-Chapter 10-
Play the Hero
Sora, Riku, and Kairi watched in horror as a black wave of Heartless filed through the gates of the city. Despite being several meters away, they could hear the giant bells ringing, the droning tone of bronze sending shivers along their backs. Xemnas had mobilized his army. They were late!
"Daddy," Kairi whispered into Sora's back as she wrapped her arms tightly around the boy's waist. She buried her cold face into the warmth of his body and prayed for his safety. If Roxas' account was reliable, then an assassin would be waiting. The thought of someone sneaking around made her feel cold. Try as she might, she couldn't get the image of her father dying out of her mind.
She remembered the last time Heartless came. Her father had donned his armor and tucked her and her mother into the basement under the wine cellar before mounting his horse and joining the battle. The tight, dark space did little to comfort her, and sleep didn't come. The night just dragged on. Morning finally came. Her father was alive, but barely. He was weary and weak. His armor had been torn, his cape tattered. Kairi opened her eyes, canceling out the memory. "I'm coming."
"This sure brings back memories," Sora whispered to himself. The Heartless stretched out as far as he could see, and he guessed there were more lying around. In the moonlight, he could see the silver armor of the Radiant Garden soldiers fighting. However, their numbers were gradually dwindling like the sun setting before dusk.
"We have to get to the castle first," Riku urgently pointed out. "We can't let the Heartless get there first."
His voice was lost in the wind, for he was traveling at such a speed. Sora found himself getting left behind, his horse panting breathlessly from the weight.
"My horse won't make it!" Sora yelled as he sent a sharp kick to the faltering horse's side. "You'll have to take Kairi."
"What are you going to do?" the girl asked. "I won't leave you here by yourself."
"Come on!" Riku urged from up ahead. "We have to keep moving. That line won't hold out. Some of the Heartless have already broken in." He pointed his finger, picking out the weakening line that was caving in. Archers rained arrows down, but it did little to slow the enemy.
Sora smiled as he held her by the waist, urging her. "It's alright. We'll meet up later," he assured her.
"The barracks," the albino haired boy said as he pulled up beside them. "Meet us there. Our horses won't do us any good in the city anyways. They'll only get slowed by the closed space." He held his hand out to Kairi, waiting.
She looked back at Sora and placed a soft hand on his cheek before saddling up behind Riku.
Sora watched as they took off. He reached over to pat the animal, hoping it would hold on. Then he eased his hold on the reins, letting the horse slow to a gentle walk. Up ahead, the army of Heartless continued their assault on the walls. Their sheer size and numbers made it impossible to get close to the city.
Up ahead were the barracks. Riku believed the only way of getting into the city was to fight their way in. An unarmed princess would be a liability. He planned to keep Kairi safe inside the fort, away from the fighting. Sora would agree.
"Stay inside," Riku instructed the girl as he gently helped her off the horse. The boy dismounted and tied the animal to a nearby post. The animal opened its mouth and began breathing heavily, glad for the chance to rest. A nearby hand brought a fresh batch of hay from the stable and placed it in front of the horse's feet.
"You're highness," a burly soldier said as he approached. He bowed gracefully before slowly lifting himself. His rough voice and grey beard showed his age. A scar mark was near his right eye.
"Let me." Kairi immediately fell forward to help the man stand, grabbing his arm and holding him until he regained his footing.
"Thank you, child. It's not easy getting old. Curse these sore knees and back aches." He gave her a toothy smile.
"Princess, it's a good thing you've arrived," he said, now serious. "Having you here will surely boost our men's morale. We've been fighting like fat pigs. It's pathetic! To think, grown men are fighting like boys. It was different back in my day. It was the boys who were dying first."
"I'm sure our soldiers are holding up," Kairi responded. "They won't die easily, I think."
"Such good optimism. That's exactly what I expected from you." The man nodded.
Then he turned to Riku. "Of course, you're welcome to fight alongside us as well. I don't think you'd die easily."
Riku nodded. "Yeah, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. There will be an assassination attempt on the king."
The old soldier grimaced. "You young folks sure are busy, aren't ya?" He let out a booming laugh. "Ah, it's good to be young."
"We have to get into the city," Riku stated.
"The side gate is open," the man told him. "Though, I suggest getting some armor first or at least eating something. Get some meat on you before you fight. Them Heartless are tough buggers now."
"It's fine," the boy insisted. "I will eat, however, while I wait for Sora."
"Sora? Now that's a name I am familiar with. I'll get some food out for him, too. He's thinner than you are! Get on now," the soldier said changing subjects. "I'll watch the princess. Though, it's been a while since I babysat someone."
Kairi waved Riku off before following the man into the resting quarters. The smell of the fresh night air soon became diluted by the aroma of dirt and blood. As she peeked into some of the chambers, she noticed men with bandages covering their bodies. Some smiled as she passed on by. Others just nodded.
