Old as Balls Highschool Creative Writing Assignment. Enjoy.

“Wipe that look off your face, boy. You’ll be the proud ruler of a country in a few hours, you need to look it.” A harsh voice snapped Adriel back into reality. Sitting across from him the plush and comfortable horse carriage was his father, wearing a rather irritated scowl on his face. The coach was currently trekking through the vast lush forest of LeDale onward to Kaerin. “And for Goodness sake leave your sleeves be!” The man glared at Adriel’s sleeves wear the young noble was nervously fiddling with the cuff buttons, a very bad habit of his that got his father and his seamstress rather annoyed. Adriel halfheartedly put his hands in his lap. “I apologize. This… just isn’t what I expected.” Adriel replied trying not to let off the emotion of helplessness around father. The said man merely snorted and looked at his son. “That much is obvious. You haven’t said a word since we left the Empire.” His father sighed and ran a hand through his short auburn hair. “You need to man up Adriel. This is life. Sometimes you are forced to do things that you don’t like. Have you thought I’ve always wanted to be in the family business as a debt collector? No, but I’ve learned to bear it, even enjoy it some. You will thank me later for this.”

Adriel frowned and thought about those words. That was probably the closest thing he would ever get out of his father saying that he cared for him. He only wanted what was best he supposed, and for the King to not see him as a threat. “Father-”, Adriel was suddenly cut off at the sound of the carriage horses unhinged and galloping away. Before he could even question their driver, the carriage swung harshly and upturned on its side in mere seconds. His father let out a startled shout; the two were tumbled and knocked around, abruptly coming to a stop against something solid. The sickening crack of wood rang through Adriel’s ears, the carriage tearing a part from the impact. It was eerily silent, except for the squeaks of the upturned wheels still spinning on the coach. Then the voices came, excited and eager voices, neared them. The form next to him which he assumed his father had already begun to move and opened the damaged carriage door roughly and climbed out. “What in Heiyawna’s name do you think you are doing?! What is the meaning of this?!” His father’s voice boomed and Adriel could faintly hear the dragging of metal, no doubt his father drawing his short sword that he kept with himself at all times.

Adriel began to finally clear his head of dizziness and slowly sat up looking around. The coach was turned on its side and everything looked a mess. Tilting his head he looked up to see the carriage door, only to be grabbed by a pair of hands. Adriel quickly found himself tugged roughly out of the carriage and thrown to the ground. “Leave the boy! Your grudge is with me!” Adriel lifted his head seeing a scary sight. His father was surrounded by eight rugged looking men, all weapons drawn. The man who had grabbed him out of the coach was right next to Adriel, sword pointed at the young noble’s back. “You are in no position to talk, Vincent Thanatos. He’s much apart of the situation as you are. He’s a soon to be ruler now, is he not?” the man smirked his brown eyes flashing with a killing intent as his sword neared closer to Adriel’s neck while the men surrounded his father and confiscated his weapon. Adriel was in confusion and shock. Just what were they talking about? And why were these men out to harm them? Actually, when he though about it, it was pretty obvious for the second question. Adriel’s family was aligned with the King of the Empire supporting in all his decisions, not to mention his family was debt collectors and have ruined many businesses and homes because of it.

Returning back to the present, Adriel watched in surprise as the tall man pulled his sword away from his neck. “He’s of more use alive right now, at least for the moment. You on the other hand are a mere hindrance and bad memory.” His father looked the man right and the eyes and blinked before speaking in that serious tone of his. “I remember you… I would never forget that face. Two years ago, an immigrant from Kaerin asked for a loan. And wasted that and all his savings gambling-” “Shut Up! It was your fault! I asked you for more time! You ruined me! My wife, my home, my pride… All of it was taken away from me!” The man had, in his fit of rage pointed his weapon to the accuser, walking towards him steadily. “Kill me if you wish, it won’t change anything.” Vincent Thanatos stated boldly head held high. A small glint in his eyes was seen when he looked toward Adriel and back at the man. “You’ll simply die from your own foolishness.” It seemed the thin thread of patience the man possessed had snapped from those sharp comments. With no thought in his actions, he lunged forwards, before any of his men realized what he was doing. It all happened so quick that Adriel stared at the scene for a few moments before understanding what had transpired. The man had a sneering triumphant look of satisfaction, hand firmly gripped on the hilt of his blade, while the metal spiked through the back of his paralyzed father.

Vincent lifted his gaze away from the seeping wound in his chest to look in the eyes of his attacker. “Feel…any better?” He mumbled weakly and slumped against the sword. His killer frowned and withdrew his sword from the man and watched as he fell to the Earth. “FATHER!” Adriel yelled and scrambled to get to the bloodied figure but was suddenly restrained by a pair of hands. He looked behind him a noticed a new group of men enter the forest clearing. A fierce man emerged from the group, decked in worn plate armor and a broadsword. “What the Hell is going on here Scelt?! I leave you to do one simple kidnapping and you killed a man!” the man hollered making the once dangerous group meek as mice. Adriel took the distraction as a chance and freed himself from his captor bolting to his father. The noble tried to hold back his tears as he looked at the man who had been there all his life. Sure they were never as close as he was to his mother, but he was still his family and the man he looked up to. Adriel felt an unimaginable rage at ‘Scelt’ and turned his head to glare at the man, only to see him getting verbally assaulted by the fierce looking man. “I’ve had it with you Scelt, you’ve always let your emotions get the best of you!” The man rubbed a hand to his temples and sighed. “At least you didn’t kill the boy, you good for nothing waste of air.” With that said, the fierce man began to walk towards Adriel. The young noble held his ground as he stood. He expected a fight, maybe some taunting, instead he got something totally unexpected.

