Prologue
It was like nothing the inhabitants of the Dreadwood had ever seen before. The trees shook where they were, branches whipping across the air. A fierce wind howled, and fat drops of rain pounded the ground.
A shadow blurred as its owner slipped across an empty courtyard. The storm was the perfect cover, to hide the thief’s flight. Under arm, the figure carried an ornate wood box, polished and covered in chalky white markings. Lightning flashed, and for a moment the stranger’s hooked beak and dark wings were illuminated, before plunging the courtyard into darkness once more. The guards on duty by the front gate of the Court were too distracted by the torrent of rain to see the dark figure slip past them into the Dreadwood.
Not even a moment later, a horrible scream echoed from inside the moss covered walls of the Court. The guards perked up. Once outside the outer gate of the Court, the figure momentarily slowed, just to reorient himself with his surroundings. The storm changed the appearance of the forest. No longer was it warm and inviting. The trees were jagged and cruel. Spiky shadows were cast over the rocky forest floor.
Inside the Court, knights rushed to their stations. The Knight Commander had ordered them to lock down the Court, to seal every entrance and keep everyone inside. Little did they know that the fugitive they were looking for had already escaped from the Court. The Knight Commander thundered down the hall, shiny silver armor glinting in the torchlight. A page ran up to him, out of breath. “Sir Caliban, my lord! I—I have brought a sword, just as you requested.”
The Knight Commander nodded gravely. “Good. Alert His Majesty the Dread King that I am immediately pursuing the runaway and will return what he has stolen.”
The page pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. “Sir, yes sir. But my lord, what about—” Sir Caliban held up a feathered hand. “Inform the king, boy. This cannot wait.”
The page ran off, and the Knight Commander didn’t bother watching him leave. Instead, he sheathed his sword and hurried to the front gate of the Court. The guards all saluted the moment they saw the Knight Commander. “My lord, how can we be of assistance?”
Sir Caliban was furious. “By doing your jobs, you imbeciles. Someone broke into the treasury and the thief has already left the Court. At this point, they could be anywhere in the Dreadwood.”
The guards’ eyes widened, but the Knight Commander was already leaving before they could say much. The forest was dark and wet, but Sir Caliban was very experienced in tracking critters inside the Dreadwood. The thief had left footprints in the mud. From what he could tell, the thief had gone straight forward for a while, before turning southeast.
The Knight Commander wasted no time. His arms snapped up into the air, and long feathers began to sprout out of his arms. Soaring upwards, Caliban scanned the ground for movement. A sharp smile graced his beak as his eyes caught on the dark figure sprinting through the forest
The thief huffed. He had been running for so long that his lungs had nearly forgotten how to breathe. The wooden box he carried pulsed, and he pulled it even tighter to his body. A large shadow fell over the clearing, and a spike of fear shot through him.
Caliban landed in front of the thief, unsheathing his sword. “Halt, criminal. You are being arrested for high treason, stealing, and conspiracy against the Dread King.” A bolt of lightning arced through the sky, and the Knight Commander’s eyes narrowed as he took in the face of the thief. “Briar. I shouldn’t be surprised.”
The figure pulled his hood down, revealing sharp yellow eyes and a curved beak. “You really shouldn’t.” His other hand slowly inched to the massive broadsword strapped to his back.
“Back down,” Caliban warned, his voice soft but deadly. “You cannot run for much longer. The Dreadwood is dangerous.” The sky thundered, as if agreeing with the words of the Knight Commander.
Briar gave a fierce grin. “So am I.” Then, in a lightning quick move, he swung the sword off of his back and into Caliban’s arm. The Knight Commander reacted a moment too late, and he swore as the sharp edge bit into his skin. A thin line of dark blood welled up. “You don’t have to do this, Briar. Surrender. Come back with me. We can fix this—together. The Dread King may not let you off easily, but—”
Briar responded with another swing of the blade. Caliban frowned. “And you know that there was no need to steal my sword. I—”
It was over in a flash. Briar pinned Caliban to the ground, shoving the sword right where the Knight Commander’s ribs ended. Caliban blinked, frown deepening. “Briar, you…I…” Blood welled up at the corner of his mouth.
The thief’s eyes were dark. “I don’t care that we were friends once, Commander. You think you’re so high and mighty, but you’re really just vermin like the rest of us.”
Caliban’s eyes were full of confusion. “Why—Why are you doing this?”
Briar gripped the Commander’s arm, gently at first. Then his hand tightened more and more, until Caliban was gasping for breath. A dark, heady look had entered the thief’s eyes.
“I learned a little secret of the Dread King’s. And I don’t intend to keep it.”
