All Hells Breaking Loose
The three rebels push their way further into the city on the narrow walkway.
Struggling to move against a crowd that is trying their best to make their way in the opposite direction, towards the outermost wall so they can see with their own eyes what just happened outside. Most of them are wearing open expressions of shock and their movements seems slow and uncoordinated as they blindly follow the current of moving people.
The commanders have long since lost control over their men, and the careful lines of soldiers standing at attention are destroyed as people push against each other to get the best vantage points.
Someone is yelling at them all to get their asses back in line, but Matthias and his friends only walk faster. None of them wants to get caught in the coming blast just because somebody they do not care about wants to yell at them, and they have no idea how long a fuse the commoners left and those barrels and how long it will take for them to blow.
The commander yells louder, apparently having spotted the three of them moving against the current, but he does not have much chance of catching them with the dozens, if not hundreds of people that stands between him and the assumingly disobedient soldiers that are fleeing from the conflict.
Berwald takes up the lead, using brute force to clear a path for Matthias and Tino behind, knowing that time is running out quickly, but luck must be on their side, because nobody makes a move to stop them. They are all to busy trying to reach the outer walls so they can get a better view, and it serves them well to let other people leave the area they want to get to.
With the goal of getting as far away as possible, Matthias only focuses on moving, one step at a time without losing balance, and that s when his bond flares to life without warning.
He knows immediately that the King has taken notice of the events outside and it has affected his control over Lukas enough to let emotion bleed through. Not that he can tell what those emotions actually are, it is all too jumbled together to make out much more than apprehension, which is only natural, but he can feel Lukas' presence somewhere towards the castle and high up there.
It is possible he is up there somewhere with the King, watching events unfold.
The view must be quite spectacular from the castle, the way its stands there atop the hill and with its many tall spires reaching for the skies. The King should be able to see the entire battlefield from there, and the vast number of rebels and citizens turned traitor waiting on the outside.
"Enjoy the view while you can," Matthias thinks to himself, almost wishing that the King could hear him. "Take a good look at the city, because the view is only going to get better from here."
That is all the time he spares towards the King, Lukas and the feelings bleeding through his bond before he suppresses them all to focus his attention on the path ahead. If he wants to survive the next few minutes, then he cannot afford any distractions.
They are about halfway on the way towards the merchant district by now, running around the wall surrounding the main square, and only now does some of the guards seem to catch on that the three of them are acting suspiciously. A few of them are mobbing together on the path in front of them, blocking off their escape.
There is a sharp sound of metal as the soldiers draw their weapons, preparing to stop them, using any means necessary and the three rebels freeze in heir tracks.
"Fuck!" Tino hisses frantically, "What do we do now?"
"It looks like we have to fight!" Matthias yells back after throwing a desperate look around to search for any alternative route of escape but finding none. The soldiers by far outnumber them, and they stand little chance of making it past all of them, but Matthias is not going to go down without taking down as many of them as he can in the process.
He reaches for his sword, but just as his fingers closes around the hilt, they are all hit by and ear-shattering explosion and a flash of blinding lights. They don't have time to move, or even think before a wave of pressure crashes into them and send them all tumbling to the ground.
As he falls, Matthias instinctually curls up into a ball to protect his face and body as pieces of crumbled wall comes raining down around them. His armor sings out in complain with each strike of debris and knows that the impacts are sure to leave an impressive pattern of bruises across his skin even through all the padding should he survive this. He listens to the crashing of rocks against stonework, the pings of smaller pieces striking metal armor.
The noise is absolutely deafening, and it is the longest few seconds of his life.
Only once the pebbles stop raining down, does Matthias dare raise his head just a little to have a look around. The air is grey from all the dust, and just breathing makes his mouth feel gritty. There is no telling yet what kind of damage the blast has done out there, not when it is barely possible to make out more than what is more than a few meters ahead.
Turning to the side, he can see his friends lying on the ground, and relief crashes through him as he can see movement from both of them. Berwald has thrown himself over Tino, shielding him from the raining debris with his own body and much sturdier plate armor. There is no blood visible and neither of them are crying out in pain as they move slowly, taking stock of themselves.
Matthias reaches out for them on instinct, wanting to help them get up faster.
They are too vulnerable laying around like this and need to get up and moving again before the soldiers can collect themselves enough to come after them. After their confrontation, there is no more use for them to pretend at being anything but rebels. The soldiers who have seen them know what they are, but if they move fast and are lucky, then they might have a few more seconds where the whirling dust can keep them somewhat obscured.