“Will you join the Rebellion?” Adriel blinked taking a few moments to comprehend the sentence before looking at the man questioningly. “And why should I? I’m apart of the Empire, your enemy. Besides, I would be no use. I know little to nothing about the King.” The man just smiled an expression that looked a little creepy coming from one so intimidating. “Oh we have use for you. You see, Adriel Thanatos, we have been watching you for a rather long time, about three years give or take. We know your habits, your schedule, and your …views on the King. We even know about your little compulsive twitch.” The man spoke cheerily like nothing was wrong about sending spies to stalk someone. Adriel on the other hand was rather disturbed. How could they know so much? “…Why?” Adriel managed to stammer out.

“Why you ask? Because of what you know of course! You may not know the King like a brother but you certainly know the palace and layout of the Empire Capital. You know how to blend in with the people; you see the situation with every angle. Not to mention you have never really liked the ‘system’ of ruling and ‘treaties’ the Empire has. You want to help people and you see the war and take over of countries wrong. There are very few people like you Adriel Thanatos and I’m not ashamed to say we need you on our side…What do you say?” The man seemed to have said this all in one breath, a small shine of hope on his face. Adriel thought over the man’s words carefully. Either the man was very good a manipulation or he was speaking from his heart. Needless to say, Adriel was a bit torn at what to do. He highly doubted the King would welcome him back with open arms, seeing as by now with the sun high in the sky, he had missed his own wedding. The only regret he had was his mother who was all alone at the manor. A few more moments of deep pondering and he soon made up his mind. “I’m in.” Adriel started, making the man before him grin like and idiot. “But…one two conditions: My mother must leave the Empire, and I wish to avenge my father.” He stared the man right in the eye in a way that told him he would not back down from his request.

“Hmmm, that can be arranged. I can gather a few men to escort your mother. As for the revenge…Are you sure? I mean…” he looked back at Scelt who was eavesdropping nervously not to far away. “I don’t like the man any more than you do but he’s an extremely skilled fighter. You and I both know you are… a beginner in that skill area.” Adriel didn’t budge on the matter and the man sighed giving a weak smile. “Dorien Vaskael Leader of the Rebellion, welcome to the club Adriel.” Adriel gave a small smile which soon turned to curiosity when Dorien took a short sword from the side of his hip and place it in the noble’s hands. “Didn’t think you would kill him with your bare hands did ya?” the Rebellion Leader chuckled. “Scelt!” he suddenly shouted making the man jumped and realized what the man was about to say but didn’t stick around to here it. Scelt drew his sword and sprinted out of the clearing Adriel right on his heels. “Have fun!” Dorien called out with a chuckle and looked at the rest of his team who were eyeing him like he was a nutter. “What?”

“You just sent a boy with no fighting skills to go out and avenge his father’s killer, who is one of the most skilled swordsmen here!” one of them called out. “I thought you said you needed him? What could is he if you kill him now?” “Oh he’ll be fine” Dorien waved his hand dismissively. "Think of it this way: if the kid makes it in one piece he'll be of even more use of us." Meanwhile Adriel was closing in on his target. Scelt may have been a great swordsman but he was no runner. But he was sly, for just when Adriel got within grabbing distance of the man, Scelt whipped around and stopped abruptly. If it wasn't for Adriel tripping on a tree root and avoiding the blow he wood have impaled himself onto Scelt's weapon. The young noble quickly recovered and raised his sword for the next blow. The swing was ungodly strong and Adriel barely had the strength and skill to keep his sword from flying out of his hands. 'I need to find a clearing...' he thought panicky realizing just how stupid it was to fight in a forest. So inch by inch he fought and parried each swing of the skilled Scelt's sword, slowly taking them out of the woods and to a rocky cliff side. If Adriel had the time to notice, he would realize that this particular cliff side was part of the Canyon of Lost Souls, a rather morbid, sorrowful, and ironic landmark.

But he had no time seeing as he was dogging swings that could have his head lopped off. At one particular parry, Adriel with his ever so elegant poise tripped yet again, this time falling right on his butt next to the ledge, breath knocked out of him. Scelt took this chance with pleasure and charged straight at Adriel planning to strike him for sure this time. But Adriel and his miraculous luck moved just in time to dodge the blade by inches and tripping the man with his foot he swung out, Scelt's eyes widening realizing it was too late as he plummeted into the canyon. It took a few moments to catch his breath as Adriel looked down at the never ending Canyon. Everything slowly began to sink in. His father's last words flashed back into his mind 'Feel any better?' he had said. Now he understood what he meant. He felt the same, if anything he felt even worse. This didn't reverse his father's passing; it just made him just as bad as Scelt. The tears he promised he wouldn't cry slowly began to fall and hit the earthy ground. He stayed there and cried until the sun set. That was how the Rebellion found him, in the exact same spot. By then he had ceased his crying motivated himself to move on as much as it pained him. He needed to look strong and do what he promised to. Today he would start his new life as an enemy of the Empire. I AM SO SORRY FOR BUMPING THE THREAD SO MUCH TRYING TO POST THIS ALL CUZ OF THE DUMB CHARACTER COUNT LIMIT QA Q And that's as far as I got! Enjoyed? Liked? Hated? WTFed? Me too. Me toooo~ However I still like the concept and still remember where I was going with it so I may continue it. c: