Trollbunden
The King looks lazily towards the empty corridor behind Matthias. "I do not know whether I should be impressed or disappointed that you are the only one to show up here," he says flatly, giving Matthias an unimpressed lookover and a grimace of disgust as he takes in the capitol emblem on Matthias' chest. "With all the trouble you have caused me these past few days, I would have expected at least a company of men to show up at my doorstep, all of them highly trained and ready to kill. Certainly not just one whelp fresh out of boyhood."
With a single look from the King, the door behind Matthias slams shut on its own. The King stands up straighter, smoothing out an imaginary crease in the sleeves of his shirt. He looks confident and unafraid, not at all worried about the rebel in his presence, but Matthias sees the fire in the King's eyes and a tense crease at the corner of his mouth that betrays a rage simmering underneath the surface of his calm expression.
Matthias stands frozen in place regretting his decisions to burst into the room without a plan and begins mentally mapping out the room, looking for any other possible ways out of this place should he have to make an attempt at escaping.
The ceiling is tall, held up by six tall, stone pillars decorated with heraldry and banners ins the King's colors. The doors now locked firmly behind him, make up the grand entrance to the throne room. A carpet leads way down to a small platform at the end of the room where the King is standing in wait with Lukas kneeling just in front of him.
There are side doors meant for the people of court, soldiers or servants, Matthias does not know, but they are all shut and probably locked. There is another door at the end of the room, just behind the throne, but he would have to get past both the King and Lukas to reach it and pray to every God he knows that it is unlocked.
On either side of the room there are balconies, probably to fit more people into the room for grand events. They must have their own entrances somewhere because he sees no stairs, but they are too tall for Matthias to reach, and climbing is out of the question.
He is well and truly trapped and knows with every fiber of his being that he has messed up royally by letting his instinct get the better of him. At the very least he should have made an attempt to scout the room before bursting through the doors like an idiot without a plan.
The King had clearly been expecting company, and Matthias should have known. The hallways have been empty this far, and he can see nobody in this throne room besides the three of them. The King must have taken measures to keep it that way, because under no circumstances would proper guards leave their leader undefended.
The question now is, why have the King not killed him yet? All he would have needed is a hidden archer on one of the balconies to shoot him the instant he stepped through the door, maybe a few more in case he had brought company, yet he has not.
At the end of the room, the King gives Lukas a sharp, cold glace and lets go of Lukas' arm he has been holding. "You can stop calling him towards you now," he says and moves his gaze back up on the intruder, smiling cruelly.
Still kneeling on the floor and not looking up, Lukas shudders in response to the King's words. Immediately after, Matthias feels the desperate urge to run towards Lukas disappear like it was never there at all. He no longer feels like he might throw up or pass out should he not move closer. Slowly, feeling returns to his fingers as the brand on his arm stops burning so intensely. In an instant his mind feels free from the fog of desperation and shame washes over him in its place as Matthias realizes he has been manipulated by the magical bond between him and Lukas all along.
Regret burns bitterly at the back of Matthias's tongue, and never before has he felt so small, betrayed by himself. He abandoned his friends, locked them out even to do this by himself. It was all done with the intention to keep them safe, and maybe a little to keep them from straight up murdering Lukas on sight. Most likely, he has left them in a load of trouble. They have no idea what they might face should they ever find a way out of the hallway and into the throne room where the King and a Vette are waiting.
At least Matthias did not drag them straight into the wolf's den. If the hallways remain free of soldiers, then they can wait there for the rest of the rebels to storm the castle when that time comes. They should be safe for now, unlike Matthias who is staring towards the two most dangerous people in the entire Kingdom alone.
Had he not known that Lukas was under an order and a spell, it would have been easy to assume he was perfectly relaxed in the situation. He kneels calmly on the floor, no sign of tension in his shoulders and with his palms resting atop his thighs. He looks up slowly, turning his eyes on Matthias.
His gaze looks empty, void of any hope, and Matthias does not dare move a muscle under that stare. They do not need any words between them. The King has Lukas under control with magic, keeping him in place, but Matthias can still feel Lukas' disappointment at seeing him here, answering a call that Lukas was forced to send out, alone and vulnerable.
