Heartless

Wind rushed in Felix’s ears as the horses broke into a thunderous gallop up the darkening road. He looked back only once, in time to see the solitary rider ridden down by the strange horsemen. He glimpsed upraised swords and faced forward again. His horse galloped just behind Captain Janus’s mount. He wanted to look back but knew already from the shouts of his escort that they were being gained upon.

Suddenly Captain Janus turned his horse off the road, galloping madly to the left toward Goldstone Wood. Without a thought Felix followed, and the two of them broke from the company, fleeing across the short field and up a hill. The Wood began at the top of the hill, dark and menacing in the twilight. Captain Janus reined in his horse at the edge of the forest and leapt to the ground. “We cannot ride through here in the dark, Your Highness!” he cried. “Dismount. Make haste.”

Felix slid from his horse, looking back to the road. Several horsemen, whether part of his escort or not he could not guess, were halfway across the field. He slapped his horse to make it run, then turned and followed Janus into the trees.

Low branches and brambles clawed at him, but he ran as fast as he could, his heart beating double-time in his breast. He lost sight of the captain but plunged on, making so much racket that he could not hear whether he was still pursued, though often he could have sworn someone was just a step behind him. He turned several times, expecting to see someone reaching out after him, but all was dark behind as well as before him. The trees became smudges of shadow. Several cuts burned across his face where branches lashed him, but fear drove him forward.

At last, exhausted, Felix stopped and collapsed against the trunk of a thick tree. His breath came hard and painful in the cold air. For a time, breathing took up all his attention. Then as he slowly found himself able to take a normal breath, he realized how silent everything was around him. Placing a supporting hand on the tree, he pulled himself to his feet.

He stood in the midst of Goldstone Wood, and he was alone.

“Captain Janus?” His voice sounded thin and childish on the crisp air. He coughed and tried to deepen it. “Captain Janus?”

Felix took a few steps in the dark, walked into a whole new snarl of brambles, and spent another several moments untangling his arms and legs. Mad and muttering, he pulled back, shaking his head. “Hullo?” he called again and did not care how little his voice sounded.

Something crackled off to his left, and he thought he heard a voice calling his name. “Felix! Felix!”

“I’m here!” Felix cried, stepping in the direction of the voice. “I’m over here! Hullo?”

“Prince Felix,” a voice spoke near at hand. “Do you want them to find you?”

Felix turned. “Captain Janus?”

A dark shape stepped out from behind the tree against which Felix had leaned a moment before. Felix could just discern that it held a hand out to him.

“Come, prince, we must go.”

Felix took a step, then stopped. He felt for the sword at his side. “Are you Captain Janus?”

“Don’t you recognize my voice?” the captain asked.

“Yes, but – ” Felix started to slide his sword from its sheath, but before he could draw it, the figure lunged. Felix ducked behind a tree, narrowly escaping the cold blade of a sword that clanged against the trunk. He heard a hissing curse and drew his own sword. Backing away from the tree, he stood with his blade between himself and the tall figure.

“Traitor!” he cried. “Are you working for the duke, Captain Janus?”

The captain laughed a thin and reedy laugh, and Felix suddenly smelled smoke on the air. “I serve only my Father,” the thin voice said, and it no longer sounded like Captain Janus. Sweat poured down Felix’s brow. He saw his opponent raise his sword, and felt his own body assuming a position he had practiced countless times in the yard at home.

The dark figure lunged. Felix’s feet moved almost of their own accord in the complicated step, his sword arm darting out at just the right moment. He felt the nick of a sword touch his arm, but he was quick enough. His enemy’s sword flew high, crashing through the branches and landing somewhere in the darkness as the disarmed man, surprised, stumbled forward onto his knees. Felix leapt forward, his sword upraised, but hesitated to strike the exposed back before him.

His enemy, still on his knees, turned, and Felix found himself gazing into two bright yellow eyes like those of a snake.

“Fool!” the thin voice hissed.

The next moment Felix was flat on his back, slitted pupils mere inches from his own face. Claws pierced through the cloak on his shoulders, down into his skin. He screamed. The figure above him hissed, and Felix gagged as thick fumes poured into his face. He writhed and managed to free an arm, but claws tore viciously at his chest. He screamed again.

“Felix!”

The yellow eyes disappeared, and the heavy body that pinned him was suddenly yanked away. Felix rolled over, clutching his chest, and felt the warmth of blood on his hands. He could not see but rather heard the scuffling of two bodies in the dark near him. The world blazed red in the light of a brilliant fire. He saw two men, both unarmed, one taller than the other, and flames poured from the mouth of the shorter.

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