Dark Stag Ch. 05

Had last night not happened, I wouldn't have taken this plunge and trusted him this instance. However, he was my only hope. We dismantled the tent and loaded everything back up on Rejon. We headed back to the stable, not sure what to expect. Waiting in the rafters was Roi. He leapt down, making his way towards us.

"Where the fuck were you two?" He asked concerned. We looked at each other, unsure who should respond first.

"We had a night out to camp..." Richard responded. Roi eyed us down, arms folded.

"You two fucked." He smiled, before getting serious, "Lucky yall but um, I wish you two could have picked a different date night. Brija had us all out on the town searching for you. I had to cover for you both!" He explained.

"How bad is it?" Richard asked.

"Dad was fuming. I thought he'd be more mad at you but no he's furious with Kijus." Roi said. It was shocking.

"What did I do?" I asked.

"He said you had no business outside these walls, that you were to stay here at all times." Roi reported. All that could fill me was utter rage. I could feel my head heating up as I tried suppressing it. However it was noticeable.

"Really?" I responded.

"I mean..." Roi said, eyeing me head to toe obviously reading my poorly attempted suppression of my rage.

"Kijus, calm down." Richard suggested.

"No! I haven't earned my freedom? I'll forever be an indentured servant here?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"You want to leave?" Roi asked, surprised.

"That's beside my point, Roi. It's that I don't get this extremely unorthodox sense of self worth present in these lands and the constant need to exert it over others..." I answered, stopping myself short before I said something offensive.

"Yeah, it's getting a little old..." Richard added. Roi looked at him, further surprised.

"Well you two have become quite...mutual." Roi noted.

"So, what all happened, Roi?" Richard asked, growing annoyed.

"Well, Kijus's room was searched late last night, and all your journals were gone through. Brija was the first one to read and there was a journal with like...only a few sentences that pissed her off. She showed it to pa and that is when he got angry and went into his rant. So, then he sent for you, Richard and was even angrier you weren't anywhere to be found. He talked to your friends and learned that you and Kijus had grown close and he now thinks that Kijus is not a good influence on you. So, then I was asked if I knew anything and truthfully I didn't. We haven't talked in about a week so I was left in the dust, but pa chewed me up even then. So, he forced me to accompany him and we searched the city, all the rings...It wasn't organized or anything, just mindless wandering. We came back around four in the morning and pa was still heated." Roi explained.

"Well I'm ready to face the king." I said, boldly. Both Roi and Richard looked at me.

"Don't do anything stupid." Richard advised.

"I'm not going to do anything the situation doesn't call for." I said bluntly, arms folded.

"Oh god, Kijus, seriously think about this. Think about it!" He hinted.

"What more can I lose, Richard?" I asked. He had no response.

"You may be a match for pa but I wouldn't advise in going there with him. Just...let him be right, Okay?" Roi advised.

"Hey, I'm in his lands, right?" I sighed. Roi sighed, shaking his head. He left, heading to the aviary. He left Richard and me alone.

"I can count on you to not dig your own grave right? You might be digging two, just saying." He said.

"I'm not risking anything. I need to see what variables I can play first. Right now, the plan is on hold." I sighed as I began taking the equipment off of Rejon.

"This is crazy, seeing you so serious about something other than raptors." He said.

"This is a case of same shit, new toilet. I'm used to fighting for survival; I'm just not used to fighting for survival in an urban environment. I don't compete with humans, I compete with leopards, smilodon, hyenas, wild dogs. It's different...it requires a less volatile approach and one where I have to be devious and cunning. I will say this, though. I'm dying to get my hands bloody." I said.

"Wha..." Richard responded, my statement catching him off guard. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You've killed actual people before?" He asked. I sighed...

"Sometimes you have to do things to protect others...to protect yourself. After you kill your third person, the regret kind of doesn't happen." I explained.

"Oh my god." Richard said shocked, "You're kidding right?"

"Do I have a sense of humor?" I responded plainly. He just stared, jaw hanging.

Turning to the exit, I headed to the palace. Richard followed closely.

"You know, this doesn't change a thing right?" He said.

"That's good to know." I said.

"Just don't even kill me when you get mad." He teased.

