Chapter Two Blood Lock

 The Bounty Hunter Princess

Princess Drew was training with her father. She had being this for the past year. She had even sparred with some of the better trained knights! Even though she had always lost, which she did not mind, they have her room to grow. This proved interesting to her and caused her to come to respect them more and their service to the kingdom. The one knight that she came to respect the most was Sir Follied. He may have been known as an old fool, but even though he was thrice the age of the knights, he still knew how to fight well. In fact she loved to fight against him the most as he seemed to be the best fighter, yet she had grown to be able to beat him.

Her father had even hired several knights to carry large targets that eclipsed both knight and horse to gallop during target practice to make it harder for her. This, at first became hard but now they were easy as breathing. She never hit a horse leg and now they all knew that she was ready. Ready for her next chosen step.

This, she somehow knew, would be the last time that they would spar so she put her heart into the fight. She met sword strike after sword strike and he too, in turn, would meet hers. They met their blades again and again. Both striking and blocking their blades together. None were moving on in the battle. 

She jumped back, knowing that none would make any progress in the fight. She pulled out her now and fired several arrows at him. Once he was too distracted she pulled out her blade and charged at him. Then she, just out of a fluke, which was her accidently sending a rock into his knee, caused her father to fall onto his back. As he had an old wound there that did not quite heal right.

They then moved to the targets and fired shot after shot. Her father timed her as she shot after shot until her quiver was empty. Hitting her target always in its bulls eye.

"Good, that takes you five seconds. And, it embarrasses me to admit it, but I have nothing to teach you, so, it seems, that your training is complete." He admitted. "Now, it is time for you to make your decision. What fate do you choose?"

She looked down for a moment and took her time to think. She had thought about this moment and she knew that by this point, the moment that she would choose where to go, would be not only the most important decision for her but for many other people too. She had sometimes wondered why she had this unshakable belief in this choice. She had tried to see all of the ways that she would have made this decision but only one was left ahead of her.

"I think that I need one more job before I make my decision. So, I want you to give me a job as Bounty Hunter Bash, and father, do not make it easy for me just because I am your daughter. And nor for the sake of my mother." She said as she pointed to him.

Then her mother joined them and gave her a beautifully carved bow. It had two dragons meeting in the middle and their wings protected their tails with the long orange string that linked the tails.

"Well…" He covered his chin and stroked his long beard as he thought. "There is a witch, Thistle, that lives on the borders of our kingdom. She has been stopping the traders from coming into the kingdom. I have put four emeralds on her head. Do you think-"

"Consider her in your jails." She said as Sir Follied gave her a purple quiver loaded with black dragon arrows, made of the scales of the black dragons.

"Oh, you can not go on that! She is dangerous, too dangerous for you!" Her mother exclaimed.

"So am I, mother. You forget, I have taken down her kind before." She reminded her, with an excited smile on her lips.

"Yes I know, I guess that fighting is in our blood. After all, grandmother met my grandfather by slaying the sorcerer that had cursed father to become a dragon." She said her voice gave away more sorrow than she wished. "That day, when I lost my parents, I also lost my brother."

She frowned as she looked away as a single tear fell from her eye.

"So please, I do not want you to die." She said pleadingly.

Princess Drew let out a soft sigh.

"Don't worry. I will not. And by the time the morrow comes, she will be in your jail."

"But what if you do die?" She asked.

"Then raise my brother well. However, as I said I will not die, and you shall meet death before me. Plus I can't wait to let it be known that I'm the one that took her down!" She declared as she packed and set off to the Trader's Forest. 

She walked down the main path. That was where she would most likely be. She then climbed the nearest tree. She crouched and jumped from one tree to another. There she was able to find the small round hut with a thatched roof and layers upon layers of flat slates. 

She smiled to see that the smoke was rising from the centre. This was good. She closed her eyes and focused on the fire that was lit. She could almost see it and then willed it to expand. Her eyes opened and the witch ran out as her hut became eclipsed by fire. 

She then took out her arrow and fired it at her, using her confused disorientation to her advantage. She hit her in her shoulder. She then took her arrow and fired another arrow at her, but even-though she aimed for her knee cap, she hit her thigh and then she fired at the other and this time she got to her knee cap.

Her hear looked up and then her tree branch start to break. Knowing that she was going to fall she jumped to another. This branch also started to break. She jumped to another and another until she had none left for her. She then jumped lower and lower until she was back on the ground. 

With this the witch looked to the fire of her hut and then looked back at her. She smiled as she fired a ball of fire at her. She dived out of the way. She then used her own magic to will the fire back at her and the fire became close to the arrows in her and they became hot and then she fell down.

Her eyes closed. She ran up to her and put her dagger to her mouth and let out a sigh of relief seeing it cloud up. She then put it away and picked her up. She then, by midnight, was back in the castle and the witch was in jail.

At sunrise her father paid her.

"So, what is your choice?"

"I choose the life of Bounty Hunter Bash. I prefer that life, and I do feel that that is where my destiny lies. However, I will say this, I will be known as Bounty Hunter Bash Drew." She explained.

"Then farewell, and I hope that you come back one day." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

"I hope so. I would love to get to know my little brother and make sure he will be a good king." She said and placed a kiss on the tiny baby's forehead then placed one on her father's back.

She hugged her mother who gave her a kiss on the cheek. She bowed and then left to pack her things.

Bloodline

Bounty Hunter Bash Drew woke up, knowing that it would be soon time for her to go. She knew that she had slept longer than she should have. After all, she knew that this would most likely be the last time she would sleep in this castle. So she wanted to enjoy it as long as she could. Yet she knew that she did not want to overstay her time here.

So she slipped out of bed and put on her hunters great and left the room and ate a quick breakfast. Then she walked to the doors. Then her eyes rested on her mother, there she smiled a weak and supportive smile but her eyes were filled with sorrow. She knew that it was tearing her mother apart, but she could tell by her being here, and the way that she was smiling, that there was something more. She knew that she was not here to dishearten her from going but there was something else that she was here for.

