Into the iris

Chapter 5: Balls

It was the ear deafening silence, and the lack of sleep that pushed him out of the bed. It has been a tiring journey to the sea shore even though he barely raised a finger,but it's exhausting still."This wasn't the plan." He mumbled as he stared at the wooden celling.

After his Aunt sweet talked him into coming to Vauldeen for a visit, now he is finally on his way back home and his cabin is too quiet for his own good. He lifted himself from the bed and grabbed his shirt from the dressing stick to cover the exposure of his bare chest. His blonde hair fell back showing his forehead which outlined the path to his nose.

He slowly dragged his shirt over his bare chest , he pulled out his pocket watch from his breeches and he left his cabin in search for his companion who seems to have strayed off with his dog somewhere on this very ship.

Ralphael left his cabin onto the companionway in search for anything entertaining and distract him from his current predicament.

The narrow way was quiet and not even his sensitive ears could eavesdrop on any conversation from within the cabins.

"Wait…..,is that apple pie?" His ears quickly the voice which happens to be coming from the stairs at the end of the hall. He ran in the direction of the voice but no one was there, just a stairway leading up.

After going through ten floors,he was on the ship's deck which happens to be filled with people. A child was screamed from the far end of the deck ,the child was trying to get his ball from the mouth of the corgi which stubbornly refused to release the round object from it's mouth.

The little boy screeched in displeasure as he try to kick the dog with his feet. Ralphael eyes widen as he stared at the scene. The fact that his dog is stubbornly refusing to drop the ball was surprising , he rushed towards the scene with a frown .

"Stop!…,stop it. Stop hitting the dog" He ordered the little boy who eyes was soaked in tears. He immediately separated the boy from the dog to prevent anymore assault.

"It took my ball….,give it back…." The boy insisted on getting his ball from the furry creature .

"Han….Drop the ball." Ralphael slowly ordered the dog, which stared blankly at him with the ball still in it mouth.

A bright smiled appeared on the little boy's face as he chased after his once stolen ball.

"You heard me,i said drop it." Ralphael gritted his teeth as his dog still held the ball in its mouth,Hans turned away from him and sat on the floor.

The little boy sniffed threatening to cry again,as if the one he has been doing isn't deafening enough.

"No,no. Don't cry, how about I give you money to buy a new ball or even two. You can buy as many balls has you want." The little boy shooked his head in disapproval.

"I want my ball back, give me my ball." The little boy returned to his sobbing. Ralphael exhaled slowly, that was something about children.Money hold no important to them nor wealth, You can't try to take away what they love in return for wealth.Ralphael swiftly moved and knelt before Hans,he placed his hands before his dog demanding for the ball.

"Han,i won't repeat myself. Drop the ball now!!."Ralphael stiffened as his stubborn dog still held onto the ball like it's life depended on it.

Out of nowhere,his dog was hit by a short stick. Han scramble immediately with lead to the release of the ball in its mouth. Ralphael turned towards the direction where the stick came from.

A blonde girl was staring down at Han with her cold golden eyes,her short blonde hair barely reached her shoulder and stopping at the end of her neck. Her shirt was definitely too big for her , her slight wound was on the right part of her cheeks. Ralphael silently stared at her taking in her presence.

"Did you want to kill my dog?" Ralphael said as he approached her.

"According to what I witness,i think I did you a favor.You have to learn to control your dog before it selfishly take kids balls."Ralphael frowned at the girl who evidently scoffs at him as she folded her arms in defiance.

"And what is that supposed to mean?,You think I can't train my pup?"

" Sorry to bust your ego but the looks of it,i don't think so."Lesley was having fun with messing around with him,she smiled inwardly as the frown on his face deepens.

"Must be a patient one." She thought .

" Just act like I wasn't here,I don't know why I got involved anyways. At least that kid would stop screaming like a freaking banshee"Ralphael didn't respond instead he try to wrap his head around what the girl said.

"Who are you?, and how do I return your favor?.How much would you charge for it?."Lesley slowly frowned at the stranger's word." He must be one of those spoilt rich fellas." She thought as she looked at him in confusion,she moved closer to him then finally stopped in front of him.

He was a few inches taller than her,the wind blew his rich blonde hair across this forehead to his temple.Lesley stared into his golden eyes.

"That's tempting, but I don't need your money nor any returned favors from you. Do you really think of people like that?"Ralphael was taken aback by the question,it was strange that people has been rejecting his money. First the kid and now her. He was wondering what brought him here in the first place.

"Like what?"

