Curse of the Goblin King

By: OtakuSailorV

Chapter Two

As soon as her eyes opened, she was sitting bolt upright, glaring around the room, not taking a bit of notice of anything around her. Her eyes were seeking the Goblin King, and they would only stop once they found him. Ignoring the throbbing, groggy feeling of sleep in the back of her mind, she bolted from underneath the warm covers of the bed she had been lying in and continued her wild search.

If she had been paying any attention to anything else, she would have noticed that the room she was in was quite exquisite. The walls were pale green, and the floor was polished cream colored marble. The floors weren't cold, like one might have thought they would be.

There was one window, to the left of the bed. It was large, like everything else in the room, and there were two long, thin silver-white curtains that looped over and then hung down loosely from either side. Below the window was a little ledge that led out to it which was pale wood where the green paint left off. On either side was a row of fluffy pillows for one to sit and watch things pass by outside. But, even though the window was lovely – there was no light that streamed through it like there should have been. Instead it was gloomy outside, mist blocked out the sun and made it appear as if the castle were stranded in the middle of some dream world.

On the other side of the room was a large wardrobe with several doors and drawers. To the right of this was a small standing table with a mirror over it. The wood that held the mirror and which the wardrobe and table were made of was all light and had intricate little designs cut into them.

The bed was extravagant and large – standing against the farthest wall, exactly in the middle - the sheets had been warm and soft around her, but she had neglected all that when she had jumped up and out of the spacious area. Overtop was placed a canopy made of the same material as the drapes that hung on either side of the window, and was even more unreal and flow-y looking than the drapes. To the left of the bed was a small nightstand with two small drawers and a candle placed on top of the wooden object.

The first thing that Erutis noticed was none of these things though, but the large wooden door with the hard, cold metal knob that protruded out, requesting her warm, tender hand to touch it. Taking to large, sweeping steps forward, Erutis didn't take notice either to the fact that her clothes had been changed and that the mud and dirt that had been on her body had been cleaned away as well. Still – she was in a rush to find out where she was.

Though, as her hand reached for the knob, she suddenly asked herself where her sword was, and how she planned to defend herself. Her hand instinctively shot to her side and grasped her bare hip tightly. A mortified look crossed her face. Her sword was gone.

Swirling around, she cleared the ground between herself and the bed in a single bound and leaped back into it, searching madly for her weapon. After a moment of tearing through the sheets like she was stark raving mad, she jumped from the bed and leapt toward the wardrobe. Throwing open the doors, they banged noisily against the walls and they were flung apart, a strong gust of moldy air sweeping outward from the woody, hollow interior. Erutis moved then to the drawers of wardrobe, and when she found nothing, moved to the standing table next to it, and then to the nightstand.

Still finding nothing, and quite desperate now to find her weapon, Erutis dove toward the underside of the bed and lifted up the skirt to see if her lost sword was hidden underneath.

Feeling as if a mortal wound had been struck to her soul, Erutis sat back on her knees when she still found no hint as to the whereabouts of her sword. Her fists shook in her lap, and hot tears of anger formed at the corners of her eyes. "That. . .bastard. . ." She growled through clenched teeth as she recalled the events from. . .from when?

Her head shot up again. How long had she been here, in this room, sleeping peacefully until this time? What had conspired and why was she not dead? Or was she dead. . . ? Confused, Erutis got to her feet slowly and glanced around herself. Nodding at some idea that had just popped into her mind, she strode back to the door.

Her warm, clammy hand met the rounded, cold, lifeless knob and it swung open. The door pulled inward, and as soon as three was space enough, Erutis' head shot out to peer up and down the hallway.

The hallway seemed to stretch into infinity on either side. Large, circular columns extended down, down, down until she couldn't see them any longer. Blinking at the large columns, she turned around and slowly started to pull the door closed behind her. It gave a definitive 'click' and she promptly turned back about, only to bump right into a warm, soft barrier that had gone unseen before.

Erutis made a noise of protest and jumped back immediately, banging into the door and receiving a door-handle to the side. Growling in pain, her defiant glare turned upward to meet the Goblin King's amused gaze. "You-!" She said, pressing herself flat against the door, seeing as she had no defense against him now.

His smug smirk filled her eyes and she felt like she might explode with the angry pressure building inside of her. "Where's my sword?" She demanded roughly.

"Your sword?" He questioned quirking one slender eyebrow in question. "Did you think I would leave it with you?" He smirked wider as her eyes narrowed. He was mocking her, toying with her.

"You bastard!" Erutis cried out, her brown-red hair flying out as if to put emphasis on her words. "Fight me!" Harshly she raised one clenched, trembling fist.

