Ashes of Revenge

Raven flattened the map out on the table in the library, and the small group glanced down at it.

Fernando and Victor hadn’t told anyone about the fight, thankfully, meaning they were allowed back.

Raven crossed out the last town they had burned down.

“So,” Colt began, “this is an assassination.” It wasn’t a question, and the statement slowly sunk into everyone like a rock sinking into a dark, watery abyss. Now at a Castle - with the King set to return soon - their plan was moving faster than anticipated.

Raven had waited years to kill the King, and now that it was just around the corner, it didn't feel real.

"Where are we gonna regroup?" Raven asked. "It can't be here."

“Walk me through it,” Richard said. “Give me various locations.” He pressed his hands to the small of his back, allowing the other two to logically think it through.

Colt squatted on top of a chair. “How long will it take to reach tha Monstro Kingdom?”

She shrugged. “Four maybe five days if we don’t spend tha night.”

“An’ goin’ through tha Monstro Kingdom?”

Raven stared at the map and rubbed her hand against her nose. “Over a week for us - probably two. Tha little short cut we took with tha Mountains allowed us to skip these villages.” Her finger circled them. “Here’s tha thing though,” Raven continued, “if we stop in every village because we need food, then that is what will take us so long. Tha travel for tha Royals doesn’t take as long because they have food carts an’ tha Knights only stop when tha Royals want to.”

“Why don’t we meet in tha Monstro Kingdom?” Colt asked. “It’s halfway from tha Farians an’ Mundus’.”

“What are we gonna do at night?” Richard finally spoke. “A Siren almost killed yeh, an’ Raven was nearly killed by another Monstro. Also, we saw how well Ash worked out for us.”

Everyone was silent for a few seconds. They had almost forgotten the horrors that occurred during the twilight in the Monstro Kingdom - another obstacle to maneuver around.

“We’ll stop on tha Mundus border village,” Raven said.

She flinched when a loud bang shot throughout the room, but neither Colt nor Richard moved.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Death said. He was standing at the other end of the table, his hands against it. “You are staying here and doing what you agreed to do!” A black dagger extended from his hand, and his eyes turned into a sickly onyx. “Or I can kill them now and make you watch.” A smile spread across his face. “Or they can meet my Pets.”

Raven had never seen him this mad, and as for his Pets, he hadn’t mentioned them, but she was not keen on allowing Richard and Colt to meet them.

Colt ran his fingers through his hair, and when he removed it, his knife extended. This time, it wasn’t in anger but nervousness. He left his crouched position in the chair and made his way to the table, sitting crisscrossed.

“He needs instructions. If we were still in tha Monstro Kingdom, then we would be fine, but we are not.” Richard allowed his wings to come out, like Colt, this was an anxious move despite his body still being stiff.

Raven’s pointer finger began to rub against her thumb, forgetting that her precious ring was gone.

“Let’s pack a supply horse, and us three go,” Colt said, looking up from the table. “Bram an’ Mark can stay here an’ prep?”

“I think I’ll start by cutting the boy’s knives out of his body,” Death calmly remarked, now balancing the tip of the twisted murky grey blade on his finger.

“How about I stay here?” Raven asked, wanting Richard and Colt gone when she completed the deal. A new headache washed over her at the front of her head, shooting directly back as if an arrow was going through her.

Colt and Richard looked up at her with confused faces. Colt’s head tilted to the side faintly. Richard’s wings perked up.

“It would allow me to keep tha King here, make sure he doesn’t go to another Kingdom.”

Death smiled and straightened out again. The knife disappeared. He effortlessly lifted himself onto the table and began to walk on it, towards Raven.

“Yeh sure yeh want to stay here?” Colt asked.

“Yeah. Completely.” Raven stared at the map.

Richard and Colt looked at each other as their faces became one of confusion, and yet sadness pulled at their features.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Richard said slowly. “Now, we need to work out tha finer details for when we get back here.”

Raven and Colt nodded, and Richard stiffened again.

“We need to get tha King alone,” Colt said. “An’ in a place with fewer men, preferably an enclosed space with one entrance.” His past slowly began to rise as he talked about attacks: blood covering his body and the metallic liquid choking him from the inside out.