"Drew,"

"Bash Drew." Her daughter corrected.

She let out a huff.

"Drew," She said sternly. "I have come here to tell you something about the man that tried to kill you last year. Do you remember him?"

"Yeah." She said as she shuddered, not out of fear but at how much they looked alike.

"Well, when you told me about it, I knew that I should have said something back then. About the man that tried to kill you and why you two look so much alike." She said, almost delicately.

Bash Drew wanted to tell her mother to get on with it. Yet she had to stay her impatience. After all, she knew that this could very well easily be the last time that they were in the same room as each other. So she let her mother take her time. She looked down and gulped down heard, like she was swallowing something large and bitter.

"Well, let me tell you that when we were little he was not like the way that he is today. In fact, chillingly enough, he was a lot like you. You even act like he did!"

She felt her mind fully wake up. Her eyes widened as she looked at her mother disgusted.

"What?!"

I do what!?

"Yes, but before he was born mother and father wasere told by a seer, a warlock, that told them that my brother, Chashathrophogh, would be the bringer of destruction. Which was why they called him Chashathrophogh, for it was a dark elf name meaning that exact thing. Yet it also strangely means 'flower of the dawn' in light elvish." She said, almost as fast as she could.

"Mother. Please, take a deep breath. Then continue."

She nodded and took a deep breath and became calmer.

"And as I have already told you that story but I never quite told you how mother and father died. And the reason was because of how alike you two are, however there was another reason. It was because I wanted you to believe that my parents were good and whole people. However what that seer had said had always haunted them. Until they hired an assassin to kill him! THEIR VERY OWN SON! Can you believe it!" She shouted.

She then took a breath as she shook her head.

"So, that's why we looked alike…" She said, truth was she had figured out a fair amount of this before today, no, today only confirmed what she already knew. "And let me guess, when he found out he killed them."

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "Anyway, there is more. For you see there is an evil warlock that is travelling throughout this land going from kingdom to kingdom, turning illegitimate royals against their parents and vice versa. Just recently I have come to discover that this man was the very seer that foretold my brother's destiny."

Bash Drew's eyes widened.

"I wonder why that is…" She trailer off.

"Furthermore, I also found out that he is a dangerous rising dark master lord. So, so be careful. I-me and your father love you and- and I do not want you to die!" She cried.

She hugged her mother.

"It's alright mother. You just focus on looking after the little one in your stomach. I might find out why that is on my many hunts. If so, then I shall put a stop to it." She said as she got her coat on. "Come on! You can help me pack!"

They then walked together down to the kitchens and the cook gave her some food to eat on the way. They then collected her bow and arrow. Her mother packed her clothes. Within an hour and a half she was at the gates.

"Goodbye mother and father and thank you for all that you have done for me." She said kissing them both.

"Goodbye Bash Drew. I hope that you return some day." Her mother said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Don't worry I will."

"And do not worry about us. We shall be fine." Her father said, kissing her forehead.

Bash Drew smiled and nodded. She then walked on and left her kingdom and travelled down Trader's Forest. She passed the burnt remains of the witch's hut. She then walked down further until she passed the halfway point. It became night time soon after that. She then sat down and opened her back pack.

Too much food as per usual...She thought, chuckling.

She let out a passive sigh as she tucked into her meal. She eat only what she needed to for she knew that if she over indulged it would slow her down. She wanted to be at her best when she got to the nearest Bounty Hunter Tavern. She was about to lay down to get some sleep but heard a snapping of a twig behind her. She then heard a high pitched and bone chilling laugh. It was all too clear that whoever that laugh belonged to had no intention of letting her sleep that night. 

Now the question is who does that laugh belong to? Never mind that why is he even here? Well those are foolish questions.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? A lonely lost little princess in the dark and dangerous forest." Said a calm and cold dark deep voice that was the voice of a large cobra but the tone was like a vulture. 

Her head turned to see a bald man with a hooked node and an unhealthy pale white skin, almost like as if he was ill. His white-grey eyes were sunken in with unmoving tiny dots for pupils. His chin was pointed like her arrows with thin lips. He was dressed in long dark robes like he was clothed in darkness.

"One would wonder if one really is Bounty Hunter Bash, the Striker of the Untouchable." He said as he smiled mockingly.

"So, you know my work. Now tell me, are you the one that has been turning illegitimate children against their families?" She asked. 

He let out a creepy but warming lyrical chuckle.

"Ahh, so you know about my work too? Then you must know why I am here then?" He asked.

She raised her eyebrow.

I hope he has a bounty on him.

"Yes, and let me tell you one thing. I will not turn against my parents like my uncle." She snapped as she pulled out her bow. 

Before she even thought about anything she fired. Her arrow fell before it even hit. He tutted as he raised his head to her. He looked at her mockingly. He then picked it up and walked to her. She fired shot after shot but all fell before they could hit. 

"Tut Tut,tut. What stratagem is that?" He asked. 

She smiled as she looked down and closed her eyes then a ring of fire surrounded him. He looked around him to see that the fire was connected by her arrows. He looked up at her, impressed. However, he was only mildly impressed. He then walked forwards and to her astonishment walked right through it! 

"There, there that's better!"

He came closer and closer. He stretched out his hand and smiled. He said something under his breath. She felt her limbs fell to her side. Her body fell. She did not know what was going on but she knew that whatever he had said had rendered her body useless. 

He then pulled her up and smiled. He looked at her in the eyes and as she did, she had the suspicion that this man had somehow hidden his true appearance. He licked his lips as he dug her arrow in her arm. Pain soon rippled throughout her body. She could not move to a point that she could not even scream out! 

She felt something cold against the open wound. She caught a glimpse of a test tube with her blood in it. 

"There, I will leave you now that I have what I wanted."

She then bumped her head as he vanished. 

She knew that she was going to see him again. 

She felt her eyes closed. Her mind lost to her dreams.

