Pyren: Lost Paradise

I woke up in a dark room, covered with cobwebs and bones. It was revolting. I started to panic and did the first thing that came to mind; bang on the bars and scream for help. After a few minutes my throat started to hurt and no one had come. After a few more minutes I could barely speak and still no one had made any attempt to help me. I thought maybe if repeatedly hit the bar I could break them, I mean they looked pretty old. Even that didn't work. Sore and defeated, I leaned back against the stone wall.

“How do we know he isn't a spy?”
“We don't.”
“Exactly, we should kill him right here and now.”
“We don't know if he was just a wanderer and if he wa-”
“But what if he works for the ShadowClan? We can't take that chance.”
Were they talking about me? I haven't done anything wrong, and I've never heard of the “ShadowClan”. I tried leaning closer to the wall, but it seemed that the two men had stopped talking. Relaxing, I realized how exhausted I was. Curling up in a ball, I lay on my side and fell asleep.

I woke up to a blinding light pouring in the room to the left of me, or right, I couldn't tell. I looked up to see a man in some sort of uniform opening my cell door. Thinking I was free I ran at the door, suddenly, he brandished a sword and aimed right at my neck.
“Halt! If you dare come any closer, I will be forced to kill you on this very spot.”
“But why?! What have I ever done to you?!”
“This isn't about me, it's about you, and your meeting with the prince!”
Prince? I was going to meet a prince? Do I know him? Wait...I don't know anybody except this rude guard of some sort.
“Got it? Now come with me, and while you are being escorted to the courthouse, you are not allowed to touch anything or talk to anyone. Is this clear?”
“Clear as mud” I mumbled.
“EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?!”
“nothing nothing.” This guy has some anger management problems.
As he led me out of the cellar I got to see how magnificent this place really was. The walls must have be pure marble, or something that was as smooth as marble. Lights hung overhead with such an ambient glow that the place seemed...romantic almost. At a closer inspection I realized that they were lamps, which surprised me. Did these people know of electricity? Wait, what IS electricity?
All I know is that it makes lights turn on. The floor tiles were as smooth as the worlds finest silk. Unlike the rugged cobblestone in the cellar.

As we turned the corner, I finally saw more people, yes alive, in-the-flesh people. Not just skeletons forever grinning in the cellar. I opened my mouth to try and communicate with them and instantly the guard was in front of me, blocking my way. “I thought I said you were NOT to speak to anybody!” he shouted, spraying spit all over my face. “Well yo-” I shut up because out of the corner of my eye I saw the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Turning so I could better view, I saw that she had flowing brown hair, and two pink flowers in her hair. I must have been staring because the guard whacked me on the head with him fist. Suddenly a flood of memories came rushing back to me.
A man, tall and slender, firing arrow after arrow,
A woman, agile yet powerful, dousing flames with buckets of water,
and a boy, haunted, throwing fire at a house.
Is that me I wondered? Did I set my own house on fire? Suddenly, another wave of thoughts washed over my mind. This time, it was filled with “common knowledge”. I must have fell on the floor because when I refocused, the guard was roughly yanking me off the ground.

“Aye, you...whatever your name is”
“Pyren” The name just seemed right, like it fit.
“All right errmm Pyren, now listen, you may be a convict, but if you ever get out of here alive...that is not the girl you want to pick.”
“What? I h-h-have noooo idea what your talking about” I said...god...who am I kidding, I HAVE to find out who she is.
“Alright then, here we are...the courthouse.” He said stopping in front of a pair of double doors. “This?!” I was shocked, these doors were a lot smaller than I expected, he barely fit through them. This courthouse must be a broom closet. Following him, I realized how wrong I was.

The courthouse was insanely large, bigger than any building I've ever seen before. It's roof must have been at least 50 feet tall, arching in the shape of a triangle. Glinting glass panes were on both sides of the roof, letting light stream down from above. I spun in a circle. All the walls were decorated with awards, probably high ranked soldiers or something. The bleachers....oak, and pine wood mixed together for the perfect chocolatey combination. They went around is a complete circle, surrounding the podium. Sitting on them were about 300 hundred people, all murmuring amongst themselves.

In the center of the bleachers, was a podium. Made of koa wood, encrusted with glistening sapphires and diamonds. A phrase was embroidered on the podium 'The fires of hate will not outshine hope'. Suddenly I got a tingly feeling, as if I had seen, or heard, that somewhere before. A man separated himself from the rest of the people. He was tall...maybe about 6 feet. He had a hint of a beard, looking freshly shaved. “That there is the kings younger brother, the prince.” the guard whispered quietly to me. The prince? He looked more like a commoner. However, when he held up his hand for silence, everyone obeyed. “We are here today, to inspect a boy who was found inside the claimed land of our faction!” he squeaked out. His voice barely reaching the last rows. “May he please step forward.”

The guard who escorted me was now gone, and another grabbed me by the elbow and practically dragged me to the center of the stage, close enough to the podium that I could touch it. “I, as prince Adam, declare this boys punishment to be death!” He shouted. “Wait what? You have no proof that I'm a criminal.” I retorted. “Do you have any proof that your not a criminal.” He retorted back. Damn, he was annoying...and right. “No? All right, he execution will be held in three hours at the courtyard...make sure all of you are there to witness...this show.” Is this what I was to them? A show??? I was about to protest but a man grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me back to my cell.