KGWrites

Alyx

The Throne Room, Falcon’s Nest Palace, Kingdom of Aldiron

Alyx reached down and gripped Iona’s hand, hauling the princess to her feet and making her cry out in pain in the process. With the same movement, she slung Iona’s left arm over her shoulder and supported the princess.

Ahead of them, as the second legion’s last few officers retreated from the throne room, King Samuel hurried over to his daughter, wrapping her in his arms in relief. After a second he pulled back and looked Iona in the eyes.

“Hills?” He asked and Iona lifted her arm slowly, pointing to the twisted pile of metal and wax that lay in the centre of the room.

It took Alyx a moment to piece together what had happened.

“You dropped a chande-fucking-lier on his head?” She asked with a laugh, turning her head to Iona in amazement. The princess just smiled and nodded.

“She defeated him in front of his highest-ranking officers. Even if he’s still alive under there, the princess just took a massive bite out of his reputation.” Junice informed them as he limped over. Alyx looked him up and down grimly. He was covered in blood and judging from the cut on his arm and the arrow shaft through his leg, quite a lot of it was his own.

“You look like hell.” She observed drily and he just tilted his head in response, though Alyx could have sworn she saw half a smile play at his mouth.

“It’s been a night.” Junice replied, hobbling slightly as he turned to take in the room. What remained of the royal guard had formed a perimeter around the throne, supported by the other guards that had been with Iona. Meghan Whiteoak was stood to the side, eyes tracing the sides of the room, looking for any more foes arriving.

“Where’s James?” Iona asked as she stood back to her own two feet, pushing off of Alyx. Alyx lowered her head, exchanging a quick glance with Meghan and the king.

“We… got separated as the lower city fell. He’s still down there somewhere.” Alyx explained quickly, not wanting to open up a very fresh wound. The argument that had followed the closing of the gates at the Spring Stairs had been loud and passionate. If it hadn’t been for Iona being in danger, Alyx would have thrown herself back over the wall to find her brother. And if she’d gone, Meghan would have been close behind her. Marius and Haster had promised her they’d look for him while they held the line on the inner walls, which was at least some small comfort.

He’ll be alright. He always is.

It was only the certainty of that thought that kept Alyx moving forwards, kept her focused on the task at hand.

But dread sunk even deeper in as she looked around and noticed that someone else was missing from the room.

“Where’s Lillian?” She asked, knowing that some part of her definitely would not like the answer given. Iona looked down to the floor, taking a deep breath before she answered.

“She… she got carried away by the crowd as they escaped. I had her in my hand and then I… she was gone.” Iona told her. Alyx stood still for a moment, processing what Iona had said. She felt the sparks of anger begin to build in her chest.

You let her go? You lost her? Why didn’t you go and get her?

She turned towards Iona, her hand going to her sword.

“Where was she? Where did you see her last?” She demanded quickly, her voice sounding much louder than she meant it to. Iona flinched away from Alyx slightly, shocked by the anger in her voice. But she quickly recovered, opening her mouth to reply. But she was cut off by Meghan Whiteoak.

“Alyx!” Meghan’s voice was harsh, making Alyx turn her attention to her. The woman was approaching Alyx, and she took her by the arm, pulling her away from Iona. Alyx knew what was coming, the same arguments had down by the Spring Stairs when James had gone missing. But Lillian was different.

“She just a kid Meghan.” Alyx began to argue but Meghan shook her head firmly.

“She’s more than just some kid Alyx, you know that. Lillian’s survived the Winter District alone. Her greatest talent is staying safe and escaping danger.” Meghan said, holding Alyx’s arm firmly and keeping Alyx looking into her brown eyes.

“But she’s my family!” Alyx protested, but she knew that argument wasn’t exactly the strongest, given that she’d left James.

“I know Alyx and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But look around you. It’s all going to hell and we’re all exhausted and broken. We have to go.” Meghan said, gesturing to the others in the room. Alyx looked at them.

