Hazen had begrudgingly watched the two interact, feeling jealousy form a venomous bile in his throat. He quickly got off the throne and walked through the halls. He burst through the back doors and went further down, past the courtyard, passed the garden ‘till he reached the training grounds. In blind rage, Hazen gripped the handle of a near by sword and swung at anything in his sight. Soon, the arena was littered with hay and cloth. He panted and slowly came out of his rage. Finally looking around, Hazen dropped the sword and took a few steps back. He loved his brother; Salazar was his only family. He didn’t understand why exactly he was mad at his brother, he just was. However...Mary Rin, he loved more, and wanted her by his side. He couldn’t have his brother whisk her away, like he did with many maidens. The nausea from earlier came swimming back,drowning Hazen on a coldness.
“You did quite a number in here.” A familiar voice mused. Hazen jumped,suddenly being ripped lut of drowning doubts, and upon turning around,came face to face with his brother. Salazar still wore his sickening,sweet, smile. Hazen guessed he must’ve had a nasty look on his face because of what his brother said next. “Wow, that’s a dirty look I haven’t seen in a long time. In fact, last time I saw that face was when I told mum you snuck into the kitchen and ate all the icecream.”
“You ate some too, you snitch.” Hazen said in a dark tone. He picked the sword back up, then tossed a near by sword to Salazar. It landed by the bigger hedgehog’s feet in a clatter. Salazar stared at the blade then back up to Hazen, perplexed by his brother’s motives.
“Hazen, what are you-”
“Fight me.” Hazen said simply. “Whoever wins gets Mary Rin.”
“Hazen, I’m not going to-” Salazar was cut off as Hazen rushed and swung the sword. Salazar jumped back,slightly offended. “This is ridiculous! I’m not fighting over some girl I just met, and you shouldn’t either.” As Hazen thrust the blade forward, Salazar stepped to the side and grabbed his brother’s arm. Annoyed, Hazen jabbed Salazar’s gut with his free hand. Salazar groaned and stumbled back. The smaller hedgehog sent his heel digging into his brother’s chest, sending Salazar stumbling back a few feet. Salazar stayed doubled over, panting, only opening one eye to look at the sword that was tossed to him. He ran to it, dropping and sliding on his knees as Hazen swung his sword. Salazar gripped the handle, turned and blocked Hazen’s next attack.
The sound of metal scraping against metal seemed at last forever as the brothers glared at each other. Salazar shoved Hazen’s blade away and took a step back back. Hazen stumbled and went to turned to swing, but stopped. Salazar’s blade was pointed steadily at Hazen’s throat. The two stared at each other, panting and sweating; their bodies aching as their muscles screamed.
“Do it. Kill me.” Hazen said. There was a moment’s pause before Salazar lowered his sword. He smiled again.
“You were always over dramatic.” Salazar walked away.
********CHAPTER 3*******
A morning fog flowed over the mountains and into the valley but the sun shined brilliantly through Hazen’s bedroom window. The hedgehog groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head. He laid there, curled up with his knees to his chest.
“Are you okay?” asked a familiar sing song voice.
Hazen gasped and sat up. Standing at the end of the bed was Mary Rin, eyes wide with concern. “You’re covered in cuts bruises.” She rushed over to the side as Hazen scrambled at sit up
“N-no, I’m fine.” He mumbled while looking away and pulled the blanket further up,to his chest.
“You say that a lot.” Mary Rin gently placed her hands on Hazen’s cheeks and made him face her. “But I can tell it’s a lie. It’s scattered across in every minty sparkle in your evergreen eyes. ”
He glanced up, making eye contact with Mary Rin. The same burning, nauseous sensation returned, pulsing in the center of his heart. She smelled of roses after the rain;her touch gentle and light like a dove’s feather. Hazen wanted it to last forever. He wanted her to hold him forever. He wanted to hold her.
“Er, actually, now the pain is catching.” He faked a wince. Mary Rin laid Hazen’s head onto the pillow.
