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Chapter 8

My body caved forwards from the pain and weight. I looked at the mother and children who looked back at me with horrified expressions. Yet, even in her horror, the mother seemed relieved. I could feel the strength slowly leaving my body. Blood dripped from my head and splattered on the ground, forming a puddle at my feet.

Just how much blood have I lost? I could tell that a number of my bones have been broken if not shattered. The building shifted and forced me closer to the ground.

“Get out of here!” I painstakingly yelled.

“But what about you Sir?” the mother asked, concerned.

I gritted my teeth, “You are a mother, your first concern is your children. Now go!”

She nodded and quickly led her terrified children from underneath the building. I sighed in relief, at least they are safe now. But, is this how I die for good? Piercing through the thought, I heard the voice of Asmara. Asmara, now back in her original form, ran to me.

“What are you doing?! The public will see your true form!” I yelled.

She shook her head, “I don’t care! I will not let you die!”

She moved back and got on her hind legs, placing her front legs against the building. She pushed and lifted the building off of my body. As the weight abandoned me, I collapsed immediately from exhaustion.

“Crow! Get up and move!” Asmara yelled.

I weakly nodded and forced myself to stand up. Pain shot through me, but I ignored it as I made my way out from underneath the building. As soon as I was away, I collapsed back on the ground. The mother that I had protected ran to me with cloth. She began wrapping my head as I watched Asmara maneuver out from under the building.

With nothing to hold it up, the building collapsed, sending out a dust cloud and debris. Asmara landed on the ground and rushed to me.

“Crow! Just hold on! I’ll… get you… help…” She said, her words fading.

My vision dimmed as I couldn’t hold on anymore. As my consciousness sunk deeper, all I could think of was that family. Before I had realized it, I was completely submerged in the darkness.

In that darkness, I saw that woman and those children from my dream; the ones that took control of my thoughts earlier. I felt a sense of longing and sadness as I looked upon their blurred out faces. They held their hands out to me and as I reached my own out to them, they were snatched away by the darkness. They left me behind; left me alone to suffer from this misery that threatened to consume my whole being.

I squinted my heavy and tired eyes and was blinded by a bright light. I reached up to shield my eyes from it and noticed I was crying. I quickly wiped those tears away and waited for my eyes to adjust. I blinked rapidly and soon saw I was in a room. I looked around and fear enveloped me. Asmara was nowhere in sight!

My body felt stiff and sore as I tried to set up. Pain shot through my limbs, making me wince. I took a deep breath to steady myself and pushed myself up with my arms. I looked around the room; trying to discern where I was. My last memory was of laying on the ground, about to pass out.

So, where was I now? The walls of the room were a bland, cream color. I swung my legs over the bed and stood. My legs felt numb and prickly. They were so weak they had begun shaking under my weight. I hunched down, supporting myself with the bed. I, slowly but surely, walked to the window that was my source of light.

I looked out and saw I was in the castle. What was I doing here?The sunlight was bright, and made my head throb slightly. I turned and went to sit back down on my bed. My hands were shaking, but I couldn’t tell if it was from worry or just my strength being gone. I took many deep breaths to calm my racing heart and focused on the connection between Asmara and I.

I could feel her emotions strongly, her concern for me, but she was overall fine. I furrowed my brows, something was preventing me from communicating with her. I tried harder, sending my thoughts out to her, but was met with silence. I sighed as I looked down at myself. My arms and legs were covered in bandages, as was my abdomen.

It wasn’t a surprise, afterall, I prevented a two story building from falling. It was more surprising that I was alive. Just how was I able to do that? Am I even human? A click sounded out, alerting me. I looked up towards the door and saw the knob turning. I hurriedly got back in bed despite my protesting body.. I closed my eyes just as someone came in.

“He still isn’t up,” a man’s voice said.

“No, Your Majesty, he’s been like this for three days already, what if he doesn’t wake up,” another said.

Three days? It feels like only a few hours have passed. More importantly, why was the king himself concerned for my well-being? My curiosity made it hard to fake being asleep, but if they knew I was awake, they’d be careful about what they said.

“Your Majesty, why have you allowed the griffin to be locked up so close to it’s master? What if he commands it to break free?” the voice continued, worry clear in their tone. Griffin? They have to be talking about Asmara.

“Leon,” the King said sharply, “Neither the Griffin nor its Beast Tamer pose any harm at the moment. Not only do we have a magical device to prevent the master communicating with the beast, the master himself is in a comatose state. When he wakes, be sure to come inform me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Leon said.

Their footsteps faded as they left the room, closing the door. I peaked my eyes open just to be sure, and upon seeing no one I sat up again. My body felt less stiff after moving a bit, but I still felt very weak. My shaking hands were proof of that. I got up once more and started stretching. I needed to loosen up my muscles after sleeping for three days.

My thoughts wandered, what would the king want to talk to me about? Does it have to do with recent events? I sighed as I hung my head low. I have many unanswered questions, but what’s more important now is getting Asmara released. I have an idea of where she is, solely because I can faintly sense her, but it could be risky.

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There are bound to be knights guarding her. Not to mention, I’m sure there are knights guarding me. No, I’m positive there are some guarding me. I looked from the door to the window. I have two options, either get back in bed and call out for someone, or risk trying to get out of the window and injuring myself more. I looked out the window, I was about three stories up.

