Chapter 5: Violence
"Dying for another is pointless when you are the most capable one on the field."
~ Quote from the Royal Guard Captain.
Heavy lies the crown
I'm not sure why that idiom floated to the top of my consciousness.
I'm not sure about a lot of things at the moment.
I should do something.
I need to do something.
Or do I?
Why am I even helping these people? Are they even real? Am I real?
My body felt light, and I could hear the blood rushing in my ear, and the vertigo it inspired was trying to throw me off the side of this cliff.
It's like someone scooped all my guts out and is pumping air into my chest.
I can feel the pressure on my heart. It's like a claw squeezing my vitals with a glacial weight.
God, I can barely breathe.
I think someone's calling my name.
No, not my name. I didn't tell them my name.
"Chosen!"
It's probably not important.
Why is the air so thick, it's like honey, I can't—
My thought spiral was interrupted by a loud thwack ringing out over the cliff. A sharp sting radiated across my cheek, hotter than the panic in my chest. The world snapped back into focus.
Why was my face hurting? Wait did the princess—
"Gods, I'm so sorry."
I looked at Aurelia. She looked mortified, covering her mouth with her hands. She was staring at me, like she couldn't believe what had happened.
I touched my cheek and felt the sore part of my skin, which was oddly hand-shaped.
"Did— Did you slap me?"
The princess started stammering out an excuse.
"Well, you see— I didn't mean— um that is— if you consider."
She took a breath and uncovered her face.
Aurelia's shock curdled to rage, and she balled her hands into fists. Her voice rose in anger, and she even stamped her foot.
"Yes! You know what, I did strike you! You need to get a hold of yourself! I don't care if you think you aren't the real Chosen, but right now you are my only hope of convincing my knight not to get himself killed like an imbecile!"
"You wound my pride, m'lady."
Reinhardt spoke without looking back. He stayed in an easy stance, sword held out, the setting sun gleaming off the blade.
He was a majestic figure. It would be a shame to watch him die, but then again, I'd probably be dying too much myself to notice.
"Sir Chosen."
I had drifted off again.
"Yes, Sir Royal Knight?"
Reinhardt stayed in his stance, but I saw his posture change.
"If the Princess doesn't regain her senses and flees before I die, I transfer my duties as Royal Protector to you, and only ask that you drag her from certain death."
"Sure."
What the actual hell am I saying? I can't be a Royal Protector.
Even Aurelia was stunned speechless at Reinhardt's words. It was kind of funny.
I mean the situation as a whole wasn't funny, but something about her face was. Some kind of cross between shock, revulsion, fear, and sadness. inspired the irth of all emotions.
I fought my smile at first. It was completely inappropriate.
I am a truly horrible person. This girl lost her entire family and her home, and I'm grinning like a madman.
My smile broke out into a grin, and then my chuckle slowly boiled over.
As I started, Aurelia looked at me, bewilderment etched into every line in her face.
I tried to bite my cheek, but even the pain didn't stop the laughter.
Reinhardt finally looked back at me, and I saw the pity in his eyes.
Aurelia edged closer to me, her eyes flicking back and forth from the cliff edge to me and back again.
"Um, Sir Chosen, what—"
"Oh my god, we're so fucked."
Her eyes widened.
I stood up sharply, and I couldn't even remember when I dropped to the floor.
I ran my hands through the short strands of my hair before I spoke.
"Don't you get it? There's nothing we can do. Even if Reinhardt can buy us enough time to escape in those woods, this castle has to be full of guards. How long is it going to take before they send more men? A day? Half that? Are we even going to get a head start at all?"
I rubbed my hands together and tried to ignore the looks the other two gave me.
"If you're as important as I think you are, then there is literally no way this Gavin guy is going to let you go."
Aurelia opened her mouth to talk, but I shot out a hand.
"I'm in the middle of something here."
Aurelia's eyebrows narrowed in anger, but the next words from Reinhardt seemed to calm her.
"My lady, I believe the Chosen is making a plan for our escape. It might be best to hear him out."
My mind was a whirlwind, so I started speaking my thoughts aloud.
"Okay. Okay. Even if Reinhardt holds off these guards until we escape, Commander Gavin can just send more. There is no way we can hide from a person with this much power."
"Truly, divine wisdom pours from you like a fountain," Aurelia said, with heavy sarcasm.
I ignored it.
"If Gavin is willing to kill your entire House to become king, that's not the kind of man who will stop because we are hiding in the woods. So he won't stop until you are dead, right?"
Aurelia seemed to overcome her initial disagreement and appeared to consider my words with actual sincerity.
The pieces started clicking together slowly but surely.
