Hey guys, sorry that it took long but I had lot of work and stuff to deal with. And now on with the show…
Disclaimer: if I owned it, Maleval would be cannon, and Diaval would meet Maleficent before Stefan.
Diaval spent days getting back his home. He wondered why his people did not came searching for him, hurrying through the forest pathway that leads to Forks. Instead of the peaceful village of forks, he saw burnt, barren land, with fires burning. Ash strewn and thickly coated every inch and surface, blackened ruins. He screamed. However, none replied, only a death silence welcomed him with a strong gust of wind blowing ashes away to reveal several black feathers underneath. Blackened, molted iron, strewn here and there, told him the tale he did not wanted to hear.
He desperately ran where his home was searched frantically for anyone, his mother, father, brothers and his baby sister Rhea. He fell on knees over a pile of thick wood ash and frantically searched, for nothing. Until he found a blackened silver pendent. All dams broke within him, he clutched it to his heart and let out a scream of agony and pain, for it was Rhea's, it was given to her as she was the last highborn princess of shape shifting ravens.
Diaval remained with ruins for days, weeks, years he did not knew. Only thing he knew was his family and people were brutally murdered, and he was no longer, prince Diaval of shape shifting ravens, simply Diaval, nothing else. Sense of protectiveness had left his mind; he remained in the forest feeding upon small insects and fruits, until he was captured, by a slave trader.
The ugly slave trader had hundreds of slaves, in chains. Mostly children, women and magic folk were taken as slaves. While human were dragged along in iron chains, magic folk were kept in cages made of wood and had a mesh of iron covering them, ensuring that they won't escape. He threw Diaval, in a tattered pants and a torn shirt into a cage, suspecting that he too, was one having magic. However, after weeks that Diaval showed no special magic that would be able to him earn a good price, enraged slave trader threw him out of the cage where gnarling guarding dogs waited to pierce him with their teeth. Diaval screamed trying to fight off the growling monsters away, their teeth sinking to his temples, a burning pain and empty darkness. Yet he clutched the blackened silver pendent like his lifeline.
He woke to the blinding light of sun, unaware about his whereabouts. Little Diaval looked around, and found he was still in the slave camp, lying on some rugs. He had chains around his ankles and hip, turned raw and painful because of the constant contact of iron. He winced, as he tried to get up. He touched his forehead and temples, seeing his wounds have healed, he guessed much time must've passed.
"Ah, you woke up finally," said a voice, Diaval turned to see a thin man with a dirty beard, whom he recognized as a man who worked for the Chiron, the slave trader.
"Drink this lad; you'll need to keep your strength" the man, whose name was Rufus, said, handing him a wooden mug filled with warm drink. Diaval wiped his mouth and handed the mug, he looked into Rufus and ask, "Why did you save me?"
The man sighed, "Because you're one of the shape shifters, I know the marks on your chest aren't random".
"But... but… how...when" Diaval muttered incoherent words, as man chuckled, humorlessly. "I was once a shape shifter…" "Once?" Diaval questioned. I lived in a far away kingdom; Rufus muttered looking away, his eyes lost in past memories. "We lived in peace, humans and shape shifters. Yet an evil queen came to power, killing the king and enslaving the princess, the rightful heir to the throne, and she captured all magical creatures she could find and stole their magic to strengthen her evil dark magic, and she stole my magic too."
"That's the end of the story my boy, I had no way other than working for Chiron to live. But I ensure to set free the slaves I could, and I promise that I'll set you free when you grew to transform on your own, here I bought you some copper chains, they will be fine with your magic" Rufus said replacing Diaval's iron chains with copper ones.
Meanwhile in moors…
Maleficent returned to her tree after the day's events. She had met a young boy today, named Stefan. She was glad that she made a friend, but he could not take the place that Diaval had in her heart. She lied in her nest watching stars. "I wonder if he watching these stars too" she wondered, puzzled that how a single meeting had gave such a place to him in her heart. She closed her eyes, hoping that she would see him, as she did in once upon a dream.
In the slave camp,
Diaval lie on the dirty ground, watching the dazzling stars which reminded him of his family and of his friend, Maleficent. "Perhaps she may have forgotten me now, and have found a new friend to play with," he thought. However, he could not forget her laughter and the twinkle of her emerald and golden eyes. " I will find a way back to you, Mal" it was his last thought before falling asleep.
So guys, next chapter will be about their meeting (one in the movie) and some pre- maleval! Thank you all who reviewed, favourited and followed. You guys made my day. I am sick, I've got chicken pox and off my studies for sometime, so its how I found time to finish this. I'll try to update ASAP.