"I mean... They were not just random victims. You know, tribes and nomadic bands have conflicts and there are some wicked people out there...even Illisians. And in the Blessed Lands, there are no laws. It's a frontier." I clarified.

"I've gotten to know you a little bit, Kijus. I think it's safe to say that you just don't randomly kill people, though I don't want to get to know that side of you." He said.

"I'm just laying it out on the line. I seriously have nothing to lose." I said. He had no response.

The two of us continued our way out of the stables. As we turned to the palace, we stood in shock at the sight of a courier handing Brija a large box. Standing on the balcony was the king looking at us, scowling. I felt rattled, but what did I have to lose. I looked over to Richard who obviously never had been in trouble before. The boy was incredibly nervous.

"We're in this together right?" He asked.

"I should be asking you this." I responded, walking forward.

As I made my way up the Balcony, all eyes were on me, ignoring Richard.

"I," The king said, sitting down balancing his chin on his knuckles, "I'm terribly confused, Kijus. I invite you to my home and make you a part of my family, yet you leave without a word. Explain yourself!"

"It was my doing." Richard chimed in. All eyes fell upon him, all skeptical.

"His room was searched. I saw the things he wrote, the things he conspired! I gave him trust and this is what he does..." The king responded, obviously struggling to keep his composure.

"And these things he conspired were against our home, our well being?" Richard continued.

"It...."The King began, stopping short as he realized that Richard was one who could see through his ploy, "It doesn't matter! He was supposed to hold true to the terms of our agreement. They said nothing about leaving the upper walls!"

"And they said nothing about not leaving the upper walls." Richard continued.

"Well, as long as he's going to be a servant here, he'll have to abide by my rules. You're no longer allowed to leave this perimeter." He said.

"But he's mostly with me!" Richard said in my defense.
"I don't care!" The king yelled, getting back to his feet. At this point I couldn't help but chuckle. All eyes fell on me, all expressing the feelings of grave concern, "Is something funny?"

"Yes. I just have so little luck you, know. I'm here thousands of miles away from home, being held against my will under terms that are extremely illogical and am expected to..."

"You look famished! Let's fill you up!" The queen interrupted, making a ton of ruckus as she got to her feet to fix me a plate.

"Let him finish..." The king said. The queen gave him an eye-burning gaze that the king failed to understand. She sat back down, nostrils flared.

"I'm expected to conform to your impartial rules when they themselves violate the terms of our agreement? Since when was I a servant?" I said eager to finish my statement.

"You're no longer in Illisia. You're in my lands. In my lands you abide by all I say. You're a servant because I say you are and that's final."

"And what about the freedom you promised me?" I asked, staring him down. The king chuckled.

"If you keep this up you can kiss the idea of being free again away." He said. We held our intense gaze for a long time. His eyes expressed his arrogance and sense of supremacy. Mine... Little did he know but I was going to take him out... People with his way of thinking are what this world needs less of and the fact that he happily runs a society built around the sex slave industry made my stomach crawl. He raked in so much money from his brothels around the lower rings that it was sickening.

"...Now down to business. Come on, sit and eat." The king said as he took his seat. The queen pulled out the chair near her, inviting me to sit. I did so reluctantly not bothering to hide my cringing expression. All I wanted to do was behead this terrible excuse for a ruler. Being near this man made my appetite disappear.

Richard took his seat, quickly flexing his brow ridge as he stared at the table. He obviously wanted this to end, unsure how this event could turn. It was clear that he was worried about how I was handling this. Indeed, I was doing so poorly. His mother watched us, realizing something wasn't right, something was not being said. However, she was not one to tell.

"My baby girl wants to get into falconry and I want the best of the best to teach her everything." The king said, hinting at me. He proudly smiled at his youngest, Brija. The girl looked at me with the box lying across the table.

"Soooo?" I asked, hoping to speed things along.

"I got a kestrel." She said. Both my and Richard's jaw fell.

"A kestrel?" I asked.

"We have tons of other raptors, Brija...less rowdy and less temperamental raptors to start with." Richard said.

"I wanted something cute that I could call me own..." Brija said, staring me down. Her words were double edged... However, she didn't know what she was getting involved with.