"So…" I said. The boots were getting louder, but rushing a plan wouldnt make it better.
"The only way to get Gavin to stop chasing is to make it seem you're dead."
I quickly turned to the old knight.
"If that entire battalion follows us on these steps, what's the chance this whole thing comes down?"
Reinhardt stroked his beard, mulling it over in his head.
"This is a well made escape. It was not built for it, but it would most likely stand despite the additional weight ."
I taped my temple, and I felt a smirk emerge on my face despite our dismal chances of survival.
"Ah but do they know that? "
I looked at Aurelia.
"Princess, you did that ritual, could you do any magic to collapse the stairs on those soldiers? It would also be preferable if we don't die in the landslide."
Aurelia shook her head violently.
"No— I I-Well you see—"
She took a breath to steady herself.
"The Rite of Return isn't a spell like how you are thinking. I am no mage. All I did was follow instructions on a couple sheets of parchment."
I ran a hand across my face. Okay, no magic. Maybe Reinhardt was wrong? He obviously knew this castle well, but these stairs were OLD old. I looked down and kicked a loose pebble off the cliff to accentuate the thought.
The tightness in my chest started to return. Wow, two panic attacks in as many minutes? It must be my birthday.
"But I have something else that might help."
My gaze shot up from the floor.
Aurelia had extended an arm towards me. She was holding a handful of red gems.
"I hate to break it to you Princess, but think it's too late for bribery."
Her royal majesty frowned.
"These are mana crystals. How do you not know what they are?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"We didn't have them in my country. So how are magic rocks going to help?"
Aurelia let out a sigh at my ignorance.
"These are Pyregems. Their from the residue of fire spells."
I nodded like I understood, and crossed my arms.
"They are full of unstable mana. If the structure breaks, it's going to be released explosively. With the flask I have, it should be enough—"
My eyes widened in understanding.
"To blow up the stairs! Oh my God this might actually work."
Aurelia beamed, and her smug expression was oddly endearing. Reinhardt looked less pleased.
"My lady, why did you not say anything? Carrying around such volatile components is dangerous and—"
Aurelia's face fell a little but she waved away the concern.
"You worry too much Sir Reinhardt. I've handled worse."
Even with his lack of visible emotion, I could recognize a look of paternal disappointment. Experience I guess.
"Okay, so now all we need is a way is not actually blow ourselves up while convincing the guards that—"
"Enemies of the Lord General Gavin Blacksteel, Halt!"
I mixed and matched a couple of choice swear words.
The three of us turned to the archway about 50 feet away.
I saw a large crowd of soldiers standing in the cave we had left. I'd wager there were about 50 of them.
Standing in front of the soldiers was an obvious nobleman.
He wore bright greens and yellows, with ostentatious embroidery that glittered gold. The noble's hat was the most eye-catching. It was ridiculously wide-brimmed, almost like a parasol, with a giant white feather stuck in it.
The noble pulled out a large scroll, and upon clearing their throat, proceeded to read from it.
"Baron Reinhardt Von Nordmark, you have been pronounced guilty of treason, regicide, and conspiracy against the Divine Right of Kings."
I saw the normally stoic knight grit his teeth as the words echoed across the cliffside. I had dealt with enough people like that noble to know a liar when I heard it, and Feather Hat wasn't a particularly good liar either.
The man continued.
"Aurelia Goldmane, formerly Lady Goldmane, you have been pronounced guilty of treason, heresy, and conspiracy against the Church."
I frowned when I heard Aurelia's list of crimes. Reinhardt's made sense, pin the murder of a king on the Royal Protector and you kill two birds with one stone. But why were Aurelia's crimes so… religious?
Feather Hat rolled up his scroll and leered down the steps at us.
"Now either come along quietly or my soldiers will forcibly escort you to face your crimes."
He continued, voice quieter but it still clearly carried his sickening excitement.
"Just so you are aware m'lord and lady, even if you do surrender, the reason we want you alive is so Lord Blacksteel can kill you himself."
Reinhardt adjusted his stance, still holding his sword between us and the 50 something soldiers.
"Ezran, you dishonor your lineage by parroting such falsehoods. What would your father say if he knew his only son had turned lackey to such villainy."
I saw spittly fly from Feather Hat's, or rather Ezran's, mouth as he shouted back at the knight.
"I will bring my family to heights my ancestors could only DREAM OF Reinhardt! When you beg for death in your crow cage, I will be among ROYALS! How DARE you speak to me in such a tone? I AM A DUKE! You WILL OFFER ME THE PROPER RESPECT!"
