Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Deltora, or anything affiliated with Deltora. All I own so far are those Healer girls. (you'll see what I'm talking about!)
Summary: Lief's overthrow; the townspeople of Deltora follow a new leader, Doom. Lief escapes from being burned at the stake, with his close friends, Jasmine, Barda, Marilen, Ranesh and Doom. Where will they go? How will they survive?
Much L/J, mild R/M fighting and loving, and much more love! Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The Deltoran Revolution of Idiots
Lief sank to his knees before Doom, who was sitting in Lief's own throne, wearing Lief's own crown, and wearing the official robes. None of these Lief had ever sat on or wore, but something was definitely going wrong.
Yes, something was wrong. Lief was in a big mess. The whole town had rebelled against him for no absolute reason, and he was now in a trial. Doom was now their leader and judge. It was outside, at the same place where Lief had won his kingship, and his father had died.
Lief thudded helplessly to the ground, looking very weak. Jasmine was sobbing quietly in the huge crowd of people watching. Many were on Lief's side; many were on Doom's. Barda and the palace guards were of course on Lief's side, along with Jasmine of course. Many others were too. Lief's mother had died a month ago, lucky enough not to see what her young son had in store.
The real story now: (yes, the characters do talk funny. its medeival times (i think). and yes, i do make Lief look so miserable and pitiful, don't I?)
"You vile scum who calls himself king, what do you have to say before the end of trail today?" Doom shouted from his throne, jabbing his staff at Lief.
The staff hit Lief in the stomach, throwing him to the ground, making his head spin. Lief got up slowly.
"I have nothing to say to you, or the people," Lief said. "All to be said is that you have changed sorely; if you kill me, all hope for Deltora will be lost, and you know that."
Doom jabbed at Lief again, throwing him to the ground. "Guards, put his hand-cuffs on! Trial is over for the evening!" Doom swept away, his black cape flying in the air.
Lief let out a moan of pain and let the palace guards put on his hand-cuffs. He stared up at them sadly.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," one of the guards whimpered as he locked the cuffs. "There's nothing we can do." The guards stared sadly at Lief, who was looking very skinny, frail and pale white.
"There's something you could do, if you had the bravery," Lief murmured. "But you don't, so why don't you just kill me now so I can be rid of this misery!"
"Sorry," another guard whispered.
Barda, still captain of the guards, lumbered up. He said gruffly, though tears were swimming in his eyes, "Take the idiot into the cell!" He obviously didn't mean it.
The guards heaved Lief up and almost dragged him away.
Jasmine, sobbing, fell in a heap on the ground, wailing Lief's name. Barda walked over to her when everyone was gone.
"Your father is an idiot, not Lief," Barda whispered. "Oh, how could I betray Lief? His father entrusted Lief's safety in me, and what do I do? I call him an idiot! The boy's going to die with this treatment, and why are they doing the damn trial? For no reason! He has done no crime, and they have no proof of any! They only wanted to rebel for no reason, and now Doom has turned completely corrupt!"
"You can't visit him; but I will visit him tonight, secretly, and bring him food. They are starving him," Jasmine whispered. "Oh, I haven't spoken to him for three months! Would he think to talk to me?"
"I don't know," Barda murmured. Then he walked off, heading for the palace. Jasmine, sobbing, followed him.
The guards threw Lief into the cell. Lief's head hit the floor with a small thud.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh," Lief moaned as blood came out of an old wound on his forehead, which had been jabbed at with the point of Doom's staff, many times.
One of the guards threw a nervous look over his shoulder, and, seeing nobody there, whispered, "Your Majesty, we are very sorry this is happening. Is there anything we can do?"
Lief sat up, breathing hard. He glared at the guard.
"You...can't...couldn't...or wouldn't do anything, anyway!" Lief said, his chest heaving. He groaned, feeling his aching side.
The guards went running away, their heavy footsteps pounding on the ground, and they were soon gone.
Then Jasmine came in, and she stared at him for one moment. Then she ran out again.
Lief groaned as he felt blood coming from his side. He moaned softly.
