Dark Stag Ch. 09

"Can you take a break?" A feminine voice said.

"No, Brija... I've been at it all day and am finally making progress. He said that he needs the young stag ready..." Roi said back.

Brija came from another part of the cavern, wearing a gorgeous sundress. She was a very, very pretty girl. The easterner kept taking prolonged glances at her. He definitely liked her. However, it did nothing to change how ridiculous Roi looked with the youngest stag.

"What the fuck is he doing?" I asked, finally catching up to him.

"Go back to bed!" The easterner said, "You don't need to see this..."

"Why is he doing this?" I continued.

"He's," Brija responded, "Training Bastion... The boy's been at it all day. But he's making progress..." She sounded impressed.

"You all are trying so hard to save Kijus. Have you ever thought about the fact that he's just a selfish foreigner out to throw anyone under the caravan for his own game?" I sighed, unable to understand these people. It seemed to shock Brija.

"And who are you, precisely?" She asked.

"I'm another person who Kijus manipulated... a victim just like you all." I smiled. Brija's face wadded up in anger.

"You obviously don't know Kijus..." She said, turning to continue watching.

"Oh, I know him better than you might think." I laughed, "I let him use me for practice before turning over to the brothel..."

"Then isn't that your fault?" She retorted. It stunned me. This girl was pretty witty, having a come back for everything I had to say. She rolled her eyes, standing with her arms folded. She didn't even pay me any mind.

"Roi you need food and water. You haven't eaten or drank anything since you got here." The easterner said.

Roi whistled, Bastion coming over. He and Roi rested their foreheads on each other before heading separate ways.

"Okay..." He responded, "Remind me to pin my hair up next time." He pulled his hair from her face, tying it up. His beauty was staggering! He had an immaculate jawline and eyes that were like daggers! It was hard not to stare at him. The fact that Kijus had the willpower to turn him down was shocking.

The easterner handed him the water. Roi drank it, not realizing just how thirsty he actually was.

"Shit, this is good." He said, chuckling, spilling a little water down his chin. He then looked at his sister, seeing she seemed upset, "You okay?"

"Fine..." She said.

"Food?" The easterner asked, seemingly frustrated. Brija looked at him with a smile. She placed her hands on his shoulder, pushing him towards the stairs.

"I guess so." Roi shrugged.

They began making their way up the stairs heading back to the home. I followed going up the stairs, this being much harder than descending. The easterner turned to see if I was making it up the stairs. He sighed, coming back down the stairs.

"This is why I told you to stay inside! You're not well enough to go out..." He said, supporting my weight to make it easier to walk, "I swear if you tear your stitches, I'll let you bleed out..."

Brija sighed, rolling her eyes. Roi was confused.

"Was there something I missed?" He asked.

"Nope..." She said continuing up the stairs. He followed, feeling this was all strange.

We made it back to the home, Roi holding the door open for us. The easterner nudged me a bit more to hurry up. We made it back to the home. Brija took off her slippers, placing them beside the door. Roi looked down at his clothes, covered in dust.

"You don't mind?" He asked the easterner.

"Go ahead..." The easterner said, rolling his eyes.

Roi stripped out of his clothes, handing them to them to the easterner. The young Prince's body was gorgeous, if a little thin. He had muscle definition but a ton of ribs. The freckles on his face were all over his body too and they added quite a contour. It felt so wrong to stair, to find him attractive. He was quite a horrible person.

"Food is ready!" An older female voice said. It was the easterner's grandmother.

Brija slowly turned to Roi, wondering if he was willing to go in the kitchen with just his underwear on.

"I'll be back down." He said laughing. Brija nodded, heading towards the kitchen. I followed, the food smelling great. I had never smelt cuisine like this before.

The kitchen was very advanced, having electric everything! Who were these people and how could they afford such luxuries? The elderly woman cooking in the kitchen didn't look too happy. She had plates made for us. It was rice, with chicken and mixed vegetables. It had so many aromas in one it was a sensory overload.

"Thank you elder Yun." Brija said, giving a short bow. The elderly woman bowed in return before continuing to cook more food.

"FUCK!" Someone screamed from the stairs.

"I got you..." Roi said. Both Brija and I turned to see Roi helping Preston walk to the kitchen from the living space.

Preston froze when he saw me, his eyes welling up.

"I thought you were dead!" He cried, limping over to hug me.

"Who told you that?" I asked.

"She did!" Preston pointed to the old eastern woman, "She said you were gone."

"What?" She asked, her accent very strong, "I said he good not gone!" In truth, it sounded like she stated gone twice. Preston looked at the woman not pleased.

"Shit..." He sighed, easing into a chair, "I've been in that room all day, too upset to move... then I smelled food..." That made me smile.