"How old is the bird?" I asked.

"I don't know." She responded. Her response truly made me angry.

"Does it have a pedigree?" I continued.

"It came with these certificates and doctrines." She said handing it to me.

"I'm just going to state it plainly," I said, flipping through the paperwork, "Kestrels are terrible starting birds. They are aggressive and extremely fragile."

"My baby girl is up for the challenge." The king said proudly.

"I surely am..." She said, continuing to eye me down. I couldn't believe this girl was serious.

"Pa, you agreed to let her get a kestrel? That's an advanced bird... What if it fly's away or even worse, rakes her? What is she going to do then? Send the bird back? Is she prepared to treat this bird as a life time investment and understand how big of a responsibility it is? Is she prepared to spend hours a day flying it, training it, teaching it to fly the lure? There are several sparrow hawks and buzzards that don't need to be flown daily and are easy to train and won't be temperamental. I mean, you know she goes through phases of fascination. I don't want this to be something temporary for her!"

"Relax, Ricky. I can handle this."

"Oh please," Richard said, obviously pestered, "You never have been interested in birds a day of your life..."

"And another thing... I don't have privacy here? My stuff was searched through with no regards to my privacy all for a...tiny little falcon?" I asked.

"Pretty much." The king responded, not seeing anything wrong with it. I sighed, wondering why I was expecting so much from this place.

"Let me see the bird." I said, the lack of enthusiasm very noticeable. Brija pulled off the top of the box revealing an immature steppe kestrel that was fully fledged. It was a female, about fifteen inches long, weighing probably nine ounces. It was a shock. I was expecting a hatchling.

"Isn't he adorable?" She asked.

"It's a girl..." I said.

"Girl? I asked for a boy!" She said angrily.

"Too late to get another one. You're in it now." I said, giving her a cold stare. She looked at me shocked.

"Dad..." She said. He looked at her, conflicted.

"Well it hasn't imprinted yet. Let's trade it." He said.

"How serious are you people taking this? These raptors are my life and you just trade them like they are worthless rats with wings! No, these are incredibly intelligent beings that live a very long time and should be more respected than they are..."

"Kijus..." The queen said.

"Well if it's that big of a deal, I'll keep the damn bird." Brija pouted.

I had to console myself. I didn't want to get any angrier than I was. I stared off, wishing for this day to end. The family carried on normally while I sat, boiling in my own skin. The breakfast eventually ended, leaving Brija alone with me.

"So you're ready." I asked her.

"Sure." She responded, truly oblivious to just how difficult training a raptor could be. I also wished that Richard wouldn't have left. I knew Brija's intentions plainly.

"Well come on..." I said, walking down the balcony.

"Well aren't you going to get her?" She asked. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her.

"It's your bird." I told her. She reluctantly picked up the box as we walked to the aviary.

Upon arriving I outfitted myself with a falconer's mitt. I handed her one. She looked at it in disgust.

"I'm not putting that thing on." She frowned.

"Well do you want to get raked by the bird?" I asked.

"No, but she's small. Her talons can't hurt that bad."

"Her feet can grip harder than you can bite. It'd be a pretty nasty wound, Brija. Do yourself a favor and put on the glove." I said, growing ill of patience. She did so, cringing the entire way.

I rolled my eyes, opening the box. The tiny kestrel fledgling held its mouth open, eager to be fed. It was then I knew this bird had just got its full immature plume and had probably hadn't taken its first flight.

"Oh good, she's nice and hungry." I said to myself before turning to address Brija, "Rule number one. Raptors can do no wrong. Raptors can't be corrected. They only can be rewarded."

"What?" She asked confused.

"When she does something you don't like, you ignore it and try to make her do something you like. They are smart birds. They learn quickly." I explained, going to grab a table perch. I sat the table perch on the far end of the bench before reaching to scoop the tiny bird out of its box. She sat with her wings held loose, standing on her ankle joints rather than her feet. She made reedy coos as she watched me move back and forth.

"Yep, she's super young. She isn't even standing all the way."

"So what are you going to do?" Brija asked. I looked at her.

"Tell you what to do. This bird is not going to imprint on me. She's your responsibility."

