Author's comments: Happy New Year! Sorry it took so long to update I've been doing a lot of stuff and this was a bitch of a chapter to try and write with the amount of words it might be clear to see why. One more chapter left and everything will be explained.
Brucrew17-I am sorry I forgot to mention about the Leafmen in the last chapter they were captured.
Thanks to AliceCullen3, Brucrew17, Guest, jakevoronkov1 and 3 Peeta.
What kind of story should I work on next? It will be no longer then five chapters-new rule.
The Leafmen were gone. Everything was riding on child soldiers and their inexperienced Mothers it was simple no violence or death it would all be trickery well sort off a revolt against their king. I didn't know if I could take on Mandrake but they were there in case back up was needed. I was going to appeal to Mandrake's good nature if he had any and stop this war before he killed anymore of my Leafmen. I shuck in to the pod's room it was flooded, dark and smelt…..Bad. My Boggan armour was long gone I hid behind the pillars just waiting my soldiers to be in place. I didn't have many but they hid among the crowd only if I gave a signal they would attack.
I shivered at the rough rain and wind that pelted my face and body. Each drop felt like a cannon ball hitting me it was so unpleasant and irritating my chest I felt like it was cramping I couldn't breathe normally. My right arm found its way to my chest I applied pressure to it hoping it would help; my left arm was still not working because of the rot in my heart.
It was travelling I lifted my shirt my thigh and pelvis area were turning grey. I gulp. Shit.
"Bring them out." I hear echo through my ears it was that all too familiar voice and he sounded pleased. I stay near the wall and sneak around the pillars to get closer I could feel a trickle of mud sneak between my toes it was heavy and thick. Then I hear people collapsing and grunts "oh how the mighty have fallen haven't you Ronin?" He says caresses sitting on a make-shift throne patting the pod. It was in pain I could feel it.
Ronin lets out a fairly bitter laugh.
"Do you have something to say?" Mandrake lashed out getting out of the throne, throwing the pod back in to it. He yanks Ronin from the ground to his face "well?"
"Could you put me down your breath is rotten." He laughs.
Mandrake grunts throwing him to the ground. I physically have to stop myself from helping him I needed to find the other's many my Dad. "So where's M.K?" He asks.
"You'll never make me." He says simply hacking up bits of blood.
"How about we make this more fun?" Mandrake said with a large toothy grin. "Bring out the next one!" He yells.
The crowd began to chuckle as it separated to make room for two guards bringing it looked more like dragging to Mandrake then seconds later I saw a figure with messy hair.
Nod.
"So I'm here to join a party." Nod said laughing at his joke.
"Not a party an execution, Mr Booma will die unless you tell me where the Queen is." He says. Just hearing him saying it was making me feel sick in the stomach I began to hack up my guts I couldn't stop it I vomited. The hot chunks worked their way up my throat it felt the somone roasted the inner walls of my insides.
"So tell me Nod you have one minute." Mandrake says.
"Remember the professor's request we will not tell the need of the many out way the needs of the few." Ronin says.
Nod just grunts his annoyance. They looked worse for wear, beaten and injured there was so much blood, puss, clear oozing dribble coming out of there sores and ewww there were small bacterial creatures eating their wounds.
Nod just shakes his head slightly in my direction his eyes widened and a look of grievance came across his face. He saw me. I put a finger over my mouth he just nods.
"Well I'm waiting." Mandrake says bothered.
"Waiting for what?" Nod just smiles I muffle a small giggle.
"Well let's not wait anymore we won't start with her father but her so called lover kill him!" Mandrake commands.
Wait no! No! No! Nod. Okay M.K stick to the plan calm down. He can't mean it.
My hands begin to shake, my mouth feels dry, and I can feel my muscles tense up. Time slows down to an unbearable pace as Nod is forced to the ground and Mandrake makes his way over to him. He just smiles as he steps on Nod's head it lingers. "You have one more chance Leafboy tell me where she is."
He gasps "its Leafman you know that." He laughs.
