Behind them, a looming figure stood perched on a pitch-black horse. This figure was massive and appeared made of stone and fire as if it had come from hell itself. In seconds, the beast took out a spear and violently threw it.
"Da!" She screamed, "Look out!"
Her father whipped around to face the beast, having the spear barely miss her brother. However, the spear had another target. With a thickening thunk, she heard the spear go through her mother. Turning, she felt time slow as she watched the light fade from her mother's eyes.
"Mama!" She screamed, gripping her mother's skirts tightly, as her mother's dead figure slowly fell backward, eventually freeing itself from her grip and falling into the water below. There was nothing she could do to deal with the shock of watching her mother die in front of her.
Looking behind her, Asilia watched as her father attempted to fight off the beast. Arthur was hurrying to her side, trying to avoid the fighting. Frantically, Asilia raced forward and grabbed her little brother by the hand, then dragged him to the awaiting skiff.
"Da!" Asilia screamed, running back to her father's side. Suddenly, she was no longer a six-year-old girl but herself in the present. Reaching for her side, Asilia felt the familiar grip of her sword in its sheath as she whipped it out of its holder and sprinted to aid her father.
"No, Asilia, protect your brother!" the King bellowed in the smoke.
"No, I won't leave you," Asilia cried out, "not again!"
With a mighty cry, Asilia lunged forward, positioning her sword to strike the Monster. A powerful thud resonated as Asilia's sword met its mark. However, rather than the Monster dying, the scene suddenly shifted. The Monster disappeared into ash, and the dock became slick with blood. Panicked, Asilia whipped her head around to be met with the horrific sight of her father profusely bleeding out at her feet.
Collapsing to her knees, Asilia placed pressure on the sickening wound that marked his chest. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking, no matter how much Asilia forced them to do her will. Tears began flowing down Asilia's face as her breathing became anxious gasps.
"Da, Da, Da," Asilia began pleading, begging her father to open his eyes. "Don't leave me, please, Da, don't leave me!"
Asilia did her best to hold back the sobs that threatened to ravish her body as she was met with no response. She moved her still-shaking hands from his chest to his face, placing one on either side.
"Please," Asilia whimpered, "please."
A cough wracked the King's body as his eyes fluttered open. Blood trailed out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to breathe.
"Da!" Asilia cried out in relief.
"You," he croaked, "you failed me…"
The word felt like a punch to the gut.
"Wh-what," Asilia stammered.
"What have you done?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"You failed me," the King hissed, his eyes wide as his arms lunged forward to painfully grip Asilia's arms. Blood continued to pour out of his mouth.
Asilia could only watch in horror as her father's face twisted and convulsed.
"You were supposed to protect your brother!" he spat.
"I did, I did, I got him to the boat!" Asilia pleaded.
"LIES!" the King screamed.
"No, I-" Asilia faltered as she turned to look at the end of the dock where the skiff was.
The Monster stood at the edge, holding an adult Arthur by the back of the throat, with the other arm grasping a knife.
"Failure," Asilia could hear her father whisper.
In a sudden movement, the Monster took the knife and sliced Arthur's throat. Blood splattered onto the deck, and the light in Arthur's eyes faded.
Asilia's screams echoed throughout the entire ravine.
Jerking up, Asilia's mouth was open in a silent scream. Her heart painfully raced as Asilia frantically whipped her head around, expecting to see Arthur's corpse. However, she was in the infirmary.
Asilia let out a soft whimper as the residual fear left her trembling body.
It was just a dream, she told herself, just a dream.
Slowly, Asilia began to shift her body out of the tense form it had been in. Looking down, Asilia noticed that her palms were bleeding from where her fist had been so tight that her fingernails had cut through her flesh.
Asilia had never been one to get nightmares. After the devastating night, Asilia's sleep had been frequently plagued by the events that had occurred. However, they quickly diminished after a year and never contained an altered reality. Arthur was the one who would get nightmares, even though he would never admit it.
