Deep into the forest, there was a large glistening freshwater lake that lay near the base of the Amon Mountains. The locals never ventured very far into the woods themselves, beyond the necessary paths they needed to travel, fearing that they were full of strange beasts and spirits who delighted in luring stragglers to their doom. But while there was something mysterious and mystical about the place, the faeries, sprites, and demons that supposedly 'haunted' it were merely superstitions...
By this tranquil lake, there was also an old stone castle, long forgotten by time and covered in dust and vines. One look would tell that it had seen no renovations or cleaning in many years. But the candle light coming from the windows betrayed that it was not completely abandoned...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Roxas found himself alone in one of the many rooms of the old castle, one that had only a small window too high above his head to reach. The only other things in the room were an old, dusty bed and a single candle burning on the small table beside it; not much use to escape with. If the window were lower, he would have considered knotting the sheets and climbing down the outside of the building, but aside from that, he had no idea whether or not he was in a high tower or a low dungeon. The small light seeping into the room from above didn't give him much to go by.
Burying his head in his hands, Roxas sat at the edge of the bed silently for a moment to fully take in the situation.
Where am I? What is this place?
The last thing he remembered was riding home...
"Father!" Roxas clutched his shoulders as his whole body trembled, his eyes watering as he remembered what little he could of the attack. There was no mistake; he'd heard that awful sound, and the cry of pain following it. As he was roughly pulled from the carriage, he saw the pale, bloody form beside the wheel...
"No...Father..." The blonde boy pulled his knees closer and buried his head in them, feeling the tears come to his eyes slowly, but in large, wet droplets that poured down his cheeks. There was no doubt in his mind that the king was dead. He had to be by now, from what little Roxas had seen of the blood. Within minutes, Roxas's soft cries became loud, pitiful wails, full of rage and despair. He truly felt like he had no one in the world...
He cried for a long time before anything came along to disturb him. The door opened slowly, creaking quietly as it cast a soft light into the room. The figure entered silently, moving quickly to the bed and sitting down beside Roxas, who was far too deep in sadness to realize he had company. But he did notice when he felt cold hands patting his back softly, and the boy started and instinctively scooted away from the man.
The slate-haired man smiled back at him with cloudy blue eyes, raising a calm finger to his lips.
"You don't have to be afraid, Roxas. I'm not going to hurt you..."
Roxas blinked, rubbing the drying tears from his eyes before glaring back at the man firmly.
"You...You killed my father..." It wasn't a question.
The man shrugged slightly, brushing his bangs out of his eyes casually. "I hope you can forgive me for retrieving you so rudely. I had intended for that to go a little more smoothly, but there was more resistance then I had originally expected. I suppose they weren't called the king's royal guard for nothing..."
Roxas jumped off the bed and snapped, pointing accusingly at him as he snarled.
"You killed everyone, didn't you? Who the hell do you think you are? What did my father ever do to you? Why did you kidnap me?...WHO are you?"
The man smiled, looking completely unfazed by the cold stare. He stretched and laid back on the bed, looking up to the ceiling with a slightly bored expression.
"My my, straight to the questions, I see. Well, for starters, my name is Zexion..." He looked back at the boy, who seemed incensed by his casualness. "You may want to sit down. This takes a while, and of course we have all the time in the world..."
Roxas watched him warily, his eyes still livid with anger, but he reluctantly sat back down and crossed his arms expectantly.
"You can't keep me here forever..." he said flatly.
Zexion merely smirked back, causing Roxas to shudder. "Hopefully I won't have to..." He sat up slowly, but made no move to get closer to the little blond; which, of course, Roxas was grateful for. He wanted nothing to do with this man at all, and even though he hoped it wouldn't come to it, the boy was prepared to fight should the man try to force something on him.
"Would you like some tea?"
Taking the boy's silence and stare as a no, the sorcerer chanted a small spell and summoned forth a teacup and kettle in mid air, the latter of which already steaming. He slowly and carefully poured himself some, before waving his hand dismissively at the kettle. As if on cue, it disappeared into thin air with a small 'pop,' while Roxas just gaped at him in poorly masked wonder. Seeing the man's triumphant smirk a second later, however, Roxas quickly glared and looked away.