Mandrake just grunts and pushes his foot down. I honestly didn't know what happened I had no control of my body I just ran towards them both and shouted for him to stop. My cries went unheard as I was caught by one of Mandrake's followers.
He grabbed my arm and twisted it I groans from the pain, he covers my mouth his skin was like sand paper rough, small hairs brushed against my lips I felt a cut forming. I bite his hand. He yells in pain "I was going to take you to the Master before your little boyfriend died but now you have to watch!" He laughs.
"Let me go!" I scream. "Mandrake I'm here!"
He doesn't hear me.
My feet weren't on the ground anymore they began to wiggle in the air. "You'll just have to watch him die!"
I hear bones breaking.
"That's it!" I snap before bending my knee and push my foot back in to his stomach as hard as I could. He drops me and collapses to the ground. "STOP! I'm here!" I scream. The Boggan's stare and make a path way as I hobble towards Mandrake my foot was sore from the attack.
"Well, well look who decides to finally show up." A crook smile appears as he says it.
"I'm here let them go I'm the one you want." I say.
"No I need some leverage."
"Battle me! "I demand breathing heavily.
"And why should I let you do that?" He laughs taking his foot off Nod's head. "I have almost everything I could ever want the forest is rotting, Moonhaven is dying all I need is a new heir from the Queen."
I continue hobbling "why do you want me?"
"With your magic and my rot this child will be the unstoppable Dark Prince!" He smiles.
"Let's make a deal something that will benefit you more than it does me."
He scratches his chin "I'm listening."
"Battle me the Queen against you the King of rot no powers, just weapons and if I beat you. You'll leave Moonhaven for good."
"And if I win?"
"I'll send the Jinn and Leafmen away and I'll be yours as well as the forest."
"You'll give me a son?"
"I'll give you as many as you want."
"Deal." He smirks "tomorrow at noon."
I nod my head. "Deal."
"You'll sleep in one of the dungeons tonight so you don't try and run off."
"It seems fair." I mumble.
"Guards take her down and put her in a dungeon alone." He commands them of course they come and get me I just inhale and go with them.
Well there goes the plan.
We travelled down stairs, into gritty tunnels it was dark the next thing I know I'm thrown in to a jail cell roughly. My forehead makes contact with the ground I feel it crack. The just laugh at me before walking off, I sigh before lowering my head between my knees. "What have I done?" I murmur to myself. My curled my toes inwards I felt them pick up rough pieces of dirt "why didn't I stick to the plan? Now all of Moonhaven is in danger again because of me."
I hear two more bodies crash in the ground in the cell next to me. Both people were coughing "Nod? Ronin?" I ask them.
"It's us." I hear Ronin say.
"Are you both okay?" I ask frantic.
"As good as the last war we were in." Ronin says patting Nod on the back. I could see in the pale moon light Nod was coughing up blood. A lot of it.
"Bring him here let me heal him." I say crawling over to the wooden bars.
"No your majesty you need your strength for tomorrow."
"That's ridiculous I won't sit here and watch Nod suffer!"
"No he's right." Nod says in between coughs.
"As your Queen I demand you give him to me at least so I can stop the bleeding." I demand begging Ronin. "Please."
"Alright but only a small amount M.K." Ronin says passing me Nod.
I smile "you called me by my nickname." I kiss Nod's forehead "put your arms around me." He nods and wraps his arms around my small waist. My lips linger on his forehead as I began the healing process. This was tough I was running on empty as it was maybe if I ate some dirt I could fight tomorrow. The process was simple I would use my life force to heal the sick and injured plants but I recently discovered I could do it to Leafmen as well and Jinn.
Nod begins to twist violently under me I could feel him. He's screaming bursts in to my ears I wince at the sound. Please be okay. Just heal yourself. Was this the pain my plants felt when I healed them. He just lay screaming as I pushed more power in to him. I could hear bones putting themselves back together, his lungs weren't bleeding anymore. I sigh to myself as he starts to fall asleep he's down in now time at all.
