Bleed For The Banished King

Finan had never ventured to Lat Ko, so he was surprised to find that the viewpoint was a villa overlooking the flat-rocked coast, the emerald green sea, and the other end of the island curving inward to face them. The walk to the villa was quite scenic as well — their pair having climbed the stone steps and passed along through the forest till they saw the brown-tiled cone roof of the villa. Steps on the southern side also led to the coast. Though, this wasn't really a beach area — more so a small rocky outlook from which you skim the water with your hands. 

To be honest, the half-hour walk in Finan's condition to this place made it feel almost like a waste of time. He'd seen many a view similar to this. Yet, he'd never seen them with Banyen brushing his shoulder, grabbing his hand and dragging him along, white smile and flirting eyes. It was a drunken feeling that possessed Finan now — a feeling that no bar could ever truly reproduce. 

They were gazing out the villa now, leaning their arms against the rails and feeling the sea breeze pass on by. Finan tried keeping his gaze forward, on the sea. He tried not looking at Banyen. It wasn't working. His eyes kept flitting back to her. But she was completely focused on the waters. In her own little world, her mind palace. 

Finally, she deigned to look at him, straightfaced for once. "I want to show you something." 

That was enough to make Finan's mind run wild. He followed her like a lost puppy as she led him down the stairs to the flat rock coast. 

She squatted down to touch the ebbing water, glazing her fingertips in its emerald foam. He watched from a distance now. There was something off. He couldn't quite place it. 

Leaning forward, Banyen began to speak in low tones: "Have you ever heard the story of the Banished King?" 

Taken aback by the strange question, Finan merely shook his head. "Is it a local legend?" 

"No. No it is a universal tale and it is very very important." She looked at him, eyes blazing with some sickly ambition. "But I have seen him in the flesh. He is glorious Finan. Beautiful. More beautiful than you could ever be." 

Finan glanced around, feeling as though someone was watching them. "What are you talking about Banyen?" She was starting to sound like a soothsayer. "Are you… playing a joke on me or something?" 

"NO!" Banyen yelled, standing abruptly. Fury colored her features as she stomped over to Finan and snatched his wrist. He wanted to run. Some deep instinct of his — that very same instinct that directed his body in fights — was begging for him to sprint off into the trees and hide. 

Banyen's features softened for a moment and her grip loosened. "I am sorry Finan. I know this must seem strange. But you must see him. You must, you simply must…" She trailed off, staring off into the distance at something. Finan could hear his heart thumping. 

"Banyen, are you okay?" He felt stupid for just asking question after question. Yet, what else was he to do? 'I don't know what the hell is happening. Is she bipolar? Does she have some mental condition that I'm only now finding out about?' 

Banyen smiled that same beautiful smile. And it almost worked to assuage Finan's screaming fears. Without a word, she led him gently to the edge of the flat rocks. They bent down together, staring at the water. 

"Do you see him?" Banyen asked. Finan could feel his heart breaking right then and there. 'She's mad, ain't she?' 

"I don't see–" 

Banyen leaned close to him, whispering in his ear. "Look closer," she whispered. So he did, despite the stupidity of it. He stared long and hard at the smallest waves of water lapping against the coastal rocks. 

Nothing. 

Nothing. 

Eyes? 

Yellow eyes. 

Black, void pupils. Square-shaped. 

Horns. 

There was a goat. A black goat, staring back at him. His mind had put it together, like a puzzle. It was chewing on something, its mouth working. He stared at the goat in the reflection of the water, almost as if he was staring at a shifting projector screen. 

The black goat seemed to stare back at him, its eyes piercing through him, judging him, testing him, lusting for his soul. He felt violated. He felt beaten and broken, like some demon had emerged from the dark and started whipping him. 

Most of all, he felt very cold. Not a winter chill or a sea chill, but something darker. 

This was wrong. All of this was so very wrong. 

He tore his eyes away from that reflection and turned to Banyen. Except, she was wrong now too. For her eyes had gone that same, void black as the goat's pupils. She smiled that same beautiful smile. 

And in her hands, she clutched a dagger. He was dreaming now, he was certain. He had to have been. Yet, he knew that was a lie when he felt Banyen's fingers caress his face, pulling him in for a kiss. He tried pulling back. Didn't work. She had some alien strength to her now, gripping his chin hard. 

He squirmed. 

It wasn't really a kiss. Something slithered into his mouth from hers, something with legs and a thick-shelled spine. It could've been some parasite or some bug. When he felt it go down his throat, Finan screamed. Then, he began gagging as Banyen pushed off of him, wiping her mouth. 

And she smiled that same beautiful smile. Too wide, too perfect. 

"Finan. You must bleed for the banished king. You simply must," she said. And she said it in such a jovial way as well. Then, with that dagger that she had seemingly produced from thin air, she slit her throat — passing the blade from one side of her neck to the other to create a simple, crimson arc. It was a quiet death. 

Finan tried screaming again. No sound came from his mouth. He stood and stumbled, still gagging, holding his throat. His leg buckled slightly from the pressure he placed upon it. 

And into the water he fell, tripping over the coastal rocks. 

He thought he would land on his head against the shore rocks. Instead, the shallow water of the coast turned out to be impossibly deep, pulling him down down down like a tentacled beast. 

Finan was choking on that parasite, drowning in the water. Scrambling. 

Darkness closed in. 

And he glimpsed that black goat once more, no longer chewing. 

Instead, it gave him a wide wide grin with uncanny human teeth. Then, it spoke. Its voice shook the ocean, its cadence slow and fast at the same time — a layering of different hellish sounds, rising and falling, twisting and turning, a chorus a symphony a maddening sort of soliloquy that never ended, never rested, never ever ever stopped torturing your ears. 

"Found. You."