"Ber, Tino," Matthias says, realizing that he can barely hear his own voice over the ringing in his ear and with the noise all around of a city in shambles.
He tries again and shouts this time to make himself heard. It still sounds weak and distant, but his friends seem to react the sound and begin moving faster, scrambling to get up on their feet.
Matthias pushes himself up from the ground, feeling the rubble underneath his fingers and sees a thick layer of dust clinging to his skin and the finer fragments of rocks that tumble off him as he moves. His entire body is shaking badly from the shock, but the ground beneath him feels stable. He assumes the damage from the explosion must be far enough back that their section of wall should be safe.
Berwald is also pushing himself up from the ground. He squints and blinks against the dust, but there is no visible confusion on his face, and he seems to recognize his surrounding well enough that Matthias does not worry that there is any hidden head trauma. He them pulls Tino up along with him, checking him over for injuries, but there are none to finds since Tino was well hidden underneath Berwald.
They have all three been incredibly lucky.
More people around them are also beginning to move around, but not all of them have gotten away as easy as the three rebels. They can hear coughing as people clear their lungs from dust and groans of pain and confusion, along with the various screams of pain and shock. Somebody is trying to yell out commands, but not nobody is really listening through the chaos of it all.
Matthias knows that they are short on time. There are charges waiting on the other side of the main district as well, and the signal to light those fuses was the first explosion. It could very well be burning already. "We need to move before the other wall blows too!" He does not care if the soldiers hear him too at this point. Their cover is well and truly blown and the soldiers have no chance of stopping the coming explosion either.
Berwald just squints hard at him, focusing on his mouth and looking confused, clearly struggling to understand. It seems his hearing is even worse than Mathias' and he is trying to compensate by reading his lips. Tino is not looking much better, and he is not replying either. He is clinging to Berwald and the walls' railings to keep himself upright, eyes wide and terrified as he takes in their new surroundings.
They finally take their first careful steps forward, getting their bearings, and then the next explosion comes, far quicker than Matthias could have guessed.
He rushes to his friends, pulling them back down again to take cover. They tuck against the wall, curling up best as they can while the city shakes underneath them once more and debris comes crashing down and smashes against the wall they are cowering beneath. More dust whirls in over their heads and paints the world in grey again.
The screaming around them in the dust grow all the more desperate, ringing with pain and fear.
It is a horrible sound to listen to, and Matthias wonders briefly just how many soldiers just lost their lives in an instant as the ground beneath them went up in flames. They were crammed together on that outer wall, like herring in a barrel to see what they hopes was going to be an entertaining battle, and that way they inadvertently maximizing the damage done by the blast. Likely, the second one took out almost just as many people as the first. Nobody would have expected it, and even if they did, there would not have been time to run with the short time between explosions.
The waiting time is just as agonizing the second time around, and only when it seems the last pebble has landed does Matthias brace himself against the wall and stand up, praying that his shaking limbs will hold up as he stands up and looks around to get his bearings again.
A breeze brushes past, clearing away just enough dust to reveal what is left of the outer wall, which it not much at all. The main square is wide open, with only a small section of wall remaining in the middle where neither blast could reach, but it does not look like it would take much to bring down that section either. On either side of the square a small section of the common district stands exposed as well.
That is only the material damage. What is not so easy to take in, is the number of dead soldiers strewn across the square and the area just outside the city and the blood already soaking up in the dust.
The capitol is effectively disemboweled, a prey laying defenseless before a flock of hungry wolves circling in closer and waiting to pounce. Those wolves are howling now, or roaring is a better description as that is the sound coming from the rebels out on the field.
They have waited patiently at a safe distance until now, and they know that there are no more explosions coming, and that this is their chance to attack.
Most of the surviving soldiers are spread through the other districts and on the other side of the city. It will take them ages to make it all the way to the main square, either through the streets or the many walkways atop the walls. They do not stand a chance to gather enough people to even resemble an army. Those that are left alive in the square look pathetic and confused, a few have even lost their weapons or helmets in the chaos, and they have no idea what to do. The only thing that might be keeping them from fleeing, are the new guards storming in to defend the square from the neighboring district to defend their city.
It is not going to be enough, and everybody knows it.
The roar from the rebels only grows in volume, and encouraged they storm towards the broken wall and the open square.
The battle is on.
