RainDrop

CHAPTER 2

Climbing up a stairway leading to an open hallway, the King grunted in pain. Ecthelben paused for a bit leaning him up against the wall. The King pressed his back against it, and the sound of the thunderclap finally reached and startled them both. They exchanged worrisome looks, and the King placed his hand on Ecthelben shoulder.

"Listen brother, you fought with honor and sacrificed so much for our Kingdom. Leave me be." He stated.

Ecthelben eyes glossed up, and he placed his forehead against the King's own. "Are you sure, brother?"

"It's already decided. Go now, find Cairbes and Duvendir, and make sure they are safe!" He instructed.

Ecthelben removed his head against the Kings and stepped three paces back. "Ecleeceeous brother," he said with a hand gesture touching his forehead and chest, then extending it forward.

"Ecleeceeous." The King replied, doing the same, and just like that, he looked up and noticed he was now alone.

Thumping sounds began to close in. The floor rumbled like an earthquake, and he mustered up the strength and paced himself, moving towards his family in haste. In the distance is the royal chamber. He pushed the double door, straining. A warm liquid trickled down his side and dripped on the floor closing the double door back. In a large room with a nature theme with white crystal-like walls stood the King pulling and rushing his Queen the moment he saw her surface. Her burnt orange hair bounced with every movement as she threw on a green cloak that had a bump on the side. The King directed her to an escape door behind a pushed wooden bed disguised as a life-sized picture frame.

"We don't have much time; you must hurry; Lusuar and Lesuar held the front long enough!" he urged.

He placed the woman inside the hidden room and put his shaky bloody hand on the bump. It revealed a beautiful baby girl with short curly red hair, asleep, wrapped in a blanket the Queen was holding carefully in her arm under the cloak.

The Queen looked into the King's eyes worryingly as she placed her hand on his wound, trying not to break down in tears.

"Stay strong, protect our child. Make sure you head straight over the bridge; your sister will be waiting for you there; I'll make sure no one follows you." He said.

The queen nodded.

"Come with me Ecandir, you're hurt!" she cried.

He released his hands from the child, looking at her with eyes that clearly stated that he wouldn't be able to make that request. The ground shook vigorously, and the door smashed open as the soldiers in black armor came charging in with their hearts set on killing everyone in the room. The King was immediately startled, and he pushed the Queen's hand to the side and charged. He went at it with the enemy. He screamed out to his Queen for her safety, frozen with fear.

"Go, Arnith, go now!" he screamed.

His voice broke the ice and she carefully ran down a straight uneven tunnel with tears in her eyes carrying their child. The King continued to fight in rage, moving swiftly as possible. He jumped kick and stabbed the first soldier, flipped over the other due to them stabbing one another. Punched and kicked the remaining taking their sword to penetrate the rest that was coming his way and the ones he'd already knocked out. One of the soldiers saw the escape door and made a break towards it. The King saw this, pulled out three daggers, hooked on his boot, and threw them at him, hitting three vital points. Scanning the room tirelessly, more blood trickled on the floor as he made his way to close the escape door. He then murmured a chant.

"Blind their eyes. So, they won't see that's, Beyond thee." He whispered.

An enemy soldier stood at the front of the door with a bow and arrow pointing at him, ready to fire. The door lining disappeared as the soldier released the arrow towards the King. Not surprised, he turned around with the last strength in his body. He picked up a sword as the enemy was reloading and ran to him with teary yet violent eyes. Another arrow fired hitting him in the left shoulder, but he still ran; he looked like a demon. As he got closer, he slashed the enemy head off with his blood spraying out, drenching the King. Fatigue, he is now standing out in the hallway that lay the head he cut off, and broken plant pots that soiled the floor. More enemies began to close in. Weak and exhausted the King was, he dropped to his knees, dropping the sword. The men ran on both sides and stabbed the King simultaneously about five times. The tears rushed down his face with blood around his mouth as he strained his last words.

"Elleaith. Demolish." he strained.

His body jerked back and forth, and his eyes shined blue as his body turned into a vast ball of light and electricity that shot up the sky like a torpedo. The enemy stepped back, and some began to run.

Running in the deepest part of the forest inhabited by thorns and bushes, a shock instantly pierced Arnith heart. She immediately turned around and saw the beam of light, her face screamed, and her heart became heavy, weighing her down. The beam of light came down as the shape of a dragon wiping out everything around it. The castle was no more, and Arnith falls to her knees, shielding the child from the harsh winds. When the wind ceases, she examines the child who is now awake babbling, stretching her hands towards the sky that's full of tiny silver soot that burst from the impact. Arnith ears twitched as she heard two twigs snap. She looked in every direction alarmed, and saw no one, then continued to walk at a fast pace.