The orphanage dwelt below a dingy cloud that draped over everyone. Their fear and suspicion of the intruders coming back alarmed their thoughts. The children were to frightened to run and play outside. Their ghastly faces hung in fear of the returning nightmare of Ferret and his men.
Elliot's injures had healed, but his craving for revenge scorched inside him, burning into his heart like glowing iron. He had never felt so much hatred in all his innocent life. His life before was so tranquil and peaceful at the castle. He was born to royalty and lived at the castle all his childhood. He never knew of the cold hostile world outside the warmth he knew.
His jaw clenched grinding below his smooth skin. His temper flickered at the thought of Ferrets haughty face as he slapped Linda. His thoughts were interrupted abruptly as a diligent knock at his door snapped his mind to reality.
"Come in." his voice a bit unbalanced, trying to suppress his emotions.
Linda pushed open the door lightly and smiled sweetly at him.
"Dear what do you think would look best at our wedding?" She spoke enthusiastically. She held up a bouquet of fragile roses and a handful of strangled wild flowers.
Elliot's lips curved into a smile.
Linda blushed. "I was thinking do you think roses are to conventional?"
"My dear I think roses would be fine." He promptly stated.
"I know you would think so!" She giggled and planted a peck on his cheek.
"Ok I will go order them right now!" She swung out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
Elliot groaned exhaustedly. Linda's wedding plans made her the only bright one around the orphanage. She seemed not to acquire much offense to Ferrets threats to the orphanage, demanding money or even threatening to burn down the place. Elliot leaned up in his bed and winced below his breath at his bruised ribs. He clung to his side lightly trying not to arouse the pain.
Linda had been prompting him everyday about the wedding. He put up a helpful front but his essential plans for confronting Ferret always burned in the forefront of his mind. She talked about location plans and what guests would come. One evening she asked him if he had any acquaintances he would decide to invite. He just smiled and shook his head.
Elliot ran his hands through his silk ruffled locks and took a sunken breath. Tonight he would deliver the threat to Ferret to stay away from the orphanage and away from Linda. He slid out of his bed and placed his bare feet on the frigid stone. His eyes warily glanced over the door.
"Forgive me Linda." He quietly whispered, reaching below his bed and retrieved a bundle clad in muddy rags. To the common eye it witnessed nothing but a hide wrapped twisted in flax.
Elliot gradually revealed its continents carefully, till it lay bare before him. Its silver gold handle glimmered up into his dark eyes as he stroked its cold barrel and brilliant handle.
His stomach twisted inside him when he gazed down on it. If he only had it that day in the throne room when Logan the King threatened to sentence him to death. Elliot gulped hard at the thought of ever pulling its trigger. The pistol laid in his lap like a silent murderer. That day in the throne room still loomed over him and his nightmares.
That day was like every common day. The sun illuminated incandescently down on him as he patiently waited for his Princess to awake from her chambers. The rumors about her brother Logan killing one of the factor workers worried him. But he drove it away of his mind that it was nothing but a rumor.
But still he would tell his Princess about it once she would meet him that morning. The hint of the sweet daises at his feet filled his senses and butterflies danced around him delightfully. His amber eyes caught her across the garden, his heart skipped a beat as she approached. Her faithful dog trotting by her side which sprinted into a run at first site of him, galloping towards him full throttle almost knocking him over. He knelt down to one knee stroking the dog head sweetly.
Elliot lips curved up into a lighthearted smile, he remembered that moment so well. But how different it was to the rest of that fateful day.
After leading the Princess to her daily training with Walter, her guide and instructor, Elliot strode through the palace grounds. A towering stone figure of Logan loomed dangerously over the castle gardens.
The ashen stone looked so much like the King himself, it made him shudder under its shadow. Hastening his pace Elliot strode down the cobblestone walkways. As he strode down the placid path, his ears picked up an outlandish sound. His brow furrowed at the noise, it was like someone was yelling. He jogged lightly around the castle walls. The shouting was not just one person but a multitude of anger voices. Fear and anxiously rose like a threat in Elliot's mind. As he rounded the hard castle walls, he came face to face with a mob of rioters gathered right outside the castle grounds. Their angry cries shook him from the inside and rattled his senses and all he could think of was finding the Princess.
He ran through the castle to the training room and with all his force drove open the doors to the training room. The Princess and Walter stood frozen, staring at his pale, fear stricken face.
