The cock had not crowed before Erin made his way towards the city gates. Not the one that stood proudly in front of the city, but the one at the back of the city.

Only a few people knew this gate. He had already planned his departure before the eve of the day the prisoner would be executed. He knew the execution would bring about a war that would pull the city to its knees.

"Going somewhere?"

It was a voice from the darkness. Erin kept his hand on the butt of his gun. He was close to the gate, but he could see that it was locked. It was never locked.

It was always open and led to a tunnel through the cave formed by the mountain against which the city leaned. Anyone who did not know his way around the tunnel would definitely get lost. That was why the guards never bothered to close it. It was there as a failsafe for the king in case the impregnable city fell.

"Who are you? What is this?" Erin asked, panic getting into his voice. He had personally made sure there were no guards positioned here, so he could find his way through the tunnel without obstruction. The prisoner was the most important thing in the land after the king, he had told his men.

From the corners of the street, men poured in. He counted about five of them, all the while licking his lips nervously. If they all had guns, then there was no way he was going to defeat them.

"Running from the coming war?" Quil asked coming to stand in the middle of the city before him. In the twilight, he recognized the best artist that the city had ever produced.

"Quil," he said. He still remembered paying the man to mold an image for the king. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for someone like you to pass. There would always be cowards in the king's army who do not deserve their armor. We could use it for the good of the people."

"You are with the peasants?"

"I am a peasant. Strip him of his armor," Quil commanded.

Quickly, Erin pointed his gun at Quil. The other men raised their guns at Erin.

"If you come near me, I will shoot him," Erin threatened.

"If he shoots me, you all know what to do," Quil said. "Kill the king and every royal blood. For the people."

"For the people," the men replied.

"The guards would be here anytime soon," Erin bluffed. There was nothing else he could do. Quil was not like him. The artist was made, willing to sacrifice himself for an idea, a goal. Erin was practical.

"We know what you did, Erin. We have been watching you. You asked the guards to leave the little gate so you can pass through it. Drop your gun and give us your armor."

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"Okay, okay," Erin said.

Slowly, he dropped his gun.

"Your armor," Quil demanded.

The men watched Erin pull the armor off his body till he was naked. Quil nodded at one of the men who went over and took the armor from him.

"Are we even now?" Erin asked. "Can I go?"

"Definitely not with the horse."

"You can't do this..."

"Kill him," Quil said.

Erin was still protesting when a spear went through his heart. The attacker pulled the spear out, and Erin fell to the floor, lifeless.

**

The crowd was baying for blood as the king stood from his throne. Among the crowd were the royals, separated from the peasants by a line of soldiers. These were the ones in support of what the king wanted to do.

The peasants outside the circle looked murderous, but Harodin had great confidence in his army. They had kept his father on the throne and they would keep him as well. Beside him, Sheer stood, his face expressionless, his eyes keen. The only person missing was the princess, the king's sister.

Tum was led in and pushed towards the executioner's block.

"Off with his head!" the royals chanted.

It was a show of power. If the royals could do whatever they wanted and get away with it, then the peasants would be under them for the rest of their lives.

The peasants had grown silent. An odd thing. They always had something to say, some insult or an objection.

"This man came to my house, and I accepted him as a friend," the king said. "Little did I know he was plotting to stab me in the back. I sentence him to die. His death will be a lesson for people who overreach their place in life. Off with his head!"

Tum was placed on the block, his head pinned down by another guard. He did not offer any resistance. As the executioner raised his ax, the princess appeared from nowhere, evading the soldiers, and ran to lie on top of the prisoner, keeping her head in place instead.

"Get her out of there!" the king screamed, stepping out from beside his throne.

At the same time, an arrow buried itself in the king's chest. It was so swift that none of the guards knew where it was from. Then some guards started hacking down other guards.

"The princess!" Aris shouted, running towards the princess, but she was too late. Both the princess and Tum have pulled away.

Sheer watched the commotion unfolding before him. He realized that some of the peasants were dressed in the soldiers' uniforms and that their lines had been breached. The king was on the ground, clutching his chest, blood streaming out like a river. Sheer turned and ran.

Aris saw him and followed, fighting her way through the crowd of peasants. It was clear that the peasant had the upper hand and the soldiers who stayed back to fight would be eventually outnumbered and beaten to death.

Sheer made it back into the king's court. The fighting had taken on a dimension he had not imagined. Add to it that the fool, Alphonso messed up the mission he sent him on, leaving him without the crystal sword, and he was doomed. The king, for all intent, was dead already.

"Halt!" a voice shouted from behind him.

He paused and turned slowly. The woman warrior. The captain of the king's guard had failed to secure the king's life.

"You," Sheer said.

The woman had her sword firmly in her hand, a dangerous thing. Women being near weapons had always been a dangerous thing. She could throw the sword at him, and she would not miss.

"You could not protect the king," Sheer said, wondering where the men that were loyal to him were. They should have come looking for him. He hoped they were not all dead.

"Even you, snake," Aris replied. "Tell me, for how long have you been planning to steal the crown for yourself?"

"Not long enough, apparently."

Some soldiers ran into the courtyard, and Sheer heaved a sigh of relief. His men at last.

"Keep her busy," he said to two of the men and ran towards the door beside the throne. He had to run away from the kingdom before it fell and came down upon him.