Day 12

The letter arrived with Drake’s father. He was delighted at the thought of a bonding between the queen and his son. He sent word that ever hour that Drake must except the bonding and be bonded to the queen. Prince Ryu was thinking of how he could run the world.

* * *

That night Tẽra looked out at the stars. She was sitting in the stable with Sherralee. Otchulissa was stalking bugs in the hay.

Tẽra heard a commotion outside. She opened the door to see her guards getting killed by villagers. Men, women and children with tools as weapons stormed the castle, calling for the queen’s head.

“Give us the queen and we will spare you.” They called to the guards.

Tẽra hid in the stable. Her heart pounded in her chest. To her, her breathing sounded louder than the horses. She snuffed out the lantern. Only the light from outside shone in.

* * *

Viola sat in her room. Viv knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Viola called.

“It’s Viv.” she said from behind the door.

Viola opened the door.

Viv came in.

“I am going into the City Point. I wanted to say goodbye before I felt.” Viv told her.

Viola wanted to say I will come with you. But she knew why Viv was going into the City Point and she was not going to try to stop her.

“Thank you for your kindness to me.” Viola said hugging her.

Viv hugged her back.

“You are my friend and if you need anything, I am here for you.” Viola said.

Viv gave her a brown coat. It was beautiful. The back had a beautiful design on it.

“Wear it when you travel.” Viv said.

“Thank you.”

Viv left the room.

Viola heard a commotion outside. She opened the door again. An arrow flew down the passage. Viola closed the door and grabbed her knives. She now wished she had allowed the wired red glowing eyed people to heal her. But she hated people being in her head. It was too invasive for her. So injured and sore she opened her door.

It had been Viv’s arrow that flew passed.

Villagers were attacking burning as they came, yelling for the queen’s head.

Viola looked at the boy who Viv had killed. He was about fourteen-years-old.

“I had too.” Viv said sadly to Viola.

An axe just missed Viola’s head. She turned to see a boy of about sixteen-years-old.

“Give us the queen or die with her.” He said with meaning and certainty.

“I don’t know where the queen is?” Viola replied.

“Lies!” he spat at her.

Then he charged with a knife. Viola sunk her blade into the boy’s neck. She felt his warm blood run over her hand as she finished it.

He had been a true believer, as young as he was, he knew what he was doing, and he meant it.

Viola laid his body on the floor.

“You had too.” Viv said comfortingly.

“Why are they sending their children to die?” Viola asked.

But before Viv could answer more children with weapons came down the passage.

Viv and Viola killed them all. Anyone who came down the passage they killed. Even children as young as ten who lifted to weapon to harm them died.

Covered in the blood of children, Viola and Viv went to check on Jacob.

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* * *

Jessica sat in the room with Shane. Dead bodies piled up against the walls. The alive people had been moved. Shane sat on the floor next to Pragya. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“It’s my fault. I brought her here.” He finally said.

“No, the people who killed her are responsible. If you had left her, she might have died of disease or worse.”

Jessica paused “At least she died a free woman. Not a slave to anyone. She ate at the king’s table.”

Shane appreciated Jessica’s attempted to comfort him. But there was no comforting him. He did feel better knowing she had lived a little and she was a free woman. But she died in the castle. The place he had taken her to.

He felt it was so unfair that she was dead.

Screams rang out from the next room. Jessica and Shane thought it was the grieving being told that those they loved were dead.

Villagers came into the room. Jessica and Shane looked up at them. Then they grabbed Jessica who was no longer wearing a wig. Shane stood up.

“Let her go. She did not do this.” He said.

But they hit Shane and took Jessica out with them.

Jessica screamed so loud she was sure someone would become deaf. But her kicking and screaming made no difference.

She was taken out of the castle and given to soldiers outside the gate. The fighting was everywhere. The villagers had revolted against the queen.

Jessica was taken to Black Beard Gruff. He looked at her. Touching her hair and face. Jessica pulled away every time he went to touch her.

“Send a message to the ruling prince of the Skiopia tribe, tell him we have the lost heir safely in our care and that we are his servant in the takeover. Tell him she will be treated as a princess. We will wait for him in the watch tower on the road to the north outside the City Point.” Black Beard commanded his men.

“How fortunate are we. The lost heir kept safe by the dragon rider’s is true and not just a rumor.” Black Beard grinned.

It was a good day for him. Even though his men failed to kill the queen he still had leverage. The lost heir to the throne of Chayim.

* * *

The leaders sat in the council hall at the round table.

They were discussing the queen’s absence. Tẽra had not returned after the battle. Nor did she address them formally.

Joe and Zazo where in the council hall with Keimoni.

Keimoni was there because Zazo has requested him. He honestly wanted to be as far away as possible from Joe, but she was difficult to avoid.

“I have seven dead.” Drake prince of the dragon riders said.

“Eight of my mean are dead.” complained Griffith.

“We have all sustained loss.” Victoria stated.

Ranger looked around at the restless leaders.

Autumn stood at the broken door.

“Are we going to discuss the cat in the room?” Victoria asked.

Autumn glared at her.

“I have never been to one of these before. I really have no royal blood at all. But I expected more civilized people to be sitting at the table with me.” Glisson said “We should be talking about what matters, peace. Is the queen genuine? Will she marry Prince Drake, and will this world be restored?” he asked.

“Boy you are naive. Even if the queen has forgotten her sins we have not. We do not want her to remember and double cross us. After all, think about this… the queen leaves the room and then we are attacked?” Griffith said.

