Chapter 13

I don’t want to be a murder

I scrambled out of bed as quickly as I could. I pulled my armour on. Adrenaline was running through my body making the buckles almost impossible to do. I had to keep reminding myself to breath normally. I grabbed my shield strapping it to my arm. I got my sword free from its sheath. I didn’t even bother attaching the sheath to my side. There would be no need for it.

I rushed out of the tent. The camp was a flurry of movement. People ran around everywhere. People were yelling. Lieutenants trying to get some form of formation into our ranks. The loud emergency bell was still ringing.

Spâtètïe were circling above aiming arrows at the enemy I couldn’t see. I couldn’t tell where the Tiffer were coming from. The spâtètïe were yelling something at us but their words were impossible to hear.

I could finally stop worrying about where the Tiffers were when they poured out of the forest. I could then start worrying about dying. Yay!

I hated fighting but my instincts kicked in and I charged towards the enemy. Adrenaline raced through my body. My conscious brain seemed to have turned off.

I stabbed at a Tiffer. They blocked my strike easily. The moment our swords meet my training came rushing back to me. I turned my body to the side, presenting a smaller target. I bent my legs to enable easy movement.

Our blades were crossed. Mine was on the inside. Good. He made the first move. He aimed for my shoulder. I easily moved my sword to block. I pushed his blade out of the way. I lunged. He stepped back. He wasn’t fast enough. My point sliced through his arm. Not deep enough to kill but enough to slow him down.

I pushed my wrist out to the right catching his blade on my guard. His eyes widened as he realised, I had won. I lunged forward. I drove my point into his left side. I stepped back pulling my sword from his body. He fell to the ground with a cry of agony.

I watched him gasp on the ground with some amount of satisfaction. I moved onto my next opponent.

I found my opponent quickly. The Tiffers were everywhere.

I took up a fighting stance. I made the first move. I bashed their blade. They had a strong grip. The blade only moved a few millimetres. Shame. They made the next move. He took my blade around. Spinning my blade round and round. I disengaged quickly taking a step back.

This time I was the slow one. His point sliced my arm. Pain erupted from where the point had connected me. I took another step back. He was stronger and faster than me. There was a high chance I lost this one.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

My stubbornness kicked in. I took a step towards him. I held my shield in front of my body. My sword poised and ready. This time I took his sword around. He didn’t disengage immediately. He allowed me to take control of his sword. That worried me. He knew what he was doing.

I took my chances and lunged. He attempted to block but for once I was faster. I pushed my point through his armour and into his gut. He looked down at my sword with some surprise.

I pulled my sword free. He stayed standing. I had let my guard down. I didn’t think he would stay upright.

He slashed his sword in a long arc. It was a desperate last act. The point of his sword made a long cut across my face. The cut started at my forehead them down onto my cheek. I was more than lucky that it had missed my eye.

After he cut me, the sword fell from his hand. He crumpled to the ground.

A small trickle of blood fell into my eye. I ran my sleave across my face whipping away my blood. My arm still stung and now my face was on fire. I wanted to stop. I wanted to lay down and cry but if I did, I would die. I had no choice but to continue fighting.

I yell came from above, “get out of the way!”

A Pegasus was flying above. The rider had an arrow notched and ready. I recognised the arrow immediately. It was an exploding arrow. I scrambled away from the advancing Tiffers. He fired the arrow down into the crowd of Tiffers.

I covered my ears. The explosion echoed around the camp. I heard explosion after explosion. It seemed every spâtètïe had an exploding arrow and was firing it at the Tiffer.

The explosions stopped. A call of retreat was cried. The remaining Tiffers went running back into the forest. Pîdantrës fired arrows at the retreating figures. A few fell but most got away.

Once the danger was gone the adrenaline rushed out of me. I sat down heavily. I tried to slow my breathing. In. Out. In. Out. My heart rate slowed. My hands stop shacking as badly. Once I had calmed down a bit more, I pushed myself to my feet.

The camp was in shambles. I saw a boy lying on the ground blood pouring from a wound in his gut. I made my way towards him. When I crouched down next to him he grabbed the front of my shirt pulling me closer.

“I killed people. I’m a monster. I killed so many people.” He whispered with sadness in his voice. “I didn’t want to be a murder. Will I become a star? Was I good enough to become a star?”

“I don’t know.” I was crying now. His guilt was so real. So raw. I shared that guilt. Today I had enjoyed killing someone. I had relished in his pain.

“I’m so sorry.” I said it through tears. “I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t say another word. The last thing he did was look at my tear stained face and cry.

Life left his body. He lay motionless in a pool of his own blood. It was so much like how Calla had died. Calla. I missed him more than any amount of words can ever describe.

I stood up. I needed Pill. I needed a hug from my best friend. Best friend. Pill. I needed my best friend Pill.

I began to look for him. I walked past so many injured people. Medics leaning over them trying to stop their bleeding. There were cries of pain from all angles. The camp was in shambles. Some tents were fully collapsed some only half was collapsed.

I spotted Staggy. I increased my pace.

When he spotted me, he called out, “Thank the stars you are all right!” He was crying. Even from my distance I could see he was shaking.

“Please tell me you know where Pill is!” I needed to know he was all right as well.

“Rico, I’m so sorry…” He pulled me into a hug. He was crying.

Before he even finished his sentence, I knew what had happened.

Pill was dead.