Junice looked like he was barely able to stand, his dark skin had taken on a pale blue tone, and he winced in pain with every move. Meghan was thankfully unwounded, though her face was streaked with trails of sweat and her eyelids sagged with exhaustion. King Samuel was also uninjured, though breathing heavily from the stress and exertion.

Iona looked rough too. A dark red bruise was beginning to spread across her jaw and the white shirt she wore beneath her armour was stained red where Alyx could make out the cut across her back. She held herself stiffly, like every movement ached.

Alyx also couldn’t deny her own body’s aching. She’d taken more than a few beatings during the battle, and she suspected she’d spend the next while finding bruises she didn’t realise she’d gotten once the adrenaline wore off. All that without even mentioning the fact that even simply blinking still hurt after being hit with the warhammer earlier.

Hissing in anger she pulled away from Meghan, pacing back and forth while pressing her hands against her temples as she tried to push down images of James and Lillian fighting for their lives in a city of monsters. Meghan was right, Alyx knew she was.

It did not make it any easier.

I’m sorry Lillian, please be safe.

“Fuck!” She screamed, throwing her head back from her hands. She kicked the corpse of a fallen second legion soldier hard and turned back to face the king.

“How do we get out of here?” She asked simply and Samuel nodded, seeing her surrender to the duty she was tasked with.

“Through the treasury. This way. The rest of you, clear the palace of traitors, make our people safe.” He said, looking to his royal guards who saluted and began organising themselves into smaller units to move through the palace.

Ahead of her, Alyx watched as Iona moved next to Junice and began moving to support him when he took her wrist and pushed her gently back, shaking his head. Iona looked up at him in confusion.

“I’m going to stay and help them.” He told her gently. Iona stared wide eyed at him and began to shake her head.

“Junice, no. Come with us, please.” She begged, tears welling in her eyes. She weakly pulled at his wrist.

“Princess, I’m walking wounded. All I’d do is slow you all down. But I can still fight here. I can still help here.” Junice said, gently pushing her hand off his arm.

“But you’re my guard. You keep me safe.” Iona protested, tears now running down her cheeks.

“This is keeping you safe princess. My injuries would only put you in danger now. Besides,” Junice looked over at Alyx, holding her gaze for a moment before he turned back to Iona. “You’re in the safest hands I know.”

Pride warmed Alyx’s chest and she gave Junice a smile of thanks. He held her gaze with a serious look, one that told her he’d hold her to the complement he’d just paid her. She nodded quickly, accepting the task readily.

Iona looked at the two of them for a second. Then, with a whimper, she hugged Junice tight, a gesture he returned with a rigid, slow movement of his arm. Alyx chuckled to herself as she stepped up next to them, placing her hand on Iona’s shoulder.

Still too proper. Right at the end.

Reacting to Alyx’s touch, Iona stepped back from Junice, wiping away her tears with a sniffle. Then Junice turned to Alyx and extended his hand.

“Keep her safe Lady Cobalt.” He said simply, but this time he didn’t struggle with giving Alyx her title. Alyx smiled and gripped his wrist tightly, feeling him return the gesture to her.

“Fight like a street rat Junice. And survive like Winter District scum, because only I get to kill you, you pompous arse.” She told him, flashing him a cocky smile. Junice laughed.

“Still like to see you try.” He replied simply.

And then he released her wrist and hobbled off to join the royal guards, not looking back towards the princess as he walked.

“Goodbye Junice.” Alyx whispered quietly, nodding to herself. Despite it all, some part of her was sad that this would likely be the last time she saw her fellow royal guard.

Swallowing the emotion, Alyx turned back to Iona, Meghan and the king.

“Let’s go then.” She said simply and the group nodded.

As they moved from the throne room, Alyx hurried to the front of the group, with the king behind her calling out directions. Iona followed behind him, with Meghan bringing up the rear.

Soon they emerged into the courtyard that Alyx had first been brought into when the guards had brought her up from the dungeons what felt like a lifetime ago.

