Kingdoms End

Viva and her team had encountered several other rebels along the way and so far, they lost two more soldiers. It was late evening now, the sun would set in about an hour and the ARU still hadn’t taken the first twin city, Meg. They definitely wouldn’t be taking both cities even two days from now, if the rebel presence in Teg wad half what they’d found here in Meg so far.

Presently, the captain’s team had come upon a heavily fortified and guarded compound. The gates to the compound were at the end of a road lined by office and business buildings. Viva was slowly approaching one lone standing rebel from behind, a magic card in her right hand. She was 7ft away from the man, when he suddenly turned around to face her. She froze and hoped he really wasn’t seeing her and it didn’t seem like he was. The rebel looked at the road for awhile, then turned his back to Viva once more. Viva turned around and gave a thumbs up in the direction of her team’s hiding place. No other member of the team would be able to see her, besides Liann who’d cast the invisibility spell and was using another spell in order for her to see her invisible captain. Viva couldn’t see her teammates, as they were in dark doorways, so she didn’t know if Liann returned the thumbs up.

Viva turned toward the lone rebel and advanced on him, until she was standing right behind him. She made sure no other rebel was nearby, or watching her target, then once she was certain that they weren’t being watched, she grabbed the man from behind. Viva put her left arm around the man’s neck and he instantly became invisible too. She pressed the card in her right hand against the back of his neck and immediately whispered the chant, “Yaniz.” The man wanted to scream, but Viva’s card melted into his neck and he went completely still. “Now, come with me quietly,” she ordered, holding his hand and letting go of his neck, making sure to do the former before the latter, so he always remained invisible like her. She turned around and led the man by hand to where her teammates were waiting.

Once she was reunited with her teammates, Liann’s said the spell to undo the invisibility she’d cast over Viva. Liann’s eyes which had been white, while she had on the spell which made her see Viva through the invisibility spell, returned to normal now. The rebel was held down and his mouth was bound, before Viva held open a hand before his face and called back her card. The card took form on the man’s forehead and leaped into Viva’s open palm. “Mind control card,” she said, holding up the card, then she slipped it back into the box on her thigh, which opened once her hand got close to it.

Ten seconds after the card was pulled from within him, the rebel began struggling against his captors, but he was held down by soldiers, not children. “Perhaps we should have questioned him with your mind control card still in him,” Commander Hugo stated. “For the master of the card to control the mind of the spelled,” Viva replied, “the card wipes out the spelled ’s mind of everything but basic knowledge. Meaning he knows how to eat, he remembers his common tongue, but he won’t remember anything about a king, a rebellion or even his own mother.” Hugo’s eyes widened with surprise at the information. “We’re doing this the normal way,” Liann stated, pulling out a big knife.

The rebel’s mouth was released and he immediately said, “I’ll never give you any information!” “Tell us what we want and we promise to let you go free,” Viva told the rebel. “I’d die before I disobey a command of the True one,” the rebel stated. “The true one?” a female soldier asked. “The rebellion leader,” Liann explained. “He, or she, keeps their identity secret and runs the rebellion from underground,” Hugo added. “Is your leader here in Meg?” Viva asked. The rebel said nothing. “I expected more screaming and struggling from you,” said one of the soldiers who held the man down. “I bet the leader’s probably inside that secure compound,” said Hugo. “That’s why there are so many rebel fighters,” one soldier added. “This one’s no good to us,” said Viva, “Kill him and I’ll go get another one.” Liann brought the dagger toward the man’s neck, while Viva went to perp out at the gates of the secure compound once more.

The rebel was killed and Liann wiped her knife on his cloths. Viva returned and put her fingers to her earpiece. “All units within the city, rush now to the Memphis auditorium. I need assault vehicles, emergency teams and transport teams. I believe the rebel leader is inside that mall and we are not going to let him escape. I give the order for all to advance as they come.” The captain took her hand down from her earpiece now and turned back to her team mates. “We attack with first fifty soldiers who get here,” she told them and most nodded in reply.

It took barely thirty minutes for forty soldiers to arrive Viva’s location. The sun would soon be descending and the ARU captain wanted the assault on the auditorium started before sundown. Darkness would give the enemies chances at escape and she wanted the True one dead. Wether she discovered the identity of the rebel leader or not, if she made sure all the rebels within that compound died tonight, then she’d be sure their leader would be with them also.

