“Destroy the telescope during the diversion.”
"What diversion?"
She didn't answer. David considered asking again, but decided not to. Her blood smeared face seemed deep in thought as her icy blue eyes gained a faraway look. The princess did get annoyed quickly, after all. But all David could think of was how she was so unlike so many girls he had known in his village.
"I need to get Starlight". David whistled a high pitched, strident tune. The princess looked dubiously at him in the following moments of silence when nothing happened. David had seen the officer do that before to beckon to his mount before. It should have worked. “That should have gotton Starli-”
"Watch out!" the girl yelled, looking at the broken window across from them. David turned and found a large gray mass of flesh colliding with the remnants of crystal hanging onto the window frame. Crashing crystals shards and shattered tigers eye littered the room as Starlight made his dramatic entrance, grandly sliding onto the floor. Until he crashed into them.
“Who will pay for all of that?! Those chairs you broke are worth-” Silvia asked, her eyes alight with blue fire as she got up, hands akimbo. She couldn't speak. Her irritation at being smashed into and having to deal with a horse that continued happily on despite their current peril rendered her temporarily speechless.
“Umm, er…um, well, I mean, t-t-that was, umm, er…. An acci-”
“There are no accidents now! Warn Eurchess that the enemy are here to find it.”
“Find what?” Starlight asked, instantly intrigued.
“He’ll know what that means…” Silvia said quietly, the blue fire from her eyes blazing iridescently like shimmering sapphires. Her jewel on the tip of her left ear was shining brightly with a swirl of orange, red, gold, silver, and black.
David didn't really understand the ear jewel. He didn't understand this girl at all. Now that David thought about it, it seemed virtually impossible for a teenage girl to hold onto the plump Elowen with just one arm. Also, the way she disarmed and defeated her opponents was simply...not human.
David’s thoughts were interrupted by shouts from the ground outside. Turning to his right, where he expected Silvia to be, he was greeted by an empty hallway. She was gone. Turning to his left, to remark about this, he found Starlight gone as well. The horse had gone to warn Eurchess, but the princess...?
He peered out the window. One of the men had fallen into the salt, and David watched with horror as the man's legs gave way. The man's yelling quickly transformed into screams as blisters and pustules quickly erupted on his body. Abruptly, David realized the man's comrades had also started to scream. The possibility of all of them dropping onto the poisoned salt by themselves was low. So then...
David could see the princess running around the majestic tower’s perimeter and attacking each salt trader, a one man army all by herself. She was providing him that diversion. He watched her dark red blurred form in the snow in awe.
“Don’t waste time,” He heard a female voice say behind him.
He jumped and turned around. There was a tall girl, the same age as David, with a black butterfly birthmark on her right shoulder. Dressed in a sparkling sari, an ebony skinned girl made her way towards him. The butterfly birthmark on her right shoulder...she was-
“Princess Mya! I just-”
Her lush eyelashes fluttered with panic. “My captors will find me soon, and my brief escape from them will be useless! Take me to Eurchess! I don’t know how to help you, but the telescope that you wish to destroy is indestructible. You must destroy the amber stone. If you don’t, then my captors will find me then they’ll-”
Voices echoed down the hall.
“Hide!” David whispered to Mya.
The princess gave David a long look of anxiety. She wondered what would happen to the handsome boy next to her. She fled from the golden hallway, her golden skirt flaring behind her like a curtain. David's thoughts were cut off by thundering footsteps. He looked for any exit or hiding place.
He took refuge in the open space in between the floor and one of the tiger eye couches. He had just draped the cloth of the couch over the opening when a man emerged from the opening of the hall. His muscles bulged in the early morning light and his forehead was slightly lined as he surveyed his surroundings. David could see from his small, cramped hiding place that the man had the same ebony skin as Mya. His three comrades pulled up next to him. The youngest of the brawny men gasped,
"Where is she?!"
David could detect the desperation in that voice. The man didn't look like a cruel person. He was just about five years older than David himself.
“Don't worry, your highness.” Said the turbaned man in front. “We shall find your sister, Mya, soon, Prince Ifrin. Eurchess did say that he had seen-”
David had to stifle a gasp as an arrow shaft, black as twilight, hit the speaking man’s chest. The man crumpled to the floor. A pool of red gathered at his companions' feet and slowly oozed along the tile grout towards David.
“Attack!” The yougest man, Prince Ifrin, yelled.
When David saw the number of people who were coming from the opposite end of the hallway, his plummeting heart knew that Mya’s brother stood no chance.
War crys were rang in the air from the Menelays, but one by one they fell and were mercilessly slaughtered. David could only see the events happening in quick succession of one another- like a mental list.