“What situation would that be?” Raven asked.

“A meeting,” Richard said; he turned to Raven. “Set one up.”

She thought for a second, recalling her childhood and all the meetings she had barged in on. “He has six men in tha room at all times.” She knew this because that was the amount it took to corner and grab her. “Other Knights are stationed outside tha doors. Tha Queen - an’ probably Victor - will be in attendance, but he should ask for oll tha Royals to be sure.” She shrugged. “All I need is to kill tha King, take his sword, crown, ring, an’ sit down on tha throne.”

“That’s oll?” Colt asked.

Richard and Raven nodded.

“Assassinations are fair game,” Raven said.

“How do we get into the meeting, though?” Colt questioned.

The other two stared down at the map.

“Tunnels,” Richard murmured. The two looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. “Raven, do tha secret passages lead outside?”

“Of course-” she stopped, realizing his plan.

Colt caught on and leaped out of his chair and to the pile of maps. He pulled one out and ran back, flattening it over the other one. The three stared at the layout of the Mundus Castle.

“Tha opening is in that white small building before tha Noble Market; it’s a trap door.”

“I need to test it tomorrow,” Richard said.

“Oll right,” Raven said. “It’s a plan.”

The plan wasn’t perfect; in fact, it was far from it. But it was all they could come up with within their now refrained time strain.

Raven leaned back in her chair as they all looked back at the map. The only difference was that Raven’s eyes were looking into Deaths’.

***

Dara walked down the hallways. She had been looking for the small group a good portion of the morning to invite them to breakfast; however, none of them were in their rooms. The last place she thought they would be was the library, but it was her last option.

Opening the door, she peeked her head in and, to her surprise, saw the small group. Maps and books were spread out on the table, as well as small remnants of food.

Colt was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. Richard was sleeping in his chair, somehow managing to remain sitting up, despite his wings being limp. Raven was sitting in her chair, faintly rocking as she stared at the map.

Slowly turning her head, Raven saw Dara. She achingly stood up and stumbled over to the Queen with a raised eyebrow.

“I was wondering if you and your friends would like to come to breakfast?” Colt was too zoned out to hear the Queen.

“Let me ask ’em,” Raven mumbled. She walked over to the table and picked up a book. Taking a few giant steps back, she tossed the novel onto the wood: BANG!

Richard jumped up, his wings spinning him in the air. He pulled out his sword when his feet landed on the ground. Colt turned around on the one hand and landed on his feet, outstretching one knife while keeping the other close to his body.

“Ladies, relax,” Raven said. They both sighed and holstered their weapons. “Dara was wonderin’ if we would like breakfast.”

Colt sat down on the edge of the table. “I’ll take some bread an’ cheese.” He rubbed his face.

“Somethin’ sweet,” Richard said. He scrunched up the maps, and they disappeared with his sleight of hand. “An apple?”

“Birra,” Raven practically begged.

“We have all of that,” Dara said with a smile.

The small group slowly left the room.

When they made it down to the dining room, they saw Victor and Fernando were already there.

Victor was sitting in a chair, eating his breakfast. Fernando was standing against a wall, his hands clasped behind his back. His outfit was similar to that of yesterday, his sword still at his hip. When the small group entered, Fernando’s and Raven’s eyes locked together.

Fernando bowed his head slightly as if apologizing for the unpleasantness that had occurred yesterday. Raven’s eyes were cold as they looked into his, and he couldn’t read a solid emotion from her. She looked paler than usual, and dark circles layered her eyes.

She faintly nodded back at him, but it looked like even that took effort.

They all sat down in chairs as a servant walked up to Dara, bowing deeply before he rose again. Dara informed him of what the small group wanted, and the servant left.

Raven slumped back in her chair as she placed one of her legs over the arm and turned sideways.

The servant returned shortly after his departure and gave the group what they had ordered.

Raven grabbed the bottle before the servant had a chance to pour it into the glass and drank it straight from the neck.

“Elizabeth?” Dara asked.