Suddenly the cell door opened, and Barda came in, with Jasmine behind him. They whispered something to each other, and then Jasmine ran off, her footsteps pounding.
Barda quickly picked up Lief, and Lief couldn't feel any energy to complain. Putting a hand on his side, he realized that it was spurting blood. The wound must've opened.
"Lief, I'm taking you to Steven's wagon," Barda whispered. "It'll be alright. We're escaping..."
Lief couldn't understand him, for he was too weak. All he said was, "Heeelp...it hurts...help..."
"I'm sorry, Lief," Barda whispered. He took Lief out of the cell, and out of the palace. Then he took Lief toward a wagon, Steven's.
Barda put Lief in the open back compartment, where Marilen and Jasmine already were. Then Barda shut the compartment, and went into the front part, where Ranesh and Steven were. The front compartment shut.
Then Lief heard the wagon begin to move, a little after Barda shut the back door and Lief heard him go away into the front part of the wagon. And it was then when he realized that Marilen was holding his hand, and he was lying down. Jasmine was bending over him, looking desperate as she tried to stop the blood from flowing at his side.
"I think he's awake," Marilen whispered. "Lief, you're in Steven's wagon. Barda took you here, and Ranesh is here too. Jasmine's trying to ease your pain." She bit her lip and said to Jasmine, "Did that sound odd?"
"Where are we going?" Lief whispered, trying to clear his head. He groaned, for his side seemed to be burning in pain, and blood was spilling from both, his side and forehead gash.
"I don't know," Jasmine said. "Oh no, I can't stop the blood! I don't have any materials besides this piece of cloth. I'm not a doctor!"
Suddenly Ranesh came through, from the front compartment. Lief realized that they were in the back compartment of Steven's wagon.
"Steven, Barda and I heard Lief moaning, and we knew he was awake," Ranesh murmured to Marilen. "How does he fare?"
"Alas, we do not have any materials to stop the blood," Marilen whispered. "I fear..." she turned pale white and gripped Lief's hand tighter. Then, as if reassuring herself, she said, "He will be alright."
Ranesh stared one long moment at Lief's pale face, and then he crawled back into the front compartment, and was gone.
Ranesh took a seat again, next to Barda.
"How is it?" Steven asked, though his eyes were on the road, his hands on the reins.
"Not well at all, I fear," Ranesh whispered. "His...side...there's blood coming out too quickly. He has lost too much blood...and is still losing blood as I speak."
"What are you trying to say?" Barda asked, turning pale as Marilen had.
"I'm afraid that...Lief may pass from us very soon," Ranesh choked out. Then he whispered, "Tonight."
"He is too young for this!" Barda cried out, thumping his heavy boot on the hard wood of the floor.
"Nobody is too young to die, Barda," Steven murmured.
"Smart words," Barda drawled, but he turned paler. He muttered, "Lief will be alright."
"I think it would be best to stop the wagon here," Steven decided, and Ranesh nodded in solemn agreement.
"Why?" Barda demanded. "We've barely gone far, and they may search for us, and find us! There is no reason to be stopping here!" Barda's voice was frantic.
"Barda," Ranesh said quietly, "do you not want to see your friend once more?"
"Wh-what are you saying?" Barda choked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Steven steered the wagon off-track, where they would be hidden, and then stopped the wagon. "Here will be a nice and peaceful place," Steven murmured. "It is a good place...close to his home..."
Jasmine's head came through. "He is slipping away from us," Jasmine whispered.
"We shall bring him out here," Barda said. "Here he will be happy."
Tears spilled from Jasmine's green eyes. "You know he will not be happy, Barda. He can't be happy. Not when the whole world seems against him."
"We aren't against him," Ranesh whispered.
Then Barda and Ranesh picked up Lief and carried him out, and lay him down on the soft grass of the ground. Blood immediately colored the grass, a deep red crimson.
Then Lief's friends gathered around him. Jasmine and Marilen began to sob frantically.
Tears came from Barda, and soon from Steven also. And finally the quiet Ranesh began to cry quietly, too, and Lief was surrounded by crying friends.