The King seems to take notice of their silent communication and makes a sound of disgust. "Of all the people I thought could have been traitor in my castle, I least of all expected you." He slowly crouches down beside Lukas, still keeping a careful eye on Matthias in case he should do something foolish. "How long have you plotted against me I wonder. I should have killed you long ago, there is just no fuckling loyalty anywhere these days. I gave you everything, and this is how you treat me? Betraying me and your Capital."
Lukas remains silent, but his jaw clenches as if he is not quiet by choice. Matthias can feel Lukas' defiance simmering over their bond and can only imagine that Lukas must have a few choice words for the King about real loyalty should he be allowed to express them.
The King sighs dramatically. "I've never had competition for his allegiance before, I suppose," he says, running a hand up and down Lukas' arm, the one with the red markings and Matthias can feel the touch as if it was on his own skin and shivers in disgust all the way across the room. "I've never come across anything like this before," the King continues carefully. "It is so powerful, so full of potential. I certainly did not expect a mere commoner like you capable of such magic."
When he stands back up, he looks thoughtful, but also hungry in a way. It is obvious he wants the power of the bond for himself. "I have heard about magical connections like this, but never thought I would ever see it for myself. No researcher has ever found a way to replicate the effects either." From the way he speaks about the bond, Matthias is beginning to think it might have more uses far beyond locking someone into a promise with the consequence of death and giving a mental link between two people by accident.
"I suppose it will have to remain as one of the mysteries of the world." He gives Matthias a sideways glance. "I do not know how you managed this, with no training and I suspect little to no magical talent. It is a shame you would waste magic like that on something like him." He makes a gesture towards Lukas with a look of disgust on his face. It appears he thinks Lukas is little more than a monster of the world, and barely worth his attention.
"Do you even know what he is?" the King asks, following Matthias' line of thought. He sounds almost conversational, but he is still talking down to Matthias, like he is nothing more than a speck of dirt on his floors. It looks as if he would be of a mind to have this conversation sitting on his throne, with his feet up and sipping a glass of wine on a regular old day, just to amuse himself. He does not at all seem affected by the fact that outside safety of castle walls, his city is in shambles, and that rebels are trying to make their way to kill him.
To him it seems like the encounter is entertaining in a way, the cruel gleam in his eye is enough of a tell. He is clearly enjoying seeing his traitorous servant watch the consequences of his action in play and the rebel squirm in his hopeless situation. It strikes Matthias then than this might be the reason he is still even alive when the King could ever so easily have him killed. He wants to see people around him suffer and this is all a game to him.
"You're not going to shock or scare me by revealing he is not human," Matthias replies eventually. His voice sounds weak, even to his own ears. "I know he is a forest creature, a Vette."
"He is nothing more than a beast!" The King snaps, and a manic grin appears on his face. "I will even prove it to you!" He makes a small gesture with his hand, twitching his fingers, and the air begins to feel heavy in a way, thick and cloying.
Matthias' hair stands on end and the air tastes acrid breathing in.
"Stand up!" The King says sharply, still grinning like a madman.
Then Matthias notices the blue tendrils of magic creeping up Lukas' neck, past the collar of his doublet. A shiver runs down his spine as he watches Lukas rise smoothly from his kneeling position. What little emotion Matthias could feel from the bond fades away into nothing. Lukas' eyes grow vacant, and he stares straight ahead, not appearing to take notice of anything in the room anymore.
Cold sweat pools at the back of Matthias' neck in terror. "Lukas," he pleads weakly, knowing that there is not much hope of reaching through to him the way he is. "You don't have to do this."
The King begins laughing, loud and cruel. "You really have no idea what you are up against. This creature," he spits out that particular word, "has no will of his own when I give him and order, nothing more than a mindless beast."
Matthias is already backing up on instinct until he feels the door at his back. Testing the handle, it turns out to have been locked somehow, probably with magic when the King slammed them shut, and there is nowhere for him to go.
"At least you are intelligent enough to be frightened," the King comments lightly. "It is not going to help you though." Then he smiles cruelly. "Lukas," he says, and his voice has changed again. Lukas tilts his head in response, listening attentively. "Deal with this rebel."
Three steps, Lukas stalks closer, his eyes have begun glowing blue.
Three steps, Matthias shuffles towards one of the other sides of the room, his back against the wall the whole time. "Please, Lukas. Don't listen to him. You don't want to do this."