"Come quick!" He beckoned to them. As he quickly led them to the window, he pointed to the rioters outside a glass window. "It looks like a demonstration! There right outside the castle grounds."
Walters tone was somber as he spoke "This is not good, they have no idea what your brothers capable of." he faced the Princess grimly.
Elliot's dreads were confirmed his Princess was in harms way and he would do anything to defend her.
Walter strode up to the stairs to the war room to see what King Logan's plans were for dealing with the rioters outside his castle. Elliot's inquisitiveness overwhelmed him. Did the King really have a worker executed?
"Common we have to find out what's going on, the soldiers have moved away from the stairs." Elliot peered the stairs skeptically. He gently grasped the Princesses warm hand and let her up the stairs to the war room.
As they approached the large wooden door Elliot could hear Logan's voice hiss behind it giving out orders. Elliot and the Princess peered through the key hole.
"You will shoot to kill! Start with the ring leaders." Logan's voice was cold and cruel.
"No Logan you cant!" Walter exclaimed, only to be silenced by a blow to the back of the head by one of Logan's personal soldiers.
"We can't let him kill all those people! You're his sister, maybe he'll listen to you. We have to do something!" Elliot exclaimed his eyes anxiously gazed into the Princess's.
Without hesitation the Princess opened the door and confronted Logan. Her voice was strong, "I'm here to stop you, you cant kill all those people."
Logan squinted his eyes disdainfully at her. "Take the Princess and her friend to the throne room and we will deal with this there."
As Elliot and the Princess were dragged away. Elliot held the Princesses hand tightly, peering down into her fearful eyes. The terror that continued to approach still burned in Elliot's mind.
The Princess stood like a lamb in front of Logan's menacing predatory scowl. Elliot's horrified look froze across his face as Logan spoke.
"You are to choose, who will be punished the leaders of the mob outside or this boy." His gaze fell to Elliot.
"You can't let those people die. Choose me... Choose me." Elliot demanded, his lips quivered. Elliot stood in horror as his fate was decided by the person he loved so much. The silence that followed seemed like an eternity, the princess hung her head low. He watched in horror as the princess pointed painfully at the recoiling group leaders that stood at Logan's mercy.
He watched horrified as they were dragged away to be executed and he was left to live. The guards then took him away, away from his Princess and home he ever knew.
Cruelly, they flung him out into the streets, where he was left to find shelter at the orphanage. Never to be reunited with his Princess, which had fled the castle that very night. He didn't know if she had been killed at the hands of Logan's soldiers or fled half way around the earth.
Elliot opened his eyes slowly, the hole in his heart reopened. His eyes reflected blank emotion only bitter vengeance. Logan had put so many men like Ferret into power over the people. He would put things strait tonight.
Without hesitation he drew the pistol that his cherished princess had give to him. He placed it by his side and without thinking another thought, Elliot grabbed the letter for Ferret to meet him at dusk, to end all this.
Elliot placed the pistol in his belt and grimly left the orphanage without a second glance.
The dying sun hung on the horizon diminishing into the rooftops of Bowerstone Industrial. Ferret unpleasant laugh rang through the halls with his men around him.
"So that little rat has some balls after all." His stained teeth flashed in the torch light. "A warning threat from the orphanage brat that gave us some trouble." He snickered as he kissed his pistol. "Lets get him boys."
Elliot stood his ground as he watched the blood ruby sun decay into the biting blackness that slowly cloaked him. The hairs on his back prickled at any movement around him. The frigid wind that chilled his skin set goose bumps down his arms. He was ready to face Ferret and make him atone the day he ever messed with his orphanage.
The bold footsteps approaching him made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle as a figure came into view.
He recognized Ferrets hideous face in the dim copper light.
"It ends here Ferret, you will pay for what you've done to the orphanage." Elliot's voice was cold and harsh. His eyes like knives digging into Ferrets smug disfigured smile.
Ferret sinisterly twirled a dagger between his fingers. He chuckled ominously, gazing up into Elliot's fierce eyes.
"I have to thank you really..." Ferret's sharp grin blazed across his face.
Elliot's eyes intensified and his jaw clenched strenuously under his cheeks. He reached for the pistol and pulled it out, aiming it straight at Ferrets face.
Ferret seemed to not care about the pistol as his eyes traced over his slow spinning dagger.
