by Thomas Green
Luna chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like you don’t plan to interfere.”
“Not now. I will first check how things truly are and decide afterward.”
Luna arched an eyebrow. "Do you think they use her money to live comfortable lives and all the children thing is a lie?"
“I do, so I will check and see.”
“What will you do if it is?”
Raven shrugged. “Nothing. I would let her live in the sweet lie, for anything else would be cruel.”
“And if it is not?”
“Would tell them the truth. That is not me trying to free her so I would live up to my promise, but I still believe her children would like to see their mother and grandchildren their grandmother. They have the right to know what she has done for them, and well, I don’t think she will mind seeing them either.”
Luna laughed. “You don’t like doing what people tell you, do you? You will make a fine prince.”
Raven shook his head, forming a slight smile. “I don’t know if I will try to fulfill the challenge yet, but I want to make sure that doing it wouldn’t be pointless.”
“You don’t want to kill him, do you?”
He turned his gaze to the ground. “I don’t. Not sure I can either since I’ve never killed anyone unless told to by Stallington.”
Luna arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Didn’t you wipe out a slaver team to feed me in Xona?”
Raven froze. He did. Them and the soldiers who wanted to seize Yvonne. None of those were fights in the arena. They were murders he had committed out of self-interest. His breath became quick and shallow as he realized he had taken dozens of lives without as much as a thought of whether he should.
He was lying to himself. For his entire life, he justified everything by doing it in Jonathan’s name. He didn’t. He wasn’t in the arena out of loyalty to the prince or out of being forced to. Raven fought and killed because he loved it because the thrill of battle and the intoxication of aether were the greatest sensations he had ever felt.
He measured Luna with his gaze, this time in an entirely different perspective. She killed because she had to, did everything she could not to and hated herself for when she failed. He, on the other hand, murdered for the mere thrill of it without a second thought. Yet he was a famous gladiator, celebrated in every city where he fought. The man to whom the priests of the God of Life sold their most precious temple because they believed he was the best person to own it. And she was a criminal wanted everywhere she walked. He didn’t like what that made him and detested what it said about the world they lived in.
***
The increasing noise from the outside told Raven they reached Illysaeas. An hour later, Luna removed the cloth from his cage and opened the bars. She and Samantha were the only people left in the room. He stepped down onto the familiar dirt, smelled the familiar stale air filled with sweat and smiled. I am home.
His heart sank in the next second. But Nibbles is not. He reached into the cage to take the package that contained the remains of his friend.
“I will go find you what I promised,” Luna whispered and skittered away.
Raven watched her leave before he turned to Samantha. “I am sorry, but I would like to go there alone.”
She shook her head. “There is no way you are doing this by yourself.”
He searched for a shovel while she slipped away to bring a large cheese from the food storage.
Luna popped back in and handed Raven a flower with purple blossoms he didn’t recognize. “Here, you will need this.”
He took it and watched her leave again.
Raven and Samantha descended through the arena complex, all the way to his cell.
He glanced over the room, his skin itching beneath his shackles. “Don't know what to do.”
“Do what you think you should.”
Raven started digging into the dirt. Soon, he made a small hole in the ground. He grabbed the plant package that contained what was left of Nibbles. His eyes burned as he put the package down.
“Something to chew on later,” he added as he took the cheese from Samantha and placed it next to the remnants. “I am sorry… you died because of me… I… I miss you. You were my friend… my only friend… and I didn’t help you… I am so sorry….” Raven half broke down above the small grave. He moved the ground back over the corpse and cheese and then placed the flower onto it.
Once done, he sagged down by the wall. “Please, leave me alone.”
“You don’t have to be alone.”
Raven leaned back his head on the wall and wailed. Tears flowed down his cheeks.
“It’s alright… it’s alright to cry,” she said as she sat next to him, putting her arm over his shoulders.
“I…. I can’t forget.”
“You shouldn’t. He was your friend, so you shouldn’t forget him. He deserves to be remembered even though it hurts… he deserves it.”
“I… I am sorry, Nibbles.”
40
The Siege of Illysaeas
Edward Collward gazed upon the gates of Illysaeas. Zounds of people were swarming through, like moths toward the flame. Yet what brought a frown to his face were the crimson banners with the symbol of a sword with wings dancing in the wind that howled through the wall’s crenellations.
Collward cursed and returned to the main tent, waiting for James.
James appeared an hour after dusk, his eyes heavy, and his hands full of parchments.
“Took you long enough to show up.” Collward’s voice rang hard as stone. “What is the situation?”
James yawned. “The reports don’t look great.”
“Elaborate.”
“The city is full of Palai soldiers. Preliminary count says there are all eight thousand in there. I squeezed in a few hundred men, but more won’t fit in, so we aren’t entering. On the plus side, the Order isn’t leaving the town for as long as we keep an eye on the gates.”
