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Book 1 - Chapter 2 - Part 6
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Alexandros struggles as a blindfold is placed over his eyes. He stumbles as the guard shoves him forward. “Get moving, boy. We don’t have all day. If you cooperate, maybe the king will go easy on you.”
He refuses to respond, but Evera, on the other hand, is doing the complete opposite and continues to scream obscenities at the guards. Shaking his head, he does his best to focus on the task ahead. Even though this isn’t how he expected to meet the king, he decides it is better than nothing. At least this way, he knows he will have a chance, albeit not a great chance, but a chance nonetheless.
After a bit of walking, he is pulled back, and the sound of wooden doors swinging open fills his ears. Before he can process what is happening, the blindfold is ripped off, and he is thrown onto the ground. His knees scream as they contact the stone floor, but he ignores the pain and pulls himself back.
Evera is thrown to the ground next to him and does the same. Her eyes are locked on the king, and Alexandros is already starting to worry about what she will say. Turning his attention to the king, he bows slightly to show respect. When he opens his mouth to speak, the king holds up his hand and shakes his head. “You do not speak unless spoken to,” he says coldly. “I have important matters to attend to, so I want to make this quick.”
The guard standing behind him speaks up. “These two were caught breaking into the palace, your majesty. We decided to bring them to you before coming up with a viable punishment.”
Alexandros wonders if telling the king about his mark would help them, but he isn’t sure how to show or talk about it. Evera doesn’t even know about his mark, and the last thing he needed was to put himself in danger trying to find answers.
“I see. Is there a reason you were breaking in?” questions the king, his gaze shifting between Evera and Alexandros.
“We were here to speak with you, your majesty,” Evera replies with a bow. “We both lost our village in an attack, and we wanted to know if there—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” the king replies. “I do not care about your problems, and I do not care about your feelings. If you wished to speak with me, there are other things you could have done. Breaking into my home is a crime punishable by death. Your fate has been determined since you both don’t seem to grasp this; I sentence these two to death.”
The words hit Alexandros like a knife to the chest. All the air escapes him, and panic starts to set in. Using his Eye of Truth skill, he turns around to look at the guard behind him.
Castle Guard
Health:
115
Mana:
80
Stamina:
50
Strength:
Stolen story; please report.
110
Difficulty:
Easy
Relieved by the low stats, he turns and kicks the guard in the knee, yanks the sword from his belt, and attempts to thrust it through his chest, but the sword bounces off the armor.
Soldier’s Sword
A sword carried by all the guards in the castle. It isn’t the best sword, but it gets the job done.
Rarity:
Common
Condition:
Fair
Stats:
+4% strength when using swords
+2% mana increase.
Special:
None
The guard stumbles back, pulling a dagger from his waist. He tries to throw it, but Evera comes behind him and kicks his lower back before he can. When he stumbles forward, Alexandros takes the opportunity to thrust his blade right through the weak point in his armor beneath his arm.
+20 damage to the Castle guard
He tries to swing his sword again but is stopped when one of the other guards slices open his shoulder. Blood seeps from the wound, and Alexandros stumbles away, trying to pull himself together.
-70 HP
“We need to find a way out of here,” he calls out to Evera, who manages to throw one of the guards to the ground using her shoulder.
“I can see that! Just keep moving toward the door.”
Alexandros doesn’t hesitate as he rushes to the doors. Thankfully, they are still wide open, and he manages to slip past the guards and bolt through. Evera is right behind him, and before he can say anything, she grabs his arm and continues running through the castle.
The guard’s footsteps echo behind them as they give chase, but Evera and Alexandros don’t slow down. When they reach the castle's main entrance, at least a dozen more guards are lined up by the exit. “I hope you trust me,” Evera whispers as she makes a sharp turn and begins heading down the corridor. “Do you see that window up ahead?” she questions. “We must jump through it, so you better be ready.”
As they reach the window, Alexandros’ heart pounds against his chest like a drum. Even though it isn’t the best idea, he can’t think of something better. Trusting Evera is his only choice if he wants to get away.
The moment they are close enough to the window, Evera and Alexandros jump and crash through the window. Particles of glass slice through his skin, but he ignores the sting as he hits the ground and continues running, Evera beside him.
After running for nearly half an hour, they finally stopped to catch their breaths. “What are we supposed to do now?” Alexandros questions. “Talking to the king isn’t going to work, so there has to be something else we can do.” He pauses momentarily, taking the opportunity to view Evera’s stats.
Evera Vix Nyrus:
Level 4
Health:
120
Class:
Ice Mage
Mana:
60
Stamina:
65
Strength:
70
Her stats are much lower than he expected, and he isn’t entirely sure what to make of it. Shoving the thought away, he returns his attention to Evera. “So, do you have a plan on where to go from here?”
She shakes her head. “Not really, but I’m sure we will think of something.”