Wild One is a story of loss and love with a dark supernatural element sure to keep readers guessing. This story follows Bryt, a twenty-seven year old woman, who was banished from the kingdom where she was born after her family was ruthlessly murdered, to live a nomadic lifestyle outside the castle protection. The Regent who took control of the kingdom surely believes Bryt to be dead but death cannot hold her back from the vengeance she knows is necessary.
view more“Come on, Dyce, we have to hurry. They are gaining on us!” I whispered between shallow breaths. How could this have happened to us? I have to get him to safety.
We don’t have the time to devise a plan or figure out a strategy. Our parents' guards were closing in behind us; pushing us to keep running in the direction of the balcony. I knew we couldn't get stuck out there but every time I tried to move my brother and I around a corner we were met with full grown demons in royal armor charging us. I’ve not ever looked into eyes that were such deep yellow they reminded me of a curious cat playing with its food.
I snapped back into reality, realizing that we were just mere steps from the balcony. I couldn’t stop us. I started screaming. Begging to let my brother be set free. I stretched my arms out and had Dyce stand behind me. I wouldn’t let them hurt him. He was all I had left. Not him, please, not him. Take me.
One of the demons stretched out a fraile gaseous arm. It was strange, I thought to myself, how I felt as though the wind this high up should just blow the guards away. I attempted to block the arm however, it moved around my feeble flailing with great ease to grab my brother, raise him high, and throw him over the cliff. Tossed like a child’s doll over the railing. I don’t think I screamed anymore. I simply watched my brother plummet through the air to the sharpened spears below.
I sat straight up. Quickly catching my breath I checked my surroundings. Jace asleep by the fire, check. Roghd leaned, shoulder pressed upon a thick tree, keeping a lookout while we slept also, check.
“Good morning sweets’” Roghd smiled gently at me.
“Hey, did you get any rest?” I asked groggily.
“You betcha, I took the second watch, Jace did good.” He stated proudly
I wouldn’t be alive without them. Fifteen years had passed since I watched my family be annihilated within a single night. That night I turned from my brother’s fall to stare into the evil that was before me. To my astonishment, Dekk, my father’s regent, stood there face to face with me.
“I am sorry Bryt, it isn’t anything personal. It just happened that your father was a very secretive man. Oh my oh my oh my, when I discovered the secret!” he spat each word.
Dekk turned to his formless guard and commanded they take me outside the castle gates and leave me there to die.
Shaking my head I return to the present situation I am in. Saved by Roghd and his son Jace. Jace grabbed my arm just moments after the castle’s gates were shut on me. The father and son had been living in the oak savannah that surrounded the castle all their lives. As children Dyce and I were told not to engage with the “wild ones' ' who supported themselves without the need for “royal civility'. Those people were aimless wanderers who did nothing but take.
When they saved me, I didn’t see my rescue quite so clearly. I was angry and took it out on them. I had lost my family and my home. All that I had known in my twelve years of life was ripped from me before I had time to even blink. They were patient with me and gave me time to learn to love and trust them. I consider them an extension of my family now. For years after I was taught the life of the wild ones, a name the people of the land found very endearing, how they lived in unison with the land. Taking, yes, but always returning a part of themselves. No berry was picked without a seed being planted. That was the way of balance and peace. However, in order to maintain that balance, the wild ones realized that they could not live in large groups. They remained in small nomadic groups of two to five people. Never more or less. After many trials the people had learned that a person alone will eventually lose their mind but a group larger than five leads to unrest. Two to five people, most of the time, seemed to be the best range for survival and happiness.
Roghd would explain to me that their people were thrown from the kingdom more than 500 years ago. The quick eradication of these people from the palace walls all came from their unwillingness to cooperate with the kingdom’s demands. They simply believed in protecting our land above all else, above any monarchy, any rule. If I pressed as to what demands he spoke of I was told that the past should stay there. The brief history was concluded with: but we wouldn't want it any other way, we like keeping to ourselves.
