Chapter 25: Traitors, Part Nine
Lance breathed heavily as he held another bleeding cut. The woman had sliced his arms and legs to near tatters and his armor had all but been destroyed. He couldn't make out her shape in the darkness, even with his eyes. Lance leaned against a light pole and his only protection from the darkness surrounding him.
She laughed in the darkness, "Hahaha, you fight against fate, boy. You think that light will save you." He looked around, "Has so far." She appeared to his right with a mean and powerful strike unlike any human's. It jarred his hand and she gripped his arm.
She peered at him with, her bright almond eyes shining in the light of the lantern. "Peculiar eyes you have. I adore feline eyes, especially the different colored eyes of Calicos." She flicked him in the forehead and released his arm before slipping back into the night.
He felt like a plaything, being poked and prodded like a pincushion. The only difference was the fact that pincushion didn't bleed, and he had lost much of his blood. He needed to end this soon, before he blacked out.
"Come now, you must fight back. Use your head, if you can't see me…" She went quiet. Lance tried to decipher what she said, then off the corner of his eye alerted by faint footsteps she showed herself. He turned and blocked the blade with his full weight. "Good, your learning." She shoved the blade up and slinked back in.
The footsteps, sound. He closed his eyes and listened. Besides the few crickets left in the city before the cold set in, there was the clanking of meatal far off and what sounded like roars. John's golems were fighting.
He tried running out of the light of the lantern, but a sword stuck into the ground in front of him. He backed off into the poll and had just a second to block a thrown dagger. It bounced off his blade and cut his cheek. "Oh, it would be rude to leave now don't you think."
Lance watched as she came into full view of the light. She was moderately tall and had dark skin similar to Jasmine's. Her hair was black and flowy with a single white line running down the length of her bangs. She was beautiful and Lance felt conflicted about fighting her, but the multiple deep and bleeding cuts changed his mind.
She brought out the sword from the ground and twirled it, "I've yet determined your worth." She smiled and disappeared into the dark. He sighed helplessly feeling stuck in place. Lance was trying to figure out what she was getting at, but so far nothing came to his mind.
He closed his eyes again, but he couldn't hear well enough to determine her exact position. Then he had an idea, he brought his hand up to his ear and transfused it with magic. It grew and morphed, and he did the same to the other ear. He could hear better now and could precisely make out her steps.
He opened his eyes and blocked a blow before it came into the light and tried kicking the woman's leg out from under her. She sidestepped the kick and slid his sword down and gave him a swift kick to the stomach and he went down like a sack of potatoes, "Good, but you are using too much weight in your blows. Think more gracefully."
He coughed and held his stomach. "Up!" the woman said, "Before I change my mind." He got to his knee and she was gone. He retreated to the pole and concentrated, but the blood loss was starting to affect him. It blurred his vision, and made his grip slippery.
Lance had yet to land a blow on the woman, and he could tell she wasn't fighting in earnest. She was holding back, pulling her punches so as to not kill him. He didn't want to find out what she would do if she 'Changed her Mind.' He could make out her steps, she was running at him, but then silence.
He had wondered if she had just stopped running, but he would have heard her slide. Lance looked up and brought his sword above his head as he figured out what she had done. She had jumped and he could make out the glint of her sword in the air. She brought it down hard and he blocked it the best he could with his shaking arms.
It was a successful block, but it had still found its way into his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as the woman pushed the blade further in. "A good block, ten points." She kept pressure and braught Lance to his knees.
He gritted his teeth as he pushed back with all his might, "Who do you serve, I have already killed all of your imposter friends." He looked at her bright almond eyes, "I serve the King." She pushed down harder, "And that changes your here."
Lance thought about it, she had mentioned imposters. "I have come to… help the king." She let up, "Save? What do you know of this plot?" He growled as he felt his arms weaken under her blade, "Speak!"
"The princess isn't who she looks like, it's an assassin." She pushed down, "And I should believe you why." "I can prove it, we can confront the princess directly." She looked at him and then let off. He fell to the ground holding his shoulder, "I will trust you for now, but if you are lying I will not hesitate to end you."
She was close to it right there, but it eased him to know she wasn't an enemy, "Who, are you?" She looked at him, "Jill Valentine." His heartbeat stopped as he realized who he was fighting.
Jill Valentine was captain of the castle guard. She was also head combat mage under the king. He was not just lucky to be alive, but blessed by the gods themselves. She was a frightening woman, and his experience had just added to the fact.