The King continues laughing. "It does not matter what he wants," he yells cheerfully. He sounds truly manic by now. The city is burning outside, and he is in here laughing, not lifting a finger to deal with the real problem out there where his soldiers are being slaughtered.
Matthias does not stand much of a chance if Lukas really tries to kill him. He only got lucky the last time he survived a direct fight because Lukas still had a slither of his own mind left and fought against the orders, but Matthias is not the kind of person to give up even when facing impossible odds. He reaches for the pouch of ashes, hoping that he can buy some time and shake Lukas out of his compulsion, one last time.
Lukas draws his own swords, quick and efficient, but not advancing just yet rather just analyzing how to best approach his opponent, taking careful note of every single movement Matthias makes.
The King is staying by his throne, far away from any risk of harm. He does look puzzled when Matthias pulls up his bag from his belt, but not at all worried. Likely he does not know what it might contain and finds it curious that someone would reach for a bag rather than a sword in a fight.
He is going to be in for one hell of a surprise in just a moment, Matthias thinks to himself.
"Last chance, Lukas," Matthias says, carefully opens the strings on the pouch and rests it carefully in one palm so he can throw it and make sure nothing get trapped uselessly in the bag. He knows that the ashes hurt like hell but will not kill and that makes it the easiest weapon to use. The pain has snapped Lukas back to his senses before, but if that does not work, it will buy Matthias precious time to consider his next move, maybe even find a way to restrain him with the iron shackles.
Lukas is not swayed apparently. He only moves faster, his blades poised for attack.
Cursing violently, Matthias realizes that there is no way he can fight off Lukas without hurting him. "He is not your plaything," He snarls defiantly towards the King, backing off further towards the edge of the room, away from the grand door and aiming for one of the side-doors in case they might be unlocked.
"Your promise-bond might be mirrored on his arm, but you were the only one to swear that oath," the King replies calmly. "The only oath this creature has sworn, is mine. My orders are the only ones that he will follow, and I can make him do whatever I want." He steps back towards his throne and settles down on the seat, leaning an elbow casually on one of the armrests. "I grow tired of these games; I think it is time to finish it. I do after all have a city to get back under control. Lukas, dear," his voice chances back into that dark, commanding tone. "Kill this rebel now and make it quick."
Lukas launches, without a second's hesitance, rushing forth now with unimaginable speed.
Matthias, having already decided what to do and come to terms with the consequences, flings the ashes at Lukas with all his might, and reaches for his sword so he can properly defend himself.
The scream that Lukas lets out as the ashes touches him tears at Matthias' heart, but he ignores it. He can feel echoes of the pain across the bond, but he powers through as Lukas drops his swords to the ground with a loud clang and tears at his own skin to get the ashes off. It is the perfect opportunity to reach for the freshly made weapon oil and apply it to his sword.
The King rockets out off his throne, finally paying proper attention. "What the hells did you just do!" he screams. "You cannot do that!" The complaint sounds foolish, like a child disagreeing with a parent.
He looks scared then, finally his belief in an easy victory seems shaken. He tucks in behind the throne as cover, scared of what other tricks Matthias might have up his sleeve. "You are supposed to keep me safe!" he screams. "Vette, defend me," magic laces his voice in another order. "protect me, you damned creature!"
Lukas continues screaming, seemingly not taking notice of his master's plight. The command drowning in the debilitating pain from the ashes. Matthias feels a heavy guilt settle in his stomach as Lukas' skin turns bright red, blistering and Lukas desperately claws deep, bleeding gouges on his own face. His own face twitches in pain, a firm reminder that they are connected to each other.
Matthias takes one step closer, keeping his blade at the ready. "Lukas," he says carefully, keeping a close eye out for any changes in Lukas demeanor that could indicate he is either under control of himself or about to attack. "You can fight him; you have done so before. Use the pain, break through the orders."
There is more screaming from Lukas, but the sound changes, from painful to panicked. "Nooo!" He garbles nonsense, tears at his hair and screams. Matthias takes a few steps back, not wanting to get caught by a flailing limb as Lukas thrashes around.
"Kill him!" The King howls from the end of the room. "Kill him!"
"No!" Lukas yells back. "I refuse!"
