21 Usurper (18)
Runford could almost choke the corpse in front of him. The malnourished neck made it very easy to just wrap his fingers around it and apply a gentle push. It wouldn't take long, after all he is dead and the dead couldn't feel pain. It wasn't about inflicting pain on the old man, it was about satisfying his rage. His hands tremble, considering the call for satisfaction.
"Your highness? May I ask what your business is here?"
The sound behind Runford belonged to Atakai, Elizar's advisor. He was the one responsible for keeping check of his health as well as his mental well being. His background as a physician made him the perfect candidate for the job.
Runford didn't say anything, secretly he gripped his hands to hold the rage. He then stepped aside to let the old advisor see his liege, or what's left of him in the form of a corpse.
"No…" He said, eyes wide open, shocked, startled, gazing at the man on the bed. "No, no, no!"
He pushed Runford aside and quickly attended his liege.
"My lord? My lord!? My lord! Wake up!" Atakai never, ever in his 350 years of life dared to even touch his liege, but today, it is different. He shook his former master, rolling his body on the bed. He touched his skin, it was cold.
His wet eyes shifted to look at his face. The pair of sunken eyes stared deeply at him, yet he couldn't see. As he hovered his right hand on the face, he nudged the eyelids, then pushed them down until it was closed.
Atakai went silent, his head tilted down, eyes closed. Breathe in…breathe out… he never thought this could ever happen.
He had served the man ever since he was still the prince of Tórinas, ever since he was still in his father's grasp. He then followed him to battle against the heretics and went on to be Calenon's first speaker before retiring to an advisor position.
After a while, Atakai turned back and see Runford was still there. Unbeknownst to him, the wizard had sent several of his slave-animals to informed all his allies about the development.
"His Majesty shall be given a proper burial" He hastily bowed to him, and tried to leave, but he was stopped, a hand held to his shoulder.
"That could wait, Master Atakai" Runford said, in a deep voice.
"Your highness?"
"For now, the throne is empty, that would be a disaster. Be quick, I need to address it" He gestured to the advisor to follow him.
"My lord! You can't do that! You should follow the standard procedure first, you would need to be crowned by the Pontifex!"
"To hell with them!" He screamed, before looking deeply at the advisor. "An empty throne leaves chaos Master, with it there won't be a Calenon anymore!" He then stormed off the room.
"My lord!"
"Inform Captain Caris of this development, he's in the guards quarter, most likely, and summon all the courtiers in the castle" That was Runford's message before he went out of sight of Atakai.
"Oh great goddess…" Atakai swept his temples, while looking at the man, still unmoved on the bed. "How did we come to this?"
Outside the window, their conversation was heard by a mysterious figure, cloaked in dark robes.
===============================
Runford made his way out of his. He donned the clothes his adopted father used to wear for formal ceremonies. The classic, delicate and fancy elven garb made out of the finest material anyone could find. A relic from when the Archrealm of Tórinas was still united. A long cape reached out beyond his back, with a large moon crescent symbol on it.
The guards who were standing at the door noticed him and opened it for him. After that, the one on the left announced his presence to the entire audience of the court.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Runford could let that title sing in his ears.
To the common courtiers, hearing the announcement was a shock. The title 'majesty' was only reserved for the lord-electors of the empire and the emperor. The look of shock they expressed as their new liege climbed his way and sat on the throne was beyond imagining. They whispered amongst themselves. While intangible at far, their collective muttering eventually accumulated into a loud murmur.
"What in the hell is this?!" A shout washed over the countless murmurs that hummed the main hall. The one who shouted, predictably, was Qwerin.
Runford ignored the reaction of the main audience and proceeded to stand up in front of Elizar's throne. He had taught himself ways on how to address the masses, particularly by having a confident face, and a show of force.
Three groups of guards emerged and began forming a protective barrier around him. The guards were led by Caris, who led the men and stood by Runford. Behind the wizard, was his own bodyguard, a muscular and tall man, famous for being his puppet. Runford always called him Naki, but no one knows his true name, before his enthrallment.