Blood Bond

Bounty Hunter Bash Drew spent three nights in a Bounty Hunter tavern. It had been a week since she was attacked by the man. She waited until she knew that she was ready and her arm was healed up before she took her first job. It was the first one that she had taken in a whole year that was outside of her home kingdom. Which meant, much to her solicit, that the posters of the untouchables had doubled. 

She ran her finger across the board. Her finger stopped when it met the face of a very handsome and young looking man that had the same air of the man that attacked her the other day. Her eyes widened when she saw that the price on his head was one hundred thousand emerald coins! She would have hit herself for missing out on a bounty that high, if there were none else in the room that is. Yet she could not help but feel like she had seen this man somewhere before.

Why does that man seem so familiar?

However she soon decided that it was not important and moved on. She looked at the board and soon found what she was looking for.

"Ah ha!"

Cashathrophogh…

Even now the name gave her chills. Smiled as she looked at him. Yet the smile dropped. She looked around, just to see if anyone was looking at her. After all, she knew what would happen to her if they knew the truth. So, seeing that they had not done that yet, she snatched it away before they could see the family resemblance.

She rolled it up and packed her things. She did not know how long this would take. She then went to the nearest farmer and hid among his hay. She let herself fall asleep as they travelled. She woke up with a silent yawn and then spotted that she was getting to the place. So she pulled up her things and then waited for a moment then, when they were at a bridge up ahead she left the carriage. 

She looked at the fast running river. 

It's loud enough. She thought as she climbed down to where the bank was. 

She then started to climb side wards, careful not to grip onto a weak point. She started to feel the cold fresh air, combined with the dampness of the river, had started to make her hand numb. She used her magic to keep her hand warm to combat that, however she was careful not to use too much. She soon came to a place where it was getting rocky. This, she found, made it easier to climb. So she stepped over rock after rock. 

She soon came to an area that looked like a beach. She then was able to walk and spotted one beaten down track. She walked over to it, knowing that there was only one person that used it.

She spotted that she was in a forest and then she saw the wooden hut that had only two floors and a thatched roof. It had a chimney that had smoke rising from it and a small red door. Where there were several chickens, sheep and goats were, going to and fro.

That looks quite homely. In fact, I wouldn't mind living in that for the rest of my life. 

She walked right up to it crouching as she did. She then hid at the side of the house and knocked on the door. The door opening and Chashathrophogh walked out and she took out a blade and hit his arm joints. She stopped when she felt a cold blade at her throat.

"Well that wasn't very nice." Remarked Chashathrophogh behind her.

She let out a scream as she turned back. She frowned as she looked back in front of her to see that the one in front had disappeared. She was able to mask her confusion.

"Neither is killing all those princes and princesses! Especially since one's your niece!" She remarked back. 

She threw her head back, hitting him in the chest and he was able to catch the blade. Then she spun and. Clang! The blade collided with another. They looked at each other, dead in the eye. Both were ready to do whatever they needed to. 

Then came clap, clap, clap. 

It came from behind her and she judged by Chashathrophogh's confused expression, this clap did not come from him. She looked back to see the man that had collected her blood the other day.

"You?"

"Hello again!"

"Who are you? Drew-Bounty Hunter Bash, whatever you wish to go by, who is this?"

"I never gave her a name. Well, I must say what a marvellous display! Now if you had used those skills in our fight...Well, you might have been better off!"

"What fight?" Bash snapped.

He let out a chuckle.

"Good point. But to be absolutely honest. I was going easy on you. After all, it's this what I needed." He said as he pulled out the small vial containing her blood. 

He then rested a malicious, predatorial eye on Chashathrophogh and smiled. Suddenly Bounty Hunter Bash saw a vulnerable look in his eyes.

"Well, it seemed that I was right in letting you go when I did. After all, I have been wishing to find you for a long time little Chash'?" He said. 

"So I have noticed. However I have no intention of being used as a pawn in your little game!"

"So that is why you have been hiding from me! Well, I have to admit that in a moment you won't have a choice. See, you are already are a pawn. Just ask the girl!" He said as he drew closer to her. 

His eyes rested on her.

"Your mother did tell you how I was able to turn your parents against you." He said as he placed a cold hand on her shoulder. "Didn't she?"

She looked aside feeling her fear getting to her as her mind raced over what her mother said.

"What? How? Tell me girl!" He growled dangerously. 

"By telling them all about your 'future' and how you are going to bring destruction wherever you go. After all, I knew exactly what it would lead to! And when the tragedy struck! It was utterly hilarious!" He said then bursting out laughing.

Bash felt his blade slip from her and she fell forward. He looked at the man with nothing but full rather in his eyes. His eyes became wet as he drove his blade to his head with shaky hands. But calmly he took hold of his wrist making all his body freeze. Nah saw the frustration build in his eyes as he could nor longer move.

The man took out his knife. He then slit his forearm and took out another vial and collected his blood. He tried to use his magic against him but somehow he could not!

He then chuckled.

"You think that you can use magic like that do you?" He asked as he let go. "Well, let me tell you this. If you knew how magic truly works then you would not have to worry about me doing this!"

He let go and blasted him across and to the back of his own house! Bash Drew looked at him and tried to stab him but she too was blasted beside her uncle. They both got up and then raced to him but before they could get anywhere near him they were blasted away again! Bash Drew took out her bow and loaded her arrow. She drew it back and fired but the arrow turned and hit Chashathrophogh in his thigh.

She then ran and as he used his magic to propel her back she fired a shot. She spotted that the shot was getting closer and closer to him. As she landed she looked to see if the arrow had hit, but to her dismay it did not. She spotted that it was suspended in the air. He looked at her and his eyes gave her a mocking look. He then slowly turned the arrow to where she was and knowing what he was about to do she tried to back away but she felt something digging in around her wrists. She looked back and spotted that they were roots! She tried to use her magic to cut them but by then it was already too late, the arrow was in her thigh too.

