As stray arrows came in through the window and the midwives screamed in terror, Sylia yelled, ” Where is the child?” Thrasus was shielding the prince with his own body – the arrow still in him. He handed the prince over to Sylia, and as he looked over the mother, who was weak from her labor, he could only say “Sister.. ”
Despite being exhausted from the birth, she cried as loudly as she could:
“Protect Akhilia! Protect my son. He is the one who will save us.”
As he looked upon his sister for what he knew was the last time, he could not help but hesitate. His legs froze up and his senses drowned due to the sorrow of what he knew must happen he felt it. He felt the large hands of Thrasus shake him back to his senses.
“Go!“, Thrasus said.
He looked one last time into the eyes of Thrasus who had now pulled the arrow out of his shoulders. He saw the resolve of Thrasus to die here for the newborn prince. He looked at his men, only a dozen or so left, and said, “Thank you brothers. I look forward to drinking with you again in the afterlife. Veni Valhalla(1)!”
His men yelled back in unison,“Veni Valhalla,” and, Sylia, famed for being the fastest man in the king’s service, stripped his armor, wrapped a cloth around himself, carried the prince and jumped from the northern window into the river Athena.
When the insurgents overwhelmed the guards and came closer, Thrasus knew exactly what he had to do. He lifted his giant blade. This time, when he struck, it worked as intended. The new mother’s head fell spared from the indignities that she otherwise would have suffered. As the midwives and ladies in waiting all ran outside, what followed them was screaming and then - nothing. The dozen guards that were left had barricaded the room and resolved to die.
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Smoke and fire crept into the room; an attempt to goad out the last of the defenders. Thrasus knew his time had come. With a final yell, Thrasus and the dozen guards charged outside to meet the enemy. As he struck down what seemed like endless torrents of enemies charging into the hall, his own men started falling one by one. When only five were left standing, from the walls across the hall, there was a hail of arrows. This new battalion was a professional one. Despite the many arrows that pierced his body, Thrasus stood up.
With blurry eyes Thrasus saw a tall woman, who was drenched in red, and wearing drab clothes, walking up to him. As he took another breath and his vision improved, he noticed the scar that sliced the woman’s beautiful left cheek. Through the light of the burning fire all around, he could see the image of the wolf skull that marked her chest. Thrasus had seen this woman before and realized that the prince was in far more danger than the guards thought. But he could do no more.
As the woman drew her giant executioner’s sword, Thrasus screamed his final war cry:
“Veni Valhalla”
The sword pierced the warrior’s heart and the lion of Harbook(2) was the last of the guards to fall.
---Preview of Next Chapter---
The barbarians have attacked and killed the queen, her guards, and everyone in the palace save the newborn and Sylia. Out of the fires of the castle, Sylia plunged into the cold waters of the river Athena. How will they manage? Dangers lurk everywhere and the mysterious woman with the mark of the wolf will strike again. Discover more on the next chapter of From Fire and Blood Ch 3- Sylia’s Escape
---Notes---
1. Veni Valhalla: Meaning “To Valhalla” in the Eastern Tongue; similar to Valhalla from Norse Mythology
2. Harbook: A city at the border of Athens and the Eastern Woodlands - tributary state to the city Athena
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