KGWrites

Alyx

Aethril Palace, Fallham, Barony of Fallham

A pair of hunters stalked the halls of Aethril palace, dealing death quickly and silently to the servants of the baron that stood in their way.

One struck hard and fast, throwing axes and cutting throats with blistering speed, by the time they were spotted, their target was already dead.  

The other was even more terrifying. There was little need for stealth when the very air from their prey’s throat was stolen away as soon as they saw them. A quick cut with a sword blade then made a quick end.

Alyx was unsure if she should feel bad for killing Zaygor’s soldiers at first. Until she remembered that, unlike the barely clothed servants that dwelt in his quarters, these warriors did not seem to be high on whatever drugs or magic he used to coerce people. No, these warriors were stone cold sober and followed that monster willingly. That had erased any doubts in Alyx’s mind.

Another soldier hit the ground, Alyx’s throwing axe embedded in their chest, their impact muffled by a cushion of air summoned by Meghan. Striding over, Alyx lifted the axe from his chest with a squelch, wiping the blood off on the corner of her dark cloak.

“How many more fucking floors?” She whispered to Meghan, breathing heavily. Meghan was also breathing hard, leaning her hands on her knees and doubled over, her hair falling about her face.

“Three.” She responded.

“Fucking bastard!” Alyx groaned in frustration, glaring up at the next staircase. She was looking forwards to getting her hands on Zaygor’s throat. Meghan nodded and held up a hand.

“Let’s wait here for a minute, catch our breath. Rather not face Zaygor half exhausted.” She advised and Alyx nodded. As Meghan leaned against the wall, Alyx grabbed the fallen guard by the wrists and dragged his corpse to the shadows at the corridor’s side. They hadn’t made effort to hide the bodies of the fallen before reaching this point, so it felt like a moot point to hide this one. Still though, if they were going to be holding still, Alyx didn’t want to expose them any further.

“One thing I can’t fathom out.” Meghan began, her voice barely audible. “Is why you came with me instead of sticking by Iona.”

Alyx glanced around the hallway. “Now? You want to have this conversation now?” She hissed.

Meghan shrugged. “We’re stopped here anyway, we may as well.”

“I don’t know how many break ins you’ve done before, but they don’t usually involve a casual chat halfway through.” Alyx replied quickly.

“One. Rescuing you from Trident with James.” Meghan responded evenly. Alyx turned to face her and Meghan gave her a lopsided grin. “Alright, it didn’t go perfectly, but that wasn’t down to having a conversation.”

“Didn’t go perfectly?” Alyx repeated with a scoff. “James got his nose smashed and nearly burned alive and you almost got sliced open.”

“Nearly and almost.” Meghan pointed out. “Means it didn’t happen.” She nudged Alyx with her elbow. “Come on, indulge me.” She urged.

Alyx sighed. “Fine. But we really need to move.” Meghan nodded in response.

“It’s like I said to James,” Alyx started. “He’s the better thief, I’m the better fighter. This way round makes sense.”

Meghan hummed as if she agreed with the statement before shaking her head.

“That’s not it.” She mused. Alyx looked at her, confused.

“Yes it-.” She began but Meghan held up her hand.

“You think that’s why. But that’s not it. This is barely a heist that needs James’ skills as a thief. Break down a wall with magic, take down the barrier, grab the sword and run. Hardly a precision strike. Add to that the fact that you’ve never willingly left Iona’s protection in a dangerous situation to anyone else since we left Aldiron. But you’re doing it now?” Meghan asked.

Alyx chewed her lip, looking away from Meghan in frustration. She was right. There were other reasons Alyx had elected to avoid going to get the Brightblade piece with Iona. Alyx just wished she knew what they were.

“Maybe I just wanted a chance to kick Zaygor’s arse myself.” She suggested, trying to downplay her own confusion. Again, Meghan shook her head.

“Except you know as well as I do that this isn’t an assassination mission. We’re not here to kill him. In fact, it would be best if we didn’t encounter him at all. You didn’t come here for that.” Meghan reasoned.

“Maybe I’m hoping we do. Or I’m here to protect my brother’s partner.” Alyx pushed. Meghan chuckled and lowered her head.

“Were that the truth, I’d be flattered.” She smiled. Alyx smiled back.

“Even if it’s not the reason. It is still true.” She assured Meghan. Meghan gave her an odd look back.

“Thank you, not sure I deserve it. But thank you.” She said quietly. Alyx stepped forwards, laying her hand on Meghan’s shoulder.

“What’s gone on with you and Iona is between you and Iona. I’m not picking a side between friends. So, to me, what matters is getting this job done, and the fact that James is happier now than I’ve seen him in a very long time. That’s you. So yeah, I’ll fucking protect you. And you’ll like it.” She told Meghan firmly. The other woman smiled sadly and lifted her hand to rest on Alyx’s arm, giving it a squeeze.

“Thank you Alyx. That’s… that’s explanation enough for me.” She spoke, her tone still hushed. Alyx smiled and patted her shoulder.

“Good.” She grinned. “Because until we get this done, they’re not going anywhere down in the vaults.”

Meghan nodded and pushed off the wall, flexing her hand around her sword. She dropped into a low stance beside Alyx. The two of them looked at each other, each silently counting down before they gave one another a nod and darted forwards.

The next three floors were thankfully empty of guards, giving Alyx and Meghan a straight run towards the throne room. Already though, Alyx was picturing what would happen if things went wrong. Having to fight back down through the palace against the army of fresh guards that would be coming upwards to face them likely wouldn’t end well for her and Meghan.

But that was a problem for after. If it became a problem at all.

Reaching the middle of the final staircase, Alyx and Meghan dropped into low crouches and slowed their pace to barely crawling. Step by step they climbed until Alyx could peer across the landing at the top to the double doors that led into the throne room.

Sure enough, there were two guards of Fallham stood at the door, just as there had been when they’d first arrived. They held their thick bladed scimitars in their right hands and small buckler shields were strapped across their left hands. They looked almost to be perfect replicas of one another.

Slowly, Alyx stepped back down a few steps, ensuring she stayed low and out of their sight. Returning to Meghan, she lifted her hand with two fingers extended and mouthed the word “two”.

Meghan nodded and closed her eyes. A look of calm focus descended over her face, and she took a long breath. Beneath her clothing, a dull white light shone as her magic spread outwards towards the guards at the door.

After a moment of silence, Meghan opened her eyes and fixed Alyx with a firm stare and she nodded firmly. Now!

Drawing her sword and dashing up the stairs, Alyx reached the landing and moved at a sprint towards the guards. Both of them spotted her instantly and their eyes widened in shock at the ambush.

And yet, neither of them moved to attack her.

Not for lack of trying of course. Even as Alyx watched, they strained to move their arms, to draw their weapons. Or to open their mouths and call for aid. But Meghan’s magic had locked them in place, leaving them only able to watch Alyx as she approached them with quick, long strides. She spun her sword in her hand as she did so, finding the best grip.

Her first cut passed directly through the neck of the first man, decapitating him. Oddly though, his head didn’t leave his now blood-soaked neck, still held firmly in place by Meghan.

Spinning to carry the momentum of her swing forwards, Alyx quickly whipped her sword around in a thrust that dug deep between the second guard’s unmoving ribs. Biting deep into his heart and sending a thick trail of crimson running down to the floor.

Neither guard fell immediately, though the light of life left them both within seconds. Instead, Meghan now ascended the stairs and gently guided her magic to silently lower the corpses to the ground.

Or at least, most of the corpses.

As the body slid away, Alyx noticed that the head of the first man lingered for a second. It hovered over nothing as the magic holding it began to slip away. If it dropped and hit the ground, all the hard work of silent assassinations would be undone.

Shit!

Darting forwards, Alyx seized the helmet by the spike on its peak, holding it still as the magic released.

And in the second the magic was gone, the helmet became instantly lighter as the head within, now with nothing holding it in place, dropped from it.

It fell to the ground with a solid, wet thump that seemed almost to echo through the empty palace halls.

Everything froze. Silence descended on the two women as they stood and listened to the corridors of the palace, expecting the rushing feet of alerted guards to suddenly begin approaching them. Alyx didn’t even dare breathe, just staring open mouthed at the now empty helmet in her hand.

But no sound came, no alarms sounded of alerted guards. After a minute that felt like hours, Alyx breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the helmet to the ground, laying it down quietly.

When she looked up again, Meghan was staring at her. The other woman threw her hand wide and mouthed the word “really?” at her.

Alyx could only smile apologetically and shrug. Meghan shook her head in amazement and rolled her eyes before reaching up and wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Using magic to hold people in place seemed to be a taxing ability, putting strain on Meghan quickly. Especially with two people at once.

Standing, Alyx crossed to the door, stepping over the fallen bodies and the spreading blood pool around them. Meghan joined her a second later. Alyx reached out and turned one of the handles to the door, opening it just wide enough to peer through the crack and see into the throne room beyond.

It was dark and quiet in what little of the throne room Alyx could see. The braziers and chandeliers were unlit, leaving the only light source as the thin silvery moonlight filtering in through the massive window that replaced the back wall. Alyx had expected to see the servants that constantly surrounded Zaygor inside the space, but from what she saw, it was empty. Devoid of life.

Pulling back from the door, she glanced at Meghan and nodded, giving her a silent signal of all clear before slipped through the thin gap into the throne room itself.

The space beyond was as cold as it was dark and silent. The open space and wide, vaulted ceiling seemed to suck the warmth from Alyx’s veins as she entered. Glancing around, Alyx confirmed that there were no ambushes awaiting them inside. Indeed, it seemed they were the only living souls in the space.

She took a cautious step forwards, allowing Meghan to slip in through the same gap and close the door behind her.

Once they were alone and closed into the space, Alyx glanced to Meghan.

“No-one’s home?” She whispered. Meghan’s eyes darted around the space, searching to make sure Alyx was right. After a second to confirm, she nodded slowly, though the tension in her shoulders remained. With one hand, she quickly gestured forwards, taking slow steps into the throne room.

Alyx nodded and began moving forward at her side, both hands gripping the hilt of her sword and holding it ready.

“Okay.” She started, her voice barely louder than her breaths. “Where’s this crystal thing going to be then?”

Meghan didn’t reply initially, simply looking around the room. Then she pointed with her sword towards the throne at the far end.

“He’ll keep it by him.” She reasoned, her tone matching Alyx’s. “No way he lets anyone else near.”

Alyx nodded, that seemed right. Then she started forwards again.

The two moved silently, heads constantly turning from side to side, up the central aisle of the throne room. After a minute, they reached the centre of the room, allowing Alyx to look nervously towards the doors that led to the two side rooms.

Mercifully, they were both closed, and Alyx could see no light coming from beneath either set of doors. She hoped Zaygor was a heavy sleeper, though with all the servants likely around him, he probably wouldn’t be the type to waken easily.

Probably sleeps like the dead after they’re done entertaining him. She thought bitterly, her lip curling.

Some part of Alyx urged her to open those doors, to stride in and slit his throat while he slept. Rid the world of this monster, it begged. But, as much as she wanted to indulge it, monster slaying would need to wait until another night.

She almost jumped out of her skin when Meghan tapped her on the shoulder, her touch as gentle as a ghost.

Looking back, Alyx found that Meghan was looking past her, towards the left side of the throne. Following her gaze, Alyx found what she had spotted.

A soft blue glow emanated from just behind the raised dais that led to the throne. It looked similar to the green that had glowed across the carvings in the Evellien vault beneath Aldiron, or the ivory white that glowed across Meghan’s skin from her tattoos when she used magic.

Alyx nodded once to Meghan and took a few careful steps forwards and sideways, circling around to bring that glow’s source into sight.

A strange machine sat behind the throne, glowing and pulsing with blue light. A sapphire crystal hung at the centre, producing the glow that then spread further into glowing runes that were carved into gilded rings that shifted and spun on an axis around the crystal. The whole thing was the size of a small boulder, held up by a frame bolted into the ground. A glass tube bearing the same runes on its surface descended from the bottom of the mechanism into a hole in the floor. Mirrors shone within the tube, bouncing the magical glow off its surface and down into the floor.

Alyx looked at it for only a second before tilting her head and narrowing her eyes with a satisfied smile.