Both of his eyebrows raised to the top of his elegant brow, his eyes wide and examining with shocked scrutiny, as if he didn't know of what she was speaking. Finally, his lips creased back into a broad grin and he chuckled at her. Erutis slowly lowered her arm, as his laughter grew in intensity, her eyes unsure and confused. Why was he so mirthful about her challenge?

She stood pressed against the door, fearful of him as his laughter boomed down the long hallways and echoed back, making it appear as if he was laughing louder than he actually was. "W-what's so funny?!" Erutis finally yelled, eyes bright and shining.

He stopped and his eyes watched her with a look that she did not like. "It's funny that you think I would leave you alive just to fight you." He chuckled again, mostly to himself. "And is that how you show gratitude, girl?"

Gesturing to her outfit and her cleaned up form. Erutis looked down and for the first time noticed that her attire had been changed and that the mud and grit was gone from her body. She flushed all the way out to the tips of her ears and looked up at him accusingly. "Y-you-! Did you-?!" Her shock and outraged disgust was evident and she pulled at the cloth wrapped around her as if she wanted to cast it away from her like it were diseased and plague-ridden.

"Well, I do not keep servants in my castle, as you may have guessed." He said in a sarcastic, though still amused tone. As her face lit up further, bottled up emotions threatening to explode, he though he might die of his own humor at her expense. The girl certainly did get worked up easily.

"You-!! Ugh, I hate you! If I had my sword right now I'd- I'd-" Erutis shook one thin, petite finger at him uselessly, trying to figure out what she would do if she had her sword. For it was quite hard to think about hurting him when he could easily kill her here on the spot, and she had no real weapon to speak of.

He leaned close to her, their noses almost touching as his eyes went half-lidded in a sensuous way. Smirking at her, he asked the question she had set herself up for. "You'll do what, girl?"

Erutis made a face, her teeth clamping together in sudden anxiety. She didn't like how close he was to her. Her widened eyes narrowed and she used her strength to push him away forcefully. "Get the hell away from me!"

He only chuckled again, dancing backward elegantly and missing the fists and open palms that were thrown in his direction with accurate timing. Smirking at her still, he made a flourishing movement toward the far end of the hallway to her right. "Now, if you're quite finished," He began "Please join me in the dining hall in fifteen minutes. It would not be acceptable to be tardy."

And with that, he was gone, right before her very eyes. Blinking, she swiftly looked down the hallway and spotted his tall figure striding through the tall line of pillars and disappeared from sight. Marking the place where he had disappeared, she looked down the other hallway to see if the same illusion might be seen. But there was nothing.

Frustration and anger still filling her, she turned and slammed her fist into the wooden doorway. The boom of wood lined with metal meeting bone lined with skin was deafening as it echoed down the hallway. A sharp pain was sent through Erutis' arm, up to her wrist. Wincing only slightly, she left her hand in the spot for a moment, breathing heavily from the sudden exertion. Bringing the arm back slowly, she saw that her fist had left an imprint on the door, along with something else. Something red and liquid that dripped down the door in one spot and which also seemed to be on her hand.

Realizing that it was blood, she frowned at the broken skin that seeped the red fluid richly. The warmth of her own blood on her hand brought a churning, sick feeling to her stomach briefly as she looked at the wound more and more closely. Turning the thoughts aside, she reminded herself that this was not the first time she had seen such things, and the sight of blood should not make her queasy, but still, the uneasiness that the sight of her own had unnerved her remained.

Looking harshly back down at the row of pillars he had disappeared into, Erutis frowned and put her handle on the doorknob, jerking it harshly, she decided to enter the room again. She didn't care what he said; she was not going to comply with his silly wishes. But she found to her amazement that she was not able to enter. Turning it this way and that, the door was locked inevitably.

Sighing, she stepped back from the door, blood running down her fingers and dripping to the floor to lay in little scattered puddles or droplets, showing a trail of where she had been.

Looking back to her right again, she scowled. Well, she certainly wasn't going that way. Turning to her left then, she headed off straight away, investigating what she saw through the pillars as she walked.

At first, everything was new and interesting looking. Though it appeared different, the objects placed around were foreign to her and several times she had the idea that she might stop and go to touch for investigate closer, but something told her it was not a good idea and she banished the thoughts. But soon, as she went on and on for about five minutes, she noticed that she had seen some of the things before already. The rooms started to replay it seemed, to repeat their decorations and oddly enough, were identical to the ones she had seen before if she remembered correctly.

And she was sure that her eyesight was so horrendous and her mind so shot that she was imagining the whole thing. Stopping, she looked at the room she was peering into quizzically before turning her head to the left to see if the same thing was happening on the other side of the wall as well. She started when she noticed the slight indentations of her fist on the door, and the streaks of blood running down it. Stepping closer, she knew that it was the same door, unless by some magic all the doors had become this way when she had smashed her hand into the other.