The blue brands glow bright against Lukas' reddened skin. The King's magic fighting to overcome Lukas' willpower, and Lukas gasps for air as if it is painful.
While the two of them battle for control, Matthias looks for a path through the room so he might get him closer to the throne without the King noticing his intentions.
"Do as I say," the King demands.
Lukas turns and glares at the King venomously. "I am," he snarls, baring his teeth at the King in his act of defiance.
"Then why are you not killing him?"
Quiet, Lukas fights against talking, clenching his mouth shut, shaking on the spot.
The entire room rattles, and a blue glow of magic emanates from the King. "Tell me the truth!"
Lukas gasps for air. "You once told me to protect the Kingdom," he forces out with a hiss. "I indent to do so."
The King is gradually turning red from fury. "How dare you defy me?" he spits. The room rattles and the lights are dimming as if torches no longer hold the power to keep darkness at bay. There is no wind or even a draft in the closed room, but a few candles flicker out and die from the force of these two creatures battles with magic of mind. "If you do not follow my orders right this instant, I will make sure you will never see your brother again. Remember I hold his life in my hands."
"I have not seen him in a hundred years," Lukas snarls back, his voice sounds more animalistic than human. "The only reason I know he still lives at all is because the damned spell of yours still works on me. I am sure he hates me for the choice I made for him, I know I do, and if you treat him like you have me, he might just be better of dead!" He twists horribly as If in pain, fighting against his own body. "If you were to kill my brother, I would finally be free of your leash and able to kill you for myself!" His voice lowers menacingly. "I would do it slowly, make sure you are as helpless as I feel, trapped in your own body like you have kept me trapped in mine."
Matthias senses that this is going the wrong way, Lukas struggling more and more under the King's might, word slurring as he throws insults at the King. He backs off further, not daring to make a move directly between Lukas and the King in case either lose their temper or control.
"I order you to kill this rebel," the king says firmly, pronouncing each word slow and harshly, lacing his voice with enough magic to shake the room. "You will turn, and you will kill him!"
"I refuse!" Lukas hisses back, shuddering.
"TURN!"
Screaming and heaving for air, Lukas struggles for a long while, crouched over and twisting on the ground. Then he looks up again, and his eyes are glowing bright blue, pupils and all. Matthias throws himself at the nearest side door and yanks the handle, only to find that they are locked firm, much like he suspected.
The King begins grinning again and steps up from the cover of his throne, confidence returning along with his control over Lukas.
Somewhere outside the room there is a loud banging, like something heavy being slammed against wood over and over again, but Matthias does not have the time to figure out what it is, be it soldiers or rebels. The King does not even seem to take notice of the noise, he is busy grinning in triumph.
As Matthias watches, frozen in horror, Lukas' forms begin changing.
The blue markings are creeping further up his neck, onto his face, glowing the same color as his eyes, which look slightly larger than before. His face changes as well. The tops of his ear apparently sharpen and begin pointing out of his ruffled hair. Matthias can hear the crunching of bone and Lukas doubles over again, fighting hard against his own body.
It is awful to watch and to hear. Nothing like any of the transformations Matthias has witnessed before. He has seen Lukas fluently transform from human to bird in about a second's time without uttering a single sound and showing no signs of discomfort, but this is no easy transition. This seems painful as he hears bones break and reshape themselves and Lukas twist as his limbs change. There is tearing of fabric as the fine tunic stretches at the seams in gives in, making the clothes hang off him in a strange way.
There is a deep rumble from Lukas' chest as he stands there breathing hard, sounding almost like a growl from a wolf. He turns towards Matthias and bares his teeth, revealing sharp fangs instead. He does not pick up his swords from the ground, nor does it look like he would need them anymore, because he now has sharp claws that look like they can tear through skin and muscle with ease right along with his teeth. This is the true shape of a Vette, and Matthias realizes has been lucky to not meet this version of Lukas yet. A predator from myth and legend.
The connection between them is lost, and the king has won control.
Lukas stands up properly at last, the change in him complete.
He looks taller like this, shoulders broader, certainly more intimidating. He stands hunched over, predatory in a way. No wonder he is the only commander Matthias ever seen wearing only light armor. Heavy plate would hinder him from changing shape in battle. Slowly as Matthias watches, the burns from the ashes and the self-inflicted scratches begin to heal before his eyes, making the skin turn from angry pink back to pale.