The trees and bushes that made up the centre of the area were aflame, with a unit of second legion soldiers moving through the space. The group turned to face the newcomers and charged.

Pulling Iona to stand behind her, Alyx threw out her last throwing axe towards them, but it thudded harmlessly into the wood of one of their shields.

Alyx swore and drew her sword, moving forwards to meet the oncoming enemy. Around her, the rest of the group did the same. Two legionnaires charged Alyx. Moving quickly, she shifted out the way of one’s charge and in front of the other. She placed her foot on the centre of his shield and kicked, pushing him backwards away from her while she spun to the one that had charged past.

He turned and moved towards her again, swinging his shield around like a club and following it up with a swing of the sword. A double blow meant to stun Alyx with the shield before carving through her ribcage with the sword.

She stepped backwards around the shield, causing its weight to pull his arm wide from his body. Then she quickly parried away his sword, leaving his arms spread wide as his sword bounced off hers. Alyx twisted her own blade around in a quick cut that cleaved into his side.

He cried out but didn’t fall, instead bringing his sword around in a wild swing. A clumsy attack that Alyx quickly punished by grabbing his sword arm by the wrist and holding it there. A quick thrust put her sword through his chest and he fell.

One more.

Alyx turned, looking for the second legionnaire that had charged her.

Just as he fell face down on the ground, an arrow with blue feathers piercing the back of his neck.

Alyx looked around in confusion. The others had all dealt with their opponents, but none of them held bows. So, the shot must have come from someone else. Alyx looked up, and there, silhouetted against the burning garden in the courtyard’s centre, stood her saviour.

“James!” Alyx was moving even as she called her brother’s name, sheathing her sword and sprinting to him. But Meghan Whiteoak was faster.

She reached James a step before Alyx would and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Alyx drew to an awkward stop and stared at the two of them with a surprised half smile. It wasn’t that she was jealous of Meghan exactly, but she’d really have liked to have been the first one to her brother in that moment.

After a second, Meghan seemed to realise that fact and pulled away from James, giving Alyx an awkward, apologetic smile.

Alyx ignored her and stepped up to her brother, grabbing him by the back of the neck and pressing her forehead to his, breathing a sigh of relief and feeling tension and fear rush from her body in waves. His hand came up to mirror hers, cupping the back of her neck and squeezing three times.

Alyx chuckled and stepped back, looking her brother up and down. He was drenched, his hair plastered to his head, and he stank of sea water.

“What the fuck happened to you?” She asked and James shrugged.

“Cutpurse’s Corner.” He replied, giving her an awkward smile and running his hand through his soaked hair. Alyx’s eyes went wide as she stared at James in shock.

“Are you fucking mad? The Corner’s a two-person run.” She asked, recalling the struggles they’d had doing it together the last time they’d used it, even with two people. James waved her off.

“Trust me Alyx, I’ve already had this conversation.” He said dismissively, stepping away from her and looking to the king. Alyx looked at him, confused, but said nothing as he addressed Samuel.

“The inner wall’s crawling with Accursed and Draconeus is busy repeating his breaking of the north gate on the Spring Stair gate. I’m sorry your majesty, but the city is lost.” He told him.

Alyx watched as the news sunk in to everyone around them. Meghan sagged, like her exhaustion was now even deeper. Iona looked to her father in shock and horror. King Samuel just nodded grimly, he’d known the report was coming sooner or later.

“Then we have to get to the escape tunnels now, before Draconeus reaches the palace.” Was all the king said, before he turned towards the doors that led down into the dungeons and beyond them, passages that linked to the treasury. James though, looked across the group hurriedly and Alyx’s heart sank as she realised who he was looking for.

“Where’s Lillian?” He asked and Alyx shook her head.

“She got separated, she’s somewhere else in the palace. But we don’t know where.” She told him. She watched as the same emotions that had torn at her only a few minutes earlier crossed James’ face. He turned from her, moving to walk further into the palace but her arm shot out and she grabbed his wrist, pulling him around to face her again.

