Chapter 9. Win Or Die, No Other Choice
Sabrina and Puck led their squadron for the fourth attack. The Gray Knife was merciless. Although its soldiers were exhausted as well, they kept struggling. They wanted every inhabitant of Fort Charming dead.
"Jonathan has been shot through his wing," Puck said while flying in the direction of the enemies. "I saw Nurse Sprat carrying him away."
A tear slipped down Sabrina's face.
"Lena has fallen off a chariot – she didn't have time to use her wings. I think she's pretty bad too."
"Don't worry," Puck said, hopeful as usual. "We'll win. I promise."
"We'll win or die, we don't have any other choice," one of the fairy commanders added.
They literally crashed into the temporary camp of the Gray Knife. A stream of arrows, spells, and spears met them. The fairies attacked with fire, magical arrows and pixie swarms. Soon one of the Knife's arrows was in Sabrina's left arm, but the woman didn't faint. She took her sword in her right arm and continued the fight.
The worst thing about the Gray Knife was its bloodthirsty world-destroying plan. Sabrina was mostly afraid of its success, not of any particular wizards and leaders of the organization.
Lena was lying in the newly built brick hospital building. Nurse Sprat was attending her wounds.
"You're unable to fight for today," she sighed. "Many bones are broken, Lena. Sorry."
Lena was half-unconscious: she only hoped Mom, Dad, Jonathan, and the rest of the family would be okay. She didn't even hear the doctors treating Jonathan's wounds in a room next door to hers.
Prince Charming, General Seven, and Henry and Relda Grimm were in Seven's office, sending countless orders and receiving reports. The reports weren't very encouraging.
"Ten fairies dead, six wounded; twenty dwarfs dead, eleven wounded; seventeen Hoyhnhnms dead; twelve wounded…" Henry counted after listening to the fiftieth messenger. "Goodness! I don't remember such losses in the past battles. And these are the losses of only one division."
"That's 'cause we've never seriously dealt with the Gray Knife before," Charming explained grimly. "It has been organized days ago, in fact. Really, I prefer the Hand. They're – well! – more noble compared to this!"
"The Gray Knife doesn't know the rules of battling," Seven agreed. "Oz makes his own rules, and they obey him."
"What do we have to do?" Henry exclaimed. "Choose the way of death most suitable for us?"
"We could ask the Hand for help," Charming thought aloud.
"Are you nuts?" Henry and Relda cried in unison.
"Perhaps," Charming shrugged. "The Hand has become softer lately. I think they're considering arranging a peaceful agreement. And these," he pointed to the view of the battle, "will never consider peace!"
"We couldn't ask the Hand for help if we wished to," Seven said. "The Gray Knife blocked every road."
"So, what can we do?" Relda asked.
"Fight," Seven said firmly. "Win or die – no other opportunity!"
Kate and Vera were standing in a crowd of helpless women and children, all gathered in a special secret cellar of Fort Charming. Squadron Leader Mallobarb was guarding it.
"I doubt the enemies will find it," she said for the hundredth time to calm down the scared people. "The entrance is hidden well."
"Are we winning?" Kate asked her in a trembling voice.
"I know as much as you do," Mallobarb shrugged. "I have no ability of seeing through walls, sadly… I don't want to alarm you, but I heard a certain amount of panic up there in the beginning of the battle. As if the Gray Knife has stolen something extremely valuable."
"Something… valuable…" Kate blanched. She didn't want to think of the worst.
The part of the Knife's army sent to attack the Scarlet Fort was finally defeated. Nottingham and his cards came as the final unexpected blow and shot all the remaining attackers. Only Mirror wasn't present.
"Was he… killed?" Nottingham asked when Mr. Arachnid told him about it.
"I doubt it," one of the cards said. "Perhaps Master's planning a new something against the enemies."
"By the way," Mrs. Arachnid said aloud. "Our prisoners escaped and were a great help to us."
"Really?" Nottingham said.
"Indeed. They managed to defeat a group of two hundred Gray Knife soldiers all by themselves. I think we must set them free for it."
Nottingham cringed when he noticed Daphne Grimm ahead of the former prisoners' crowd, but considered Mrs. Arachnid's words reasonable nevertheless.
"I hope Master won't mind when he returns," he mumbled. "Alright, if they didn't fight us during the battle, they can go."
Daphne almost squealed happily when she heard it, but controlled herself.
"Thank you! C'mon, let's go to Fort Charming!" she shouted to the released captives. They marched along the forest path.
But when they came to the fort, their joy was gone. Fort Charming was nearly defeated by another half of the Gray Knife army.
"We'll come for help suddenly," Daphne whispered. Everyone in her group nodded and prepared themselves.
"On three…" the girl continued in the same quiet voice. "One… Two… Three!"
They ran and crossed the swords with the nearest Gray Knife soldiers. The latter were rather saddened by the attack, but there were too many of them to get really scared of Daphne's little army.
"Look, it's Marshmallow!" Puck shouted as he noticed the Gray Knife's small confusion.
"Indeed!" Sabrina smiled, reassured immediately. Daphne was able to handle a whole army – a little one, but an army anyway! And she came just in time, no doubt.
An hour passed. The evening came. The cheerful mood of Charming's followers was short-lived and faded again. The Gray Knife was obviously defeating them.
Sabrina heard a loud crash as the fort's main gates fell on the ground, and a stream of cruel monsters stormed inside, killing everyone they met.
"Puck… It's the end…" she whispered, taking her husband's arm. "Lena… Jonathan – they're both inside…"
Puck held her close to him as she sobbed on his shoulder.
A triumphant cry came from inside the fort. The Knife has found the secret cellar that hid the women and children.
Glinda walked out of Fort Charming, leading Kate, bound in chains, with her.
"That's that Mirror's friend, who spoiled everything in the Scarlet Hand and caused us to fight our former Master!" she laughed evilly and raised her knife (which was painted gray). "Prince Charming is captured, as well as the rest of your headquarters. We'll kill them slowly, right now. Starting with you!" she yelled at Kate.
Puck and Sabrina flew for rescue, but were quickly caught by the Knife soldiers.
The rest of the Grimms, Charming, and Seven were led outside too. All were in chains. Jonathan was unconscious. Lena could barely move.
Oz hurried to Glinda and took the knife from her:
"No, please, let me kill the first one of them!"
He slowly raised the blade and slowly brought it down, until it was an inch away from Kate's terrified face. The soldiers did the same with everyone still alive in Fort Charming.
"That's the end…" Sabrina thought, as Glinda's knife sparkled before her eyes. "What a torture!"
"Start the execution!" Oz barked. "Now!"
He raised the blade again, now rapidly, and brought it down even faster.