He nodded, "Lance Ocelot, Captain of the Eastern Gate." She raised an eyebrow, one of the four convicted of kidnapping the princess." A howl rang out through the night followed by metallic shredding that pierced his ears.
"John, he's fighting one of the rogue mages. We got to get-" he tried standing but fell. He was hurt. She grabbed his shoulder, "Sorry, i had to be sure, all of the guards you saw dead were traitors. We are dealing with a bad situation." He nodded and began limping towards the howl, "It's fine, we have Alex Mooring with us."
She stopped, "Him…" She began pulling him, "Let's hurry."
-
Alex could tell the imposter was waiting for something. What it was he wasn't sure. He couldn't tell what it was, but one thing definitely seemed off. There were fewer guards in the room. He had started to notice it after the king's speech. He was going to have to confront this imposter soon.
All of a sudden the princess turned to her father on the throne and spoke to him under their breath. He nodded and the imposter walked to the podium, confidently getting on and clearing their throat. All the people seemed to grow quiet as they turned around and looked. Rose barely spoke at these parties, choosing instead to sit reclusively in her throne.
The imposter clapped her hands to grab the attention of the few who were not already looking. "Hello, friends of the crown. I'm grateful so many have come to witness my safe return to my father." He pointed at a man standing in the crowd, "And am even more grateful to you, Commander of the guard, for rescuing me from those Traitors."
The crowd opened up around a man, it was Arnold. He waved and the crowd cheered. Alex clapped as well, being seen as unpatriotic is quite the sin here in the castle. He walked up and bowed to the Imposter, "I require no thanks, Princess. It is my duty." As he went to leave she stopped him, "But thanks is in order."
Black lines appeared on his face and he grasped his throat, "W-WH-What i-is." He fell down gasping for breath and the imposter let out a sinister laugh, "You, see, this man was the one who actually kidnapped me. Wanted to stage a total rescue and earn the King's favor, but he made a deal with the wrong people."
He had been poisoned by the same magic that afflicted Rose. Everyone gasped as their princess laughed horribly at the man now struggling to breath, "Ha ha ha, so weak and frail all you nobles are." The king stood up in disbelief, "Rose, what are you-"
Ice formed on the kings legs and froze him in place, "Oh don't worry, I'm not your little girl. In fact, you never have to worry about her ever again." The imposter ripped at their skin, but it seemed to tear like cloth. After a minute if tearing at the costume the imposter was in full
It was a man, pale as snow wearing a black suit and jacket. He brushed long oily locks out of his face, " Feels so good to be out of costume. It can be discomfortable at times." The man giggled as his sunken eyes lit up maniacally, "I have come to sow chaos."
The King lifted his sword from its sheath, "Guards to me." There were no guards in the room. They had all disappeared, unseen. Alex could make out black smoke begin rolling from the man's hands as he lifted them in the air, "No one can save you from me."
The smoke rolled over the marble steps and the crowd had all backed up and a few were tugging at the Halls gate. "Get that open, now," a man yelled out from the front. As some men tried to open it another yelled, "It's stuck, barred by magic.
Three men, all wearing military fatigues ran up to face the man. They held their hands out and expelled magic bolts of Fire, Wood, and Water. The man smiled grimly and swung his hand out. A shield of Ice blocked all three magic bolts.
As the three men prepared again Ice bolts shot out of the shield and impaled each through the chest sending them to the ground. The man laughed, "That is your best, you nobles are so clueless when it comes to combat." A giant gust of wind blew away the smoke and Alex took his position in the front of the crowd.
Pulling the men from his pocket both it and his clothes transformed back into their original forms.. He was right, the smog was the same used on the battlefield. He couldn't keep away all of it, and the guest started to cough. Alex knew of only two ways to get rid of the poison. Either convince the caster to stop the magic, or forcefully stop the caster.
The man looked at him, "Oh, a moderately competent mage appears? Will you try to stop me as well?" Alex prepared himself, Ice mages were different from the rest. They were particularly evil when it came to combat, using tricks to gain any upper hand and even sacrificing allys to land even the smallest of blows.
Alex prepared a spell in his free hand and shot it towards him. Shielding himself again he threw his own spells at him. Ice bolts were flung towards him and Alex dodged the barrage and slashed at any coming to close. They were fast, but easily avoiding them. He slung another bolt at the man but he shielded himself.