If I were a weird fucking magical crystal, that’s what I’d look like.

Spinning her wrist in a flourish of her sword, Alyx looked back over her shoulder to Meghan and grinned. She was met with a similar grin from Meghan who gave her a nod of approval. Alyx turned back to the crystal, taking a step forwards.

And then she froze, the smile dying on her lips.

A smell had hit her. Floral, thick, cloying and overwhelming. A smell that spread through everything around them in the throne room, filling the air.

Perfume.

Everything happened at once.

Alyx spun on the ball of her foot, spinning to call out a warning to Meghan. The words died in her throat as her entire body was seized in an iron grip, turning every muscle to stone and holding her still as a statue. Across from her, Meghan’s white tattoos flared for a split second before fading back to darkness as she too was held still, unable to summon the magic to herself.

Light flared around them as every candle and brazier lit at once. The sudden light stung Alyx’s eyes, and she tried to blink it away, but not even her eyelids would move against the vice holding her in place. She could still breathe, in and out through her nose, and she could move her eyes in her head, but that was all she could do.

“I must admit,” The tuneful voice of Baron Zaygor sounded from somewhere off to Alyx’s right. The bedroom doorway, she assumed. “That I was rather hoping that if she was going to try and kill me, Princess Iona would at least have the decency to come herself.”

He stepped into Alyx’s view, his hands clasped leisurely behind his back, that same serpent’s smile on his lips. His tattoos were no longer the deep umbral black they had been, now glowing with a dark indigo light that stretched across his arms, up his neck and curled across the bald skin at the crown of his head. He wore the same jewellery and red and black robes as he had when he’d greeted them, giving no sign that he’d been asleep in his chambers.

Zaygor looked Alyx up and down with a sneer of revulsion.

“But no, she sends her feral dog and her pet sorceress to handle me.” He sighed. “How disappointing.”

Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not worth her coming here. Alyx wanted to say, wanted to spit the words into his face. But they died in her throat, her body disobeying her wish to speak.

“I’ll soon have that trained out of her.” He muttered to himself. Alyx felt her blood boiling, rising to a deafening tide in her ears.

“After tonight, she’ll have to be protected of course. Can’t have my bride stabbing me in the back at the first opportunity. Constant guard, maybe a little confinement to quarters, until she learns to behave properly.” Now he definitely was speaking to Alyx, grinning at her as he spoke. “For her protection, I’m sure you understand.”

I’m going to fucking skin you!

He stepped closer to Alyx, his disgusting perfume all she could smell as he gently took her chin in his hand.

“I saw the way you looked at her. How you valiantly leapt to her defence from me. Tell me, does she know that you are in love with her?” He asked, gently stroking Alyx’s cheek like he was comforting her. Her mind reeled, both with the question and with the desire to bite his hand clean off.

“So silent?” He pouted theatrically at Alyx, mocking her. Then he released her chin with a low laugh.

“No, no she doesn’t know. Seems there’s a lot of that going around for her.” He shot a mocking grin towards Meghan. Then he returned his gaze to Alyx, his eyes tracing up and down her body.

“Of course, why would she know?” Zaygor laughed. “On one hand, the Princess of Aldiron itself, the last living Ravellan, powerful heir to the Falcon Throne and, if she played it right, the throne of Shetani too, a legendary beauty desired by all. And on the other hand.”

He simply gestured to Alyx. Her mind’s eye couldn’t help but follow his hand. Dirty, broken armour stained with blood and piss. A body covered with ugly scars and marks of poverty. A vulgar attitude that barely ever gets held back. A noble title that means nothing because they all still see a street rat where she doesn’t belong. A broken, useless, stupid mind that has seen all the cruelty the world has to offer and still holds onto childish hopes. Darrin would never sail with me. Lillian likely died in Aldiron, hating us for abandoning her. Iona could never be with me, never love me. Not dirty, stupid, useless Alyx Cobalt.

Tears fell down Alyx’s face, unable to be blinked back as she could only stare out from beneath Zaygor’s magic.

“To top it all off. Even if you weren’t so out of your depth with her. Your only saving grace is that you’re actually too honourable to have the courage to tell her what you feel. Just in case she rejects you. Which, who could blame her?” Zaygor sneered. Within her mind, Alyx felt the words like yet another gut punch, even as she mentally curled into a ball, shutting out everything around her.