"We need to get the gates open to the guard district!" Berwald shouts. "If we don't then our people will be stuck in the square and the soldiers will have enough time to regroup and lay a trap on the other side."
Matthias and Tino both give him a sharp nod in response, ready to move.
The rebels did not bring siege equipment or rams to break through the heavily reinforced doors between the districts and the only direct route they have to the city center is the path the King used from the main square directly to the soldier district. With rebels inside the city walls, it is almost guaranteed that many of the soldiers will prioritize shutting down and barring gates between the districts to slow the rebel progress and buy enough time to mount a defense.
Matthias moves towards the little guard house atop the wall where they control the doors, but he does not get far.
A figure steps out from the lingering dust to block their path, a sword raised high above his head. "Fucking traitors!" he screams and swings the blade down in a wide arch.
It is instinct and pure luck that saves Matthias' life in that moment.
He ducks to one side, narrowly avoiding the blade as he tucks against the wall, fumbling for his own weapon. Berwald comes to his rescue a second later, rushing the soldier without a weapon, barreling into him with all his might.
Screaming in fury, the soldier falls backwards, crashing hard against the stone flooring, trapped under Berwald's weight. He flails angrily, trying to get in a blow against Berwald to make him lose his grip so he can attack again, but then Tino rushes in with a sword to finish him off quickly.
They move quickly after that.
Matthias draws his own sword and moves in besides Berwald, ready to move forward together.
Opposite of them, more soldiers are blocking the path, but they do not look at all intimidating while covered in dust and rubble, and one of them even has blood streaking down his face from a cut on the forehead. The confusion and fear is plain on their faces as they stare at the three people wearing armor that matches their own and with weapons raised against them, and on the outside a horde of rebels have just begun charging towards the open wall of the city that they though were impenetrable.
Not wanting to give the soldiers any more time to recover, Matthias rushes them with a roar. Berwald is hot on his heels, and together they power through the unfortunate soldiers with little effort as none of them are in any state to put up much of a fight.
They continue moving along the wall around the main square until they reach the noble district, and head for the small building that shelters the mechanism they want to sabotage. It is little more than a few stone pillars and a roof, but it does the job to shelter the metal construction and some barrels from the elements.
"We need to open the door first," Berwald shouts. "After that we need to jam or break the mechanism to keep it open, because there is no way we can make a stand here for much more than a few minutes to keep the soldiers from shutting it again after we either leave or die." He sounds out of breath after that long string of words as he swings his sword in a wide arc to clear the path ahead of them.
"How much time do you need?" Matthias yells back, stepping in to protect Berwald's side from a sloppily aimed strike. "Our plans kind of depend on that door staying open."
"A minute or so to get the gate open," Berwald replies. "A few more to break the mechanism enough that it will take hours at the very least to fix it." He heaves for breath and makes a sharp downward sweep of his sword, cutting into the juncture between shoulder and neck on one of their opponents' armors, killing the man instantly. "Then I need to do the same to the other gate." He presses his foot against the dead soldier to dislodge his blade and keep on moving forward.
Tino curses violently behind the two of them. "That is a damn long time to keep all the guards at bay," he says. "We have blown our cover completely to the hells. Once they realize we're trying to let the rebels into the guard district they're going to give us one hell of a fight."
It is a careful way of saying what all of them might be thinking already. The plan is just shy of being a suicide mission, with only the three of them facing down however many soldiers still remain atop the wall. They are outnumbered by far, even with many cut off by the shattered parts of the wall.
"It's not like we have much choice," Matthias tells Tino quickly, before turning focus back on Berwald. "We'll keep them back as long as we can. Just work quickly!" Then he lunges forward to clear the space around the mechanisms to create some free room to work.
Berwald does not hesitate, and immediately runs towards a lever on the floor and pulls it, producing a sharp sound of chains rattling somewhere underneath the flooring. A wheel begins moving, and Matthias can only assume that the door or portcullis below is opening.
Tino enters the space as well, picking up a bow from a fallen soldier and a handful of arrows. He looks far more confident with a bow in his hands rather than a sword and he picks off several soldiers long before they can make it close enough to be any kind of threat and Matthias takes it upon himself to take out the few that manage to make it past Tino's defenses.
It is obvious that Berwald spend his time well on the wall while Matthias was running around the castle and ending up in trouble with the Rat King. He seems to know exactly how everything works and how to ruin it and is quick at work as he jams various pieces of metal into the mechanism until it makes a terrible sound of shrieking metal and snapping wood somewhere beneath the floorboard.