"Residence of Calenon!" He began with a loud booming voice, it was enough to silence the entire room "I regret to inform you that my dearest father, someone very precious to me, passed away" The courtiers began gasping in surprise, a lot were baffled by it. Runford waiting for them to calm down before continuing. "He left a small letter detailing my appointment to be his successor, and to announce his passing away in peac-"
"Where is that letter?" The hoarse sound of an old man was heard. If it weren't for silence amongst the courtiers, then his voice might not have been heard, but, with only Runford speaking, his voice was like an obstructive force. Everyone began looking at the one brave enough to speak.
The man, was none other than the speaker of the council of elders, Nazhiff Sil Estaris.
"Yeah! Where is that letter you spoke so highly about, golden boy?!" This time, it was a loud voice, the tone of which was spoken hinted at an emotion of hatred. This time, behind Nazhiff, stood Qwerin Sil Verús.
Runford gripped his hands to the point of them shaking visibly. He hid his gritting teeth behind the thin curtain of his mouth. Caris looked at him, and he nodded in response.
"Guards! Take them away!" Caris said, pointing at the two.
No longer than moments later did two of standing guards subdue both of them and take them to the balcony. They didn't resist, only looking at the wizard with sharp glares.
"Anyway…my father's funeral could wait, he said that what was most important was that the transition of leadership be swift and decisive. Regarding anyone who oppose my rule, remember that I have the guards at my command as well as-"
He was interrupted again, this time, it was a voice made by someone. The loud crack of the main hall door was heard when it was opened by two maids. The light from the outside lit up the room as a figure slowly walked inside.
Behind her, stood 3 dozens worth of guards, as well as thousands of Calenon's residence, shouting from beyond the castle main citadel. There were hordes of them carrying any tools they could find, most were elves, but some were humans, dwarves and other minorities in Calenon.
"Her majesty, Princess-Dowager Falah Sil Calrenis has arrived!" Keeper Zani said as she walked behind the woman herself.
"Men! Vigilant!" Caris ordered, as he stared down at his colleague, Zani. He and her had gone way back.
Runford's guards began forming a tight line formation. While the courtroom hall was wide, his men were still plenty in order to form a barrier that blocked anyone from reaching Runford. They stood with discipline, unwavering, looking towards the main castle door with no expression in their face.
Behind Falah and Zani, their own side of the guards began forming up in front of them. Their numbers stood equal to the Caris' men. They wore the same green armor and carried the same dual-blade, it was hard to distinguish which side was whose if they weren't currently separated.
The remaining courtiers still stood between the two forces immediately noticed where this was going and disbanded with panic. Luckily, the side entrance was still open, making it easy for them to escape.
Falah looked at the man himself, now he was wearing the clothes his husband used to wear. She gritted her teeth. Command over men wasn't something she was proficient at, but she was the daughter of Ressus Sil Calrenis, the man who adventured and conquered the entire island now known as Calren. She spoke in a voice she thought she didn't have.
"Men! Arrest the usurper!"
"Glory to the Grand Princess! Charge!"
The clash of two factions of the guards had begun. Caris told his men to hold firm. The advantage was always on the defense.
The three-rank deep battleline his men had created would take something stronger than an opposing force to break. But, they were fighting against their brothers and sisters. Some even knew each other. Falah's men hesitated, but not until Zani, their commander, struck the first guard she found.
It was known how Zani was usually caring about the men under her command, but seeing the dedication she had to kill one of his former men inspired the men now following Princess Falah to also put away their emotions and see the traitors in front of them as nothing more than that. They charged forth with renewed conviction and struck their dual-blades against their former comrade.
The battle between two giants was devastating, yet it was also slow. The line held on, each guard's skill was also equal to the other. There were stalemates all across the hall as each guard struggled to kill each other.
