LOCATION : THE COAST OF TIRULIA.
the gun in his hand felt heavy and unusual, even though his muscle memory told him that he knew exactly what it was and how to use it; the contrast caused his pulse to thrum with a numbing pain. trying to anchor himself, florian attempted to remember his day—the sheriff of pellar’s town, waking up in his lonely apartment at the edge of town. he tried to think of the coffee he had that morning (two shots of espresso, a splash of milk, and caramel) and the cinnamon bun that was still warm from the baker’s stand. he recalled the sound of paperwork, the shuffle of feet on the tiled floor, and the drone of the coffee machine in the otherwise empty sheriff’s station. it was a mundane life he had learned to love, a normality he had taken for granted.
but now, as he tried to focus on those details, a flood of other memories crashed over him: the life of a prince in a castle full of jewels, an existence lived in the shadow of a brother, the face of another man whose beauty seemed to haunt him, and a life that was so grand and magical—so different from the one he had known before—that he could barely believe it was his. yet, he knew that if he were holding a sword instead of a gun, he would have known how to swing it regardless. as much as he tried to hold on, he could feel himself slipping, being carried away by a tidal wave.
the image of the looming castle above them did little to settle his nerves.
if not for a sudden movement to his left, he might have continued to drift, walking aimlessly toward the castle. the noise made him snap back to reality. his hands swiftly tightened around the weapon, and in a split second, it was pointed at whatever—or whoever—was hiding behind the wreckage of the boat. he remained rooted to the spot. " who's there? " he demanded, putting as much authority into his voice as he could muster. " reveal yourself slowly. come on! "
closed starter for @hcartmade.