“Wait right here.” She walked away from the bedside while Hazen relaxed, letting out a soft sigh from his nose. He grinned.
Mary Rin was back at his side, dabbing Hazen’s forehead with a cold, wet rag.Seeing his smile,the Lady smiled back.The hedgehog relaxed more,letting his eyes shut themselves
“What happened to you?”. She questioned. Hazen’s eyes snapped open and he bit his lower lip, a bit embarrassed to admit. He took a few moments to think how he could tell her his feelings.
Finally, he told her. “I love you. I know that sounds crazy but I really do. You’re so bright and cheerful a-and beautiful, exactly what I need.” A faint blush appeared on both faces, but Hazen continued with his story. “I felt like Salazar was trying to sweep you away and I got jealous. We fought and…”
“And?”
“I lost.” Hazen looked away, ashamed. Mary Rin made Hazen look at her again by placing a hand gingerly on his cheek. This time a kiss was planted on Hazen’s lips. It was soft, like a butterfly landing on a flower. And then she pulled away- in what was Hazen’s mind, too soon. He watched her in wonder as she left the room and grinned.
Hazen quickly washed his face then slipped into his brown hood and stepped out.
Salazar was waiting for him at the end of the hallway and started to slowly approached. “Listen, I know last night didn’t go over that great, so how ‘bout me n’ you head into town n’ get a couple of drinks?” Hazen’s eyes narrowed, but he complied. Soon they had gotten onto their horses and rode into the town. Bystanders turned and looked in awe as the two kings strode by and stopped in front of the inn.
“Remember this place?” Salazar asked in a joking manner. Hazen did remember though, and in amazement, climbed down.
“It’s still here? I thought they were going to shut it down.”
Salazar shrugged and also got off the horse. He led the animals to the post and tied them up, then led Hazen inside. The building was the same as they remembered; the floors,ceiling and western wall,were made out of oak wood and had a fine polished finish to it. The walls that surrounded the fireplace on the eastern side of the tavern were made of stone,held together by cement. Best of all, in the middle of it, was the bar maiden, Sandra. The brothers, holding back their smiles by biting their lips. When they sat at the bar, the curvy woman turned and grinned.
“Oh, you boys!” She spoke in a thick scottish accent that boomed inside the building, and pulled the hedgehogs into a bone crushing hug. “I missed you so much!”
The brother gasped and struggled to escape from the Saluki. “W-we missed you too!” They said, almost simultaneously. Soon the three settled down and Hazen and Salazar were drinking. Sandra watched them, smiling warmly.
“Aye, the last time I saw you young beasties was when you snuck out of the castle and came here. Ask me for some more apple pie. You both still like apple pie?”
“Yes!” both rang and looked at each other. They laughed and it was in that moment that the fight from before was almost forgotten.
Suddenly, the inn rumbled and a faint thud sound was heard in the distance. Sandra let out a groan and began to quickly move about, cleaning dishes faster and preparing drinks. Hazen and Salazar exchanged quizzeling looks before looking at Sandra. The thunderous rumble grew closer and soon the inn’s doors burst open, revealing a rather large male hedgehog.His beady eyes glanced around. Most of the people had moved away from the bar and were now sitting on the tables closest to the fire, staring quietly at their drinks. The hedgehog walked over slowly to the bar; springing as if he was ready to pounce onto someone. He sat down on a stool, which let out a groan under pressure. Hazen felt his brother elbow his side and let out a small snort. Hazen elbowed Salazar back.
“Hey babe,” the newcomer spoke in a deep, gruff tone.
Sandra rolled her eyes. “Hello Alastair.”
The pig chuckled. “Anyways, I’ll have my usual.”
The bar maiden slammed the drink she had prepared before onto the counter, and briskly walked back to the brothers, leaning in closely and whispering. “That’s Alastair,your uncle, but ever since he won the boxing championships, he orders everyone t’ call him Fist.”