"Lief, can you hear me?" Jasmine asked Lief gently.
Lief didn't reply; he had sunk into a deep sleep, one that he might never come out of.
"Wait...did you hear something?" Steven asked suddenly. There was a rustling in the trees and bushes.
"Uh...I think so," Barda murmured, his voice shaking with grief. "It's probably just the wind..."
But suddenly three heads popped up from behind the bushes. They were the heads of three beautiful girls, each with long and beautiful hair.
The girls walked out from the bushes, and the others saw their stunning rainbow dresses. They were beautifully clad, and their crystal blue eyes sparkled out.
"Hello, travelers," the eldest girl cried out. "Be you friend or foe?"
"Friend," Jasmine said.
"Are you friendly travelers in need of help?" the youngest asked, "for you seem to be in need, as you are all down on the filthy turf, where dresses may be tarnished."
"We are in need, but there is nothing you girls can do for us," Ranesh murmured.
"Oh? What is it you need?" the middle girl asked. "Be it need of armour, weaponry or health?"
"Health," Barda called. "Do you have healing powers?"
"Oh, yes, yes we do!" the youngest called. "We are the three Healers, the Healers of the Wounded or Injured." The young girl twirled around.
"But there is one condition," the eldest said. "We Healers may heal the Wounded or Injured, but we can do naught for the Dying, for the Dying have their threads cut by the Fates."
"Do you mean the elderly?" Barda asked. "Lief is not old; he is young, and he should not be dying."
"Then show us this thirsty flower!" the middle girl cried out.
The group seperated so that the Healers could see Lief, who was breathing heavily, listening to the conversation as best as he could.
"Blooming One, this is one for your powers," the eldest said to the youngest. "Only the young can help the young!"
The youngest girl moved forward eagerly, and bended over Lief's frail body. She stared into his face for a long while.
"Is there naught your powers can do for him?" Marilen asked worriedly.
"He is of royal blood, is he not?" the girl asked, a smile creeping onto her pretty face.
"Yes!" Steven snapped. "Will you heal him or not, you dreadful wench! Every minute you waste is more blood gone from him, and his life ebbs away as we speak!"
"Oh, mournful day!" the young girl cried out. "Evil man, you have brought on a terrible fate for yourself! Oh, woe on us all!"
"She's a hoax, she is!" Steven said angrily, and his body began to change into the dreadful monster Nevets, Steven's brother.
"Oh, sisters, is there aught I can do for this poor man?" the girl cried out, gesturing at Steven/Nevets.
"Oh, young sister, it is your duty to perform the task in front of you!" the eldest cried out. "I am the one of armour, and you are the one of weaponry, Weapon Holder," the eldest said to the middle sister. "We must do what we must, to this poor man!"
"Steven, no, don't!" Jasmine cried out in vain, as Nevets took place of Steven. "Please, no! They have powers; they'll kill you, Nevets!"
"Oh, mournful, mournful day!" the young Healer cried, and she placed a hand on Lief's heart. She began to chant some unusual words.
"Verily, verily, please let this young king live!" the Healer finished.
Lief automatically jumped up, crying out in amazement. He was completely healed; the wounds gone and his face shining.
"Praise be!" the girl whispered, on her knees, her arms spread. Then she began to wail as she saw her sisters get ready for battle.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Barda asked angrily, watching the two sisters.
"My god, he's saved!" Marilen cried out, looking the other direction, at Lief. Relieved tears spilled down her cheeks.
Jasmine cried out in relief and jumped into Lief's arms, and she kissed him passionately.
Lief held her in his arms, and the let go. He took out his sword, and then stared at it blankly.
"What is it?" Ranesh asked Lief, watching him. "Are you alright?"
"But who do I fight for?" Lief asked quietly. "Steven, our close friend, or the Healer girls, who saved me?"
At that moment, the two older sisters jumped on top of each other. They became one girl, wearing armour and holding an axe, spear and sword in one big hand, and a giant shield in the other.
Barda noticed Lief was back to health right then, and he gaped at Lief.
"DON'T FIGHT!" Marilen yelled.
