The Color of Betrayal: Story of a Boy Named Riven
By: LadyNightSky
A/N: Thanks for the reviews :) Currently at twenty-nine, hoped for more, but oh well xD Wow, Riven's drawing some real sympathy.
Disclaimer: No, still not mines.
Chapter Four: Of Cold and Warm
The cool night air was like a slap in the face. He breathed out, and watched as a cloud of white was released into the air. His Mama and the General were both striding far ahead of him, his stubby legs no match for their fast gait. They were melting into the forest where Riven had spent his happiest moments. Somehow, it felt like sacrilege to him. Like the two adults' presence had sullied the very soul of the forest, made it unsafe for him to experience joy and peace here any longer.
The moon shone down mournfully on the three figures, casting them in a silvery glow. Frozen droplets of water clung to the pine needles underfoot and to the bark of the trees, shining like jewels when Riven caught them in the right light. The warm weather of the past few days was quickly melding into dull frost, like Mother Nature herself mourned for Riven's current predicament. It was an ominous sign.
He shivered, and pulled his cloak tighter around him. When he'd hurriedly pulled on his clothes earlier in the night, he hadn't thought he'd be journeying outside; as a result, he wore only his cloak over thin pants and a linen shirt. Lady Anaxandra and the General both wore fur-lined cloaks designed for winter wear, and didn't seem to noticed the cold at all as the talked quietly to each other.
Every once in a while, the General would turn his head to make sure Riven wasn't lagging behind, wasn't running back to the castle to inform everyone what was happening. His Mama never looked back.
They shouldn't be worried about my alerting anyone, Riven thought dully. It's not like I matter anymore. I don't belong anywhere, to anyone. I'm unwanted.
They walked for what seemed like hours, Riven growing steadily colder underneath his scanty clothes. The forest was fast growing unfamiliar. The trees were no longer comforting and safe; now they grew thick and gnarled, their bark dark, looming over Riven, as if evil had touched them and left behind scars. He was starting to lag behind the two adults, his legs getting wary. He ignored the burning and pulling of his muscles, running a few steps so that he was right behind them. The forest didn't feel safe, and the hair on the back of his neck was pricking in vague fear.
Eventually the two adults stopped, and Riven, who wasn't paying attention, almost rammed into them. Steadying himself, he looked up, and inhaled sharply at what he saw.
They were standing on the edge of a sheer cliff, the trees suddenly falling away to reveal stark drops of dirt. Below them, the sea spread out, vast and churning, looking like black velvet in the night. Riven could smell the salt in the air, and the scent of fish. A port town, a mass of glittering lights, twinkled next to the roaring darkness of the ocean.
It's much too close, Riven thought. It looks like the sea could sweep it up and leave behind a sandy beach in its place.
The General and the duchess were conferring in low voices, glancing at the sheer drop a few feet away. Riven scooted a bit closer to them, eyeing the cliff uneasily. How in the world would they get down that horrid piece of earth and rock?
The General suddenly lifted his head up, and nodded at the duchess, who nodded back. Claudio drew something out from under his cloak, a silvery, flashing disk. He depressed the small button at its center, and it immediately expanded, stopping at about five feet in diameter. It emitted a weak buzzing noise, and started to rise slowly into the air. The General stepped onto it then extended out an arm to help Riven's Mama up. He then glared at Riven.
"Well, get on, boy." He sneered. Riven scrambled onto the disk just as it started to float out of his grasp, and flipped himself over the edge of it. His eyes began to stream and water as the disk hurtled headlong down the cliff, biting back a scream as piles of rock and weeds flew by. The General held onto Riven with a painfully tight grip, and drew the duchess to him with his other arm.
They drooped dangerously close to the water, close enough for the salty spray to assault Riven as he slid close to the disk's edge. Desperately hanging on to the General's arm, he braced his arms against the disk, and prayed that he wouldn't fall into the water.
With a jerky, sharp movement, the disk flipped levelly, Riven landing squarely on his back. They zoomed across the water, keeping close to it, toward the mass of lights that was the port.
The pier rose up in a stronghold of rotted wood, algae covering its lower poles. Riven could make out the shape of barnacles clinging to it as the persistent waves tried to wash them off. The unpleasant smell of rotting fish assaulted Riven's senses, and he wrinkled his nose in a desperate attempt to block it out.
The disk rose up to the top of the pier, sputtering and protesting, its surface vibrating, as if it was barely holding itself together after the long dive from the top of the cliff. Lady Anaxandra gracefully leapt off the disk onto the dark pier, landing without so much as a thump. The General landed with a little difficulty, swearing as he almost lost his balance. Riven stepped off last, landing with the same catlike grace his mother had. As his foot left the disk, it dropped out of the air, and into the sea, where it sparkled like a small jewel against the black water.
