Dear Journal,
If there was ever a time where I felt weak or vulnerable, I do not remember. For I am light years away from the man I use to be and it feels amazing.

                                                             - 𝓔. 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
    (1605)

Elias and Emma set off to Grangewell at nightfall.

He walked with a chattering Emma who tried to convince him that he longer needed her so it would be best to let her go since she did not want to go back to the castle.

As she spoke to him, she kept the hood of her cloak up so she would not be easily recognized. Elias thought it to be silly as it was not as if the commonfolk knew how she looked anyways. The rumor that spread among the people was that she was as ugly as sin. This however, was exactly what it was.... a rumor.

"Listen to me, Elias. I cannot help you. My only wish is to never return to that castle! You don't know what it is like there." she pleaded with him as they finally left the dirt track road, walking into the town.

Grangewell was busy tonight. The air was arid and calm, the people dull and unknowning. He didn't exactly like Grangewell. His father had told him stories of their history with uncommon tragedies so at a young age, Elias thought the place to be cursed; a beacon for bad luck. Now, here he was strolling into town, a monster in disguise. He could not help but think that his grandfather may have been right right.

"Did ye' hear about Marewood? About 50 people were slaughtered by some monster." he heard a man say to his lady companion as they walked home.

"A monster? Don't be ridiculous!" She shunned him.

Elias stifled back a smile. All the while Emma watched him as they walked.

"What are they talking about?" She finally asked.

He took the opportunity to glance at her. His honey gold irises glowing like molten iron. She thought it was absolutely farcical that no one realized he wasn't human. It was as clear as day as just glancing at him. His eyes, his skin, his nails, his demeanor. His entire presence screamed of the supernatural. Yet here they were strolling through the oblivious town undetected.

"I have not the slightest clue." he told her, his eyebrows raising at his own lie.

They came upon the tavern Elias was headed for. Emma stopped at the bottom of the wooden steps as she refused to go in.

"I will not follow you any longer." she protested.

"Don't be a fool." Elias said rolling his eyes. It was a very human act. He was surprised he had done it.

"No! I can't." Emma refused.

"You will come or I will murder everyone in this town, including you." Elias threatened.

Sweat washed over her face as she stood there looking at him. He was serious and she knew it. She had heard the people talking about an attack on Marewood and on the contrary to what Elias thought, she was no fool. He must have been responsible.

She huffed as she came up the steps, pushing past him.

"You have to let me in." Elias told her just as she was about to enter.

"Why?" She frowned.

"Common courtesy, I'm a monster gentleman." Elias told her.

Emma rolled her eyes at him. Ofcourse he was lying but she didn't want to agitate him.

"You may come in." she said to him and together, they both walked into the tavern.

The tavern was alive. Men and women alike laughed loudly as they slammed their stainless steel mugs of ale on the surface of the wooden tables, the contents splashing and spilling everywhere around them. Men argued of winning bets and collecting their prizes while women sashayed around Elias and Emma, platters filled with ale in their hands as they served respective tables.

Wenches sat on the laps of the drunken men as they gambled while being fondled inappropriately  causing Emma to frown at the bawdy escapades of the men. A small fight was about to ensue in the right corner of the tavern but was quickly broken up as more ale was served. The drunk men cheered boisterously as they chugged it down.

Emma had never seen anything like this. The banquets and dinners in the castle were the epitome of fine elegance, grace and manners. This was foreign to her. Rambunctious and uncivilized behavior lacking manners and etiquette in a social setting. She was disgusted. Elias on the other hand wore a look of annoyance and familiarity. Being as he once lived below a tavern, their had been many nights where he would visit there as he tried to tell them to keep it down but he was then roughly thrown out by the drunkards.

They approached the counter and took the empty seats before the barkeep. Elias placed a few shillings on the wooden counter that he stole from his victims as he eyes the man.

"What'll it be? Ale or wine?" The burly man behind the counter asked. A dirty rag hung over his shoulder while he used another to wipe the inside of a steel mug.

