Chapter 2

Reaver and I pulled out our guns in perfect unison, leaving Walter and Logan scrambling for their weapons. Rebel was by my side ready to pounce on the first enemy to walk through the door. After Walter and Logan found their weapons, we all had our aim on the door, waiting for someone to come through. Then we saw smoke coming up under the door and realized no one was coming through the door and we had no way out due to the door being on fire.

"Well, we're screwed," I declared to no one in particular.

"No, we're not. There should be a hatch that'll lead to a cave system under the house somewhere around here," Walter said, starting to look. "Here it is… and it's locked," he sighed.

"Walter move," I said as I turned aiming at the lock. He backed away and I fired, effectively breaking the lock.

Walter moved the broken lock out of the way, removed the trapdoor, and dropped into the uncovered hole. Logan followed him, along with Rebel. Reaver and I moved to the hole, still keeping an eye on the door. Reaver jumped down and I was about to follow when someone jumped from the upstairs balcony.

"Kyle?"

"Charlie?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"My house."

"You're the princess?"

"It would appear so."

"I was hired to take the ex-prince and princess out, but, as it's you and your brother, I can't do it now. Protect the sister gang and all that. Mind if we get out of here."

"Yeah, come on," I started to ease myself down into the hole, with the help of someone's hands on my lower body. Once my feet were on the ground, I saw that it was Reaver helping me down.

We were about to move on when Kyle dropped down.

"Who the hell is this?" Reaver asked.

"Kyle, Reaver. Reaver, Kyle."

"You realize how dangerous it is to bring him?"

Kyle said, "I'll protect the leader of my sister gang. Especially, since if I don't the rest of her gang could brutally murder my gang."

"Fine, you want to bring another mercenary along, very well, but don't go apologizing to me when he betrays you."

Walter said, "Enough fighting. If it's another blade against the Barbarians then I'm all for it and if Charlie trusts him then so do I."

We started to walk down the dark cave-like corridor.

We had been walking for an hour when Logan asked, "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere in Mistpeak," Walter said. "We should be getting to the end soon."

A few more minutes and we were there, another hole covered with a trapdoor. Walter pushed the door open and turned to me, "Up you get, Princess."

He knitted his fingers together and put them palm up. I put one foot in his hands and he vaulted me up. The few brief seconds I was in the air, a pair of strong, bulging arms grabbed ahold of me, pulling me away from the hole. I screamed, not being able to get to my gun because I dropped it in the commotion. I heard the guys still in the hole, scrambling to get up. A hand covered my mouth, muffling my screams. I tried to bite the hand, but it arched so that it still covered my mouth but was out of range of my teeth.

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, when will you learn to look before you jump?" He removed his hand and let me go.

"Saker? Why are you here?"

"How impolite of you to ask that when you're in my camp."

I heard Logan's voice behind me ask, "Do you know everyone who's a mercenary?"

"Not everyone; just everyone in the area," I responded.

"That makes me feel so much better," he said, sarcastically.

"Logan, don't start. I'm not doing this right now."

"No, we are going to do this right now. Our agreement to your traveling was that you stay out of trouble. Being a mercenary is not what I call staying out of trouble."

We continued arguing for a few minutes, not noticing Kyle and Saker leaving the cabin that the hole opened up to and Walter and Reaver talking quickly before Reaver left, as well.

"Prince, Princess, can you stop arguing?"

"He started it."

Logan said, "What are you, six?"

I was about to lunge at him when Walter stepped between us, "There will be time for arguing later. Right now, I need to get you two ready."

"For what?" I asked.

"To regain your blood right."

"A revolution you mean."

"Yes, but you can't do it alone. You're going to need allies and a lot of them."

"Okay, Logan can deal with getting leaders with armies, no matter how small, and anyone who is willing to fight Albion's 'oppressors'," I turned to Logan. "You've always been good at convincing people. I'll go ahead and use my connections to get anyone else. I'm sure I can convince Saker to at least lend me some men."

"Sounds like a plan; I have a few contacts that will at least be a good place to start. Am I to assume that Logan and I are to stay together?"

"It would be best; however, it might just do him some good to explore the world alone. It would also give you more time to make more connections. If I am correct in believing, these Barbarians are strong enough to conquer Albion even with the kingdom's army fighting them; which means we're going to need to be stronger."