couldn’t stand idol because Claudis would pull his arm, dragging him towards the large stone doors which exited out on to the misty, cold terrain. As Claudis and Draven approached, two large stone gargoyles that stood on each side of the door sprung to life and pulled open the heavy entry. Claudis dug his nails into Draven's arm and dragged him out the door. The two large slabs of grey stone shut behind them and Claudis let go of the youth.
“You…” his tone was angered and he gritted his teeth.
“I wasn’t near he…”
“SHUT UP!!!” his voice ran out through the empty landscape. “I don’t want to hear another word from you. If you dare go near the mistress again…”
“You do know she hates being called that?! Right?!” Draven smiled at the expression on Claudis's face. His mouth hung open and he glanced to each side. Taking a long, deep, calming breath.
“Listen!!” his voice was full of detest and his glare could kill. Draven glanced his eyes above and was greeted with a sharp hit over the head. “Look!! I don’t want…mutants like you poisoning her mind. In fact, I don’t want you near her at all!” Draven pushed Claudis away. Needless to say Claudis was one in the majority who hated those like him, he detested everything about him.
“Do you look like her father?!” Draven hissed. The words were slow and cutting. Claudis's look angered.
“I'm sickened…” he huffed. “…to think that we even breath the same air! And I never want you or any of the likes of you to darken the mistresses life again!” Claudis went to turn away. Draven just laughed.
“So…old man. You think that you with your bent legs and bowed back can stop me from seeing my friend?!” Claudis looked behind.
“I don’t think, Mr. Draven! I know!!” The doors opened on front of him but he didn’t go in yet. “You understand that she’s to be wed!” His tone was mocking and it made Draven's blood boil. He decided not to grace the question with an answer. “Yes!” Claudis repeated. “She's to be wed to one of a high rank so obviously…your attempts are futile!” with a mocking laugh, Claudis left Draven out alone in the terrain, the only person in the whole realm outside the palace walls.
He ran a hand up his arm, grasping for warmth. His footsteps were crisp and loud, echoing into the still air, still clouded with mist. Draven, not wanting to put his body through the pure torture of another transformation, walked along the edge of the palace till he came to the south-east wall. He gazed up at the large window on the top floor and smiled when he saw the curtains move. It was a sad smile but it accompanied him as he turned from the bastion and began to walk away.
A small droplet of water ran down his cheek while another hit his forehead. Quickly the few drops were followed by a large shower. The beads fell hard and hurt when they made contact, Draven was drenched within seconds.
Great, he thought now she's upset. He felt it himself as he marched away from where he most wanted to be. Arriving at his destination he met another figure, another of the few kept out of the castle.
“Draven?!!” The hunched figure straightened up and looked to the youth. Draven shook his head of the wet and forced a smile at the man.
“Father!” Drake embraced his son and held him at arms length.
“You’re drenched!!” he sighed. Drake’s voice was cracking as he talked. He looked like his son but much older and his eyes were almost black, not sparkling green like Dravens. His previously black hair was speckled with grey and his face was lined with wrinkles. His large wings were the same as his sons, large, black and skeleton like. But his horns stretched out and down, covering some of his face, not like Draven's which weren’t long but they were incredibly twisted. Draven apologized to his father, his head was lowered and he didn’t meet his eyes. It was too obvious to Drake that something was wrong with his son.
“What's wrong?!” he asked. Draven shook his head.
“Nothing! Nothing!” he smiled a false, bright smile. His happy exterior didn’t fool his father who looked at him thoughtfully. Draven pulled away from Drake's grasp and walked away from his father. “Err……there-there letting souls into the palace!” He said, glad to change the subject.
“Ohh!” his father grinned. “So you were at the palace?!”
“You should try to get in!” Draven still didn’t look at his father and tried to ignore him but he could sense his fathers’ content smile on his back. “They won't let me in…obviously. But they have no true reason to deny you access!” Drake knew what this babbling meant. His son was at the palace, but not to get away from the horrid barren land.
