In Dreams: Red

The King

I'm still rubbing my arms as we run down the tunnels towards the sounds of battle.

“Get ready. They were just around this bend last I saw them.” Corwin warns and I reach for a blade and dig poisoned darts from a pouch on my hip. Corwin looks at me with a silent question and I nod. We race around the corner and the chaos overtakes us. There is not enough room to throw the darts, there are too many soldiers, so I just start sticking them into any enemy soldier's exposed skin I see, while my other hand slashes and stabs. Men begin falling in my wake and out of the corner of my eye I see Corwin behead at least three before joining with Reginald in a battle cry and driving even more back. Kornel appears at my side in a blur of limbs and greets me.

“Have more of those darts, Lady?” He asks on a huff and I jut my hip at him, jerking my chin.

“Pouch.” I say simply, and he winces only briefly before snapping it open and tugging a handful from within. With deadly accuracy, he stabs two more soldiers before I blink, then tosses a dart at a soldier in front of Corwin, who crumples in seconds. Corwin blinks and then sees the dart and a wide grin breaks across his face. He yells again and charges forward, emboldened. I stumble over Tyrus, quite literally. He groans as I grab him and look at him for wounds.

“Took a knock to the head, Lady.” He slurs.

“I can see that.” I remark, ducking a soldier's sword before tossing a dart in his direction. Tyrus has a nasty lump on his head, bruising spreading outward around his temple. “Can you stand?” He jerks a nod with a grimace, but we get him to his feet. There are so many soldiers. I feel the despair crawling under my skin. I thrust darts into Tyrus' hand, his sword is missing, but he can at least hopefully jab at anyone who comes close enough. Tyrus shakes his head at me and unsteadily bends to grab a fallen enemy soldier's blade.

“This'll do.” Tyrus mumbles. I nod and continue forward with him. We coordinate our attacks. Anyone who gets too close I take down. Tyrus bellows as he swings his sword, but I can see the nausea is getting to him, and then my darts run out.

“Gods damn it all.” I breathe. I grab Tyrus and drag him down as the next soldier swings for our heads. A whirlwind of activity distracts me and I look up to see Thema with a fierce grin on her face. I grin back. She hauls Tyrus and I to our feet and we're quickly joined by Ives.

“Good greetings Princess!” Ives calls. He has a short sword that makes quick work of several more soldiers. “How goes the battle above?” At my expression he looks grim. “We need to drive these fools out of the tunnels quickly then, don't we?” He remarks and I nod.

“Where are Septimio and Horace?” I yell over the din as more soldiers flood into the tunnel.

“Horace is missing in action at present. Septimio left his coin behind in the atrium, so I know he has at least been there.” Ives returned. I grit my teeth, and the battle continues. Slowly and subtly, the tide turns in our favor. Enough room opens up that Ives and Thema can begin taking down soldiers with arrows before they near us. I scavenge what arrows I find from the other soldiers and the deceased to give back to them, taking down anyone who gets too close. Corwin, Reginald and Kornel split off from our group to roust out any other soldiers in the tunnels branching off of ours. The end of the tunnel finally comes into view, and the last few soldiers flee before us. We chase them out and around the wall. We need to get to them before they can summon aid or inform anyone else where the tunnel opening is. There is a commotion ahead, and I realize we've made it almost to the area the wall has been brought down. I also have to face the fact that we're not going to catch up to the soldiers that we are chasing.

“Look, what are they doing there?” Ives puffs beside me, pointing. I look in the direction he is pointing and a chill runs down my spine. They are dragging someone over the wall. Correction: the soldiers have surrounded someone, their warlord King is standing there as the soldiers force him to his knees. I run faster as a trickle of fear eats at me. I recognize that armor. Ives gasps, coming to a halt, but I can't, I'm still running. I can't stop even as the enemy King draws his own sword lifting the blade as the soldiers force the kneeling man's head down. My feet have not stilled as the sword plunges downward into his spine, cleaving his life from his body. He goes limp, and the soldiers release him with jeers, allowing him to slump forward. The blood flows down the broken wall, emphasizing the wrist that ends in a stump. My body jerks backwards and arms wrap around my waist, holding me up, pulling me in reverse.

“Stay quiet my Lady.” Ives whispers in my ear. “I'm so sorry, my Queen. I am sorry for your loss, but do not give them the opportunity to take you from us too.” He drags me towards the tunnels, resisting my attempts to revolt. My body has gone numb, my lungs feel as though there is no air left for me to breathe. A crack of thunder overhead distracts everyone except Ives, who is determined to get me back into the tunnels. I glare at the sky. This is too much. How many more would be taken from me. How much more would I lose? Thema's hands are suddenly on my face. She's smoothing them over my forehead and cheeks as if to calm me, an expression of pain and worry on her face. I hear a curse behind us and Corwin comes to help Ives, gripping my struggling body and asking what's going on. Thema's hands are fluttering quickly and Ives grunts.

“I know, I know, I'm going to tell them, calm down.” Ives says.

“Tell us what? Out with it!” Corwin has me in a bear hug now, and he and Kornel are corralling me into the tunnel entrance.

“They killed the King.” Ives's tone is soft and grim. Everybody freezes. Even me. I drop to the ground in a crouch, hugging my knees and scream down the length of the tunnel. For several long moments I can't function, this is all I can do. Thema is there again, stroking me, trying to get me to move further in, Reginald gives up and lifts me off the ground, I struggle and protest but he threatens to toss me over his shoulder if I don't behave. We regroup in the atrium, and they let me slide down a wall and suffer in my own misery.

“What's the latest?” Reggie asks, rubbing a hand down his face.

“The soldiers escaped us, they will likely tell others of this tunnel entrance.” Ives states. “Additionally part of the wall is down, and with the King's death..” Everyone looks at me. I slam to my feet.

“I have to- I just have to go.” I grind out and pace from the atrium. I hear noise behind me and a steady, calm voice.

“No, let her go.” Reggie murmurs. “It's been hard, and now she leads us, a Kingdom that most likely won't last the day.” That's it, the final straw. I grit my teeth and run, taking twists and turns in the tunnels until I come out in the courtyards inside the castle walls. I'm done. Whether it be the Gods or just some horrible misfortune, I refuse to lose anything else. Rain begins to pelt me and I start running into enemy soldiers. Of course, why not this? I mow them down without thought, silver blade in hand, not caring whether they are just immobilized or killed. I have a goal in mind, and I will not be stopped. I skid to a stop on wet stones outside an arena. Breathing hard, I fling myself through the opening and throw myself through the row of seats.

“Shifter!” I yell, for the first time putting a name to what he is, what I know he is capable of. He raises his head, and rises slowly to his feet. His chains rattle The soldier beside him runs in front of him, though he seems uncertain of who he should be guarding against me, or the prisoner. I shove the guard aside at his protests and stride right up before the prisoner. “Did you mean it? When you offered to help?” I ask.