“That’s some nickname.” Salazar mused and took one last swing of his beer. Hazen could only choke on his drink and stare at his uncle in surprise. Anarchy,he was huge!
“Whatcha starin’ at?” Fist’s lips curled at the corners, showing his disgusting yellowing teeth. Hazen responded with quickly looking away and muttering, “Nothing.” Sandra turned sharply, hands on her hips , and a scowl upon her face.
“Leave the ‘im alone. Drink or I’ll-”
“Or you’ll what?” Fist stood up, easily towering over anyone in the inn. Sandra shrunk down a bit and, gulping nervously, gripped the counter.
“Or I’ll kick you out,” Hazen spoke quietly and looked over at his relative. “Alastair.”
The duke looked to Hazen,raised an eyebrow, and let out a thunderous laugh. Salazar tugged on Hazen’s hood, whispering: “You’re drunk. Sit down before you get your arse kicked. Hazen please.” But still the small hedgehog stood, looking at the giant in the eyes.
“You should listen t’ yer brother, kid.”
“Firstly, I am the king. Secondly, I don’t have to listen to anyone. Thirdly, I won’t have you speaking disrespectfully to Sandra.” Hazen puffed his chest out a bit, but the small hedgehog’s efforts made Alastair laugh more. That angered Hazen, and he'd fed on it. Anger fueled his limbs, boiling his blood,burned his muscles.
The next moment happened in a flash: a loud crack rang throughout the bar and the beast tumbled over, holding his snot. Salazar finally got out of his chair and stood in shock behind his brother, whose fist was held straight out. Hazen’s rage subsided as he realized what happened. Once again, he had blacked out and he no longer had the courage. He took a couple of steps back, shaking. The hedgehog recovered from the punch and stood up, covering the brothers in his shadow.
“You got some nerve, Tiny.” Fist sent a punch that connected with Hazen’s jaw. The small hedgehog fell back from the force.
“Hazen!” Salazar watched his brother fall then turned to face Fist, a dark gleam twinkled in Salazar’s eye. The pig and hedgehog ensued into a fist fight, swinging jabs, hooks and uppercuts. The sound of flesh hitting flesh muffled out Sandra’s cries. Hazen sat up and wiped his lip, feeling the warm liquid that ran out from a gaping hole where a tooth once was. He stood up in time to see a pistol in the meaty hands that belonged to Alastair. The smooth barrel was pointed at his brother’s chest, who laid on the ground, blacked eyed and beaten. There was a soft click but Hazen was fast and agile and was able to tackle the giant from behind. He pulled on Fist’s arm and the pistol was aimed upwards where it released a bullet into the ceiling. The two struggled before Hazen bit down hard onto Alastair’s filthy ear. Hazen was then flung back and landed behind the bar, right next to Sandra. The bar maiden grabbed Hazen by his shoulders, shouting for him to stop, but he didn’t listen. Rage pumped adrenaline through his veins. And, blindly, he grabbed two knives from a shelf. Fist walked to the bar, finger on the trigger, but Hazen moved quicker. He jammed the first knife into the barrel of the pistol, as Alastair squeezed the trigger, which caused the gun to backfire and explode in his giant hand. The hedgehog squealed in pain, dropped the gun and stepped back. Hazen, now standing on top of the counter, yanked the knife out of the destroyed gun barrel then lunged , thrusting the second knife into Alastairs’s left shoulder.
The pig, now sitting down on the ground, shoved Hazen off. Hazen rushed back, first knife held out. Alastair held up his hand and screamed before the first knife greeted his palm. Hazen pushed the knife in deep, enjoying the sound of snapping and popping muscles. He then twisted the knife and yanked it clean out. Everyone was on their feet, unsure of what the king would do next. Hazen walked back over to the counter and gently placed the knife down, muttering a sorry to Sandra, before walking over to Salazar, who also stared bewildered at his brother. Pulling his brother up, Hazen draped one of Salazar’s arms over his shoulder. On their way out, Hazen stopped to look at the monster who sat whimpering on the floor.