Turning back to look down the right of the hallway, she found that she wasn't quite sure if she had gone any farther thanks to the stupid pillars and their way of making optical illusions down the one side. Shaking her head, Erutis turned back to the left and started to walk back ahead again.

Her pace was regular until, awkwardly, she turned her head to the left and saw the same door again fist marked and bloody. Eyes widening, she picked up her pace, eternally turning her head to either side as slowly she gained speed until she was all out flying down the hallway. Looking down instinctively after a bit, she noticed the trail of blood under her feet.

Lifting her hand, she saw that the place where the skin was broken was still bleeding. Erutis came to a jolting stop, jarring herself a bit in the process. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that the trail was only a little ways down the path behind her. As if she been running in place. . .

She sighed, seeing that the stupid castle wasn't going to allow her to go any other way than the way she had been intended to travel in.

She growled to herself, marching in the direction that the Goblin King had taken, and found to her frustration that there were no side effects like there had been when she had gone in the opposite direction. The blood had almost stopped dripping from her hand and now was caking on around her wound. Making a face at it, she almost wiped it on her clothing, but thought better of it and instead decided to wipe it on the Goblin King's cloak when she saw him.

Deep in delighted thought as she imagined the scene in her mind, she almost walked right by the door she was supposed to go into. And when you see the word 'almost,' you should note it, for she did 'almost' miss the door. In fact, she was a little bit more than 'almost' about to miss it. Barely half of her body was visible through the pillars, when, suddenly, her feet came to a grinding halt on their own.

Startled, she was shot her from amused thoughts swiftly, cold shock running through her mind and down her spine, making the little hairs on her body stand on end. Her legs and body turned about, and, frantically, she tried to correct it, but found that it was useless. She could do nothing to stop herself from moving in between the two tall pillars into a room with a strange, raised table.

At one end sat the Goblin King who was watching her with that bemused, smug look as she approached the chair opposite him, dragging her feet as best she could. 'He's doing this!!' Her mind roared out.

His golden follicles fell about him in a curvy, unreal fashion, and his beautifully narrow eyes watched her every move. Erutis found some part of her fawning slightly at his attentions to her, but the greater part of her was worked up like a caged wild beast, roaring and snarling, wanting to sink teeth and claws into her captor. Her face was red, she knew it, for her cheeks started to warm up, the blush spreading to her ears again.

'Damn it all.' She cursed herself grudgingly.

"It is about time you joined me." He said, gesturing toward the empty table before standing to go and greet her properly. Erutis stiffened, the skin underneath her eyes twitching as he approached. Her legs froze in place, still refusing to obey her commands to move.

When he moved to take her by the elbow and lead her the rest of the way tot he table like a gentleman might, Erutis found that she could very well move her arm, and instantly snatched it sharply from him. "Don't you touch me." She snapped rudely.

"Ah, ah, manners." He scolded, raising one index finger and waving it back and forth at her tauntingly.

Erutis' arm froze up immediately, and she made a noise of shock and protest as he led her to her chair and seated her. Then, walking back to his own, he took a seat and watched her with amusement again.

She felt the skin under one of her eyes twitch again. She found that she could move again, though now the chair seemed bolted to the floor, and no matter how much strength she used, she couldn't move it back away from the table far enough so that she could escape. Fidgeting in place, she glared back across the length of the large table at him.

"What are you up to, Goblin King?" She demanded in a sulking kind of tone. Being stuck in this castle and being toyed with so was not her idea of how to defeat the Goblin King.

"First, you will not address me by that horrid title." He stated, straightening up. "You will call me by the name of 'Lord Krayon' instead."

Erutis frowned; he hadn't answered her question. "I'll call you whatever the hell I want." She growled back.

"And furthermore, I am not 'up to' anything that is to be concerned with you." He finished, ignoring her statement.

Erutis seethed, fidgeting some more. After a pause, she finally asked what had been on her mind since the moment she had woken up. "What am I doing here? Why didn't you kill me? Why won't you fight me?!" The last question was a roar, and her eyes widened in anger and she hurtled the challenge at him.

Krayon smiled at her devilishly. "I neither fight nor kill women, so don't bother puzzling over that. And the reason for your being here cannot pass from my lips at the moment."

Erutis was instantly fully enraged. "What do you mean you can't tell me right now?!"

"I mean exactly what I said, now, let us eat." Dismissing the conversation, he waved a hand and instantly there was food set before them. Erutis watched it with a mixture of fascination and unsure scrutiny.

It wouldn't make sense for him to poison her, but still, she didn't trust him at all.

Krayon noticed and laughed inwardly at the face she was making. She was hungry, he could see, but she wasn't going to allow herself to eat anything that he gave her. "Come now, where are your manners, girl?" He asked.

