The Last Realm: The Blood of Clans

12: Separation Anxiety

The courtyard had immediately erupted into a world of panic, terror and black clad assassins running around and slashing at air, as if trying to cause mass hysteria without actually causing a lot of harm. Jace was trying to fight his way through the crowd and make it back our direction as our royal seating section was hastily funneled toward the doors. The assortment of female knights made a type of human, armored wall that cut us off from the rest of the citizenry and assassins alike.

“C'mon, we have to hurry.” Vahn called back to me just once as I tried to take in as much of the situation as I possibly could.

Troy's hand latched onto my arm, as I stood there hesitating for more than a few moments. He roughly pulled me, nearly dragging me to the ground as I stumbled over my feet to follow. My attention was still fixed on the men rushing around, who were now starting to engage some of the knights. I paused my curiosity from the courtyard scenes to scan back over our retreating groups. I almost panicked myself at the realization of how close this horror was.

Many of the attendants and bodyguards had rushed out to meet the black robed figures in the confined space of battle. The majority of the female knights were herding the mass of people back across the river bridge, but that quickly stopped as it became apparent that a large force of assassins were awaiting for the people in the Eastern City.

“My god.. this is horrible.” I could only mutter slightly aloud.

“Yeah, they've got this planned out quite well. Our best chance is to retreat back inside the palace and use the maze like insides to evade and hold out.” Troy replied as he paused with me to watch as well.

With the knights having to pull people back from over the bridge, the courtyard started to become quickly cramped and noisy. We eventually were pushed back through the throne room doors, hearing them pulled shut only a minute or so behind us and then barricaded closed. The loud, heavy thunk of wood resting over the inside latch of the doors made my skin crawl just a little. We had been shut inside the royal palace as all hell broke loose outside.

“Do we have everyone?” I heard a voice calling from over on the far side of the room, but I couldn't make out the owner.

“No, but we have as much as will allow for the time being.” The reply back was definitely from the Queen.

This caused me to turn in the direction of her conversation, to find a small huddle around two laid out bodies. I tentatively stepped forward, gasping audibly as my face went pale and my hands cold and clammy. A middle aged red headed man in long white robes was laid beside lord Andres, the Queen and General's father.

It took me a moment to recognize the man, it was the court member who always seemed to sit to the far right, beside lord Andres. It was Renato Filby. The middle of his white robes were stained a deep crimson, which suggested he had been impaled or gutted open. Lord Andres wasn't in better condition, as he had two gaping wounds in his chest and neck. I couldn’t help but grit my teeth as we all looked on for a few minutes of silence at the slain men.

The Queen, however, held an iron, icy demeanor to her. She calmly had the bodies collected and removed, the clamor outside still boisterous but slightly dying down a little. The Tasard royals and court quickly exited the room, leaving the few of us just standing there quietly as the noise outside continued, now accompanied by infrequent beatings against the large entrance doors.

I looked over at the group remaining inside with me. Aside from myself, there were the young girls Kosho and Gwen. Neither had an attendant with them that I could tell. Chang and Kojiro both stood towards the back of the room, along with a barely older boy who I assumed to be Kojiro's attendant. I thought that it might be just the six of us, until I spotted the two slumped bodies that were propped against the opposite wall. Touko and the guy who Kokin first faced, Makuda.

This was looking rather bleak. With no idea where Vahn, Aurelia, Kelicia or any of the others were, I was left as the oldest and most capable of the eight of us left in the throne room.

I knew that we had to act as fast as possible, but without any real knowledge of the palace halls and mazes, that seemed a daunting task. Nowhere to run, except for deep downer down the rabbit hole, but we had no other choice. All of the help, experience, and talent was either outside a midst the ruckus and violence or simple unaccounted for.

“We can't stay in here any longer.” I said while turning to the small group that was mostly clustered together now.

“But what do we do?” Gwen puzzled.

“What are our options?” The attendant with Kojiro and Chang asked nervously.

“What's going on out there?” Chang chimed in with a touch of worry.

“Are we gonna die?” Kosho asked as she chewed on her lip, as she trembled a little.

The room was suddenly flooded with questions all at once. I couldn't really answer one of them, let alone a barrage that came from nearly all standing around me. A voice from the corner lightly coughed and broke the room back into a quiet nervousness.

“The real question is how do we proceed from here." Touko stated with a grimace. “Two of us are injured and we don't really have the resources to support that and find a good escape route.”