There was a short, uncomfortable silence, as the prince waited for his captor to explain. Taking a small sip of his tea, Zexion began.
"I was once a great sorcerer from the kingdom of Fhelm, many years ago. I was born there in one of the many towns that lines the coast, and my father brought me up in the study of magic. While I had a passion for it at a young age, I hated the fact that we still had to struggle in a small town to make a meager living. Everything, even spells, had their costs, and the payment sometimes outweighed the overall good they did, or at least I thought so. But my father was content with his work, never dreaming of doing or being anything more..."
"My father was then called to go on a journey when I turned 17, as is customary for sorcerers in my land. It's part of a long-winded ceremony to reunite with the earth and remember the origins of magic, and as a young sorcerer in training, I followed him as he travelled from place to place. When he stopped in towns and villages along the way, he performed a few spells and incantations for peasants and nobles alike as they needed them, to keep business going. As we left Fhelm and traveled to newer lands, I saw more of the world than ever before, sometimes more than I wanted to perhaps." Zexion stared off for a moment, his eyes slightly glazed as if he were watching a string of memories playing through his head. Roxas waited, not very patiently, but he didn't want to disturb the man. He still wasn't sure how dangerous he really was.
After a short while, Zexion did continued. "It was hard work, and hard lessons that had to be learned, but I became all the stronger because of it. One day, however, my father and I had to travel to Kisyria to purchase some extra spell books and supplies. As soon as we'd entered the capitol, I was immediately enthralled. The land was so captivating and powerful; much of it was still undeveloped then, and I could feel the magic flowing through much of the beautiful, untilled earth. The city was colorful, and the landscape was breath-taking. So when my father chose to return to his travels, I stayed instead, intending to make my living there. I worked among the nobility for quite a while before your father heard of my skills, when he then called me to work with him a bit in the court."
The blond shot him an incredulous look. Roxas never remembered his father mentioning this man before, but then again he'd rarely ever attended court, being the dull, political gabfest that it was. But Zexion did seem oddly familiar somehow...
The sorcerer smiled dryly, catching the boy's puzzled look and laughing a little. "You were far too young to remember me when I first came to live at court. And my work was very low key; constricted mostly to menial things like helping with crops and weather occasionally, with an occasional sprinkle of necromancy here and there."
Roxas gaped a little at that, feeling a sudden chill in the air. Deals with the dead were said to be a very dangerous and risky business; no sorcerer in Kisyria had ever spoken of it so casually. To stare death in the face and smile, Roxas thought that such a man was either the strongest sorcerer alive, or the craziest.
"When I wasn't working on some project or another for the crown, though, I took to studying in my laboratory for long hours everyday, honing my art to near perfection. As I explored the surrounding towns and villages, I came to love this land more and more, seeing its beauty and potential in its people as well as its natural resources and forces. So I decided that I must have it for myself."
"I then began using some spells for my personal gain, occasionally ruining a good harvest, for example, in order to put pressure on the king. Nothing too noticeable right away, but I hoped to slowly create unrest within the kingdom as I built up strength, waiting to strike when the time was right. The people would soon be superstitious, seeing Lucas's rein as a bad omen and demanding his immediate replacement. But before I could ever put my plan into action, your father somehow got wind of it and sent his soldiers to my lab to subdue me. They destroyed the majority of my books and equipment, horribly stunting my powers and even causing me to lose my older spells, before they brought me to the castle for trial. That was the day I met you, when I was banished from the land..."
Roxas blinked, suddenly recognizing him perfectly. This was the man who he'd bumped into that day, so many years ago! The young man with dark, purple-ish hair and a scowl that held some hidden meaning the prince had never guessed at.
But as he remembered this, Roxas couldn't help but notice that Zexion looked much older and more worn, even for the natural and inevitable passing of time. His eyes were sunken in and held a dark coldness and bitterness in them bubbling just below the surface. His hair held man streaks of grey, and his skin was so pale it was almost the perfect picture of death itself. But, if anything had stayed the same, it was the uncomfortable way he always seemed to watch Roxas. The prince shifted nervously, daring the man to try anything as he felt those cold eyes raking over him slowly...