“James. We need to go. If Draconeus has already gotten into the upper city, then he’s coming straight here. We can’t be here when he gets here.” She tugged his arm again, pulling him into a hug where she held him tight. His entire body was stiff, but not from how cold and wet he was. Alyx could feel the tension in every muscle in his body.

“We taught her everything we know. She’s an alley cat, a Cobalt. She’ll get out. I know she will. She’ll be alright. But we need to go. And I can’t go without you.” Alyx whispered to him, holding her arms around him in a vice.

James stood rigid for a moment more before he took a long shaky breath and drew away from her, briefly rubbing his forehead up against hers. Then he looked up and made eye contact with King Samuel before nodding to him, confirming he was with them. Alyx gave him a thankful, but sad, smile and cupped his cheek for a second. Then she turned back to Samuel, who nodded to the door. Breaking into a run, Alyx led the group onwards.

The winding maze of tunnels of the dungeons were mercifully dark and quiet. They felt a world away from the chaos and fire of the battle outside as Alyx led the others through their twists and turns. It felt like they were going down far further than the cliff was tall when King Samuel finally called out for Alyx to stop.

She came to a halt, panting for breath, her chest burning. Looking around she found that before her was a strange stone wall, covered in intricate carvings and patterns. A single member of the royal guard that Alyx had never seen before, a woman with cropped blonde hair, was stood at attention in front of it. Piled beside her were leather packs that Alyx recognised as the equipment packs that they’d been given for their travels, now full of gear and food.

The king quickly began speaking with the guardswoman while Meghan led the others to the packs, lifting one and slinging it onto her back, strapping it in place across her chest. Alyx, James and Iona all wordlessly followed suit. Alyx’s pack was heavy, and she felt like she might overbalance as she slung it onto her back. Though she noted with a degree of satisfaction that it had been stocked with three new throwing axes strapped to the side.

She paused after putting it on, staring down at the single remaining bag. It was smaller than the others, though no less well stocked. The last little bit of hope that perhaps Lillian might have managed to find her way down to the place where they’d been gathering the equipment died away and was replaced with a hollow feeling in Alyx’s heart. Crouching down, she kissed the fingers of her hand and laid it softly on the leather of the pack.

“Good luck, little kitten.” She whispered, before standing and giving James a sad smile and nod. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed, but she could feel the same reluctance and defeat hidden just beneath the surface of him.

Ahead of them, King Samuel nodded to the guard, and she stepped up next to the strange wall. Brushing away some moss, she pressed against a brick bearing another of the same symbols and the chamber echoed with the scraping of stone on stone.

Slowly, the intricate symbols lit up across the wall with an otherworldly green light and the stone began to lift upwards, disappearing into a gap in ceiling of the chamber. Beyond it was a dark space, only a few metres wide, that ended in another door covered in the same symbols.

The door stopped moving with a dull thud that shook the walls and floor around them. Meghan stepped forwards with a look of amazement.

“That’s… Evellien design.” She breathed, looking to the odd button that was still being pushed into the wall by the guardswoman. King Samuel nodded, stepping into the dark space beyond the door and waving for them all to follow which, one by one, they did.

“An Evellien vault door to be exact.” King Samuel explained, lighting a torch in a sconce on the wall. It took Alyx a moment to realise that he hadn’t used a match or tinderbox and had simply clicked his fingers to bring the light to life.

So, all the royals can use magic. That makes sense.

“Evellien vaults are very secure, designed to be opened and closed only by having someone remaining outside the vault, controlling it.” The king continued, approaching another stone brick on the wall bearing the carved Evellien script. “Press just one of the two bricks, and the outer door opens. Press them both together, and the inner one opens while the outer door closes again. The design means that the vault traps thieves within. Only someone that’s meant to be in there can enter or leave.”

