by Paris Hansch
“Greetings, Lord Alexander of Anadrieth.” He didn’t dismount, but rather just stared down at him. “I am Commander Ido.”
Alexander lowered his head in respect. He’d heard of the name, and though the imperial commander technically ranked just below him, he wasn’t foolish enough to offend a powerful man. The commander had actually recognized him, too, which was surprising.
“I apologize for the lack of reception. I’m afraid I wasn’t informed of your prompt arrival.”
Commander Ido’s face hardened, but his whiskers didn’t move an inch. “Cut the formalities. Where is Mina?”
Alexander blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“We have irrefutable intelligence that you’ve been concealing her this whole time.”
Alexander’s mind was racing. Was she a wanted criminal? A weapon? Someone of significance? He froze, his chest pounding. She couldn’t be. But it would make so much sense.
Some of the imperial foot soldiers slowly approached him as Commander Ido unfurled a scroll.
“By order of Supreme Commander Yuno, Lord Alexander of Anadrieth is to be arrested for high treason against the Empire of the Dragon Gods on the charges of kidnapping, concealment and enslavement of Princess Mina, rightful heir to the throne, and of deliberately sabotaging the coronation, the wellbeing of the imperial family and the fate of the empire as whole.” He enunciated each word, clearly enjoying every second. “Full authorization to execute without trial.” Commander Ido tucked the scroll back into his belt. “Seize him.”
Several men launched themselves at him before he could react, disarming him in an instant and shoving him to his knees. His arms were jerked behind him, his wrist bound in thick rope. Alexander kicked backward at a man’s shin, but they piled on top of him, forcing his face into the ground.
“There’s been a mistake,” he cried. Someone was setting him up.
Commander Ido clicked his tongue. “I’ll give you one chance to tell me where you’re hiding her.”
They pulled his head up by his hair. Alexander’s mind reeled. Mina was the princess? “I don’t know where—”
Ido snapped his fingers, and the man closest to Alexander whirled around to punch him in the jaw. The others quickly joined in.
Alexander bit down on his lip, a low grunt escaping him as he received a swift kick to the stomach. He shouldn’t have gone off alone. This was a mistake. He had no idea. Alexander tasted blood, and his head was ringing. They ripped the back of his shirt open, gripping his chin to wave an open lantern in front of him.
“Last chance,” said Commander Ido.
Alexander couldn’t respond. He didn’t know. They wouldn’t believe him.
Ido shrugged and waved a hand. The burning oil dripped onto his back, forcing him to cry out in pain. The smell of his burnt and blistered flesh made him throw up. He coughed, heaving for air. Two men held him in place, turning him around to face his final moment. The third man held a blade high above his head.
Alexander gritted his teeth. It was already over, and he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of begging for his life. Anton would be forced to step up, but his councilmen would surely assist him. Adelia may not understand, but his arrangements for her future were for the best. Unless all of them were being dragged under the same charge. The bonds around his wrists grew unbearably cold as ice pricked around his hands, but there was nothing he could do to escape.
A white blur rushed toward them out of the corner of his eye—Mina. She leaped, pulling steel from thin air with a flash of light. Two swords materialized in her hands, and she swept her arms outward with sickening impact, landing in a crouch in front of him.
The head of his executioner rolled onto the ground, the snow eagerly lapping up its new crimson coat. The imperial soldiers let go of Alexander, scrambling for their weapons. They were too slow, and she skewered them both, with only a few drops of blood decorating her clothes.
Alexander couldn’t look away.
“Mina,” he whispered. She stood beside him, her powerful presence radiated around her. Alexander swallowed. Her swords had appeared out of nowhere, identical in every way, with a simple white hilt and cross guards and elegant gold spiraling around the grips. On the blades, a line of strange symbols glowed a soft white, and the imperial crest was engraved at the base.
Mina stood, facing Ido, a slow smile forming at the corner of her lips. “So, he’s sent you on a suicide mission, has he? What did you do?” she purred. “Get too close to the councilor’s daughter again?”
