章節 61: Clear the way

Attendants who were carrying a bundle of valuable items on their hands swarmed into the gate.

"Please, let us out." The attendants pounded on the gate. "Please! They're coming!" they cried out.

"Back away!" a group of male guards announced. "Back away!"

White the others followed by staying at the side, the male attendants ran towards the gate and shoved their shoulders to the gate. Upon seeing this, others followed to bring the gate down.

After a few more attempts, with their shoulders bruised, the gate stood on its ground and did not open an inch.

There was a grunting noise coming towards the crowd.

"Shhh!" One of them said. "Can you hear that?"

Everybody stayed silent as they hear brush of footsteps coming towards them.

"They're here!" one announced. "They're coming!"

The crowd dispersed and ran towards the palace once more.

Others were not as lucky and was sacrificed as the infected's first meal.

***

Ziloh was splashing water on his face in the bathroom, his hair dripping wet. A muffled voice can be heard from afar--- he stopped midway and closed the faucet.

Upon recognizing the voice, he immediately exited the bathroom and ran towards the door.

"Elion!" Maya was banging on the door. "Open the door!" she was pounding on the door non-stop.

He swung the door wide open.

"Elion, this is bad." she said his real name in a rush. "Zombies are here." Maya was catching her breath. "Zombies are here." She said more clearly this time.

Elion's damp hair was dripping on his shirt, but he did not notice it, what he saw was the commotion behind Maya, other attendants were running towards their own dorm, locking their doors after them.

Others were screaming, frightened, not daring to look behind them--- in fear that a zombie was after them.

The Maya from the slumps was thinking that this was a disaster, the palace was not ready for this kind of attack, many would die. But Maya the spy thought this as an opportunity, they could let the zombies roam around until it kills every royal.

It was during moments like this where Elion was the most focused. "The princess." he already knew what to do. "we should save the princess." he does not need to complicate things--- he just needed to stay true to his mission.

"The hell with the princess!" Maya busted out.

"Maya," Ziloh placed his hand on her shoulder. "We have a mission," he reminded her. "and we have to fulfill it no matter what the situation."

Maya pressed her lips together. "Right, okay, whatever." she hated Elion for being steadfast on a situation like this.

Elion rushed towards his closet and tossed all his hanged uniform on the empty bed, he removed the two rods with force and gave one to Maya. "Let's go get the princess."

Maya nodded hesitantly and they rushed towards the hallway.

People were running towards them, they were going against the current. Maya kept on being shoved on her shoulder, making it harder for them to move forward. Elion grabbed her by her arm and hovered behind him.

Maya understood as she followed behind him that with his tall frame, people tend to avoid him.

The crowd was thinning out as they go closer towards the main palace.

"I'm warning you, Eman!" A guard was backing slowly away from a zombie in front of him. "Eman! Don't come closer…" he was swaying his sword in the air as if to shoo a bug away "…or I'll be forced to kill you!" The zombie had the same armor as the guard.

The guard was distracted by the two attendants walking towards his way. "What are you doing outside?" his eyes looked at them from a second then back in front of the zombies. "Follow the protocol and hide in your dormitories!"

The zombie in front of them grunted, welcoming the additions to its meal.

The guard braved himself and walked closer towards his friend as he swung his sword from side to side. But allured by the movement, the zombie bared his teeth towards the guard's hand.

Elion pulled him away in time to prevent him get bitten.

Elion and Maya stood in front of the guard.

"What are you guys doing?" The guard asked with his hands shaking.

Maya shook her head. "I knew they were useless." she mumbled.

"Maya." Elion signaled.

Maya nodded, staying focused.

Maya moved in front, poking the zombie with her rod. "I know," she poked on his chest. "you can't resist." she poked on his knee--- making him stagger. "I don't blame you." she poked on his eyes. "Elion! Now!"

Elion was suddenly behind the zombie, twisting its head with his bare arms.

The zombie fell on the ground, twitching.

