Chapter 2

The royal guard… really? Damn, when the king wants someone caught he doesn't waste time. Ander couldn't help but wonder what crimes they possibly could have committed to deserve the royal guard. Kylar and Ander had been captured in the middle of the night after fleeing patrols for at least two months. The worst thing they had done was transmute massive amounts of gold for the poor to be able to live comfortably and be able to pay the increasing taxes. Sigh… good deeds never go unpunished I guess.

In shackles, the brothers were dragged to the castle by none other than the most brutal, high-and-mighty, low-lives that made up the king's royal guard. They were a pathetic group of want-to-be swordsman thugs, who wouldn't know their ass from a hole in the ground, or so Kylar seemed to taunt them with the entire trip, which was about a four day ride. "You low-life sons of whores don't you have young maidens to rape instead of imprisoning those who are improving this god forsaken hell hole of a kingdom. Have you no decency? Come on let us go. We can be on our way and you can go back to fornicating with your sisters." That comment got Kylar a punch in the face.

"Hey that was uncalled for, his face is the only thing he has working for him!" Ander shouted, and then got punched in the face too.

"Both of you shut it! I'm tired of you two talking. One more word out of either of you and I'm getting a gag for the two of you. When we reach the king, you will keep a respectful tongue in your head or I'll cut it out of your mouth…. Why didn't I think of gags sooner?" The lead knight didn't seem to like the pair.

"Probably because I reminded you of your sister. But, kind sir, not ever man enjoys the kinky things you do with your sister. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't provide a gag." The knight turned around and shoved a gag into Kylar's mouth. Through the gag Kylar got out "O uck urself!"

Sigh… you're making things worse damn it. "Kylar, how are we to get out of this?" Ander asked his brother.

"Ust ollow I lead." The older brother blurted through the gag.

Through the newly provided gag, Ander got out. "Yer a bastar."

"No you are the bastard!" the head knight burst out laughing.

Ander turned to Kylar "I et to kill im."

In the throne room the two brothers stood before the king, bound in chains and gagged. Both glared at the gluttonous pig of a king, contempt oozing from their stare. Just sits here all bloody day, stuffing his face and growing fatter while his people starve. What a wonderful king. Ander could barely contain his outrage at the sight of the pig. In front of the king sat a massive table; one usually found in a Grand Hall for celebrations and the like, covered with golden platter after golden platter of food. Barely stopping to eat the king shouted "Ah, how splendid! Our guests have arrived. Would you like refreshments my dear Duke-in-Waiting? It's been too long since your father's last visit. Is the damned fool still obsessing over 'missing gods'? "

"Uck ou, ousy fat bastar!" Kylar's muffled shout seemed to confuse the king.

"Guards, remove their gags, taunting them isn't as fun if one can't understand their retorts." The king said dispassionately.

Once free of his gag, Kylar began to rant. "You lousy son of a bitch! You should have been swallowed at birth instead of being allowed to succeed the throne! I cannot believe that with such a wonderful predecessor, you are able to rule in such a pompous, tyrannical, and avaricious manner! How can you sit on your fat arse all damned day and do nothing to help those poor peasants that you tax so heavily!" Here we go again. At this point Ander begins to fall asleep. "And how dare you insult Father! My father is a far better ruler than you could ever hope to be. Now release me so I can kill you!" The head knight punches Kylar in the stomach dropping him to his knees.

"Now, now, that wasn't necessary. I'm certain he didn't mean it. Isn't that right, Duke-to-be Misericordee?"

"To hell with you!" Kylar gets kicked in the face by the knight.

"Misericordee its best you apologize before I lose my temper. I'm a forgiving man and I'm certain I can over look your slip of manners just this once. I need you and your bastard brother." Ander snaps awake at the word 'bastard' and begins glaring again. "Not even my court magicians can create gold, yet the two of you seem to do it with ease and give it away! I'm your king, you serve me; I command you to make gold for me! Tons of the glittering, glorious metal! Oh, it will be wonderful! With such riches I can finance a war to make me the king of this continent! I'll be able to expand my borders from sea to sea! Can you see it Kylar? You'll be Duke to a far larger duchy if you help me achieve my ambitions!" Ander begins to growl. "Oh, and I could make the bastard a Baron or something." The king was so excited he was panting and sweating at the thought of conquest.

"Burn in hell, you greedy pig!" Kylar shouted.

"Tisk, tisk, Kylar, such a rude tongue might get cut out of your head." The king stated angrily.

Kylar smiled. "My flippant tongue seems to get me in a lot of trouble, but fortunately, your daughter enjoys my tongue ever so much. Suffice to say my tongue gets me in and out of many things."

Red faced with anger the king yells "KILL THEM!"

"Gladly" the head knight grinned as he pulled his sword from his scabbard. As he thrust the sword at Ander's stomach, Ander takes a fighting stance, pivots his upper body, catching the blade along his stomach and inner upper arm, between the shoulder and elbow. He then delivers a kick to the knight's armpit to have him let go of the sword and then Ander kicks the knight in the throat, crushing his wind pipe. To Ander's right Kylar stood unchained and armed with 2 swords with 5 dead before him.

"What took so long?" Kylar chuckled. "Father warned you about getting fancy. Remember dead is dead even without the flips, jumps, and colorful counter kills!"

"So says the one who's already managed to get his manacles off! How the hell did you do that anyway?"

"Well, while you were asleep, I was picking the lock."

"With what? They took all our tools!"

Kylar reveals a hair pin. "A parting gift from a princess. Works rather well for lock picking, actually."

"So you weren't lying about his daughter were you?"

"A true nobleman never kisses and tells"

"You're a dog, I hope you know."

"Terribly so, I know."

"Um… where's the king?"

"He's cowering in the corner over there. Where else would he be?" Kylar walks over to the coward. "Stand and defend what little honor you've left to your name!"

"Please! Don't kill me; I'll give you anything you want! Just don't hurt me!" the king begged.

"Come on now! Be a real king for once in your life and defend yourself!"

The king awkwardly got to his feet and stumbled into Kylar's extended blade, cutting his own throat by accident. "Pitiful, even in death." Kylar sighed. "Well, I believe its best we flee this place before the rest of the guards have realized what's happened." He turns and runs out the main entrance.

"Arse, leaves me to get our supplies." Ander quickly loots the possessions taken from them when they were first captured back from their captors. "Kylar! KYLAR! Where the hell did you go!?" Ander shouts as he runs out the main gate. In the distance, Kylar gallops off on a horse. "Where'd he get the horse?"