Brija looked at the boy in disgust, wondering who he was and why he was here.

"Problem?" I asked.

"No..." She said, rolling her eyes. Roi caught it, but he was busy reading a lengthy letter. Brija snatches it from him, "You've been hogging it all day..."

"I need to read what he wants me to do for the dark stags! It's a lot of details..." He pleaded. Brija began reading.

"There are no details about how he's been doing. He's only responded to what we told him..." Brija noted.

"I know..." Roi said, sounding worried.

"So Kijus finally wrote you all back, huh?" I asked. Both Brija and Roi looked at me as though I wasn't a part of this.

"Yeah..." Roi said back. All I could do was shake my head.

"You two are both tools..." I laughed. Roi's bright and inquisitive look gave way to something more serious and penetrating.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Kijus is doing nothing but using you for your power. As soon as he gets what he wants he'll leave you. I got hurt trying to help him..." I pointed to Preston, "He got hurt trying to help him... He's manipulative..."

"He might be..." Roi said turning in his chair to face me, "He might have let you down... But he's been there for me, the ONLY one who dared to try and understand what I was going through! When he initially started his plan, he didn't come to me, my brother or Brija... He was going to do it on his own! When he told us, we all decided we'd help."

"And you can't see how he's manipulative? He does these great things for you to make you feel as though you owe him... He holds himself up in this false high regard to make you think so well of him when he's nothing more than a savage, a barbarian, a con. He got me and got me god!" I said back.

"You don't fucking know SHIT! You don't know what's going on in the royal court! You're just some little official lucky enough to get the job. You don't know why I'm here, why Brija's here and why we support Kijus or what our actual plan is! He might be in it for selfish reasons but so are we! Kijus started a chain reaction and I got faith that he can finish it. I'm just gonna get him to where he needs to be anyway I see fit..." He said.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked, it sounding the the boy was just rambling.

"I came here for nothing..." Brija said, "I left as soon as father said they had you in custody... I was the one who told Roi to write Kijus and tell him! That same NIGHT he busted out of the brothel to save your ass! And you think he's that selfish? He has his reasons but YOU volunteered to help." She pointed at me, getting up from her seat, "You put yourself out there! When you agreed to help, you signed up for all the hell that'd come your way! You could have said no... But... you... didn't..."

"That's the thing! Kijus is manipulative! He plays on your guilt, your conscious! He makes you care for him... It's his power! I wish I could have said no. If I would have known what this was..." I said shaking my head.

"So you think Kijus somehow exploited your weakness? It was still your decision! Don't ACT like you had second thoughts! We all did... You're just pathetic..." Brija said, leaving.

"I have my reasons!" I said pointing to Preston, "This kid is the closest thing I have to a brother and I almost lost him last night! I gave so much to Kijus, sacrificed my livelihood, my peace of mind and my future for him. And I let Preston follow me blindly into it... That was a line I wasn't prepared to cross and fucking with Kijus made me come too dangerously close to crossing it! I'm not sacrificing Preston's or my life for that boy's anymore..."

"Very well..." Brija shrugged, "We will... We have our reasons..." She continued onward, heading up the stairs.

"And I'm telling you, whatever the reason is, it's not worth it..." I chuckled.

"How about," Roi said rushing over to me, "The fact that the man responsible for ruining my life is trying to kill my father... My father has been on drugs for a very long time and his supplier is the very man who did things to me when I was too young to fend him off! It is a man who is power hungry and will do anything to get to the top, the real threat here!"

"Who...?" I asked, still not moved.

"Sir Socoshian..." Roi said, glaring at me. It made me freeze. Things started to make sense now, "He has my father strung out on these drugs that make him a different person! My father used to be a reasonable man! I left because that man is dead and Sir Socoshian is responsible! I want to take out Sir Socoshian so bad but he has too many people close to him to protect him. I haven't given up on that kingdom yet, I just have to fight from afar..."

"And coming here helps?" I asked, this still not making sense.

"Yes! Gou has resources, contacts, people who can help... However, Kijus's plan WILL WORK!!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Get out of my face..." I said, rolling my eyes. This was all a joke. Roi left, fuming.

It left Preston and I alone.

"Who are they?" He asked.

"Royals... Naive as can be. We're done, by the way. We're of no more assistance. We're a long way from the Ziggurat. We can start over, it just be us! Brothers!" I said, grabbing his hand.

"That sounds nice..." He chuckled, extremely relieved.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this... You didn't deserve any of what happened to you..." I responded.

"Shit..." He sighed, taking a bite from his food, "Happens..."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's seven forty two. This day is almost gone..." Elder Yun said.

"So we agree? This is our fresh start?" I asked. Preston smiled, extending out his sore arm to hold my hand.

"Yes!"