I was really busy this week, and so this chapter is the shortest one yet (sorry Craig). I would rather upload a shorter chapter that I felt was more complete and polished than a long chapter that was unrefined and hard to read. I hope you guys enjoy, and as always leave feedback because I really love reading your comments. We get to see a lot of Craig this chapter and his home, it'll be fun. Btw I did add a cover, can you guys see it?
Getting into Algrid wasn't difficult at all. Craig had expected more trouble after being kicked out just a few hours ago, yet the forest of South Park soon faded into the world he recognized. Time moves differently in Algrid, sometimes hours would pass on earth while just a minutes passed in Craig's home world. Other times vice versa. The day wasn't a guarantee, night came and went as it pleased. Craig hoped that he would get back before Tweek woke up, but it was impossible to tell how long had passed on earth. Tweek was such a wreck that Craig was honestly scared to leave him alone, and he didn't even want to think about Kenny at the moment. Tweek had said that Kenny was dead. A sick mess of thorns jumbled up in his gut every time he thought about it. Craig had brought them into Algrid, and he had failed to protect them. He was responsible. He hadn't even been able to test Kenny's abilities; of course he bluffed about knowing what they were, but that was a tactic to grab his attention. Craig shook his head and pushed the humans from his mind.
The forest evolved into larger trees, thickets above blotted out the currently dark sky. The castle wasn't far from here, Craig recognized this forest. His sneakers crinkled in the snow and faded into leather boots with a silent woosh of power. His hoodie became a thick, blue tunic that wrapped snugly around his body, black woolen pants covered his legs, and thin silky gloves extended over his fingers. For good measure he conjured up an embroidered cloak that hung around his shoulders and fell to his ankles. Two silver daggers hung around his hips in a leather sheath. He didn't need such a get up, but maybe it'd win him some favor in the court. After all exorbitant, eloquent outfits represented power and status. He usually didn't use glamour to disguise his outfit, but his father wouldn't take kindly to him showing up in human garments. This assignment had been a test for Craig, a last chance for redemption in his father's eyes. The way he'd been banished from Algrid, it raised the deadly suspicion that his betrayal had been discovered. The back of his neck began to sweat despite the chilly air. All around him pale eyes blinked from the darkness. The trees creeped out with twisted branches and caressed his sleeves. The edge of his cloak caught on multiple snags and he had to pull it free. His eyes darkened with frustration, he definitely didn't feel welcome.
The thick trees eventually broke and the ground turned from thick soil to rocky ground. The castle sat in the distance, Craig could see the thin outlines of towers through mist. All around the perimeter a large hedge maze surrounded the castle, a defense mechanism fifty times more effective than a most. The sky would be obscured by interlocking, arches of branches once he stepped inside. Inside the maze were beautiful courtyards, gardens, and the dens of many different beasts. Upon his arrival a path usually opened up that led directly to the castle as if it were only a few yards away. Royalty and high ranking aristocrats were allowed that privilege. But tonight it did not, the bushes groaned and creaked in the silence and stayed firmly planted to keep Craig out. Craig sighed, it looked like he'd have to take the long way. Fortunately he knew the place like the back of his hand after spending years of his childhood exploring it. The light disappeared from his face and neck as he stepped through the arche. Birds and small creatures chittered from unseen hideaways, glassy insects buzzed around the walls of thickets. Craig's feet led him down the trodden path without the need of sunlight, his gloved hand glided along the leaves. After a few minutes slips of sunlight began to shine down in small rays through the weaving pattern of branches far overhead. Small, blue ferns on the ground padded the path and concealed his footsteps.