Collward slammed his fist into the table. “That makes no sense! This is their last chance to attack me, and they fortify themselves in the city? In Redwall, they killed over eight hundred of our largest demons and almost all local wyverns, so they set up for a straight battle. Yet now they turtle within a city?”
James shrugged. “We are surrounding the town, have enough troops and sleeper agents inside to disrupt their operations and are deployed to make any engagement difficult due to forest encasing us. There are no signs of any other Palai soldiers than those beyond the walls. Do I have a bad feeling about this? Yes, I do, but there isn’t much I can act upon.”
Collward’s anger turned cold. “You are lying.”
James raised an eyebrow. “Me? I would never do that.”
“I should have you executed for this alone.”
“That wouldn’t be wise.” James smiled. “The army’s owner battling his own general the night before the battle would be a unique way to crush your own troop’s morale.”
“I thought we had an arrangement.”
James grinned. “We do. I command your armies, and you pay me.”
Collward’s eyes narrowed. “And this is your style of asking for a raise, I assume.”
“Something along those lines. For an apt increase in price, I might find something to act upon.”
“How would you imagine such an increase to look like?”
James laughed. “That doesn’t matter since you have no spare resources and will ignore whatever new arrangement we make the second this tournament ends.”
“I have a secret treasury nearby, so suppose I might toss in a few hundred thousands of gold.”
“Can you…” James smiled. “Alright then, I will take my men for an extra scouting round. Personally, I believe there is a second Palai army, at least as large as the one we have been fighting so far, hidden somewhere within these forests. What supports this idea is that Lucas likely killed the Redwall wyverns and our flying demons to remove our options for aerial reconnaissance.”
“You forgot to mention that the large demons we lost included the flying ones.”
James reached into a cabinet by the side to grab a bottle of spirits. “Aside from the ones based on insects, on whom the poison didn’t work, but yes. Then again, this is something your men spent three weeks realizing and I base my information of your demons on your own men’s reports. Got a messenger bird that can find you?”
“I will send a smaller demon to follow you.” Collward sighed. “And I will take command in your absence.”
“This is the point where I should give advice, but frankly, I have none. This is dangerous, and unless we figure out what their plan is, we can end up in a world of trouble.” James waltzed out of the tent, leaving Collward inside alone.
Collward commanded a small bird-demon to follow James and put his army on full alert.
With nothing better to do, Edward Collward returned to the provisory headquarters and waited.
***
“Fire!” echoed from through the camp and alarm bells rang.
Collward dashed out to look. The entire horizon glowed in the bright orange light. The forest was set ablaze.
“All top officers are to gather in the headquarters,” Collward shouted at the prepared messengers. The panic in the air was palpable. Minutes later, his four top commanders gathered around him.
Collward pierced them all with a sharp glare. “What’s the situation?”
His second in command gulped, his face pale. “There is a fire spreading through the forest, heading in our direction. We have observed over nineteen sources spread apart in a circular relation to us. The flames will reach us within hours, from all sides.”
“I need a better estimate than a few.” Collward sneered. “Have we received any word from James?”
“No, sir.”
“Is the city gate open?”
“No, sir. The gate is sealed, blocked, all the people who were camping outside the city are gone, and the walls are full of Palai soldiers,” another officer answered.
Collward shook his head. “We have to hide beyond the walls. Storm the town with everything we have. Use all resources, largest demons, the secret passage into the arena, sleeper agents, insiders, wall buster… everything! We must get into the city before the fire reaches us, for otherwise, we all burn here alive.”
His commanders nodded and ran from his tent. Collward rushed out of the tent as well, heading to his demons. His messenger demon landed on his shoulder with a rolled parchment attached to its leg.
Collward removed the paper, broke the wax seal and read the text written within:
‘While I am certain you have already figured out I have betrayed you, I still feel the need to rub it into your face. Rest assured knowing I will make great use of the contents of your secret treasury. Have fun, James.’
***
Luna sat on the roof of the arena complex, enjoying the view of the blazing forest and panicking Union’s army. She watched the battle on the walls, unsure if she should go help. On the one hand, this was a good opportunity to eat, but on the other hand, the main square’s announcement board featured a large poster with the painting of her face and Wanted dead. Reward: 10 000 golden coins written on it. To show herself outside wouldn’t be a good idea since someone might decide to try to claim the bounty.
Screams of pain, followed by a ringing of metal on metal, echoed from the arena. This sounded much more urgent. Luna leapt back into the arena complex and dashed toward the origin of the noise. She ran down the stairs as fast she could, almost tripping over a corpse.
She quickly examined it. Young man, arena-staff clothes, stabbed from behind. The complex was under attack.
Luna focused on the scent of blood and blasted after it. She entered a large stone hall filled with corpses. She continued into the hallway and saw a dozen men in black uniforms, their cloth still drenched in the blood of the slaves they had killed in the hall.
She growled and charged the nearest man to run her claws through him. The other men shouted and turned to her. The Union’s soldiers were well trained and organized, but they were no match for her. She passed through them in a whirlwind of claws and teeth, leaving behind nothing but mutilated corpses.
