by David Aries
That bitch who tried to destroy New Hoffen hadn’t crossed my mind. She’d told us herself she was a servant of Grabadon, but I hadn’t expected to meet again like this. I’d hoped to never see her again. Instead, her whip was puncturing my forearm.
“Jake!” Blair screamed. Frederic was using the chance to escape and he wasn’t leaving his hard-earned toy behind.
I darted after Blair. An immobilizing jolt stopped me. My muscles spasmed as if they were trying to escape my flesh. I couldn’t control them. It was agonizing.
“How’d you like that?!” the masked woman cackled. “I got this upgrade just for you.”
Answering was impossible. My jaw was locked and my mind was stunned. Staying conscious took willpower.
Titania stabbed at the woman, forcing her to release me. She could no longer be disregarded with her shield and spear back in hand.
I dropped to my knees and wheezed for breath. My heart hammered faster than ever. Electrocution was no joke. I felt a tad of mercy for all the demons who’d been hunted by Titania.
“Forget about me! Get Blair!” I ordered.
“Right,” Titania said. She bulldozed through the masses, putting herself on Frederic’s tail. “Hand her over!”
“Let me go!” Blair yelled, doing her utmost to wiggle free.
The cowardly noble had to be shitting himself but he kept a stranglehold of Blair and ran away.
When it came to speed and intensity, Titania was the obvious winner. She wasn’t gonna let that rich prick slip between her fingers.
She didn’t. It was she who was driven back.
The manor doors shot open and in charged the guards. They met Titania with a collective thrust of shields, knocking her toward me.
“Titania!” Blair screamed, trapped on the other side.
“Dammit! Let me through!” Titania roared. She jumped to her feet and tried to force her way through.
It didn’t work. They cut off every maneuver and blocked every spear strike. Her opponents didn’t wear the same colored attire as Titania and the guards who defended the perimeter. Instead of white, they were kitted in black. The masked woman wore that same color, as did her allies that day.
“You took your time,” the masked woman said.
“Apologies, Shadow,” a familiar voice replied. “However, no harm done.”
The line spread to let the orc through. She was around my height and had an impressive physical build. Her leotard was red, breaking up the sea of black, with golden gauntlets and boots.
It had to mean something. I was pretty sure I knew what. Captain of the Guard.
We’d never met but her face was familiar. She looked similar to the woman by my side, plus a couple of decades. It confirmed what I already knew. She was Magnesia, Titania’s mother.
It was their first meeting in a long time and neither looked happy. Magnesia’s expression was ice cold. Titania was stunned. “What are you doing here?”
“By orders of King Ramses the Fourth, I hereby place you both under arrest,” Magnesia responded in a monotone fashion.
Guards had snuck in behind us, cutting off all obvious exits. They’d prepared for this.
“No,” Titania said, shaking her head. She released a snarl. “You bitch! I should have known.”
“I advise you to come willingly. Attempts to resist will be met with force.”
“Fuck you!” Titania said, flipping her mom the bird. “I’m done listening to you.”
“So be it.”
A coordinated swoosh of weapons being drawn surrounded us. Shit was about to go down.
“Come here,” I said, grabbing Titania. Our best option was a hasty retreat. I powered up and launched into the air.
Something sharp wrapped around my ankle. “No, you don’t.” Shadow dragged me back, slamming me into the floor.
I swallowed a miserable grunt. The tiles splintered under my weight. It wasn’t too high on the pain front but it scored off the chart for inconvenience.
Shadow withdrew her whip before Titania smashed it in two. “Sorry, guys. Afraid you can’t leave yet. I’m not done with you. I’ve been waiting for a chance to kill you both,” she cackled.
“No,” Magnesia said. “His Majesty wants them alive.”
“That’s no fun. Do you know much they embarrassed me?” She released an emphasized sigh and shrugged. “Can I at least hurt them?”
“As long as you keep them alive.”
“Are you serious?” I growled, struggling back to my feet. “You’re talking about your own daughter.”
“I see two criminals. Nothing more.” Her eyes made it clear she wasn’t joking.
How could I respond to that? Her utter lack of heart was breathtaking.
“Don’t bother,” Titania said, posed for a scrap. “That bitch only cares for the king.”
“Something a traitor could never understand,” Magnesia coolly responded.
“Fuck you!”
Shadow snapped her whip. “Enough chitter-chatter. Hurry and resist so I can hurt you some more.”
They had us outnumbered but were waiting for us. It was obvious why. They were so confident of victory that they didn’t need to take any risks. Other than the temperamental Shadow, the guards were happy to wait.
Esther hadn’t gotten involved since the initial infiltration. Her whereabouts were unknown. The same went for Dessa, not that I wanted her with us. The further away she was the better. Esther too. All that remained was adding Titania to that list. Blair would have to wait. Our safety came first.
“They’re asking for it,” I whispered to Titania. “Let’s give it to them.”
“Agreed,” she mumbled.
We bolted, thinking alike. Our best chance of escaping involved taking down Shadow.
She squealed and backed away. Two guards rushed over to cut us off.