Commander Ido bristled. His horse reversed into the others, and his men looked as shaken as the animal. Ido yanked on the reins to steady his mount, then grinned.
“Quite the contrary. Supreme Commander Yuno, with the seal of Prince Yukiya, has entrusted me on this esteemed mission to bring you back to the capital.”
Mina laughed, though it was nothing like he’d heard before. “How… gullible.” She twirled her sword in her hands. “They’re always leaving me to do the dirty work,” she muttered. “Come now, do you think he sent you with a small army of delinquents to take care of him?” She pointed at Alexander.
“You were always an arrogant brat,” Ido spluttered. “Seize her!”
The men hesitated, as though they were waiting for each other to make the first advance.
“We are under orders to do whatever it takes,” shouted Commander Ido, spurring them into action.
Alexander struggled with his bonds, blood slowly dripping over his eye from the cut on his forehead. The stabbing pain in his chest as he shifted declared itself as a few broken ribs, but he didn’t have a choice. He had to help her.
“Quick, cut the rope,” he called to her.
Mina strode forward, not sparing him a glance. As the first soldiers approached her, his struggles grew more urgent. He couldn’t watch her get hurt.
The air seemed to grow still around them, and then it moved as she became a whirlwind of snow, spinning to block the first attack with one sword while thrusting the other through the first soldier’s stomach. Using him as a shield, she struck again, and another fell. Soldier after soldier—none of them stood a chance.
Alexander’s vision blurred as he doubled over, but the constant clang of metal rang in his ears. Commander Ido signaled to his rearguard, and a volley of arrows flew toward them. One of the soldiers weaved around her attacks, charging straight for Alexander. Mina whirled around, giving another soldier the opening to attack her from behind.
“Look out!” shouted Alexander.
Mina sprinted back toward him, hurling one sword at his attacker. She deflected an arrow mid-flight, leaving it to plunge into the soldier’s side. He collapsed, writhing in pain. She turned to finish off the ones behind her, dodging and blocking the arrows with ease. She leaped over a dead soldier to retrieve her second sword, dropping into a roll under the last arrow.
Alexander could barely stay conscious. His wrists were cold as he felt the ice encase his bonds, though he didn’t understand why it was happening now. He had never imagined Mina like this; a sense of bloodlust practically dripped from her. She was lost in the dance with her swords, a beautiful, deadly woman that was completely unknown to him. Or perhaps, that side of her had always been there—he had just never acknowledged it.
Mina paused amongst the carnage. “Enough of this nonsense,” she muttered, her voice taking on a silky quality.
She stalked toward the middle of the clearing, dragging the tips of her swords through the snow. An intense rumbling came from below. The very earth cracked open along the path of her swords, which she flicked into the air, sending the widening fissures straight toward the remaining soldiers.
His men scrambled for their footing, but there was none. They climbed over each other, clawing and screaming as the chasms swallowed them into the abyss. Those clambering on the edges were ripped from what little hold they had left by an unnatural gust of wind. Not a single soldier remained, leaving Ido alone.
Al
most as quickly as it had begun, Mina lowered her swords, and the ground began to seal itself, the sounds of their screams muffled by their earthly entombment. The landscape shifted to hide the evidence, and the forest regained its silence once more.
Alexander swallowed, but his mouth was dry. Surely, he was hallucinating from the pain—this was the stuff of legends and fairy tales. But he couldn’t deny what he’d seen.
Her aura was the same as before, yet this time, it was much more dangerous. Alexander blinked several times. Mina was shimmering, for lack of a better description. She bent over, her knees buckling, leaning her weight on her swords, which were now pushed into the ground. It could only be the legendary power of the dragon gods.
Commander Ido roared, spurring his horse forward and drawing his sword as he charged toward her.
Mina readjusted her grip. His horse was upon her, and he swung at her still form, but hit only air. She dropped into a low crouch, pulling her swords free and slashing through the leather strap of his saddle. Ido slid sideways as the saddle slipped off. His horse reared as he yanked on the reins, but his attempts were useless, and he was dumped unceremoniously to the ground.