Raven’s hand twitched at the name. She removed the bottle from her mouth and put the base of it in her lap.

“Are you ok?” Dara continued.

“Yeah,” Raven said. “Never better.” She took another sip of Birra.

Richard reached over and took the drink from her. Raven didn’t even protest.

“When is tha King set to return?” she asked.

Victor and Dara looked up from their plates.

“Around two days,” Fernando answered for them.

Raven’s eyes shifted to Dara, and she looked at her for a second too long for reasonable comfort. Do you love him? she thought to herself. She didn’t have the nerve to actually ask the Queen the question, thinking that she knew the answer, making her almost hate Dara more. The only thing Raven didn’t know was why Dara loved him. Was it for the money? Power? Bloodlines? Opportunities-?

Death placed his hands on her shoulders, halting her thoughts. The small amount of touching made Raven want to crawl out of her skin. But she couldn’t react.

“What are we thinking about?” Death asked her.

Raven turned her head away from Dara and looked up, sighing. A white crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, an emerald in the center. She vaguely remembered trying to knock it down with sticks and rocks when she was younger, almost bringing a smile to her downturned lips.

“Could we use tha training station?” Richard asked.

“For what purpose?” Fernando inquired.

“We haven’t done anythin’ active in a while,” Richard said as he took another bite of the apple.

“I suppose that’s fine,” Fernando said.

Death’s hands slid off Raven, and she immediately stood up, Colt and Richard doing the same. They grabbed one last piece of food before they walked out.

Dara watched as they left and made up her mind - Raven didn’t like her, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty. She didn’t want Raven to dislike her, but she also knew that the chances of it not happening was very slim.

“May I train?” Victor asked.

Fernando turned and looked at Dara.

“Yes, maybe Fernando could improve your technique?” Dara requested with a warm smile.

Fernando returned the smile and bowed again. “As you wish, my Queen.” Victor stood up from his chair and followed Fernando. “What would you like to practice today, my Prince?”

“Whatever you think needs to be improved.”

“Very well, my Prince.”

When they made it out to the yard, Richard was standing behind Colt and Raven, talking to them.

Victor grabbed his practice sword and faced Fernando. The Captain readied his practice sword, Victor mimicking him.

Raven watched as Fernando slowly moved through the steps of fighting with Victor. Fernando would make a move, Victor would mimic it, and then the Captain would improve the Prince’s version. Something began to ache in her. She had never been taught swordsmanship like this; instead, she did the reverse: bloodshed and then covering the basics. Richard had taught her everything she knew, and she wouldn’t trade that for anything. She just wished it had been by different circumstances.

“Why are we out here?” Colt asked as he looked around, snapping Raven out of her thoughts. His boot smudged some of the spit the Knights had spewed towards them into the earth.

“Because yeh two need to relieve stress that doesn’t involve gettin’ bloody wasted.”

“So yeh want us to punch each other until we feel better?” Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.

Richard bobbed his head side to side. “Yeah. Except I obviously don’t want you guys to hurt one another.”

“I kinda like tha idea of hittin’ him,” Raven said.

“I was bein’ nice, but I would destroy yeh,” Colt declared.

“Oh, please.”

“Yeh know it’s tha truth.”

“Stop,” Richard begged. After a second of silence, he sighed. “Yer not gonna hit one another.”

“Then what are we gonna do?” Colt asked.

Richard smiled. “Body manipulation.”

Raven and Colt groaned.

“Shut up,” Richard said. “It’s an important skill an’ yeh haven’t practiced it in a while.”

The two sighed and nodded, knowing he was right.

“Any question before I go to tha tunnel?” Richard asked.

Raven pursed her lips. “Yeah. Can yeh remind me how to bring ’em down to my level?”

Richard extended his hand, and she tensely placed her gloved one in his. He latched onto her wrist. Slowly, he twisted her arm clockwise while shifting his feet, making her arm straight and subsequently forcing her to bend her knees and lean towards him to try and relieve pressure.

He let go and stepped back, extending his wrist to her.

She did the same moves, and when she brought her closer to him, he nodded in approval.