She then watched as Chashathrophogh limped as he ran to Ravenymo but he was flung next to her and then the roots wrapped themselves around his wrists too! They then looked down to see that their legs were wrapped now too!

They then looked at him as he walked slowly towards them. He then knelt down in-between them. He took out a black box with a single crimson drop. He then took out their tubes of blood and then took out a small knife and pricked himself with it. He let the blood drop onto the drop at the top of the box. The crimson became bright scarlet and he opened the box. He then poured the blood into the box and then closed it and then shook it.  He then cut his own hand! He closed it and then used his magic to force their wrists together and he then dripped the blood onto them! 

Both felt strange like something was being wrapped around them, something they could not see or touch. They also felt disgust at the blood around their wrists and the mixing of their blood. This left them feeling a bit queasy as the evil sorcerer opened the box again and then dipped his middle finger into the mix and poked their heads with their mixed blood and closed his box. At this they both fainted.

As Bash Drew woke up she saw Chashathrophogh finishing attending to her wounds. Here was a look of anger in his eyes. Eyes that looked so much like hers. She was about to get up but he gently pushed her back down.

"Take it easy, I am not going to kill you. In fact I can't kill you."

"Why?" She asked, confused.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of the blood lock spell?" He asked.

"No."

"Well, it's a spell that binds one to another of one's own blood. As long as you have the right box, which that guy had. And no, the one who casts the spell doesn't have to be a relative, nor does it have to be consensual. What it does is keep two relatives together and should they part, they would become drained of energy and if they do not come back together within twenty four hours they would die. Should one die then so will the other and the life force energy will both go back to the box and the spell caster thus making both more powerful." He explained.

"Then why-"

He let out a bone chilling laugh of his own. Yet it was for a different reason. It was more of a lonely and bitter laugh.

"I'm willing to bet that he wanted us to kill ourselves!"

"Then how-"

"We have to destroy that box, and to do that means that we have to burn it, with the one who cast the spell. Then rub their ashes across this red mark." He explained as he showed her the red ring around their wrist.

She then looked up and found herself reaching out and wiped his tear.

Chapter One The Two Out Of Wedlock

 Chashathrophogh

Beforebow (Pronounced Beforl Bov) was a kingdom higher than the rest in their land, which was in the Northern Kingdoms. Which was that world's version of Scotland. The people had the best clothes and even the lowest peasant had gold in their household. They had the best smiths of all crafts and talents. And none of them starved because all of the famous had many crops and cattle. To a point that they could trade well with the other kingdoms of the Northern Kingdoms and land beyond and even further across the oceans too.

The land had many rich emerald green hills and fields. The trees of the forests had full and large heads and grew taller than the tallest in ours. The houses, the cobbled roads and the pavements were very well polished by the shoes and feet of the people and those just passing by. The air smelt of roses and sweet smelling flowers and plants. The horses were always clean and their coats shone like they were made of metal.

The castle there was the size of a small village and as high as a small mountain. It's towers were high enough to see the sea, which was like a line on the horizon as well as all of the other kingdoms in that land, depending on where you were. It's gates were the size of a tall hose and on display were the stain glass windows showing all of the kings and queens that had ruled there over the course of the kingdom's existence where the main hall was.

Inside the main hall on the right of each king and queen lay portraits of all of their children, below was a crimson carpet thick enough for the children to play and never get hurt. At the left was the thrones of the king, queen, prince and the princess that lived there. The King's was made of pure gold with cherry topaz that formed a pointed arch with a star ruby in the centre with ever moving points. The queen's was pure silver which was decorated with lapis lazuli which was in the same shape of the kings but this ended with a star sapphire that like the kings had ever moving points. The prince's and the princess's were just the same as the king and queen's but their thrones back were smaller.

This was where the king and queen were talking. The king had long raven locks tied back in a tail and deep blue eyes and red flesh after being out in the open too much with a low cheekbone which gave the appearance that his face was fat. The queen had long blond locks and warm hazel eyes and high cheekbones. Their children, Chashathrophogh and his younger sister by two years, Shedray both inherited most of their features were their father's with only their high cheekbone as evidence that they were hers, but Chashathrophogh, was born with a deathly pale skin tone, meanwhile Shedray had her honey tone.

"We can not keep this up Phorow." The Queen sighed (pronounced Fo lrov).

"Pheanré! Please, if your mother can kill an evil wizard-" King Phorow hummed (pronounced Feen ray).

"No! Please, hear me. Phorow we need to tell him otherwise he will ask questions of why his sister takes the crown and not him!" She snapped. "And believe me, I do not want him to be told by the wrong person!"

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. 

She gave him a deadpan look and sighed. Getting the gesture he nodded and looked aside.

"Oh, oh!"

He nodded slowly with dread as his face went pink. His eyes dropped to the side.

"Alright, we will tell him today." His voice was calm and mellow.

"Tell me what?" Asked the eleven year old boy that came from the door through the left wing. 

The two were shaken slightly. They looked at him, wondering both how long he had been there and what he was doing here.

"Chashathrophogh!" Queen Phenré exclaimed.

"How long have you been there?" His father asked.

"Long enough." He said passively with his unearthly high-pitched voice and shrugged. 

His eyes then snapped to his parents, with something growing in his crimson eyes that seemed to always know more than they ought to. This look always creeped them out and they did not like it when he would look at them. They did not like to look into his face much, but for the sake of their love for the boy, they did all they could to tolerate it.

"I am one born out of wedlock am I not?"

"Yes." King Phorow replied, his heart stung with guilt. 

The boy nodded with a dangerous air about him. An air that was always around the boy which unerved them.

"And am I your son?" He asked.

 The King nodded.

"Yes…I am!" He said with a tone to his voice almost as if he was approving a delicate subject.

Knowing that he would tell the rest in time once he was ready, his eyes slid to the Queen.

"And am I yours?" He asked. 

She looked away slightly and nodded, her face looked pale. Then her eyes rested on the king with dread. He took her hand and stroked it with his thumb.