I stand up and stretch my arms. Jace stirs and rolls to face Roghd and I.
“Morning” he says groggily
“Hey buddy, how did you sleep?” I ask
“Oh man I had the most insane dream…” I sit while he regales his nightmarish tale. I love this kid. When he grabbed my arm all those years prior I couldn’t help but leave with him. He was around the same age as the brother that I had just witnessed die. Jace looked at me with pleading eyes and I ran with him. Since that very moment I knew that I needed to protect him at all costs.
Vycer shifted uncomfortably in his shoes. "I....ah..." he pused his hands through his hair. I was right. Oh. My. Stars. I was right. "Spit it out. I know that you thought I would be easy to convince, didn't you? That I would fawn over you, that you could use your charm on me an dI would just cave. Fold into your arms and agree to anything, huh? Well, I assure you that I was raised stronger than that. I will not cave to you or your father. Is anything you said true?" I spat the last question to make sure my distain was clear. "Yes!" Vycer nearly shouted. "We would not lie to you. I would not lie about my torture. Everything we told you was true. The marriage we proposed is our best guess as to what your family, your father mainly, were trying to ultimately arrange. For what reason, we don't know. There is no political gain in marrying a Wild One and certainly your parents were not trying to gain control of my and my father's people. That would make less than no sense. We....broug
Did he forget that I used to live here? So, I play along and stride forward. This will be an easy endevor and if I am honest with myself I was exceptionally excited to embarrass him. It frustrated me that he thought me so little of me that he was convinced I was unable to make my way to the dinning hall. I stepped forward, Vycer's hands locked into mine. I hated that feeling. The feeling of interlaced fingers. Every part of my body wanted to rip my hand from his yet, I also found the warmth of his palms soothing, settling. So much different from the icy embrace that he sported just a day earlier. It very much reminded me of Jace. How he, and his people, always felt warm. It didn't matter what group of Wild Ones I encountered on my travels because they all emitted the same warmth. As if they could channel the heat of the sun into their hands. I had never met anyone who could embrace such a warmth while also being capable of such a deep chill. I shook my head. Stay focused. Alert
I looked up at him, lost in his gaze for only a moment until I snap myself back to reality. "Okay" is about all I can muster while still feeling confident in my voice. All I know is that I am completely drained of all energy and as guilty as it made me feel, I really just wanted to sleep. I used the last of my wit fighting over the stupid key. We both know his words were for show. I didn't have a choice. Vycer looked slightly, stunned, I think. He is a hard read. Always a pleasant smile placed upon his lips, neutral eyes leaving nothing but the world's best poker face. However, those neutral eyes widened momentarily upon my reply which leads me to believe he was not expecting my compliance. Maybe that is my out. "Okay" Vycer replied "I am glad that we can agree that arguing any longer would be pointless. I am exhausted. How about you?" "Totally" I say while adding an extra hint of sleepiness to my reply. I smile dryly. "I will see you in the morning, princess" he grabs my left
Vycer moved forward, trying to be mindful of Bryt's shorter gait. How could he convince her what she believed she knew to be true was not. If he had been in her shoes he wouldn't have believed it either. If someone that he knew to be his enemy was trying to tarnish his family's name...his thoughts trailed off as they came to a T in the castle. To the left was Bryt's room. To the right, a spare room Vyver had decided he would stay in until Bryt was ready to enter their shared quarters in the central tower of the castle. But he wouldn't rush her. She deserved the space. He was all to familiar how much deeper emotional wounds run. To expierence all the physical suffering in the world cannot compare to the depth of sorrow one can feel when they have been betrayed or when a loved one is taken from them. Vycer knew that pain well. The eternal blur life turns out to be once your choice is taken from you. He wouldn't do that to her. He couldn't take her choice. At least, she needed to believe
I stood there. Stunned. I took a long breath in."I am sure you have evidence of such an extraordinary claim? Surely you don't intend for me to believe you blindly?" I drag the words from my lips. I am very close to being done with this. I am ready to just leave it all here. To lunge across this room and grab Dekk by the throat and strangle the life from him. But I don't.Dekk looked down and it somehow seemed as though he got smaller. More frail. I couldn't quite pin point the emotion that was hanging in the air between us but I knew that he better get on with it. "I was informed by the kitchen staff they had heard screams coming from the depths of the castle, near where the potatoes are stored" he paused, "Naturally, I investigated with a group of guards. What we found was unimaginable. I couldn't stop my racing thoughts. How could they have hidden this? What was going on? And then I heard my son's small voice. Years earlier, he had gone missing, vanished, within the castle walls.
