Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I have to change some stuff in this chapter so that my epilogue would run smoothly. It's too late to change the plot in the previous chapters, so I edited my original storyline from this chapter instead.
Love Story
Chapter 37
"What the? Where is the food?" Malchior roared. "We only have ten sacks left!" he pounded his fist on a tree trunk.
"Sir, that is all what is left," a meek soldier reported.
Groaning and cursing escaped from the two white tents as the soldiers received stitches and had their wounds addressed. Malchior glared at the tents. Ten bags of food is not enough for his army. Moreover, his medicinal supplies were depleting.
He had only two choices: Surrender; or send some of his soldiers back home.
Curse Bruce.
He refused to choose the first option.
He decided to send the wounded soldiers back. He had only three quarter of the soldiers left. Still, there is not enough food to even last for a day. He looked at the forest before them.
RxR
"King Rudolph, Wally, this is Chief Gnarrk," Richard gestured at a tall man beside him. "Chief Gnarrk, King Rudolph and Prince Wally."
"Gnnark will lead you out of the forest to the other side. Please listen to him as he instructs. He knew this forest like the back of his hand. Do not eat anything that you find because the looks may cheat your life," Richard explained.
He then nodded and Gnarrk and two natives led the troops into the forest. When all of them were out of his sight, he went into position.
RxR
Patience is virtue, Bruce always told him. Richard scooted on a tree branch, waiting.
Here comes Malchior. Slade's mouth splitted into an evil smile as he saw Malchior from above. He was trying his best to keep the urge to kill him down.
But it was also a good idea, with him dead, they would win the war.
No, he wanted to play with him.
Richard aimed his arrow at the last soldier that marched in. Sweat dropped. His eyes locked on his target. Release.
He smirked. The soldier dropped down dead. Instant, swift and silent.
RxR
A thin sheet of sweat materialized on Malchior's brow. Why the hell was the forest suddenly so dense? This certainly wasn't what he had expected.
"We should rest," Malchior declared. He glanced at the sky, or rather the canopy. It was gettin dimmer every second, dusk was closing in.
He looked around and saw berries. Yes, he will win. Luck was on his side. He ordered his soldiers to pick as many berries as they could. Meanwhile, he devised a food ration plan.
RxR
"King Malchior, King Malchior!"
Malchior was awoke by the panic voice of his soldier. He opened his eyes with a groan, "What is it now, Gizmo?"
"King Malchior, bad news. Some of the berries your majesty ordered us to pick is poisonous! 12 men were found dead in their tents!"
Malchior opened his eyes wide. However, some part of him was glad that he ate the one out of ten sacks of food they had left.
Gizmo continued, "Another twenty soldiers had their organs ripped out by beasts in the area, around twenty-five men were missing, probably hauled out by bears!"
The confidence in Malchior faltered. "We have to be careful next time. Order the soldiers to only eat what they know and remember to be on guard. Everyone is to take turn for night duties!"
However, as the days passed, there were still many men reported missing in action or otherwise, dead. Malchior also failed to figure his way out of the forest. The woods seemed to get thicker and thicker, and food had become more scarce as they approach the fifth day.
RxR
"What is happening?" cried Arella.
There were many noises outside. Metal clashing one another, overturning of furniture, breaking of glass...
Rachel peeked through the keyhole of their door. She saw many soldiers, Malchior's and the ones in black suits. "I think someone has come to our rescue."
Arella then sat calmly on her bed, but she was practically dancing inside. The mother and daughter stayed like that until the noise outside turned silent.
Footsteps. Lots of them. A rough hand turned the door nob left to right repeatedly. Then, silence. Just then, the door was kicked open. Arella jumped, but Rachel kept her cool.
The man spoke, "We were told to rescue you."
Arella's jaw dropped. She recognized that man.
"Bruce," she greeted.
"Yes," he paused for a while, unsure of what to call her. "...Quen Arella?"
Arella chuckled and said courteously, "I'm not a queen anymore, after the throne's been claimed by Slade."
"Anyway, we were ordered to bring you back to Azarath. I am sorry, but we have to keep a low profile, lest the Azarathians spread words to Malchior."
