Betrayal

A dozen leeches later and a mild taste of bananas in his mouth, Smaz stepped up to the large castle walls that stood in front of him. This castle marked what was the symbol of this kingdom and stood tall and proud amongst the cobbled streets below.

As Smaz approached the grey-bricked walls, a pair of guards came into sight; the usual pair of goons Smaz approached day in and day out whilst carrying out his errands for the King.

"Ahahaha! That was absolutely hilarious!" laughed the fully-plated guard to Smaz's left as he approached.

"And then she took clothes off and told me to get bent. I wonder what she meant at time, but now I know she was coming on to me. I confused at time, but not as confused as her!" sniggered the other guard. It was obvious his English was not the best, and even had a slight accent that would resemble Earth's Spanish equivalent.

"GOLD!" shouted the other guard, leaning forward in such an outburst of laughter. Someone had may as well kicked him in the nadgers to receive the same response of body language.

Smaz could only close his eyes in embarrassment. He had urged the King several times to change the guards fronting the castle, but the King hadn't listened at all. It was obvious these two were the worst guards a magician could conjure up. Had someone just so happened to pass the castle, they could probably dance in without them realising at all. Literally dance. They could perform the salsa for all they cared.

He stopped in front of the bent over and crazed laughing pair so they would recognise him. However, it wasn't for at least a minute before Smaz had to clear his throat to get them to even pay heed to him standing there.

"Oh, sir... I didn't see you standing there!" the more English-equipped guard commented, suddenly standing up straight in Smaz's presence. It didn't take a genius to figure out that foolishness was not served in the sight of authority.

"Yes, well, had I been in charge, you two would have been removed long ago. Preferably to a cobbler to make your living." Smaz rolled his eyes as he said this, seeming to disregard anything the guards said as idle banter.

"Would you, sir? Really?" replied the guard, his eyes lighting up with glee and his right hand clutching his trident firmly in anticipation.

There was a brief pause.

"You two are by far the most stupid guards I have ever seen. Or heard. I shall see if I can get the rest of the day off for you two and someone else to replace your position." Smaz commented dryly as he moved past them and into the grand entrance of the castle. He could faintly hear the pair cheering with joy about having the day off as he entered. He had to do something about that pair.

"I know you want hear about my girly!" the Spanish guard called after him down the hallway. He then added, before forgetting, "Sir!" He truly was an imbecile.

**********

"Sir Smaz is recognised by the castle!" shouted a more impressive guard in full armour at a double set of wooden doors, much further in. The wooden doors opened and Smaz clutched onto the wooden box in his left pouch, tightly. He moved down the flame-lit corridor swiftly, his knicks and cuts from earlier unaffecting his posture. He had to stand tall for the King, and stand tall for his pride. The leeches seemed to have sucked away his nerves, anyway, so it did not bother Smaz too much.

'Hmmmm...' Smaz thought to himself as his left eye caught a glimpse of a new portrait on the wall, 'This is interesting... when on Yarth did the King have that one painted? And... that one, too?!' It became apparent that there was a whole host of new pictures along the walls of this corridor, which led to the King's main throne room. It was bizarre - all of these new pictures portrayed the King holding a large pearl, but each picture different. The one to his right, as he passed, had the King holding his sword up... many dead bodies dead around him. Two of them to his left portrayed the sky in a thunderous torrent of grey... and the one at the end of the chamber:

"NO! This cannot be!" Smaz gasped to himself, his gruff but serious voice echoing down the corridor. He looked up, his red irises glistening in the flames' flicker, and he saw a large painting of the King... holding the very box he was holding. Only... the sea was around him, in a huge whirlpool, and in the centre was Yarth... and the King on top, laughing. It was shocking to see a picture of the box before the King had even seen it, but for the King to allow something as malicious as himself to be painted with such dark intentions and hung up was preposterous. Angry, Smaz thudded the large wooden door in front of him, leading him directly to the throne room.