Matthias hacks, slashes at people, and even pushes a few off the walls, sending them crashing down to the ground below. All the while counting off seconds in his head with only on target in mind; keeping the area empty for as long has he can until he cannot any longer. He only prays that the three of them have enough strength to get to the second door and jam that open as well before the soldiers manage to take them out.
He chances a quick glance over the wall to see how far the rebels have come, and it is truly a bloodbath beyond anything he has seen so far in this war. With the breach in the wall the city is much like a gutted animal, bleeding out and unable to do anything to help itself, just waiting for the inevitable end.
The first rebels have reached the hole in the outer wall and are actively swarming inside, screaming in rage as they launch themselves at the few scattered soldiers that have lined up in wait of them. They are taking a few losses, mostly from a few scatter arrows, but it is nothing compared to the slaughter of soldiers.
Even with all their training, superior weapons and armor, they crumble under the fury of the rebels.
There is a loud shriek of metal, and then Berwald roars in triumph. "First door is done!"
He is already moving towards the next mechanism, Matthias and Tino moving along with him, shielding him from either side, even though it seems like far fewer soldiers are targeting them specifically. Their attention appears to be focused somewhere else.
"Just do your thing one more time," Tino yells shakily as he takes up a position with a good vantage point. "We have you covered, Ber."
He looks absolutely terrified, and Matthias does not blame him. They have been so focused on this one task of getting the gates open for the other rebels, there was never room in their minds to think or plan any further ahead than that or to think about how to survive afterwards.
Berwald is working quickly, and the mechanism is already making shrieking sounds of protest as it is just about to break.
Everything seems to be going their way, and then Matthias begins to feel wrong.
Very wrong.
His left arm suddenly feels like it is on fire, pain shooting up all the way from the tips of his fingers, up to his shoulder, and lancing down his spine with such a force it sends Matthias crashing to the ground. He barely manages to hold back a scream and cannot even feel the pain from his knees crashing against stone as he falls. Every single foreign emotion that he has suppressed for the entire day comes hurling back in an instant, stronger than he has felt anything over the bond before.
It is a constant onslaught of agony and terror, and it only takes a few seconds before Matthias' body revolts, and he vomits up the meagre contents of his stomach across the stones. The emotions bleeding through the bond is too powerful for Matthias to sort through, but he knows one thing for sure. He needs to get to the castle, and there is no time to lose.
His body is already forcing itself up and moving towards the castle on its own accord, despite the pain. Not thinking, Matthias allows his shaking legs carry him in the right direction.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hears from somewhere.
The voice is sounding both distant and close at the same time. It takes a tremendous effort to return to the moment only to realize that Berwald and Tino both are staring at him in open worry. Berwald is somehow next to him rather than working on the mechanism, grabbing Matthias' arm and pulling him backwards, away from is target.
"I need to get to the castle," Matthias yells desperately, pulling hard against Berwald's grip. All plans he ever had of joining up with the rebel army are gone, and all he cares about is getting to the most dangerous place in the city.
"Are you crazy?" Tino yells back from his side. "Why would you want to go there right now? We can't get anywhere near there without all of the others backing us up!"
Matthias ignores Tino completely. There is no way he can make Tino understand without spending far too much time explaining himself and so he turns his attention to Berwald instead to make his case. He twists his left arm free and waives his marked wrist pointedly in Berwald's face, willing him to understand the reference. "He's in trouble," Matthias says. "If I can get to him in time, I might be able to stop the King from using him against us. Please, Ber. You need to let me go."
"Who the fuck are you talking about?" Tino screams from the sideline, confused, angry and with every right to feel that way. "What the hells is going on, and why do I know nothing about it?"
"Tino is right, you know," Berwald replies. He sounds surprisingly calm, like he has predicted they might have this conversation at some point, and he is already determined to no give an ich. "Going to look for him on your own is a death sentence. I won't let you do it."
"If I don't go then he'll die!" Matthias shouts, because that is what every instinct is telling him will happen. His arms burns as he feels Lukas agony as he fights against the King's will and his entire being pulls him towards the castle, urging him to go there as fast as he can. The city walls are open for the rebels to make their way all the way into the innermost district. He has played his part, the others no longer depend on him, and he should be free to spend his potentially last time however he sees fit.
"I'm not letting you go!" Berwald says louder, grip growing firmer on Matthias arm, probably hard enough to make some serious bruises. "You're not going to waste your life that easy on my watch!"