The knocking Matthias heard earlier had become more insistent and he realizes that somebody is trying to make their way through the locked door of the grand entrance.
Matthias has nowhere to hide, the wall is behind his back, and he is just slowly inching his way towards the main door he first came through.
He knows he will not stand a chance against this version of Lukas, the Vette, Trollbunden. This shape is clearly far stronger than the human version Matthias never had a chance to beat in the first place. He obviously heals faster now and looks much stronger than before. Like this, he does not even need weapons as his teeth and claws should easily be able to kill and maim judging from the look of them.
The King's mouth is curling into a cruel grin. "Kill him!" he orders, and Lukas bursts into action once more, rushing forward with his hands curled and claws forward. The Vette only has murder in his eyes. No sympathy, no hesitation, no recognition.
Matthias feels tears run down his cheeks as he sees his death approaching. The creature approaching him looks much like a monster, but he knows the real person behind the sharp teeth. He has poison on his blade, but he lacks the willpower to use it. He is dead either way. Either Lukas tears him apart or he raises his sword and makes an attempt to kill Lukas, ending himself as well. He only weakly holds his sword raised, but it will not take much to knock it aside.
Then there is a loud crash and the main doors flies open, slamming back against the walls from the force of it. Whatever magic was keeping them shut has been forgotten or finally failed under relentless assault of the intruders.
The Vette barely spares a second to hiss in direction of the door, but he was told to kill Matthias, and that is his goal and so he still lunges forward.
Matthias waits for the impact, frozen in place, surrendering to his fate, but death does not come. He hears a shriek of pain and sees the Vette recoil, clutching at a shoulder.
It gives Matthias time to look at the doorway. There stands Tino first, fumbling for another arrow after apparently just having shot the Vette, and Berwald heaving for air after clearly taking down the massive door on his own with brute strength. The lock is smashed to pieces on the door that swings weakly on its hinges. Tino is wide-eyed and terrified as he steps further into the room and takes in the surroundings. Berwald on the other hand looks determined and angry as he lifts his battered sword.
Tino aims his second arrow for the Vette first but then sees the King and changes target.
The arrow, however, is shot out of the air by a bolt of magic as the King raises a hand, blocking the incoming projectile. The King stands alert once more. "Protect me!" He screams in a rage, the coward that he is, not daring to deal with the newcomers on his own though they should be little threat to sorcerer with a lifespan that surpasses more than a hundred years.
The Vette abandons his target and circles back quickly, standing defensively in front of his master as a humanoid shield, just as ordered. He grabs hold of the arrow sticking out of his shoulder and pulls it out, barely making a face at what must be horrendous pain as the barbs catch on his skin on the way out. It bleeds at first, blood soaking into the torn tunic, but it quickly slows down within seconds to practically nothing.
Tino and Berwald bursting through the door has given them all some time to reconsider the battleground. The three rebels are standing on one side of the throne room while the King and his protector are waiting at the other end. Each of them waiting to see who will make the first move and plan their response after that.
"I see you did not come alone after all," the King snarls. "It matters not. You are merely children playing at war, not a proper threat. I will have you dealt with quick enough."
Enraged by the King's words, Tino fires off another arrow, but this time the Vette is the one to shoot it out of the air with a bolt of magic, protecting his master from harm.
The King gives them a furious look after glancing quickly at the now smoldering arrow. "I've had enough of this," he growls. "My beloved city is in shambles thanks to your lot, and it is high time I cleaned up this mess without any further delays. Lukas." He looks at his subordinate who is tilting his head in attention, listening mindlessly to the orders he is about to receive. "Kill these rebels quick, do not let a single one of them leave this room alive, and when you are done, come seek me out immediately."
The Vette launches towards them, aiming for Matthias first.
He must surely look like the easiest target as he stands just a little by himself and his pouch of ashes gone and empty. He still has a problem holding his sword up in a proper defense, and his unwillingness to do harm must show on his entire body. He does little more than stare at the sharp claws coming for him for a second time.
Then Berwald crashes into the Vette from the side, knocking him over with a mighty force after rushing across half the room with all the speed he could manage, saving Matthias' ass yet again.
