Punishment.

"Is he dead?" someone asked amongst the crowd.

"I think so? Wren, what have you done?" another one asked.

Their chatting grew so loud but Wren couldn't think straight. All he could think of was how he had been able to punch that man that hard. Where he was, heaven or not, did he have superpowers now?

The thought made him smile for a brief while, but he quickly shrugged it off. "No, I must be imagining things."

The man laying on the floor moved, and his men hurried to check up on him. Someone had called him Aric.

Aric? That name didn't sound too familiar to Wren.

"What are you still doing here, get him!" Aric yelled at his men, then managed to get up. He drew his sword and charged at Wren, anger coursing through his blood.

Wren didn't have enough time to run, so the sword came slashing through his shoulders. If he had moved a little slower, the slash would have chopped off his arm.

"Hey! What the hell, man!" He checked and saw blood gushing from his cut, but he still managed the strength to dodge more slashing from Aric and his men. They all came at him at once, giving him less time to react to their attacks. Wren was scared for his life now.

Is this how I die? In a strange land? What if I'm already dead anyway!

People had scattered, running for their dear lives. The room was now a disarray of broken barrels and tables and chairs. Mugs and plates laid everywhere from the fighting. Some people shouted at Wren for angering the Scorpions. It took him a while before realizing that his attackers were known as the Scorpions.

One of the men raised his sword at him but Wren was quick. He dodged it as he summersaulted but now he was trapped. There was nowhere to run to.

Aric came forward. "Now you're dead." He raised his sword up, but before it landed, Wren felt his eyes glow with anger, as if fire was inside them!

The last thing Aric could see was Wren's eyes glowing devilishly red before a blinding light erupted, throwing everyone of them away in the air.

He saw that Wren had not even touched them, yet, they were launched violently into the air! With broken bones and soured faces, Aric and his men crawled and ran. 

Wren still couldn't believe what happened. He knew that the same flashing light had erupted just before the truck had nearly crashed into him. Who was causing it? 

Aric glared at him with an icy stare and threatened. "You'll regret this. I promise you, you will regret this!" With that, he too ran for his dear life.

After the commotion had died down, people stepped inside again and those hiding in the shadows, came outside.

"Cheers to Wren for standing up to the Scorpions!" the inn keeper was the first to chant.

The rest of them soon began to hail Wren now. "Free drinks everyone! It's on me." A man yelled out and there was an uproar of cheer from the people in the inn.

Wren could only watch and stare in shock. He was starting to think now that he was dreaming, and was waiting for his boss's slap to wake him up already.

***

The innkeeper fetched him the wine sent by the King, as well as other concoctions. He asked again and was told that the King provided the drinks for his Maleficent warriors.

Wren frowned at the innkeeper. "Maleficent warriors?"

"Yes. That's what the King calls them. They are the most powerful people on the Realm, or one of the very few powerful people. Three in number, used to be four before." The man explained.

Wren arrived at the palace and found the guards glaring at him with a wicked stare. "You're in trouble, Wren." One of them said to him.

"Can I ask a weird question?" 

"You may not be able to live again after the king's punishment, so go ahead, Wren." The man said.

"How long have I been working here?" He needed to know why that whole place seemed familiar to him. Or even why people did not seem surprise to see him living amongst the even when he did not belong.

"You've been here for as long as I can remember. Come to think of it, I don't even know since when. All I know is that you've been a maid here since you were a little boy. Can't even remember when or how you came to the city of Varidian."

Varidian? 

He went inside and gave the other maids of the palace the goods the king had sent him to fetch. He knew he was meant to give them, it was as if it hadn't been his first time at all.

The king had summoned him so he went straight to the throne room. Now, new faces were in there, aside the king and his beautiful princess.

There was a man, slightly older than the king. His face was so tight that Wren feared the man had never laughed in his whole life before. Then standing next to him was none other than Aric, from the inn. 

Wren had a lump in his throat and his stomach churned. He knew he was in trouble already.

"Your majesty--" he was saying but was completely shushed up by the king.

"Fall on your knees now." The king ordered. Wren did as he'd been told. The door flung open and three set of people walked in. 

They strode in so confidently that Wren wondered who they were. In front was a lady no more than eighteen years, or younger. She was tall and slender with a frown plastered on her face. Behind her were two men, one older as if same age as the king, then the other, slightly older than he was.

"For your punishment." The king said, bringing back Wren's attention. "You will accompany my warriors on their one month quest into the Forbidden Forrest."

The room was tight and everyone shifted with fear. Except for Wren.

Forbidden Forest? What the hell was that!