Placing a hand to her neck, Asilia checked her pulse. She was pleased to feel that it had slowed down considerably; however, an occasional tremble still rippled through her body. Quietly, Asilia peeled back the curtain that separated her cot from the rest of the infirmary. The room was dark. The singular window was closed, and no light peeked through the edges. It was most likely the middle of the night. Looking around, the fire in the middle of the room was lit, providing the room with comforting warmth and light. Asilia crept out of bed towards the fire. Her head spun with the first few steps. However, the feeling quickly went away.
Silently, Asilia sat down next to the small hearth, allowing the flickering light to soothe her. A light snore to her right caught her attention, and her body went tense as she jerked to face the person she had not previously seen. The sight made her gasp.
It was Arthur.
His arm was in a sling, and his leg was tightly bandaged. His skin was black and blue, or at least the small amount that wasn't covered in bandages. Asilia's heart panged as she imagined the pain he must be in. She knew Goosefat had said Arthur was safe, but… she hadn't imagined this. His eyes were furrowed shut as he slept in a somewhat seated position. The blanket that had once been wrapped around his shoulders was now a mess by his feet. Asilia grabbed the soft, grey cloth, draping it again to cover her brother. Her chest was sore, but that didn't stop her from sitting across from him.
Kane entered the room and was clearly surprised when he saw Asilia out of her bed.
"How are you feeling, Princess?" he asked.
"Just Lia, please," Asilia replied. "I'm feeling fine. Thank you for taking care of me."
"Well, it's my job. Besides, you should be in worse shape than you are now. Most people with your injuries would still be in bed full of pain."
Asilia gently laughed, then grimaced as her ribs protested.
"Well, I am in some pain," she said.
"Let me get you something for that."
Kane bustled around the room, mixing various plants and minerals to create a painkiller.
"How is he?" Asilia asked in the meantime.
Kane sighed momentarily, stopping what he was doing to look upon Arthur and Asilia.
"Alive," he said. "I don't know what happened to him. He was delirious when they brought him in, talking about massive bats and stone altars. He refused to get in bed, convinced that someone was going to murder him. Eventually, he passed out, seated next to the fire. I doubt he'll remember any of it."
Asilia nodded, processing Kane's words.
"And the mage?" she asked. "I heard a mage went with him. Is she also this injured? I see no one else in the healing room."
Kane walked over and handed Asilia the tincture for her to consume. Asilia gave him a quick thanks.
"She was perfectly fine," he replied. "currently, she is in discussion with Sir Bedivere and Sir William."
Asilia nodded once more.
"And Arthur? When do you think he will wake up?"
Kane ran a hand through his coarse beard.
"Hopefully today. The sleeping draught we gave him should run out soon. But, of course, he was seriously injured. He will likely sleep for much longer to let his body heal."
"Thank you," Asilia sincerely replied.
With that, Kane took his leave, leaving just Arthur, Asilia, and the fire.
At some point, Asilia didn't know when she had dozed off again. When she awoke, she found a peculiar woman in a blue cloak, holding a sword and staring intensely into the fire. Asilia didn't need to ask who this woman was.
"You're the mage," Asilia stated, taking in the frail-looking woman before her.
"Yes," she said. The Mage's voice was delicate and raspy, matching her frame.
Asilia crossed her arms, unsure how to feel about the woman before her. After all, the Mage was the reason behind Arthur's current injuries.
"Do you have a name, Mage?" Asilia asked.
"I will only be known as Mage here," was her only reply. The Mage looked away, refusing to meet her eyes with Asilia's.
"I thought the Mages were gone. Systematically killed by the King Vortigern," Asilia said coldly.
The Mage shook her head.
"We are still alive. Weak, but alive," she stated. Then, her head turned to finally meet Asilia's stare. "And I thought the line of Uther Pendragon was also gone."
Asilia smirked. So the Mage knew who she was.
"We are still alive. Weak-" Asilia said, gesturing towards Arthur's sleeping form, "-but still alive."