"Steven, NOO!" Jasmine yelled, as the creature Nevets jumped on the knight girl.
The Knight Girl jumped up, and brandished her weapon at Steven.
The young girl, the Healer, turned to the others. "DO NOT WATCH THIS!" she yelled. "If you don't want to see your friend killed, I advise you to not look!"
Then the Knight Girl let go of her spear and axe, but held the sword in one hand. Nevets was on the ground, unable to move by some spell.
"Why are they doing this? No, please!" Jasmine sobbed, as the Knight Girl pointed her sword at Nevets/Steven.
"It is his Fate for insulting the Healers!" the young Healer Girl said, sobbing also. "There is no way to escape, though we don't want it to happen! Look away, if you have any feeling!"
And all of the group looked away, as there was a deafening sound of swift movement of sword. Then there was silence...a long silence.
Lief raised his head, and cried out as he saw Steven's still body. The Knight Girl had split apart again, and was now the two girls. They were kneeling, weeping, with their younger sister.
"Oh no," Marilen whispered. "Steven's dead."
"Oh, why did he have to shame our name?" the eldest Healer wailed. "He brought upon his own death, he did! If only he knew that the Healers must kill whoever insults their name!"
"In saving one friend, another was killed," Barda murmured.
"We will bury him here," Ranesh murmured.
The three Healer Girls slowly walked up, looking worn and sad, though still beautiful.
"We must go, and tell our family of this," the eldest sister murmured. "Farewell, good friends. We leave you to bury your good friend in peace."
Lief turned, sickened by what had happened, and stunned.
The youngest Healer girl suddenly touched Lief's arm. "Boy, there are side effects."
"What?" Barda asked, alarmed. "Now what? You're not saying he's just going to be okay for a little bit, and then die suddenly?"
"No," the girl said slowly. "He'll be nauseous for a bit, and he'll probably stagger and sway, and he might faint. Oh, and he'll have headaches. Really bad headaches."
"When? How long?" Jasmine asked, sounding afraid. She hugged Lief, and he held her close.
"Probably by tomorrow morning he'll feel the side effects," the girl said. "And it will last exactly one week. Farewell, poor travelers."
Then the girl and her friends dissapeared, without further ado.
"A week!" Ranesh said angrily. "A whole week?"
"At least I'm not dead," Lief said quietly, and walked to Steven's slayed body.
The others followed him, and more tears began to fall.
Lief stared sadly at Steven's body, and closed his eyes, trying to absorb what happened.
Lief felt someone squeeze his hand, and he opened his eyes and saw Jasmine looking anxiously up at him.
"Are you okay?" Jasmine whispered.
"Yeah," Lief said, and he squeezed her small hand back.
"We have to give him a proper burial," Barda said. "Ranesh, should we start digging?"
"Yes," Ranesh said, gently moving aside Marilen to walk to a small patch in the ground. "Here would make good ground."
"I'll help," Lief said quickly, moving forward.
"No," Ranesh said. "You just recovered, Lief. You'll be of no help if you collapse from exhaustion!"
Lief winced from Ranesh's harsh words, clearly taken aback. He sat down on the grassy ground, next to Jasmine and Marilen.
"Ranesh, you're not helping when you yell at him!" Marilen said angrily to her husband.
"Oh, you be quiet for once!" Ranesh shouted. He kicked at a rock on the ground, and it flew up and landed back down.
Marilen whimpered and buried her head in her arms, clearly crying. Lief moved forward and comforted her.
Barda finally patted the last clump of dirt. They had finished burying Steven.
"He was a good man," Jasmine whispered. "He shouldn't have died."
"The only good thing was that he was elderly," Ranesh said quietly. "Lief is only 16, and he's too young to die...but Steven was already old enough..."
"That doesn't mean it's okay he died," Marilen snapped angrily.
Ranesh glared at her, and she glared back, just as viciously.
"Oh, stop fighting!" Barda snapped. "We're all tired, and we need some peace! Are you trying to kill Lief again? See, he's exhausted! Lief, go to bed!"
Lief opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it again, opened it, and shut it.