Rolling onto his feet, he lunged at her wildly. Mina dodged his attack and sliced through the flesh of his knee, drawing first blood. Ido spun to go on the offensive, and their swords met again and again.
Alexander’s mind settled in a moment of clarity, and he glanced around him. There was a sword pierced through a nearby fallen soldier. He wriggled closer. He could cut the rope if only he could get there.
Mina and Ido paused in their duel, breathing heavily. Several lines of deep red seeped through Commander Ido’s clothes, permanently staining his attire, while Mina remained unscathed. But she looked exhausted, her movements far less graceful than before.
Commander Ido sneered. “I can’t understand why anyone wants you back. His Highness was doing just fine on his own.” No sooner had the words left his mouth did her sword slash toward him. He barely dodged the stab, but the side of her blade made a deep slice through his cheek. He flicked his ponytail over his shoulder. “He does miss you, though.”
Commander Ido blocked her swords, their blades close to his neck. Her frenzied attacks were landing more and more haphazardly, and Ido was forced on the defensive to shield himself.
Alexander tore his eyes away from the battle and heaved himself against the edge of the sword, attempting to saw away at his bonds. He winced. His wrists were stiff, and his chest was burning. He didn’t feel like he was making much progress. Craning his neck, he saw that the shards of ice had begun to crystalize through the rope, freezing onto his skin. He frowned. He couldn’t control it, though he didn’t know if he even was controlling it.
Commander Ido roared, shoving Mina back in a burst of effort. Ido’s eyes met Alexander’s, and he sprinted toward the bound man. Mina caught herself mid-stumble, launching off of the balls of her feet after him.
Alexander lost his balance, falling on his side. He couldn’t get up, and Ido’s sword was seconds from him. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself. Then, steel met flesh, the sickening sound amplified in his ears. He opened his eyes to see Mina grunting, her grip loosening on her sword as it fell into the snow.
Alexander’s eyes widened. His bonds cracked, and then the ice shattered, freeing his hands.
No!
Commander Ido had his blade triumphantly twisted through Mina’s right shoulder, the bloodied tip mere inches from Alexander’s face. Rivulets of fresh blood trickled down her arm, enveloping her hand in a sticky glove. Mina stepped forward, easing her body farther down the blade. Ido frowned, then his expression shifted to panic. Mina grasped his wrist, digging her nails into his flesh and raising her other sword. Ido frantically attempted to escape her grip. Moments later, a scream echoed through the forest.
Mina pried his severed hand off of the hilt, letting it fall with a muffled thud. Commander Ido clutched the stump of his arm, writhing in pain.
Alexander squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, willing his stomach to settle as the bile rose.
With a final burst of effort, Ido lunged at her, but he was met only with a swift kick to the stomach. As he fell, Mina leaped on top of him, followed quickly by the wrath of her sword as she returned the favor, pinning him to the ground through his shoulder. She paused, and the forest’s silence was disturbed only by their ragged breathing.
“Tell me now,” Mina said, her hand wandering down Ido’s waist, grabbing a small dagger from his belt. “What were his exact words?”
Alexander strained his ears, but the only noise Ido made were faint gurgles.
“You will die, Ido. It’s merely your choice when and in how many pieces you end up.” He didn’t speak. Mina shrugged, hovering the dagger over his eye. “I hereby find you unequivocally guilty of high treason. I am your trial, judge and executioner.”
Ido screamed again, and Alexander looked away. He couldn’t watch.
Mina flicked his eye away from them, the glistening sphere covered in blood. “And repeat.” He screamed again.
Commander Ido was blubbering incoherently in broken phrases.
“Alliance… his blood…”
And then, there was silence.
Mina stood over his unmoving body, visibly panting, before she made her way over toward Alexander, drawing another dagger from a fallen soldier and grabbing the open lantern. Resting the clean blade inside, her hand reignited the wick. Fire danced at her command, and the metal burned white-hot. She ripped off a piece of her sleeve and bunched it in her mouth, grasping the hilt of the sword still in her shoulder. Agonizingly slowly, the steel separated from her flesh.
