Chapter: 25 A Warrior's Passion
"Tomas...Tomas..." echoed Zi.
"Come on, lad! Wake up!" urged Ben.
Tomas slowly awakened, his face pressed against a dungeon's cold, stony ground. His eyes fluttered as he let out a groan. "Ben?...Zi?"
"That's it, Tomas! Come on back to us!" clapped Ben.
His lower back and neck ached after the beating he'd taken. He shook off his pain and sat up, analyzing his surroundings. He and his companions sat behind grimy cell bars in a decrepit corridor.
Tomas clenched his fist and slammed it on the ground. "Save your strength," demanded Zi.
"It's all my fault. I should've gutted that bastard when I had the chance."
"What's done is done," snapped Zi. "We can only move forward from it." She stood up and yanked at the cell bars. "Now we need to find a way out of here."
Ben rammed himself against the bars before falling over with an aching moan.
"Shhhhhhhh!" went Tomas. "Do you hear that?"
The trio listened to hear chanting echoing beyond the walls. Several shots could be heard as well. "Sounds like the people of Weselton are taking another stand," thought Zi.
"But what good are we in this matter if we're locked in here?" Ben despaired. "There's no way out and the guard keeps the keys on him at all times. Luck is not on our side, my friends."
Suddenly, Tomas' eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, "Or IS it?"
In that instant, the trio simultaneously realized, "LUCKY!"
The tiny snowgie popped out of Tomas' sleeve and squeaked. Tomas smiled, "Lucky, we need your help to get out of here. Can you steal the keys and bring them to us without being seen?" The snowgie squeaked with enthusiasm, used his mouth to tighten his ascot, and stood at attention. "Thataboy."
"The guard is somewhere up that staircase," pointed Zi.
As Lucky slipped through the bars, Benjamin added, "God's speed, Lucky! Our lives rest in your hands." Lucky was puzzled, and stared at his tiny body. Ben scratched his head, "Our lives rest in your metaphorical, non-existing hands!"
Lucky scurried down the corridor and made ten mighty leaps to the top of the stairs. Once there, he caught his icy breath, and made another ten mighty leaps. And another! And another. Lucky toppled over at the entrance to the next room. He motivated himself with images of Tomas cheering him on. He then envisioned Queen Elsa knighting him "Sir Lucky" and then throwing him into a massive crowd of female snowgies. They squeaked amorously and thrusted him upwards and into Princess Anna's mug of apple cider. Oh how he loved apple cider. So sweet...So delectable...so...
WAAAAAAAAIT!
Lucky snapped out of his daydreams and focused on the task at hand. He hopped over a marching soldier's feet and listened for a jingle. Nothing. Lucky turned to hear the clink and clang of keys on their ring. He smiled up at a soldier, who had the keys latched to his belt. The man stretched himself out and sat in his chair. Lucky tiptoed up his pant leg and up to his belt. He leaned in, attempting to to grab the keys with his mouth. "Wha!" gasped the soldier as he jolted himself awake. He stood up and pat down his body, "What the?...I..."
"What is it now, Frederik?" fussed his partner.
Frederik panicked, "I know I felt something running up my leg. I know I did!"
Lucky hid behind the chair, waiting for him to sit down again.
"Probably just a rat. Plenty of those down here."
"I hate this job," grumbled Frederik before sitting down again. Lucky bounced off of his boot and onto his shoulder. The other soldier panicked and held his musket up towards Frederik.
Frederik panicked, "Lars? What is it?"
Lars eyed Lucky, "Don't...move." He swung the butt of his rifle down as Lucky dodged the attack. Lars smacked Frederik unconscious and Lucky leapt onto his rifle. As Lars swung it back, Lucky leapt off and kicked his face. While the hit was ineffective, it did send Lars staggering back until he fell down a flight of stairs. Lucky recomposed himself and grabbed the keys in his mouth. He yanked and tugged, but they were strapped Frederik's belt. It was times like this that Lucky wished Elsa had given him arms. Unable to free the keys from the soldier's belt, Lucky resorted to another method. He slid under a door labeled: ARMORY.
"DOWN WITH HANS! DOWN WITH HANS! DOWN WITH HANS!" roared the crowd. Weselton soldiers fired warning shots, but the crowd only got closer. "DOWN WITH HANS! DOWN WITH HANS!"
Hans watched from his balcony and gave the order, "So...they want to try this again. Open fire. Send them running."
Muskets flashed as Hans' soldiers unleashed a barrage upon the people. But unlike last time, the people did not scatter. They were angered by those killed and surged forward. The soldier's desperately tried to reload in time, but were soon overwhelmed by the angry mob. Hans' green eyes widened as he began to panic. The mob stormed the gates, and began to climb the manor house fences. "Kill them!" trembled Hans. "KILL THEM YOU FOOLS!"
Tomas cracked his knuckles and sighed, "Where could he be?"
"I hope the little guy's alright," worried Ben.
"Look," pointed Zi. "Here he comes!"