The dreadful feeling came back,blowing cold air on his neck. Hazen shivered and left quickly,never looking back or answering people’s greetings.
*******CHAPTER 4*******
Many weeks passed in which Hazen and Mary Rin became closer and closer, each day their passion grew. And soon, the mist that had seemed to block out the sun disappeared. Everyday, the brothers (and sometimes Mary Rin riding behind Hazen) would go out on hunting trips into the mountains. The trio would often have picnics under the bright blue sky and bask in the warmth of the sun. Things were finally looking up, or so it seemed.
One night, Hazen woke. The moon barely shined through the clouds so the room was dark. He rolled over and wrapped an arm around what he thought was his lover’s waist. Rubbing his muzzle against the mysterious thing he grabbed, he discovered it was just a pillow. He figured that she was in the bathroom, but heard nothing. Hazen sat up in the dark and thought, ‘Perhaps she’s out for a walk?’ He stretched and listened carefully, hearing soft chattering down stairs. It sounded like Salazar’s deep voice and Mary Rin’s flirtatious tone. Hazen got off the bed and put his hood and sneakers on. He slowly, quietly, cautiously went down the stairs.
Down on the first floor, Salazar and Mary Rin was kissing. The forest green hedgehog was pinned against a pillar,with the echidna pressed against him. Hazen pinned his ears back and cleared his throat. The two stopped and looked over at Hazen, horrified. Hazen could only glare back.
“Ha-hazen, I-” Salazar was cut off.
“How long has this been happening?” Hazen asked, his tone dark and on the edge of shaking.
“I-it was just tonight. It was an accident!”
“This is one hell of an accident, Salazar.”
“All we did was kiss. That’s it.” The bigger hedgehog slowly backed off, but Mary Rin finally spoke.
“Is it true you stabbed a man at the bar?”
Shocked, Hazen looked from Salazar to Mary Rin. “Well, I...He-”
“So you did!”
“He was going to kill Salazar if I didn’t do something! I put him back into his place.”
“We’re through, Hazen.I don’t want to be with such a violent man.” She walked over to Salazar and took his arm, leading him upstairs. Hazen stood there, pained, shocked and angered beyond measure. The jealousy ember began to grow stronger, fueled by the rage. Soon it was a bonfire, burning in the pit of Hazen’s gut. But then it went out.
Tiredness doused the fire and made Hazen’s body shake with weakness. He forced himself to go back upstairs, locked himself in his room, and forced himself to sleep.
**********CHAPTER 5**********
The mist was back and blocked out the sun. Hazen remained huddled in bed,head throbbing. It wasn’t so bad; just a slight headache that made him sensitive to light, so his eyes were shut tight. The door creaked open softly behind him, but he didn’t move. It was the old butler (Hazen could tell by the squeaky shoes). The butler set a tray down on the nightstand and bowed. “I believe this’ll help you, sire.”
Hazen rolled over and sat up, finally opening his eyes. On the tray was a kettle filled with hot water, assorted teas, creamer and sugar. Hazen made pomegranate tea, poured in a small amount of creamer and took a sip. The bittersweet drink slipped down Hazen’s throat, warming up his insides. The small hedgehog smiled and let out a small purr. “Thank you, you are dismissed.”
After drinking the tea, Hazen took a long, hot bath. He stared at the ceiling, reflecting the events of last night. It was Mary Rin; she always got in the way of his thoughts and emotions. Never before had he and Salazar been obsessed with a girl, no matter how pretty. What was so different about this girl? Maybe she’s a witch? A demon? He had to confront her and if she was evil, he had to warn his brother.
He got out of the tub, drained the water then got dressed. The light still bothered him, so he pulled his hood up. Hazen began to sneak around the castle, looking for any signs of Mary Rin. He found her in the center of the courtyard, her back turned to him. Hazen hid behind a hedge wall and listened in.She chanted words in Latin (Hazen didn’t speak the language fluently but could pick up a few words). Mary Rin then took out a knife and cut across her palm. Blood dripped into the fountain before her. The water turned a golden color and grew higher. Witchcraft.
