Chapter 9 – Battle for Freedom
POV change – Tean
On Abel I felt like I was on the sharp of a mountain: I could see the Queens approach to each other, even the Knave looking at me with a 'playful' grin.
"Why is that man looking at you?" Abel asked.
I felt a warm feeling in my eyes and I could tell that they had orange borders: "He's the one who hurt Diablo. I promise that if the Hatter won't fight with him first I'll do it… vigorously…"
"And I'll help you! What a coward-"
"NO! This is MY cwown!" Iracebeth yelled "I AM the eldest! JABBEWWOCKY!"
The earth shook violently and from a black rock came out an awful black dragon with enormous wings and long legs.
Abel seemed to fight against his own fear as the beast approached, taking a pair of steps back but snorting and returning where he was.
POV change – Terence
"Space!" General Thumper said as the Jabberwocky made its way into the battlefield, our army divided itself to let it pass. He was a person who really believed in the victory of the Bloody Big Head's tyranny and he was as cruel as a famished wolf.
"Tell me you have a plan to get her down of that giant, Terence" Danny whispered to me referring to the horse Tean was on.
"Not yet: unless you'll help me to jump high enough to drag her down"
"Won't it hurt her?"
"Any other idea?"
The battle was becoming intriguing: the Hatter stepped behind the dragon-like creature and pinned its tail with his sword: "THE HATTEW IS INTEWFEAWING! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" tha Red Queen screamed.
Both the armies ran to battle with each other, but Danny and me had just an objective: Tean.
"You ready?" Danny asked loudly intertwining his hands and lowering them. I lifted my foot there and waited for the right moment to jump: "NOW!"
POV change - Tean
Abel galloped through the soldiers as I swung my long sword against the Red ones, it was the best I could do as luckily Tarrant had decided to fight against Stayne.
All of a sudden something hit me hard and I fell from the saddle landing not so softly on the ground and cried out in pain. I looked up and discovered that the 'thing' was a red soldier.
"I'm so, so sorry, love" he said.
I struggled away from his grip, grabbed quickly my weapon and swung it again to hit him but he stood and with his own spear stopped my blade: "Tean listen!"
I stood and made another swift movement towards him: "Ah'm neht yehr luv!" I answered angry.
"You were!" he continued still responding at my attacks "You remember? You better not stare at tea cups too long if you don't want them to change in something else!" he concluded.
Realization hit me: "TERENCE!"
"You took your time, my friend!" another soldier yelled and I turned to face him.
"Danny!" I breathed "Wait… you were the two guards of the dungeons!" I thought out loud while going on with the fights.
"Yes, my darling!" Terence laughed.
"TEAN!" I heard and a loud stomping shook the ground: it was Abel.
"Get your helms off so we will recognize you" I told them and climbed on the horse (who had knelt to allow me to).
Before I could start to fight again a loud slaying sound filled the air and we all saw the Jabberwocky's head roll down the stairs of the old tower.
"KILL HEW!" the Red Queen screamed.
After a guard told her that they wouldn't have obeyed her anymore everyone let his weapon fall on the ground.
I got off Abel once more and stave with a kick my sword off. I turned to Terence which was already looking at me without his helm: his middle-length dark blonde hair was a mess, his beard was still well kept and his eyes were sparkling with a joy that I had hoped to see again after all this time!
We run against each other and he held me against his strong chest for dear life, lifting me from the ground and spinning me lightly: I wasn't intentioned to let go any time soon.
"Are you still my love now?" he asked softly.
I pulled back to face him and cupped his face: "Was that a serious question?" I asked and pulled him forward to kiss him with every single drop of passion I had kept just for him, not bothering at the 'awww's of the people around. We really didn't pay attention the speech of the Queen, but we eventually broke apart for air. I leaned my forehead against his and nuzzled a bit.
Meanwhile, Danny laughed to himself: "We won!" he yelled sending his helm in the air.
"TRAITORS! BOTH OF YOU!"
The scream made everyone jump in fright and it seemed that in the confusion the Knave had tried to kill the Red Queen, failing. However it belonged to the General Thumper which had brandished his dagger: he was just behind Danny, who had turned to face him and now was frightening still and shocked. A few white soldiers immobilized the General and took him away with the Queen and the Knave.
I slid down Terence's body and just stared: he ran towards Danny and held him as he fell on the ground showing a rather large wound surrounded by a lot of red moisture sliding down his side.
"No…" I reached them and knelt laying Danny's head on my legs: "Danny?"
His trembling breaths were irregular and not as deep as they should have been.
"Danny! Look at me! Keep your eyes fixed on me!" Terence ordered him.
"Why are you so worried?" he panted "This will be all finished within a few moments!" he tried to laugh, but he growled as doing so caused him pain.
"Sshh, don't speak, just stay awake…" I soothed with a hand on his forehead, he was so cold.
"Tean?" he breathed "Tean… listen to me…".
"Aye?" I said as a single tear escaped from my eyelashes.
"You deserve to be happy-" he panted again "-and this man can make you happy" he said lifting a hand to Terence's elbow "I could ask you to marry him- just because he had stressed me- about that for a lifetime!"
I laughed dryly: "I won't miss it, Danny…"
"And you, Love-Blinded-Fool" he continued referring to Terence "Tell your sister Berenice that I have always loved her, with all my heart and soul"
"I promise, man!" said Terence shaking his shoulder lightly.
Danny inhaled deeply and breathed out his last words: "Down with the Red, long live to the White…"