Caris thought he could hold the line. He smirked happily, looking down on the woman she hated, Zani. She had always been the obstacle for him, someone who prevented him from taking control of the entire Calenon guards. But, today, he'll show her how incompetent she is. He could also laugh when suddenly, the light from above the hall was shattered.
In their place, countless men in black robes jumped down into the fray and began causing mayhem behind the battleline. They each wielded two short swords and each covered their faces with hoods and masks, only their eyes were visible.
They dropped right above his men, breaking up the tight formation. They often use smoke bombs and darts in order to cause disarray in Caris' line, which in turn helped Zani and her guards.
They were less armored and less skilled than the average guard, but the element of surprise and their flanking attack from above gave them a temporary advantage. They used this to sow chaos in Caris' battle lines. Often, they broke up the tight formation, hence cutting some cohesion from the enemy troops.
===============================
While the main floor erupted with death and the pristine marble floor painted red, the balcony up top was more than peaceful. Nazhiff and Qwerin both looked below while their hands were tied and guarded by two guards each.
"You know…this isn't the first time I was taken to an elevated position and then forced to look at men fighting below"
"Oh come on old man… What kind of situation do you HAVEN'T experienced yet?"
"well,...I never saw a dragon before"
"That is not fair! They are extinct!"
"Well, you asked me that"
"Yeah…very well, I guess I set the bar too low"
Nazhiff looked up, as if searching his mind for lost memories.
"let's see,...I never actually tried Alaric tea yet"
Qwerin glanced sharply at Nazhiff.
"Are you serious?! I mean, even the poor had tried it once in their life! Heck, this bloke behind me had tried it, right?" Qwerin looked at his captors, she was silent, but there was an air of annoyance growing on her face.
"I asked an elder from Aleanwel about it, he did not like it. So I had the concept that it was not good"
"Pfft.. unenlightened fools. People who said that clearly never had a good tea time before"
The old man sighed. "if so…do you have any place I could visit to drink in peace?"
"Yes! It's a place for us rich folks! It's near the hammerhome guild of craftsmanship, just near the inner walls"
"Hammerhome?! Pfft no thanks, I wish to not have my skin to smell like dwarf sweats"
"Ha! Did not know you hated dwarves that much old man, maybe we're not so different after all"
Silence befall the two ast they see the development of battle below. It was hard to determine which side was winning because both had the same armor color and the same weapon. So, in time both got bored again.
"Alright, I'm bored. Nazhiff, get us out of here"
"I will not do it unless you say please"
"Oh, for bloody sake…grrrggh….
fine…fine.." Qwerin took a deep breath before saying. "Can you please free us both from this situation, Master Nazhiff?"
Nazhiff looked at the guards behind him. 3 male, and a single female guard. All looked bored and probably didn't care what he and Qwerin were saying. He gestured his hands and crossed his fingers in an intricate way.
"Oh, I better block my mind if you were doing that"
Nazhiff closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He cleared his mind first before opening up his vision again.
[Guards…please free us]
Was it the voice of their commander? Or was it their parents? Either way, the guards listened to the omnipotent voice and moved in a mindless way, untying the hand wrap.
"Grrr…, Xia's sake! That thing still almost got me!" Qwerin immediately squished his ears and poked the holes multiple times, as if cleaning them. The voices had made his ears vibrated and managed to cause severe discomfort.
"Quick! The enchantment would only last a couple mome-"
"Fools! They're escaping!"
A fifth guard from downstairs shouted and the enchanted guards immediately realized what was going on. The spell fell short and it was broken immediately. They quickly tried to knock Nazhiff out, but luckily, Qwerin dived to him and pushed him to the ground.
"aurgh….Having you on top of me was not something I pictured to be my last moment…" Nazhiff grunted, the fall must have broken a bone or two.
"Shut it, old hag!"
The two looked up as one of the guards raised his dual-blade and was ready to strike them. They both closed their eyes, ready to accept their fate.