Asilia could have sworn a smile flickered on the Mage's face.
"I will return once he awakens," the Mage stated. "He must learn to accept the sword." Then, silently, she got up and left the room, leaving the sword propped up against the wall.
Asilia sat next to Arthur as the light slowly emerged from outside. Strong rays of sunrise peeked through the cloth covering the window. She studied the sword for a moment, almost in disbelief that she was now staring at the
To keep her mind busy, Asilia braided and unbraided the tassels of the blanket warming her bother. Eventually, Kane returned with lunch and, at Asilia's request, gave her the task of braiding together herbs to be dried. The day passed slowly, with mostly Kane and occasionally Raven coming in and out to stoke the fire and complete other chores. Asilia was finishing her task when, at last, Arthur began to stir.
Grunts and grumbles left his lips as his body fought away the dredges of sleep.
"It's me, Arthur," Asilia cooed. "You're safe."
His piercing blue eyes opened slowly.
"Lia?" Arthur mumbled.
Asilia gave her younger brother a small smile.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
Arthur groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Asilia quickly went to help, but Arthur pushed her hands away. Nonetheless, Asilia remained hovering around her brother as he sat up, ready to help.
Eventually, Arthur was fully upright. He had yet to say anything, instead choosing to stare into the fire, following the bits of ash. Asilia sat down next to her brother, carefully watching his face for any indication of emotion. All she could see was the reflection of the fire in his baby-blue eyes. Asilia couldn't even imagine what the last few days had been for her brother.
"How are you here?" Arthur asked. His voice was gravely and weak from disuse.
"I followed tracks," Asilia explained. "They didn't do a very good job cleaning up behind them."
"You saw them get me out?"
Asilia nodded. "I followed the crowd when the assembly was gathering, and there you were.
"They were going to kill you, and I couldn't do anything but watch," she mumbled, her mind thinking to the image of Arthur's neck bare for the axe.
"They said they would get you here," Arthur said. "But clearly, they didn't follow through on their word if you found your own way."
"They helped the girls left behind and the boys get out," Asilia clarified. "Blue, Wet Stick, Back Lack and them are all safe. I just a bit delayed and had to find my own way."
Arthur's eyes scoured over her, finally noting that Asilia was only in slightly better shape than he was.
"Ran into trouble?" he asked.
Asilia nodded. "Black Legs," she said. "They burned the bridge down.'
Arthur's eyes widened. "The bridge?"
Asilia sighed. "Yes, everything. Everything is gone, Arthur," she calmly told him, trying to break the news gently.
"Those bastards," Arthur grumbled under his breath.
"But what happened to you?" Asilia asked, gesturing at his battered body.
"Dark Lands," Arthur stated as if it were a normal thing to say. However, before Asilia could ask a clarifying question, he continued talking.
"They had a whole plan to get me out, grab the sword, and have me use it," he explained. "They let four men die to get me out. And they did it so easily."
"You are very important, Arthur," Asilia said quietly.
"They let four men die to get me out," Arthur repeated distantly. "I am so important to these people that they let four men die to make sure I got here."
"And you are here, safe," Asilia comforted, placing a gentle arm across his shoulders. "They knew their duty. They knew the sacrifice."
Asilia felt Arthur stiffen.
"You don't seem shocked," he drawled.
She messed up. "Arthur, right now, my only concern is that you are sa–"
"What have you done?" Arthur gritted out.
Asilia froze. "Be more specific," she replied.
His eyes steeled.
"You say you just followed tracks, and yet you sit here with an air of comfort, an air of familiarity. You've been here before. You don't seem shocked that these people let four men die. In fact, you expected it," Arthur drawled. "So, I'll ask again, what have you done?"
"Watch your tone," Asilia snapped defensively.
"Did you know I was to be rescued?" he demanded.
"No," Asilia stated.
"Do you know who these people are?" he asked, continuing his line of interrogation.
"Somewhat," Asilia said honestly. "I know Sir Bedivere, Sir William. I know their cause."
