Hoyt remembered the last words his father spoke to him, but they offered little comfort as he pressed his forhead against the gritty, filthy bars of his prison cell. He was so small that even their smallest shackles couldn't fit his narrow arms and legs, instead they kept guards near him constantly.
Nahuat appeared out of nowhere, making no noise and even startling one of the guards. He was a small, thin boy, though it was difficult for anyone to really tell his gender at a glance. His hair fell in his face, and despite his small and weak appearance, his eyes were cold and vicious. He slid up to where Hoyt was contained, glancing for a second at the guards. There was a threatening air to the way he held himself. He had been ordered by his father to keep away from the prisoners, but this one was much to interesting. He stopped infront of the bars, staring at Hoyt, his eyes widening.
Hoyt could only stare back, one of the guards shouted at him to keep a proper distance from the boy Naga. The butt of a spear came through the bars and shoved him back severely.
Hoyt could only grunt from the sudden blow as he fell back, he put a hand to his narrow ribcage and looked down to see the spear had left a large red welt upon his skin. His autumn colors looked drab and very nearly grey in this light and from the filth caked on his pelt. His hair and fetlocks were beginning to mat.
Nahuat snarled at the guard, wrapping his small hands around the bars and pressing his face against them. He watched Hoyt for a long few moments, eyes eventually resting on his little horn. "Whats your name?" he asked in a quiet, but demanding manner. His voice had a hard-to-place accent, but he was easily understood. His fascination overpowered his initial, irrational hatred for the boy.
Hoyt didn't answer, instead he crawled backward and shoved himself into the corner of his cell and looked away. He furrowed his brow and folded his arms. The guard cautioned the young Naga to keep clear as they didn't know how much magic a very young Unitaur could possess.
It was extremely rare to even see Unitaur children and this was perhaps the first time one was even captured. Typically, the elder Unitaur protected the children.
Nahuat's eyes turned to the guard, "Has he spoken?" he continued to speak with authority, head held high as he looked up at the guard. His own magic was strong, but he kept that a secret, so he didn't argue about keeping a safe distance. His gaze was drawn back to the unitaur, and again, he stared. He never thought he'd see one up close, since the plan was to kill them all.
The guard simply shook his head. Hoyt pretended not to hear any of it, all he wanted was clean water. The water they provided him in a battered wooden bucket smelled of the taint of sedatives and the gods knew what else. He refused to eat or drink anything they gave him. Instead he shut his eyes and used his magic to heal what he could. His tiny horn glowed in the corner like the faint glow of candle light.
Nahuat's eyes widened and he moved closer again. The look on his face was almost hungry. He wanted to know what kind of magic the boy had. "Let me in," he demanded, rattling the bars slightly. He didn't look away from Hoyt.
The guard looked hesistant, he argued for a moment with the other guard.
"We've strict orders, young Prince, until we've received word from the war master," the guard explained. "If we disobey, it'd mean death for both of us!"
"Nobody needs to know," he said calmly. He could threaten them with death, but he highly doubted that would help get him what he wanted. "I promise my lips will stay sealed, I've got as much to lose as you."
The guards look puzzled, not enitrely sure if anyone would kill royalty so young... but it wasn't unheard of. They argue for a moment, looking quickly to see if anyone else is around.
"Make it quick, young Prince," the guards unlock the door slowly. "You have five minutes, it is rumored the war master intends to present him as a gift."
"A gift to whom?" Nahuat asked, moving warily into the cell. He kept his distance for a few seconds, then approached Hoyt, stopping again a couple of feet from him.
"We're not certain, he may be used to barter trade for war supplies, young Unitaurs are very rare and worth more than most metals in the slave trade," the guard replies.
Hoyt's horn stopped glowing instantly, he gasped and backed against the wall as hard as he could. His skin had completely healed, but it left him weary.
Nahuat sat down, hands resting on his tail. He watched Hoyt with a blank stare on his face, "I want to know your name."
"Well, you're not getting it," Hoyt said stubbornly. "Kill me if you must," his eyes never leave Nahuat's. "That's what'll end up happening, anyway."
"Probably. I won't kill you though," he said, pushing his hair over his shoulder, "My intuition says no." Nahuat had, from the time he was very young, had what he could only explain as very strong intuition. His mentor told him it may be the onset of psychic abilities, but he wasn't holding his breath. "There's something about you. Tell me about your magic."