The King turned towards Smaz as he entered, seemingly bored. His right arm was supporting his fat face like a totem pole supporting a blob of putty. Melting putty. The King was dressed in fabulous red attire and golden chains surrounding him for decoration. He was fat, and there was no mistake about that. It was no wonder all of his entertainers stood a fair distance from him, since had the King fell from his golden throne, perched on a few stone steps, then they would be squashed. And we're not talking pancake squashed, we're talking SQUASHED squashed.

"Ahhh! Good of you to come, Smazzy boy. But you're late." The King said in a bored tone of his voice, which suggested nothing could impress him in his current state. Smaz eyed the King momentarily before noticing that the jesters and entertainers were hurrying out. Today of all days, the King was in another bad mood.

"My Lord, I ran into some trouble with the Emperor's police, which could have only been expected considering the box WAS in the realm of Pikhaul-"

"Smazzy boy," The King interrupted, rudely, "That was your fault and your fault alone that the police squadrons came after your behind, are we clear on that?" Smaz should have been angered by the King's tone towards him, since it made it seem as though Smaz was to blame for everything that went wrong in his kingdom, when it was clearly not. However, Smaz had learnt to dismiss many of his emotions and most came out only upon pure outrage. This was perhaps what made Smaz's self-esteem so low, despite how confident his exterior was. He had to stand tall for the King, and also for the kingdom, to make those around him realise that he was higher, and they should respect him. After all, he was a pawn of the King.

"Yes, my Lord." Smaz simply replied.

"Gooooooood! Knowing you, however, you let those fools take the box, am I correct? Or did you manage to put that training of yours to good use and actually achieve something in this difficult task?" The King asked, in an almost mocking tone. Heck, if it wasn't mockery, then Smaz would eat his hat. If he had one. He then added, "Smazzy boy" in the same tone as earlier, making it all that more mocking.

"On the contrary, my Lord, I managed to steal the box, as you requested. It was not easy, but I managed to-"

"EXCELLENT!" The King smiled, and took his arm away from under his flabby face. If only the kingdom knew how rude he was in person, then they'd know the pain Smaz felt in such situations. He wouldn't have minded someone who would listen to him... "Give me the box, now." It was a forceful demand and not a polite one.

Without saying anything, Smaz took a step towards the throne... but then stopped suddenly. He glanced down into his hands as he pulled the small, black box from his left pouch. He stared at the small, varnished relic, wondering if he really should give it to the King. His highness had been somewhat very different recently, and this recent greed worried Smaz, greatly. If he gave the King the box, he may regret it later. And then there were those portraits to consider...

"Now, Smazzy boy! What's the matter? Are you stupid?" the King mocked.

Smaz raised his head slowly towards the King and looked on sternly. Smaz was always a serious person, who pledged himself to the King, no matter what. As the years went on, he grew and matured into a faithful person, who actually found it difficult to see the humorous side of subjects, and neither did he take nicely to insults on his intellect. He didn't consider himself strong, and neither the most social guy, but perhaps that was his low self-esteem that had caused this. Then again, who caused the low self-esteem? The King. However, at least Smaz was intelligent, and not stupid. Then again, the next chain of actions could be considered stupid. Or smart. You decide.

"My Lord." Smaz simply spouted, a gleam of annoyance in his eyes. "You seem to forget that it was I who had to go through the momentous task of obtaining this box. Tell me, in return, since I know I shall receive no praise or gratitude from you anyway, why do you desire this box so?"

The question took the King by surprise and his crown almost fell over his head from shock. Or rather, he fell backwards into his throne from shock. That crown could never fall over his fat.... chubby... pumpkin of a head. Unless he went on a ten-year diet. At least.

"My dear Smazzy boy... no one even dares talk to me like that, not even my first-class top knight. I'll let it slip on this occasion, since you ARE so loyal to me. However, I'll ask YOU, first... why do you speak to me in such harsh tone?" The King's voice was now in a sweetly high voice, as if sugar-coating his real annoyance, in a facade to gain Smaz on his side of things. It was as if a father was sweetly talking to his daughter, and to Smaz, it was sickly, not sweet, patronising him in every way.

Smaz knelt down on his left leg and bowed his head. He could tell the King was hiding his rage towards him, but not as well as Smaz was in such an instant. He knew his place, but still was in the mind to question the King about this box.