As we descended the dark stairs I was amazed that he continued to hold my hand in his. I wouldn’t even dare to admit to myself that I liked the feel of his cool fingers wrapped around mine. The cool touch reminded me of laying down in the morning grass, full of dew. Cool, refreshing, invigorating. I shook my head. Snap out of it, Bryt. Honestly. Anyway, what did he mean when he said that my father arranged this. Wanted this. I’ve never met this man. What is going on?“What did you mean when you said, my father wanted this?” I asked in the most neutral tone I could muster. “That will all come in time. You are special, my darling. There is no one in the world like you, let alone this kingdom, and together we will restore it to the glory it deserves. That you deserve. Now, come, let’s go see father.” And with that his pace quickened and I struggled to keep up. He moved gracefully. Effortless, as if floating above the ground. I was mesmerized by him. Watching him from behind, he wore sem
I jolted awake realizing that I must have slipped into a sleep. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Looking around I saw I was still alone, instead of the sun shining in through the window, I found a soft glow lighting only a small sliver of the rooms’ floor. A moment later Vycer appeared out of the shadow that darkened one corner of the room. “Feeling better, darling?” he softly askedI just looked at him. Was he there the entire time I slept? How did I not hear the door open?“May I leave?” I asked. He smiled gently and walked towards me. My gods, this man was what dreams were made of. I felt so nauseous even thinking that but my body would not listen to reason. I felt shivers run the length of my body and my jaw tighten. I couldn’t let him see my body’s desire. I need to get out of here. Before I could realize what was happening his large, rough hand was cupped around the base of my chin, tilting my eyes to him, as his other arm wrapped around my waist, dangerously low. His fingertips
Roghd crouched and began packing a small sack with a few seeds, some dried berries, salves made from herbs found throughout the forest, supplies to make a fire, and an extra set of clothes. He handed me the bag, his midnight eyes gave me a loving look saying everything words could not. I hugged him. “I love you.” “Blessed be” he softly stroked my hair I turned to Jace. He didn’t meet my eyes but he moved close to me and wrapped his arms around me. “You saved me. You’re the reason I woke up every morning. I will always think of you, bud. Be well and take care of your dad, okay?” He gave me one short but clear nod. Inching my way to the gates from out of the tree line I realized I was holding my breath. I had no idea how I would approach the gates. Did I need to identify myself? Will they recognize Bryt as the name of the former princess? Or would they think it just a coincidence? What should I call myself? I really didn’t think this through at all. But I was already making m
My head twisted left as I heard the sound of heavy stone grappling with the solid ground. I had never heard anything quite like that sound. Interesting, I wonder what it could be. “I haven’t heard the kingdom gates open since the day we found you, I am curious as to why they are opening it now after all these years” Roghd stated openly. The gates. The kingdom was opening. Secretly, I had been preparing for this day. I wanted nothing more than to sneak back into the guarded walls and find the vengeance I so deserved. I have spent countless days and more sleepless nights than I could count dreaming of the day I would face Dekk again and watch the life drain from his eyes just as he forced me to witness the very same of my family. I knew at that moment, I had to go back. I was so eternally grateful for the newfound family I had found in Jace and Roghd but I had to go back. How could I leave them? I had to protect Jace. I couldn’t abandon him after he and his father risked their ver
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