“Its not fifty, but it’s just ten less and we’ve faired well under worse conditions,” said Viva to her troops, ready to step out and breach the gates. “I believe we’d have still won with only ten soldiers,” Liann replied and Viva laughed. “Now!!” Viva yelled, rushing out into the open with one of her magic cards in hand. The other soldiers rushed out from the hiding places and began firing at the guards before the auditorium gates.

“Yaniz!!” Viva yelled the chant as she threw the card towards the gate. The card exploded into a great ball of fire, 20ft in diameter. The fireball slammed through the gates and through the main entrance to the building before Viva called the card back. The fireball left a hole in the front of the building, which exposed the first and second floors.

“I thought you said no destruction!?!” Liann teased Viva as they entered the compound. “I said no unnecessary explosions,” Viva corrected her friend and they both laughed. The ARU forces were gunning down rebel after rebel. The rebels had been disorganised by the fireball, they were all retreating to within the auditorium building. “They’re going inside!!” Hugo yelled. “Take half the team with you, Hugo!!” Viva ordered and her commander obeyed. “You m, take the rest of the rest of the team,” She ordered another commander and he too did as told. The two teams entered the auditorium building, leaving Viva and Liann alone.

“And why are you and I going in alone?” Liann asked her captain. “Because we need to find that True one and he’ll just flee once he hears too many guns going off too close to him,” Viva explained. “But many guns are already going off inside the building,” Liann pointed out. “Then you and I had best get too close to him before the guns do,” Viva replied, moving toward the building now. The captain strapped her gun to her side and are her sword now. “Finally, sword fighting,” Liann said, putting away her gun and drawing her thin, curved, two-handed elf blade.

Sneaking through the building was fairly easy, with the pandemonium within. Most rebels ran past Viva and Liann without even noticing them. The two ARU soldiers were under an invisibility spell and Liann’s eyes were white as she held up the spell. The duo were on the eight floor of the building, the top floor. They were creeping along a hallway, when they came to a left turn and peeping out out the hall, they found a set of large doors, guarded by at least thirty men.

“If their leader’s not in there, the I am not elf,” Liann said. “But your not an elf,” Viva teased. “And they said my captain was very smart,” Liann replied and Viva laughed. “How do we take them?” Liann asked. “Like this,” Viva replied, drawing a card from her box. “Storm winds,” Liann read aloud what was written in the card, over the moving picture of a patch of water during a storm. “I believe they’ll have spells to help them see cloaked persons active,” Viva deduced. “So I drop the cloak and we go out with sword ms swinging,” Liann added. “If there’s anything left to swing at at,” Viva said with a grin, stepping out into the open.

Viva had been right, the rebels did have active spells to help them see cloaked persons. Those who saw her first, turned and opened fire, but she’d already thrown her card. “Yaniz” she chanted, while Liann jumped out to her side and raised a protective wall of green energy against which the fired bullets struck. The card burst into a powerful gust of wind, sweeping the rebels off their feet, down the hall and through the solid wall at the other end.

“Havusta,” Viva chanted and her card returned to her right hand which had been outstretched and open the whole time. “Thanks for the save,” Viva told her friend as she put her magic card away. “Don’t thank me, it’s supposed to be my duty,” Liann stated. “You’re too good with those cards, Liann said next, her eyes turning back to her normal colour, as her invisibility and protection spells were undone. “My father trained me religiously with the things since I was five,” Viva replied. “Then he died when I was sixteen and according to my mum, the cards went missing.” “So, how are we entering?” Liann asked. “Sword and gun,” Viva replied, pulling out her gun with her left hand, while her sword was still in her right. Liann did the same as her captain and they moved toward the set doors the many men had been guarding.

“La-kum,” Liann chanted with her eyes white and right arm stretched forth. She and Viva stood 20ft away from the door. The doors swung open and neither explosion, nor hail of bullets resulted. Viva stepped toward the open doors and saw that it led into an amphitheatre, with its slanting rows of seats and balconies all around. The two ladies entered the amphitheatre, there was the faint sounds of gunshots coming from downstairs. They moved cautiously until they were halfway down to the steps, the rebels emerged from all around. They were on the balconies, they covered the door, they circled the hall and the two ARU soldiers were surrounded.