"What curse do I have?" He demanded. 

They looked at each other in dread and the Queen looked at him with the worst shame filled look that anyone could ever give. As they silently asked the other who would tell him.

"You do not have one!" She said far too quickly.

"But I am a-" He cried.

"Do not use that word!" The King boomed.

"Still it does not change the fact that the gods always assign a curse without exception!" He cried sternly

"Except, you are a roil, thus you have two. The first, is always magic for anyone roil but the second…the second…the second…" 

"I told you that we should have told him sooner!"

"I am telling him now!"

"What is it?" He, again, demanded as even the Queen became as white as a ghost.

"To attract darkness for until you die!" She wept. 

The king embraced his wife as he laid a kiss on her forehead. Chashathrophogh looked at his parents as his eyes dropped to his hand as if certain things now made sense. There was something in his eye that was not there a moment before, something dark. Something that his parents were not to find out until three years later, when he was no older than fourteen.

Chashathrophogh was taking a quick nap in the gardens. The red roses surrounded him with a wonderful cent, his head back and inches from a thorn as his legs hung apart and parallel lines of drool slipping from the corners of his pale lips. 

Then he felt something on his neck and soon he was choking as his eyes opened in alarm. He looked at his assailant with horror as he lifted his legs to kick him off but that seemed to be in vain. He choked and his mind became alert. He could feel power run through him like blood in the vanes. He then spotted a blade as his eyes bulged and then his power built up like the pounding in his head.

"Die child!" His assailant said as he brought down the knife and then!

BOOM. 

The man exploded as Chashathrophogh let his power burst out like a bomb! Then he panted as his blood surrounded him and soaked into him. His panting then gave way to laughter as he looked at his parents dead in the eye as he put the pieces together in his head. He then gave them a look, challenging them to think of a better way to get rid of him.

His mother looked at him completely pale and then at the king. He looked at his son in complete disgust.

"Why did you want to kill me?" He called over to them as they hid in the holly. 

"The gods-" His father mumbled.

"They were right! We should have killed him!" His mother exclaimed. "They told us that you would do that! They warned us of what you would become and just what you would do!"

"Oh? And what is that?" He snapped mockingly with nothing but anger in his veins as the betrayal sank deep into his mind.

"The killer of all royals born out of wedlock!" His mother shouted.

"Why would I do that?" He asked as calmly as he looked at his mother with a dark twinkle in his eye becoming ever more cruel.

"Son…" his father said as he and his wife exploded! 

He shrugged and then walked away from his home Kingdom of Beforebow. Little did he know that at the window of the second floor his sister looked on with horror. She let out a scream as the guards came to console her as she shook in their arms. This was the first scream he heard as he started his killing spree all over the kingdoms. Leaving devastated mothers and fathers along the way, the reason; he found out, by one of the gods, was because one of them will become his successor...

Princess Druw

Twenty years passed and a young princess the age of thirteen was looking at her bow made of scarlet dragon scales, with string made from the coal coloured hair of a siren. She looked at her quiver made of the interwoven tail and mane of a silver unicorn, with arrows made of oak. 

She took it up and looked closely at it with her crimson eyes examining each small detail. Once she was satisfied she tucked her long black locks behind her pale ear as she slung it on. 

She skipped down the hallway whistling her favourite tune as her long green dress hit the top of her feet.

"Princess Druw! (Prononced dr oo v) Careful!" Exclaimed Kenra, her nanny. 

She was a fiery redhead and had light brown eyes and her pale cheeks were covered with freckles scattered like the stars in the sky.

Princess Druw just shrugged passively as she skipped by her. She then flew onto the bannister and slid down it laughing all the way down it.

Then when she was at the archery field she took out her arrows and fired them repeatedly one after the other and she was laughing all the way through the whole thing. She even hit the moving ones and the ones that were too far away that even the knights could not hit! This was why she had always had to practice alone, for if she was there she would have shown up the whole of the King's army! 

When she emptied the quiver she then sprinted along to collect them and even ruined her dress climbing up the trees. So when she finished that she repeated this again and again until she could not physically continue so she ended up collecting them and fell asleep on another field as the sun warmed her red eyes. 

She had a bizarre dream about a skinny bald man in the shadow with golden glowing eyes and lips so pail that they were blue. Then behind him was a beautiful flash of lightning and in his hand was a black staff and a blue crystal at the tip.

"If you wish to free us, then you must destroy that staff!" She heard a voice shout but she could not quite tell if the voice was that of a woman or a man. 

She held her bow but when she armed it she spotted silver arrows and she was about to fire, but to her disappointment she woke up before the dream could tell her the outcome.

"Ohh…" She moaned as she could see that it was late and decided to go in. 

She silently walked past the main hall where she could hear her parents talking.

"But we must tell her!"

Tell 'her' what? She said already knowing that it was her that they were speaking about.

"No, we do not, listen, I have an idea. Why do we not move her to another kingdom for her to live until she is at the age of marriage? There, that should solve our problem, especially if it is to a powerful prince. That way we can protect her from him and we would also secure her future at the same time!" She heard her mother say.

"Except, she would not stand for this! You know she can be like me sometimes in that regard! Then again, she is in some ways like her uncle. So I should not worry about that." The King replied.

"'I should not worry about that'? 'I should not worry about that'? My love! Need I remind you, that man went onto kill our mother and my father! And I hate the fact that she almost looks identical to him! It's just creepy!"

So right! I wouldn't! Who is this person that they keep talking about anyway? I want to face him so that I can stop whatever horrific thing he is doing. For if mother is afraid...

"We do not give her the choice! She must not face him nor go anywhere near him! I forbid it and if she tries then do whatever you have to to keep her from him, break her bow and arrows if you have to!" She shouted. 

Suddenly she looked down at her bow and she suddenly drew it close to her, hugging it closely.