The tunnel opened unto a cheerful riverbank, snow white flowers lined the water in thick bushes. Craig ignored the flowers despite their sweet, winter smell. He had a feeling they were too close to the water. Tall, shaggy trees stretched upwards. The river itself looked less inviting, with icy dark waters that rushed downstream. Falling inside would definitely prove fatal. A white, wooden bridge spanned the distance between both banks. It creaked under the taps of his boots. Craig glanced over the banister to see dark bulges cress the water and disappear beneath the trickling waves. A black, horse like head breached the water and snorted furiously, it's pale white eyes accusing Craig. In the distance he could hear beautiful singing; sirens. Craig couldn't see them, and he was thankful for that. If he saw his greatest desire, Algrid saved, no more suffering, he probably wouldn't ever leave. He made a mental note to avoid any water he came across. The singing reached a crescendo and the kelpie moved in small circles directly below the bridge. It was possible the kelpies and sirens worked together to kill, and split the flesh of unfortunate victims. Craig didn't feel like finding out if that was true, he quickly crossed the bridge and covered his ears. The singing had worked its way into his mind. His nerves stood on edge until the muddy banks of the river were far behind and the splashing of beasts in the water had long faded. There were several different routes that branched off from the river. Left, right, left, right. His feet somehow ended up on a trail lit by small bioluminescent flowers and mushrooms. His feet stopped and his eyes narrowed, he recognized this path. It led to The Garden; he had always hated The Garden, but it was necessary to pass through to arrive at the front gates. Craig found that this was always the most trying trial to pass. It used happy memories that amplified sadness ten fold. It tricked you into staying with small caresses and sweet nothings until you gave in. At that point you would die of dehydration or starvation.
Aside from the strange, vengeful power that led many to their deaths, The Garden was just that, a garden. Large plots of flowers bloomed as Craig stepped in from the archway. Sun light sparkled through the towering willow trees that stood in small bricked enclosures. Either it was already daytime or The Garden played by its own rules. The latter was more probable. Icy, blue birds with long tail feathers darted between the trees and sang their songs in soft trills. Ice drops hung from the high up branches of the trees and leaked down like strings of tears. Craig's eyes flickered across the grassy courtyard. The Garden extended on farther than his excellent eyesight could see and into a hazy mist. Craig walked straight through and ignored the fountains and sculptures, his eyes climbing the many trees and hedges as he went. Paths broke off every now at then and led to ponds, burrows, statues, benches, and just about everything else you could think of. A couple of glossy ampitheres, small dragon like creatures with two wings and no legs, darted out of a bush and nipped at each other lovingly. Their green iridescent scales glittered as they disappeared into the treetops. Craig pushed through a tall tangle of Briar root and turned left down a familiar cobblestone path. He always ended up here. His feet stopped in a patch of blue ivy.
The courtyard had pale slate bricks and glowing blue stones inlaid to form a circle formation. Small plants sprouted up between the cracks and extended over the pathway like snakes. Lines of snapdragons and hyacinths separated the court from the hedges and gave the place a flowery scent. In the middle of the circle courtyard was a marble bench that sat beneath a tall honey locust tree that provided shade for the whole courtyard. On the bench, bent over and collecting a handful of flowers, was a woman in a flowing green dress. She was humming a tune that Craig recognized with a pang of anxiety. He had sang it to Tweek last night. She sat up and pushed back her long, golden hair. Her silky dress shimmered whenever she moved.
"Craig, honey. Come sit down." Pale blue eyes flecked with slivers of green smiled at him. Creases formed at the sides as she smiled, pale gold makeup was smudged over her eyelids and gave her a royal look.
"I can't, I have-" Craig snapped his mouth shut. He shouldn't be talking to her, he didn't even mean to start. The words were just pulled from him, he could never say no to his mother after all. Even when she was alive.
"I picked you sweet asylum." She cradled a bouquet of small white flowers in her arms. "Come smell." She offered them to Craig.
Craig's lip trembled but he ground his jaw. He forced his eyes from the woman and made a large arc around the courtyard to avoid even coming close to her. The Queen's solmen eyes followed him.
"You will come visit me, won't you? I haven't seen you since you were just a lad." He heard her standing.
Craig cast his eyes to the ground and forced himself to keep walking.
"Just smell them, darling." His mother's voice was in his ear. The sweet smell of honey hit his nose and took him back in time.