But then, out of nowhere the guard was split in two. His armor couldn't stop a Zweihander from cutting his flesh like butter. The wielder then spun her blade in an horizontal arcz strike the surrounding guards. The weight of the two-handed sword fell on each thing it hit, whether it was armor or skin.
Nazhiff and Zamy both looked at the girl as she finished off the last of their former captives. It had taken no less than 3 eye blinks for her to take down 3 guards, impressive wass an understatement.
"Praise Serena's bloody boobs Yin! It's good to see you!" Qwerin said, exclaiming with his hands thrown up.
"urgh…How can she wield that thing?" Nazhiff said, eyes wide open as he saw Yin effortlessly swung the two-handed sword.
The maid was silent. She swung back the Zweihander and dragged it behind her. Then, she looked at the two men, coldly.
"There's a ladder further down the hall behind you, take it, and get out of here"
She then turned to see the fifth guard, the one who broke Nazhiff's enchantment, had called up more of his comrade.
"Kill her!"
Yin moved forward, dragging her blade on the floor, it screeched loudly as she walked to confront the enemy.
"C'mon old man, we need to go!"
Nazhiff grunted, and kept his silence, instead he extended his hand. Qwerin sighed.
"Oh come on!"
"Quiet! You were the one who pushed me!"
The stewards took his hand and pulled through. There was a loud crack sound by the time Nazhiff was standing straight. The old man's bone did break. Qwerin then helped the Elder to run as his body was too weak to stand up and walk.
===============================
"Hyaaah!"
Clank!
"Yaaa!"
Clank! Clank!
This is not good. Zani thought to herself.
Caris was matching her move, attack from attack. Each time she swung her dual-blade, he was ready to parry it and counterattack immediately, but it was only to be blocked by Zani again. The man in front of her was grinning widely, he gained some sort of satisfaction whenever Zani was feeling irritated.
"I must say, commander, your skill is getting too rusty!"
Clank! Clank!
"What is rusty, is you! only able to hold against an old woman!"
Zani said, as she spun her entire body and swung her legs in a roundhouse kick. The steel plated foot met the armor of the captain, knocking the man two steps away.
Caris stood up and recovered in a very disciplined manner. Both of them stared at each other, holding their guard as they circled around in the middle of the hall.
Around them, their battle brothers and sisters fought against one another. Just like Zani now, against her former comrade.
"It is just like Trenzburg….again" Caris said, looking around and behind his duel opponent.
Suddenly, Zani flared up, charging ahead with her weapon.
Clank!
Clank!
"Ah yes…that time when you deserted…right traitor?" Zani replied to his comment, such was the amount of venom in her mouth.
Caris gritted his teeth. "If I deserted that day, oh my so chivalrous commander…. then why did his late Majesty awarded me with the rank of captain of his personal guard? Don't you think I should've been punished? And yet, he rewarded me instead!"
Clank!
Clank!
"Oh sure, captain. You are guarding the strongest mage in the continent who defeated the dark lord himself in one on one duel. I am sure your post was very useful!"
Clank! Clank!
This is not good. Zani thought to herself.
It's a stalemate. Neither she nor Caris was gaining a foot on the other. Worse still, it was repeated all across the halls. Each guard was equal to the other, no matter their allegiance. Yohan's assassins did manage to stir chaos amongst Caris' rank, but the men quickly recovered while the assassins were slaughtered. Their bodies lay dead on the floor, tainting the marble with red.
Zani looked past Caris, there she saw the throne. She stared at it, and the man sitting on top. She only gazed for a second before her focus was back on the current battle. She didn't know that the man stared back at her.
==============================
"Why haven't you kill them yet?!" Runford smash his hand on the throne.
"We're gaining none and yet losing none, your majesty" The guard beside him spoke.
"My lord, we should take you to safety. The castle has already been surrounded by commander Zani and her forces!" The other guard beside him spoke.
"And leave this important city?! No!" He gritted his teeth. "Naki!"
"King Gustav had only received the news, my lord. His forces would take weeks in order to reach us here" Naki said, in a monotone, unemotional and mind-controlled voice.
