Philippe of Morgarath

Episode Nineteen

‘Philippe?’ he heard her say, when he put his hand on the handle. He instantly turned around, and saw Merya. Her voice sounded magic. She was covered in blood, but as much as Philippe could tell, he did not think it was her own.

He pulled the mask from his face, tried to figure out how she had recognized him, but gave up quickly. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, friendlier than her choice of words.

‘Save you’, Philippe stuttered, but then he heard a loud yell. He instantly recognized the voice. ‘Reagon’, he yelled. Merya tightened her bow and together they ran to where the sound came from.

The floor was wet, slippery and they heard the sound of steal-to-steal louder with every step they took. The second Philippe saw his friend, he instantly took a look around to figure out what the situation was. There were four men surrounding Reagon, and they were all attacking at once. The big man, already covered in wounds, tried to fight them off as much as he could.

A zooff told him Merya had already started her attack, and one of the men fell to the floor.

Philippe ran and jumped in-between Reagon and the guys. He screamed, trying to scare the men off, and defended Reagon as well as he could. When he took one of the men down, the other tried to retaliate, but found himself with one of Merya’s arrows to the chest. Reagon stabbed a third, and the fourth was quickly taken down by the regent’s son.

Reagon panted, he was hurt, and tried to look big next to his friend. ‘Thanks, man’, he said, before he looked at Merya.

‘How... Did Philippe rescue you?’

Merya chuckled. ‘Rescue me’, she repeated him ironically. Then she raised one of her hands. ‘Let’s just get out of here, I’ll explain it all later.’

She walked up to the door that was still closed and opened it. Ten, fifteen, men, women and children were sat on the floor. Their hands and feet bound together.

Merya took the arrowhead from her hair, and cut their ropes. ‘Come with me’, she whispered tot hem. Then she lead them out of the caves .

When they came out, Philippe wanted to discuss who would bring the people back and who would stay with Merya, but there was no choice in the matter. Everyone started running like they were being chased for their lives. He did not blame them, but surely hoped they would all arrive safely.

‘Gratitude’, Merya scoffed.

‘Merya’, Davon yelled excitedly, before he ran to her. ‘Are you okay? Are you hurt?’ he looked at the blood that covered her. She smirked, and shook her head.

‘Ain’t mine’, she comforted him.

‘Are the demons dead?’ Davon said with a smile.

The girl shook her head a second time. Her own smile disappeared. ‘Far from. They were with so many, you would have never stood a chance. Apparently they were hired men, paid to kidnap people and take them overseas. Many have already been taken, to the east.’ She turned her eyes to Philippe. ‘And guess why.’

Philippe shrugged. ‘Why?’

‘To sell them tot he Muerthalls. There’s a guy, human like us, working with the Muerthalls. He pays good money for strong men, women and children.’

She nodded when she saw Philippe’s eyes turn big. ‘Yep, I thought the same’, she answered his thoughts.

‘So your worries were fair’, Reagon grumbled. He did not sound enthusiastic, nor excited. He looked at the girl in front of him. ‘Next time, I am not going to rescue you’, he told her. She smiled.

‘I’ll remember that’, she answered him. She opened her mouth to say something else, but instantly closed it. Like an oiled machine, her and Uhno drew their bows.

She took one step to the front, away from the others, and Uhno did the same. They were standing next to eachother, both pointing their sharp arrowheads in to the same direction.

Philippe did not know why, but he also drew his sword to help them in case they needed something. They were looking at the shadows, but Phil did not see a thing.

‘What…’ he stumbled, but that’s when he saw it. A man and a woman walked up to them, both with their arms in the air. Merya pointed her bow away from them, and Uhno did the same without asking her anything.

‘I know them’, she explained herself to the rest. Philippe was not convinced. He relaxed his sword-arm, but did not put the blade back into the scabbard.

‘We… we would like to say thank you’, the woman said. Her voice trembling. The man took a step forward and said- with more confidence- ‘It’s not that we are not grateful. But they already took our children. Two boys, both about your age’, he looked at Davon. ‘We could not think to put this on your shoulders, but is there any chance that you might save them as well?’

Philippe took a second to think. He saw the others looking at him, waiting for his reply. ‘The thing is’, he started, but Davon took over.

‘We will’, he said with the utmost confidence. ‘We will hunt them down, and bring them back. You have my word.’

The woman grabbed his hands and tears rolled down her face. ‘Then let me help you’, she said. ‘My father has a ship. It can bring you anywhere you want to go to. Just bring me back my boys.’