Suddenly he was just a child, he couldn't have been more than eight. The courtyard was spring full of life. Snow fluttered down from the clear blue and rested upon the open blooms and stems. His mother sat beneath the grand tree and wove him a crown of sweet asylum and leafy foliage. Spread out around her was her entourage. Tall fey with high cheekbones and wispy robes that fluttered in the breeze. A small girl with pale ginger hair rested on the bench and played with a toy rabbit. No one was bothered by the cold.
"Craig, come here darling!" His mother's sweet voice trickled over to him. His short legs propelled him across the ground. He met his mothers open arms with a giggle. She pulled him into her lap and fixed the crown atop his head. "My little Prince."
Craig smiled and hugged her. She hugged back, her soft arms carrying him. Even at such a young age the garden was playing tricks on him. His mother's image wasn't real. Craig fell to the ground as heavy footsteps pounded through the archway. His father's heavy form broke him from the illusion and made him jump to his feet.
"What did I tell you about coming here." His deep voice didn't boom, but it scared Craig into standing straight, his hands by his sides.
"I-I'm sorry, Father." Craigs high pitched voice fluttered out.
His father's red eyes narrowed, "Are you using glamour on me?"
Craig had often taken used his magic to make himself resembled his father less, and his mother more.
Craig shifted, his magic falling away. His skin became inky black, he resembled a glowing shadow more than a being.
"Get to the castle. You'll be fighting the hounds today. You must train to command the armies, pain builds strength." His father's voice chastised him as the vision faded away.
Craig gasped and pulled away from his mother. Returning to his normal height and size was disorientating and he slumped against a stone birdbath.
"Stay with me, Craig. It's so lonely." She placed a hand on his shoulder.
Craig backed away, his fingers trembled for a moment before his face fell blank. He held his head up and turned his back on the memory of his mother. Strength had come from pain, and the perfect mask of apathy had come from that pain too. She followed him to the archway opposite of the one he'd entered through, her soft footsteps barely making a sound. She didn't plead with him or attempt to talk with him again as he left. A ball of sadness curled itself up in Craig's chest like a python and sent a wave of anguish throughout his vein before he pushed it away. The feeling of nothingness returned. He couldn't afford to wallow in his past at the moment, he had a mission.
The Garden ended abruptly after the courtyard. It had no more happy memories of Craig's to play on, and anything it couldn't play with it discarded. Craig glanced back at the courtyard, he could still vaguely see it in the distance. The large tree was barren, the stones cracked and overgrown with weeds. The thick boughs shifted and shut out Craig's view. There was no going back now.
A few more minutes in and the hedges opened up into a wide dirt road that led to the castle's gates. Craig breathed out through his nose and scanned the gate, two guards stood watch. He waited a few minutes under the guise of taking in the situation, in reality he was nervous and just a bit scared to be back. The King might have alerted the guards to capture him on sight. Craig clenched his fists and strode up to the gate with his chin tilted upwards. Act like you belong and you will, that's what he'd done his whole life.
The guards stood straight as Craig approached, their fists over their hearts. Craig's cold eyes flickered from one to the other.
"Prince Craig, it is an honor."
"Just open the gates, I must see my father." Craig sighed as if he was impatient. The guards stepped aside and the glittering gate slowly creaked open.
Craig gave them both looks and slowly resumed his way to the castle's grandhall. The yard was large and forested. The walk through gave Craig a moment to collect his emotions and hide them behind a large, concrete wall. His father could always read him easily, and that was a risk craig could not take. Tweek needed him in South Park, and Algrid needed him as a King.
Craig hadn't mentioned to Tweek or Kenny why he truly needed to bring down the King. While it was true he didn't wish to see South Park destroyed, his concerns for the humans were neither here nor there. His main concerns were for the people of Algrid. They were dying, a cruel tyrant on the throne that preached of victory and glory allowed towns to fall to famine and poverty as he built his armies. Craig had seen it first hand while he traveled with his troops. This needed to end, and he needed the help of the humans.
Ice seeped through the large stones of the castle wall, icicles hung down like streaks of blood. The large silver doors were shut, but Craig knew they would open when he approached. The guard that controlled the doors wouldn't lock him out, their life depended on a job well done. It's not like Craig would actually punish them, but they didn't know that.