I slammed through my aggressor with raw, overwhelming power. Titania also managed to show what she could do when the odds were even. They hardly slowed us down. Shadow was in trouble. Not so cocky when she didn’t have the initiative.
Titania lunged at the backpedaling woman, spear at the ready.
Balls of light shot across the room toward her.
I caught Titania and leaped away. We crashed over the table, toppling it behind us. The light slammed over our heads, exploding against the wall.
“What the hell was that?” I said.
“Fucking magic,” Titania growled. “Mages.”
Made sense. Dessa was a special one but she couldn’t be the only person capable of harnessing crystals that way. And these guys didn’t have an oath to follow. Because things weren’t complicated enough.
“Don’t underestimate them!” Shadow barked. She’d slipped away in the commotion. “The guy’s dangerous. Watch out for his fire.”
It was likely Shadow, who’d tasted my power firsthand, who’d warned everyone about me. If I’d kept my head down then this entire situation might have been different. Not that I could do anything about it.
The guards closed in on our position. They were more proactive after we’d shaken things up.
I sprayed my dragon breath, showing one of the incoming groups the fire they’d been warned about. As they dodged, I grabbed Titania and ran for it. If we could get through a window, we had a chance.
Soldiers rushed to cut off the closest path. They were smart enough to know what I was thinking.
The crackle of burning air sped up behind us. I glanced behind and saw two balls of lightning soaring our way.
Titania braced, blocking the attack. Static bolts deflected off. As I suspected, the mages were also using electricity.
“You take the front,” Titania yelled. “I’ve got you&emdash;” A spear shot through the air and crashed beyond her shield. It slammed into her spear, disarming her, as well as destroying her accompanying gauntlet.
Everything about the toss was insane. The speed, the power, the accuracy. Titania hadn’t been able to react.
&nb
sp; I’d almost missed it.
Magnesia stared, stuck in mid-stance. With one move she’d derailed all the momentum we’d been building.
I was too distracted to notice the guards had stepped in before they physically hit me. They smashed my chest, driving me into Titania. We stumbled back into the lion’s den where soldiers surrounded us on all sides. It wasn’t even back to step one. It was worse than that.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Magnesia said, looking down at us. “This could have been avoided.”
“Fuck you!” Titania roared.
I gritted my teeth and scanned the room. They had all the escape routes covered. However, there was one place where the defensive line was weaker. Where Magnesia was standing. She’d unarmed herself to damage us but it’d done the same to her. If we could break through her we had a clean shot at the mages. Beyond them was the rest of the manor. Get in there and we could grab Blair and escape. It was a risk but it was better than staying.
“Follow my lead,” I whispered, making my move.
It didn’t go anywhere; I didn’t go anywhere. Before I managed my second step, metal thorns sunk into my neck.
“Caught you,” Shadow snickered. She’d slipped into her namesake after our attack and had struck from the same place.
Before I could break out, she activated her weapon’s crystal.
I went rigid from the shock, losing immediate control of my actions. Overwhelming pain shot through my nerves that I was powerless to stop it. I couldn’t even scream. It was the perfect mix of punishment and immobilization.
This had to be a reason tasers were so feared.
“Jake!” Titania yelled. The moment she turned toward me, an electric bolt slammed into her back. She screamed and dropped, body convulsing.
I tried to shout her name, but I couldn’t. The shock was too strong. It was as if my insides were being fried.
Titania’s torment was fleeting compared to my prolonged torture. She bit down and forced her struggling muscles to obey only to find herself captured by her own mother.
Magnesia wrapped an arm around Titania’s throat, choking the air out of her lungs.
The fight drained out of Titania. She struggled the best she could but the result was obvious from the start. Eventually, she slackened.
Watching Titania black out, and being unable to help, was more tormenting than the intense agony reaching the tips of my extremities. I was on the way to joining her. The corners of my vision were turning black and everything was losing focus. The evil orc staring at me was transforming into a blur.
“You did well to hold on this long but it’s over,” Magnesia said. “This could have been avoided. You should have listened to me.”
Two words rested on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t have the strength to get them out. This was their win.
“Night night,” Shadow snorted as I fell unconscious.
Chapter 18
A sharp impact jolted me awake.
I jerked and coughed up my lungs. Each hack made my burning ribs throb.
Before I figured left from right, someone grabbed my hair and pulled me to my knees.
“Wakey-wakey,” Shadow whispered into my ear.
I snarled and jerked against her. It wasn’t easy. My arms were tied behind my back, restrained with what I presumed were handcuffs. The metal dug into my wrists every time I resisted.
Shadow punished me with a knee to the spine. “Don’t bother. It’s useless.”
It was a convincing argument. I rescheduled my struggling for later.
“Much better,” Shadow cackled. “Now show the proper respect for His Majesty.”