In the breeze, Hazen could hear whispers, then everything subsided. Mary Rin nodded her head and turned around. Hazen quickly went further behind the wall and waited for Mary Rin to leave. He waited a few seconds longer before running to the castle to find his brother, and when he did in the war room, he could barely speak.
“S-salazar, I have to tell you something.” Hazen said between puffs of breath.
His brother didn’t look up from his map. “About?”
Hazen looked around. “I have to talk to you somewhere more private. Let’s go to the hunting grounds.”
Soon, the two brothers were riding their horses at a trot through the forest. It was around autumn time; the leaves were different shades of oranges and reds, fell around the two who rode side by side.
“What is it you wanted to tell me?” Salazar asked.
“It’s about Mary Rin, she’s-”
Salazar groaned. “Hazen, enough.”
“But she-”
Salazar held up his hand. “Her and I are not together. Last night was an accident.” He looked at his brother and smiled. “She’s leaving tomorrow.” There was an awkward silence between the two before Salazar spoke again.
“I got you something.” He veered off to the side and into the clearing they usually parked the horses and ate. After climbing off his horse, Salazar reached into a side pouch and pulled out two curved sticks and string. “It’s a quiver that can come apart. Put it together like this-” He showed his brother. The top stick had a shaft that fit snuggly into a hole in the other stick. Then the string was strung between the two. Hazen took the bow and studied it. It was made out of birch and had a smooth finish. Salazar went back to his pack and pulled out a hunting knife. The handle was black and made of leather while the blade was made of steel that gleamed in the early afternoon sun.
“These are wonderful, Salazar. Thank you.” Hazen slipped the knife into his belt then slung the bow over his shoulder. Salazar handed a few arrows to Hazen then picked up a pack of arrows for himself. The two agreed to split up then meet up in an hour but little did they know that a monster was watching them.
Hazen sat under an oak tree, pondering his next moves. He’d have guards watch Mary Rin closely and...He shook his head. She’s leaving tomorrow, so why was he so worried? Hazen let out a soft sigh as he relaxed against the tree’s rough bark. He basked in the warmth of the afternoon sun and smelled the crisp autumn air. Still, something was off. There were no birds chirping. Hazen’s eyes snapped open and he glanced around, paranoid. He stood up, bow at the ready. Silence. Then there was sudden rumble as the ground shook. Hazen’s eyes widen with fear as Alastair stepped out from behind the trees. Fist had a devious smirk on his face and a new vibe to his demeanor. It was powerful,immortal.But dark.
“Hello, boy.”
Hazen ran.
Most of that time, Salazar had been chasing a doe and had finally cornered it by a cliff. The deer stood there grazing the golden grass. Salazar watched her from the undergrowth while assembling a makeshift arrow. When he was done, he loaded the bow and drew the string back, aiming carefully for the doe’s side.
Hazen stopped close by and looked around. He’d lost the beast, but had to find his brother. Looking up on the small hill, Hazen saw the same doe grazing.
Just then, Alastair appeared, causing the ground to rumble which scared the doe and the small hedgehog. Squeaking, Hazen ran towards where the doe was standing just as Salazar fired his arrow. Time seemed to slow as Hazen stopped,hearing the familiar sound of a bow string snapping.Turning,his chest exposed,the arrow pierced Hazen’s heart. Blood spurted out of his mouth. He stood there for a few seconds, looking down at the shaft that throbbed in beat with his heart. Stumbled back,slipping on a rock. Then he fell. 100...200...400...THUD. 600 feet. Salazar’s screams were silent as he raced over to the drop. There laid his brother on the rocky floor, twisted, broken, bleeding. Alastair grabbed Salazar, dragged the screaming and thrashing hedgehog away.