She continued following the man deeper until they came to a more open room. It looked tidier than the rest. There was a bookcase on one side and a neat bed by the window. A table and chair made up the rest of the furnishings.
"Sorry for the modest arrangements," the man said as he turned to her. "It's nothing like the palace, I'm sure."
Kairi shook her head. The room was indeed smaller compared to the smallest rooms in the castle. However it did seem cozy. The man lit a candle and placed it on the table. "If you need anything, just holler." He bowed his head before leaving.
"Wait!" Kairi called out after him.
"Is something the matter princess?"
"I- I just…" Kairi paused. "I just want to know if my father is alright. I'm worried about him."
"This must be about the assassination."
The girl nodded.
The man took a seat at the foot of the bed then took a deep breath. "I wouldn't worry too much about it," he said after a moment of silence. "Your friends are going to take of it."
The answer didn't seem to lessen the girl's worry. He could see tears welling in her eyes. "You have good friends," he continued. "And you're going to have to learn, as the future queen, to trust those you put around yourself. I'm not saying you'll be queen now, mind you. There's no way the king is dying tonight." The man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Kairi nodded.
"As long as you got your friends, everything will be fine," the man concluded as he got up. "You should get some sleep now."
"Are you my friend?"
The soldier smiled as he took his hand off the knob and nodded.
Kairi plopped herself on the bed and looked out the window. Her mind was still fixated on the man's words. She wondered about all her friends: Sora and Riku and Namine. Part of her wished she could be with them. She pictured Namine's face in her thoughts, and it made her smile. She liked the girl, and despite the short time they spent together, they hit it off pretty well. Namine was like a sister she wished she had.
Kairi slipped off her boots and slipped under the covers. All her fears and worries masked the tiredness, but slowly her eyes closed. Outside, the soldier smiled as he pushed open the door and blew out the candle.
Xigbar adjusted his eye patch as he stood on the roof of a house. His crossbows hung from his shoulders as he waited. The king was still buried in the castle despite the fighting raging on for quite a while. People had been running in and out of the castle, and he sighed as he sent an arrow into the chest of another messenger. That was number four. He reloaded.
"Come on, your highness," he whispered. "I'm in the mood to play. Don't you want to play with me?"
Xigbar breathed out, irritation growing. He hated waiting. Sure, his job consisted of being patient and waiting for opportune moments, but he wasn't getting any younger. His trigger finger was starting to itch.
Riku burped as he lowered the bowl from his face. The soup was particularly good tonight and warm. Still it was missing the old tri-tip beef. Speaking of missing, Sora sure was taking his time. He must have gotten lost. Riku wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he looked at the old soldier who was standing across from him on the other side of the room. He was looking into the pot, pouring himself some soup. Riku pushed his bowl aside as the man took a seat on the opposite side of the wooden table.
"This has got to be the best food we've had in such a while," he commented. "Too bad they only give us the good stuff when we're about to die."
Riku wondered how many of these so-called last meals the man had eaten in his life. There was no doubt soldiering had been his lifestyle. The man had shed his big long cloak and was wearing a sleeveless tunic. There were many scars along his arms, and his skin was rough. Yet his jovial mood was comforting, Riku found. He had yet thanked the man for watching over Kairi.
"I don't think the king would have wanted you to die yet," Riku suggested. "If he did, we'd all be eating tri-tip right now."
"Yeah, and the smoke would give us away. It would be clear as daylight."
"Eh…I'd rather die full than hungry anyways. Die happy, right?"
"I guess so," the soldier chuckled. "They don't feed you in the other world, I hear."
Riku shrugged. He didn't know, truly. A smile formed on his face as he thought about it. How people could fight and die so easily without fear was perplexing. Silence filled the room as the burly man opened his mouth to speak.
"You sure got quiet quickly. What are you thinking about anyways?"
"It's nothing really," Riku answered.
"Suit yourself, but a kid like you shouldn't be thinking too much. It's no wonder why your head is all gray."
Riku frowned as he pulled on a lock of his hair. He liked his silver locks, and no doubt the girls liked it too.
Behind them, the door opened and Sora entered.
"Finally you show up," Riku greeted as he scooted over on the bench. Sora eagerly sat down and stretched his legs. His horse had given up which left the boy having to pull it.
"Have some soup," the soldier offered as he walked over to the pot and poured some soup in a bowl. He placed it in front of Sora who gulped it down.
"This is some good stuff," Sora complimented. "Needs beef though."
The man laughed. "You two sure think the same. No wonder you guys are such good friends. Nothing brings people together like food. That's what I always say."
"Where's Kairi, by the way?" Sora asked.
"You mean the princess? I never thought you'd be on a first name basis."
"They got a little thing going," Riku inserted, making Sora blush.
"Ah, I see. She should be sleeping right now. The poor child was having trouble closing her eyes. Must be hard to know your life is going to be full of danger."