Clearly, someone had issues they needed to work out. Another quarter in the therapist jar. At that truly profound thought, I noticed my earlier mirth began to well up again, but this time I was able to choke it down.
I gulped some air and looked at Aurelia. Her eyes were locked on the herald, and her hands held the glass flask of supposedly explosive crystals with white-knuckled intensity.
I leaned close to whisper.
"Give me the gems."
The princess startled, then recovered quickly, thrusting the container into my hands.
"You have a good plan, I hope?"
"Of course, of course. Don't get mad at me, please."
"What? Why would I get– Oh no, Gods' curse you– Chosen wait–"
I ignored Aurelia's brief exclamations and stepped forward to stand beside Reinhardt. His eyes flicked at me before turning back to the soldiers.
Ezran seemed to have run out of breath mid-rant and yet was trying to continue regardless.
"I— I'm— I'm the— You— The— The Duke— The Commander demands—" Ezran sputtered, doubled over and pointing a shaky finger at Reinhardt, who looked completely unbothered by the man.
I gave Feather Hat a moment to catch his breath.
When he finished gasping and straightened, Ezan shot me an ugly look.
"Who is this boy? Are you so desperate as to hold a plain-faced stable boy hostage, Reinhardt?"
Ouch.
I muttered to Reinhardt out of the corner of my mouth, "If I blow a hole in the cliff, can you save us?"
Reinhardt didn't look down, but responded in a gravelly whisper.
"Yes, but I will need some warning."
I nodded and flashed a thumbs-up to the knight before stepping forward.
"Hello!"
Wow, the first life-or-death situation in this world, and we are starting with a cheerful 'Hello!'? Aurelia may have had a point about those mental deficiencies.
My tone, it seemed, had clearly offended the nobleman, and Ezran's already red face deepened to a furious scarlet.
"Have you become so desperate as to use mouthy stable hands in your bid for treason Reinhardt?" Ezra's shouted, looking straight past me at the knight.
I almost took offense at that. But then again I didn't have some kind of angelic halo or mystical choir proclaiming my status as Chosen.
"I'll have you know, Sir Ezran of the preposterous hat, I am no mere stable boy! I am—"
Something stopped me right at that moment. Maybe it was my conscious, maybe it was the three eyes boring into the back of my head, but I knew in that moment, proclaiming myself as the Chosen would be a horrible idea. So I went with a little white lie.
"I am an incredibly dangerous and unstable terrorist!"
"What?"
Ezran's anger twisted into confusion as he tried to process what I said.
Genius ploy, Mr. Chosen. Forget deficiency, there must be a complete LACK of brain between your ears.
I raised the jar of pyregems from behind my back and held it aloft.
"And I WILL blow up everyone on this staircase, Princess included if you do not step back, Sir Ezran the Traitor!"
Ezran only looked more furious, but I noticed a few of the men behind him exchange worried glances.
Ezran's expression twisted into a sneer.
"You cannot win us over with your stolen gems, 'terrorist'."
He licked his lips, the greed evident on his face.
"But I will be… repossessing them of course."
I shrugged and sighed.
"Oh well, nothing to be done then."
I cast a mournful look towards the princess, shook my head and tried to adopt a disappointed tone.
Aurelia's face warred between fear, anger, and disgust, hopefully directed at Ezran.
Asshole, I hope this explosion DOES kill him.
I looked back at the red-faced traitor, who seemed to be readying his troops for an assault.
It was then that I chose to mutter some words to Reinhardt.
"When I say 'Die,' that's the moment."
I saw the old knight give a barely perceptible nod out of the corner of my eye.
Focusing back on the nobleman, I called out, trying to reach all the prying ears before me.
"If our choice is to surrender now, or execution at the hands of your traitor king, we choose to fight! If we die so will you!"
Right before the words 'die' left my mouth, I hucked the explosive flask in my hand at the stairs between the soldiers and us.
Ezran merely frowned as he watched the glass shatter against the stone.
"What idiotic—."
On instinct, I threw an arm across my eyes and turned away. Despite my effort, I felt the heat wash over me.
I also felt a metallic arm grab me around the waist and pull me away.
Then in a rush, the sound I didn't know disappeared returned with a vengeance, leaving my ears ringing.
Through the ringing, I heard the roar and rumble of boulders crashing against one another.
Opening my eyes, I blinked the tears and spots from my vision and witnessed something incredible.
Reinhardt had somehow picked me up and slung me on his back, carrying the princess in his arms.
Her eyes were squeezed tight, and she mouthed some kind of mantra.
As I began to look around, I realized how dire our predicament was.