Elias turned his head as he looked at Emma expectantly, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh. ugh, wine please." she said kindly. The barkeep regarded her hesitantly for a moment before dashing off to serve the wine.

"What are we doing here, Elias?!" She asked in a hushed tone, anger evident in her voice.

"Investigating." he said simply. The barkeep had returned with the wine.

Emma eyed it suspiciously as she picked the mug up. She swirled it around in her hand whilst her face frowned in disgust.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you. Town wine tastes like cat piss." Elias told her.

A loud thud of a mug beside Emma caused them both to look to the left.

"Tastes like cat piss!" The man shouted in disgust as they both watched him.

"See." Elias reiterated.

"Sir, may I have a word with you?" he then asked the man.

The man polished off the contents of his mug despite the revolting taste and then turned to Elias.

"What'd ya want?" He asked Elias before shouting "More wine!" at the barkeep.

"You look like a smart man." Elias lied. "Tell me, what do you know about the King's castle?"

"What's it to ya?" He squinted. He smelled of sweat and alcohol. His scruffy ash brown hair was filled with dirt and his face was greasy in the tavern's light.

Elias placed a few shillings on the counter and slid them over to him.

"The king's castle?" The man repeated in disgust as he pocketed the money. "Not much really, except the King is an uppity shit and the Prince is a bony dalcop who can't keep his gutter whore from running away!" He then turned his head to spit on the ground to emphasize his hate.

"I beg your pardon?!" Emma said standing quickly, clearly offended at the derogatory term he had labeled her.

"You heard me! Princess Emma or whatever she goes by is a doxy! I heard she fucked the Prince's 6 brothers on the night of her father's coronation."

"Do tell." Elias placed his elbow on the counter, propping his finely structured jaws up as he listened intently, his eyes sparkling with mischievous.

"Excuse me! I don't believe the prince has any brothers and I di- don't think Princess Emma would ever!" She defended.

"Then why do you reckon she keeps running away? I heard she's with child but she can't let the Prince know since they haven't married yet! She's gone to kill it like the last time couple a years ago."

Emma was fuming. Elias stifled his laughs by asking another question.

"What about the knights?"

"Those empty headed fuckers don't know their cocks from their swords." the barkeep laughed loudly at this sentence causing Elias to look at both of them, clearly amused.

"Anything else?" he asked again.

"Well, they are offering a reward for bringing the princess back. A thousand pounds! If I find her I'd have my way with her first then bring her back. I don't even care that she's ugly as sin."

Emma scoffed as she left the counter, walking out of the tavern. Elias knew her scent very well so he did not try to stop her since he could find her whenever he wanted to. She also knew the consequences of running away.

"Say stranger! Did you hear what happened to Marewood. They said an animal man damn near ate a whole lot of people. Even the children! They say it's 200 pounds to who brings the body to the castle gates! If I ever stumble across that fucker, I'd take my knife and run it across his neck!" The man said before hiccuping.

"Is that so?" Elias raised an eyebrow.

"I have a question for you stranger. Why are ye' teeth so sharp?" He said as he squinted at Elias's mouth.

"I'll show you" Elias said giving him a closed mouthed smile.

"Barkeep!" Elias called. The burly man approached them once again.

Elias then jumped over the countered, bending the man's neck and biting into his flesh. He bit deeply until the barkeep's head hung loose, wobbling as it no longer had the proper support.

"What was that.." Elias asked, his breath ragged "...about slitting my throat?"

Someone screamed in the tavern. Elias used the long fingernail of his index finger to slit the man's throat. Blood spewed from the wound as he clutched it, gapping and choking before falling to the ground. He chuckled at the irony.

The women tried to run but it was too late. Elias had tasted blood and he had gone berserk.

Emma was halfway out of the town now when she heard the screaming. She turned around as she tried to find the source of the noise.

"The monster! It's here! It's in the tavern!" A man said as he ran past her.

"What?" She muttered to herself. "Oh no" she muttered when realization hit her.