Arthur looked away for a moment. Asilia could practically hear the gears churning in his mind.
"Then you know who I am," Arthur growled, turning back to stare her down. This was not a question. He stated it as fact. "You know what we are."
There it was. The truth that Asilia had worked her life to keep hidden. There was no point in keeping up the image now.
"Yes," she stated.
Arthur's face turned cold. His breathing became heavy, and his hands clenched in and out of fists.
"Say it," he demanded.
"What?"
Arthur's gaze never left her own. "Say your name, your real name, title and all."
Asilia slowly nodded. Her throat suddenly felt dry as she thought about her name. She could not recall the last time the words had left her mouth.
Asilia took a deep breath and averted her gaze. "I am Princess Asilia Pendragon of Camelot, firstborn of his majesty King Uther Pendragon, firstborn of his past majesty King Beraethel Pendragon," she finally uttered, her voice shaky.
"How long have you known?" Arthur asked.
Asilia felt a pit drop in her stomach. It was now time to confess.
"I've always known," she whispered. "I never forgot."
Arthur scoffed.
"I'm sorry-" Asilia began.
"You've known this entire time?!" Arthur snapped.
"I made every decision with you in mind," Asilia defended.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Well, clearly not this one if it never occurred to you to inform the rightful King of Camelot that he is the rightful King of Camelot."
Asilia sat up straighter. "I do everything to protect you," she stated.
"Well, I didn't ask you to!" Arthur exclaimed.
"It was better if you didn't know. It was safer," argued Asilia.
"Safer for me? What kind of joke is that?!" Arthur scoffed.
"Think, Arthur, think," Asilia said. "Think about who you are. If you had known from the very beginning that the person sitting on that throne was responsible for the attack that killed our parents, what would you have done?"
"Avenged their deaths," Arthur proudly stated.
"Exactly!" Asilia cried out. "You would have gone out there, head first, and gotten yourself killed in the process!"
Arthur's face darkened. "You don't know that," he growled. "And you had no right to take away my decision to seek justice, to know my own identity, just so that you could sit calmly and claim to be playing hero."
Asilia felt her spine stiffen in anger at Arthur's words. Her fingernails dug into the palms of her hand once more.
"Do you think I wanted this?" Asilia hissed. "Do you think I enjoy being the only one to remember? That I relish you believing our mother was a whore who abandoned her children? That our father was some man of the street? Do you think I find some sick amusement from watching you forget, from me being the only one left?!"
Arthur let out an exasperated huff. "Maybe you do, maybe you don't," Arthur sneered. "But you had no right to sacrifice my identity for your fears. You made the wrong decision, and now look at us."
Had Asilia been in her right mind, she would have slapped Arthur for his words and his accusations. But no, she was tired, she ached, and she was stressed.
"No, Arthur, you have no right," Asilia's voice shook. "You can be angry, you can hate my decisions, but you do not have the right to tell me that I made the wrong decision! You cannot, you will not, put what has happened on me when I have spent every ounce of my soul doing whatever possible to keep you safe!"
"Again, I didn't ask you to protect me!" Arthur bellowed.
"You are my brother, Arthur!" Asilia screeched. Her breathing was heavy, and she was startled by the sudden wetness on her cheeks. She was crying.
Arthur's face softened when he noticed Asilia messily wipe away the tears running down her face.
"You are my brother, Arthur," Asilia whispered this time, her anger and frustration becoming exhaustion. "And I was a child. A child who watched how easily they were able to storm the castle and kill our parents. Who realized that any friends, any allies, had either fled or been killed as well when no one came looking for us for months when we were left alone. A child who was told to keep us hidden, to hide our names and fend for ourselves."
At this point, tears flowed freely down Asilia's cheeks, but she was too tired to care. Let him see, she thought.
"Our father's last words were for me to protect you. I have devoted my entire life to ensuring you were safe, even if it meant making you forget," Asilia continued. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I'm so sorry. But I wouldn't change anything."