"Fine! I will break her bow tonight, and by tomorrow she will go to the Sky Kingdoms. There is no safer place there, let us just hope that she falls for the Emperor's oldest Prince Scyroghphone. Just do not hold your- Druw...How, what are you doing here?" The king asked, looking down at her. 

She glared at him.

"Break this!" She shouted, feeling both desperate and outraged. 

She knew that her mother never understood her. She never even tried to understand her. Yet her father, the only one that she felt always closest to, did. However whenever he said he would do something he usually did. Knowing this, she hit her father so hard that she accidentally broke her father's leg and just glared at her mother.

"And for you, I am not something to throw away and I will go far away where you will never see me ever again. You won't even know where I am!" She shouted as she left.

Before anyone could do anything, she raced to her horse, Snow and then without anything but her bow she rode him and herself out of the kingdom. Where she almost seemed to disappear. None of the king's knights could find her and not even the bounty hunters that soon followed.

Bounty Hunter Bash

A year past and a bounty hunter with jet black hair was looking at a sheet of brown paper with her crimson eyes. She went by the name of Bounty Hunter Bash. Nobody knew where she came from nor did they know anything about her other than her name was Bash, she had appeared on the scenes shortly after the Princess Druw disappeared and she used a roil bow. Over the past year she had gained and risen in her fearsome reputation as a bounty hunter. She also seemed to know that bounty hunters do not kill right from the beginning, unlike most wannabe bounty hunters that kill the first time.

As her eyes scanned the poster and looked at the reward; 200 emerald. 

Should last me for the next inn. 

She then looked up at the job; Rumplestien. 

Sounds like a show off. 

She then looked at the description; Rumplestien, is a dangerous individual who has dangerous and high connections, like Chashathrophogh, Egboul Saltonmore and (rumours have it) the Dark Master Lord Gajellidor Darcrogh. 

Bash smirked and nodded slowly, her heart racing for the excitement of the challenge. 

"You're as mad as ever Bash! Even that girl Strena's not as mad!" Said Croll, a fellow bounty hunter. 

Her smile spread wider and ripped off the poster and shrugged passively. 

"You'll get yourself killed one of these days!" He called, laughing. 

Knowing that he would draw her into a long conversation, she left without a word back to him. Even though she heard it, she showed no sign of it. 

She walked at the designated place that she was told he currently occupied. Her eyes scanned the small opening of the cave, looking for signs for any traps. She crouched down slowly and threw a small stone gently so that it would not make a sound. When she was satisfied she took out her bow and as she entered. She kept her back close to the right and with her eyes she scanned the layout of the cave, which seemed to be as big as a castle and there were torches lighting up the place. 

"Well, well, well, look at what the stars failed to tell! A bounty hunter child, so small, cute and mild! Wanders here where death is clear!" Sang a voice that sounded cold and creepy. 

Didn't know I was dealing with a rhyme obsessed freak! She thought not letting it slip out for fear of being heard. 

She knew that the best way for her is for her to have the element of surprise, not him. Her gut was telling her that this one she would have to be as silent as possible and to let him do all the talking.

"Come, come, come I have wine and rum! I wonder will your blood be red when I slice you dead? Or will it be black like the other I tried to crack?" He questioned, peaking her interest, but then he might be saying those things just to get her to speak and give away her location.

"Yes, the prince with red hands tried to give me commands! But I, even I, could not get him to die. Now he did leave me with a scar deep, one that for the rest of my life I have to keep. I vowed to scar him back to get him on track, maybe take one of his own, who's truth is unknown, but I know it yes, it was hardly a guess." He spoke.

Oh dart! He knows! Alright where is he? 

She looked around and then looked up and spotted a creature whose brown wart plagued flesh was indistinguishable to his clothed that looked like they were made of moulded dung and his triangle hat had old rabbit droppings and flies swarming around it and his lips looked as if they had grim lipstick made of puss on them.

Bash went blue as she could feel puke threaten to blast out of her mouth like a volcano eruption. It became even more difficult for now his stench hit her nose. Had she not have been trained otherwise that would have been the final nail in the coffin and she would be a corpse on the floor. So she was able to swallow the grim mixture in her throat before it even got to her tong. 

She then kept her eye on the creature and fired one of her arrows at his claws that were hooked into the roof of the cave. He was about to whack it out of the way but she fired again this time at his hands which hit his wrist and stuck it deep in-between the arm bone and the hand bone. Then the arrow hit his claws and as he fell she released another arrow knocking the other one so that it would twist and sever the creature's hand. Knowing that she only had one moment while he screamed she ran up to him and jumped above him and aimed at the back of his neck.

Remember, not too deep, otherwise you will kill him!She told herself as she released. 

Then he turned away from the arrow and then caught it in his shoulder. With his good hand pulled it out and threw it at her and as she tried to hit it away. It was all too clear that he had anticipated it and the arrow shot upwards. She had to look upwards as she felt the mild pain of the arrow skim the bottom of her jawline, possibly leaving a scar on her chin. She then felt herself hit the ground of the cave hard and she then saw a blade which she stopped with her bow. 

Soon his breath entered her nostrils, which smelt like wine mixed in with rotten fish. She could tell that he was strong abut her bow was stronger and with her knee she got him off. Quickly as she could she got to her feet and fired the paralysing shot. 

Soon she was at the tavern and collected the bounty. 

"Is-is he dead?" Croll asked.

She let out a laugh as she drank her pomegranate juice.

"Nope, just paralysed." She sighed as she leaned over the bin and let out what she was suppressing. 

"Disgusting!" She spat. 

She then wiped her mouth with her sleeve as something caught her eye. It was a picture of the lost Princess Druw as her eyes widened. She walked over to the board and ripped it off and stuffed it in the bin and with her arrow stabbed it into her stomach's stew.

"Looks like you're trying to ruin a family's happy ending there!" He commented.

"No, I'm just ruining their's." She muttered as she walked up the wooden stairs and cleaned up.

