Nothing happened.

The mace did not make contact with his body.

Teal dared to open his eyes, his muscles tense and on guard. He expected Prince Yernal was taunting him, only trying to exert and enforce more dominance.

Prince Yernal drew in ragged breaths, speckles of spit escaping his mouth as his chest heaved. The mace was behind his head, ready to be swung down. Teal’s acute eye sight made out beads of sweat forming on his temple, despite the cold. Prince Yernal wasn’t playing. He was trying to calm himself.

Teal kept his body taut, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

Eventually, Prince Yernal lowered his arms and took a step back, shaking his shoulders loose. “You’ll be no good to me if you have too many injuries,” he hissed.

Teal dropped his head in relief, but he kept himself on guard. Prince Yernal’s boots moved away, and Teal lifted his head again to see Prince Yernal leave his cage. Surprisingly, he didn’t lock the door.

“You’re not going to secure his cage?” Lady Helign asked, voicing the same question on Teal’s lips. She lifted her hand to her mouth, aghast. “Oh dear. What is your purpose with him?”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked!” Prince Yernal said with a sudden maniacal smile forming on his face. He turned to face her once more. “I’m going to use him as a deterrent.”

A frown creased Lady Helign’s forehead, and Prince Yernal explained, “If anyone in the kingdom dares to steal from me or betray me, there will be consequences. Lord Spralare,” Prince Yernal snapped, twisting sharply towards the man. “Wouldn’t you agree that is a suitable way of using the Lombock?”

Lord Spralare jolted and immediately started to fiddle with the buttons on his thick coat. “Y-y-yes,” he stammered. “I guess so.”

“Interesting,” Prince Yernal crooned. He paused dramatically before moving to stand beside Lady Helign. He draped an arm over her shoulder and she recoiled under his touch. Prince Yernal tightened his grip when she tried to edge towards her husband. He ignored her actions and fixed his gaze back to Teal. Lady Helign gave a nervous laugh and tried to squirm once more from under Prince Yernal’s hold. She wasn’t successful. Prince Yernal glared at her. “Yes, Lady Helign, stealing is very bad.”

“Dear, come here,” Lord Spralare suddenly ordered.

Lady Helign yanked herself away and ran back to her husband. She stood behind him and held onto his arm.

“Lord Spralare,” Prince Yernal started, walking slowly towards the man, “it has come to my attention there are some missing funds from the Lexwood accounts. Ones that I asked you to transfer over.”

Lord Spralare’s mouth dropped open. His eyes flickered to Teal and then back to Prince Yernal. “A-a-a minor miscalculation and one that we are working to remedy as we speak.”

“Hmm,” Prince Yernal stated, rubbing his hands together. “I hope it was an accident because I need to show you what would happen if it wasn’t.”

“It was an accident,” Lord Spralare stated. “It won’t happen again.”

Teal watched Prince Yernal’s gaze wander around the hall until it landed on the young servant who had originally led the guests. He was still standing by the entrance.

“Come here,” he ordered.

The servant hesitated and then approached quickly. He stood a respectable distance from Prince Yernal and gave a deep bow.

“Yes, Your Highness,” the young man said.

Prince Yernal turned and walked towards the nearest guard where he placed his hand on the hilt of the guard’s sword and pulled it free. He trotted back to the servant with gleeful hops of his feet.

“I have also heard that some of the servants have been taking more than their allotted amounts of food.”

The color in the servant’s face visibly drained.

“We’re j-j-just hungry, Your Highness,” he stammered. “It’s cold.”

“Hold your hand out,” Prince Yernal ordered.

The young man froze, apart from his eyes that widened in fear. He glanced nervously at Teal and then back to Prince Yernal.

“S-s-sorry, Your Highness!”

Prince Yernal gave a quick wave to the guard who had turned the wheel to tighten Teal’s chains. The guard stepped forward immediately and grabbed the young man’s shoulders from behind.

“What are you doing?!” the servant cried in panic.

The terror in his voice matched the expression of absolute fear on his face. Teal’s eyes widened in sudden anticipation. Saliva formed in his mouth and excitement filled his chest. He leaned into the binds holding him. He couldn’t help it; the urge, the need and the want.

Prince Yernal didn’t pause. He stepped forward reaching for the servant’s arm. He grabbed it at the wrist and held it out. In one quick swift motion, he lifted the sword over his head and swung it down, just at the base of the young man’s elbow.

The blade sliced straight through the servant’s arm.

He screamed. Cries of excruciating pain and shock echoed around the hall, bouncing off the walls, and Teal was sure the force of it even dimmed the flames of the fire for a moment. They were even more agonising than the screams Teal had let loose in the hall when he had been beaten.

Blood spurted all over the stone floors. Teal strained against the chains, unbidden desire to lay his eyes upon the red slick mess overwhelming him. But then he also raised his eyes to the bloody stump. All of a sudden, he didn’t know which one was more satisfying to look at.

Prince Yernal stood at the gate of Teal’s cage as the young man collapsed onto the ground, his cries of pain still piercing their ears. Prince Yernal leaned down and picked up the forearm. He laughed at the servant and waved the bloodied body part from his right side to his left side. The servant’s face was white and his eyes bulged even wider when Prince Yernal sauntered even closer to the entrance of Teal’s cage.

“See,” Prince Yernal said, turning to his guests who were now holding onto each other. Their eyes were wide and their mouths hung open. Lady Heign had turned away and now stood with her head burrowed into her husband’s chest. “I’m always in charge!” Prince Yernal shouted.

He threw the forearm into the cage and it landed at Teal’s feet.