"What are you planning to do with me?" the boy snapped, cutting Zexion off before he could continue. "If you want the kingdom, it's sitting right there for you! Just take it and leave me alone!" Roxas's gaze moved to where his hands rested in his lap, curling them into little fists as he shook slightly. He wanted to go home, or even go back to Axel if he could...
Zexion sighed, moving closer despite Roxas's warning glares. "I'm afraid that won't work, Roxas. I swore that day that I would return and take everything away from the foolish king who had slighted me. But the things he cared about most in the world weren't material things. No, what he loved most were his people and, of course, you, Roxas..."
The boy cringed as Zexion purred out his name. He hated how indifferent the sorcerer was being, especially to the death of his father. Oh, how he wished he could sock this man right in the nose! Roxasheld back the blow with all the strength he could muster, but that didn't stop him from hopping off the bed again and glaring Zexion right in the eyes, meeting the amused gaze boldly.
"Look, Zexion...I don't care who you think you are, but I am not just some thing to be given or taken as you please! Whatever issues you have with my father are over now! So just do what you want and let me go home!" The little blonde turned away and stalked off towards the door, wiping a stray tear away angrily.
"I'm afraid you'll be staying right here, Roxas." the man replied casually, though he made no move to stop him. Zexion took another small sip of his tea and smirked."You see, I'm not really ecstatic about the whole idea of hostile take-overs and bloody conquests. It's not really my style. Besides, violence only begets more violence, and once you steal something, you'll just spend your whole life fighting to keep it..."
"But you stole me!" The blonde shouted back. "You killed my father and all of his guards and took me by force! I think that sort of counts as hostile and bloody!" He added the last bit with a touch of sarcasm. "And what do I have to do with all of this anyway?"
Zexion snapped his fingers, and suddenly the room around them began to change. Roxas gasped and watched nervously as cold, grey stone melted away to reveal color, sound, and light, all of which seemed oddly familiar. After a minute or so, he realized that these were echoes of his home and family, as the Illusions revealed a crowd of people gathered around them in the grand hall. Everyone was holding bouquets of fragrant, lovely flowers, and all were dressed elegantly in whites and dark gray ceremonial robes. Some people cheered, and others clapped as they smiled at Roxas warmly.
Roxas looked around, completely bewildered and surprised. Everyone was here, just like that night when he and Axel...
His breath hitched in his throat when he saw that the very redheaded prince he was thinking of was standing not too far away with his mother. The illusion of Axel met his gaze and smiled his warm, charming smile, waving a little.
"Axel..."
But Zexion stepped in front of him, taking his outstretched hand quickly in his own and kneeling in the middle of the floor.
"Here is my proposal, Roxas. If I married you in a legally binding ceremony, we could avoid any more unnecessary bloodshed."
Roxas gaped at him, attempting to pull his hand out of the man's exceedingly rough one. "...Excuse me?"
Zexion chuckled softly, meeting confused blue eyes eagerly. "It's the most sensible solution, Roxas. That way, I would get what I want, and we could rule your father's kingdom together legally. I'd be more than happy to share the land with you, as king and-"
"Never! I would never agree to something like that, you bastard!" Roxas growled venomously, swatting away the pleasing illusions with his hand. They melted away like mist, leaving the two of them standing in the old, stone room again, staring at each other awkwardly in silence. When the room had completely returned to its former state, the little blond quickly stomped out the door, slamming it behind him.
"Roxas-"
"No! Just stay the hell away from me!"
Zexion growled slightly as he listened to the fading footsteps, but he willed himself to be patient with the boy. It was quite a bit to take in so suddenly, and all that with the loss of his only family had to be hard on him. The blond just needed some time perhaps, and the sorcerer was no stranger to waiting. He always got his way, when it was all said and done...
But the possibility of Roxas escaping was a problem. Zexion quickly lifted a hand and watched as a swirl of dark magic appeared in front of him, creating a portal to the outside. He stepped inside and allowed himself to be swallowed by the darkness, as both disappeared in a swirl of mist...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
After some time searching, Roxas finally found his way out of the castle. He stopped to catch his breath beside the lake, leaning on his knees for added support.
It was deathly quiet tonight, with only a few animals out and about in the woods. The civilized world would be sleeping by now, and Roxas wondered when or if someone would discover the overturned carriage. What would they assume? Would someone come searching for him?
