A King's War

Chapter 3

VER

The arrow flew through the air smoothly before sticking into its target. The blue tunic dropped before he could let out a cry and took the reins that had been wrapped around his hands with him. The horses veered and the remaining blue tunics on the wagon lost their footing, shouting out they were under attack. None of the elves would come to help them.

“Showtime,” Ilrune said as he leapt from the edge of the roof and landed gracefully in the back of the wagon immediately engaging in sword fighting with the two remaining blue tunics.

I locked in another arrow and fired it off at one of the three blue tunics that had heard the calls for help and came running down the street. He dropped. Another arrow and the second one dropped. The third one was dropped by Galen, who leapt out of the shadows and drove his sword through him.

Two more blue tunics came running up to the front of the wagon. I aimed another arrow and prepared to call out a warning to Ilrune, but Aila jumped out from the alleyway she had been ducked in and began to fight both of them, dropping them with ease. Ilrune finished messing around with the two blue tunics he had been fighting and jumped into the front of the wagon, grabbing hold of the reigns. Galen and Aila each grabbed onto the back and pulled themselves up into the wagon.

Ilrune shouted to the horses and gave a hard tug on the reigns to get their attention before steering them at a gallop down the cobblestone street. I pushed to my feet and followed on foot across the rooftops, leaping from building to building and sliding down the slanted roofs. I was barely able to keep up with the galloping horses but it was imperative that I did so I kept my pace.

People screamed and jumped out of the way of the wagon as Ilrune steered through the streets to the city center. Galen and Aila kept watch from the back of the wagon, swords ready, and shields up. I watched out for all of them from the rooftops, firing off arrows at blue tunics as I ran, keeping them from reaching the wagon.

Ilrune turned the wagon into the city center with a shout of excitement and Aila and Galen put down their shields long enough to get to work. Both began cutting into the bags of coins and valuables that the blue tunics had stolen from the people and then began pouring the bags out onto the streets of the city center as the wagon raced through it.

I smiled as I watched the people race forward to gather the coins and my smile grew wider as they began to cheer for my brother and for me. I raced along the rooftops to keep up with the wagon, leaping across buildings, only to falter. A blockade had been made across one the streets. Spiked wooden beams had been fixed into the ground and aimed at the wagon that was rapidly speeding toward them. Blue tunics waited in the surrounding alleyways and streets. An ambush. They had known we were coming.

“Ilrune!” I shouted, hoping he’d hear me over the roar of the horses’ hooves. “It’s a trap!”

I ran across the roof and began firing off arrows taking blue tunic down one by one, but when they began firing back, I was forced to take cover. There were too many of them and I didn’t have a shield. I was only able to peer out from the roof I was ducked behind to watch as the wagon continued on its collision course with the blue tunics. Arrows continued to pelt the side of the roof so I stayed down. Aila and Galen had moved to the front of the wagon, their shields up to deflect the arrows now being shot toward them.

I was able to move from behind the slanted roof and began firing off arrows once again. Suddenly, however, there was a shot of what appeared to be lightening and the back wheels of the wagon exploded in a ball of fire. Magic. The King’s Blood. We’d caused so many problems for Zatir he’d decided to handle this personally.

Galen and Aila jumped from the wagon as it began to splinter and fall apart, both grabbed hold of a window ledge of the neighboring buildings and pulled themselves up onto the roofs. Ilrune had moved to the back of the wagon and ended up being thrown from it when it had been struck with magic. I looked on in horror as my brother laid in the street, his sword on the ground in front him, and Zatir walking toward him, a ball of lightning in his hands. It seemed since Zatir knew he’d finally caught one of the remaining members of the royal family, the rest of us were forgotten.

I pulled my arm back to fire an arrow, only to discover I had none left. So, I pulled my sword and moved to jump from the roof to come to Ilrune’s aid. I was pulled back by Aila.

“Let go of me,” I said harshly.

She shook her head sadly. “There’s nothing you can do,” She told me. “Don’t let the King’s Blood get you too, or else Ralorn is truly lost.” She pulled me down on the roof, forcing me to crouch in hiding.

My heart was racing as I watched from above as Zatir walked up to my brother. Ilrune reached for his sword, but with one word from Zatir, vines came up through the ground and wrapped around Ilrune, binding his hands and legs, and cutting into his skin.

