I was eventually pulled roughly to my feet and food was stuffed in my mouth. "Sir, he needs rest."

"He'll make it," Canus growled. "If we keep moving, we can make it back before nightfall."

"He could ride the horse."

"Hmm," Canus said. "Well, alright. But just for an hour or two. I don't want the master to think we let him off easy."

I was then dragged once again and put on a horse. I already felt my eyes closing. Then I felt a tug on my chains. "Don't even try to escape, boy."

Like I could try...

~

Suddenly, I was being pulled off the horse and something being forced into my mouth. Water ran down my dry throat. Then I was pulled forwards. Had I been sleeping? I didn't recall falling asleep. But, I'll admit, I did feel more awake.

I wished so badly to take off the blindfold and see where we were, but my hands were far in front of me and I knew they'd just pull it over my eyes again anyway.

We walked for another hour or two, only stopping briefly for a water break. They gave me as little as possible that would keep me on my feet. They couldn't waste it on me.

The next thing I knew I was being shoved through a crowd of people. "Make way! The master wants this boy!"

All the shoving almost sent me sprawling to the ground a few times. I had no idea where I was, but the sound of a village, no something even bigger then that, a town or even a city, was surrounding me. I swallowed, homesick for my own village again. Even after all these years, I remembered exactly what it looked like, along with our house and the fruit cart I worked at.

I was ripped from the daydream when I tripped over something and was sent sprawling to the ground. The soldiers grabbed me roughly and hauled me to my feet again. I wished badly to glance around to see if there was anyone who had tripped me, but I couldn't.

The next thing I knew, the noise of the crowd was behind me and it was silence, save the noise of the soldier's feet. I wanted to rip off the blindfold and see where I was, but with my hands tied behind my back, it was impossible.

Suddenly, the air felt more cold and damp. It was dark through my blindfold and I felt even stone under my feet. Somehow I guessed I was in a castle of some sort, probably the "Master's." I gulped, suddenly gripped by fear that I was probably going to die.

After what felt like half an hour, the sound of heavy doors opening echoed down the halls. I was practically dragged for twelve feet or so then forced to my knees and my head bowed. "Stay like this," Canus muttered. "Or else."

A shudder went through me involuntarily. His almost inhuman voice sent chills down my spine. I heard footsteps then the heavy doors shut again. I didn't move. I stayed that way for almost five minutes before I heard soft footsteps coming my way. My breaths started to come faster and I had the sudden urge to run. Whatever it was that was causing this, it felt like it had froze me in place, but that might have just been my fear.

The footsteps stopped and a hand was put on my head. I instantly shot to feet, chin up. My heart was beating fast. My blindfold was ripped off and faint light hurt my eyes. I had to blink a few times before I could see the man standing in front of me. He was tall and had black hair. He had a simple crown on his head made of gold and wore black and red robes, with a smirk on his face. The most surprising thing about him was his eyes. They were the same gold as mine. I took a step back, or at least tried to. My legs refused to move.

"Hello, Asher," the man said. His voice was a low grumble.

I swallowed. "How do you know me?" My voice cracked at the end. "Who are you?"

The man started to circle me. I couldn't even move my head to see where he was, but my eyes followed him the best I could. "You have a very unique gift, you know."

"You didn't answer my questions," I said.

The man gave a small laugh. "You're persistent, aren't you?" The man stopped in front of me. "To everyone else, I'm the Master, but you will call me Dreamir."

"What makes me so important?" I asked.

"Nevermind," Dreamir brushed it off. "But I do want to talk about this." He pointed to his eyes, then to mine. "And this is why I know you. You see, when you were just a gleam in your mother's eye, a man came and sent your father to war."

"But then, how did I come to be?" I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer. "My sister always said..."

Dreamir was shaking his head with a smirk. "There's a reason you're father died in that war. You see, a man had an eye for your mother. He had a special power of controlling innocent and naive minds. He could change them and control what they did. So the man made him fall in love with him and she bore a child."

My mouth went dry. "W-what?"

Dreamir smirked. "Of course, no one could figure out what happened. His 'father' died in the battle so no one would figure out what his mother did. The man soon grew bored with the woman, wiped her mind and changed it, along with her daughters and left them. He meant to take the boy, but he couldn't get a hold of him fast enough and had to leave the baby boy."

"No," I whispered.

Dreamir's smirk grew. "Then, twelve years later, the man sent his soldiers to capture the boy. He escaped and they ended up burning the village to the ground, leaving no survivors."

"Shut up," I said through gritted teeth.

"Then, three years after that, the boy came back to his father who had become king of the country in those fifteen years," Dreamir said with a smile.

"Stop," I said. I smelled smoke and felt the ropes tying my hands together fall off my wrists, burnt to a crisp. Suddenly, I could move again. I stumbled forward and Dreamir sent me sprawling to the ground. I was soon frozen again.

"Do you know why your mother named you Asher?" Dreamir asked. "Because he wanted you to be happy. That's what you're name means. I just thought how ironic that is. Happy the murderer."

"Shut up!" I yelled. "I am not a murderer!"

Dreamir didn't even flinch. "Together, you and me could rule the world."

"I'll never help you," I yelled, trying to force myself to move, but failed.

"I'm you're father," Dreamir said forcefully. A shock went through my body and I gave a shout of surprise and pain. "You'll do as I say!"

"Never!" I shouted. "I'm not your son, no matter what you say!"

Dreamir grabbed me by the throat and held me in the air. "You bring nothing but death and destruction! You'll help me weather you want to or not!"

I struggled for breath. Dreamir seemed to notice that he was killing me. He dropped me and I collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Dreamir turned on his heel and sat on his throne that was in the middle of the room. "Go to you're room!"

Against my will, I got up and started walking towards a door in the wall. I opened it and grabbed a key from around a nail in the wall then locked the door, threw it towards Dreamir. He was staring at me with hatred, which gave me a splitting headache. I slammed the door, which locked behind me.
I stood there for a few minutes in fury. When it died down, I collapsed on my bed. It was a small room, but at least it wasn't a jail cell. I buried my face in my hands. I can't believe that my whole life was a lie! I curled up on my bed and closed me eyes.

I didn't think I'd be able to sleep, but the whole trip had worn me down so much that I fell asleep almost as soon as my eyes shut.