Beginning: Victoria

Chapter 24

The feel of the assassins' grip tightly around her arms angers Sira. She struggles to be set free.

"Let go of me," she shouts.

"Sira please stop," says Zenith looking at her now.

"Let go of me," she repeats struggling more violently.

"Stop," shouts Zenith.

"Let me go," she yells again.

She lifts her leg and kicks Zenith in the knee. His grip loosens and she uses her own knee to push herself away from him. Zenith goes to grab for her again, but she escapes his grasp. Before he has time to go after her, his sensei is at her side with a dagger against her throat.

"Don't," he yells.

"Zenith you fool," yells his sensei. "You saw what she can do."

"She can be helped," he says.

"Do not listen to the fairy tales of Dark Lord," says His sensei. "It has to be done."

Zeniths sensei presses the blade against Sira's throat, but drops the dagger as he quickly tries to dodge an arrow. Both Jaimus and Valencia have their attacks ready and aimed at him.

"This won't make up for killing her father," says Rem.

Sira's eyes move to Zenith as her mind is filled with memories of her father. Did he mean?

"I'm not making up for anything," yells Zenith.

"You killed my father," growls Sira?

"It was his first kill," says the sensei. "This is our Job, Zenith."

"I won't let you," says Zenith.

"Would you rather kill me?" he asks.

Sira's anger continues to boil as she kicks and squirms to be free from the man's grasps. Despite her anger, tears stream down her face.

"It's too late Zenith," says Rem. "She's too far gone."

A flash of white light appears and a holy arrow glides towards the man. He jumps back but the arrow still damages his face. The ground shakes as the battle between the strange fighters and the man continues behind them. Both Jaimus and Valencia fire arrows and Rem has to jump to avoid them.

Sira struggles and when he goes to dodge an attack she manages to slip from his grasp. She grabs the knife that the mysterious man had dropped earlier and when Zenith goes to stop her, she plunges the dagger into the assassin's chest. Zenith lets out a painful groan.

The sensei knows he must complete his mission at all costs and disregards the two others attacks. He races forward sending what he has of throwing stars towards the spear girl. Zenith pulls Sira to the ground despite the pain in his chest wrapping his arms around her using himself as a shield. Before Rem has time to act again, both Jaimus and Valencia fire the remainder of their magic and arrows bringing him to his knees. Rem goes to attack again from where he knelt, but Jaimus fires a final arrow that makes him fall onto his side.

Sira doesn't know what is going on. The ground shakes and an enormous white light shines, followed by the shrieking of a man's voice in the distance. Even with the ruckus in the background Sira's eyes are fixed on the assassins. She can feel him trembling against her. Her eyes begin to lose the red glow it had and his face becomes more and more familiar. She can feel blood running down the front of her body. She doesn't know whether it's hers or his. The red vision disappears and the pain of her wounds come rushing back. She lets out a cry and closes her eyes momentarily. Her hands are shaking and she goes over what had just happened in her mind. Was Zenith the one who killed her father? Had she been dreaming? Her eyes well up with more tears. Impossible, she thinks. He would have been a child. She sees how sad his face looks and tries to speak, but doesn't have the strength to. She thinks she can hear him saying 'I'm sorry'. Her lips tremble as she manages to say his name. She tries to ask if it's true, but her words come out muffed and inaudible. She removes the dagger from his flesh and he coughs a little, his mouth dripping blood. Tears run down her cheeks as she slides her hand on his back and removes the throwing stars nested deep.

Valencia and Jaimus are on their knees. Valencia is trying to perform healing spells, but she is exhausted from the battles. The four unknown fighters approach and Jaimus stands to greet them. They are not from Victoria Island. Such clothes and weapons have never been made on this island.

"He is dead," says a tall mage carrying a shiny red staff with wings. "We are sorry for the loss of the people here. We apologize that our problem became yours."

Valencia stands and faces them.

"You are from Ossyria," she says.

"Correct," answers the mage.

"Take our friend back with you," says Valencia.

"We have no time to care for your wounded," says the mage.

"She has a dragon's spirit," says Valencia almost yelling. "They will kill her here."

"That is your society's problem," says the mage.

"Please," cries out Valencia, grabbing the mages arm.

"We have our own wounded to carry," answers the mage, gesturing to a wounded man carrying a bow.

"I will carry her," pleads Valencia.

The mage exchanges looks with the others.

"Very well," agrees the mage a bit reluctant.

Valencia looks over at Jaimus.

"I'll be fine on my own," says the cleric. "Take Zenith and try and find medical help as fast as you can. He's... in very bad shape. He could stop breathing at any time."

The cleric thinks a little.

"There could be trouble regarding this man," says Valencia looking down at Rem's dead body. "He was an important man in Kerning, I'm assuming. Be cautious, please."

Sira can feel someone gripping her arm. She doesn't know what is happening as she slips to the brink of unconsciousness. She can feel Zeniths weight lifted from her and the brushing of his cheek against hers as she is lifted by someone. She is still holding onto his back, but as she is holstered onto someone her hand can't grip his shirt anymore and slips away from him. 'I'm sorry,' she thinks before closing her eyes and giving into the pain that is overwhelming her entire body.

A small lantern flickers next to her face and makes her squint as she slowly opens her eyes. She winces as she feels the pain once again and her mind is overcome with the memories that go along with the wounds. She goes to sit up, but a hand pushes her back down. A strange woman dressed in long white robes smiles down at her. A little panicked Sira looks to both sides of the bed in which she lay. Her gaze stops when she sees a familiar figure lying in a bed not far from hers; Valencia. She looks back up at the woman.

"Rest easy Hun," says the woman's soft and calm voice. "We will be in Ossyria before you know it."