“Did you see her?!” Drake asked. Draven's chatter grew quicker and he walked around swiftly. Drake's smile widened. He had always taken great pride in the fact that the princess had taken a fancy to his son even if it was disguised as a simple friendship he knew his son loved the woman more that any other of her servants.
“…so why not?!” Draven finally turned to glance at his father.
“Why not what?!” Drake asked.
“Go to the castle!! They have no reason to refuse you!!” His father smiled.
“Would you come too?!” Draven shook his head.
“N-no! I don’t want to, it would be too crowded.” Drake looked thoughtfully at his son.
“But…you'd be able to see Felony!!” At the mention of her name he saw Draven's face light up but he glanced to his side.
“No! please, you go.” He insisted. Drake turned to look at the castle.
“There's no guarantee I'll be accepted!” he said dreamily. Draven just nodded, keen for his father to go so he could be alone. “But I suppose it's better than being out here. And…and you’re sure you’re fine!”
“Yes!” Draven's tone was almost pleading and his father sensed his son’s eagerness. He nodded and smiled.
“Ok! I'll be back if they kick me out.” Readying his wings, Drake bent his legs and took off in a cloud of dust. Draven looked out from under the large slap of black rock. It was incredibly dry under the rock, rain fell hard, creating a curtain outside. The grey was broken only by the black silhouette of a palace in the background. Small light shone in the windows, flickering slightly as the candles; which caused the glares, danced in the wind.
Draven guided his eyes to the highest light and gazed at it silently. Wondering silently whether Felony still sat by the window gazing out through the rain looking for him. He brushed the wet hair which was plastered against his forehead away from his eyes and thought about Claudis. She's to be wed to one of a high rank so obviously…your attempts are futile! Draven's thoughts drifted back to the castle, back to the room when he held her. She had never looked at him that way before. Despite hiding obvious feelings, in spite of crushing all useless hope, in that one moment he felt as if he had a chance. Now it was gone again.
“Why?” he muttered. “Why can't I just up and tell her?!”
“Ouch! You bloody goat-fucker, that was my foot!”
“Sorry Ozzy!!” Claudis called. Draven followed, he gazed at all the souls around him but couldn’t stand idol because Claudis would pull his arm, dragging him towards the large stone doors which exited out on to the misty, cold terrain. As Claudis and Draven approached, two large stone gargoyles that stood on each side of the door sprung to life and pulled open the heavy entry. Claudis dug his nails into Draven's arm and dragged him out the door. The two large slabs of grey stone shut behind them and Claudis let go of the youth.
“You…” his tone was angered and he gritted his teeth.
“I wasn’t near he…”
“SHUT UP!!!” his voice ran out through the empty landscape. “I don’t want to hear another word from you. If you dare go near the mistress again…”
“You do know she hates being called that?! Right?!” Draven smiled at the expression on Claudis's face. His mouth hung open and he glanced to each side. Taking a long, deep, calming breath.
“Listen!!” his voice was full of detest and his glare could kill. Draven glanced his eyes above and was greeted with a sharp hit over the head. “Look!! I don’t want…mutants like you poisoning her mind. In fact, I don’t want you near her at all!” Draven pushed Claudis away. Needless to say Claudis was one in the majority who hated those like him, he detested everything about him.
“Do you look like her father?!” Draven hissed. The words were slow and cutting. Claudis's look angered.
“I'm sickened…” he huffed. “…to think that we even breath the same air! And I never want you or any of the likes of you to darken the mistresses life again!” Claudis went to turn away. Draven just laughed.
“So…old man. You think that you with your bent legs and bowed back can stop me from seeing my friend?!” Claudis looked behind.
“I don’t think, Mr. Draven! I know!!” The doors opened on front of him but he didn’t go in yet. “You understand that she’s to be wed!” His tone was mocking and it made Draven's blood boil. He decided not to grace the question with an answer. “Yes!” Claudis repeated. “She's to be wed to one of a high rank so obviously…your attempts are futile!” with a mocking laugh, Claudis left Draven out alone in the terrain, the only person in the whole realm outside the palace walls.