It was right. He was calling out Alyx’s lie. The lie she’d been telling for months, since that day in The Minstrel’s temple. Since the kiss. That she could just be friends with Iona, that she wanted nothing more than to keep her safe and be her guard, as she’d sworn.

Alyx had never allowed herself to think about why the kiss had lingered in her mind. Why she’d wanted to stay by Iona through every danger. Why she’d even accepted the position of being Iona’s personal guard in the first place. She couldn’t. That was too dangerous, for them both.

And yet here it was, dragged out into the light by Zaygor. A truth now laid bare for them all to see.

Alyx had loved Iona since the moment she’d met her in the Autumn District.

And I’ve been too much of a coward to do anything.

A strained grunting sound pulled both Alyx and Zaygor’s attention away from one another, both turning to face Meghan as her tattoos flared once more. Slowly, like someone being unfrozen from ice, her head lulled forwards and she glared at Zaygor, though the rest of her body remained suspended and unmoving in his grasp.

“Will you ever just fucking shut up?” She snarled, sweat beading on her brow and running down her face with exertion as she struggled to call upon her magic.

Zaygor turned his back on Alyx, facing Meghan with a low chuckle.

“There she is.” He goaded. “The huntress of the Bloodfields, the most powerful mage in the known world.”

He pressed himself into Meghan’s face, hovering barely an inch from the end of her nose.

“Or rather, the former most powerful.” He smirked. Then he flicked his fingers and Meghan’s head was pulled back, locking in place once more.

Alyx watched in amazement. Only a few moments earlier, Meghan had broken a sweat holding two of Zaygor’s guards for only a few seconds. But here Zaygor was, holding back not only Alyx, but Meghan as well, overpowering her magic like it was an afterthought to him.

In fact, he’d held a casual tone and conversation this entire time without even showing a bit of strain. His hands had remained clasped behind him in a proper stance.

Something’s wrong, something more than just more tattoos.

“Your ambition stopped long before you became shackled to the Ravellans, Lady Whiteoak.” Zaygor explained. He straightened up but remained in full view of Meghan as she glared at him. “I’ve found ways to empower mortal magic far beyond the simple tattoos we’ve been forced to use.”

Then he looked down at Meghan again, a look of disdain and disgust plain on his face.

“You could have shared in it you know. If you’d joined me back then. Helped me turn Fallham from a stinking backwater into a kingdom to rival Aldiron and Gruraith both. A haven, where our power would have known no limit. But you refused, you tied yourself to a sinking ship and convinced yourself it was better.” The last word was spat at Meghan, like it forced itself past Zaygor’s lips with fury.

“Better! Better to hide who you were because the faith feared you! Better to skulk in the dark like a rat than to rise to the heights you were capable of! You hid yourself in shame and called it better!”

He raised his left hand from behind his back and fixed Meghan with a look of barely restrained fury and a sick glee.

“You could have been so much more. You could have been a Goddess! But you refused! And now, I will show you what the power you could have had can do.”

Zaygor flexed his left hand once, clenching it into a fist.

The result was instantaneous, and terrible.

Alyx felt the air around her disappear into nothing. She tried to take a breath, and nothing came. Her throat closed and a hurricane of panic roared through her mind.

She wanted to lift her hands. To claw away the grip on her windpipe. But Zaygor’s magic held her still.

She wanted to open her mouth. To gulp in air. He wouldn’t allow that either.

Her chest burned, her lungs felt as if they were being ripped through her, like they’d break out of her themselves in search of air.

Her vision blurred as her eyes began to fill with water. Little white spots started to appear and swim in the new pools as she felt blood vessels in her eyes burst.

Over and over, she tried to take a breath through her nose, each one sending bolts of agonising lightning across her body as it screamed for air.

Her head pounded, like something was trying to break out from within her skull.

And then, nothing.

It all stopped and Alyx Cobalt’s vision went dark.

The last sound she heard was Meghan Whiteoak desperately screaming her name.

And the last thing she felt was Iona Ravellan’s lips on hers.