Arella nodded in understanding. Bruce continued, "I will impose a curfew on them, I hope you would step in to aid me in convincing them to listen to me." Arella nodded again.
Bruce waited for Rachel to be escorted away before he continued, "Last thing. I hope, Queen Arella, you could accept my son, Richard." Arella eyed Bruce. He explained, "Allow Princess Rachel and Richard to be together, regardless whether Richard's a prince."
RxR
The day started hazy gray, threatening ran fron the beginning. The forest smelled of damp mud. Malchior and his men trekked nearer and nearer to the exit. Finally, he spotted some light filtered through the less dense canopy. This pulled his hopes up.
"Ha! Finally, we are out of this forest!" Malchior held his hands up triumphantly.
"But, sire," an advisor reported, "Our manpower is severely depleted. Almost half of our men is missing and dead!"
Malchior clenched his jaw. He obviously knew that! He had been taking note of the trend. That was why, for the past few days, he dared not consume any raw berries (which he had noted, was one of the main culprits of their dead men). He also ordered more men to guard his tent. However, he put on a confident front, "Let's not fret about that. We are out of the forest now. After we conqure more cities, we will regain our manpower."
The advisor suggested, "Pardon me for my insolence, sire, I thought that the severe depletion is not as simple as food poisoning and attacks of wild beasts."
"Do you not trust on my judgement, advisor?"
The advisor kept quiet. The king glanced around. "You!" he pointed at a meek knight.
The soldier immediately feel onto his kness, "Sire! I beg your mercy!"
"Lead the way!"
The knight was dumbfounded, "Sorry?" "Move!" the king pointed to the front. The knight gulped. He took a step forward, then another, then another, then...
Explode.
"Mines!" the king warned. He shot the soldier who lost his life a pathetic look. "Bruce Wayne," he seethed.
"Gizmo!" Gizmo knelt down. "I have no idea! I did not tell anyone about our plan! I honestly have no idea!"
"You useless beast!" The king raised his sword.
"Sire! I may have an idea of how to deactivate the mines, sire!" Gizmo cried.
The king pulled him up by the collar. "You will deactivate it. I will win this war!"
Malchior pushed Gizmo to the minefield. "Go on! Deactivate the mines."
Gizmo's legs went weak. His hands were shaking uncontrollably. He scrutinized the field and spotted some irregular piles of sand on the ground. "Sire! Look at the field, there are some parts of the ground that are not even. These are where the mines are planted."
"Useless thing," Malchior muttered under his breath and avoided those fatal spots on the field. Some of the unfortunate souls who tripped were balsted into million pieces. Soon, the earth became blood-soaked.
From the distance, Rudolph and Richard could hear the thuds of the mines. The horses moved frantically as they felt the vibrations under their hoofs. Richard nodded to Rudolph, "They've come out of the forest."
A bright crack of lightning tore the sky into half. The skies split wth sheets of cold rain. More soldiers slipped and fell onto the mines. The rain flooded the land into a piece of red sea. Splits of lightning shot overhead in the pouring rain. As Malchior and his men trotted nearer to the mountains, a black speck appeared in their vision, then it formed a black line. Malchior squinted his eyes. He felt the great impact of vibration. The horses thrust their head, calling out madly, as if losing control of themsleves. He focused. Other than the exploding mines, other than the neighing of horses in the background, other than the screams of knights, other than the clanging of metal, he heard a distant rumble, he heard a distant roar, he heard human—a troop of soldier.
He opened his eyes wide. "Hurry up! Head towards the valley!" he ordered as he pointed to the canyon beside them. "We must get there before our enemies get us!"
The soldiers, upon hearing the desperate cries of their king, became more frantic. They pushed and shove, some even clinged onto the horses. Many of them were rushing to safety. Smart ones remained calm and walked in the center.
Thankfully, Malchior and his men reached the canyons in time. He then noticed something strange. Walls of stones surrounded him. They were so tall that they blocked the sky from his view. The rain water only flowed in a direction. They gushes out of the exit. All of them came to a realization.
Not a moment later, Rudolph greeted them. Both sides began to fight. Blood splattered. The rain seemed to fall less heavier. The Reds seemed much lesser.