Teal growled in frustration. He was so hungry. The sight of the flesh and blood, so close and yet, he still couldn’t reach it.

Prince Yernal stepped forward and started to close the cage door. He paused as if considering something and then he turned back to one of his guards. He pointed to the sobbing servant. “Throw him in too,” he ordered.

On some level of instinctual primeval alertness, the servant heard Prince Yernal’s words. His head shot up from where he sat rocking his body on the cold stone. The same guard who had held him while Prince Yernal had cut off his arm, picked him up under his armpits and carried him towards the cage. The young man screamed in newfound horror, kicking and flailing his legs in the air. One or two made impact on the soldier who held him, but he was large and protected by his armor so they had no impact at all.

“Nooooo! Nooooo! What are you doing?” the young man screamed.

The guard threw the servant inside the cage and he hit the stone floor hard. Before he could turn around, the cage door was slammed shut and Prince Yernal locked it with the key. The young man scrambled at the bars, his unhurt arm shooting through trying to reach someone on the other side.

“Let me out! Let me out!” he screamed, forgetting all about what was left of his injured bloodied arm.

Prince Yernal ignored the servant’s cries and walked towards the wheel on the wall that was responsible for the chains which bound Teal.

The wheel started to turn and then, the chains holding Teal in place began to loosen.

Teal gasped in relief as they slackened against their taut hold. He pulled on them though with his hands, wanting nothing more than to grab the young man’s forearm and tear into the flesh. The turning chains clinked steadily over the wails of the servant and sobs of Prince Yernal’s guests. Finally, Teal could bend his body. His arms came down and he started to reach. It was still out of his grasp. He strained, but he had to wait. One slow foot step at a time, until after what felt like an eternity, he could lean forward and graze his fingers over the flesh. He secured a hold and snatched it up, bringing it straight to his mouth.

He had no time to allow his muscles to relish in the relief of being freed. Waiting any longer, was impossible. Clamping down hard with his teeth, he tore into the flesh. The metallic scent of fresh blood filled his nose. He didn’t even chew the first mouthful so eager to have something in his stomach. Grunts escaped his lungs as he gasped down blood.

After several more mouthfuls, Teal looked up, and he saw the young man staring at him in horror as he watched Teal devour his forearm. Behind him, Prince Yernal held an amazed and sadistic expression. His guests were moaning in a mixture of disgust and horror.

The flesh on the forearm disappeared and all that was left was bone, even that was sucked dry as Teal ensured he ate every last morsel. As soon as it was all gone, he lurched forward and the young man screamed flattening himself against the cage bars. Teal’s body slammed to a stop as the chains grew taut again, preventing him for reaching half way across the cage. He hissed and growled in frustration.

Prince Yernal chuckled.

“So, tell me, Lord Spralare,” he said loudly. “Are you going to do as I ask?”

Teal glared at Prince Yernal from where he still stood at the wall with his hand on the wheel. Teal glanced back at the young man, saliva and blood trickling down his throat.

“Yes! Of course, Prince Yernal!” Lord Spralare cried. “I will fix the accounts!”

Prince Yernal turned back to Teal. “And you, Teal. Are you going to do as I say? Because if you do, more food like this young man will be your reward.”

“Yes, I will do as you ask!” Teal shouted in rage, unable to argue any longer. “I’ll do what you say!”

Prince Yernal laughed, long and loud. “Good.” He released the wheel, and it continued to roll, allowing the chain to unwind free.

The chain slackened slowly, and Teal took step after step again inching closer and closer to the young man who now cowered in the corner of the cage, tears streaming down his blood and dirt-stained face.

Teal didn’t care. He was hungry. He needed energy, and right before him was what he needed.

>>

The hall was empty but for Teal and the leftover bones of the young male servant.

He had tasted delicious; fresh, tender and so full of flavor compared to the middle-aged man he had eaten in the tower. At this stage, while acquiring his knowledge of human flavors, his preference would certainly be for younger humans.

He leaned against the bars of the cage. At least with a feed, he no longer felt so much of the cold. His body was revitalized and energized. If only he could eat every day. If only he could get out of his cage.

But the satisfaction did not last long. Waves of dizziness started to ebb into the corners of his mind; a swirl and a push on his consciousness. He jolted as a force pushed harder against the walls of his mind, and there in the background was a flicker of something familiar. The presence was starting to push back through. The elixir was already starting to wear off and with it, were those tendrils of compassion and guilt.

He had murdered an innocent defenceless young boy. Eaten him down to the bone. He hadn’t stopped. He had devoured the young man in merely half an hour.

He was a monster.

His true Lombock self was a monster.

Teal wrapped his arms around his body, not out of cold, but in shame and disgust at what he had done. He could never look Jale in the eyes again after what had transpired. How could Jale look at him in the same way. What would Lana think? He sighed. Not that he expected to see either of them any time soon, if he ever did again at all. There was only one thing he could do. With his satisfied belly and new energy, he pushed back against the presence and allowed his Lombock self to remain dominant. It was cowardly, but at least he could hide from the guilt this way.

The following morning, several servants entered the room. They kept their heads down and moved quickly and quietly. One or two cast a horrified look towards the cage and the human remains in the corner. News had obviously spread as to what had happened. If they hadn’t been afraid of him before, they certainly were now. No doubt this was the effect that Prince Yernal was after.

Teal’s natural instinct was to continue to watch and monitor the servants from the corner of his eye. He had a predator’s gaze, but it was of a hunter who had been fed. He watched lazily monitoring their actions, always reminding them that if they ever let their guards down, he could pounce and attack. He chuckled to himself. He was more like a tiger without the tiger presence than he was with it.