Crystal Azure

What kind of complications?"

Blushing, he said, "I tripped and broke one of your pots. I had to clean up the mess and find a new pot. Please forgive me, Lord. It won't happen again, I swear it."

"I see. And why did you trip?" Flix was silent. "Answer me, fool!" Raukath roared, losing all calm and backhanding Flix across the face. Flix crumpled, tears coming to his eyes. But he knew better than to cry out.

"Forgive me, Lord. I am tired. I was thinking thoughts of sleep and I stumbled," Flix lied uneasily.

"I see," Ruakath repeated in a tone of icy calm.

"M-my Lord?" Flix said meekly. "P-perhaps if I could be allowed to sleep for a little while, I would perform my tasks better."

"I see." Raukath stood, hands clasped behind his back, still staring into the cold hearth. "You are suggesting that I am incapable of efficiently running my hold."

"N-no, Lor -"

"You are suggesting that I am cruel and heartless with my servants."

"M-my Lord, nev-"

"You are suggesting that I should take advice from you, a half-grown feliform."

"My Lord, I-I would never-"

"Silence!" Raukath turned to face the boy still kneeling on the ground. "Boy, you know you are free to leave when you wish. However, I wouldn't suggest it. Feliforms are a plague in Gilian and are treated as such. Now, I have given you a place to sleep, food to eat. And this is how you repay me?"

"Lord Raukath, allow me to explain!" Flix hurried on. "I was only humbly asking you to allow me to sleep until the sun sets. I haven't slept for four days and - and -" He fell silent.

"Are you quite finished?" Flix nodded miserably. "Good."

Raukath strode across the center of the room, dark red robes swishing about him. He picked up a long staff, covered with detailed carvings. "Boy, do you know what this is?"

"Yes, Lord. It's your walking stick," Flix answered, confused.

The man chuckled. "So it is. It is also a Kerna'a. Something I place my frustration into until I need it later. A magical device."

Flix's eyes widened slightly. "Lord -"

"I am very frustrated with you. Fortunately for me, this staff can help alleviate that."

"Lord, please," Flix whimpered.

Raukath ignored him and continued, holding onto the staff. "Don't worry, boy. I do this for your own good. How far will you ever get until you know that Lord Raukath is always right?" He walked towards the boy, carrying the staff in front of him.

"Oh gods," Flix whispered.

The blows came from nowhere and everywhere.

Flix didn't stop screaming for a long time.

Kala stopped her weary mare near a stream. Aterae stopped near her. As she jumped excitedly off the horse, he tied the two horses to a blossoming tree nearby. She ran to her horse once they were secured and fed it oats she'd brought along from the palm of her hand, all the while saying, "Good Janxie. Good girl." Aterae smiled as he watched her dash away, into the meadow that bordered the stream.

The scene was out of a story of the Old world. The stream was burbling, the meadow was filled with lush green grass and different types of vibrantly colorful flowers. The budding apple tree was covered in large white flowers and perfectly sized red apples. There was even a pair of colored birds, blue and green, high in the sky.

Aterae took a seat against the trunk of the tree, watching Kala as she picked various flowers and wove them into a wreath to place on her head. Her azure hair glistened in the sunlight like a rare stone.

"Don't wander too far," he said, unconcerned.