"The King is getting away!" Tino shouts.
Matthias sees a door shut at the end of the room, somewhere behind the throne, but they cannot focus on him. Because now that the King is out of temporary danger, the Vette can focus fully on his immediate task of destroying the rebels.
"We have to deal with Trollbunden first!" Matthias yells back, even though those words taste like ash on his tongue. He does not even want to use Lukas' name on this mindless creature before them that can do nothing but follow orders, and so it is easier to use the moniker given to him by the soldiers.
The Vette recovers quickly from his fall. He lashes out towards Berwald who knocked him over and throws him halfway across the room, making him slide across the stone floor.
Tino fires off another arrow to distract the Vette and protect Berwald.
This one hits the Vette in the thigh, and he barely reacts to it. All he does is turn away from Berwald for a fraction of a second. to see where the arrow came from
Tino shoots again. This time it glances of a hipbone. He is visibly shaking while holding his bow, ruining his usual impressive shooting. Not that it matters much how true the arrows strike as they barely make an impact. They are all high-quality steel, stolen from the soldier's supplies and not something that will hurt much for a supernatural creature with a high healing factor.
"Regular arrows won't do," Matthias shouts weakly, voice threatening to break. "You need iron, ashes or foxglove to stop him."
The Vette snarls furiously at having his weaknesses exposed to the public. He fires off another bolt of magic at Tino who is fumbling for a different weapon. Then he goes for Matthias again and this time Matthias finally manages to lift his sword in a meagre defense.
Lukas is far faster, dodging the blade with ease. Matthias can feel sharp claws scraping at his skin but not drawing blood as the Vette slashes back at him in retaliation. A second swipe from the Vette, and Matthias' sword clatters to the ground.
Then the Vette steps back howling in pain, whirling around and slashing at Berwald who stands there looking almost shocked with a bloody knife in his hand, barely avoiding the retaliating attack. He stares at the blade and at the black blood running down the hilt of it. He apparently took up Matthias on his advice and reached for iron, stabbing the Vette in the back as an opportunity showed itself and is shocked to see the different effect it makes.
Matthias stares at the wound Berwald has left on the Vette's lower back, bleeding black through the fine clothing, and reaches for his own dagger. Gods he wishes Lukas was able to snap out of the spell and stop on his own, but he sees little hope of that happening without a major miracle. So, with a heavy conscience he brings his knife down into Trollbunden's upper back, but still not able to aim for the heart.
The Vette howls in pain, whirling around again, but this time missing by a large margin. He is no longer the finely tuned warrior with elegant and efficient movements that has full control of any battle he is in.
Matthias lets go of the knife, leaving it where it is. The iron obviously weakens the Vette as he stumbles over his own steps and already moves slower. Slow enough that Matthias can duck out of the way of his claws with relative ease and block a secondary swipe with his hands alone without getting sliced up in the process.
The Vette lets out a hiss of rage and hurriedly backs away towards the throne, keeping a careful eye on them as he moves. He must be rethinking how to approach his task differently, not used to someone knowing his weaknesses and using them against him. He makes an attempt to grab the knife in his upper back but is just out of his reach and the iron continues to poison him.
Matthias makes a grab for the sword he dropped and readies himself again. Berwald moves in next to him, clinging to his bloodied knife and reaches for his own pouch of ashes. By the doorway, Tino is desperately going through his own things, pulling out a bottle of foxglove oil and fiddling with his stack of arrows to coat them while he has the chance.
At the other end of the room, the Vette is breathing harshly while analyzing the three of them. He must surely know that if he goes in to attack any of them, then the two others will be on him in an instant. Any other reasonable person would have admitted defeat by this point and made for an escape, but he has no choice. He considers his options for a second and then he crouches towards the ground with a snarl.
Matthias realizes the danger just an instant before it happens.
The Vette throws his arms forward and hurls a bolt of magic at them.
Berwald and Matthias throw themselves to the floor, rolling out of harm's way as magic crackles across the stone behind them, sending smoke and dust hurling up in the air from a wide scorched trail leading the entire way down the room.
There is a dull thud and a howl of pain as Tino fires another arrow, this one hitting Lukas' other shoulder, and Matthias' breath stops in his throat as he feels a pain bloom across his own shoulder as if he was the one who just got shot.