The tallest one turned and dispatched one of the armored other-worlders. His spear's charms jangled in the cold air as the weapon darted in and out of the fray. David watched the battle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Only too late did the warrior see what David had already perceived. David watched, eyes wide as he stifled another involuntary cry as the unseen assailant viciously stabbed the warrior in the back. David saw the proceedings and had to stifle bile from his throat as he saw the dagger go in the body over and over. Wasn't once enough? he thought as tears flowed down his face.
The oldest Menelays man battled eight at once, his saber flashing like a shining falling star. A thrown spear took him.
The prince faught valiantly, sustaining many wounds and bruises to his arms and chest, but, overwhelmed by the several attackers surrounding him, he fell with a loud thud to the ground, his fading eyes staring at David.
A guttural dialect broke the silence and another guttural reply answered. Tramping over the three corpses, the assailants left the scene of chaos behind.
Shaking, David buried his face in his hands. He realized his cheeks were wet.
He could still see the battle scene- if it could even be called a battle, he thought bitterly. It was a massacre. Nine armed foreigners had just casually cut the three men down in their tracks. They had stepped on their dead bodies, and had left. Prince Ifrin's dead eyes seemed to gaze into David's. The list repeated over and over in his mind's eye.
The tall one: stabbed in the back seven times.
The oldest one: killed with a spear to the throat.
Prince Ifrin: stabbed and cut to pieces.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he whispered to a man who would never hear him, a stranger. David had done nothing, and had simply watched the three get cut down, with nary a sound or protest.
They were strangers, anyways, his dark half seemed to whisper.
No they weren't! he thought back. They were innocents cut down mercilessly while I sat by and watched.
"David?"
David looked out from his hiding place.
"Princess?" he asked.
"David? Where are you?" she called.
I'm right here, hiding during a massacre, he thought. But he said instead, "Here...under the couch."
The couch flat lifted, and the girl's eyes scrutinized him.
"What happened?" she asked, lifting him off his feet.
"Prince Ifrin- the Menelays- killed!" his voice seemed to raise several octaves.
"I can see that," she said, her face unreadable and closed off. Her eyes cut deep into his, as if searching for something.
"Doesn't that bother you?!" he wheezed.
"Of course it bothers me, human!" she suddenly flared up and snapped, "These people were my friends!" she pointed at the prince's body. Her face was contorted with rage and pain suddenly unleashed in torrents of emotion. David stepped back in surprise. As suddenly as it had come, the wave of anger was quickly stifled. However, David could still see the suppressed rage in those starry eyes as the princess panted and fought to gain control of herself and of her pain.
"I stood by...while they were cut down...I could have done something, but I just hid under that couch," he sobbed. "I was a coward." his head dropped down as he chest heaved with sobs.
Silvia cursed as she shook his shoulders and said, "Look at me."
David obeyed. He found an irresistible urge to lose himself in those deep orbs of light.
"You wouldn't have changed anything. They were outnumbered. How could you have saved them?" she asked him bluntly. Her voice was not comforting, nor was it accusing.
"But- I could have warned them of-"
"Of what?!" she asked. "Warned them a spear was being thrown at their back? Warned them they were going to die just to save a human girl? What could you have done?!" she demanded. "Stop and shake yourself out of this!"
"It's all my fault!" he sobbed.
"Look into my eyes!" she ordered again. He did and within her eyes could see swirls of color and could see silent screams of pain in battles and tears and rage all enveloped in an eye blink. "Do you see that, human?" she concluded. "Do you think I could've stopped any of that?"
David shook his head, surprised she knew he could see her memories.
"You're in shock. You will get over this," she assured him.
Then, in that instant, David knew.
"You're an-"
The girl's ears pricked up suddenly.
"People are coming. We're wasting time. Get Starlight!"
He whistled again. He could suddenly hear the rapid beating of wings. He turned to the broken window. Starlight came out of nowhere and reared in the air, his wings beating hard and swiftly.
"Jump. They're coming!"
David approached the edge hesitantly. He closed his eyes and tried to jump. But when he opened his eyes, he was still on the edge. Breathing deeply, he tried to steel himself. Jumping was not as easy as the princess had put it. If Starlight didn't catch him.... he imagined himself falling and ending up as a squashed jelly puddle the countless stories below. If I just jump, he thought, then...
"Aah!" he screamed abruptly as he felt a rough shove push him over the edge. He waved his arms like a wingless bird, attempting to stay on ground, but he knew he couldn't.