Craig took one more shaky breath before approaching the doors. As expected they silently opened, allowing Craig to walk in. His boots clicked on the spotless tile ground. The entrance hall was massive, the ceiling extended up and was covered in murals and pale chandeliers that dropped down and provided muted, golden light. The floor was a long mosaic of sparkling blues and whites. The hall would nearly be beautiful, but the walls gave it a hellish look. Long black drapes bordered paintings of violent battle scenes and deaths. Long ago nicer painting were hung up, but they were destroyed and replaced. The hall extended on and opened up onto a grand staircase that spiraled up in two different directions. Slowly step by step the doors of the throne room appeared. Two elven guards, a male and female, stood in glittering tunics, sharp silver swords hung at their sides.
They both bowed their heads with their fists over their hearts when Craig approached. The male was vastly smaller than the other guard, with pale white hair and nervous black eyes. He must be fairly new. The taller one had broad shoulders and hard, set eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a tight, black braid that extended down her back. Craig recognized her from his days training guards. Tanz, top of her class and extremely deadly.
"General, it is an honor." Her voice was like a winter breeze as Craig peered up at her.
Craig swallowed, "Is the King in the throne room?" He hoped this wouldn't end in a fight, he didn't want to injure his best soldiers.
Tanz nodded curtly. "King Thomas has been expecting your arrival."
Craig felt a pang of nerves at the news, but quickly forced them away. He turned away from the guards as they opened the doors for him. Craig knew the layout of the throne room extremely well. Tall pillars with creeping ivy lined the walls to the tall ceiling. There was a dark throne that radiated power, with spires of ice sticking out of the back like deadly pikes. Arching windows allowed pristine light to flutter in from the world outside. There were secret passages that weaved in and out of the castle, many were in this room in case the monarchs had to escape from enemies. They were also there so soldiers could flood into the throne room to protect the Queen and King.
King Thomas sat upon his dark throne. His glowing red eyes watched Craig with a burning anger as he approached. Craig got down on one knee and bowed his head in a swift, flowing motion.
"My King." He forced himself to say in the least mocking tone he could muster. Maybe in a different universe he'd address the King as 'father', but events hadn't allowed them such a relationship.
"Stand." The King's gravelly voice boomed after just enough time to make Craig's knee ache.
Craig gratefully took the invite and forced himself up right. His knee nearly buckled under the sudden responsibility of holding him up.
"You were expecting me, my liege." Craig put on an air of complete boredom and impatience. His eyes grazed over the room in apathetic sweep.
"Yes. There were humans in Algrid, and I demand to know how they got here. I just now sent for you." The King's eyes narrowed and seemed to pick at Craig's brain. "You have arrived exceedingly quick."
Craig clamped his hands behind his back so they wouldn't tap nervously at his side. "I am doing all I can in South Park, I hav-"
"Enough." The King held up a fist. "That is not what I asked. How did they get here?"
Craig pressed his lips together. "There are many openings in the forest of South Park, civilians are constantly hiking."
The King considered this for a moment, his eyes bound in concentration. He nodded and gave Craig a too-wide grin. The back of craig's neck bristled and his hands instinctively flicked down to the daggers hanging on his belt. The King waved up his hand and Craig went sprawling to the ground.
"You think you can betray me, boy?" The King stood and peered down at Craig. Craig was held down by the gaze, his heart pounding in his chest. "I should end you at this moment, finish the job." The King raised his iron clad fist. Craig watched with wide eyes, his throat seemed glued shut. He couldn't even muster the will to squeak, much less charm his way out of this. The King lowered his fist causing Craig to internally flinch.
"Guards!" The doors banged open at the sound of his voice. Several pairs of armoured foot steps pounded into the room. "Restrain Prince Craig, and take him to the dungeon. I will deal with him later."
Craig's head was swimming as two hands jerked him to his feet. He looked at his detainers, men he had trained. How had the King known, did he suspect all along? Was this mission a set up from the start?
"Hold on." Tanz, along with a guard Craig didn't recognize, had begun to drag him towards the door.