She was still weakened from Redwall, but this was something she couldn’t sit out. Luna took out the swords that the soldiers struck into her body and focused on her ears. The screams were echoing from multiple locations, so they were trying to take over the complex. There was probably a secret entrance to the city under it. I should get Raven.
No. He would be fine, and as his cell was beneath the ground, he was close to whatever tunnel they were using to enter and would solve it. I need to help Samantha!
Luna sprinted through the corridors. The next group of the black armored men fell to her claws in few blinks of an eye, allowing her to continue. She reached the healer’s quarters. The door’s forced open… shit!
She dashed through the door and jumped at the man she saw. She skewered him and moved on to the next one. Luna ignored everything else and blitzed toward Samantha's room. She slid by two men and burst into the room. Three men were hitting the bathroom door with axes while five more stood inside the chamber. She leapt at the men by the door, ducked under a swinging axe and crushed a man’s knee with the back of her hand.
She whirled to run her claws the bottom of the first man’s jaw. One man from the room hit her side with a sword, stabbing through her armor and flesh alike. She swallowed the pain, spun and caught his throat, crushing it within her palm.
The men swarmed around her, making it impossible to avoid their blades at the close distance. After receiving half-a-dozen more strikes, she ran her hand through the belly of a lightly armored soldier. She pushed him as a shield to get out of the encirclement.
Luna ignored the pain in her back and spun, seeing the remaining men all lined up in front of her.
They formed a semi-circular formation, shields locked next to each other.
These soldiers are elite forces, and my body is still weak. This won’t be easy. She leapt in, powered through their stabbing swords and tore apart the throat of the nearest man. She spun to skewer another one, but her hand flailed through the air, missing. Luna tried to step back, but her leg went sideways, disobeying her commands, sending her crashing to the ground. The men laughed.
Two men stepped forward and sunk long spears into Luna’s chest. She grunted and flailed around. Her body didn’t listen to her. They stabbed a dozen more times. She stared in horror as the remaining men broke the door to the bathroom. To hell with them. Come in, Volk!
The beast huffed. ‘Can’t. The poison’s stopping me.’
Cold wreathed Luna’s insides, for she couldn’t control her moves, couldn’t shift, couldn’t do anything while the men kept stabbing her.
“There you are.” The leader of soldiers smirked as pulled Samantha out of the bathroom by her hair. He spun to throw her to the ground.
Samantha screamed in pain and tried to get up. The man kicked her to the side, his heavy boot digging into her flesh, sending her flying sideways.
“Say, captain, will we have a lil’ fun with her?” another of the soldiers asked.
Their leader stepped to Samantha and kicked her in the stomach. She bent around his leg, spitting blood. “We don’t have time for this. Put her straight.”
Raven… this would be an excellent time to show up. Luna struggled, but her limbs did not listen.
Two men grabbed Samantha by her shoulders to force her to her knees.
Miranda… this would be a great time to be a hero. Please… Luna tried to move but merely flailed around as the men kept stabbing her with their spears.
A long sharp blade exited out of Samantha’s chest. She coughed out blood. The captain kicked her off his sword.
Luna screamed and flailed.
Samantha’s eyes met Luna’s, and their light disappeared.
Luna roared and shook. In vain. The men pinned her d
own with their spears. “This ain’t working, captain. She won’t stop moving. We have stabbed her like a hundred times already.”
Luna kept screaming and trying to struggle.
“Could throw her out the window,” the captain murmured and turned. He pierced her with a cold glare and rubbed his chin. “I’ve seen this one. She’s got a ten thousand bounty on her. Chop her head off.”
Three men grabbed Luna to hold her on the ground. The fourth man raised a large axe.
She gritted her teeth, pushed all her strength into her spine and braced herself for the pain. The axe hit her neck, striking blinding pain through her body.
The soldier raised the axe. “Ain’t coming off, captain. Them bones are tough as steel.”
“Try again.”
He did. And then two more times. The pain threw Luna into the depths of despair, but while her insides were wreathed in stabbing ice, her bones held firm.
“Ain’t working, captain.”
The captain shook his head. “Her head’s worth five years of all our wages. Prepare the killer potion.”
“Yes, sir.” Two men took down their backpacks and mixed substances of four vials.
“Let’s have fun with her in the meantime,” one of the men said.
“Yeah, dun like the way she’s looking at us,” another of the men said.
They turned Luna over, pinning her down with spears sunk into her chest and plucked out her eye with a dagger. She wailed in pain, flailing.
“Heh, it’s already remaking itself.” The man chuckled and plucked out her remaining eye.
“This is fun,” another soldier added.
Her eyes regenerated.
The men plucked them out. “That’s the second pair.”
Luna screamed and tried to struggle, in vain. The spears held her at the ground.
They plucked out her eyes again straight after they remade themselves.