He was falling through air. Weightless-
Falling! Falling! I'm going to die! he thought as he felt a scream ripped from his throat. He remembered the flying monster birds and the princess falling. There would be no sudden mount that would-
Then suddenly, he felt his ribs groan in protest and groan out in pain as Starlight’s body collided with his, and he fell on Starlight’s back. Starlight dove up and David whisked Silvia on Starlight’s back as well from the tower level. At first, Starlight staggered under Silvia’s additional weight.
“David, are you sure you didn’t eat an entire building?” Silvia, while hanging on to David, wondered how Starlight could joke at a time like this. Starlight seemed incorrigible at some times. Silvia had no idea how he could stay carefree. David’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“Where is the amber stone? Starlight, do you know? Silv-”
“I know,” Silvia paused. “The amber stone is in the company of three men and one woman coming this way. They’re currently in that same hall that they killed Princess Mya’s brother in. I saw them just passing through.”
David couldn’t believe his ears. Why would a woman be with some men to try and find that war tactic book?
“Starlight, fly to the highest level you can take us to. Hurry!” the wind whisked behind them and blew back their hair. The moon had risen in the sky.
Silvia then peered over at David and saw his young face grim and his face paler than it ever was before. She smelled his stomach’s contents in the back of his throat with her acute sense of smell and wrinkled her nose. She knew the shock of seeing death up close for the first time.
“Hey,” she said. David turned suddenly to her. “You know, it wasn’t your fault.”
“I know, but it doesn’t change anything,” David croaked out.
“Look. Did you want to die back there?” Silvia asked.
David didn’t answer. Silvia knew he was shocked and that he would live with the grief.
“Just don’t think about it. Would it be worth it to throw away your life for nothing?”
No answer.
“David. If it helps, I vomitted all over my clothes when I witnessed a murder for the first time. Keep that in mind,” Silvia said quietly.
She knew that she could only wait while David wrung himself out with his guilt and Starlight was chasing after the enemy group, but she knew she couldn’t afford to get distracted. She realized her hands were around David's waist, and she realized she rather liked the pleasant sensation running through her. She blushed as she wondered what David would think if he knew. She quickly squashed these kind of thoughts. After all. He was a human. Albeit a handsome one, she thought. She always did like brown eyes.
This line of thoughts reminded her of a former boy with whom she had almost started a romance with- but for different reasons.
She was young, twelve winters old, among her colored forest, and she ran along her mountain. Snow covered everywhere, like a soft blanket of ice and snow…..She ran and jumped into a cherry blossomed tree, and, exhilarated in the sensation of ice flow through her veins. Then she heard a voice behind her. She jumped, startled.
“You took your time,” said a boy’s voice behind her.
“Roger!”
“Yes, I guess you didn’t expect me here.” Silvia felt a warm blush sweep over her hot face.
“Roger! Why?”
“Silvia, it’s nothing personal. I know I promised you I’d come to the graveyard with you.
Volterra just wanted to show me-”
“Show you what?!” Silvia asked angrily. Why? How could he had ditch her for her cousin? But she knew. Volterra was beautiful. She was not. She was not the most stunning girl in the clans. Roger preferred beauty to friendship. She had thought she would like to marry Roger. He was her friend, and they already knew each other…even if she didn’t love him in that way..
“Silvia, what’s wrong?” he asked at her delayed silence.
“Roger, you know what’s wrong, so I’m leaving the forest. I know we’re best friends, but I can’t delay this any longer. I can’t just dishonor my parents without seeking out him..” With that, Silvia stormed off in the moonlight, hurt and breathing hard with the effort to hold back angry tears.
“No, Silvia, don’t leave, I never-” Silvia broke into a run, and in mid-leap morphed into a snow colored wolf. She padded on her retractable claws, attempting not to make a single rustle of sound. She heard a padding behind her. She felt a fear that he was following, no, STALKING her. She knew she had only one option. She ran. She peered behind her shoulder and saw Roger, his long grey, brown hair streaming behind him, his delicate, glowing, moonlight skin quickly morphing into something with golden fur and sharp ears. Silvia saw Roger form into a puma.
All the sudden she felt a horrible pain in her left arm, and it hung limply. What had happened to it? Was it broken? Panic rushed through her system, blinding common sense. But she forced herself to calm down. It didn’t matter. Roger was right behind her. She knew he might be able to outrun her, so she sped up and when the puma was a hair’s width behind her she skidded to a halt. The puma's momentum was so great he couldn't stop. When the puma looked behind himself after halting, Silvia had vanished from sight. She had left her kingdom. She had gone into the human world, for revenge, and in tears.
Silvia snapped back into reality. She missed Roger, but she knew that he never was a considerate person. Images of Roger’s handsome face flashed in Silvia’s mind’s eye.