Reinhardt was running down the cliff. Carrying two basically adult humans. Not that the cliff was a perfect ninety degrees. My explosion had worked well enough to start a localized landslide, and Reinhardt was hopping from rock to rock as we continued our controlled plummet.
As the light stung my eyes, I looked down at Reinhardt.
There was light gathered around his legs. His entire body really, like shimmering threads of gold. They were most prevalent in his feet. With every step, I could have sworn that the ground itself was absorbing the threads; the flood of dust and gravel stabilizing a movement for each step.
But I blinked, and the light was gone.
"Alright, what's part two of the plan, Reinhardt?" I yelled over the wind and earth.
When the knight spoke, I heard strain in his voice for the first time since meeting him.
"I believe you were the one making the plan, Chosen."
I nodded, then realized he couldn't see it and cringed.
"The river! It's our best bet."
Reinhardt grunted in affirmation.
As we slid down the mountain, I noticed something worrying.
"Reinhardt!"
"Yes, Sir Chosen?"
Unfortunately, even with the landslide, the bottom of the cliff did not quite reach the river, leaving a solid span of shoreline that would do nothing to break our descent.
"We're gonna have to jump!"
Aurelia's eyes shot open, let out terrified squeak, and then squeezed her eyes shut again.
"Absolutely not! If we jump we are at the mercy of our fall! If Sir Reinhardt maintains his speed down the mountain we can-."
Reinhardt let out a small grunt as he leap over a rocking into a slide, forcing me to readjust my grip as to not choke the man.
"Begging her highness's pardon, I'm not the warrior I used to be. I can not guarantee your safety should I continue this course of action."
I think Aurelia let out a string of curses, but it was drowned in the wind. Mostly. I continued, making sure Reinhardt could hear my voice.
"Alright, so barring a mushy end at the foot of the cliff, I think we jump close to the bottom so we don't spatter against the water either."
"A sensible approach, Chosen"
"I STILL HAVEN'T AGREED TO THIS IDIOTIC PLAN!"
"On 3?"
"2."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
"What?"
"Try to disengage before we hit the water, Sir Chosen. My apologies but I cannot swim with the two of you."
"Ah. Will do."
"I AM A ROYAL AND YOU WILL-."
"I am jumping now m'lady."
"-LISTEN TO- AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And with a final leap Reinhardt cleared the gap between the rubble and river. Now in a complete free fall, Aurelia's protests dissolved into hysterical screaming.
I looked down and saw only the water. I turned back to the one eyed knight.
"Alright, old man, try not to die!"
"A similar fate for you, young sir."
I let go of Reinhardt.
"Oh shi-."
As the waters rushed towards me, I pinwheeled my arms to straighten out. Going head-first after falling what had to be at least 50 feet seemed like a bad idea.
It was only during the last 15 or so feet that a couple of things occurred to me at once.
One, I have no idea how deep the water is or if there is debris I'm going to be impaled upon shortly
Secondly—
Then I hit the surface. Immediately a burning pain shot up my leg, and I was surrounded by bubbles and water.
As current pulled me though the water, I ignored the spike of pain in my ankle every time I kicked for the surface.
I burst out, and tried to take a breath.
Which was a mistake.
My mouth immediately half filled with water. I coughed, sputtered, and barely avoided drowning.
At some point the water cleared from my ears slightly and I could hear the roar of water. I thrashed wildly, using every ounce of my strength to stay afloat.
I had barely recovered when I slammed into something painfully unyielding, and a burning cut tore across my side. I gasped and almost went under from the shock, but I scrabbled for a grip, grabbing a handhold on some branches.
"I just— got here! I'm not— gonna die because of a bunch of damn water!"
I gritted my teeth, my words of defiance barely audible.
The object, which I realized was a fallen tree, still rested on the shore. As the pain in my side intensified, I saw blood flow away from me down the river.
"Shit."
Using the tree, I slowly pulled myself toward the gravel river bank. Every movement pulsed pain through my entire body. Chicks dig mottled bruises right?
The sharp bark dug into my hands, scraping my palms, but inch by agonizing inch I made my way until my feet touched what I hoped was a riverbank and not a maliciously hungry turtle.
I let go of my life line and stumbled ashore. I fell the last few feet, and twisted to land on my back instead of faceplanting.
As I lay on the stony beach, I enjoyed the sensation of breathing air without occasional gulps of water into my lungs. Which was ruined by a coughing fit that turned into retching up river water.
Once my lungs were clear I looked up at the darling sky and the two moons that were slowly coming into view.
Hey.
Two moons.
That's neat.
Bet their tides are super wacky.
"I'd like my little red shoes now please."
And then exhaustion, stress, and physical trauma dragged me into unconsciousness.