"I'll take first watch!" Barda continued. "All of you, go to sleep!"
"I-" Lief began, but was cut off.
"No!" Barda yelled. Then he stopped, seeing Lief's injured face. He seemed to catch himself, and his face softened. "I'm sorry."
"I-" Lief began again, but was interrupted once more.
"You look really tired," Jasmine murmured. "You should go to sleep."
"I'm-" Lief tried, but was, again, interrupted.
"Sleep," Ranesh said firmly. "We'll all go to sleep. Barda, I'll take second watch."
"I know!" Lief said, aggravated. "I'm trying to say something, but you keep interrupting me!"
"Oh...sorry," Jasmine said, sheepishly. "Go on."
"What happened?" LIef asked. "I mean, why'd you take me in the wagon? What was going on, when Barda took me from that prison cell in the palace?"
"I overheard that...my--Doom," Jasmine said, "Doom was going to have you burned tomorrow morning, so I knew we had to escape somehow. I told Barda and these guys, and we got ready...Steven's wagon," Jasmine said. "Then we left..and you know what happened after..."
"Why'd we stop here?" Lief demanded. The others exchanged looks.
"Because we thought you were going to die," Marilen whispered. "We wanted you to be in peace...when you died." It seemed like she had mustered up much courage to say that, for she began to sob again.
Lief sighed and leaned against a big log. "I guess we should go to sleep, then."
"This is all Jasmine's damn father's fault!" Ranesh suddenly burst out. "Lief woudn't have been hurt, Steven wouldn't have...died, and we wouldn't be in this whole mess. It's all Doom's fault!"
"Ranesh, calm down," Marilen murmured, putting a soothing hand on his arm. "Everything's going to be okay."
But Ranesh shoved Marilen off. "Shut up, woman! I don't want to hear you! Everything will never be okay, and you know that, Lief knows that, we all know that!" he boomed.
Marilen began to sob. Jasmine hurried towards her.
"Ran-" Barda began, looking uncomfortable.
"Don't you talk to me, old man!" Ranesh yelled.
"Stop, Ranesh," Lief said, looking almost frightened. "I-"
"Lief, don't think I'm...I'm..." Ranesh suddenly looked flustered. "Oh, I"m sorry...Marilen, I'm so sorry...you all hate me now..." Ranesh himself looked on the verge of tears.
"Ranesh," Marilen whispered, holding his hand.
"Oh god, just stop," Lief snapped. "Stop it! Just shut up!"
"You shut up yourself, Lief!" Jasmine yelled.
"STOP!" Barda bellowed.
"NO!" Lief yelled back.
"Oh, please, please!" Marilen wailed over the two men.
"Don't you have any dignity not to yell over a dead man's grave?" Ranesh shouted at Barda, shoving him and making him knock into Lief, bringing them both down to the ground.
"Ranesh, how dare you?" Jasmine screeched, helping Lief up and hugging him.
"I hate all of you!" Marilen screamed. "You're all so stupid!"
"TRUCE!" Lief yelled as Barda punched him in the stomach. "Truce, Barda, truce!"
"Unconditional surrender?" Barda asked, pinning Lief to a tree.
"Shut up!" Lief shouted.
"Then, no!" Barda yelled, punching Lief hard, in the guts.
Suddenly someone behind them all laughed, sounding amused. "Having fun, ladies and gents?"
Barda turned and saw a tall man wearing a tuxedo and top hat with an Italian mustache, who was leaning on a black cane, tip his hat at them. "Well?"
"Who the bloody hell are you?" Ranesh yelled.
"You don't know me?" the man asked. "Well, sometimes I go by the name of Lief."
"By the name of the devil," Lief replied bitterly.
Hee hee! how'd you like this one? see, I have a plot this time, unlike my dead AsthmaKid fanfic! if you'd like to see that, just click back on Deltora Quest, and click on AsthmaKid, by Becca1717, MEEEE! yaaaaa!
what'd you think? i hope you liked it, cuz I'm going to keep on updating it! well, byeeeeee! oh, and review please! reviews help me write better! r & r!