//------------------------------// // Introductions // Story: King of the Everfree // by Death Marches //------------------------------// I awoke with a rock in my back; not one the best ways to wake up, but none the less it’s still a way to get up. My eyes had not opened yet due to a ritual I do every morning where I remember the day before and plan my day out. I opened my eyes to see eight different eyes staring at me with curiosity and…hope? I open my eyes fully to see who was holding those eyes in their skulls and was not fully expecting what I saw. Above me were the same four creatures that spoke to me before. We stared at each other for what felt like hours until I found the courage to say while moving my hands to my face “Don’t eat me, please.” Not one of the most dignified things I have done, but come on I really don’t want to die by being eaten alive just when I woke up “Why would we do that my king?” said the wooden wolf At that moment I just remember what happened before I passed out and cringed just a little from my stupidity. “Nothing, just forgot that’s it.” I responded quickly just trying to get used to the idea of talking to an animal as though it were human. What why am I trying to get used to this? I started to stand and found that I was taller than two of the animal’s races around me; which were the wolves and the black holy ponies. Once I was fully up the animals stepped back and gave me space. Weird, usually animals just want to bite the shit out of me and these being lions and wolves I was contemplating what drugs I was on to make me hallucinate. We all stood there looking at each other until the pony spoke up “Your majesty, are you alright?” I looked over at the pony and stared at in for what felt like a couple of minute but was really only about ten seconds. “I guess if you count see animals talk and not freaking out by it then yes, yes I am.” I said without emotion and with a slack face. The pony looked down nervous by what I said until I started laughing like a maniac. I kept laughing with my head pointing upwards until my throat started hurting. This was crazy ,none of this was real; none of it. There was no way animals were speaking to me right now; this must all just be a dream. Ya, that’s right this is just a dream, but wait, how could this be a dream if the rock in the back hurt? I noticed I had stopped laughing while I was contemplating if I was crazy or not. I looked back down and saw the expressions on their faces; Mostly fear and shock. Three words went through my mind making me give in to the craziness of the situation. ‘Well fuck it.’ They stood there staring at me and me at them until I asked “So what the hell are all of you?” They stood quiet for a while until the giant lizard spoke up “Well your majesty I am called a Hydra, but my name is Hyde.” I wanted to break out laughing at that name but I did not because I did not want to get crushed by her tail and or feet. “Ok, well then who are you?” I said pointing at the mutated lion “I am a Manticore your majesty and my name is Edon.” Strange name I thought but remembering my old high school friend last name was Titypuff. All one word, I am not kidding this kid went around school with his name on a uniform he had to wear due to him being in a ROTC program in are school. We used to yell out CAPTAIN TITYPUFF! He would beat the shit out of us afterword, but it was still funny. “Ok, so who are you Mr. Wolf?” I said looking over at the wooden wolf “You are half correct of what I am your majesty. I am called a Timber wolf and my name is Twigs.” I looked at him with a look of utter disbelief. “Twigs, your name is Twigs?” “Yes your majesty.” “Well at least your name isn't Fido.” I said chuckling “That my brother’s name, my king” Twigs said with a hint of regret I stared at him again in utter disbelief, but quickly changed the subject. “Thank you Twigs I will like to thank you for giving me that personal information.” He just nodded his head as a reply. “Well then who do we have left?” I said out loud catching a small black pony hide behind Hyde. I looked over and saw that the black pony was indeed hiding behind Hyde and was clearly scared for some reason. I slowly walked over to her and said softly “What is wrong small one?” I would have been surprised of how low and soft my voice could go but the small pony spoke up. “Don’t h-hurt me y-your majesty. My name i-is Ruby and I am an R-revert.” Ruby said Stuttering and cowering in fear. Well there went my pony idea. It broke my heart in to a million pieces to see this but all I did was nod and say “As long as I am king no harm shall come to you or your kind.” I was surprised by me saying that I was king but before I could contemplate why I would say that Ruby came around Hyde with her face down. “Thank you M-my king.” She was still shaking but it was much less then before; she even looked up and smiled at me. “Ok, now that I know all your names let me tell you mine.” Everyone in that moment leaned in closer to hear. “Justin Draco, your local pizza man and woman extraordinaire.” I