The snowgie came bouncing down the stairs while rolling atop a black sphere. "I don't see any keys," worried Tomas.
"What's he rolling?" wondered Ben. His eyes widened when he saw the fuse.
"BOMB!" yelled Tomas before grabbing Zi and Ben to take cover in the cell's corner. Lucky leapt off of the bomb as it rolled over to the cell door.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Tomas slowly looked up to find cell bars embedded in the wall just inches from their bodies. He wiped the soot from his face and smiled, "Lucky, you crazy snowgie." The bomb had also blasted a hole in the roof above them. Lucky leapt back on Tomas' shoulder, and using the rubble, the company climbed to the next level and escaped the dungeon.
"Now that is a beautiful sight," rejoiced Ben. From the window, they could see the people of Weselton rallying together and fighting back. They had broken down the gates and were now battling soldiers in Weselton manor. "REVOLUTIOOOOON!" he cheered. "We're witnessing history."
"So long as we don't die, I'm fine with that." Tomas yanked Ben back and ran down the hall. The trio ran into the manor skirmish. Tomas kneed a soldier in the gut before throwing him into the crowd. He then turned and bolted upstairs. Zi leapt from a wall and kicked another in the jaw. She then legswept her next foe and chopped at his face and shoulder.
Benjamin grabbed a man's musket and stared him down, "Haha!" he taunted. "Now what will you do?" The soldier simply shook his rifle free and smacked Ben across the face with it. "Nice move," he winced. "How about best two out of three?" The soldier was about to hit him again, but was shot in the chest. Ben turned to see a familiar, grey-haired man aiming his flintlock. "Nathaniel!" cheered Ben.
"Just putting this pistol to good use!" he laughed back before reloading and firing it again.
Prince Hans panicked from his throne room. He looked out the window and saw his own army falling apart. Half of the men had deserted while the rest sided with the rioters. "No...NO!" he cursed and flipped a chair. "The Raven has forsaken me! My own men have turned!" Nora stood beside his throne when he approached her. He sadistically caressed her cheek, "You...You don't think I'm a bad ruler? Do you?" She remained silent. "DO YOU?!"
She scowled, "It's over...Hans." She was about to walk out when he grabbed her by the waist.
"Where do you think you're going?!" He violently threw her to the floor and pinned her down. "I OWN YOU. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." He forcefully kissed her neck as she struggled to break free. "I like it when you struggle."
"Like this?" she grunted before kneeing him in the groin.
Hans howled and leaned back in pain. She kicked him off and turned to get up. As she did so, Hans grabbed her by the foot and dragged her back down. "You worthless little bitch," he hissed. He punched her in the back, making her yelp excruciatingly. "That's not how you treat your prince!" He flipped her over, held her face steady, and raised his fist.
Before he could punch her, a hand caught his arm and squeezed. Hans winced at the pressure and slowly turned to see Tomas, now a free and very much infuriated man. Tomas tightened his grip and then punched Hans directly in the face. The prince fell back and quickly rose to his feet as Tomas stood over Nora.
"Tomas," she smiled.
Tomas kept his gaze fixed on Hans as they stared each other down. "You will never...ever...touch her again."
Hans wiped the blood from his lips and smirked, "We'll see about that." He ran at Tomas and threw a punch at his torso. He gasped when he realized his hit had no effect on the powerful warrior. Tomas' body had been conditioned resist the harshest treatments, and Hans' punch amounted to nothing more than a pat on his abdomen. He locked eyes with Hans before punching him so hard, he fell to the ground. He picked up Hans by the collar and kneed him in the chest. Hans threw another punch, only to have Tomas catch his fist. The blacksmith twisted his arm, snapping Hans' wrist in the process. Hans elbowed Tomas away and staggered onto his throne. He pulled out a dagger he kept hidden under the cushion and then lunged at Tomas. Tomas easily caught the blade, disarmed Hans of it, and skewered it into his jugular. Hans coughed up blood as his movement lessened, and he fell dead. Tomas shoved his body further back and turned.
"Tomas!" Nora ran up and hugged him tight.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"You came back," was all she could say.
"Of course I did," said Tomas. "I'll always come back to you. And I say this now because I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to say it again. I have to listen to my heart...Nora, I love you."
His words caused tears to instantly flow from her eyes. She pushed herself upwards and kissed him on the lips. Initially surprised, Tomas felt his heart race even further as he closed his eyes and kissed her.
They sunk into the feeling as Tomas brushed away Nora's hair. She caressed his rugged cheek and kissed him once more.
"How...precious." cawed a voice that sent a chill up both Tomas and Nora's spine. They stopped kissing and turned, Tomas still holding Nora close. There stood the Raven himself. "Now this is quite the sight. Tomas, my you've grown since our last encounter. I see you have a new love for me to ruin, too." The Raven laughed, "And of all the maidens...you pick the wretch."
Wielding the dagger he used to kill Hans, Tomas stood in front of Nora and barked, "You will not touch her!"