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In the basement of Nottingham Castle, a young man slept peacefully on a blanket for a mattress, his head resting on a folded up blanket while also being wrapped in one. Suddenly, he stirred, opening his eyes. As he did, the colored rings of light green, cyan, and dark blue appeared in his eyes for a brief second as the fogginess in his mind from last night cleared up. Speaking of last night...
Wait...
What exactly did happen last night?
The young man, Damien, widened his eyes and quickly sat up. His lantern and hat were beside his makeshift mattress. He looked around, pieces of the night before coming in like a puzzle that doesn't fit. Around him were stone walls, and the cold floor was made of stone too.
"W-What happened?" He asked himself. "H-How did I get here?"
Suddenly, there was a hissy chuckle. Damien turned toward the noise. A light green snake wearing an orange cape and an orange hat with a blue feather on top slowly slithered over him, a smile on his face. It wasn't a menacing smile, but a playful smile, as this was all a funny prank.
"At last..." the snake cooed, its voice sweet as honey, "someone has finally come to their senses."
"What?" Damien asked. The snake was very familiar. Suddenly, the pieces in his mind became clearer. He knew who the snake was now. "Sir Hiss!" He said in realization. "I...I just had the strangest dream."
"A strange dream?" Sir Hiss asked, his eyes widening in joyful curiosity. He slithered onto the boy's blanket-covered body and putting his tail around his shoulders like he was an old friend. "Do tell, my sweet."
"Well..." Damien tried to put the pieces together, trying to get them to fit, but they were too stubborn. "Well...you were sitting...in a barrel, and we just talked. And then...you..."
Damien trailed off, not remembering what happened next. Everything was a blur now, and the pieces of the puzzle in his mind were too stubborn. Sir Hiss chuckled sweetly.
"Don't stop there." He cooed sweetly.
Damien sighed in defeat. "Never mind."
Sir Hiss's smile turned sly. "My dear Damien..." he went closer to the young man's face, "you know that I don't take no..." the colored rings of light green, cyan, and dark blue appeared in his eyes, "for an answer."
Damien's brown eyes widened. The colors were...familiar, but something told Damien that this wasn't good. "I..." he tried to speak, to resist, but his mind was fogging over again, the colors strangely calming, "I...c-can't...think." The colored rings appeared in his eyes again, slowly going outward, copying the royal snake's.
"I'll see to it that you never have to think...at least...for now." Sir Hiss said.
Sir Hiss continued staring into the boy's eyes, smiling as his hypnosis was beginning to take effect. He noticed the boy's body becoming limp, just like last night. Once the boy became relaxed enough, deeply entranced, his eyes half-lidded, Sir Hiss slithered off Damien and spoke again.
"Come with me, Damien. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
The spiraling colors disappeared from Damien's eyes, leaving them blank. He nodded. Sir Hiss used his tail to beckon him up. Damien obeyed and followed Sir Hiss to a door. Sir Hiss used his tail to open it, revealing a room with shelves and boxes. It seemed to be a storage room.
Sitting on the floor was a young man, about the same age, if not younger, than Damien. His brown eyes were also blank, and his hair was dark brown. His clothing was rather comfy, with a black hoodie, black jeans, black socks, and black sneakers. His skin was pale, and he looked rather sleepy. When the door opened, he turned, and, seeing Sir Hiss, he smiled sleepily.
"Welcome back, Master." He said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Glad to be back, Julian." Sir Hiss replied sweetly. "You have a new friend." He turned to Damien. "Damien, my dear," his tail pointed to the boy, "this is Julian, my servant." He turned to the boy, Julian. "Julian," his tail pointed to Damien, "this is Damien." He turned to Damien. "As my servant, Julian watches over the castle's artifacts and riches, and in return, I care for him and keep him away from Sire's prying eyes."
"He's scary." Julian mumbled.
"He is, quite." Sir Hiss agreed, nodding. "But he cares for our kingdom and our riches. Now, boys, say hello."
Both boys looked at each other, their blank eyes staring.
"Hello." Julian said. "It's...nice to meet you."
"Hello." Damien said back. "It's...nice to meet you too."
Sir Hiss chuckled in pride. "Good. Now," he turned to Damien, "Damien, I know your friends were looking for you, but it's still quite early in the morning. Why don't you join us for another session of hypnotism, hmm?"
"Please, Damien," Julian sleepily begged, "join us. Give in to Master."
Damien nodded, glad to have Sir Hiss think for him. It felt so good. "Okay."
"Sit next to Julian." Sir Hiss pointed at the empty spot next to Julian.
Damien obeyed, sitting next to the entranced and empty-headed young man, who turned to him.
"Have you seen Master's colored eyes before?" He asked. "They're very pretty."
"They really are." Damien agreed, nodding. "They make me feel like clay. Like I can be reshaped."
"Me too." Julian agreed, also nodding. "It was Master who reshaped me into who I am now. My mind feels so wonderfully blank. I'd love for you to feel that way too, Damien."
"I agree." Damien nodded slowly as the room went dark. The door was now closed.
"Hush now, boys." Sir Hiss said as he slithered in front of where the two boys sat. His colored rings suddenly lit up the dark room. "Look at me now."
"Yes..." Julian mumbled, his eyes immediately captivated by the royal snake's, becoming interconnecting circles of light green, cyan, and dark blue.
"Pretty..." Damien's eyes widened, also captivated by the royal snake's and becoming interconnecting circles of light green, cyan, and dark blue, "so...nice."
"I am so glad that you both could join me in this basement." Sir Hiss said as he moved his head, making the two boys follow along. "Ridding yourselves of psychosis has never felt so good, has it?"
"No, Master." Julian replied.
"No, Sir Hiss." Damien replied also.
"Good. Now, my dears, I will awaken you both at eight o'clock, no later, no earlier. Julian, when you wake up, your first duty of the day will be to count the coins. And Damien, when you wake up, you will go back to your campsite. Feel free to come back anytime you like. Do you boys understand?"
"Yes, Master." Julian replied, nodding.
"Yes, Sir Hiss." Damien replied also, nodding as well.
"Lovely. Now, sleep, my dears. Rest."
Julian and Damien slumped over, with Damien resting his head on Julian's shoulder and Julian resting his head on Damien's. They closed their eyes, both falling asleep rather quickly. The colored spirals disappeared from Sir Hiss's eyes. He sighed happily as he slithered closer. He then curled up to the boys, feeling their warmth, and closed his eyes, falling asleep rather quickly as well. He was glad these boys were here, as his sleeping buddies, but most importantly, as his friends.