I threw my head up and finally absorbed my surroundings. I wasn’t in Frederic’s manor. That place was flush with excessive wealth but it paled in comparison to this monstrosity. Huge white pillars, wrapped in gold vines, supported an impossibly high ceiling. The floor was made from polished marble so splendid the whole thing could be classed as a mirror. Huge gold statues, with crystals for eyes, looked on from the far end of the room. They flanked a tremendously-sized painting that was framed in the same gaudy material the room’s owner seemed to adore. It was he captured in the picture, in all his wannabe glory. Below that was a throne worth more than the entire Common District. It was a seat ready for a giant yet occupied by the same little green man captured in paint. His identity wasn’t in doubt. He wore a crown that made the room’s trimmings seem common and had Grabadon’s finest warriors on hand to deal with any trouble.
“The Goblin King,” I growled.
It was my first time witnessing the man I’d heard so much talk about. If he was supposed to be impressive, he wasn’t. Clothing aside he looked no different from the rest of his race. If anything, he was less attractive; the first I’d met who looked like the ugly mobs in your typical RPG. The throne emphasized his short stature. Didn’t make much sense to me. If you’re struggling to reach four foot, why sit in a throne that could house a giant? He looked like a pampered baby.
For all I knew, he was a great warrior or charismatic beast. I doubted both. The extraordinary didn’t need to compensate by covering themselves in a country’s wealth.
I received another sharp knee to the back. “I said respect. You’re in the presence of His Majesty, King Ramses the Fourth.”
“Who’d respect that bastard?” Titania snapped.
I’d been so busy eyeing up the room I hadn’t spotted my company. Titania was by my side, stuck in the same helpless position.
Titania’s captor gave her back a thump. “How dare you address His Majesty like that.”
“I’ll address that goblin fucker however I want!”
“Silence!” Ramses said, raising his hand. It was less the boom of a feared leader and more the squawk of a stereotypical high school geek. He looked down at Titania and I in more ways than one. “I am King Ramses the Fourth, ruler of Grabadon. Be grateful that I have brought you before me.”
“I don’t remember asking you to,” I said, earning myself another kicking.
“All the more reason to be grateful. I do not make a habit of allowing criminals to grace my throne room.”
“I’m touched.”
“As you should be. I have made a special exception for you.” Ramses leaned closer and took a good look at me. “My guards tell me you are special. They say you can do things no other can.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Did nobody teach you manners? Do not lie to me. My guards have seen what you can do. I would like to hear it from you.”
I gritted my teeth. Esther sure knew her stuff. No way a prick like Ramses was looking to sate some idle curiosity.
Speaking of Esther, she was nowhere to be seen. The same went for Dessa. That was the only silver lining I had.
“Who’s lying?” I said, shrugging. “Your guards must be delusional. Special, me? Sure, I’m handy in a scrap, but that’s about it.”
“Do you really intend to keep playing dumb?” Ramses asked.
“You better give His Majesty what he wants or else,” Shadow whispered into my ear, fingers squeezing the back of my collar-wrapped neck.
“Okay, I’ll come clean,” I said with a big sigh. “Apparently, I’m really good in bed.”
Titania snorted. Ramses glared. Shadow slapped me across the face.
“Insolent brat,” she growled.
I winced but managed to keep hold of my smirk. “What? It’s true. Wanna test it out?”
The beating continued. I was powerless to resist it but I’d known that before I’d kicked the hornet’s nest. Compared to her electric whip it wasn’t so bad.
“Shadow, cease,” Ramses ordered after a minute of me getting my face busted open.
“Thanks for the help,” I said, spitting some blood.
“Do not mistake this for mercy. I am simply protecting my investment.”
“Didn’t think you swung that way.”
“Silence. Your petulance
does not change a thing. The end result is already decided. All you are doing is making it harder on yourself.”
“Taking the hard way is what I do best,” I informed him.
Ramses snorted. “Fool. You choose to struggle despite knowing there is nothing you can do? Have you always been this stupid or have you been tainted by this traitor?”
“Go fuck yourself,” Titania said.
“Charming. How did my most faithful servant manage to raise such an unruly dog?”
Magnesia stepped forward and dropped to one knee. You couldn’t have the finest royal guard without the captain. At no point had she flinched as her daughter was abused. As expected from Ramses's loyalest tool.
“I apologize, your highness,” Magnesia said. “I cannot begin to describe how sorry I am for my daughter’s development. If you wish to punish me, I understand.”
“You bitch!” Titania snapped. She threw herself forward but was swiftly pinned to the floor.
Ramses wafted his hand. “Raise your head. I lay no blame at your feet. You have been a faithful servant to me and this kingdom for over two decades. I do not doubt your loyalty. I know you would have raised an obedient daughter if that had been possible. Sadly, some apples are born sour.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Magnesia said.
No amount of forewarning could have stopped Magnesia’s actions from being nauseating. A mother who disowned her own daughter to serve a greedy, self-centered bastard. It wasn’t right.
“Sorry, I’ve always been this way,” I said, finally getting a chance to answer. “I’d rather fight in the slums, with those trying to do the right thing, than bow at the feet of an asshole who only cares about himself.”
“Is that right?” Ramses said. “Is that what you think of me, the man responsible for Grabadon’s prosperity?”
“If that’s what you call poverty and starvation.”
“I provide ample amounts of food. If they are unable to afford it that is their issue.”
“Not when you’re the one pricing out half the city,” I said.
“If they wish to eat better, they should work harder.”