"How about Keeper Qaraka and the other eastern keepers?"
"About 3 days if they rode on horseback from their domain, not counting the time it would took to organize their combined army"
"There's no way we would survive this siege, your majesty!"
"No! I would not move from this thro-"
A gust of wind passes, then a faint whistle. Naki stepped forward, as his palm was penetrated by a barbed arrow. His blood spewed out and hit Runford on his coat.
"Archers!" One of the guards beside Runford claimed
On the balcony, Runford's men were all slaughtered, replaced by hooded archers. They were aiming with short bows, and had the tip of their arrows entangled in a metallic barb. Their faces were concealed behind a mask, hiding their identity.
"Move his majesty, Now!" The guards forcefully took both of Runford's hand as they pull him up from his throne and retreated through the back entrance. Naki followed suit, the arrow was nothing, it could not kill or hurt what had already been dead.
The sound of battle faded as the thick wooden double door closed behind them. The two guards, Naki and Runford all hastened their steps through the dark hallway. On a normal day, it would be filled with servants, caring and tending the maintenance of the place, but today, there were none. The windows were sealed.
"Naki, with me! Guards cover our rear!" Runford barked.
They formed a loose formation as guards looked back while Runford focused on passing the hall, and reaching the place where he was planning…something.
Runford's eyes then glowed gold, and a small crow appeared from his palm.
[Alert the men, crush the seal]
The words went from his mouth and went inside the crow. It then took flight faster than Runford could walk, and escaped through a gap in the walls.
"Naki, prepare me the Rune ingredients, now!"
"Guards!" He said, looking back. "I want you t-"
Behind him, the two men lay dead on the floor. In the darkness, stood a shadow. A man, with only his eyes visible through the thick layer of dark clothes and hood. He carried two fencing swords, each having a length similar to Runford's arms.
"Gaaaahhh!" He shockingly said. "Naki!"
His guard stood in front of him, the big metallic blade he held was guarding his and his master's body.
"You snake! Die!" Runford said, as he hold both of his hands and something gold came out infront it.
ROAAAARR!
A golden bear had manifested itself. Its size was more than the average forest bear. Its claws were sharper and shone a golden light. Its eyes were wild as he looked at the assassin.
"Dior! Kill him!"
ROAAARR!
The bear charged at the shadow assassin. The massive claws tore the clean floor as it swung them horizontally. The large swing produced a massive gust of wind that fluttered the assassin's clothes.
Naki was about to join in with his master's pet to kill the attack when Runford suddenly held his hand, much to his dismay. The mage held his hand strongly, a sign that he shouldn't resist.
"Come, we have things to do. Let Dior handle this"
With that, they both left the bear to deal with the assassin, who was sidestepping each attack made by the bear. While the animal's attack was vicious and powerful, it was slow and unpredictable, something he quickly learned as he redirected the bear's hand and struck the sallying arm with his off hand blade.
However, the blade wasn't strong enough to cut the flesh. More importantly, it wasn't made for slashing. The slim pointy edge of the blade made it clear it was more for fencing than anything else. The man had hurriedly picked whatever was available at such an emergency.
The battle lasted longer than he hoped for. The two did the exact same move each time, no one dared to break the monotony. For each time the bear attacked, the assassin sidestepped and poked the bear's skin. It had gone more successful than outright slashing, but it wasn't enough, the wound was small and hardly noticeable.
Then suddenly, Dior roared and stood up with his two back legs. A deafening cry could be heard, as he stomped the floor with his front legs. The resulting shatter made the man lose his balance as he stumbled while trying to find footing. However, before he could recover, another strike was coming his way. He only managed to spare his body, but his hands were torn by the massive claws.
"Graahh….!" He clenched his shoulder, where the wound had taken up most of the skin.