He cannot breathe as the pain spreads and fire burns in his veins.
Berwald uses the opportunity to rush ahead, hurling his own pouches of ashes at the Vette now that he is distracted and quickly steps back out of danger again to wait for a reaction.
It explodes open on impact, covering Trollbunden in a new layer of burning ashes, howling in agony.
The Vette throws more magic at them, but is looking desperate now, breathing hard and aiming poorly. Matthias notices that the blue markings on Trollbunden's skin glow brighter as if in protest, and Matthias instinctually knows that Lukas is fighting against his many orders. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the orders are fighting against him instead. The King's many layers of orders clearly make the Vette far less efficient in battle than they have seen from him before.
He was supposed to kill the rebels and do it quick, and it forces him to lash out blindly with killing intent to end the battle quick instead of fighting strategically. He was already weakened with poison in his blood, the use of magic is only weakening him further along with the ashes, and the three rebels are free to exploit the weaknesses in his defenses as he cannot flee from the battle.
Matthias is beginning to feel it on his entire body now, how Lukas is failing. The Vette looks terrible. He has an arrow coated in foxglove sticking out of his shoulder, a sluggishly bleeding wound in the other. His back is a black mess, coated in black blood and with a dagger still stuck high on his back and out of reach. Now, he is also screaming in pain from a second round of ashes burning his skin.
Matthias collapses on the ground, his heart beating wildly in his chest and the mark on his left arm is scorching. He can feel Lukas' every single injury as if they are his own, the bond punishing him for breaking his promise. How Lukas is even standing up still is a miracle as the amount of pain he feels is enough to make Matthias' breath stop in his throat.
The three rebels clearly have the upper hand now. Lukas is weakened by several wounds, bleeding and poisoned, wasting energy on careless use of magic while he has barely touched them in return.
Berwald is keeping the Vette at bay, blocking of strikes and carefully working his way closer, trying to look for an opening in his defenses. It does not take long for him to find one. He catches one of Trollbunden's arms, holding him tight. The Vette is not strong enough to break free immediately, instead he is spitting and snarling like a wild animal, trying to slash Berwald with the claws on his free hand.
Tino marches closer too, bow raised and ready. He is aiming carefully this time, waiting for the perfect show, the killing blow, not knowing that shot will kill Matthias as well.
Matthias knows he will die, unless he somehow manages to reach Tino and stop him, but his body is failing right along with Lukas' and he can barely move. A tear slips down his face with the knowledge that he has failed. It is just a minor comfort to know that at least he will not have to figure out how to live his life without Lukas once all of this is over because he will be gone too.
He still crawls his way across the floor, too stubborn to lie down and die peacefully without at least trying, even though he sees no way out.
"Wait," he hears Berwald says in a panic, but Tino is not listening.
Matthias hears the twang from the bow releasing the arrow echoing through his scull. In his mind's eye he can see it hit the target and even feel the pain that will surely come once it does. He can imagine the light leaving Lukas' e and the darkness that will surround him as he dies. There is a pressure growing in his chest, grief he supposes, for a life in freedom and love that he will never experience.
Time is passing by ever so slowly. Matthias feels like if he could move, he could casually stroll by to pluck the arrow out of the air, but all he can do is watch with his legs being weak as boiled cabbage and refusing to carry his weight. He looks at Lukas' face, for the last time most likely. If he is going to die, then he wants to do it with the image of the one he loves in his mind.
First, he mostly sees the Vette in the pointed ears and sharps teeth as he fights to break free from Berwald, but Matthias can see the man underneath as well, the one he has come to love. While the Vette fights for survival, Lukas has given up and accepted fate.
If only he could divert the arrow, or shield Lukas from this one attack, then he could convince Tino to just wait for a few minutes and explain. They could restrain Lukas rather than kill him. It does not have to end like this.
As Matthias slowly waits for death, something strange happens. With a mind of its own, his arm reaches towards the arrow and is surprised to see the brand lighting up. The glow is shining through his clothes, growing brighter and brighter. His entire arms grow hot and there is a fire lighting up in his veins and a heat moves down his arm, into his palm which begins glowing red like his brand.
With a loud crack, a beam of energy shoots from his palm, knocking the arrow out of the air and shattering it into a cloud of tiny, wooden splinters that burst into flames before his eyes.