“So,” Zatir spoke. “Which one are you?”

Ilrune just glared at him and said nothing.

Zatir shrugged carelessly. “My father will get it out of you,” He said simply before waving to the blue tunics. “Prepare a convoy. I want him taken to Valveronia and its king immediately.”

The blue tunics bowed low before turning and grabbing hold of Ilrune, dragging him off. There were too many of them to attack. Too many to try and get to Ilrune. We’d all die before we freed him.

I clenched my hands into fists as I watched them get further and further away. In my head, I knew I should not go after him. After all, we had promised each other long ago that if one of us got caught, the other would not risk their lives to save them. In my heart, though, I was not about to let my brother get tortured by the Ruthless King.

My hands tightened around the bow I’d dropped next to me and I turned and took off across the rooftops once more.

Aila swore and followed after me. “Ver,” She said as we ran. “Think this through.”

“I have,” I told her as I continued to run.

“Really?” She questioned doubtfully. “Then what’s the plan?”

I ignored her and continued on, leaping across the buildings before finally sliding down one of the roofs and landing in a crouch on the ground, from there, I took off through the maze of alleyways. Aila was never far behind me. I turned a corner and disappeared in the shadows of the house, knocking discreetly on the door covered in ivy. To anyone not paying close attention, you’d never know the door was there.

The door was opened and we were ushered inside, Galen was already there.

“Ver,” He said. “I’m so sorry.”

I brushed past him and walked over the chest I kept my things in and threw it open, removing another quiver of arrows.

“Ver,” Aila said. “going after him is a death sentence, you know that. He’s lost.”

“Not yet he’s not,” I replied.

“You made a promise,” She insisted.

“He would do the same for me.”

At this point Aila turned to Galen, wordlessly telling him to intervene. To stop me. He did not have the chance to say anything though, because Tephysea came walking into the room.

I had known Tephysea for as long as I could remember. She had been one of my father’s advisors until his death and a dear friend to my mother. She had often watched after Ilrune and myself when our parents were otherwise occupied. Her hair had grown silvery grey with age and she looked at me with weary eyes.

“Filverel,” She said and just by her tone and the fact that she used my full name, I knew I was going to get a lecture. As Ralorn’s true king, she now saw it as her duty to keep me alive and advise me. “You risk more than your life if you try to free your brother. You risk the future of your kingdom. Ralorn will not survive without its true king.”

I slowed from my task of gathering my weapons and turned to her, feeling like I was being torn apart between the thought of leaving my brother to his fate and my duty to stay alive for my people.

“I can’t just leave him to die,” I said. “You can’t expect me to do that.” I swallowed a lump in my throat and continued digging through the chest. “I won’t. I’m going after him.”

A hand clamped down at on my shoulder. I looked up at Galen as he stood over me.

“Then we’re coming with you,” He said as he gestured between himself and Aila.

I shook my head. “It’s bad enough I’ll be risking my own life, but I won’t ask you two to risk yours.”

Aila rolled her eyes so far back into her head, she looked like she was going to pass out. “We’re members of the king’s royal guard,” She reminded me. “It’s kind of in our job description to keep you alive or die trying. Where you go, we go.”

“You’re my friends first,” I told her. “And I’m ordering you to stay behind.”

“Ordering us?” Galen repeated with a laugh. “What makes you think we’re going to listen?”

“After all,” Aila said. “We’re your friends first.”

I rolled my eyes at her but couldn’t help but smile slightly back at her amused expression. “Fine then,” I told them.

“I protest completely to this venture of yours,” Tephysea spoke up, reminding us that she was still there. “Though, I know, there’s really no stopping the lot of you once you’ve made up your minds. Especially you Filverel.” She let out a long and resigned sigh. “And I know no matter what I say you won’t listen to me, even when it means the fate of the kingdom. So,” She said as she walked over to me and placed her hand gently on my cheek. “I will instead offer you a bit of help. Your father knew someone who made themselves a living in The Outskirts. A girl, roughly your age. She acted as a guide of sorts.” She let out another sigh. “I cannot help you personally, but she can. Go to the town called Lost in The Outskirts and speak with the innkeeper.”

“What am I supposed to say to him?” I questioned when she said nothing else.

“Ask for the girl they call Raven.”