Arthur was silent for a long while, his gaze turning to the fire. Asilia, too, turned to study the flames, her mind distracted by how the wood would crackle and spark.
"I don't think I have ever seen you cry," Arthur murmured after a long time.
Asilia, caught off guard by her brother's words, laughed bitterly.
"If that's all you noticed from my outburst, then we may have to repeat this conversation," Asilia teased ruefully.
From her periphery, Asilia saw Arthur smirk.
"No, that's alright," Arthur lightly joked. "We'll save it for the next time a significant part of my identity is revealed."
Asilia chuckled. "Alright, that sounds good to me."
"I don't think I will ever be able to accept this part of me," Arthur said, his voice turning serious again. "It's so removed from how I was raised… I can't be the King that they are planning on me to be."
Asilia reached across to grab Arthur's good hand.
"You will never be," Asilia began.
"Well, that's reassuring," Arthur scoffed.
"Let me finish," Asilia retorted. "You will never be the King they want because they don't know who you are yet. They have yet to realize they have you, not some arrogant nobody entitled to the crown. The title King will not change you. Think of it as just an added word to the list of things we already use to describe you. Strong, determined, passionate…"
"Thanks, Lia," Arthur said.
"... stubborn, reckless," Asilia continued with a smile. "Smelly."
Arthur ripped his hand away with a look of feigned offense. "How dare you call your King smelly," Arthur jested.
Asilia giggled. "Of course, apologies, your royal hiney-ness," Asilia dramatically replied.
Arthur grinned. "Real mature, Lia. Real mature."
"I aim to please," Asilia said with a smile. "Besides, someone has to keep you in check when you become King."
Arthur sighed. "If I become King," he murmured.
"If you become King," Asilia corrected. Then, she lowered her voice. "If you decide not to do this and you need to leave, I will be with you every step of the way. I promise. You have a choice."
Asilia's eyes bore into Arthur's to communicate her seriousness. Arthur nodded in understanding.
"He killed Lucy because of me," Arthur slowly said.
Asilia stilled at his words. Grief came to the front of her emotions.
"He killed Lucy for fun," Arthur growled. "He knew I would listen, that I would allow myself to be killed for his image, and he just killed her.
"I don't want to become King, but I can't let him live, not after everything he has taken from me, from us."
"He killed Lucy?" Asilia questioned. The kind woman couldn't be dead.
"Had her throat slit like she was nothing," he replied.
Asilia's heart ached. Lucy had been a part of their community, of their family, for nearly a decade and a half. She had seen the siblings grow into teenagers and now adults. Like many of the women on the bridge, Lucy was an important mother figure who always had the kindest smile and gentlest words. And now, she was gone. Discarded.
"We take it one day at a time," Asilia finally said. "One day at a time until he pays, until he cowers and regrets."
"One day," Arthur affirmed. Then, with a groan of pain, he wrapped his good arm around Asilia's shoulders.
"Arthur," Asilia scolded. "You should not be moving like that."
Arthur scoffed. "It doesn't hurt that bad."
"Arthur…" Asilia admonished before deciding not to press it any further. Her brother was too stubborn for his own good.
"Tell me something," Arthur said.
"Tell you what?" Asilia asked.
"Anything," Arthur answered. "About who I am. About our parents."
Asilia closed her eyes as she thought back to her childhood.
"Our father was gentle," whispered Asilia with effort. After years of never speaking about their past, the words felt foreign and criminal in her mouth.
"He was gentle," Asilia repeated with more ease. "He would spoil us rotten."
Arthur chuckled.
"It's true," Asilia affirmed. "You were still too small, but he would let me go everywhere with him. Meetings, dinners, trainings. The servants would mutter about how needy we would become from his coddling, but he never paid them mind."
Asilia felt the corners of her eyes get wet once more with melancholy.
"He called you his Little Prince," Asilia continued with a sad smile. "And I was his Knight. He told me once how he wanted to be a father that was a billion times better than his own."
"And our mother?" Arthur asked.