"Like for some reason everyone wants your money.You can keep your money,i am not a beggar. Guess training your pup isn't the only thing you need learn."Ralphael was quite surprised that he isn't taking the situation offensive than it's supposed to.

"And what would you suppose I learn?" Ralphael folded his arms closing the space between them,he looked down at her with interest.

"You ask lots of questions,I will be kind to answer you."she sighs" You need to learn how to study people, not everyone is after what is in your pocket."

" That is what a thief would say."

"Oh you think i am a thief, isn't that a nice thing to say……" Lesley said trying to get his name.

"What?"

"Your name is….."

"You didn't answer me when I ask for yours, what makes you think am going to tell you mine?"

" Okay Brody,You shouldn't…"Ralphael cut her off immediately.

" Brody?,my name is not Brody."Ralphael said in between gritted teeths.

"Then what is your name?"

"You are still avoiding my question." Lesley smirk at his persistent behavior,it seems he is a curious person. But no matter how curious he is,he won't be able to figure her out. Her father that nutcase could figure her out till she killed him with her bare hands. Lesley didn't feel a sting of guilt within her,she has always wanted to kill that good for nothing.

"You didn't answer my question as well, and I didn't pester you for an answer."

" Instead you named me after a dog,you have balls to talk to me like that."Ralphael searched for any sign of fear from her but instead she smirked at his words.

"Balls,I don't have balls unlike you. Have you ever seen the look on a man's face when his balls get crushed."Lesley smiled as Brody deadpanned her,he looked at her in disgust.

Ralphael didn't know if he should commend her for her ball of steel or get disgusted as he try to dismiss the picture of a man's crushed balls. No one has ever confuse,shock and entertain him all at once.

"It won't be easy to try to crush my balls, and I don't think you know your way around it."Ralphael folded his arms around his chest.

Before she could answer him,two girls walked up to them.She stared back at them trying to figure out why they are looking at her with fascination. The tall Brody in front of her also stood quietly as his face questioned her in silence.

"Emm…we….we want to thank you for saving us.we don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up. You left quite in a hurry."The girl with curly auburn hair said,she smiled nervously at Lesley who looked puzzled.

"Oh you mean the vorxes?." Lesley did remember what happened this morning. After killing her father,she left for the sea without looking back. The hermacade would be open for new recruits, Lesley has been preparing for months but the only obstacle she had was her father.She knew her father won't agree with her plans to leave for the hermacade.

Technically he disagrees with any good thing in her life,as if he wasn't pathetic enough. All he wants is a daughter that waits for him on the front porch every night waiting to be brutalized.

The hermacade is her chance to obtain power,she has it all planned in her head. The first step is to get to the hermacade and reach her full potential as a werewolf. Then she will impress the Queen which is easier said than done,she didn't mind being the Queen's underdog to get into the high court.

If there is one thing she learnt from this past year,it is Power. If she has power, nobody would want to double cross her. This is what makes the queen so unreachable and fearless, the whole iris is in her hands and she can do whatever she wants with it.

"You are really strong, how did you do that?" The red haired girl asked in total admiration.

"To kill a vorx,you either use immense fire or you slit their throats.Little fire can do little to nothing to them, those bloody beasts stubbornly cling to life as if they add purpose to it with their existence."Lesley said to the girls, Ralphael stood aside as he watches the girls. He knew vorxes and how those beasts act just to feed on meat.

"My name is Yasmin and this is We are headed to the hermacade,are you also heading there?" Yasmin said to the girl,she stared at the boy would happen to be quite tight-lipped the whole time.

"I'm Lesley and this person here is Brody."

Ralphael was stunned at the way she introduced him.he knew he just met all of them and he forgot his purpose of coming to the deck but he sure would not be named after a dog.

"Am not a Brody, and that is not my name. You know there are consequences of naming me after a dog."Lesley laughed at his comment,she was having fun making fun of him.

"Oh really?,since you didn't tell me your name and you still stubbornly refuse to. I decided to name you Brody and I must say,it suits you perfectly."

" Even my dog is not a Brody, I am quite disappointed. I thought your name will be more unique due to your refusal to tell me your name."Yasmin as well as Telle watched the two of them as they argue about something she wasn't even understand.

"On like you rich folks,my name adds nothing to the iris.its just L..E..S…L…E..Y."she slowly pronounced each syllable, but the Brody still looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language.

"Shouldn't it be Leslie ,with an ie" Ralphael corrected.

" No,it is Lesley with a ey. And that's how it's always have been,Brody."

Ralphael gritted his teeth as the girl corrected him.She is making him look like an i***t,there is one thing he hates in this world and that is looking like an i***t.