He ran a hand up his arm, grasping for warmth. His footsteps were crisp and loud, echoing into the still air, still clouded with mist. Draven, not wanting to put his body through the pure torture of another transformation, walked along the edge of the palace till he came to the south-east wall. He gazed up at the large window on the top floor and smiled when he saw the curtains move. It was a sad smile but it accompanied him as he turned from the bastion and began to walk away.
A small droplet of water ran down his cheek while another hit his forehead. Quickly the few drops were followed by a large shower. The beads fell hard and hurt when they made contact, Draven was drenched within seconds.
Great, he thought now she's upset. He felt it himself as he marched away from where he most wanted to be. Arriving at his destination he met another figure, another of the few kept out of the castle.
“Draven?!!” The hunched figure straightened up and looked to the youth. Draven shook his head of the wet and forced a smile at the man.
“Father!” Drake embraced his son and held him at arms length.
“You’re drenched!!” he sighed. Drake’s voice was cracking as he talked. He looked like his son but much older and his eyes were almost black, not sparkling green like Dravens. His previously black hair was speckled with grey and his face was lined with wrinkles. His large wings were the same as his sons, large, black and skeleton like. But his horns stretched out and down, covering some of his face, not like Draven's which weren’t long but they were incredibly twisted. Draven apologized to his father, his head was lowered and he didn’t meet his eyes. It was too obvious to Drake that something was wrong with his son.
“What's wrong?!” he asked. Draven shook his head.
“Nothing! Nothing!” he smiled a false, bright smile. His happy exterior didn’t fool his father who looked at him thoughtfully. Draven pulled away from Drake's grasp and walked away from his father. “Err……there-there letting souls into the palace!” He said, glad to change the subject.
“Ohh!” his father grinned. “So you were at the palace?!”
“You should try to get in!” Draven still didn’t look at his father and tried to ignore him but he could sense his fathers’ content smile on his back. “They won't let me in…obviously. But they have no true reason to deny you access!” Drake knew what this babbling meant. His son was at the palace, but not to get away from the horrid barren land.
“Did you see her?!” Drake asked. Draven's chatter grew quicker and he walked around swiftly. Drake's smile widened. He had always taken great pride in the fact that the princess had taken a fancy to his son even if it was disguised as a simple friendship he knew his son loved the woman more that any other of her servants.
“…so why not?!” Draven finally turned to glance at his father.
“Why not what?!” Drake asked.
“Go to the castle!! They have no reason to refuse you!!” His father smiled.
“Would you come too?!” Draven shook his head.
“N-no! I don’t want to, it would be too crowded.” Drake looked thoughtfully at his son.
“But…you'd be able to see Felony!!” At the mention of her name he saw Draven's face light up but he glanced to his side.
“No! please, you go.” He insisted. Drake turned to look at the castle.
“There's no guarantee I'll be accepted!” he said dreamily. Draven just nodded, keen for his father to go so he could be alone. “But I suppose it's better than being out here. And…and you’re sure you’re fine!”
“Yes!” Draven's tone was almost pleading and his father sensed his son’s eagerness. He nodded and smiled.
“Ok! I'll be back if they kick me out.” Readying his wings, Drake bent his legs and took off in a cloud of dust. Draven looked out from under the large slap of black rock. It was incredibly dry under the rock, rain fell hard, creating a curtain outside. The grey was broken only by the black silhouette of a palace in the background. Small light shone in the windows, flickering slightly as the candles; which caused the glares, danced in the wind.
Draven guided his eyes to the highest light and gazed at it silently. Wondering silently whether Felony still sat by the window gazing out through the rain looking for him. He brushed the wet hair which was plastered against his forehead away from his eyes and thought about Claudis. She's to be wed to one of a high rank so obviously…your attempts are futile! Draven's thoughts drifted back to the castle, back to the room when he held her. She had never looked at him that way before. Despite hiding obvious feelings, in spite of crushing all useless hope, in that one moment he felt as if he had a chance. Now it was gone again.
“Why?” he muttered. “Why can't I just up and tell her?!”