My lips remove themselves from his head "so when did we get a jail?" I ask.
"It was used thousands of years ago a Queen decommissioned it." Ronin shrugs.
Nod fell asleep after I was finished. I giggled a little listening to his snores "Ronin can I ask you something since you like Nod's father."
"Yes?" He replies.
"Well in my dreams literally I saw him suffering under my touch well another me that lives in my brain." I say he gives me a questionable look. "I know it doesn't make sense well you see would I ever be worthy of being his wife after doing something so horrible? He's always talking about marriage."
"Um." He murmurs while scratching his chin "you really didn't do those things did you?"
"But I did even Tara said I killed a part of myself in there."
"You saw Tara?"
"Well yeah she helped me escape."
"I see well if I was Nod's real Father I would be honoured it you were my daughter in law."
I smile.
It turns out they were both moved out an hour later, Mandrake just put them in the cell next to me to tease me I guess. Anyway now I am stuck here alone just sitting in the pale moon light. It was cold my body shivered from every little chill hit me from the storm. I couldn't bear the thought of what tomorrow might bring by this time tomorrow I could be by Mandrake's side as his Queen.
I sigh I needed energy and the soldiers weren't going to give me food so it was time to go down to the lowest of lows. I picked up a handful of mud and dirt it tickled my skin as it fell through my fingers I out it in to my mouth. Oh crap it had moss and slime all through it I take a bite there was a crunch along with a swish. I couldn't help but chew it slowly it was getting caught in between my teeth, my tongue was less than happy and I had to hold my hand over my mouth just to keep from hacking it back up. I shallow it painfully and take in another mouthful. My stomach is soon full of dirt and mud and I lie down on the floor and curl up into a ball trying to get some slumber but I can't there are too many worries coming across my mind.
What if I don't win? What if I do will the Leafmen accept me as their Queen again after everything? Would I be able to solve this without any blood shed? There was one thing I was going to do tomorrow and I wouldn't back out of it no matter the result would he marry me?
Sleep soon over come's me.
I feel a slight warmth upon my cheeks that cause me to twitch, wrinkle my nose and wake up. Everything was slow at first, my eye sight was blurred I groan and bring my right arm up to my temples and rub them. I rise up with a painful stomach it must have been the dirt my arm moved down to my stomach as I begin to hack up my dinner from the night before. My body was rejecting my only source of energy I just covered my mouth and swallowed the crap filled vomit. Dam this is disgusting.
I hear something coming down the stairs maybe it was one of my Leafman coming for me. I use my arm as an anchor and push myself toward the front of my cell. It was painful but I was going to make it. I frowned to see who it was.
"Well hello Mary Katherine." I hear. "So tell me how did you sleep?"
"You know better if I had anything decent to eat." I groan. "Mandrake." I spit his name.
"Well you didn't make it a term of our agreement did you?" He smiles.
"Yeah but even I didn't think you would be as cruel to let people starve to death!"
"Oh I would your soldier's haven't eaten since we invaded."
"Manjerk!" Not the best comeback but the best I could come up with on the spot.
"Brat." He smiles. "The battle will be in a few minutes are you ready?"
"I was born ready."
He takes his leave then one guard lets me out. I hobble out my feet were one pins and needles and I was sure one of my legs were shutting down just like my left arm did. He stops me as he closes the door.
"You get one weapon to fight with." He brutally speaks. "Choose."
"Bow and arrow." I say wait my arm dam it! "Wait, wait do you have a light sword?" I ask.
He deadpans and gives me a sword with no other words spoken I drag the sword towards the fight. Memories come flooding back of Tara in my dreams. Don't worry I won't let you down this time no blood will be shed. After finally getting up the stairs, through the tunnels and we made it to the pod's room. I looked around there were so many Boggan's just sitting there waiting for the fight right in the front row there was Danai sitting with a bow of her own. Mandrake sat in his throne happily stroking the pod.
I just stand in front of him and calmly say "we don't have to do this there has been so much blood already. Can't we live in peace, the balance that the forest needs."