Bounty Hunter Bash

And

Princess Druw

Bounty Hunter Bash had been working for a year and a half now, and she had captured more and more people who seemed to be untouchable, which led her to over hear a song by a man in the middle of the street about her. This made her feel slightly embarrassed but the tune did get stuck in her head until she found herself whistling it. The song was;

Bounty Hunter Bash!

She earns her cash,

By Bashing those evil scum,

And never leaves a gold crumb,

She goes through town to town

Doesn't matter she'll take you down!

Bounty Hunter Bash!

She makes evil dash,

By making you know,

By her bow and arrow,

That you are not all powerful

Then remind you you are mortal

Bounty Hunter Bash!

She makes a good slash,

But knows how not to kill

She will never leave her bill

She will make those evil castles crash

For she is the powerful Bounty Hunter Bash!

This is what she would hear being repeated by others in the town of Clockwatch, which she had settled in. She knew that she had to move on to another town but she liked it here but as she looked at the board and then climbed the stairs for the more difficult jobs, she had not been allowed to go up here until she had taken in Rumplestien. She looked at the board and then turned to the bartender.

"Hey Jiyen." She said. "Could you get me a pint!"

"Of Mid-Terra apple juice?" She replied with her hollow sounding voice as she flicked her long fringe of her eye.

"You know me so well." She laughed as Jiyen got her drink. 

Bounty Hunter Bash looked at the board again for her next job. She had become bored of some of the jobs so she now wanted to challenge herself to see if she was ready to go further up the BH Ladder. She looked up at the attic area, where the experts were. 

Then looked back at the board until she spotted the portrait of Princess Drew and unlike half a year ago her bounty had been raised from two hundred emerald to five hundred emerald. She looked around, deducing who would be the first to deduce the truth. Then the question that would naturally follow would be who would be the first to jump?

"Jiyen, could you please take that poster down? After all, we both know that Princess Druw no longer exists." She asked in a tone between kindness and coldness.

"Well that's not what the poster says." She replied warningly.

"Right, I keep forgetting that you feel that all families should be together…" She muttered as she had to remind herself just what Jiyen went through with her family.

She let out a huff.

"But if she does go back to her family, she would be immediately married off to a far off land in a vain attempt of protecting her. Not to mention that this family will not be fooled by the truth." She commented as she took a sip as she could feel the self-consciousness and dread. 

So she necked it down and before anyone could have the chance to pounce, she left. 

She took her money and packed her things. She then walked out of her tavern and down the road that led out of the town. She then tucked her long fringe out of her eyes, knowing that she would have to cut it again. Probably before she set foot in the next town. 

She then could see that the sky was getting darker so she collected fire wood and lit a fire. She then pulled out a pre-skinned rabbit that she had bought the day prior and then took out a pot. She then took out her knife and sliced one half of the rabbit into chunks and placed it on a stick and let it hover above the flames and ait it off the stick when it was ready. 

You know, as a Princess, you would miss these kinds of things! She thought, remembering the feasts that she used to have when she was living there. 

Where she would eat like a pig, but back then she had never appreciated the food that she had nor did she truly feel any gratitude for the roil cooks. She let herself smile as she looked at the flames. When she had finished her meal she threw her stick into the fire.

She then felt a surge through her body, then the fire started to then started to increase in size and then, she could feel her heart increase along with the size of the fire. It did not stop until the fire almost touched the top of the trees of the forest! She could feel that the fire was getting hotter and hotter and then it rose above the trees. She let out a scream and then the surge ended and then the flames fell like red and orange water. Leaving her huffing and puffing. She could feel herself shaking. Then she forced herself to calm down. 

The first surge was the day after she had collected Rumplestien. This was when she knew the truth of what her parents did not want her to know. She then looked down at her stomach where her X curse mark was, this was the seed and the first surge was in fact the final nail in the coffin. That was when she was able to deduce that she was not a child born in wedlock. When she had made this deduction she was able to finally understand her parents actions, but that, to her mind did not excuse them.

She then heard a branch snap. She looked at the fire, then she heard another but then she realised that those snaps were not from the fire. She looked around as she heard another and trained her ears the locate where the snaps were coming from.

"Well, well, well! Where were you hidden little princess?" She heard a medium pitched chilling voice coming from a shadow moving between the trunks of the trees. 

Quickly she shot up, despite her tiredness and armed her bow. She forced herself to calm herself down and as the shadow came closer and as her vision blurred. 

"W-who are you?" She managed to say. 

That was when she saw the glowing crimson eyes as the man came closer. He had high cheekbones like her and long raven coloured hair like her too. As he gracefully dropped his hood she was shaken by how much alike she looked like this man even their milk coloured flesh was the exact same tone too! If she was born a male and grew up this man would be identical to her.

She blinked away her tiredness and could feel some heat near her. He looked at her with a confident smile on his face that reminded her of a twisted version of her own, but that hardly mattered, what mattered was where his eyes were looking. As her eyes dropped she could see that her arrow was on fire! 

She thought that the fire had came from the fire but the flame did not travel down the arrow, no, it stayed where it was and it was red too. This told her that this was not normal, in-fact she could feel a slight surge that told her exactly what was causing the flame and then, it turned white and suddenly she released and the arrow just about hit him but he looked at the arrow and then the fire turned red and consumed the rest of the arrow!

"Testing out your magic?" He sang, with almost a tone of pride to his voice. 

As he came closer his eyes looked at her like he was looking at a cute puppy. 

"How about I show you what a real master can do!"

He raised his hand, showed her the palm. Then Bash felt pain as his hand raised higher and higher and when his hand was pointing to the full moon she was on the floor in agony. That was when the fire rose high again and then the fire directed itself like a wave to him and with his free hand he turned the fire to ice and then the ice broke and fell like it was made of sand. 

Then she took this moment to fire an arrow but he looked at it again and moved past him and then curved around his back and then it came at her. But before it hit her she felt her surge and it turned to coal and then ash. She was all too aware of how much pain that she was in but she was able to get to her feet. 

