New Players in the Game (Part 2)-
Purple eyes gazed at the boy in her lava-cell. Sadistic glee filling them as she entered, a golden cape sliding in after her. Long, twig-like fingers grabbed the boy's face and forced it into different angles as she examined it.
"Yes" she purred, "soon, you and your beloved will be added to my collection, Heims. Then, then you will be mine and Vita will be my masters."
She grabbed a knife and dipped it into a purple tonic before lightly cutting his skin along his arms, thigh and stomach. His body reacted instantly as it arched in agony and his mouth opened in a silent scream.
.
Jack slowly awoke, blinking at the sun that shined into their eyes. Confusion filled them for they remembered being in a room, not outside, when they passed out.
"Good, you're awake" a male, slightly gruff, voice stated.
Jack gasped and sat up quickly, looking over to their left to see a man wearing traditional Viking clothing and having a sword on his back.
"Easy there, kid" his brown eyes held no malice, just calm and worry. Which was a weird combination.
"Who are you?" Jack whispered, swallowing and holding their arms close to their chest.
"I am the one who saved you from the pyre, kid."
"What?" Jack whispered, curling up more.
"And from the men who came to get you, too. What about you? Are you a run-away slave or something?"
"Or something" Jack murmured, looking down.
The man hummed, watching Jack for a bit before getting one of the sticks from above the fire and placing it on a well-furnished plate. He handed it to Jack and the girl-turned-boy took it cautiously before looking at what was on it.
A cooked cod stared back, and Jack felt sick.
"I-I can't" the child quickly went to hand it back, but the man refused.
"You need to keep up your strength"
Jack shook their head, their brown-tinged hair waving slightly, "I-I can't eat fish, sir."
The man frowned and took it back, "is it sacred in your religion?"
Jack found themselves shaking their head before catching themselves, "not really, but... I can't digest white meats"
The man's frown deepened, "I have heard of such disorders before, may I ask how you usually deal with this?"
Jack looked at him, "I-I... I usually eat supplements, such as bread and beans, or red meats or peas, sir"
The man narrowed his eyes before standing up and leaving. Jack hugged themself, did they say something that offended the nice man?
He returned before Jack could fall into a panic attack and handed them a bag. Jack hesitantly took it and opened it before opening it and peering inside. They smiled, feeling relieved.
"Thank you" they smiled at him, and he nodded.
"Eat up"
Jack took out a handful of berries, black and red, and ate them.
"What were you doing in that village? I highly doubt you're a Viking" the man asked.
"I'm looking for my brother, he disappeared, and I left my village to find him" Jack mumbled, swallowing the juice of the sweet berries and wiped his mouth.
"Hmm" the man hummed, "does your brother have a name? Perhaps I can locate him, in my line of work I meet many strange and suspicious people."
Jack wet their lips, should they trust this strange man or run like Hell to escape him? The man has been nothing but kind to the wandering child.
"Jake, his name is Jake Overland"
The man nodded, he took out a parchment and a writing quill from his satchel and scratched something onto the parchment before whistling. A small, chameleon-like creature with wings, horns and spines flew over and landed on the man's arm.
"What kind of dragon is it?" Jack asks, their eyes wide with interest.
"This is a Terrible Terror" he tied the rolled-up parchment to the Terrible Terror's leg and the Terror took off. "They are the fourth smallest dragon and make great messenger's"
Jack hummed, "Sir? What is your name?"
"Ah, yes, that is important, isn't it?" the man laughed softly, "my name is Viggo Grimborne, and you are?"
"Jackson."