"Backing out already?" He asks.
"Of course not I need to take care of the forest." I say narrowing my brows.
"Well then let's get this over with." He says getting up out of his throne and grabbing his staff.
"No powers remember?" I say holding up my sword.
"But my dear I have no powers my rot comes from a pool of tar blessed by my great Grand Father." He smiles. I groan was he right? "So let's get this started."
Without wasting anytime he launches himself at me with a yell. I dodge it to the side clumsily. He turns around and launches again I hold up my sword and with an un-mighty swing I cut his arm I felt blood trickle on my nose.
He stops suddenly "you got in a cut? Too bad it will your only one." He grunts.
"Please Mandrake we don't have to do this!" I scream.
"Oh no I will have my queen!" He says darkly before coming near me at a slow pace that was almost kind of haunting, knowing what his intent was.
I breathe in heavily. Focus M.K you can subdue him without murdering him. I pull the sword up towards my face in a protective stance I try not to shake but it doesn't help. I was shivering I felt the weight of the sword wobble back and forth. I walk off to the side backing up but holding my ground. He copies my movements and we begin to circle each other.
He just continues with his statistic smile.
My eyes narrow when he launches at me again he lifts up his staff over his head. The staff was heading right for my head. I step back with one foot for better balance and block his blow. He releases and strikes again but this time he hits me with a force to my side I bite my tongue to avoid screaming. I wouldn't give him the pleasure of my pain.
I turn in a circle motion, my hair flow in to my eyes I close them and hit him from behind. I wipe my hair strands from my face and open my eyes but not before he hits me in my back where my stomach was with such a blunt impact. I cough up some of my spit as I drop my sword to the ground. He kicks my behind my knee I scream in pain as my knee collapses to the ground I begin to tumble along with it. I put my hand in front of me it feels a familiar sting as it plunges in to the hard marble. My body descends after it almost immediately.
I feel Mandrake put his scaly, rough skinned food on my head "give up?"
"Never." I wince.
He kicked my side, I grouse in response. He flips me over with his foot and kneels down to me lifting my shirt. He smiles "you're becoming one of us."
"No." I cough.
"The infection is growing soon you'll be a loyal subject but with the powers of the Queen you'll produce a powerful offspring." He smiles. "You know the last time I tried it Tara defeated it."
My eyes widen "what?"
Mandrake gets up and steps on my ribs and starts to set his weight on that one leg. "You're just weak." He says crushing my ribs I can feel them breaking. It was a slight ache at first but as he put in more force it became unbearable.
My ribs snap. His foot just keeps going with a brute force "so will you give up and join me?"
"N-never!" I gasp my breath hitched as he dug his foot even more.
Finally he stops and then kneels down again this time toward my face "no matter soon enough until then I can do whatever I want to you." He says getting my sword he digs it in to arm.
"P-please stop." I ask sobbing lightly.
"Say you'll give up and I'll make it stop." He smiles pushing the tip in even more.
Don't give up M.K you can't! But I can't take the pain anymore.
"I-I-"I say stuttering.
"Yes?" He says digging it in.
I scream "I will never give up!"
He scowls at me.
"No matter if I change in to a Boggan or how much you torture me I'll always fight." I say.
"Fine then I'll just kill you." He smiles. He puts the sword to my neck and begins to bury it in. I feel a small dribble of blood sneak out I feel it flow down my neck. He lifts the sword above his head as he gets ready to strike.
I close my eyes waiting for it to come but it never does instead I feel a thick and mucky liquid drip on to my face I open my eyes back up to see Mandrake just standing there shocked. I lifted my hand to get some of the liquid off my face I look at it on the tips of my finger.
Its red. No.
Mandrake finally collapses on my legs I groan. His chest facing up to my shock there were three Boggan arrows in his chest. I look over the crowd they are all bitterly silent and looking in one direction I look towards it and there she was Danai with an arrow in her bow ready to be fired.
And she was crying.