She let out a deep breath and allowed the surge in her to overwhelm her and then the pain broke and then she ran up to him and took out her arrow. She then pointed the arrow upwards but he caught her by the throat and then hit her in the gut but when the fist collided into her gut he turned his fist into metal. Soon blood came from her mouth and she started coughing on the mud.

Then she felt his foot beat her gut like painful rain. She then caught sight of something in the corner of her eye and whatever it was rose above her. Soon she knew what it was; a blade! Her eyes widened in horror but then confusion for the blade was behind him. She hoped that it was not his magic but no, there was a hand attached to the hilt. Then it swung at the man and hit! 

She looked up at her hero but her heart slightly sank, it was Sir Folied, her family's knight for three generations! 

"How dare thee Prince Chashathrophogh Dragoncursefree! You attack a maiden!" He shouted.

"Well the little princess is hardly defenceless my dear old knight!" He pointed out.

"Regardless! Your parents taught you better than that!"

Chashathrophogh raised his eyebrow.

"You mean before they tried to kill me you mean?"

Sir Folied now did something that Bash had never seen him do before, he remained silent. He simply looked at him almost as if he wished that he could kill him by looking at him.

"Sir Folied?"

"My lady, I wish for you to remain out of this ugly affair!" He said. 

Bash dropped her head and gave out a long huff.

"Sorry Sir Folied, I can not do that. And do not call me my lady, call me Bash!" She snapped. "I am a bounty hunter after all."

'Sorry my l- Bash." He replied. 

She heard Chashathrophogh let out a strange chuckle. It was both mocking and yet there was a sorrow to it.

Bash took up her bow and loaded her arrow as Sir Folied raised his blade. Sir Folied ran at him as Bash stayed and waited for her opportunity to fire. While Sir Folied dragged his blade down and was about to strike him again but he was able to stop it as he took out his dagger. This was the opportunity that she was waiting for and she let her bow fly and it was, again, carried her red flame that then turned white and then back to red. Then it hit his shoulder clearly impressing Sir Folied at the same time! 

This was when his magic snapped and then Sir Folied struck his face. He then staggered back. Bash  then hit him with another fire arrow at his shoulder and then he seemed to disappear. She then ran forward feeling on the cusp of pure exhaustion. She then looked down and spotted a gap that was the width of a tall man that seemed to disappear into the surrounding area and she could see a river at the bottom. She saw Chashathrophogh being pulled by the current.

"Is he dead?"

"I should hardly think so, he has survived worse." Sir Folied said as he joined her as her adrenalin faded as her sight turned to black.

When she woke the first thing she saw was her mother stroking her cheek. She felt a sting of fear and looked to her bow and then relaxed slightly, seeing it perfectly intact, until she saw the string was not quite right, it was not broken, there was something different about it.

"Drew…" Her mother said as he embraced her. 

She could feel her tears on her dry cheeks.

"Shedrey, give her some space." Her husband laughed.

"Mother, I know." She said, her voice calm.

She gave her a look of confusion, but it was all too clear that she had some idea what she was on about. 

"I'm a child born out of wedlock."

They then looked at each other in a knowing, but wary. Her mother looked back with a high knot in her forehead if she was not already, it seemed to be the look before one carries before one cries. Her father gave her a nod.

"Yes, yes you are, but that does not mean that we do not love you any less." Her mother cried.

"Then what is the curse that the gods have placed up on me?" She asked, wanting to stay on the subject.

"Same as your uncle."

"And are you my mother?" She asked.

"Yes."

"And are you my father?"

"Yes."

"And, why, oh why, do I look so much like the infamous Prince Chashathrophogh?" She asked, already knowing but just wanting the verbal confirmation.

Her mother let out a long and dreadful sigh, like she had a heavy weight on her chest. Her face went from honey to cream like she was about to throw up.

"Because- because the reason that you never knew your grandparents is because he killed them. After they hired an assassin to kill him. They reason; because they thought that his destiny was to murder all of the roil children born out of wedlock. Which came true and he thought that one of these men, women and children, would become his successor."

"Mother!" She said warningly.

"Right, the reason why you look so much like him, I know, it is just I have never been able to tell this one truth for- for I wish that it was not true. You see he- he is-"

"He is your uncle!" Her father snapped impatiently. 

Princess Druw let out a long breath as she let that fact settle.

"And is that why you wished to marry me off?" She asked hollowly.

"Yes." Her mother replied.

"And are you still insisting that I go off to be married?"

'Yes."

"And will anything that I say or do deter you from this decision?"

"No and if it was completely up to me, then I would have broken your bow the moment that Sir Folied carried you back, however, it is not entirely up to me. So I did not, even though the string was already broken. Which, your father took the initiative to have it re-stringed with a string of a black tailed siren and mermaid and black unicorn hair. He then cancelled any and all wedding plans that I had arranged. See, if I were to tell you exactly who you are the most like, is an equal combination of your father and your uncle, well, when he lived under these walls. I hardly wish to think what he is like now…" She explained. 

She then looked up at her father in deep appreciation and bowed with her head of gratitude and then looked at the string.

So that's why..

She then looked back at her mother and father with an itch in her mind from her conscience.

"Mother, Father, on the last day that I spent under these walls I acted in an ugly way, and I hurt you both with my words and my actions, for that I am sorry. I will undergo any punishment to make up for what I did on that day. The only thing that I do not apologise for, is for what I did after."

"Your apology has been well received and we both know what you have become after and I must admit that I am proud to be the father of Bounty Hunter Bash." the King laughed at the end.

"Yes, you would!" Her mother replied.

"Well, I must be honest." He replied lovingly. "And as for your punishment, you are to train day in day out after you have recuperated, for three months! Then once that has been done then  two paths will be placed before you, either, you become Princess Druw once more and you will live and act like the princess that you are, or you become the bounty hunter Bash. Whichever you decide, know that there is always a room here for you."

Princess Druw smiled at that and she agreed to these terms.