“There they are!” Starlight exclaimed. Starlight was absolutely correct. The enemy and the strange woman were all there. The woman spotted Starlight’s beating wings and said something indistinguishable, pointing towards the trio. The other three men were gaping stupidly at the flying horse. David yelled,
“Starlight! Break that window!” Starlight turned his head.
“Oh, now I can break windows?” The Alphian stallion asked exasperatedly. “Really, David, princess, make up your minds!”
“Starlight, now’s not the time to make jokes or be difficult. Do it. I’ll pay for the damage,” Silvia commanded.
Starlight had an incorrigible grin on his face. Why does Starlight suddenly become so troublesome during times of danger?! Silvia thought, slightly flustered. She noticed Starlight was heading at the crystal window at full throttle. She braced herself, closed her eyes, and stiffened. She held on to David even tighter, ignoring a warm blush creeping across her skin. She felt a huge jerk that made her body swing forwards and backwards, and felt one of her weapons falling out of its sheath. She momentarily let go of David to retrieve the shimmering dagger, but fell from Starlight’s back.
She felt like she was flying.
Instinct reminded her that she would break something if she didn’t act quickly. Ever agile, she flipped in mid-air as she felt the air swooping up at her face. As she landed lightly on her feet, feeling the hard impact of the cold tile, she raised her short sword, and withdrew its twin from its sheath. She turned in search of David and Starlight, but they hadn’t noticed her disappearance and had continued upwards towards the stairs.
David turned around to tell the girl of what information Princess Mya had imparted to him.
“Princess, I forgot to tell you that-” He fell silent. Silvia was nowhere to be seen. “SILVIA!”
In the heat of the moment, David set aside his guilt of Prince Ifrin's death.
“Ugh!” Silvia had fallen off. The enemy would give her no quarter. She was fighting hard. Her two blades weaved in and out, kissing her enemy’s flesh, and protecting her own. She thrust her right dagger up to parry a blow, and viciously slashed at the man’s side with her left dagger. While the man attempted to parry that blow with his rapier, her right blade attacked the man’s unprotected chest. Two down, two to go.
She launched herself at the last man, attempting a surprise attack. He responded with such speedy bursts of energy that his his spear dove between Silvia’s swords.
She swerved to the side, avoiding the spear. With a trickle of warm blood tickling her left cheek, she disdainfully wiped it away.
"General!" chimed a delicate female voice up the stairwell, out of view. Her sound seemed to captivate the man to such extent that he turned away at the call of a woman. Silvia's ears could detect the woman ascending upwards with her dainty footsteps.
He left.
Silvia realized her opponent didn’t think it was worth his time to kill her. Silvia ran after him, and somehow the man heard her silent footsteps, and spun around, as fast as an elf and dove his spear again.
This time, Silvia was ready and blocked his spear with her right blade, but felt the man’s weapon pressing down on her own weapon. With incredible strength, he flicked the right blade out of her grasp with mocking in his hazel, violet-flecked eyes.
What was he? Was he a fairy? the princess wondered. She paused. Intuition whispered the situation was far from ordinary. A breeze seemed to blow at the nape of her neck, and she knew as the fear trickled down her spine. She should run.
She attempted to disengage herself from the duel, but the blonde-headed man smiled coldly at her childish tries to run. The princess saw his blade move in a swift arc that appeared to be a blur of motion, when Silvia’s acute mind saw the blade was going for her unprotected side.
She quickly parried the blow. The mysterious man was slowly pressing her remaining blade downwards towards the floor in the same movements he had performed when he had disarmed her of her right blade.
A risky plan was forming in her mind's eye. Dare she try it?
The consequences would be dire if she did not do this just right...
But there was no other option. It was either this or be weaponless. Defenseless. Dead.
Ignoring the peril, she swiftly dropped her blade, grabbed a small knife in her boot, and let the man’s spear slice through nothing. She jumped up high, out of the blade’s reach. With a perfectly executed flip, she landed on the man’s head, pounding his cranium. The man fell to the floor, cold.
“Strange,” Silvia breathed. She then saw the man stirring.
She’d better tie him to some place where no one would find him. Her eyes scanned around her. There! Her eyes found a cupboard. Yes, she could stuff his body in there and imprison him later somewhere else…..Ugh! Why not save the trouble, and throw him out the window?! That’s what the man would have done to her if he had gotten the chance. She liked that nefarious idea of hers. But her parents would sodisapprove.
After she had finished stuffing the man’s graceful and musular frame (which felt like a ton when Silvia lifted him), she ran up the stairs, searching for the highest room in the tallest tower. Hmmmm…..sounded like a fairy tale to her!
