My brother rode up next to me as we looked onward at the great metal monster that the black swan had constructed. “So, are you bringing this one down too?”
“No… Well… No…”
“It seems you're still making your plan.”
I leaned forward on Fritz’s head, hugging her neck as I stared at it. “I’m running low on juice… And Fritz can’t kick through metal… It would just dent, not to mention the metal is over stone too…”
“So you don’t have a plan?”
I groaned, closing my eyes. “No, I have a plan… I just don’t like it… So I’m trying to come up with a better one…”
“And how long will you wait before you give up on doing that?”
“Until Mo gets here.”
“Kai’s sister?” He glanced back at Kai.
‘Oh yeah… That… Might be an issue… But it should be fine right?’ Just as I thought that my eyes focused on Mo who was entering our camp from the side, frozen stiff at the sight of him. ‘Well… It’s too late to worry about it now… It’s impressive she’s avoided him for this long…’ “Just go tell Kai to pretend like he doesn’t recognize her because of the hood and mask. And if you can get him to say he loves her and doesn’t hate her, within earshot, that’d be great.” I clicked my cheek and got Fritz to head over to her, pulling her up behind me.
“Siya…” She muttered.
“I know, don’t worry, he doesn’t know you’re here, and you're wearing your disguise too right? If you aren’t ready to talk to him you won’t have to.”
After his short talk, Airsidh rode back over to us. “Ok, what’s your plan then?”
I stared back up at the castle walls and groaned. “Mo and I get over the castle walls and open the gate from the inside, while we are causing a ruckus, we have a few men free climb up the back wall to take out the archers and guards there, which should be distracted by us.”
“Ok… So how do you two get over the wall? Who’s going to distract the guards for you?”
I looked over at Mo. I couldn’t say how exactly she knew from my expression, but the look on her face told me she was already aware she wouldn’t like what I was going to say next. “No one…”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“What?” My brother asked.
“We won’t need a distraction… Because… We won’t be climbing the wall…”
“Oh? So how are you getting over it then?”
Mo’s eyes were suddenly as wide as a cat about to pounce on a resting bird, but she didn’t say a word.
“You’re going to throw us…”
Dead silence filled the air between the three of us, and after enough of it, Mo finally started to relax… Until Aisidh started to slowly nod. “Ok.” Her eyes instantly widened again at his agreement.
He dismounted, walking next to us and offering a hand. “If you touch me I’m going to stab you…” Mo muttered.
He shifted his hand from between the two of us to just me. “She seems nice.” He said calmly as I took it and let him help me down. Mo got off on her own but stayed hiding behind me, clearly opposed to the idea and just not saying anything.
“I’m not sure I could get you over the top of the wall from here though.”
“Right… That’s why… Fritz will help you… We ride up like lightning and then you toss me straight up right in front of a guard. I’ll take him out and land while you toss Mo right behind me…”
He nodded. “So then… Why did you both get off her just now.”
“That’s… Because…” I quickly felt my face start to turn red. ‘Because you offered your hand!’ “I was just stretching my legs…” I mumbled. “Let’s just get this over with… And… If I end up not making it and falling… Please catch me…”
The whole way there Mo clung onto me even tighter than before, almost as if she was the one scared of heights, but she let go without issue the moment it was time for Airsidh to toss me. After being kicked into the air by her strong legs my brother threw me and I flew up like the wind. The moment the wind rushed past me I began feeling a strange euphoria that sent shivers down my spine and made my back twitch, my eyes surging with a tinge of orange as I landed, kicking the guard in the face and pulling my sword to quickly block incoming arrows that were too hard to dodge.
I was a bit worried for a moment, but sure enough, Mo came right behind me and together we took out the guards lining the front wall, running down the stairs and unbaring the gate, kicking it open for our waiting army. While they advanced the men Airsidh led around the back scaled the back wall and surrounded them, in almost no time at all, we won.
When the battle was over, and even after my heartbeat began to slow, the tint in my eyes never left. I had to separate myself from the noise and the crowd out of fear I might threaten to cut someone's head off again… Although admittedly I found the likelihood of me losing control like that was low. Still, while the others celebrated by burning the flag of the conquered, I stood alone atop the wall, staring out over the field, thinking back to the many battles, and the lives that would have been lost had it been a real war. There was a deep longing inside me that I just couldn’t explain as I began drifting closer to the edge of the wall, no matter how scared I was of falling off…
“Siya?” Mo asked from behind, taking a step back when I turned to look at her.
“Hey… Mo…” I turned back over the battlefield. ‘That’s right… We aren’t done yet… There’s one castle left…’
“When… I was alone… And scared… And a little confused too I guess. You showed up and gave me a hug. I don’t know why, but it made me feel better… “Do you need a hug, Siya?”
I almost laughed at how bluntly she spoke, but the deep sorrow overtook that moment in an instant. “Do I look scared and confused?” I asked calmly.
“I guess not…”
‘My whole body feels hot, but not like I’m boiling… It’s like even the heat coming from me is sad… I used to feel a deep hatred toward all humanity… But no it’s just only sorrow…’ “I’m not scared… And not really confused either… Someone cut off my wings… And ripped out my heart… And in place of rage, all I feel is a deep longing…” I lowered my gaze down to the bottom of the wall. “I’m scared of heights… And yet I feel an overwhelming urge to jump, feel the wind rushing past me as I fall.”
I suddenly felt a tug pulling me away as Mo grabbed me and quickly stepped back, holding onto me tightly “I think… You should just wait for a windy day…” She said calmly, her eyes as wide as they were before.
“Ha… Maybe you're right…” ‘I wasn’t really going to jump…’