Side Character

#WedWIPAesthetic 14.05.19 – Side Character

A hand curls into the hood and rips it off my head. I wince, shaking strands of hair out of my face seconds before someone clamps a hand on my shoulder and shoves me to my knees. Gravel digs into my skin, but I grit my teeth against the pain, looking around. The river flows to my left, the waterfall cascading down the side of a cliff that stretches into the forest on either side. Tough trees and rocky ridges dot the cliffside. The sun hasn’t yet risen over the side of the cliff, throwing us into shadow on the sandy bank. Or perhaps it’s already beginning to set. My eyes frantically scan the sky for the Archer, to orient myself, but someone else commands my attention before I can locate him.

The River king stands in front of me. He wears glinting silver armour under a blue cloak that swirls around his ankles like waves. It ripples in the wind, whipping around from the force of the waterfall. A gold crown sits atop his head, stamped with patterns of waves and embedded with a massive gem, bluer than the river, bluer than the night sky. A blue so dark it’s almost black.

The girl with the blue hair bows next to me, with a flourish so dramatic I have to wonder how sincere it can be. When she raises her head, pride shines brightly in her eyes. In a heartbeat, I know she will do anything for her king.

It disgusts me.