Glancing up at the full moon, he guessed it must have been a day or so since he was taken; the grass of the surrounding area was still very green, but not too damp. The rain would have washed any tracks away since then...
"Axel..."
The blond almost sank to the ground in despair. It was unsettling to be so alone, and while he was no baby, crying at anything unfamiliar that he came across, Roxas couldn't deny feeling scared and more than a little lonely. If Axel were there... Roxas began wishing that he'd never left at all, that he hadn't snapped at the redhead so harshly. Maybe if he'd just stayed and accepted what he was offered, he wouldn't be in this mess now. And he really did have feelings for-
A pale hand suddenly ghosted across his cheek, but the boy knew immediately that it wasn't Axel's. It was cold and rough, and Roxas flinched away in surprise, striking out at the stranger violently despite his tears.
"Don't touch me!"
Zexion had appeared magically right in front of him, and out of pure instinct he slapped the man hard across the face, before dropping into a more defensive stance. When he dared to peek through his tightly closed eyelids, Roxas started slightly when he saw suddenly vibrant, angry blue eyes searing back at him.
The old sorcerer had clearly lost his patience, holding his tender cheek and glaring at the blond. His aura was definitely different now; where there had once been tranquil dark energy there was now a mixture of rage and bitterness that surrounded him.
"You're pushing it, Roxas. I'm won't force you to marry me right this instant, but as my guest here you will behave. I would hate to have to discipline you..."
The blond slowly regained his courage, glaring back and standing firm.
"Go to hell! I wouldn't marry a psycho like you if you were the last human being on earth!"
Zexion was shaking slightly, having put up with this indignity long enough. "That's it! I tried to be fair with you, Roxas, but you leave me no choice!"
Before Roxas could blink, Zexion was right beside him, glaring down with a look of utter malice in his eyes. "Hey, what are you-Ow! Let go of me!" he growled as the sorcerer clenched a hand tightly around his wrist, beginning to chant something under his breath. It was old and highly accented, from what Roxas could tell, but he was far too busy struggling to get away.
The blond flinched when Zexion pulled him closer, grabbing his face roughly and scrapping the nail of his thumb over one of his soft cheeks.
"Such a pretty face...A shame really. I had hoped you would come along willingly..."
"L-Let me go!" Roxas screamed, jerking his head away. He managed to bite Zexion's hand harshly, causing the man to scream and pull back slightly, but the hand on his wrist was still clamped firmly on, halting his escape. Once Zexion had recovered, his eyes flared, angrier than ever, and he slapped Roxas hard across his cheek, making the boy wince and stumble slightly.
"You will respect me, brat!" he snarled, slapping him again as the spell slowly began to rise. "Look at you! Really, Roxas, this is pathetic! You're just a spoiled little prince who's taken everything for granted, and now that you actually have to fight back, you're too weak to do anything on your own?"
Roxas glared daggers at him, but said nothing. Now the man was egging him on? He wasn't sure what he was meant to do, but his captor was clearly unstable. He needed to find some way to get free, and he needed it now!
Zexion didn't seem bothered at all by his lack of response, in fact he just smirked. "Well then, perhaps it's time for you to see just how hard the world really is!"
Roxas thrashed harder as his arm was wrenched painfully behind him. "You're crazy!"
Just then, a white glow emanated from Roxas's arm, and he began to scream as he felt a burning sensation rip through his flesh. The burning spread from his arm into his entire body, and when Zexion let go of him he practically threw him to the ground.
"IT HURTS...AH...MAKE IT STOP!"
The sorcerer ignored him, finishing the spell and watching with a vicious smirk as Roxas's body writhed and shook violently.
"You brought this on yourself, Roxas. Maybe now you'll learn to control that nasty temper of yours..."
His body felt like it was on fire. Roxas sobbed uncontrollably, begging for anything, even death, to stop the pain. His voice was weak and hoarse, and when he looked back up at Zexion, his eyes shimmered with tears.
"Stop it...please...stop..."
Soon the pain became too unbearable, and the little blond coughed and choked out a mass of bile, staining the earth beside him red. Within seconds he collapsed against the cold earth, fading into an uneasy sleep as he watched his body change and fade...