"Tanz.." Craig whispered so silently he wasn't entirely sure she heard him. Her face betrayed no emotion, and she didn't acknowledge him at all.
The King took a step forward and jerked Craig's head up to look him in the eyes."One of your conspirators is dead. His body was left in the snow for the animals. The other, the one who spoke your name, somehow escaped. I have a new leader for the mission, surprisingly he is human… and very eager."
A human? Craig's mind struggled to even comprehend what was happening. What human in their right mind could possibly go along with this, unless they were being controlled.
"You look surprised, surprised how evil humans can be? You have grown attached, they are not your friends or pets. They are a virus, and we will exterminate them." The King paced back and forth. "My son, you are stripped of your title as General and as Prince. You will starve in the dungeon until it is time to invade, then you shall watch your friends burn alive."
"No, no!" Craig found his voice and struggled against the arms holding him. He surged forward in his fury and several guards had to grab and hold him back. He could feel his skin burning, a powerful surge pushed everyone away from him. The guards flew back over one another and fell to the ground in tangled lumps. Craig's chest heaved, his head lowered in preparation to attack.
The King smirked as if Craig's death glare was nothing more than an angry kitten.
"You do not dare to hurt my friend." Craig seethed through his teeth. "You will only ensure your demise is infinitely more painful."
The guards couldn't help but stay on the ground with their mouths agape in fear. The Prince looked nearly a carbon copy of his father, with cold onyx skin and eyes that glowed with a hellish fire.
"While you waste time posturing here, my pawn, the human Cartman, will string his guts over the town. His eyes will be fed to crows, his-"
Craig let loose a guttural scream and leaped at his father. The King glided to the side and avoided Craig's attack. Craig grabbed his daggers and sliced across the King's side. The King staggered with surprise, Craig thrust his other other dagger into the King's arm. The metal slid past his metal gauntlet as if it was butter. Red blood was streaming from his wound, but the King looked more irritated than harmed. He growled and striked Craig. Craig tumbled across the ground and came to a stop when his back cracked upon a pillar. Pain surged throughout his body, and a stifled groan caught in his throat.
"Guards!" Anger filled the King's voice and jolted the once statue still fey to their feet. They collectively regained their wit and surrounded Craig's writhing form. They weren't even remotely gentle after their embarrassment. Without waiting for Craig to stop moaning in pain they jerked him to his feet. For good measure they bound his wrists and held a sword to his back as they pushed him towards the door.
Rage drained from Craig's system allowing exhaustion, along with worry, to take its place. Tears suddenly forced their way to his eyes, and in rapid succession he blinked them away. He bit down hard on his lip to distract himself from the strange feeling of sadness, blood trickled down his chin. He hadn't cried in forever, a general doesn't cry. Any one who wants to survive in the court of Algrid does not cry. He couldn't see Tanz, less friendly guards had taken her spot.
He was numb to the feeling of the leather that dug into his wrists and chaffed him until he bled. He was numb to the sharp sword that poked his back if he went to slowly. He caught a glimpse of himself in a dusty mirror as he passed through hidden halls to the dungeon. His hair wisped around his head like smokey ash. His red eyes still flickered with violence. A walking nightmare, that was what he was. Unable to bring anything but disappointment and harm.
The castle got colder as they went down. His escort had trickled down to just five. One leading the way, two holding his shoulders, and two bringing up the rear. One in the back was very poke happy. Air hung in the air, seemingly frozen. The cold didn't do much to Craig, he was born of cold after all, but any human would not survive half an hour down here.
Craig hung his head, thoughts of a blond haired spaz flashed through his mind and brought a brief smile to his lips. The time for self loathing was over, he needed to escape.
Oh wow, notes at the end too? :0 that's crazy
The next chapter could have one of two formats, and I want you guys to tell me which one you like better. It could flip between Craig and Tweek's point of views, or it could be centered on one of them and then the chapter the following week would be centered on the other until they meet up again. Which do you think would be funner and easier to read? Leave a comment, or message me, about it. I have plans this whole weekend so I'll start writing again on monday!
