Chapter 67: Cursed King (3) (1/2)

”Save… me?” The boy stopped shivering and stared Lance in his teary eyes.

Lance could feel the atmosphere in the room lighten as the boy stopped trembling, though his grey eyes remained silent and still.

”How do you… know my name?” He emotionlessly spoke, his quiet voice stumbling across the echoing room.

”Your friend, Lagurin told me. He's the one who sent us to save you,” Lance began to lower his voice to the boy.

”Lagurin? My friend… Mom's friend...” The boy uttered.

Lance's mouth gaped open, speechless, not knowing what to say. He snapped out of it and remembered what he came to do. He realized that he had to be extremely cautious about what he said around him, and he'd have to try and get him to open up before he could ask him to leave.

”Hey King, is there anything you like doing? Anything that makes you happy?” Lance tried showing enthusiasm, but his voice was drowned by his shivering despair.

”Happy? I don't know how that feels. I like it when I'm not hurting. When it's quiet and calm…” He informed Lance, who instantly sprung up.

”Quiet huh? I love it when it's calm too! When you can hear the sounds of the birds chirping, with a warm cup of draconic tea in hand. Doesn't that sound interesting?” He gushed, trying to get King interested.

”Birds..? Draconic tea..?” The boy curiously turned his head.

”That's right! Birds are amazing creatures who can fly in the wind and soar through the skies. Every person wishes to have that kind of freedom,” Lance smilingly spoke as King sat there attentive listening.

”Oh! And draconic tea is especially soothing! It has healing properties that calm the mind to absolute serenity! It comes from this place called Draconica, directly north from here,” that was when King's interest piqued as he finally sat up from his curled position.

”Draconica…” He uttered, his dead eyes widening.

”That's right! Do you know that name?” Lance enthusiastically asked.

”Mom… Wanted to take me to Draconica… Lagurin said so…”

”That's right! Your mother wanted to go there!”

”Is mom waiting there now..?”

That was when Lance stopped talking, hearing what King just said. King didn't know about what happened to his mother. He was probably too young when she was killed and thus didn't remember a thing.

”You're mother…” Lance didn't want to say anything after that.

”Is she? Is mom there?” The boy exclaimed with excitement, yet somehow emotionless at the same time.

”No… Your mother… Is not with us anymore,” Lance decided against lying to the boy, as he thought it would cause further complications in the future, though he still tried making it as vague as possible.

”Not with us? Does that mean she died?” The boy, still emotionless, asked Lance, who stayed silent at his question.

”Hey, what did you mean..? Hey, what did you mean..? Hey, what did you mean..?”

”Yes, she's dead…” Lance reluctantly blurted out, the boy not flinching at all to his outburst.

”Oh… I see…” King looked back at the ground, the room's silence growing as time passed, Lance unable to say a word.

Suddenly, the boy's dead eyes began blinking readily, a singular tear streaming down his cheek, his face still emotionless as he sat there, bewildered.

”I'm… So sorry…” Lance began weeping with the boy, hugging him tightly as he patted him on the head, King still showing no emotion as his eyes were overrun with tears.

”Hey, King…” Lance pulled away.