"My name is not Brody…."

"Then what is your name?" Lesley immediately asked.

" Ralphael."

"Oh….Rapa…El."

" Now you are pulling my leg,it's Ralphael.My name has no other pronunciation,Les… lie."

The girls chuckled as they both argued on and on. With the excuse of waiting for his acquaintance but he was waiting for his acquaintance whom he didn't see till he got back into his private cabin.

"Where have you been?,I have been looking everywhere for you." A chubby boy who isn't far from Ralphael's age said,his curly black hair fell to his shoulder. His face was filled with worry and relief.

Everyone knows about the excruciating pain passed to servants and slaves who can't take responsibility for their owners. Some go through immediate death while others are slowly tormented till their owners leave them to the mercy of death.

"I was busy looking for you and I got entertained till I lost track of time.The ship's deck was a breath of fresh air."Ralphael fell onto his bed and took a bunch of grapes,he slowly put the grape into his mouth as the juice filled his tongue.

"Shan,did you know that Hans derives pleasure in taking things that don't belong to him.i wonder he got that habit from and please don't say Marilyn."Ralphael smiled at his own words,his mother's favorite person has a itchy fingers for taking things most especially what was not hers.

"Well I don't know who else to point to, recently he has lurking around trying to get treats from Marilyn who has been making trips to the kitchen."Shan said he sat at the foot of the bed.he refers to Marilyn as the duchess of bad habits but Ralphael's mother Lady Fiona didn't see to mind any of it.

"Then I need lay down some rules for that dog,it clearly isn't to anything I say."

" Why did you take so long in the deck?."

" Like I said earlier I was getting entertained"Shan brows furrowed in question but Raphael didn't wait for his servant to ask before he continued"Met with some recruits for the hermacade."

" Are you interested going to the hermacade?"

" No,I have no interest but that doesn't stop father for having his way."Ralphael dropped the remaining grapes on the plate next to his bed,he laid quietly on the bed with his eyes closed and it didn't take long for him to pull into a deep sleep.

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"To whom do i owe this pleasant surprise" The pale old man said as he slowly walked towards the Queen.He slowly bowed towards the Queen and took his place on the seat.

"I didn't know you would be visiting,I would have prepared something. Your Majesty."The old man addressed ,his shag grey hair was fit for a bird to live in. His house was clean and orderly but quite full for anyone's taste. His brown eyes dulled stared fixedly at the Royal visitor whose face showed distaste to his home.

"I won't be having anything if you did prepare anything."The Queen responded as her teal eyes stared back at him. Her blonde hair was styled in a plaited bun, and the luminous crystal crown on her head adorned her head .Her black dress flown pass her foot taking a portion of the carpet floor.

"Is there anything that displeases you about my home, Your Majesty."The old man asked even though he was fully aware what it is.

The Queen frowned at the man's question. Everything about this man displeases her, first it was his wife who thankfully died a year ago from the sickbed. The only thing keeping this moron alive is that he appears useful. It won't be long before she send him to his wife.

"Yes,it is quite old fashioned and dull. And find something to do with that awful hair of yours."Unlike other women feminine voices, the Queen's voice commands authority and was firm.She was quick to voice her dislikes.

"Then my sincere apologies for discomforting the crown.I love my home old fashioned. What does the mighty Queen Anne Marie want from a old fashioned man like me?."

" Eden has been in the truth chambers,I got informed that she has been passing out for a week. Is there something you didn't tell me about that daughter of yours"The old man was shaken by the Queen's words,his heart leaped in worry. His second daughter Eden had to take her elder sister's place as the seer after her elder sister went missing.

"Eden?, what happened to my daughter?."

" I am not here to answer to your questions, seems that hair of yours have blocked the way to your listening as well."The Queen sneered before adding "Why is she going unconscious and why is the crystal purple instead of white?"The old man inwardly thought about about how a truth crystal ball will turn purple.it is unheard of.

"Your Majesty, purple is an usual color.Something is coming and it's coming for you, My Queen."The Queen stared knowingly at him,her cold eyes harden. Not only was the girl unconscious but everyone in the chamber.

There was one thing she hated more than the man himself,it was taking orders or any form of extended advice from him.

"The crown can protect it own,Harris. You shall be allowed to go see your daughter. Maybe a little word from you would get her in her right state of mind."And just like that,The Queen left the old cottage and headed to the palace. After all this while, why are strange signs occuring?, Who is trying to take her down?. These thoughts roamed her mind, but before she discovers who the enemy was.She has an iris to save.