The Hybrid Fateful Sorrow

The Heart Stone

Like a wounded snow-eagle falling in the grey sky was the sight of Ibarra as he fell from the balcony. He is not giving up his life, and It’s the opposite. Ibarra is about to change everything to his liking.

He has done this before, hundreds of times. He was setting each path like a puzzle for his own end game.

‘I’ll choose how I will die!’ he thought.

Splat! Ibarra’s body reaches the ground with the impact he received. His life ended. His heart stops, any essence of life escapes except the heart stone that is beating more lively than ever.

But now he returns to change it!

There he goes, standing on the balcony with the beautiful Queen Catherine as they greet the people below.

‘F*ck! Why in here!’ The tension got to him as he repeatedly glanced at The Queenshield.

Sir Horengar is a prominent opponent to fight head-on. Ibarra could defeat his enemy with one assault after learning his enemy movement, but The Queenshield is fully armored from top to bottom with years of experience as a weapon.

‘Think! How should I defeat him? Can I even beat someone like him with no time for preparation?’ He thought.

“My love? What’s on your mind?” The Queen asked.

“Yes? Nothing?” Ibarra replied.

“I’ve been calling your name, and your mind seems to be away. Are you worried about anything?” The Queen said.

“Nothing!” Ibarra replied as he somewhat glanced behind.

“Alright, but as I said. It’s snowing, and it reminds me of you,” The Queen said as she tightened her grip on Ibarra’s hand.

As if he wasn’t listening, Ibarra pulled The Queen closer as he swapped places with her away to The Queenshield Sir Horengar.

“What’s gotten into you?” The Queen asked.

Sir Horengar’s helmet eerily moves as he gazes and realizes what Ibarra did. He answers by lifting his war-door shield and unsheathing his short sword.

Ibarra replied by heaving his Damascus steel sword above. He strikes Sir Horengar as he turns around with a frontal attack before he could even harm The Queen. The metal clangs with Horengar’s massive shield blocking his attack. The force repelled back to Ibarra’s arm, losing his chance for consecutive strikes.

“Lord Ibarra!? Sir Horengar!? Stop this at once! What are you two doing!?” The Queen ordered.

With Sir Horengar’s large war-door shield, he uses it to block Ibarra’s view, hiding his blade and his attack. Away from everyone’s view as he switches his hand, now holding the short sword in his left hand and the large shield on his right.

Now that Horengar’s weapon is on his left and ready for offense, he thrust his sword to the bewildered Queen Catherine.

Not lacking from experience, Lord Ibarra, the leader of the Grey hand mercenaries, could see the slight change of position on Sir Horengar’s shield. Ibarra, understanding Horengar’s movement, hurries off a counterattack to protect The Queen.

Before Ibarra could deflect the attack, Horengar uses his large shield to work, whacking him with the massive shield. Ibarra couldn’t evade his attack with a small area on the balcony, but only to hope to block the raging Sir Horengar.

Ibarra loses balance as he tries to block the vast shield in contrast to his tiny steel sword. With his form broken, Horengar continued to bash him, resulting in Ibarra falling. Ibarra lies on the ground at a disadvantage against the tall Queenshield. With a pity block, he tries to deflect the giant shield that once again clobbers him. The impact he gets causes his blade that he used to block to wound his own body.

Ibarra loses most of his strength as soon as he sees The Queen’s pierced chest. The Queen’s cold eyes look at her beloved man as she longs for his touch. Upon falling to the ground, bleeding from her chest, Queen Catherine dies.

“The queen is dead….” Irelka uttered as she repeated the words in a much louder voice.

Irelka cowers in the corner, hoping to survive while the royal guards come.

“F*ck it! End me!” Ibarra said.

With all the royal guards surrounding Sir Horengar, he ignores Ibarra’s request.

“Why would you kill her? Answer me! You have been The Queen’s protector since she was a princess! There must be a reason!” Ibarra said.

Horengar’s reply was him committing his death, with his short sword once again meeting his neck. He drives the blade with significant force, resulting in his head falling off.

Ibarra’s back is on the ledge. He felt the breeze of cold air creeping on him as if it was telling him to jump once again.

‘How many times should I fall?….’

From the void, he opened his eyes. There he was with a beautiful Queen Catherine, ever so beautiful as she enjoyed the sight of her people cheering.

Ibarra could see her mouth move as she points her finger to the sky that is pouring snow. The Queen mouthing the word “Look, Ibarra. It’s snowing,” smiling with her sweet scarlet cheek.

For a moment, Ibarra had gone deaf, and all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat.

“My most amazing man! Are you here? Can he hear me, his lovely Queen?”

