Snow

Chapter nine: The End

By: Aeris

Oh! I just had to write another chapter because of a very nice review I got; someone said I must be Tamora Pierce in disguise. I know it sounds corny, but it made me feel happy! So I decided to write another chapter sooner then I planned. I must be boring you so here's chapter nine! Warning this is probably going to be dark.

  ~*~

Tillion and Buna stepped out of a wall and into the palace training grounds. They stood silent in a dark coroner trying hard not to be seen or heard. People where talking.

            "I am Myka the Shang Owl." She said with a small head bow added. Tillion had recognized her and the others from the bat palace. Buna stuck her head out to get a better view of the small gathering that had formed. Tillion slipped and made Buna fall over the pill of hay. Buna and Tillion tumbled over each other to fall face forward into the Tortallan's conversation.

            "Er, hi." Tillion said scratching his head.

"They couldn't cause us any harm, I've seen the ones that can, they're just kids." Myka whispered to them.

"Are you sure?" The king asked they all nodded. He leaned down and looked at the little bat-demon. "Why are you here, little one?"

Buna looked at Jonathan with a scared look on her face. "We're sorry! It was an accident really, we where just following them, and, and…" Buna's eyes started to tear up.

"It's okay, where's you mother?" Alanna said bending down as well. Buna pointed at the wall indicating the golden door. "Jon, we can't just let them stay here lost, we don't know how to work the door from this way."

"Yes Jon, let them stay." Thayet said with a smile. Jonathan sighed.

"Fine, just for tonight, in the morning Numair can try to get them home." One by one the Shange Owl, the two bat demons, and the rest of them filled in the palace, but Kel just couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. Something big was going to happen, she know it.

~~~

Ratellciea dipped her figure into the black make up. A smile spread on her face as she drew the lighting bolts down her cheeks, a sign of battle, and a sign of revenge. Sauna sat there watching the Queen mess with her make up. "We attack at exactly four hours before dawn, sister. Then our mages will inflict darkness like they have never seen on them, just as they did with us. That light. Are the troops ready, Sauna?"

A frown appeared on Sauna's face. "Yes, they are, they are ready to go at your command." The queen didn't see the frown on Sauna's face, if she did it would make her wonder.

"It's a shame really."

"What is?"

"That you'll die before the battle. Khlana, it's a shame really. You made such a good spy, we could have used you, on our side that is." Sauna's, Khlana's eyes flamed. Khlana's features changed to her own and she pulled off the dress that Sauna wore and reviled her own pants and shirt. "I don't want to hurt you, no, that's what Argil is for. Oh look at the time I must be going. Have a war to win you know. Ta, ta!"

A man, not a demon but a normal man, walked into the room as Ratellciea walked out. He pulled Khlana out of her chair and looked her in the eyes. "You will do fine, yes you are the one." He pulled her to him.

Khlana's eyes didn't move from his as she spat on him. "Touch me and you'll die."

"Feisty, aren't we. I like that in a woman."

"Die." She said and she drove a dagger into his chest. "Never mess with me." She walked out of the room and didn't ever watch him fall to the ground and the blood come of his mouth. "Never." She closed the door behind her.

~~~

Screaming woke her up with a shot. Not just any screaming, but the scream of a person dieing. She jumped out of her bed and pulled her clothes on with out a second though. She strapped Griffin to her waist and rapped on Neal's door. He stood there with a grin on his face when he opened to door. "Get to be the protector of small again, don't we?" He laughed.

She didn't crack a smile, "Put your pants on and come on." He looked down and turned red and did as she told him. They ran outside, to where the scream came from. Dozens of knights and soldiers where out there staring at what they where seeing. The demon queen held Myka by her hair and held a knife to her neck. They where two high up for anyone to reach her and help. They where up to high to use magic. Ratellciea smiled, an evil smile. The curves of her mouth tightened. She brought the knife up and made a small cut on Myka's neck. She drew the knife father along her neck and dropped her to the ground. Myka couldn't scream, she just held her neck. There was a moment of absolute shock. Cleon ran to Myka's side.

"I swore my revenge on the idiot Jordan four hundred years ago! I'll have it now!"

At that hundreds of bat demons came from the sky. Soon the whole sky was nothing but black with the bats. It wasn't a game anymore. Every man was outnumbered, with the most of the Own and others knights still at the borders and coming home, there was little hope. People shot arrows from the palace tops; the Queens Riders came running to the scene to give little aid. Squires where made to fight, including forth year pages. Blood from all creatures was seen in every direction. The surprise of the attack made it even harder to win the fight, it was at three in the morning on a Sunday.

After what seemed like forever of endless fighting on an outnumbered scale the sky cleared of the darkness of the bats and a strange bird like creature came down. He was white with an essence of red around him. He had eyes that stung when they looked at you. It could be no other, the fighting stopped out of nowhere.

"Imp." Ratellciea mumbled to know one in particular.

"Ratellciea! You stop this at once. Mithros is beyond furious at us. Do you know what you are doing to us? Of course not, you've always been an idiot! It must run in the family line, because you mother was one to! Attacking Jordan like that, now you must attack King Jonathan. Pull back your troops! You've killed enough to equal your death a thousand times! This was the last straw; you and your people are band to your own territory for seven hundred years! Honestly." Imp was furious, if you couldn't tell by looking at the bird like man, you could hear it in his voice. Ratellciea did as ordered and pulled back her troops.

But that was the least of the people's worries. She had killed over six thousand total in Tortall alone. It would be a cold winter now, even though this was over. Ratellciea left her mark, a scar, on Tortall that could last a lifetime. Or more.

Kel looked at the felid, all had causalities, many where dead. She prayed to Mithros that Neal wasn't dead she already lost one person, in a way. She saw Cleon sitting next to a dead Myka. He wasn't crying no, Cleon never cries. Alanna was supporting George who had a broken leg, Jon and Thayet both had minor injures, Daine had a cut down her left cheek, her old knight master was carrying Buri who had being badly hurt. Kel officially hated war. There he was. "Neal!" Kel ran to him and saw that he had an arrow tip in his right arm.

"Nothing I can't handle. Just need a healer, think I hurt the muscle." Kel hugged him, careful not to hurt his arm. Neal hugged her back with one arm, the arm that wasn't wounded.

"Kel…" He began, "I love you…"

~~~

There! Are you happy! I think I'll do an epilogue, but there was my favorite story I've done so far. My "baby". Lol. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know that this chapter was kind of dark, but not really. And I needed to kill off Myka for a reason. Review!!!!! Thank you for reading so far!

Aeris ^-^;;