Alex could tell he was a battle tested mage because of the way he was casting. Fast magic that both shielded and attacked, it was made for battle. Alex spied the man smiling, "Oh, you are different from the rest. You have skill, a shame it will be waisted protecting the ignorant."
The man waved his hands in a circle and a cloud of ice cold magic began forming between his arms. Alex had only a split second to prepare a counter spell before the spell had sprung to chilling life. A torrent of ice rushed towards him and he raised his own hand.
He met the torrent with his own fiery stream. They collided and created a cloud of steam. His fingers on his black glove had been charred and burnt off and some of his arm was on fire. He shook his hand to blow put the fire. Alex couldn't see anything through the cloud, but he could feel magic being formed from behind it.
A spear broke through the cloud and stuck into Alex's leg. He cried out and felt the chill of the ice in his leg. He quickly slashed at it with his sword and broke the base off and stumbled back. He created a gale to push the cloud away and the man had brought the broken base of the spear up to him.
The man licked the blood of the end, "Blood, the life essence of magic. You have very tasty magic. It tastes different, more potent, special almost." Alex grasped the point of the spear lodged in his leg and pulled it out. The man smiled and threw the spear at him with incredible accuracy.
Alex caught it with his free hand and slumg it back. It struck him in the chest and shattered on impact causing Alex to back up with surprise. The man laughed, "You are not the only one to act that way. Funny thing my magic, no ice affects me. I can't even feel the cold of the northern winds." Alex prepared fire in his hand, if he can't freeze he can burn.
Alex evaluated his situation. He couldn't get close because of his fast attacks, but he can't fight from a distance because of the man's powerful defence. Alex gripped his sword as he felt the book in his pocket. He had an idea, and began mixing some new magic into his already formed fireball.
He slung it towards the man, but it missed and struck a marble pillar. The man laughed, "Missed me." Alex grinned and disappeared with no trace. The man gasped and looked around trying to find Alex. Alex appeared behind him and slashed at him with the sword catching the man on his back.
Teleportation, a spell mentioned in his Grandfather's book. It was described as a travel spell, used to get from here to there. With a last minute thought, he was able to implement it into his spell. It worked with great efficiency.
He growled and created another shield between the two. He staggered back, "How did you-" Alex placed his hand on the shield and his magic formed on the other side. The man had just enough times to jump back before an explosion rocked the hall. The man fell to the ground and Alex had already traveled through the cloud.
The man had created an ice blade in his hand and swung it at Alex's feet. Alex blocked it and slashed at the man from above. He rolled to his feet avoiding the blade and sent an Ice bolt at Alex. Alex stepped around it and threw his own fireball.
It exploded on the ground right in front of them. Alex had already begun swinging before he had switched positions and caught the man off guard. His blade cut the man's hand and he let his blade go. As Alex wound up for another attack he caught the man forming magic around him. At first he assumed it was the shield spell, but as he jumped back he felt ice break under his boots.
Before Alex could think two ice spikes had speared both feet from underneath. He growled in pain as he felt the ice chill his body. This time was different, the ice began spreading up his legs. He grimaced and slashed at it with his sword, but he felt like he had hit stone and his sword bounced back up.
The man laughed, "You were quiet fun, nearly had me there." He walked up to him just outside of striking distance. The ice had begun to reach his knees and Alex shot out a fireball in order to get out. "Oh, that won't do." His magic was stopped by what looked like a spray of snow. His spell hadn't engaged. The Ice had reached his hips and he aimed his hand at the growing Ice and unleashed a spray of Fire.
The Ice was unaffected reaching up to his chest. Alex felt the cold grasp his limbs and encroach on his neck. "Ice petrification. A favorite of mine, I like the helpless look left in the eyes of those trapped in it." Alex felt the ice cover his face and finally freeze him over.
The crowd gasped as they saw their last hope be defeated. The man sighed, "It is a shame, your mask holds back your true expression." He placed his hand on Alex's frozen chest and a sinister smile formed on his lips, "Die!"
A golden chain wrapped around his hand and tore it away from Alex. Another whipped him across the chest knocking him across the marble floor, but he shielded himself from any further attacks. "Why must so many ruin my fun," he growled. A person cloaked appeared from one of the many side entrances.
The distinkt clicking of heels on marble could be heard through the crowd and slow clapping. "Well done, you managed to prolong your little game. What you really did was clear the board." Walking up the marble steps the chains wrapped back around their arms. They pulled the hood down revealing their face, "I told them to wait for me at least."
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