Time returns to normal in an instant, but nobody seems capable of moving despite it.
They are all staring at the smoldering remains of the arrow for a few seconds until everything begins happening at once.
What the hells!" Tino shrieks. He was fully expecting the arrow to hit like normal and win them the combat. His gaze shifts quickly between the Vette and Matthias, mouth wide open in shock and it dawns on him that the magic came from Matthias and not the supernatural creature. "How did you? Why did you?" He reaches for another arrow, realizing the threat is still present.
Berwald is not wasting time asking questions. He takes the opportunity to force the Vette down on the ground, using his body weight to keep him pinned in place and blocking Tino from firing. "Don't kill him," he yells at Tino. He then throws a glance at Matthias who must look like absolute shit judging from the terror on Berwald's face. "You'll kill Matthias too if you do."
The Vette hisses furiously, struggling against the hold, weakened by poison but still too strong for Berwald to feel comfortable that they have him under control.
"I have iron shackles," Matthias mutters weakly, fumbling as he unhooks them from his belt. His legs still feel weak like a fawn and his arms are shaking badly as he holds out the shackles towards Berwald. The markings on his left arm have returned mostly to normal, looking like fresh tattoos on his skin instead of glowing conductors of magic.
Berwald gestures for Tino to go get the shackles as he is clearly busy, and Matthias apparently cannot walk in his current state. Tino looks furious as he marches over to snatch the chains from Matthias and give them to Berwald while his fingers are twitching on the handle of his bow.
Berwald's grip loosens as he shifts his focus on the handcuff. The Vette struggles harder sensing a weakness in his captor. Tino swiftly kicks him in the face to stop his fighting and Berwald manages to get the first cuff locked around his wrist.
Matthias yelps in pain at the exact same time Tino delivers his kick and Tino freezes his movement, snapped out of his bloodlust. "What?" His mouth drops open as he sees the Vette bleeding from the face and Matthias clutching his nose and eye socket in the exact same spot. "You felt that! How is that possible?"
Blinking away tears from the mirrored pain he feels, Matthias knows he must make his explanation quick and prays that Tino takes it better than Berwald. They do not have a lot of time to waste on arguments "Trollbunden has helped me and us in secret through the entire rebellion. I accidentally bound our lives together by magic, and now if he dies, then I die too."
Tino's bow clatters to the floor as he tears at his hair in frustration. "What the hells!" he shouts again. "No. This can't be true! We were so close!" He whirls around on the spot and storms towards a nearby chair and hurls at the wall, making it shatter into a thousand pieces. Then he turns back around, face bright red in fury. "I can't believe this, any of it! How could you be so stupid? And how the hells did you end up with magic? I don't understand!"
Tino has every right to be furious, and so Matthias remains quiet. He cannot defend himself and he feels empty inside. It still feels to him like he failed. The King is gone, and so is his chance of breaking the spell on Lukas.
"You can still win this," a weak and raspy voice says, and Matthias can barely recognize it as Lukas'.
Tino whirls around towards the sound, breathing angrily through clenched teeth with the urge to kill.
Berwald is sitting firmly on Lukas' back in case he should struggle more, but with both wrists shackled in iron, Lukas has stopped fighting. Berwald is keeping pressure on his shoulder which is bleeding profusely now that Lukas' superior healing seems to be suppressed along with his and the King's magic. Lukas is breathing hard but controlled, and the blue markings are fading in their intensity.
Matthias feels hope awaken in his chest as he can feel a tendril of contact over their bond.
Tino makes an angry sound, still not wanting to listen, but Berwald surprises Matthias by calmly pulling Lukas from the floor so he can kneel and look at them. The blue markings are dim on his skin and his eyes have stopped glowing, but his face still looks inhuman, the angles on his face just a little bit wrong and the sharp points of his ears poking through his messy hair.
"Explain," Berwald says firmly. A simple command, but not cruel or blinded by hatred.
"You can still catch up with the King," Lukas says, carefully forming words around his sharp teeth and keeping his gaze firmly on the ground. "He does not intend to escape while leaving the city to fend for itself. He means to destroy it and every single person in and around it. If you are quick enough, there is a chance still that you can stop him. If not, then he will kill us all."