He had ignored the bear's steady and menacing walk to him as he was solely focused on the pain. When he looked up, he knew he was finished. The bear was in front of him, ready to kill him with his paws flinging in the air. It was over…until…
A high pitched warcry was suddenly heard as a feminine figure holding a massive two handed sword atop her body came and jumped forward onto the bear. With a decisive overhead slash, the Zweihander used the gravity force to split the bear in two, killing it instantly. The now two-pieced bear began to fall as its body was disintegrating into golden dust.
Yin panted as she returned back the Zweihander into a backwards grip, dragging it instead of outright carrying the massive blade. She looked at the disappearing bear before turning her head at her master.
"Spymaster!" She cried, dropping her sword so that might attend to Yohan. "Are you alright?"
Yohan, still hissing from the pain, looked up to the maid. "It's a scratch, just that" he quipped. "Thanks, Yin"
"Have I paid back for my sin?" Yin asked him, smirking, which was rather bold for her, a confidence one could only gain after killing a bear in one strike.
Yohan laughed dryly as he carefully let go of his wound, gripping his fence sword in his uninjured right hand. "That's for her majesty to decide, Yin…"
The maid looked at her boss, more specifically his left hand. "You should head back, I could chase him"
"No," Yohan said. "Going alone is suicide, I-we've lost enough men today, Yin. I don't want anymore"
"But your arm!"
"It's a scratch! Nothing more!"
Yin fell silent after that.
"Come…, I'll apprehend him, while you take on his guard"
With that, the two set out in the direction Yohan last saw Runford went.
===============================
Runford was out on one of the castle's outer balconies. The sky was blue and there were no clouds. He looked below, his eyes tensed when he saw the massive mob that had formed on the gate of Castle Calenon.
Thousands of Elven citizens were up in arms, looking at him. They were led by a zealous priest who rhetorically spoke to them. He asked them all pointless questions that could only be answered with a 'yes'. Runford looked at Telùris, the man himself had his back on him. He was on top of a makeshift cart where he was giving a speech.
Runford couldn't hear what he was saying, but the way he over exaggerated his hand gestures and his body movement, it was clear he was passionate about the speech. The crowds were answering with raising their hands, or raising any kind of weapons they had in their hands, which was mostly pitchforks, hoes and pickaxes. It wasn't just the peasants who were present, the guild leaders and the middle class were also joining. They were observing the commotion from afar, away from the common rabble, but Runford could make up for the smiles and cheerful expression most of them had.
Runford gripped the railing hard. He wasn't popular here.
There was a small regret forming in his heart. Maybe he should've engaged with the people more, instead of relying on his adopted father's influence and name alone. Maybe his seniority in leading compared to Elissa was tainted by the status of his home realm. He gritted his teeth.
It is too late now. He said to himself.
Naki's footsteps could be heard coming from behind him. The rustling sound of his metallic armor made his every step heavy, and loud.
"It is ready, master"
Runford looked behind him, on the ground at the center of the wide balcony, a massive runic symbol had been drawn. It had the rough shape of an eagle head, the runic materials, including dyes, herbs and mixture of animal bloods were all painted based on the runic.
"Good," Runford said.
He extended his hands, they were hanging just above the center of the runic. Taking a deep breath, his eyes began to turn gold. There were several engravings that dotted the metal part. They began to glow as he exhaled. His eyes were golden as he began to mutter a chant.
However, before he could focus. Runford heard two footsteps coming in close towards his and Naki's position. He broke his focus unconsciously as he looked at the source.
It was him, the assassin from back then, and this time, he brought a companion. A woman, not wearing anything more than simple tunic and leather wraps. She was dragging a massive two-handed sword while the assassin from before had only one blade left.
"Naki!" Runford ordered.
Naki took up his equally massive two handed sword as Yin charged forwards, using her momentum as the driving force behind the blade.
Clank!
They were equally matched, Naki was expressionless, but his wild eyes suggested a miscalculation on his part concerning Yin's strength. Yin followed the first swing with another, and another, again, again and again.
Her stamina wasn't running out, she was swinging the Zweihander as if it was as light as a teaspoon. Naki, while enhanced in terms of strength, struggled to block each attack, as they were coming from different directions.