"That won't do." Maya shook her head. "It needs to be a clean cut."

"Eman!" The guard was about to run towards his friend, but Maya stopped him. "What's happening to him?"

"I won't go if I were you," Maya stopped him. "It's still alive."

"IT?!"

"Can I borrow your sword?" Elion asked.

"uh… okay." The guard answered blankly ang gave the sword to Elion.

Elion took the sword and knelt beside the convulsing zombie on the floor. He held it on its chest as he sliced through its neck.

Its head lolled to the side, facing the guard.

"YOU!" The guard grabbed his hair in frustration. "You did not have to do that!" he backed away a few steps. "He's not fighting anymore."

"You have to do this." Maya said in allow voice. "If you want to keep the infection in control."

"Here," Elion was returning the weapon to the guard. "your sword."

The guard saw the smear of blood--- his friend's blood on the sword. "No," he shook his head. "I've had enough." he ran away from the scene.

"Useless." Maya snickered.

��They're not trained for this." Elion lowered the sword on his side. "We can't blame him."

"Still…"

"Let's go."

They left the hallway with the severed head on the floor.

***

The pair were getting tired, there were dozens of zombies and there were only two of them.

The guards were not helpful at all, they would get bitten first before they could kill one--- it was better for them to hide too.

"Elion," Maya said in between her breaths. "This is impossible."

Elion did not say anything, slaying another zombie on the way.

Maya walked backwards for a second, talking to Elion. "Really, the princess is safe in her room, she's locked remember."

"Still, we have to make sure she's safe." Elion insisted.

"Look, I know this is not just about the mission…" Maya was hesitating to say. "You…"

"Maya!" Elion's eyes widened as a zombie appeared at the back of Maya.

Elion knew it was too late, Maya would get bitten before he could reach her. "Duck down!"

Clang! A loud chime echoed.

Elion and Maya were frozen on their positions.

"That knocks them down." Will was brushing his hair in embarrassment, smiling. "Maya are you alright?"

"Uhhhh, yes." Maya stood up and turned around. "Thank you, chef." she saw Will on his white chef uniform--- unstained ---- holding a big pan. "Er… are you in the middle of cooking?"

"Uhm…" Chef Will pondered for a moment. "Actually yes, I was baking chicken brain pies when the other chefs suddenly got angry and began attacking me…" he twisted the pan in the air. "I had to defend myself, but there were too many." he smiled--- his eyes like two crescent moons. "It turns out everybody is angry at me. They keep on attacking me."

The zombie stood up again.

"Chef!" Maya warned.

Chef Will swayed the pan to the zombie.

Clang!

The zombie fell on the ground again.

Elion stepped in and sliced through its necks.

"Chef, they're zombies." Maya took Will on her side, inspecting him for any injury. "You're not bitten, are you?"

"No, no." Will was brushing the back of his head, laughing.

"Chef, they're zombies, hitting them is not enough," Maya shook her head to Elion, signifying that the chef was not bitten. "You have to slice through their necks."

"Hahahaha," Will was smiling. "I see, I see…"

"You better lock yourself in one of these rooms, until this get controlled. "Maya advised.

"I think I'm safer when I'm with you two," Will looked at both of them, smiling. "It seems you know what to do with these… zombies better than others."

Maya looked at Elion, asking for permission on what to do.

Elion nodded, slightly.

"Okay," Maya said. "I guess you can go with us."

"Great, let's go." Will turned around and led the way.

Zombies kept swarming towards him, making Maya restless. "Chef, be careful."

"I'm fine." Will turned his head around and smiled--- smashing a zombie in front of him.

He kept smashing zombies left and right, Elion behind to finish for him.

Maya relaxed--- it turns out she would be able to rest not that Chef Will joined them.

Will rounded the corner.

"Wait!" Maya stopped him. "We're going straight."

"No, this is much faster." Will insisted and walked anyway.

"No," Maya grabbed his arm. "We're not going back to the dorm, we're…"