The door creaked before swinging open wildly and in strode the guard Zale. He stopped in the middle of our crowd, parting us all and making sure he had full attention. He sighed dramatically before he started to speak and gesture emphatically in his over-the-top demeanor. “Dunno about all those questions you're spawning in your heads there, but consider me your personal escort from here out.”

“That's good and all, but what do you suggest?” I shot a concerned look at him, along with my question.

“We start by taking care of the wounded duo. Then I'll explain from there.” Zale smiled back in his reply.

Touko insisted on carrying Makuda and not slowing us down any extra. That left Chang, Kojiro and the attendant Kentaro, to escort the girls while Zale and myself took the front lead. We headed left once we got out into the halls, and began our trudge to the infirmary. I'd love that we had a long, complicated, twisting path but sadly we didn't. Just after a couple hundred feet we stopped and Zale rattled on the door to our left for a short moment before opening it to reveal a large, mostly empty, white room with some white examining-like tables.

“You can crash here. I'm sure there will be plenty more on the way.” Zale dryly commented.

“Yeah, thanks.” Touko commented back coldly, hefting Makuda into the room and onto one of the tables.

“This way then.” Zale nudged the rest of us back out of the room, before explaining our next step. “According to our duties as guards, your safety as guest takes priority.”

“Which means what, exactly?” I asked inquisitively.

“It means, young lord, that I am suppose to deliver each of you safely back to your resting areas.” Zale responded back.

“You mean we get to go and sit around?” Both girls seemed to ask in unison. “In those droll rooms even more?”

Zale gave an overly dramatic sigh as he rolled his eyes a little. “That's exactly what I intend. Do you have any better, safer ideas?”

Before either of the girls could respond, or anyone else for that matter really, I interjected myself. “He's right. We need to return to our safe alcoves and wait things out. We also need to wait for the others to get back, and we hear word of some kind.”

With hesitant agreement, we all consented to return to the small group corridors we had been quietly staying in for the past few days. Zale insisted on escorting the girls to their corridor that was much further down than ours, dropping Chang and myself off at our early stop. Kojiro and his attendant, Kentaro, were just a section further down from the girls, which put both groups at a significant distance from us. Zale made note of how to reach them if anything went wrong, which seemed much more simple that than hallways made it look.

“Don't worry guys, the whole situation will be cleared up shortly enough. The very best are out there dealing with it as we speak.” Zale smiled lightly before leading the other four away and down the halls, slipping out of sight quickly.

“It's getting late, maybe it would be best if we just retired. I'm sure things will be better in the morning.” I tried to sound calm and reassuring towards Chang.

“I certainly wish that were true.” He replied back. “Did you notice the outfits of those assassins?”

“You mean the black garbed men?” My curiosity grew once again, as I remembered the courtyard scene unfold in my mind.

“Yeah, they were wearing the uniforms of the Nine Shadows.” Chang replied back softly, with a slight sigh.

“What are the Nine Shadows?” I asked him, wondering if it was a tie in to Naren or the Cherden clans.

“It's a mixed organization within the clans, that make up a skilled spy and assassin network.” Chang commented back without any emotion to his voice.

“So you mean, there were Cherden clan assassins that killed lord Andres and Renato?” I roughly pressed my fingers against my temple, rubbing out the idea.

“It appeared that way. Nothing good will come of it though, not for you, me or anyone.” Chang gave a slight yawn and rubbed his eyes for a moment before turning and opening his door.

“Either way, resting until we know anything more would be the best idea.” I told him as I followed suit, opening my door before wishing him good night and going inside.

I took a deep sigh as I leaned against the closed door, my eyes shut in thought before snapping them back open. I gulped a little bit, noticing the stained yellow, paper scribbling on my bed pillow. Walking closer, as if drawn to the letter, I picked it up carefully and examined the page. It was another note, similar to the previous journal entry I had received on my first morning in the Trevithack tower of Kyzekia.

~~Our arrival at the Tasard port of Trovato, was perhaps the first mistake of the journey. We had arrived late and behind schedule by at least a few days, and were shocked to find the country under armed guard. There was apparently some sort of ruckus a few days prior and it resulted in a small village burning completely to ashes. Despite our escorted confinements, within the cramped port inn, the young royals were still looking forward to their ball. Sadly, nobody told us of the execution that would follow it the next day. My heart goes out to the young Toshezo boy, watching his missing brother beheaded on such a grand stage. The glare of the young attendant girl, Kokin, was the first of many I would receive over the course of everything. My first mistake of a late arrival and then staying at the port might truly have been the final act I had any say in. Countries have turned deaf ears to my pleas since that horrid frozen week, and the drums of war are growing louder at last.~~