“Ingenious.” Meghan said wistfully, running her hand across the carved stone of the inner door. Behind her, Alyx and James exchanged a quick glance.

Thank the Gods we never tried our break in.

King Samuel turned to Iona, reaching down into a satchel that was placed against the inner wall of the chamber and lifting out a wrapped bundle and a key on a string. He passed both into her hands.

“The key unlocks a door on the far side of the treasury chamber, it’s disguised as a rock wall but the rock above the keyhole has our silver falcon carved in it. It leads to a tunnel that travels beneath the bay and emerges outside the city walls near the shore to the north. It’s long enough to bring you out behind Draconeus’ army.” He told her and she nodded, then he gestured to the bundle.

“That, I dare say you’ll find especially important for your mission.” He said and Iona looked up at him, confused, before she unwrapped the little bundle. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw what lay within.

The hilt of a sword, golden metal with ornate Evellien carvings, lay within the little leather cloth. The pommel of the hilt was inset with a sapphire of deep navy blue that seemed to flicker and flow with light, like seeing the sun from under the water. There was little doubt in Alyx’s mind to what she was looking at.

One of the three pieces of the Brightblade.

“I’m sorry I’ve said nothing of this until now. But I couldn’t risk this falling into the wrong hands before you left the city. If the enemy had gotten wind of it, then he’d have stopped at nothing to take it from us.” King Samuel explained as Iona lifted the piece to show the others.

“Where… how?” James stuttered in amazement, looking from the Brightblade piece to King Samuel and back.

“My ancestors discovered it when they built the palace. It seems Aldiron is built atop an old Evellien city. Though I’m afraid I do not know the name, nor whether it is the Throne, Tower or Market from your research. Within the city they found this vault, and within it, they found this. A piece of the Brightblade, protected by a magical barrier. We are fortunate enough to have magic in our bloodline, and so these first Ravellans were able to shield themselves from the barrier and take the piece from within.” Samuel told him, before he turned to face Iona as she looked down at the piece.

“That is why I trust this mission only to you, Iona. Because that same blood flows in your veins. If the other pieces are similarly protected, then you can retrieve them.” He told her, looking into her eyes with a warm smile. Iona looked up at him, eyes wide.

“Me? But… but you’re coming with us? The city’s lost. You can come with us. You can live.” She asked and her father shook his head slowly. Never taking his eyes from Iona’s, he reached forwards and pressed her hand closed around the piece of the Brightblade.

“Not this time Iona. This is where our paths split. Ravellans all have our destinies. Mine is to stand with Aldiron. Yours is to save it.” He spoke slowly, holding his daughter’s gaze as Iona began to shake her head silently. It seemed she couldn’t find the words to respond though as she could only shake her head and tears began to silently roll down her cheeks.

“Your majesty!” The guardswoman outside yelled out, her tone fearful and filled with warning, making the entire group turn. Alyx’s blood froze in her veins.  

Walking down the corridor at a pace barely quicker than a stroll was a man in ornate black metal armour. Long white cloth tails hung from his sleeves and shoulders, flowing behind him as he walked. He looked somehow ancient and simultaneously barely older than King Samuel. His skin was the pallid pale of a corpse, and both his long hair and short beard were bone white. He had a hooked nose and heavy brow that hid two narrow, hateful eyes with pure white irises. The shadows around him seemed to stretch and twist, taking on shapes of monsters against the walls. Alyx knew she’d seen this figure before, but from a distance atop the walls of the city.

Lord Draconeus.

As the group watched him approach, Draconeus’ thin mouth cracked into a sickening smile, and he raised his right hand. All light in the corridor around him seemed to draw into a bright, blood red glow as his eyes shifted to two fiery points of bright red light.

Alyx had seen this before.

As the magic leapt from Draconeus’ hand, a bolt of blood red lightning arcing through the corridor towards them, Meghan Whiteoak threw both her hands up and a shimmering wall appeared between the demon and the vault door, protecting the guard outside and sending the bolt careening off into a wall.