Both boys nodded. Ever since they were given the keyblades, their life flowed from battle to battle.
"For us, it's fine. For others, the thought can be disheartening," the man summed then added a wink. "Someone's got to play the hero, lads. That's us."
-KH-
Xigbar crouched low as he crawled his way along the rampart of the castle. The soldiers down below were unable to see him, and he scoffed at their simplemindedness. He had broken into the perimeter easily by joining rooftops and shooting down the archers that lurked above. Now, he could easily move around.
From the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Shadows gave way to two bodies carrying what looked like keyblades. Xigbar breathed out loudly. Where was Xaldin? This certainly had put a wrench in the plans. With Sora and Riku here, it would make the assassination a bit harder. Xigbar didn't mind it in the least. Excitement was good once in a while.
"Where is he?" Sora mouthed to himself as he followed Riku down the street. They had entered the city and were making their way to the castle. This side of the city was still quiet and undisturbed. The fighting must still be localized in the front.
"It doesn't matter," Riku told him. "As long as we secure the king, we'll know exactly where the assassin will be."
"And how do you know that?"
"Think about it for a second. The assassin's job is to kill the king, right?"
Sora nodded.
"In order to kill someone you have to be close by, right?"
Sora nodded.
"That means that the assassin will be close by."
It all made sense now Sora thought.
The castle was now coming into view as the boys turned off the road. Guards were still present, and upon seeing Sora, they immediately stepped aside.
"They're going to kill the king!" Riku yelled as he ran past them and opened the door. "Spread the word and lock down the castle. No one gets in or out."
The soldiers scrambled for the exits, barricading the doors and shutting the windows. Sora and Riku headed up the stairs and into the throne room.
"Sora?" the king gasped. "It's a good thing you're here…and Riku, too."
Both boys bowed.
"Heartless are attacking the walls again. I fear we won't be able to hold them off. You have to get out there and stop them."
Sora shook his head. "I'm sorry, your highness. We learned that an assassin is after your life."
The king took a step back. "This must be all Ansem's doing. I don't believe it."
Riku secured the doors and windows while Sora filled the king with all the information gathered. The remaining guards lined up around the entire room, creating a picket-like fence.
"But why would Ansem do such a thing?" the king wondered.
"I don't know," Sora answered.
"And Kairi? Is she safe?"
"Yes."
From up above, Xigbar watched intrigued. Xaldin had died, and Roxas had been injured. Xemnas wasn't going to like this one bit. He reached into his quiver and quietly strung the arrow into his crossbow. Crouching, he aimed once at the king then at Sora. A thought occurred to him. If he could kill Sora or Riku, no one would be able to stop him from killing the king next. He did have two crossbows, equal to the amount of key-bearers in the room. It wouldn't take more than 3 seconds.
Xigbar raised both crossbows as he weighed his options. Kill the king or kill the boys. The choice was intriguing, but he didn't have the luxury of time. He had one shot. Xigbar closed his eye. He'd kill the king then have Axel, Marluxia, and Larxene take care of Riku and Sora. Yeah.
Xigbar aimed the crossbow at the king's chest waiting for a clear shot. In an instant, the projectile shot through the air. A gasp could be heard. The king fell to his knees, traces of blood staining the clean floor. Sora and Riku looked up, finding the perpetrator jumping through the window.
Sora jumped for the window and drew his keyblade ready to give chase.
"No, Sora. Worry about him later. I need bandages now!" Riku immediately yelled as he rushed to the king's body. His hand was over the shaft, and the arrow was buried pretty deep.
"Riku…"
"Don't worry your highness. I'll get the arrow out. Just bear with me here. Sora, I need those bandages!"
Sora pivoted his head left and right looking for anything. His eyes came across the tapestry that was hanging on the wall. He ripped it down and handed it to Riku.
"I need potions, too."
"I have it right here," a voice suddenly said. It was Merlin, once again, popping up at the right moment. He handed Sora the flask.
"Thank you."
Riku pulled the arrow free from the king's chest, eliciting a groan. Immediately Sora lifted up his head and uncorked the bottle. The king held his mouth open as Sora poured the elixir. Merlin had discarded the tapestry and was wrapping the wound with fresh linen.
Sora sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow as the operation ended. He fell on his butt. "That was close."
Riku nodded. "How does it look, Merlin? Is it bad?"
"No," the magician said confidently. "Once the wounded closes, he'll be fine. We're lucky there's no circulatory damage. He did lose a lot of blood though."
As the boys took a deep breath, the door suddenly sprang open. Armored soldiers were thrown on their backs, and smoke shrouded the hall.
"Thanks for wrapping him up for us," a voice called out. "We'll take him from here."
This is my favorite chapter in the whole story. I don't know why, but the character interactions in the middle of the chapter really does it for me.
Rock out, party hard, live hardcore