It was also hard to find a cohesive pattern in Yin's attack. Sometimes she swung overhead, sometimes it was from the side, sometimes she thrusted, while other times she knocked Naki back with the handle of the sword.
Runford didn't waste time to rechanted what he had previously been casting. The runic began to glow again, after previously being extinguished by the loss of concentration. Golden dust began scattering across the balcony as runic shone more and more.
Yohan, while injured, ran as fast as he could to reach the mage. Naki saw this and attempted to block him, but Yin prevented him from gazing at something other than her. Yohan dodged Naki's foot, which was trying to tackle him.
He jumped and sidestepped his way across the puppet as his fencing sword was pointing at his target, up front. And yet, Runford had finished chanting by that point.
[Come! Azinath!]
In a blinding flash of light, the entire sky above Castle Calenon was filled with trails of golden dust as they converged and formed a massive golden eagle. The resulting cast knocked Yohan several paces back, he landed just by the balcony door. The eagle spread its wings, which was larger and longer than the width of Castle Calenon itself.
Runford caressed its feathers, this was his pride and joy. His first big catch. It then proceeded to lean down, so that its master could climb on to it.
"Naki" Runford said.
His human puppet was still duelling against the maid. But now, Azinath flapped his wings, sending a gust of wind in Yin's direction. The resulting force knocked her back, she collapsed, right beside her boss.
With both of them done, Azinath screeched as it took flight. The mob below looked in awe and horror as a massive golden creature was flying above them. It then took a sharp turn to the east, where it was headed to the Commonwealth.
==============================
"Yin! Yohan!" Zaini said as she ran towards both of them, ignoring her surviving companion guards.
The two assassins grunted as they struggled to keep their consciousness. Zani kneeled beside Yin, as she was the one who hadn't fully collapsed to the ground yet, instead she was trying to stand up with the help of her arms, but it was futile.
"Yin!"
Yin let go of her attempt as she realized help had arrived. She grunted while looking at the female guard.
"I'm fine….Commander….he's the one…..that…. needs help" Yin pointed weakly at the man beside her.
"Oh no!" Zani wept as she saw the state of which Yohan was in. A small pool of blood had formed beneath his body.
Zani quickly checked his heartbeat, and was relieved she could still feel it. The man, while unresponsive, was still alive. She couldn't hold herself back from hugging him, much to many of her companion guards disliking.
Zani stood up as she heard a couple of footsteps reaching the balcony again. This time, there were three, two of them were heavy due to their armor.
"Princess-Dowager has arrived!" Helga shouted.
"Fa-Your majesty" Zani quickly bowed.
"Commander? Where is he?" Falah asked Zani, she already knew the answer but could not help to ask again.
"We didn't managed to capture him"
"Ooh…." Falah weakly nodded.
"It was my fault, your majesty! I focused solely on his subordinates, and completely forgot about himsel-"
"Enough! This wasn't your fault! We lack much knowledge regarding his abilities" The dowager Princess said as she looked at where there was supposed to be a giant runic symbol, but now there were only burnt marks. "For now, I want a damage assessment and treat all the injured."
"Yes, your majesty," Zani said, gesturing to her guards to leave and deal with her superior's request. "What about the remaining traitors?"
Falah looked at her, before shifting her gaze down towards a gardener's unconscious body right on Zani's foot. The commander immediately picked up on what she was thinking.
"I need to say more?"
"No…I know what you mean your majesty"
"Good"
As Falah was about to turn back, a messenger came to them. It was one of Yohan's men, cloaked in heavy shrouds and large clothes that hide every side of his body except for the eye. He noticed his boss, lying unconscious, before hastily kneeling before Falah.
"Your majesty"
"Speak, spy"
The man then took a deep breath, truthfully he never knew how to address royalty. He followed only the procedure he had given when presented in front of the spymaster. Even still, the weight of his message had to be carried in the right way.
"Your daughter, she has returned"