Asilia turned to look at her brother and felt her heart break upon seeing the childlike eagerness held in his eyes. She knew she made the right decision to tell him nothing. She had to believe that to be true. But such a decision had a great cost.
"She was kind," Asilia began, "but she was orderly. She was the Queen, after all. Looking back, she didn't have the same luxury as our father to ignore appearances. But she was always gentle. She had the most beautiful singing voice."
"I remember someone singing," muttered Arthur.
Asilia nodded. "She would sing us to sleep every night without fail. Before you were born, my earliest memory was of me in her lap during a bad storm. She sang my fears away."
"What was her name?" asked Arthur.
Asilia thought for a second and felt her stomach drop when she realized it was not coming to her immediately. To her, their mother was simply Mama.
"It's okay if you don't remember," Arthur said, noticing the panic on Asilia's face.
"No, I remember," Asilia insisted. "It's just been so long since I've said any of this aloud that it's all lost in my mind."
The two sat silently for a minute, the only sounds being the crackling of the fire and birds chirping from outside.
"Ingraine," Asilia finally said. "Her name was Ingraine. But we just called her Mama. We called our father, Da."
"Igraine," Arthur repeated, testing the name on his mouth. "Igraine and Uther."
"Our father was supposed to marry a princess from a warring kingdom, a political marriage," Asilia recounted with a small smile. Her father's marriage was a story Asilia knew like the back of her hand, thanks to the frequent, grandiose manner in which he would tell the tale.
"Rumor was that she was the most beautiful lady in the realm," Asilia continued. "Of course, our father would say not in comparison to our mother. While the other lady was as beautiful as all the gems in the world, he said our mother was an angel. Her beauty was beyond our world. However, our mother was the daughter of a loyal lord in the palace. And our father loved her. He would sneak around dressed as a servant boy to bring her sweets."
"I'm sure our grandfather was excited by this development," Arthur sarcastically scoffed.
Asilia laughed. "So much so that he threatened to send our father away to spend a year in the princess's kingdom before their marriage," Asilia said. "But our father got up to his father's face and told him no. He had decided he would marry our mother."
"And how did our gracious grandfather take that?" Arthur laughed.
Asilia grinned. "He was so taken aback by our father's determination that he let our father marry our mother! Said it made him proud that the heir to the throne finally grew a spine. Of course, the warring King was upset with our grandfather's decision. Still, he remedied the situation by having our 'favorite' uncle marry the younger sister. And the rest was history."
"I see valor runs in the family then," Arthur joked.
"Ha! More like stubbornness!" Asilia retorted.
"Please, sister," Arthur mocked. "Call it persistence."
Asilia let out a peel of laughter.
"Very well, persistent then," she corrected.
"Did you hear that?!" exclaimed a new voice from afar. "That's Asilia's laugh! She's awake!"
"Oi, don't run ahead!" another voice, Back Lack, grumbled.
Asilia's face lit up upon hearing her favorite voice from outside the infirmary.
"Do you think Arthur's going to have a big scar on his face like a Viking?" Blue's voice carried into the space.
"Who knows, boy," Back Lack grumbled. "But remember, don't pester him too much. He ain't going to be in the mood to entertain your bumbling self."
Both Arthur and Asilia smirked. Not a second later, the young boy's head poked around the door, and he raced to the siblings once he saw they were up. Back Lack and Wet Stick were behind him.
Asilia's face broke into a grin.
"Lili!" Blue exclaimed as he barrelled into Asilia.
Asilia grunted in pain but quickly pushed it to a side as she embraced the young boy.
"Hello, Blue," she said, placing a kiss on the boy's head.
"They said you would find your way, but Da wasn't sure because he said you were hurt from fighting," Blue rambled. "He said you fought so many Black Legs and got everyone out."
"You did what?!" Arthur exclaimed. This was the first time he had heard of it.
Asilia shrugged. "Had to make sure everyone got out, Arthur."