Erutis kept her head bent toward her plate, but looked up from under her brows to scowl at him. "My name is Erutis." She bit out at him. Without another word, she took a bite of the food before her.

It was delicious; she had never tasted anything so good in her life before. Her taste buds sang with the rich flavor. It was perfect. She checked herself before she complimented him though, or even let it show on her face. She wouldn't let him think she enjoyed anything that had to do with him. Stiffening her shoulders and her resolve, she sat back in her chair harshly.

"It is nice to meet you then, Erutis." He purred, and she felt something begin to snap in the back of her mind. How dare he. . .!! Her name in such a manner of speech!

"Don't say my name like that." She ordered, waving a strange utensil at him that she had never seen before. It was like a sword, with several prongs on it, making it goodfor spearing some of the food and for scooping others. It looked threatening enough, so she was sure that by waving it she was emphasizing her words.

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want." He mimicked. Erutis looked up at him sharply and felt a smirk rising to the surface. So, that was going to be the game then, was it?

"Tch, be that way." She growled, poking at her food.

Krayon chuckled silently and looked back up only to notice for the first time the cut on her knuckles. There was such a large spot of blood he wondered how he had missed it before.

"Oh, look now, you're hurt." He said almost in a tender tone and came from his seat.

Erutis froze, trying to figure out what he was going on about when it dawned on her that her knuckles were still throbbing. Pulling her hand away, she dropped the pronged instrument and pushed her hand into her lap. "It's nothing." She said forcefully, hiding it under the table where he couldn't see it.

A chair pulled out and traveled over next to hers, taking it, he tugged on her arm and gently looked over gash. Erutis blushed, eyes hidden under her bangs.'Damn it you idiot! Stop fawning over him!!'

"It's nothing." She repeated, and tried to pull her hand away from him. He held tightly to it though, without hurting her with a death grip.

"It is not 'nothing.'" Krayon said firmly, hushing her with his tone. "It's not a serious wound, I'll give you that, but it is still not a minor one either." Looking up, he quirked one single eyebrow at her. "How did you acquire this?"

Erutis became flustered and frowned; though her eyes hardened as she chastised herself on her behavior again. Not willing to answer, she looked away in a huff, finding it hard to maintain her angered composure when he was acting so nice and caring.

And his hand was so soft and warm on hers. . .'Argh!! Stop that!!' Her eyebrows twitched only slightly as her inner voice cried out. 'He's the enemy stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!!!'

"Hmm, maybe you smashed your hand into something in your anger at me?" He questioned, no amusement in his tone or readable on his face. When Erutis stiffened, he knew that he had guessed correctly.

"How did you. . .?" She dropped off, her eyes moving back to him.

"From the where the gash is formed and how it appeared to have been torn. Naturally, there were only a few possibilities. It must have hurt." From nowhere, bandages had appeared and he wasted no time in wrapping up her hand with them. The wound appeared to have been cleaned already, but when or how, Erutis was oblivious.

The display of trust and caring was what unnerved her the most about this man now. She knew him to be the Goblin King who killed ruthlessly, and had no heart, and yet here he was helping her without a word, and he sounded almost regretful at her being wounded in his home. Erutis swallowed, finding this hard to take in. He was the Goblin King, he couldn't possibly be so nice. . .

"What's your game?" She demanded as she watched him tenderly take care of her small hand.

He didn't raise his head; he could tell what she was asking just by her inflected tone. "There is no game." He assured her with a bit of a hurt tone. "Am I not allowed to take care of you? You are in my castle, after all, you're my responsibility."

Erutis blushed a little, but corrected herself immediately and looked away. He was almost finished bandaging her hand now. "I don't need anybody's help." She replied in a self-assured way.

He finished and laid her hand in her lap softly again before lifting his eyes to hers. "Is that right?" He asked, his eyes dancing with the pale light that was reflected in them.

Erutis narrowed her own and pulled back from him, not trusting him again suddenly. "It is."

He seemed to accept that and stood; the chair he had been sitting in disappeared as if it had never existed. Walking back to his seat, he resumed his meal.

Erutis watched him for a moment, her good hand stroking the bandaged one uncertainly. She was glad that he wasn't so close or touching her anymore, but now she was more confused than ever. Why was he acting so strangely? One minute he had one personality, and the next he had another. Fidgeting only a brief time more, she decided to puzzle it all over later, when she had more time to think about it all, and he wasn't near to influence her thoughts.

Ah, new chapter, hope you guys like and enjoy. The 'curse' shall, hopefully, be explained in the next chapter. I'm sure when that said chapter will come out, though, seeing as exams and the Holidays are coming up, and I will be quite busy. . .

At any rate, everyone have a Happy Holiday until then. Ja'ne.

Review Please.