As he was talking a commotion caught everyone’s attention. Screams from the servants filled the room.

Joe drew her weapons and so did everyone else.

“What is going on?” Joe asked Keimoni.

Her question was answered as villagers stormed into the room covered in blood. They used their tools as weapons.

“Give us the queen.” One shouted.

“She is not here?” Victoria answered.

“Kill them all.” He told his men.

The battle began, trained men killing villagers who thought they stood a chance.

The slaughter ended with men, women and children laying on the stone floor. Blood covered the floor. Not one inch was untouched.

Joe was out of the room to find Natrica and Spice and Rosaleighm. She had left them in the room with the wounded.

She killed anyone who raised a weapon to her. When she got to the room…

* * *

Natrica sat on her bed. Rosaleighm and Spice were playing a game of snap, with her pictures drawn on old scrolls.

They heard screams. Spice picked up her staff. Rosaleighm did the same. Natrica hid under the bed with many other wounded. She didn’t want to fight. She still had blood on her from the attack earlier. The Mystic Healers that were in the room looked terrified.

When villagers with pitch forks and scythes charged the room, Natrica was in shock. They killed the wounded that they could. Rosaleighm and Spice held them off, but some made it past. They killed without discrimination. Natrica was forced to protect herself. She killed a woman trying to kill her.

Then Joe came in and killed everyone in her way. She didn’t even check if they were armed.

“Are you alright?” Joe asked.

Natrica looked at the woman.

“I didn’t want to kill her.” She said.

Joe took her hand “Let’s go.”

She looked around the room.

“Anyone who wants to live, follow me.” Joe said.

Spice told them to follow Joe. Spice had learnt to follow what Joe was saying even when she didn’t understand individual words.

The wounded hobbled after Joe. They arrived in the queen’s dining hall. Joe started to barricade the doors.

She was about to ask Natrica to pass her that chair when she saw Chris. He was standing at a door with a gun in his hand. He raised it and shot Natrica in the head. The bullet passed right though. Natrica’s brains splattered all over the queen’s dining table. Joe threw a knife at him but it missed. Natrica’s brain matter twitched on the table and as it slid down the chairs. Blood splattered all over as the body of Natrica crumpled to the floor.

Joe screamed!

A villager vomited.

The sound of the gun shot rang out in the castle. Villagers and soldiers alike conversed on the queen’s dining hall. Joe’s scream was blood curdling and all who heard if felt afraid.

Joe cut the ligaments of a villager and called Rosaleighm to finish him.

The child stood before the man who could not even raise his hand to protect himself. Joe held the knife in Rosaleighm’s hand and cut out his throat.

As his warm blood ran over their hands and his dead body fell to the floor. Rosaleighm realized she didn’t need to be afraid anymore.

Her fear inside melted away as his blood spilled out over the floor.

The undersized child who looked about nine years old but was actually twelve-years-old. Realized she was able to protect herself. Without fear she attacked the converging hoards. Joe assisted, she wanted Rosaleighm to be able to kill and not hesitate or feel bad about it.

* * *

Nikki hid in her room, she tried to find the gun she had hidden under her mattress. But she couldn’t find it. Then she heard the gun shot. She knew it was the gun she couldn’t find. A sinking feeling washed over her. She slid under the bed and hit hoping no one would find her. She had no weapons with her and after the first attack she didn’t think she would need any.

Fiona barged into her room.

“Nikki are you in here?” she asked the empty room.

“Yes.” Nikki called from under the bed.

“What are you doing under there?” Fiona asked.

“Staying alive.” Nikki replied crawling out.

“Come I heard a gunshot.” Fiona beckoned.

“I am not going towards the gunshot.” Nikki replied flatly “I want to live.”

“It’s my job to help people. I am a pilot for the U.S.A air force.”

“I am not.” Nikki said.

“Are you brave enough to check on James and Lakisha?” Fiona asked.

Nikki hesitated.

“What is going on out there?”

“Villagers are attacking the castle, they want Tẽra’s head. Well, the queen’s and no one knows where the queen is. Tẽra has not been seen since the sick bay after the soldiers attacked.”

“Fine.” Nikki reluctantly agreed “I will check on them.”

“Hope I live.” she muttered under her breath as she walked out.

“You’ll be fine.” Fiona encouraged.

“I have a bow and arrows for you. Use them if needed.” Fiona gave her a beautiful bow and a quiver full of arrows, about seventy.

Nikki ran to James’ room. She banged on the door.

“It’s Nikki, I am here to check if you are alright.” She called.

The sound of heavy furniture moving came from the outside of the door.

Lakisha opened it just enough for Nikki to squeeze in.

“Are you both alright?” Nikki asked.

“No!” Lakisha said pushing the desk back in front of the door.

“James is covered in purple spots. The mystic healers that were meant to come heal him, never came. He’s dying!”

James lay on the bed covered in purple polka dots.

“Hi” he mumbled “It’s not as bad as Lakisha makes it out to be. I will be fine.” He said weakly.

“After the attack the Mystic Healers got caught up healing the wounded.” Nikki said.

Lakisha rolled her eyes.

“We are under attack again from the villages of Point. They want the queen’s head.”

Lakisha gave her a ‘stop making excesses’ look.

Nikki realized nothing was going to make Lakisha feel better. Someone she loved was dying and nothing was more important than that to her.

“I heard a gunshot.” James asked.

“So, did I but I didn’t go and check it out, instead I am here.” Nikki answered.

“Who has a gun?” Lakisha asked.

“I don’t know.” Nikki said, “But I worry it’s not one of us.”