Luckily, before Arthur asked more and Asilia had to explain more, Back Lack jumped in.
"Oi, did you say hello to the boss," Back Lack reprimanded.
Blue's face immediately became sheepish. He got up and gave Arthur a quick side hug. Arthur whipped Blue's cap off and ruffled his hair before returning the cap. Blue grinned and then returned to nestle in Asilia's side.
"You look rough, Arthur," Back Lack stated.
"Mm," Arthur huffed. "And I feel the part, too."
Back Lack then leaned down to give Asilia a warm embrace. Wet Stick followed.
"Though we lost you, Lia," Wet Stick said. "Has us worried sick."
"But we knew you would make your way here," added Back Lack. "You always have your ways."
"Can't shake me off just yet," Asilia jested.
Back Lack scoffed. "Couldn't even if I wanted to."
The two men then settled themselves down around the fire.
"Thank you for trusting me," Asilia told them both. "And for making sure you all continued onward." She directed the last bit to Back Lack in particular.
"We have an understanding, Lia," Back Lack said. "I just hope that it will go both ways."
Asilia nodded in agreement.
"That the sword?" Blue asked, pointing to the blade left behind by the Mage.
"Aye, it is," Arthur replied. Then, with a groan, he reached over and grabbed it.
"Take a look, boy," Arthur said, handing the sword to the young boy.
"Be careful with it, Blue," Asilia warned.
"He knows what he's doing," Arthur said, brushing her off.
"It's smaller than I thought it'd be," Blue said.
Asilia smirked.
"It's all yours, son," Arthur lightly jested. "I warn you, it's got quite a bite."
Wet Stick, Back Lack, and Asilia all shook their heads at Arthur's antics.
"What they done back home?" Arthur asked the three of them.
"You really wanna know?" Wet Stick asked while rocking in place.
"Go on," Arthur said.
"It's all gone," Back Lack bluntly stated. "They torched the lot."
"I said go one," Arthur ordered. "Lia already told me the basics."
Back Lack sighed. "You should be flattered, mate. Even Mercier left the castle to look for you and that sword.
"Jack's Eye turned," Back Lack recounted. "Gave them a list of everything you valued. They slaughtered half the neighborhood. Mischief John got busy, personally burned down the bridge. It was quite a party. We would've been part of the dead if it weren't for Lia."
Arthur's gaze darkened at the news, and they looked away from Back Lack.
"Should I continue?" Back Lack asked.
"What about the rest of the team?" Arthur rasped.
"Most of the girls are with us. Lia started getting them out the second we thought our biggest problem was Vikings," Wet Stick answered.
"Those were the days," Back Lack scoffed. Asilia grinned bitterly.
"But the rest of the crew pretty much got the gist of your popularity, mate, and made themselves scarce," Wet Stick continued.
Arthur swallowed thickly, and Asilia could tell his mind was whirring.
"Blue, go and get us something to drink," Arthur gently asked of the boy.
Blue's face turned exasperated at being asked to leave. "Come on, boss, I'm one of the crew," he reasoned.
"Blue!" Back Lack scolded. Asilia also stared down at the boy with an eyebrow raised.
With a huff, Blue got up to follow Arthur's orders, but not before Back Lack stopped him from taking the sword with him.
With Blue out of the area, Arthur slowly began to stand. The pain was evidently written on his face. Asilia quickly jumped up to help him stand.
"I'm all right!" Arthur shouted, followed by him kicking a nearby metal pail in frustration.
Asilia quickly took a step back. She knew her brother when he was angry. The three stared at Arthur in silence as he hobbled to stand in the center of their group. There, they all waited for Arthur to say something, anything.
"I'm gonna kill him," Arthur stated.
"This lot have been trying to do it for years," Back Lack said. "They'd love to hear you say that. They've waited a long time to see a man pull this sword."
Arthur simply stared into the fire.
"He's not doing this for them," Asilia voiced. She knew exactly how her brother was thinking.
She then approached him once again and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's doing this for us," she said. "For all they have taken."