"These past few weeks have been sour to me - you have ordered me around so harshly, and all for personal gain, despite the fact your royalty sees you at the top, already." Smaz made sure the box was still in his possession. "Sire, I do not understand why you have been so... greedy these past few weeks. I have put my life on the line, but I do not understand why. My Lord, I ask you in why you wanted such an odd item because I do not feel that you deserve this box."

There was a long and awkward silence in which nothing could be heard but the crackle of the flames in on the torches, strapped to the stone walls around. And then, there was Hell.

"Arise Smaz. You need not bow down to me, anymore." He simply responded.

Smaz rose, inquisitively, wondering what on Yarth the King had in store for him. He also raised his head from his bowed position so it was at the usual eye-level with the King, from where he sat on his throne. "After all, you are dismissed from your position."

"WHAT?!" Smaz roared, his pure anger now showing at the King's decision.

"You heard, cloth ears. A knight who questions their King's motives must be dismissed. Especially one who is deeply suspicious of his King's reasons." The King rose to stand up, but slightly wobbled as he did so, obviously not to have stood up in a long time. The lazy git.

"You CANNOT be SERIOUS!" Smaz was in pure uproar about this all. "You... you shall hear about this, My..." He had to stop his shout abruptly to refrain from his usual phrase of 'My Lord' - one he had been used to his entire life.

"AHAHA! Is that a threat, my simple-minded young fool?" The King was in a hysterical laughter, echoing all the signs of evil around the room. Smaz stared on in shock. "You are so naive to the many facts that surround you in this world. You may know so little, but already you know so much. You must be annihilated."

This last sentence took several seconds before it sank into the dismissed knight. When it did, Smaz was in a state of paralysis. "Quiver, my dear boy... your fate is now in my hands unless you get out of my kingdom right here and now." He stopped briefly. "Of course, you must give me the box, first. Do so and I'll allow you to go, quietly."

Smaz fell to his knees. A death sentence? After so much loyalty and devotion? A death sentence? No. He just wouldn't allow it. He couldn't.

"No? Alright then. Let's do this MY way," sniggered the King, brazenly, "Aera!" he boomed into the room's ricocheting reverbs.

There was a swift sound of what sounded like a thousand ants at once from Smaz's left. Then right. Then above. Finally, a form materialised in front of him. There stood a tall female figure, dressed in tight clothes, possibly to match the manoeuvrability she needed for such speed. Everything she wore was black as the night, itself. On her top half she wore a small, black, waist-jacket, and out from that Smaz saw a black tank-top. Her bottom half was of tight trousers, naturally the colour black, and long leather boots. Three guesses for the colour.

All Smaz had to do was raise his head slightly and a long blade met his chin. Smaz froze there, on his knees, looking up at the strange female. He could only stare in almost fear of his looming death. As he did so, he saw her face - as stern as his, and with black hair longer and slightly curvier that even Smaz's, itself. Everything about her was slick, stern and almost seductive.

"Is this the impudent rogue you want dispatched, Sire?" She spoke, coldly, her voice chilly and letting out nothing but a low tone of violence. Her voice was low, but not deep.

"Why yes, thank you Aera. You shall be rewarded handsomely for your cunning speed in this situation."

Aera kicked Smaz in the side, with her dark, leather, boots, forcing him to turn around and face the King with his gaze. Her white-furred face sneered as if she enjoyed giving pain to others.

Smaz's eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked at the King's face, without moving his head, nor body, not turning for even an inch. "You... you... knew.... I was going to question you!?" Smaz cried out, his voice in a desperate whisper. Never before had he been so close to death.

"No, my boy, but I was going to have you killed after retrieving the box, anyway. I knew that as soon as you obtained it, you would be one more soul to know I was in possession of that artefact, and I can't have too many fools knowing about this. So I hired Aera - the world's greatest assassin to dispose of you." The King smiled as he said this. "It's such a shame you decided to be foolish. I was rather going to let you leave and have Aera chase you across the country for a game, but you chose to not give me the box after your outburst. You're no fun at all. This way you put up no fight. I guess you proved your worth long ago." He turned to Aera.

"Kill him."