Character Gauntlet - Day 2

Word Count - 909





King Sauric would pay. The whole city of Kroywen would pay for his humiliation. Even half a millennium after the world of men was nearly destroyed this city still held to its arrogant pride. After this night, Sul’hupkaar would have to leave Kroywen, but his brothers within Notsob’s Necromancer Guild would take him in.

Sul’hupkaar paused by the corner of an elegant stable built for just one horse. The large stable across the green, rolling grounds was a mere shadow in the dark night, but his glowing elfin eyes easily picked it and the bored roving guard out. His ebony skin and inky black hair served him well on the dark night as he slipped to the rear of the smaller stable and picked his way into the rear door.

His face still burned red from his earlier indignation, but ahead of him was redemption. His lithe, strong form silently moved to the stallion’s stall. A beautiful beast. King Sauric’s Pride he was called. Kroywen’s Child was another name. Sul’hupkaar ran strong black fingers across the horse, whispering calmly to it in his singsong elfin voice.

The magnificent animal only stepped softly once and remained still under the dark elf’s calming spell. Its midnight hair gave off a satiny shine even in the dark, its thick black mane as smooth and luxuriant as Sul’hupkaar’s was. The horse nuzzled his open palm, licking up the sugar cubes in it. He leaned his forehead against the horse jaw, the rich melodic voice out of place as it slipped through lips curled in a sneer.

Sul’hupkaar slipped away from the horse to retrieve the blanket and the well-oiled and richly tooled leather saddle nearby. The bit and bridle wouldn’t be necessary. Kroywen’s Child stood peacefully as he saddled him up. Lord Sauric had rode this horse into numerous battles. His garish proud figure strutted through the city on this stallion during lavish parades. It was rumored that King Sauric was separated in battle, his guard slaughtered, and this horse alone carried his unconscious mass back to his lines. Ever since, Sauric had pampered the horse as if it was one of his other children. The horse had become a symbol for victory in Kroywen, the city’s citizens holding it almost as dear to their hearts as Sauric did.

“Soon, my friend” Sul’hupkaar whispered gently to the stallion as he cinched the saddle and led it from the stall. His fiery eyes turned into a soulless void as two teeth grew into fangs. “Soon you’ll be a true wonder to behold.”

Sul’hupkaar waited out the rest of the night before he opened the stable’s wide door, climbed onto the stallion and strut it up to the front of Sauric’s mansion. The two guard’s that challenged him along the way lay unconscious on the crusted shell road while the one’s at the mansion’s large mahogany doors stared fearfully at him; unable to believe what they where seeing.

“Sauric!” Sul’hupkaar’s voice boomed out. “Sauric! Come see your debt repaid!” He shifted slightly has the horse under him grunted and sidestepped slightly.

Long minutes passed before the doors burst open and the barrel-chested King Sauric stormed out of the mansion, still in his bedchamber robes. Guards rushed out behind him and began to fan out, but stopped in shock at what they were looking at.

“Debt?” Sauric was shouting the question. “What are you babbling on about you fool elf? I owe you no debt!” Sauric was at the edge of raised front portico when he stopped. He glared at the dark elf sitting on a tall angry stallion. Its glowing red eyes pierced Sauric when the horse snorted. Thick muscle tensed and released under its black hide and strong hooves pawed at the shelled ground. Long thick hair flowed whenever the beast shook its head. Even from where he was standing, Sauric could feel animosity roiling off it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something oddly familiar about it.

He looked back at the dark elf, smirking at him in contempt. “Make sense or be away from here.” Sauric’s gaze snapped back to the horse and his heart stopped. The elf was sitting on Kroywen’s Child’s saddle. The luxurious black sheen; the thick black mane. Despite the glowing red eyes filled with hate. It wasn’t possible, but in his heart, he knew it was.

Sul’hupkaar watched in satisfaction as realization creep across the human’s face. Saw the pain and despair sink in. Smiled as Sauric’s face flushed red in anger. King Sauric’s Pride was forever his now, bound through the crossing ceremony he performed the night before. Their blood was mixed. They would feel each other’s thoughts, know each other’s pain. He patted the horse’s shoulder with his gloved hand. “Away King Sauric,” he sang to the horse and they turned slowly toward wide-open gates of the mansion’s grounds. Sul’hupkaar let it trot proudly away. Let Kroywen see their beloved symbol as he left the city.

Sauric stood frozen, unable to stop the receding figure. It only took an instant for him to realize that the dark elf was talking to the horse and not him. He began to tremble in anger when he caught the meaning of the elf’s words. His face burned, wherever Sul’hupkaar went, it would be on King Sauric’s back. Sauric would find a way to make him pay for taking one of his children and for this humiliation.