"Wouldn't do that Sonny if I were you." His voice trailed off into a mocking snicker.
Elliot's eyes boiled with fierceness. "You deserve to be put out of your misery you swine." his senses picked up the two towering figures from behind him. Elliot jumped back in time to dodge one of Ferrets mans hands that took a swipe at him.
Elliot pointed his gun threatening at the advancing men. "Stay back or I shall kill you were you stand!" his blood ran like fire through his burning veins. His heart hammered in his chest, the sweat on his brow glistened in the setting sun.
Elliot nervously licked his lips, trying to keep both men in his sight. Slowly backing up he found himself being backed up against a wall. His free hand gripped the rough stone behind him.
He was trapped. His heart raced in his chest as he aimed the pistol at Ferret. His hand quivered as he clicked the barrel into place.
"Oh no you don't! The thug next to him growled. Elliot in a split second aimed his gun at the advancing man and pulled the trigger.
The gun shot echoed through the air with an earsplitting explosion. The man let out a bitter howl. To Elliot's horror the man still kept coming. Again he fired at the man.
Elliot was knocked to the ground as the man crushed him with his enormous mass, the man twice the size he was. Elliot threw a punch at the man's face only to have the man catch his fist in his colossal hand.
The man rose his bulky fist to impound Elliot's face. Elliot was ready to die, he knew what true agony was. One image burn in his mind as he waited for the impact. The Princess smiling at him. He didn't want her to ever leave his mind and he would then depart in peace.
"WAIT!" Ferret ordered.
Elliot's mind did register the word he heard, but he didn't let the Princesses ever leave his mind.
"We need him alive!" Ferret growled. "TAKE HIM WITH US!"
Elliot's shot open to find many figures of Ferrets men coming out of the ebony shadows around him. He struggled against their brute strength as he was gagged with a vile rag. He lashed out at them as they bound his arms. He violently fought back, until Ferret gave him a deafening blow to the back of his head. Sending his whole world swirling.
Elliot felt his body weakening as he was dragged into one of the near by houses. The smell of alcohol and gun powder filled his nostrils. He kept struggling against their iron grips, till he was forced to come face to face with Ferret.
Ferret eyed him deviously. Elliot bared his teeth as he strained his arms, struggling.
Ferret chuckled. "Do you know what I'm going to do with you?" He smiled a toothy grin. "I'm gonna hold ye hostage and till that bitch Linda give us $100,000 as bail money and were gonna keep ye here." His voices cracked in a wheezing laugh. "Oh... Oh heres the good part in a weeks time if she don't give us the money were gonna gut you dry!" His eyes lit up with his malevolent laugh.
Elliot's fury drove his veins bulging on his neck and forehead. He struggled and flexed his arms against Ferrets men's hold.
"But till then, were gonna hold ye in a nearby." Ferret motioned to a large hole in the ground, "facility."
"You will pay for this Ferret!" Elliot growled dangerously, biting at the rag between his teeth.
Ferret took his dagger and slid its cold blade against Elliot's glistening neck. "I don't think so." Ferret snickered. "THROUGH HIM IN BOYS!"
Elliot fought them with all his strength. His heart thundered in his chest as he raged among them. It took five of Ferrets thugs to push him. Elliot felt his feet scrapping along the wooden floor, his brow soaked with blood and sweat.
His mind ran like wild looking for anyway out. His eyes searched desperately for an escape but only fell to the hole. He glanced down at the enormous depth of it. The smell of it waffled up as he was forced towards it. The sewer was a dangerous place to be and Ferret knew it would be a perfect prison.
Elliot felt his body been pushed closer and closer to his impending fall. His boots scratched the edge and with one last push threw him cascading down. The air fell around him as seconds ticked by him. His body fell hard into dark cold waters. He swirled in the water and he clawed his way furiously to the top. Emerging to the surface he swam to gravel shore. Coughing and dry heaving because of the intoxicating smell, Elliot curled up bitterly on his side, spitting out the disgusting water.
The laughs of Ferret and his men rang out in cruel mockery. Elliot shivered with anger, as he held back tears of frustration ripping the gag from his mouth. What had he done, he had put himself in danger and now Linda was going to suffer. He knew she didn't have that kind of money, the orphanage was all she had.
Elliot realized in horror, that Linda would sell the orphanage to pay for the bail money. Elliot cried out in angst and he drove his fists hard into the gravel beneath him.