The three figures crept along the pier, hiding behind the lumps of benches and covered vendor carts that loomed in their path. Riven's teeth were chattering as the frigid ocean breezes whirled ruthlessly around him. His cloak had been soaked by the sea spray, which didn't help at all.
They soon stepped off the pier, and into the cover of the clumps of brush on the shore. The town was at most a half-mile away, and they ran swiftly, ignoring the debris buried in the thick sand that accosted their shoes. Riven panted, his legs already tiring. The sand faded into a rough, hewn stone walkway. Their footsteps were ringing conspicuously against the solid strength, and the General, cursing quietly, removed his shoes, motioning for his two companions to do the same.
Riven braced himself against the warm concrete walls of the town. It was still heated from the sunrays that had battered it during the day, and felt impossibly good to Riven's shivering frame. The town smelled of the same odor that had lingered around the pier, an unpleasant fishy scent that, though not as strong, still made one wrinkle their nose.
The General and the duchess were motioning impatiently for him to follow them into the town. As they entered through the open gateway, Riven gazed around him in astonishment. How could people actually live in these…things? He wondered. The only buildings in sight were crude dwellings built out of a motley collection of straws, mud, driftwood, and stone. There were no windows, but holes in the walls covered in thin white fabric. One central street of packed dirt and vegetation ran down the entire length of the village, with smaller, foot worn paths branching off occasionally. Carts full of fruits, vegetables, and fish lined the streets, strapped to some of the huts. The entire place was deserted, though Riven could hear the sounds of thunderous snoring breezing out from the window holes.
Light came from oil lamps placed upon tall poles. They cast a yellowish, dim glow upon the streets, which the two adults and Riven easily avoided.
As he picked his way over a pile of fish bones left on the side of the street, Riven heard the General murmuring to his Mama.
"…this town has been hit hard by our fool king's lavish spending of the royal treasury. Because of him, the once grand houses and flourishing trade here have faded into near-nonexistence. Many of the people of Olympas are getting tired of our moronic Majesty, and are becoming restless. One of the cases I had was to search out and stop some of the uprisings. Fatalis has been trying to keep them secret, but most of the court know of them now. If we pose as rebels, we should be offered housing and food by the commoners."
Lady Anaxandra nodded thoughtfully. "That is a good strategy, milord, until we can leave this realm far behind."
The General and Riven both wore matching expressions of surprise.
"L-Leave this realm behind?" the General stuttered. "But, my dove-,"
The duchess placed a delicate finger on the General's lips. "It will be better that way. We can start anew. Perhaps even a family…?" Her voice was soft and wheedling.
The General nodded dumbly. "I suppose so then. A family! Think of it…we shall name a boy Claudio, of course, and a girl Anaxandra…"
Riven felt a stab go through his heart. His mother couldn't possibly want to replace him and Reya, could she? Even after all that had happened to him, it had never occurred to him that she and the General would have…children. Well, if they get married, I guess it's expected of them to have children, Riven thought numbly. I shouldn't be so surprised, it will just hurt more. If I just pretend it doesn't matter, then I won't be hurt at all.
The duchess pulled her hood over the top half of her face, obscuring her startling violet eyes, which would at once give her away. She stood on the makeshift doorstep of one of the larger huts, preparing to fool the owners into letting her and the General stay overnight.
Riven hadn't overheard anything about where he would stay during the night, and he was getting panicky. His mother wouldn't possibly leave him out here, would she? There isn't anything she wouldn't do anymore, a little voice in his head told Riven. She simply no longer cares.
He watched in an oddly removed fashion as a large, beefy man opened the simple wooden door. Surprise washed over his face at the pale, ethereal woman on his threshold. His mother spoke in a lilting, beguiling tone, and the man's face softened immediately. She motioned behind her, to the General. The man looked slightly disappointed to see a man accompanying this beautiful lady, but led them both inside the house, closing the door behind them.
Riven stood in the alley between the man's house and its neighbor, eyes glazed, thinking of nothing. The night grew darker, and the oil lamps flickered. A chill wind swept through the town, but Riven felt nothing. The General hurriedly appeared, throwing a pillow and blanket at the little boy before going back inside. Still, Riven did nothing.
He stood for a long while, then mechanically grabbed the blanket and pillow, arranging them on the ground. He curled up within them like a cat, and stared at the burgeoning moon overhead.
How could this get any worse?
A/N: GAH! Riven's jinxed it! This should be fun… Anyways, in this chapter, you got to see how Riven's defense mechanism started. He just pretends like whatever is bothering him doesn't matter. Voila! Eh, the site's still broken, so I'm not receiving review alerts "/ Sad.