The Massacre 22

Ashlark stared at the targets as each of them fought valiantly, desperately holding on to life and struggling to survive the onslaught. 

His men were dying left, right, and center, and he had yet to kill any of the targets.

Ashlark thought back to what the strange masked man had said to him before. The man had somehow predicted certain events that made Ashlark think he was a kind of prophet. Everything the man had said, was beginning to unravel before his eyes and he found it difficult to believe.

"When he said to me it would be difficult and I'll probably fail, I thought it was a crazy joke. Turns out these guys are monsters" He thought.

"Well I just have to prove him wrong", he said to himself.

"Have you recognized their weak link?" Ashlark asked the man beside him. 

A jagged-looking man with red hair responded by pointing to Thia, while the others were fighting well, she had a problem focusing on the fight and would often mess up. 

"Let's take her out first, you know what to do," he said. After receiving the order, the man rushed forward to join the battle. 

"Let's finish this so I can go home," Ashlark said.

The man Ashlark sent pushed through until he got to where the fighting was going on, He ignored all the others and went straight for Thia. 

He lunged at Thia with a powerful attack which Thia blocked with her sword.

The man was strong and a brutal fighter. He kept on attacking like a ferocious beast not minding if his opponent was just a child. Thia blocked and parried each attack but was still being pushed back. Princess Lena noticed Thia's distress and also joined the battle. She had not been a huge fan of fighting but that doesn't mean she was weak. Her mom made sure she was at the very least able to defend herself from anyone and anything, the real monsters of the world were for Ija to deal with. 

Bandits were part of the 'anyone' in the world so, the princess could hold her ground against them easily. 

Princess Lena came to Thia's rescue blocking the man's sword with her blade. 

"Oh. Hello there princess the man said I was wondering when you would join in the fun."

Princess Lena ignored the taunts and looked at Thia.

"I know you're worried about Ija, I'm too, but let's try not to give her more burden and focus on surviving. She's stronger than you can even imagine" Princess Lena said.

Thia stared at Ija who was cutting down a group of men, who were trying to slow their momentum down.

"I guess she'll be fine," Thia thought and faced her opponent.

Come on girl. I won't bite you the man said to Thia.

Thia strengthened her resolve, hoping it would calm her worries,

she suddenly blinked toward the man trying to catch him off guard. 

"How did you", The man said but Thia ignored his words and tried to stab him in the the chest.

The man suddenly smiled and blocked Thia's attack, leaving her in shock and wide opened

"Ohh were you trying to surprise me?" The man asked

"Well, Surprise...." He raised his sword and was about to cut Thia down when Ija suddenly blinked between the man and Thia. 

Before The man could even utter a word Ija reduced him to a bloody mess.

Ija tuned to Thia who looked away in shame… The knights breathing was heavy and grew weaker, her eyes were becoming blurrier every second. But she was still standing tall.

"Stand back Thia there's-" Ija suddenly stopped talking. 

Thia stare at the royal Knight in horror as her greatest fear came to past right in front of her. Blood trickled from Ija's throat, covering her with more blood. Ija fell to the ground, with an arrow sticking out from her throat. 

"Ija!!" Thia screamed out loud as she held on to her. Her body was covered in wounds but the arrow stibking out from hor throat made her choke on her blood as she tried to speak. Princess Lena rushed to Ija and everyone momentarily stopped their fighting and looked at the knight. Ija stared at Thia and Lena, Her visage bloody and weak. Streams of tears rolled out from their eyes. Ija was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Henry was still fighting, try to prevent anyone from attacking the others as they looked after Ija. Gor looked towards the direction the arrow came from and saw a man afar back. Standing behind some men. He had fired at a distance and chose a moment when she was vulnerable.

Ashlark lowered his bow, this time happy his plan went well.

"That man was right again, how is he able to predict this things he thought. Too bad, this is the last prediction he gave me I wonder what will happen from now on"

Princess Lena looked at Ija as life began to fade from her, Ija was not just her royal knight, she was a friend, an adviser, a sister and her biggest fan. Ija always supported what the princess stood for, she believed in her and everything she wanted to accomplish. Ija meant more than just a personal guard.

Ija slowly closed her eyes, she tried holding out, but even she, could feel the cold embrace of death urging her to let go. "Did I live a good life? First it was the slums, me, mom and Tare. Trying to survive, mum died first, then Tare. I lived mostly in the streets after that until Orion came along. I remember being caught for trying to pick his pocket, of course I didn't know he was royalty. The stingy man ran after me all around the slums until he got lost. That fool. Meeting him was the best thing that happened to me, through him, I met a lot of people that meant a lot to me. I enlisted because of him, I met Deana, Mickey, Jo, Amelia, Princess Lena even Thia all because I met him. I got to protect them with everything I've got, because he gave me a chance to be part of something...." Ija opened her eyes and stared at Lena. 

You were right Orion, she'll be a great leader", Ija saisd with her last strength

"Is this what you meant when you said you'll see me soon," Ija remembered Iku's words, as she closed her eyes and embraced death