Execution - 1

Beowulf felt the pain explode in his head. He needed all his willpower to get himself to defend himself against the next heavy blow that was coming his way. It had been so fast that Beowulf had not seen his assailant but from its smell, Beowulf knew that he was battling with his brother, Antonio.

Antonio snarled and swung his large fist, aiming for Beowulf's head – he just wanted to knock him out. What was his brother doing back home anyway? Antonio had lied to his father that he hadn't seen Beowulf because he didn't think that the rat would return home this early. Yes, Antonio had seen his brother painting his life away in the clearing where he usually stayed and had not expected him to be back to the settling. Did something happen? Antonio found himself wondering.

"Grr"

Another grunt escaped Antonio's throat as Beowulf stood his ground and averted or dodged every attack that Antonio was throwing at him. That was one of the things that Antonio had against Beowulf – the fact that he wouldn't back down from a fight and he wasn't easy to push around despite his size and height. How was it that a werewolf so short and inferior to them all couldn't be beaten in a fair fight? He was frustrated.

Antonio jumped backward as he barely missed a round kick that Beowulf was about o deliver unto his ribs. Then, he looked unto into the sky.

"It isn't full yet," Beowulf said in a voice that sounded husky. He had noticed where Antonio's gaze had gone and he could tell what his brother was thinking at that moment.

"If it were, you would have been gravely injured," Antonio responded spitefully.

"You crossed into my territory," Beowulf said. "Why?!"

Howls filled the air. The sounds had come from the south of where Antonio was standing. That was a signal from his other brothers. His father had given them strict orders and this fight with Beowulf was totally wasting his time.

"What are you people up to?" Beowulf demanded with a frown on his face as his ears twitched after picking up the sounds that his brothers had released.

"That was a signal to-"

"Stay here if you want to live," Antonio warned. In a quick movement, he bent down and gathered dust in his hands. Antonio blew the sand that was in his palm into his brother's face causing Beowulf to wince and shut his eyes. That was the opportunity that Antonio had been waiting for to getaway.

"What a nuisance, "Antonio muttered as he ran and jumped aiming for where his brothers were waiting for him.

Beowulf recovered quickly and attempted to go after his brothers when he was dragged by the collar of his shirt. If he didn't have good stamina, Beowulf would have stumbled backward and found the back of his head on the ground.

"What?" he questioned. "Salome, let go!"

"No," she replied stubbornly. "I know where they are going to."

"Where?"

* * *

In the Yidal Kingdom, Princess Yuri stood in her chamber as her maid took off the clothes from her body. She was in desperate need of a bath as she had spent time walking through bushes and shrubs. There were flowers and grasses in her hair.

"If I may, Princess," the maid that was attending to Yuri's long shiny blonde hair said.

Yuri nodded her approval for the maid to go ahead with whatever she wanted to say or ask.

"I was just wondering what happened to you to get your hair this way, my lady…" the maid said. "I have never had to remove such from your beautiful hair…"

"Hmm…"

Yuri's mind was not within that palace at all – not one bit. She was far away – somewhere that she was never supposed to have gone to in the first place – a place where a creature dwelt – a creature that she needed to see one last time.

Princess Yuri's curiosity had grown the more as she had watched it pick up whatever it was doing and run away – it grew even more when she turned around after thinking on a spot for some minutes, to walk back to the palace. She had struck [her foot against stones and had even fallen into a shallow ditch. However, she had proudly blamed it on the darkness of the night.

"I will get someone on the matter," Yuri finally muttered.

"Beg your pardon, my princess?" the maid asked.

Yuri suddenly realized that she had just thought aloud. She shook her head a little dismissing the question that the maid had just asked. Yuri hadn't been referring to her in the first place.

"Are you done with what you are doing to my hair?" Yuri asked irritably. "I have to rest for tomorrow."

"I am al-"

The door to Yuri's chambers shook as someone on the other side of it banged roughly.

"Who dares?!" Yuri yelled.

"My Princess…It's an order from the king to stay with you in your room!" one of the guards yelled in response.

Yuri's brows creased. Was something going on within the palace? What was the ruckus all about? She moved from the spot that she had been standing on and rushed to the terrace of her chamber. Yuri was unafraid and she hated being pushed into a corner with fear.

"You should not be out there, my princess, " the maid said. "Who knows what is going on?"

The guards banged the doors again and that made Yuri hiss. She was annoyed. Why was everything getting to her this evening? First, she had not seen the face of the creature that had made her feel such interest and now, her father wanted guards inside her room.

"Princess!" the guards both yelled.

A whistling sound passed by Yuri's left ear. Her eyes widened as her head turned a little to notice that it was an arrow that had barely missed puncturing her forearm. Blood poured from the opening that the arrow's sharp head had made. As Yuri grabbed the site of the injury, as she fell to the floor from the shock and pain, Yuri could hear the guards and her maid shout 'Princess!'