“Now, I’m on yer level, but from here I can still overpower yeh. Yeh need to get me off balance.” His free hand pointed to his side. “Step around me an’ sweep yer leg into my calves while pullin’ me down.”

She followed his instructions, and within the next second, the pair were on the ground with Richard’s straight arm pulled across her body.

“If yeh force my elbow an’ shoulder up, yeh can dislocate it.”

She let go of his arm, and they stood up while dusting off their clothes.

“Got it?” Richard asked. Raven nodded. “Colt, yeh have any questions?”

“No, but thanks for givin’ her tha advantage,” Colt mumbled.

Richard outstretched his arms and slightly bowed. “Always. Fight until I return.” He walked back into the Castle as Raven and Colt sarcastically saluted - while also shooting obscene gestures.

When the pair settled, Colt gestured to Raven. “Ladies first.”

Raven pulled at her gloves, making them as snug as possible before she relaxed her body. Breathing out, she spun around and swung the back of her heel at Colt.

Fernando held up his hand, telling Victor to stop. Victor relaxed as he questioningly looked at Fernando, who was looking at Raven.

Fernando felt a faint tang in his heart. He wished that he was the one who had taught Raven how to fight - even though she was never supposed to learn how to - but instead, Richard had. He had watched Richard perfectly instruct Raven. She moved almost perfectly with Colt, the pair moving each other’s limbs to miss or hit themselves. Twisting their bodies and manipulating one another so only holds and locks could be applied.

He knew Raven could throw knives and fight well with a sword too. She had saved his life by perfectly throwing a dagger into one of the Monstros. . . . She had saved his life, maybe that meant she didn’t hate him as much as he believed.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips at that thought. The last thing he would ever wish was for Raven or Victor to detest him.

“Fernando?” Victor asked him.

Fernando remained facing Raven for a second more before he turned back around. He now had a chance to do what he had missed with Raven - teach Victor how to fight. The small smile returned as he looked at a confused Victor.

“Ready,” Fernando said. Victor readied himself. “Strike!”

Raven forced Colt onto one knee, one arm pinned painfully behind his back. His free hand latched onto her ankle and pulled, sending her to the ground. She spun around and aimed her foot at his face; she would never hit him full force, neither would. They would loosen their muscles and pull back at the last second so the hit would be so soft not even a bruise would show.

Colt grabbed her leg and locked it into place against him. She began to fall but quickly kicked the back of his knee with her leg, sending them both tumbling to the earth.

Hands grabbed the back of their collars and pulled the two up and apart.

“I won,” Raven said as she stepped out of Richard’s hold.

“She is absolutely wrong!" Colt rebutted.

Richard sighed, regretting his decision to get more energy back into them despite a few beads of sweat running down their faces and necks. “It’s nice to see that it worked,” he grumbled to himself. “C’mon, I’m done. Let’s go back inside.”

The three turned and walked back towards the doors. Raven shot one final glance to Victor and Fernando and involuntarily made eye contact with the Prince. Though brief, the distraction was enough to allow Fernando to send Victor flat on his back.

“What happened?” Fernando asked as he looked where Victor’s gaze had been. He saw the door to the Castle close, and he looked to find the group gone. “Again,” Fernando said. Victor made it to his feet, and they readied themselves.

The group walked into the Castle and up the stairs, making their way to the library.

“Tha tunnel works.” Richard grabbed a quill and paper. “I’ll write an’ deliver a message to tha Messenger. What day do we want to make tha attack?”

“When tha King comes back?” Raven asked. “Yeh, guys leave that day an’ then return later.”

Colt tensed.

“I suppose,” Richard murmured as he finished writing. “It’s not set in stone.” He grabbed the note and left the room.

“So. . . .” Colt trailed off. Raven raised an eyebrow. “What’s in tha secret tunnels.”

Raven tilted her head to the side as her eyes scanned the room; there was no trace of Death anywhere. She also knew that they needed a small break from what they were dealing with, a chance to clear their heads.

“I’ll show yeh.”

They stood up, and Raven pulled the book back. The bookshelf slid back, and they entered, walking into the tunnels which held the Castle’s most hidden items.

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