It showed to Ibarra’s face the look of surprise as soon as his senses returned.

“What,” Ibarra said.

“I said, we got an early snow. The snow reminds me of your hair,” Queen Catherine said.

She catches a flake of snow in the air as she continues to speak.

“The color, the softness, and gentleness. Oh! What am I saying?” She added with a nervous laugh.

“You are amazing, My Queen,” Ibarra said.

A flush of red soon followed in The Queen’s cheeks as she returned her gaze to the people below.

Ibarra almost forgot what will happen; remembering the events that will soon follow, he unsheathed The Sword of Ara. He turns around as he gazes at the significant obstacle he must defeat.

‘It would be and it was hard to face him in the same stance,’ he thought.

Ibarra, without hesitation, strikes the unsuspecting Queenshield. Sir Horengar’s years of fighting gave him a muscle instinct, as if his hands had a mind of their own, raising the shield to deflect Ibarra’s assault.

“Kill him now and end this!” Ibarra yelled.

Ibarra expected his action; his first attack was fake. He shifted his feet to reach Horengar’s side with his sword ready! Ibarra pierced The Queenshield’s narrow neck, building up the blood as the blade went through. Sir Horengar falls to his knees, gasping from the grave wound he received. From Horengar’s neck, Ibarra pushes his sword to the side, freeing the blood as it spatters to The Queen’s elegant gown.

“What’s gotten into you? Ibarra!” The Queen said.

“Oh no, guards! Come quick!” Irelka yelled.

With The Queen’s loud voice and Irelka’s cries for help, the royal guards showed up. The royal guards saw The Queenshield on his knees and his slitted throat; they drew their swords out, pointing the blade to the bloodied Ibarra.

“Ibarra! Speak! What have you done? Why did you do this?” The Queen said.

“Why would you do this!” Irelka said.

‘Why? Don’t you understand? No! What if it was all on my mind? I’m not crazy, am I?’

A moment where he would doubt himself as he steps away from The Queen. The guards gathered in front of The Queen.

“Lord Ibarra! You need to drop your sword and deal with your crime or your life will be dealt with!” The royal guards said.

‘This isn’t the time and place to doubt! Remember, everything is grey!’ he thought.

“Stop! The Queenshield has been planning to take the life of Queen Catherine!” Lord Ibarra said.

They glanced at the dead body of Sir Horengar to verify Ibarra’s words, but the dead man did not speak.

“Why didn’t you report this information earlier and instead waited?” The royal guard asked.

Irelka grabs Sir Horengar’s short sword on the ground.

“Don’t let him come any closer!” Irelka said.

“Lord Ibarra, we will not warn you again. Drop your swords and further explain yourself!” The royal guard ordered.

“Wait!” The Queen said.

The Queen moves in front of them as the guards give way while her steward Irelka stays at her back.

“Guards, point your blades away. Ibarra, my love, drop your arms. I believe in you we will sort this out, together.” The Queen said.

Ibarra surveyed his surroundings as he gradually dropped his sword and raised his hand to surrender.

‘The place looks safe now and The Queen full-heartedly trusts me, it’s done,’ he thought.

“For you, My Queen,” Ibarra said.

“Thank you, My Heart. I love you, Ibarra, you’re the only one I fully trust in my life-,” Queen Catherine said.

Ibarra was wrong, it was far from done as before The Queen could finish her sentence she was interrupted by the blade that was struck at her back, piercing through her chest. She coughs up some of the blood as she turns her back. The Queen couldn’t believe her eyes as soon as she saw her attacker.

It was her steward Irelka who stabbed her back with the short sword of Sir Horengar.

“Why?” The Queen asked.

Irelka uses the sword on herself, cutting her neck clean before the royal guards could even stop her. Queen Catherine loses her senses as she falls to the ground and her chest continues to bleed.

“Quick, tend to The Queen!” the royal guard said.

“No, no, no, Irelka is not some kind of assassin, what’s happening isn’t natural,” Ibarra said.

“Lord Ibarra… The Queen… is dead,” the royal guard said.

He continues to walk, passing the guard and his beloved woman onto the balcony edge.

“How many times should I fall? Countless, I’ll f*cking kill all of you! I’ll end everyone’s pathetic lives. I won’t be stopped from what they destined for me!” Ibarra said.

The royal guards could only stand surprised upon hearing his bizarre words.

“Not by any of you!”

Ibarra jumped from the balcony to commit his death.

The stone of evigt liv of styrka livened up, beating furiously at his hand. The snow-eagle once again fell to his death, with the cold breeze slowly embracing his body.