Chapter 13

Death

It was nice to finally be back at the Capital.

Or at least near it.

We were still in the forest, but it was much nicer to go through this time.

The Empire of Mistral had sent some of their soldiers to help clear out the monsters that had been attacking everyone.

That is everyone who had used the route we had been on and currently were on again.

It was rather pleasant this time.

What with not being chased by monsters or having an arrow put through a shoulder.

It was nice.

However, this was Remnant; nice things don't last more than a day here.

"You think the King will pay us this time?" Yang asked suddenly.

For once, Yang asked a question that all of us pretty much wanted answered.

Were we going to be paid for this?

We weren't paid for killing the Emperor.

Okay, almost killing the Emperor.

Still, since that mission, we haven't actually been paid.

I do hope we are paid, as we are running low on pretty much everything at the moment.

Money.

Food.

Drink.

Cloth to fix our clothes.

Favours from people.

We really need something at this point!

Anyway, I can see the walls of the Capital now.

I hope that not much has changed in the last five or so days.

Has it really been five days?

My log book that I use to keep track of time says so.

But is it true?

Are my own thoughts telling me the truth?

Monsters.

Witches.

Old religious zealots.

Was that all real?

Or was it all in my head?

I have to ask my friends about it.

Wait.

Friends?

Are they my friends?

They accompany me on my missions; they talk to me and have chats to pass the time.

But does that make us friends?

Surely it does.

Right?

Doesn't it?

"Are we friends?" I say out loud.

I wait for a response from the others.

"Of course we are, otherwise we wouldn't bother talking." Said Yang, unexpectedly.

"You guys are the first and only friends I've had." Said Velvet sheepishly.

Well, I just wanted to confirm it in my mind." I Replied sheepishly as well myself.

"Why's that?" Yang asked.

"It's just that I've never really trusted people." They look at me with confusion.

"Carry on..." Yang seemed to be interested in finding out why I don't trust people.

"I made mistakes and people took advantage of me because of that." Images of my sister Winter and master come to mind.

"Well, you don't have say it for us to tell." Yang said this with a hint of sarcasm.

"Ha ha, Yang, it's so funny." I said back with a slick amount of sarcasm.

"You aren't allowed to talk that after some of the mess ups you got us in, Yang. " Velvet.

"Look, it was only that one time with the demi-human lady, how was I supposed to know that she was our target!?" Yang shouted in defence of her obviously impulsive and perverted actions.

"We were specifically told who she was." I said.

"We weren- "Velvet cut Yang off immediately.

"We were also shown a picture of what she roughly looked like, which you immediately stole when you thought no-one was looking and still have in your rucksack to this day."

"Look it was just-"

"It has been two years since that mission Yang." I said with satisfaction.

Velvet and I started laughing out loud at her misfortune.

"Screw you guys!" Yang said childishly in frustration and embarrassment.

We were just about reaching the gate into the Capital.

"Was what we saw real?" I asked.

"I don't want to know to be honest." Yang replied.

"Well, we certainly will have a tough time getting the King to believe us." Velvet was right on so many levels that she might as well have been on top of the tallest tower in the Capital.

Which was around five floors.

Yeah, didn't think that through, did I.

We arrived at the gate to the capital, there was a guard standing watch.

"Hey, mind letting us in?" Yang went asked the guard at the gate.

"Papers please." The guard ordered.

"Here you go." I handed the papers over to the guard, he took a second to read them before his eyes widened.

"Oh shit." Said the guard aloud.

"What's wrong?" Velvet asked nervously.

"You guys shouldn't be here!" Said the guard.

"And why is that?" Yang asked.

"The King is dead!"

That sentence took a moment to register.

"Dead." I said, trying to wrap my head around what he said.

"Yeah, you guys gotta leave, or else Queen Cinder's guards are gonna kill you!"

"Cinder is in charge?"

"She killed the King!"

"Oh Goddess, oh Goddess!" Velvet had entered a panic at what she was hearing.

"Are you sure the King is dead?"

"They threw him in the dungeon." The guard replied almost immediately.

Okay, going to the dungeon is basically a death sentence.

The King isn't dead, just going to be very soon.

No one survives the dungeons.

"We need to leave right now!" Velvet, I couldn't agree more.

"I'll be coming with!" The guard stated with no allowance for argument, obviously wanting to get out of this death-trap.

"Sure, why not." I said.

The guard showed that he wasn't new to life in Vale by sneaking out using the backup hidden door at the side.

"Not even I knew that door existed." Yang was seemingly awestruck.

"Stop lying you layabout." I deadpanned in response.

"Okay I heard a rumour about it." Velvet gave a look that said bullcrap.

"I may have used it once." Oh really.

"Or twice." Not even the guard believed that.

"I used it three times okay!" Wrong again.

"I'm not lying!"

"Yeah right, and my mother was a Vacuoan with a hundred slaves willing to do her bidding while eating Imperials for breakfast."

Try again you liar.

"Okay, I used it eight times." That's more like it.

We were just about to leave when we heard a whisk of an arrow.

We all turned, except for Yang, who gasped and fell to the ground clutching her throat.

There was an arrow protruding from it.

Not good.

We all ran for cover, in an effort of trying to escape with our lives.

The only guard on our side succeeded in escaping.

Obviously because he had eaten a breakfast which allowed him to get away fast enough with a full stomach.

Unfortunately, Velvet and I weren't full at all, thus we were quickly caught by the other guards.

"Damn it!" Velvet tried to wriggle out of her newly added restraints.

She was then promptly kicked down onto the ground.

The same happened to me.

"Gahh!" I shouted in agony as my guy aimed for my neither region.

It really freaking hurt from their metal gauntlets.

Now I know why Velevt wears hers, they're pretty useful when you wanna bash someone to the ground with your hands.

As they put shackles on us with a click, and kicked us in front of another guard, it set in what had happened.

My friend was dead.

Yang was dead...

Damn it!

Why does everything have to end in tragedy?

Why!?

"Well, you girls are gonna have no vocal cords once I'm done with you!" Said an armoured woman with greenish hair, who seemed to be leader of the group of Cinder's guards.

Just then, another guard ran up to the group.

He stopped in front of the armoured woman, and whispered something in her ear.

She looked a bit angry afterwards.

"Damn it..." She muttered.

She herself turned back to us.

"Well, I guess killing you is off the table."

"Why's that?" Velvet asks.

One of the guards promptly punches her in the stomach.

Velvet lands face-first onto the ground in pain.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised if they are brutal, they are Cinder's guards.

"The King wants some of poor old Ozpin's servants alive to watch his execution!"

Oh.

That's why she hasn't killed us, okay I really wanna stab a quilt into this woman's palm so much right now.

"Afterwards, she said I could use said servants for entertainment purposes" She stared at me perversely.

Oh Goddess, I hope she doesn't mean what I think she means.

I heard stories about what happened to attractive magicians when captured by the enemy.

I just really hope they aren't true.

"Hello there, Whitie!"

Kill me already.

I mean it.

Hang me.

Gut me like a fish.

Throw to the wolves.

I want to die right now and join Yang in the afterlife.

I miss Yang.

I miss that annoying lazy bitch so much.