“They’re everywhere, Viva,” Liann whispered, looking around. “That’s the best place they can be,” the captain replied, “cause now, wherever we shoot, there’s someone there to get hit.” “This id bot a joke, Viva,” Liann stated. “When I give the word, you raise a dome shield and keep it up until I find something that’ll even the odds,” Viva replied. “That’s better,” Liann said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Now!!!” Viva screamed immediately and Liann was prepared. “Hairor,” the elf chanted, her eyes going as she raised her hands from down, upwards. The soldiers opened fire instantly, but Liann’s transparent shield was up before any bullet way halfway out of barrel it was shot from.

Viva immediately let her weapons fall from her hands, then she squatted and got some cards out of their red box. She sifted through the cards in her hands and finally picked one out and pit the others away, the box sealing itself once more, as she withdrew her hand from it. She picked up her sword, sheathed it at her side, picked up her gun in her free right hand and stood up straight. All the while, the rebels kept firing at Liann’s shield of transparent green energy. Viva raised the card above her head. “I’m bringing in an earthquake, baby girl!!!” Viva screamed, but before she could throw down the card, a figure ran out unto the stage and yelled for the rebels to stop shooting. The rebels stopped and shooting and Viva kept her hand up.

The figure on the stage was the center of the ARU agents’ attentions now. It was a hooded figure, with a plain, white mask over the his/her face. “Is that the leader?” Liann asked, her eyes still white as her shield was still up. “Are you this leader of the rebel leader?!” Viva asked the masked figure. “This ‘True one’ as they call it?!” “Viva, it’s me,” said the hooded figure, taking off the mask to reveal the young man who’d brought Viva the orders to take back the twin cities, Prince Merkas Milik.

“What the?” Viva asked, lowering her raised hand. “I’m the leader of the rebellion, Viva,” the prince said, getting off the stage and coming up the steps towards the ladies. “That’s Captain Neggin to you, traitor,” Viva spoke, pointing her gun at the prince. The rebels aimed their gins at the ladies once more, but Merkas signalled them to stand down. “But the rebellion is older than you,” Liann stated. “I was chosen by the past leader,” Merkas replied. “He stepped down and put me up, just before his death. I was just thirteen and his daughter, his only child, was sixteen, Viva.”

“How can you betray your own family?” Viva asked with disgust. “I don’t have a family anymore, Viva,” the prince replied gently. “Your king killed them all because they stood against his madness and those who he didn’t kill are now scattered across all the five Versall worlds.” The energy shield suddenly vanished now and Viva turned her aim on Liann. “Why did you lower the shield, Liann?!!” she yelled. “Prince Merkas said the past leader’s only child and only daughter was sixteen when he died,” Liann replied. “You are your parent’s only child and your dad died when you were sixteen, Viva. You told me his body had been sent to your house by an unknown person.” Viva lowered her gun slowly, as the implication of Liann’s words became clear to her. She turned to Merkas now. “My father was the last rebellion leader?” she asked him and he nodded in reply. “My king, our forces were stopped before we could even leave the city,” said a voice from the doorway above. Viva and Liann looked back and saw a badly injured, bloodied rebel supported by two comrades.

“No!” Merkas exclaimed, then turned around and ran down the stairs. He’d only taken two steps, when a gunshot sounded and he went down, tumbling the rest of the way down the stairs. Viva looked back and saw Hugo with a gun aimed at the falling prince “I’m here for you captain,” he said and before she could tell him to stop, the rebels fired severally into him and he went down. Viva looked back at the prince who now lay at the base of the stairs. She ran down to him and Liann followed.

Once she was at the prince’s side, she found him alive, but dying. “Help him, Liann!!” she yelled and Liann immediately knelt by the fallen prince, her eyes going white. “Show her,” the prince said to a female rebel who was kneeling at his side, a laptop in her hands. The rebel woman opened the laptop and began operating it. “Seal the doors!!” a rebel yelled and the others scurried to obey.

“The bullet was an explosive shell,” Liann reported. “The tissue damage is too much for me to heal it, except I get new ones.” “Take mine,” offered the lady rebel with the laptop. “No, Nazra!!” the prince said sharply. “Just help me show our new leader the ways of King Fakumar,” he added. Nazra, as she’d been called, handed the open laptop to Viva. “I have secret cameras all over the Satinah palace,” Merkas explain.