“I can’t hold this for long!” Meghan yelled out. Instantly James moved, running over to the carved switch in the wall. But he paused before pressing it, looking to King Samuel.

The king hadn’t taken his eyes off of his daughter, who was still crying and shaking her head, holding the Brightblade piece to her chest and staring wide-eyed at her father. Silently, he looked up to Alyx, making eye contact with her and giving her a short nod. She knew what that nod meant, what the look that accompanied it meant. She’d seen it on King Samuel’s face before, and before him, she’d seen it on Sigmund’s face.

She returned the nod, giving him a thin, sad smile, and stepped up close behind Iona. The princess didn’t seem to notice her, she was so completely focused on her father.

“I love you, my little firebird.” King Samuel said, pressing a kiss to Iona’s forehead before he stepped backwards away from Iona and gave Alyx another nod.

I’m so sorry Iona.

Alyx darted forwards and wrapped her arms around Iona’s chest, lifting the princess off the ground and pulling her backwards. At the same second, James pressed his hand onto the button and the door began to drop from the ceiling as King Samuel stepped beneath it, drawing his sword.

Immediately, Iona realised what was happening and began to struggle against Alyx’s grip, kicking her legs and pushing against Alyx’s arm.

“No! Let me go! Let me go!” She screamed, desperately reaching for her father as he looked back and gave her one last smile.

“Father! No!” She screamed again.

And then the door dropped past his head and King Samuel Ravellan, along with Lord Draconeus, disappeared from sight.

Behind Alyx, she heard the sound of the inner door thudding into place in the ceiling and, struggling against the princess with every step, she began to haul Iona back towards the open doorway.

Iona screamed and wailed and sobbed, kicking and squirming in her grip. It was all Alyx could do to hold on, pressing her face into Iona’s pack in order to mask her own sobs which had suddenly risen unbidden in her throat.

And then they were through, passing into an open chamber lined at the edges with chests and cabinets.

A few seconds later, the inner door began to close again as the guardswoman outside clearly released the button. Alyx hoped it was voluntary.

It was only when the stone door thudded closed again that Alyx loosened her grip and released Iona, who immediately burst forwards and threw herself at the unyielding stone, sobbing as she slammed her hands against it.

Alyx collapsed to the ground, landing next to Meghan who had fallen in exhaustion after finally releasing the magic barrier she had been holding. Both women were crying silently as they watched Iona fruitlessly cry out for her father and beat against the stone wall. Only James remained standing, and Alyx watched as her brother slowly approached the princess, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm, turning her to face him.

Iona just kept sobbing, but there was a rage in her eyes as she looked at James, who looked back, his expression shattered with sadness but resigned already to what had happened.

“Open the door, James.” Iona ordered, pushing against him. James shook his head slowly, still not saying anything.

“Open the fucking door now! Let me go to him! Let me kill that fucking demon!” Iona screamed and James moved, lifting both hands and cupping Iona’s cheeks, holding her gaze to his as he let out a long breath.

“I know. Believe me Iona, I know. But do you want to kill him? Or do you want to die trying?” James said, his voice calm and strong. Iona’s breathing slowed, matching James’ own as she stared into his eyes. Slowly, her crying silenced and Alyx watched her panic harden to cold, hard anger.

“I want to kill him.” Iona stated, her voice cold. James sighed and nodded.

“Another time. Not today. Today we need to live.” He told her, with a certainty that could only come from experience.

They held still for a moment, tears still silently running down Iona’s cheeks, before she nodded once and stood up straight.

James released Iona and turned, walking over to lift Alyx to her feet, and then doing the same to Meghan next to her.

Behind him, Iona lifted the key her father had handed her and moved along the wall, finding the hidden door he’d mentioned. With a quick twist, she unlocked it and pushed it open, revealing a long dark tunnel beyond.

And then, one by one, the group put the chamber to their backs.

And ran.