Richard did not show any mercy this time. He slashed whoever he could. His blue eyes were so cold, full of hatred. Wally and his team of archers managed to get to the top of the canyon. They shot arrows from above.
Malchior caught the sight of his old enemy. He wasn't dead.
He slid his sword from the sheath and prepared his shield. "Richard Grayson! I don't know how and why you are still alive. But from this moment onwards, I will kill you personally and see you die in front of my owns eyes."
The adonis smirked. He charged towards the king. Time had matured him a lot. He had become a full-fledged warrior.
Both men sparred. Richard kept a cool demeanor. Malchior only smirked.
The battle continued regardless of time. The war raged for days. No one was aware of how long they had been fighting. For Machior, winning was the only way to stay alive. For Rudolph and Richard, they were not going to lose this opportunity to defeat them, because they were sure they could win this time round.
Richard, however, was not Malchior's match when it came to ruthlessness. Richard's sword was inches away from Malchior's neck. He hesitated for a moment before raising it forward. The hesitation gave Malchior the upper hand. Malchior ducked the sword and held out his. He flicked Richard's sword out of Richard's grip. Malchior, mercilessly, slid his sword forward to Richard's neck. Richard dodged it, but received a skin trauma on the neck. Malchior gave Richard a blow in the gut and did the uppercut. Richard staggered, almost tripped.
Malchior laughed, "Not so cocky now, eh?"
"I wouldn't be so sure," when he spoke, a new spurt of blood drenched the coarse cloth across his chest and jet black hair. He reached into one of his pouch from his belt.
Malchior squinted at the long thin needles in between his fingers. He raised his brow. Richard hurled the needles towards him. His aim was very precise, very accurate. They scythed through the air, and broke into Malchior's armor. "How the heck—" Malchior was shocked. Ache radiated into his chest, then to his shoulders and limbs. He was momentarily paralysed.
Richard flashed his trademark smirk, "Titanium's found in this area." He mocked," Looks like you haven't done your homework, Malchior."
Richarad took out a new set of needles. He thrust them at Malchior again. A burning sensation coursed through Malchior's right arm, causing him to drop his weapon.. Someone from behind plunged a dagger on his thigh. His thigh felt numb. He slumped onto the ground helplessly and turned his head behind. His mouth shaped into an 'O'.
Some of his soldier came to his aid. They were attacked by needles, not from Richard. They fell onto the ground and died immediately. "He's all yours," Richard retreated gracefully and joined the others at a fight.
Malchior crawled, pathetically, as fast as he could from the impending doom. A burly man slashed a blade into his right shoulder. Pain was like millions of piranhas gnawing at his bare flesh, ripping out his muscles, tearing off his intestines. His whole body went limp. "S...Slade..." he winced.
"My little darling," Slade sneered. "How pleasant for King Malchior to remember me."
Malchior's soldier stared in horror at their previous king who was claimed to be dead. They stared at the two, speechless, to shocked to fight.
"Please... Forgive me, Uncle..." the battered king pleaded.
Slade crouched down, stepping on Malchior's left hand, and tore off his armor. Fear flashed through Malchior like the light off the blade on Slade's hand. Slade swiped the blade on Malchior's delicate forehead. Malchior squeezed his eyes shut, his breathing crept towards hyperventilation. Slade looked at him and smiled afer he cut an 'S' on Malchior's forehead. Malchior tasted metal. Slade, raised his sword, and plunged it down mercilessly. Darkness enveloped Malchior.
Slade stood up and walked away from Malchior. His job there was done. He retreated to his refuge. The colors of the carnage were grostequely bright: the crimson wetness on the velvet and dusty. fabric, the ripped shreds of grass, startingly green, in the boy's creamy white hair.
Yay! The next chapter's the epilogue. (Can't wait to post it!) However, I'm currently still writing the epilogue. One thing for sure is that I have a suprise in mind for the next chapter. Can't tell you what that is, though :x. I trying my best to post the epilogue by next week. Bear with me for a while, one last tine, okay? Pretty please...
One thing, I hope to get 100 reviews by the end of the story (8 more reviews...). Review please!
Thanks
xRobinxRavenx