"So you're not even going to help me?'

"I didn't say that. I'm making it clear that I'm not going to take care of your raptor, when it was your decision to get it. I'm not going to invest into this bird any more than training it. You're going to clean its enclosure, give it clay to bathe, fly it every day and bond with it!" I said. She looked on in horror.

"Every day?" She asked.

"She is not a pet, she is lifelong commitment. She'll be here for the next thirty years." I told her.

"Is it too late, to get one of those birds that don't have to be flow every day?" She asked laughing.
"Poor girl." I sighed, as I placed a small mouse-like lure on the bench.

"What?"

"You have no work ethic. I hope something gives you a rude wakeup call the way I had gotten." I laughed.

"What? You mean that little stent from earlier? No, um...I get my way, with everything." She said defensively.

"That's not at all what I'm talking about. I'm talking about when I was nine years old and my father was killed before me, when my mother and eldest sister were taken and sold as slaves in this very city. The day when I went hungry for weeks and had to step up and be a man before I even hit puberty. I just find it so funny how your family doesn't get along and take each other for granted when my family was ripped apart. It's so hilarious how you think that your family may be here tomorrow, like tomorrow's guaranteed. For all you know, a berserker can come here in the night and burn us all to the ground. And what's funniest...this. This stunt, your attempt to get closer to me by any means necessary. I bet your daddy never tells you no." I smiled, giving her sincere honesty. My words hit her hard.

"You don't know me!" She responded.

"You don't know me." I said, "But guess what. I'm the one who had to put my entire life on halt so I can hope to be free again. I bet you think I'm being so inconsiderate to you, but really...look at what you're doing. In your attempt to get closer to me, you did one of the most offensive things a person can do to an Illisian...get a raptor and take it for granted. You know just how unforgivable an act that is? In my country, tribes war over disrespecting raptors. People have died! Yet, I got to put my feelings aside, keep it completely objective and show you the ropes of caring for a raptor."

Her eyes began to well up. Completely in over her head, she pondered on words to say. I hope that everything I said got under her skin and honestly made her think. I wanted her to know just how spoiled and ungrateful she was. With a smile, I handed her the lure. She took it cautiously, expecting more brutal words from me.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She asked.

"She's super hungry. She may be a few weeks old but she instinctively knows that anything small and fury means food. You're going to use that lure to build up her confidence. She doesn't even want to walk." I said, still smiling.

"How?"

"Just listen to everything I say." I recommended.

"Ok."

"Put the lure, just in front of her." I said. Brija did so, unsure what the result would be. The kestrel looked at the lure, unsure what to do. It was used to food being dropped right into its mouth. It stood there waiting, not quite able to make the correlation to prey being near it means to get up and pounce.

"What now?" Brija asked.

"Just wait. Have that line ready. When the kestrel gets up and goes for the lure, pull it just out of reach." I said.

"And what will that do?"

"It will make the kestrel think the prey is alive and it will either react two ways: it will be cautious and back away, or it will chase it and pounce."

"I'm guessing that it being cautious and backing away is not the objective behavior."

"If your food ran away from you , you would be cautious and back away or would you chase it and kill it?"

"I'd have the normal human reaction of what the fuck and then stand the hell back."

"Exactly... It could very well be her personality trait to be cautious of what she's unsure of, just like it could be a personality trait of hers to chase it out of curiosity. Ultimately, the objective behavior is to simply get a reaction. We need to know what personality type your bird is."

"Ooooooooh." Brija said, her fascination growing.

We waited for several more minutes before the bird finally stood up fully. It took several cautious steps over to the lure. As told, Brija pulled the lure just out of reach. The bird stood there, not cautious but not too fond of the movement either. She pondered what her next move should be, confused by what she perceived as food moving by itself.

Finally, the adorable little raptor took another step. Building confidence, it continued to walk towards the lure, its talons clacking on the wood work bench. She then grabbed the lure in her tiny little talons, lifting it up to her beak. I tossed her a piece of red meat, catching her attention. Her youthful little mind quickly made the correlation that the red meat was food. She dropped the lure, spread her wings and ran across the table. She quickly gobbled it down.