On the laptop, was showing a live feed from inside the throne room at Satinah palace, King Fakumar’s throne room. The woman stood before the throne, two royal guards at her sides. “That’s my mother,” Viva said, recognising the woman on the screen. Liann leaned in and was watching too. King Fakumar rose from his throne, drew a gun from his guard’s holster and pointed it at Mrs Neggin’s head. “No!!!” Viva screamed. “She has been spying for the rebellion at her office in the ministry since before she met your father,” Merkas explained. “We found out she’d been discovered and sent a team to intercept her transport convoy,” added Nazra, “but your assault teams attacked the city before our people could even leave. We tried sending troops from Teg, but your soldiers outside the walls stopped them.” “_For acts of treason against your kingdom, I sentence you to die_” said the king on the laptop. “_Your daughter’s position in my army will not save you. If she does turn against me, then she will die like all the others. Any last words, Miriam Neggin?_” In reply to the king’s question, Mrs Neggin turned and looked straight at the camera which was capturing the scene. “She knows of the camera, Nazra stated, “planted it there herself.” “_I just wish my daughter knew how much I love her and how much more interesting my life was than what she thought_” There was a sharp gunshot sound and Viva’s mother dropped to the floor, never to rise again.

Viva didn’t say a word after her mum was shot, tears just rolled down her face and she watched on. “_Burn the body _” the king commanded, tossing the gun unto the dead woman’s body, then going back to his throne at the top of the dias. Viva looked away from the laptop now and her eyes fell on Merkas. “He’s dead,” she said and Nazra who’d come to kneel by her to watch the video, began sobbing quietly.

Viva put the laptop in Liann’s laps, got to her feet and walked to the stage. She turned to face the dead prince’s body and tears just kept rolling down her face, though she didn’t make a sound. Nazra on the other hand, wept like a baby, holding the corpse close to her heart. There was the sound of shooting outside, followed by people slamming the doors of the amphitheatre. Nazra looked back at the doors, then ahead at Viva. “He named you as his successor,” she told Viva, “said it’s what your father would have wanted.” “Do you accept it or will you continue fighting for the man who has taken from us all that we love?!!” Viva raised her right hand to her earpiece and took her gun in her left hand.

“This is Viva Neggin, your former captain,” she spoke, her voice hoarse. “King Fakumar just executed my mother and I swear that I will get back at him. I have been offered the leadership of the rebellion and I accept it. If you are with me, turn now on those who will stand against the liberation of nation from the hands of Fakumar. All teams within the city of Meg who still stand for their bastard king would best going into hiding, for my rebels are coming for you and I come with them. Prince Merkas was a true royal, he saw the suffering of his people and became the True one as they tagged him, the true King. Our prince is dead, but the rebellion lives on. We already know that many good members of House Milik stand with the rebellion and from amongst them, we shall find our next ruler. Those of you outside the doors if the auditorium building’s amphitheatre may enter if you wish, but know that if you are against the rebellion, then you are for the man who killed my mother and I shall how no mercy. Long live the rebellion.” She finished her announcement, lowered her hand from the earpiece and aimed her gun at the doors. “Open them,” she ordered and rebels moved to obey.

The doors were opened and some ARU agents entered slowly. They were at least fifteen of them and they lay down their guns. “We’re with you, Captain!” spoke one soldier for them all. Nazra looked up at the ARU soldiers, surprised to hear them declare for the rebellion. Viva suddenly put her fingers to her earpiece and Liann did the same. Smiles spread across both women’s faces, smiles which Nazra hoped were for the best. “I’m glad you all see the sense in it,” Viva said after listening for over a minute, then she took off the earpiece and dropped to her knees, bursting into tears.

“Bad news?” Nazra asked Liann. “Good news,” Liann replied, while walking over to Viva’s side. “From what we heard, at least eighty percent of the troops outside the cities, within the cities and on our air vessels now support the rebellion. That’s at least two thousand fighting persons; when you exempt those who already died, two Megarud military-type air carriers, tons of weapons and tons of metarubber armour.” Nazra smiled a little, that was a lot of soldiers and weapons.

“I killed my own mother, Liann,” Viva said, weeping profusely. “No, you didn’t,” Liann said, wrapping her arm around her friend. “I lead the assault which stopped the rebels from saving her,” Viva spoke. “You didn’t know that, and we’re not sure they would have been successful, even if the ARU hadn’t stopped the.”

Nazra rose to her feet and wiped her face with the back of her left hand. “If it hurt you as much as the deaths of my own, my fiancé most recently,” she said, looking down at the dead prince when she said the word FIANCÉ, “then let us prepare our troops and take back our nation. Let us not let our loved ones sacrifices be in vain.”