Mina gasped, clutching her arms. He couldn’t do anything to help her. His head was still spinning. They were too far from the castle, too far from Elaine. But she didn’t need to do it like this. She closed her eyes, lifting the molten knife to her wound.
The smell of burning tissue filled his nostrils, and he gagged.
She collapsed into the snow.
Alexander tried to crawl to her, but his limbs were stiff, and he could barely keep his eyes open. The adrenaline was leaving his body, and the pain was more intense than he had realized. Black spots danced along his vision, and he finally let go, collapsing beside her.
11
Chapter Eleven
Anton
Anton stood in a wasteland. His hands were still clasped over his ears, and the arena still stood before him, but there was complete silence. He shivered, spinning in circles. A moment ago, he was surrounded by their people, while that girl acted like some sort of insane beast. Then, everyone disappeared.
“Hello?” he shouted. His voice echoed louder than it should have. He could still see the forest in the distance, but everything was shrouded in shades of brown and gray. Everything was unnervingly still, without even the slightest breeze. And he felt… hollow. An overwhelming sense of loneliness began to set in, as though something was begging him to stay—to keep it company. It had been alone for so long.
Anton reached out a hand to it, but whatever it was, it wasn’t a person. His hand glowed purple, and he jumped back, checking himself. He was purple. And see-through. Like he wasn’t even there. What in the name of dragons was going on?
He stumbled, falling back onto the ground.
The crowd was suddenly back, rushing past him and tripping over him. Anton covered his head instinctively, curling up into a ball to protect himself from the stampede. The roaring had stopped, and the last of the people had run past him. He shuddered, putting his hands on the ground. It was solid—he was solid. Had he been hallucinating again? He got up, dusting himself off. It had felt too real. Then again, they all did.
Anton glanced around. He was mostly alone in the arena again, but he was definitely in Anadrieth. Everyone had run off in fear of that girl. He followed the direction in which everyone had left. It was a complete mess—the councilors were frazzled, General Barrett was injured
and even the soldiers seemed frightened. Where was Alexander? He should be controlling this situation.
The longer he looked around the castle, the more suspicious he became. No one had seen their leader after the girl had run off into the forest. His stupid brother must have gone after her instead of helping the rest of them. Someone grabbed his shoulder, and he whirled around.
“Have you seen Lord Alexander?” asked Ban. He seemed just as frazzled as the rest of them.
“He’s probably trying to find the girl,” said Anton. “I’m sure he’ll be back with some sort of excuse.”
Ban grabbed his arm and pulled him along. “Come on, we have to look for him.”
“He can take care of himself.”
“With the Lanadese about? If there were any spies amongst us who saw him go off alone, it would be the perfect opportunity.”
He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Did you find him?” called Councilor Dallan.
“We’ve got a lead,” said Ban.
Anton let himself be dragged along with them as they gathered a few soldiers on their way to the stables. With a sigh, he mounted one of the horses and held his breath. The small group rode into the forest, following Alexander’s trail. Ban wasn’t wrong to be worried, but the likelihood of his brother being defeated was slim. They would probably end up going through all of this effort, only to return to see him contentedly having supper. But Anton figured that he’d better make sure that that was the case.
It was dark by the time they reached the end of the trail and were forced to slow down. No one had thought to bring any lanterns with them, and the forest was even more dangerous at night.
“There!” Councilor Dallan pointed in the distance.
There were dark shapes littered across the clearing—bodies. Anton’s heart picked up. Maybe Ban had been right. He threw himself off of his horse, scanning the ground. There was blood everywhere, far more than there should have been with this number of bodies. He touched the puddles with his fingers, just to make sure that it wasn’t the shadows playing tricks on him. It wasn’t. There was evidence of a small army, yet there were only a dozen or so bodies. He took a closer look at one of them. A cleanly slaughtered man, wearing imperial white and gold.