I sighed before getting back in bed. I had to make sure to put on a good act to fool them.

I cleared my throat, “H-hello?”

I waited a few seconds, but I didn’t get a response. Is no one at my door after all? I shook my head slightly, let’s just call out a little louder.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” I called out with more vigor than before. I heard movement from beyond the door and then it opened. A knight came in and looked me over before turning his head back, “Go inform Sir Leon that the Beast Tamer is awake.”

I was confused at first until I saw someone pass behind him. It must’ve been another knight put there to guard me.

I furrowed my brows, “Uh, who are you?”

“I am a knight in service of His Majesty, the King. That is all you need to know,” He replied sternly.

“Can you at least tell me where I am?” I asked, sitting up.

“You are in the infirmary at the King’s Castle,” He answered bluntly.

I sighed, clearly this guy isn’t going to crack. I decided to focus my attention on the window as I waited. I couldn’t help but to feel awkward, but finally that awkwardness was broken.

“You may go,” a familiar voice said.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave now,” the knight said before leaving the room. Two figures filled the doorway, one of which I recognized immediately. I leaned over to show a sign of respect despite my ever growing headache.

“There is no need for that,” he said.

“Your Majesty, if you don’t mind me asking, why am I here?” I asked.

The man next to him casted a cold gaze towards me but said nothing.

King Nikolas raised his hand and the man left the room, shutting the door.

I couldn’t help but to stare at him, confused.

“I had you brought here after the terrorist attack,” He answered.

“I thank Your Majesty for your kindness, but why to your own personal infirmary?” I questioned.

He stared at me for the longest, “There is much we need to discuss and I have a story I’d like to tell you about.”

“A story?” I inquired, blinking rapidly

“Yes, I believe it’ll be very beneficial for you if you are who I think you are.” He replied.

I just stared at him in silence. I really didn’t want to listen to a story; I just wanted to get straight to the point. He pulled a chair up and sat near my bed.

“A little over twenty years ago,” He said, taking my silence as a sign to start, “there was a noble family that was in service to the previous King, my father. They were unlike any other nobles, having sworn their allegiance to the lineage of Eskian kings. They were a family of Beast Tamers, powerful ones for that matter. This family was the Alistairs.”

“Your Majesty, why tell me about them? Is it because I am also a Beast Tamer?” I asked, hopeful to learn about this mysterious family of Beast Tamers.

He nodded before continuing, “But even among them there was one person who stood above the family. A prodigy of prodigies, one of the most powerful Beast Tamers in our country, not to mention the world. This prodigy tamed dangerous and high-ranking beasts as a child. He was the first born son of the Alistairs.”

I winced as a pain shot through my head, all of this feels familiar, but at the same time, it doesn’t. I felt like I had two conflicting sides that refused to merge in my head. I rested my head in my hands, trying to will the pain away.

“Something the matter?” King Nikolas asked.

I looked back up at him, “I’m sorry Your Majesty, I just have a very bad headache.”

“Crow, do you know who the person I’m talking about is?” He asked.

His question was strange and left me pondering, “I don’t understand what you're trying to say, Your Majesty.”

“I see, well then let me continue. The one I talk about is you, Lucian Alistair,” He said.

My eyes widened, why did that name sound so familiar?! My chest constricted as my breathing became labored. I held eye contact with the King and he did the same. I breathed in and released a shaky breath.

“I-I don’t understand, Your Majesty. I can’t be this Lucian you talk about, in fact it’s impossible. I heard that the whole Alistair family was slain! A-and besides, wouldn’t I be older if I was Lucian!” I reasoned all the while trying to deny some of the images that flashed through my head. The faces of that woman and those children had become clear, but they still felt so foreign to me.

I furrowed my brows as the pain increased. I held my head in hands once more as my vision began to spin.

“It’s true, the Alistairs were slaughtered, but something the Royal family never released was that the only member not found was Lucian,” The King agreed.

“So you are going off of that to assume that I’m Lucian? Hate to break it to you, but I’m not that old and I woke up in a coffin sometime ago,” I seethed as I cut my eyes up to him.

He winced when I mentioned I had woken up in a coffin. No way, does he know how I ended up there?!

“Maybe so, and I will admit, you and Lucian look different in hair and eye color wise, but everything else is the same. Your statures’ are the same as is your facial appearance. That can’t be explained as mere coincidence,” He stated.

“I believe you are mistaken, Your Majesty. But tell me, why did you wince when I mentioned that I had woken up in a coffin? You know something, don’t you?” I asked, determined to get some answers.

He stood up abruptly, “I haven’t a clue of how you ended up in a coffin. Since you are so adamant on denying who you are, there is nothing I can do. You’re welcome to stay here until you recover completely, and in that time please think over what I’ve said.”

He left just like that, after telling me all this but refusing to answer my question. I quickly got up and rushed to the door only for it to be locked.

“SON OF A BITCH!” I yelled as I kicked the chair over. Why can’t anybody answer my fucking questions?! Instead they have to paint me as this other person! I was breathing heavily and my sore body was now screaming at me in protest. Taking deep breaths, I sat back down on my bed.