Hoyt didn't answer for a time, instead he looked Nahuat over before finally speaking. Even though they were children, they'd had longer to gather eloquence. Hoyt spoke with the calm nature his parents had taught him, but he was terrified of death.
"Why should I even consider telling you?" Hoyt asked simply. "It won't ensure my safety, nothing will."
"No, it won't. But I'm not a threat to you, either. I'm simply curious." He tilted his head slightly, hands folding together, "This could be the last time anyone will be willing to talk to you."
"We all die alone, you and I... we're both just as vulnerable, but at least you get to move freely until your own people finish you one day," Hoyt pulled flecks of filth from his hair. "At least you still have your family."
"I never had a family," he said monotonously, but moved on quickly, "But what you say is probably true," he looked down at his hands thoughtfully, "I'm left locked away in this castle, and its very likely my own father will kill me," he said perfectly calm about this. "And he won't waste mercy on me."
Hoyt looked puzzled, then he shook his head. "I'd pity you if you weren't just as bad as the rest of them," he looked to the guards. "Why would you even care to know my name or about my magic?"
"Its not every day I see a unitaur. Especially one so young," he said honestly, "Call it childish curiosity, if you have to put a name on it, but does it really matter why if you won't tell me?"
"I suppose not," Hoyt tucks his legs beneath him and sits down. "Nothing matters now, I'll be packed up like a toy and sent to... wherever I'm going."
"Its a shame you'll most likely be traded for supplies," he said, eyeing his horn, "I'd have thought you'd be worth more than that. Count yourself lucky my father isn't keeping you..." he said, reaching up to try and touch his horn.
Hoyt suddenly takes Nahuat's hand and puts it to his spiral horn. "Do you feel this, Naga? This is all that stands against the evil of your people and the rest of the Isles. Without us, these islands are lost. Your kind will destroy us all and themselves and you and I could turn the tables and you know it down to the threads of your soul."
Hoyt looks him square in the eyes.
Nahuat's eyes went wide and he tensed up. Deep down, he did know it. His arm shook slightly, and he tried to pull away weakly. The magic he felt was dramatically different from his own. He felt a sudden, yet brief desire for it. It was quickly replaced by anxiety over what Hoyt said. "What do you expect from me?" he hissed under his breath, eyes narrowing.
Hoyt let Nahuat's hand free.
"I can't expect anything from you, only you are in control," Hoyt replied simply. "The more blood on your hands, the more pain will befall you."
Nahuat was silent at first, and turned his head away. But he glanced at him from the corner of his eye, "I can end this?" He saw great flaws in his father's plan to kill the four-leggers, and felt it could end in the destruction of is own people. He felt no pity for others, but he wanted it to stop. "It doesn't matter what I do, pain will follow me, so that is of no consequence."
"You can end this, you're probably the only one who can," Hoyt replied. "The power of change is within us both."
"What do I need to do?" he looked towards the door, frowning, "And hurry, I don't have much time left."
Hoyt looked surprised that Nahuat was even humoring him. So he did the best to phrase it in a way a Naga understood.
"Seize control of your own people," he said. "And remember me."
Nahuat looked uncertain, but gave a small nod, "Does it matter how?" he asked, his voice turning icy for a moment. "I'll help you escape, but only if you never utter my name to anyone. That'll be the death of me."
Hoyt shrugged, "How am I to know if that matters? Among your people, there are no real rules anymore. If there ever were any, at all. All I've seen are lies upon lies and poisoning. When my family was killed, two other Nagas were accused of stealing and were put to death the same way they kill their slaves."
"There's no dignity among my people anymore," he said, holding the hand that had touched Hoyt's horn. "What you've seen is barely scratching the surface. We'll end this. I'll gain control of my people. What will you do?"
"If I live, I'm going home and ensuring that the Isles will remember what this war has done to us all," Hoyt said. "No one person rules among the Unitaur, but I can advise those with less magic."
"I won't question your ways," he said, his way of saying not having a little made absolutely no sense to him. "You need to survive," he said matter-of-factly. "I can only imagine how long it may take for me to overthrow my father, and then what? He may win before then."
"If only one of us survives, hope still remains," Hoyt stood up again. "And if none of us survive, then someone else will try. The idea is there, it can't be stopped now."
Nahuat just watched him for a moment, "I wish I could share this hope you speak of," he rose slowly as well, "Determination is my motivation," he said, glancing towards the bars again, "I'll do what I can."