Another wave of agony bleeds through the bond and Matthias' legs buckles underneath him, and the only thing keeping him standing is Berwald. He heaves for air, choking on a sob as it feels like there is acid flowing through his veins and fire licking at his skin. There are tears streaming down his cheeks, from pain or desperation he does not know and there is no way he can stop them. It is absolute agony, and it feels like he is dying.
"If he dies, then I die too!" Matthias screams and makes a final attempt to pull himself free only to fall flat on his ass as Berwald fingers have grown lax in an instant. "My life is bound to his."
He had not intended to tell Berwald that, but the words are out, and Berwald stands there frozen in shock. His arm is still reaching out as if he is still holding on to Matthias' arm and not having realized that he is no longer there.
"You have to let me go," Matthias says weakly, voice shaking as he fights to speak through his tears. His entire body feels weak, but his left arm is worse than the rest. It is slowly growing numb from the searing pain radiating from the markings. "If you don't let me go, then I'll be dead either way. He is not getting out alive without my help."
Berwald's gaze wanders between Matthias, and the castle. The conflict of choice is openly written on his normally stony features. "You can't make it there alone," he says eventually. The few seconds it actually takes for him ta make a decision feels like an eternity to Matthias. "You can barely stand by yourself, there is no way you can fight. I'm coming with you."
"I can't task that of you," Matthias says. He is okay with his mission taking his life, but he does not want to risk his friends like that.
"You're not asking," Berwald replies. "I'm volunteering, and I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Can either of you take a second to explain what you're talking about?" Tino yells, growing increasingly furious. He is clutching his bow hard enough to turn his knuckles white, glaring angrily at them between making sure that the coast is still free from soldiers. There is color high on his cheeks, and he looks half of a mind to shoot the both of them in his anger.
Berwald looks grim, clearly wanting to take the time to explain everything proper for Tino, to make him understand that there is no other choice. "You should head down to the square," he says instead. "Join the others and take out soldiers from a distance. I'm bringing Matt to the castle. There is something we need to see through, and we don't have the time to explain it to you."
"Why does it sound like neither of you expect to return?" Tino snaps, pointing angrily at them with the end of his bow. "Also, you're out of your minds if you think I'm just going to let you go. You said so yourself Ber, it makes no sense!"
"Tino, please."
"No!" Tino growls. He lowers his bow and walks over to pick up Matthias' fallen sword from the ground. He holds it out until Matthias carefully wraps his hand around the handle and turns a determined glare at Berwald. This is clearly not a battle he intends to back down on. "You are not going to send me away while heading into danger on your own. Either we all go together, or we don't go at all, even if I have to knock you unconscious to keep you safe."
Berwald looks devastated, but he does not challenge Tino further. He lowers his gaze and the discussion is over.
Matthias is furious at himself.
He does not want either of his friends to follow, but after his numerous slip-up there is no other choice unless he wants to stand down and wait for his inevitable end. Berwald will not be convinced should he attempt to pretend that he is fine with a plan to sneak away later when nobody is looking. He fucked up, and he knows it. There is only a short time for him to come up with another plan on the go that will keep his friends safe.
From where they are standing, it is not all that far to the castle, and it no longer seems impossible to reach. They only have to cross the last district, and if there are any reserves of soldiers waiting behind that wall, they should have been called away to defend the fresh breach in the gate.
They can hear the battle raging on from the main square where the rebels by far outnumber the soldiers. It is only a question time before the rebels will swarm into the next districts, where they can hear the first shouts of panic as the soldiers begin to realize just that.
Berwald unsheathes his sword with his right hand, his left he uses to hoist Matthias back up and to help him stand on wobbly legs. "You just tell me where to go," he says and begins walking towards the castle with determined steps.
Tino is cursing up a storm, but he is following their tracks.
They are moving fast across the wall. The soldiers are few and far between and most of the times Tino take them out before Berwald even have to raise his sword. They descend down take the first staircase they can find down to the guard district and to their great relief, it turns out to be mostly empty.
The few soldiers that are present are rushing towards the gateway to the main square, screaming for reinforcements and to get the damned gates shut and are not sparing them a single look. As they move further into the district, having weaved through a few streets, it turns strangely quiet. They cannot hear the guards shouting for help, and the sound of fighting sounds distant.
They eventually stumble across a guard as they round, and he visibly startles and reaches for his weapon, clearly not expecting to meet anybody.