said giving a slight bow. “Welcome King Draco” Everyone said in unison just as quickly. “Why do you all keep calling me king and your majesty?” I said because it was kind of getting annoying. “You are the king of the Everfree your Majesty.” Said Hyde “What is a Everfree?” I responded back “My king, the Everfree is a dark Forest that you are now currently in.” said Twig “Noooo. I’m currently in a throne room.” I said pointing around the room like an idiot. “Rock move away from the window!” yelled Hyde Rock, which was a giant hydra that looked like he was made of stone and dirt moved out of the way of a giant window to show trees, trees, and more trees; fuck that’s a lot of trees. “Well I stand corrected.” I said giving a smile while putting my hand to my chin. “My king” said Ruby still looking down and giving me the least amount of eye contact as possible “Please just call me Draco.” I said smiling; looking toward the rest “That goes for you three as well.” They nodded and I smiled looking back at Ruby who was still staring at the floor like it was most beautiful thing ever crafted. It could have been I don't know much about floors. “What was your question Ruby?” “Are you a Human?” That took me off guard because I did not think that they would know what I am. I stood there shocked until Twigs said “I was wondering the same thing my k-Draco” I looked at both of them still in shock; thousand different scenarios went through my mind in those couple of minutes. One was that they would eat me if I said yes, but that was quickly pushed away due to me remembering that are calling me there king. Another was due to me being human I was supposed to marry one of them due to a law or something. My mind went through so many different scenarios that I did not notice Edon walk up to me and directly speak to my face. “-ing are you alright?” That pulled me from my shock and I shook my head saying “Yes, yes I am alright. Thank you.” I looked back at Ruby who is now trying to faze with the floor just to not be seen. I got down on knee and look at Ruby with a smirk. “Yes I am human but how did you know?” “W-well I see humans walk around the Everfree forest…but there not like you.” I was happy to learn that I was not the only human in this nut job world but then I thought of the last thing she said. “What do you mean not like me?” She looked up to my face and said “Well there a little bigger and they don’t talk like you do.” Now she had my curiosity “Anything else?” She looked around the room with a nervous glance. I noticed this and looked as well. Everyone was either giving her a glare or doing anything possible to not look at us. I looked at back at Ruby and saw that she was again trying to faze through the ground. I placed my hand on her head making her flinch. I rubbed her head and that seemed to calm her down a bit. “What else were you going to say?” She was about to look around the room again until I spoke again “Ruby just look at me.” Ruby was hesitant but still looked at me. “Can you please answer the question? I would hate to ask again.” She remained staring at me until she spoke out quickly “They are considered food and nothing else!” Once she finished she looked back down and really did look like she was fazing through the ground. I just stood there going over the meaning of her words. ‘Considered food’ ‘Nothing else’ those words played in my mind over and over again. Ruby looked up to see that I had a neutral expression and her curiosity got the best of her. “My King?” “Can you please describe the Humans here?” I said with the same neutral tone. She did not expect me to reply so quickly so she stuttered in her wording “T-there a b-bit bigger t-then you but t-they d-don’t talk either.” By then she stopped stuttering “They are also very scary and mean.” I thought of these details of my race in my head and could only think of how different they were from the humans from home. “Where do they live mostly?” She looked at me with determination which was a complete change from her shy and nervous demeanor from before. “They live deep in the Everfree you majesty, but the ponies use them for things as well.” This caught my attention and I asked “What things are we talking about?” She mulled it over and responded with “I am not sure your majesty. I have never gotten close to the villages or cities to figure out.” Wait ponies had cities and villages? How the hell do they grab shit with hooves? Twig took a step forward and said “My king, I know what they do with the humans.” I took my eyes off of Ruby and looked over at Twig and said “What do they do Twig?” He looked uncomfortable and started looking around the rooms with his eyes instantly regretting speaking up. “Well my king,” “Just calm me Draco remember?” I said giving him a grin He relaxed at this but was still tense, and that’s really hard to be able to tell from a wooden wolf. Twig had not answered yet and what he was going to say was making me nervous and anxious at the same time. I was about to speak up but he spoke first and said “They are used as slaves or breeders.”