She ran off towards the tavern she had just left. Bursting through the doors of the establishment, her heart nearly failed her at the scene before. Elias had his face buried into a young girl's neck as her body hung limply in his arms. Around him was an assemblage of dead bodies. Blood was splattered everywhere, across the cups, the tables, the floor. The tavern which was once loud and alive with people was as silent as silk.

It was a bloodbath.

She watched as Elias threw the dead body of the woman to the ground, his mouth as bloody as the day she met him, his eyes wild with hunger.

He accelerated over to her in an instant, blood dripping from his chin as she looked up at him. He swayed a little like a drunkard would before he gave her a bloody smile.

"You missed it" he said simply.

She turned as she wretched her insides out. After she was finished she backed away from him, her eyes wide with horror, her legs shaking with fear.

This should have been her initial reaction the moment she had seen him first. Instead it took seeing his capability of destruction to scare her completely.

Outside, the town was in a frenzy. Doors and windows were locked while people ran for safety. Elias tore a piece of clothing from a dead woman and used it to wipe his mouth, walking pass Emma to go outside.

"It's time to leave" he called at her. Still, Emma didn't move.

"Emma! Now!" He shouted. This startled her, she hurriedly flew to his side, shaking with the fear of being next.

He grabbed her hand roughly and sped out of the town. He stopped running once he arrived on the dirt road towards the castle.

"No!" Emma refused as she pulled her hand away from him.

"Be quiet" Elias told her sternly but still, she tried to run away as he held on to her cloak. She wriggled out of it and took off down the road while holding her dress up.

Elias caught her in no time, throwing he over his shoulder. She smacked his back repeatedly as she protested for him to let her go.

"Elias please!" She pleaded. "I do not wish to go back there"

Elias ignored her pleading as the castle came into view. Though it was night time, it was still a grand sight to behold. It stood unbelievably tall as if it were conjured from the story book of a child. It was built of stone of various sizes, each one unique. In the light of the crescent moon it looked uniform grey but with his impressive eye sight he could see the mosaic of humble rocks stacked upon each other to create this grandoise masterpiece. It was beautiful, absolutely befitting of a king.

The guards present at the gate raised their swords while the archers steadied their bows as Elias approached. He counted them; two main guards and five archers, easy pickings.

"Halt! What is your business at Castle Gandalwell?" A man shouted from the barbican. He wore a brown surcoat and he was unarmed.

He could see life beyond the portcullis as knights and workers alike moved about with aid of torch lights.

"I've found the Princess and I've come for my reward"  Elias responded to them.

The guards below glanced at each other and then at Elias.

"I will be coming down to verify that statement" the man said as he disappeared from the barbican.

He was down in a moment, the portcullis raising to give him passage outside. A group of 5 knights followed him as he approached Elias. He did not recognize any of them. That perhaps, was a good thing or they would have been dead.

All the while Emma wriggled, fought and cursed in his arms. Gently, he put her stand to on her own feet.

Immediately after, she struck him across the face. It caught Elias off guard but it was a painless act.

"I warned you not to bring me here!" She shouted at him. Elias eyes glowed with danger causing her to step back from him.

"Princess Emma?" The man called, making her spin to face him whilst adjusting her dress.

"It is you!" He said as he held his torch closer to her face.

"Come! The king and prince will be thrilled to know that you are back! And you kind sir are deserving of a reward. It will be presented to you by the prince himself" he went on to say.

"Is that so?" Elias asked bemused, his eyes glittering in the night.

The man beckoned the princess to come along whilst instructing a knight to search Elias. They only found a few pounds and Emma's silver dagger. She immediately snatched it from knight as she claimed it as hers.

Elias's eyes twitched at the weapon as he remembered how it burned. He hadn't even gotten around to do the pain trials he intended to.

"Come along, both of you!" The man said as they turned to go inside.

Emma glanced at him in terror as she recalled what had just happened in the tavern. She couldn't warn anyone as that would mean certain death for all of them.

Elias glanced at the stars as if he was looking up at the gods and smiled before walking off to the castle, the portcullis lowering as he passed through.

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