Hazen’s eyes began to glaze over as blood filled his lungs. He began to choke. There was a soft glow off to his side, which was replaced with Mary Rin’s face, only this time she had a pair of large, white, feathery wings. She leaned in close with a sweet smile on her face.
“Y-you…” Blood leaked out between Hazen’s lips as Mary Rin leaned in and kissed. A few seconds later, Hazen’s heart stopped and his eyes glazed over,then shut.
“This was meant to happen, Hazen, my dearest.” She disappeared in a flash of light.
******CHAPTER 6*****
The first month in Hell was, well, hell. It was just as stories described it:red caverns,fire and chains hanging off the ceiling. Damned souls locked up in cages,begging. People screaming from torture.A wide purple river divided the area,separating the sinners and the do-gooders. Everyone ended up here,just depended on how you lived your life. And Hazen was never an innocent person,he was greedy. He had hurt and even killed people.But it wasn’t enough to land him in a cage or the field of torment. Everyday,he would stare at the plastered,cream colored walls of Paradise,listening to the music and people bustling about inside.
One day, while wandering around, Hazen ran into a demon.He had often heard stories about how they loved making deals and floated up to the sleeping beast,ideas to take revenge and rise in power swarming in his mind.
“Ahem.” Hazen cleared his throat. “I have a proposition for you.”
Four, glaring red eyes opened up. The beast sat up, towering over the small ghost. The monster’s body was shrouded by darkness;his wings stretched,then folded back neatly. He then looked down at Hazen; the corners of the demon’s lips curled, showing off rows of sharp, black teeth. He almost looked like a dragon
“What is this?” The demon’s voice was low and deep. He sniffed Hazen’s body. “A puny hedgehog?”
Hazen straightened his back. “My name is Hazen the Hedge’. I was the king of Mercia before-”
“I saw it all.” The demon casually wrapped his tail around Hazen’s tiny body. Not tightly, but enough to make sure the ex-king wouldn’t flee. “Let me guess, you want something but it’s in the mortal world and you can’t interact with anything up there.” There was a slight purr in the demon’s tone.It was obvious the demon has dealt with this kind of stuff before.
‘Good,’ Hazen thought,a bit of sweat forming on his muzzle, ‘We can get straight to business.’
“I can help you get whatever you want: money, fame, a kingdom...revenge.” The demon continued.
Hazen looked up at the demon and nodded. “And in exchange, you want my soul.”
“Yup. You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours. I’ll help you get revenge on those who have wronged you, and when that’s done, I get to keep your meat suit and your soul.” The demon nonchalantly held out his hand. “Whaddaya say?”
The offer sounded good enough to Hazen;all he cared for was revenge. Whatever happened to his body afterward wasn’t his concern. “Deal.”
The demon leaned in close;revealing a long, narrow snout. “My name is Pride, by the way.” Their lips met, sealing the deal. Pride laid a clawed hand on the back of Hazen’s head, which sizzled under the demon’s touch. Hazen began to squirm around and kicked helplessly at the air. The hand moved down then dug its claws between Hazen’s shoulder blades,and sprouted out of the other side. Hazen screamed loudly as the demon turned to smoke and entered through the wound.
Meanwhile, in the graveyard, Gershwin the Gravekeeper was walking around on his usual routine, when suddenly the ground rumbled as dark red clouds gathered above the crypt on the hill. Curious and slightly spooked, the crow ran over to investigate. The crypt’s doors jerked as if something inside of it was breaking out. Streaks of red lightning flashed about,striking the ground. Suddenly the crypt exploded into a swirl of red,pieces of marble flying in directions.
“O-oh my-” the old raven ran away. A body rose out of the ground, covered in dirt, worms and maggots. The once brown hood and boots now faded into a jet black. Four red eyes opened under the dark hood;the figure smiled,revealed razor sharp, black teeth. Red,leathery wings ripped out of his back and spread.
Hazen let out a loud maniacal laughter that rang throughout the graveyard as the tornado of red calmed, and,with one powerful beat of his wings, flew off into the night.