Matthias can feel Berwald tensing up and sees Tino clutching his bow, but then the guard relaxes as he spots their uniforms and breathes out a sigh of relief and lowers his weapon. It must look to him like there are bringing an injured friend out of danger with Matthias hanging off Berwald, and he gives them a quick nod and moves about his own business.
It is a gift of luck, and one they gladly accept.
Matthias can sense that Lukas is close, and getting closed with each step that they take. The direction is clear in his mind as he lets his senses guide the way. There is the taste of blood at the back of his tongue, sharp and metallic, giving him the feeling that Lukas is running out of time, and it is what finally kicks his body back into action, just as the hill of the castle stands before them.
Tino and Berwald are working hard to help him climb as they struggle up the slope, and their breathing is loud. That is until they get up high enough that they can once again hear the fighting that was muffled by the walls as they were walking around in the guard district. It deafens everything else.
Matthias gives his friend a quick glance, seeing the struggle in their minds as they are torn between continuing forward and turning back to help all the others as they fight for their lives in the square, but they determinedly turn their focus back on the castle, killing Matthias' hopes that they would leave him with his own foolish decisions.
As they make their way inside the castle through the secret entrance, Berwald and Tino trails carefully behind Matthias, unfamiliar and nervous in the maze of hallways within. They startle at every unfamiliar sound, expecting a company of soldiers to step out from every corner in their way, but no one does.
It is strange.
By all common sense, these halls should be swarming with heavily armed and highly trained soldiers on high alert, ready to protect their king. Instead, its is almost like the path has been cleared for them already, it is far to convenient to not be suspicious.
Matthias has the soldier's key clutched in his fist the entire time, marching ahead at a steady pace, waiting for the right moment to act. His body aches and he is desperate to get away, to keep Berwald and Tino away and face whatever end is approaching on his own. He moves fast down the halls with sure steps, not bothering to look out much for dangers. The other two are far more careful, stopping at every cross-section, and that leaves a few meters between them and Matthias.
It is exactly what he was waiting for. There is a large wooden door coming up ahead of them, and from the look of it, there is proper lock and keyhole. Seeing his possibly only chance, Matthias lunges for the door and slams it shut behind himself. He braces his entire body against it, pushes in the key and turns it, all in the same move.
He feels the lock snap in place and the second after there is hammering against the wood.
"Matthias!" he hears Berwald growl. "Don't you dare! Open the door!"
Matthias swallows against a lump in his throat as he backtracks away from the door, breathing harshly while his heart pounds behind his ribs. "I'm sorry," he whispers, even though nobody will be able to hear him, especially not with the increasingly furious shouting and hammering form the other side of it.
With one last look towards the door, he turns his back on his friends and begins walking in the direction his gut is telling him to go. Hesitant at first as he questions himself, but then faster as he accepts that it is too late to turn back now. His feet apparently know where to take him and he does not have to wonder which direction is the right one when he encounters a cross-section or staircase.
Then he starts running, feet smacking against the floors and yet nobody shows up to confront him. He rushes up a grand staircase, down another hallway and at the very end he faces a large, reinforced double door. It is twice the height of Matthias, looming tall and intimidating, and he knows with every fiber of his being that Lukas is on the other side.
He does not stop to catch his breath, or even think. He just burst through the door, expecting to find Lukas in agony, dying on the floor and freezes in his tracks when he realizes that is not the case.
The fire that was coursing through his veins turn to ice in an instant.
"Well, well, well," a smooth voice says. "It is about time somebody showed up." The voice is familiar, even though Matthias has only heard it sound furious before and it sends a shiver down his spine. "Had you kept me waiting for much longer, I might have been forced to get creative."
The King is standing at the far end of the room, looking relaxed and almost bored. At his feet, a figure is kneeling, head deeply bowed and not looking up or reacting to any of the noise.
Matthias knows immediately that it is Lukas even though his face is hidden in that position. It is strange at first, because Lukas looks uninjured, not a scratch in sight and his clothing looks whole. Looking nothing like what the feelings across the bond indicated. The surprise must show on his face, because the King looks between the two of them, and then he begins laughing.
"Yes, he is uninjured," the King comments idly. "For now, though I can imagine it does not feel that way to you." He reaches for Lukas' arm and lifts it up. Lukas offers no protest as the King pulls down his sleeve and bares red markings that matches Matthias'. The King gives him a look and Matthais shivers in discomfort as he feels the King's touch on Lukas' arm as if it was his own.
"Now," the King says coldly. "We need to have a little conversation."