Young Writers Society

Adonis
The man left.

I was already examining the White Queen. I took her pulse, trying to hide a frown at the thready beat, and revealed a stethoscope my people hadn't allowed me to use on them. My brow furrowed at the wheezy sound of her breaths as I helped her sit up and listened.

I worried my lip and thought, studying her paler than normal complexion. Her eyes had fluttered close, her chest rose and fell slightly under the sheet. I tensed as she burst into a sudden fit of coughing and observed the red stain on the white bedspread in a detached manner.

My gaze flicked up to her face again, and I looked into her scared eyes.

I cleared my throat, rifling through my bag again. I had never seen anything like this, but it looked like an illness I knew. If I could control the side effects, that would give me time to cure the real problem.

Of course, as a good doctor, I put on airs. "This is nothing," I murmured brightly, drawing out bags of herbs and a vial of extract from a plant that was a known to ease coughing in my homeland. Grabbing a mortar and pestle, I began to grind three pinches of three different herbs together. I took a jar I used for mixing medicines and did so with the extract and the three herbs.

I turned toward her and held it out to her, catching the hesitant expression of suspicion. "The liquid will calm your coughing." I pulled out a leaf from each of the three bags. I held up a long leaf that was more of a needle. "This should slow whatever bleeding you have." I displayed a flat, waxy leaf. "This should help your breathing." I showed her the last leaf. It was red with five points. "This should help you feel better. It will wake you up." I offered the jar of medicine again. "It won't taste the best, but you'll need to drink it all. You'll need to rest until it kicks in. It won't take long. Thirty minutes at most."

She studied my jar and me once more and took the jar slowly, lifting it to her lips. She grimaced after the first small sip but drank the rest quickly with no complaints. She moved as if she were getting up, and I pushed on her shoulder firmly.

"Rest. You'll be waving your gun around soon enough. I'm only asking for half an hour of your precious time." I moved to a chair in the corner of the room. "I'll stay until you get up." I settled myself into the chair and smirked at her and her half lidded gaze. "By the way, my name is Adonis, Adonis Blue."

Minerva
I hurried through the halls, not stopping for anything. I finally passed through the gates again and had to stop myself from running to the road. I got out of sight of the guard out farthest in the royal lawn and broke into a dash.

If I was Jubiah and I had escaped... Where would I go?

I ran into town, slipping out of my Heart soldier form and into my 'normal' rebel one. I allowed my intuition to lead me, hoping that my legs would know more than my head did.

I wound up at the bar which I don't really like. There are too many of my own kind there to get in the way. I walked in, catching my breath as I did so, and scanned the crowd that was thinning out as the night edged closer and closer to day.

There was my little birdie sitting on a stool, waiting for me to return him to Miranda.

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
The taste of the medicine was stuck in my mouth, and it was awful. But I had heard once that the grosser a medicine is, the more it helps. Hopefully it was true. At least he seemed to know what he was doing.

"By the way, my name is Adonis, Adonis Blue." I smiled. Finally I could stop calling him 'old man'.

For a few minutes we both stayed quiet. I wasn't good with small talk, and he didn't seem to be either. The silence wasn't awkward, but it annoyed me. Laying still annoyed me even more. I should've been out looking for Jubiah. I needed James on my side, both symbolically (who'd support a queen without a king?) and.. And for my own sake. I needed someone who I could trust.

I suddenly remembered something that Adonis had told me before, which I was still curious about. "You said that you were psychic. Is that really true?" Before he had time to answer I added: "Which side wins?"

The coughing was actually getting better. All other symptoms seemed to be getting worse though. I was shivering from cold, even though I knew I had a fewer, and I could barely see where I was. All colors seemed to float together.

Yamani (Queen of Hearts)

Haigha nodded that he was ready, but he looked a bit worried. Haigha was a warrior- he wasn't worried about a fight, or about danger, that much I knew. I turned from him and started down the roof, as I considered what that fear was, though I thought I knew- he was afraid that I was going to do something stupid.

I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm going to strategically cut and quarter Miranda, and then laugh as the buzzards eat the bitch and shit her on the fields.

As I walked, I began to brood on Haigha- on his bloody clothing, on his tale. I felt myself getting angry again, and forced my thoughts to other matters- I was too tired to ride out so many waves of anger. I had to control it- channel it into beating her to a bloody pulp when I caught her.

I took a deep breath, calming myself, and glanced at Haigha, only to find him gawking at me. I turned and looked at him, but he didn't look away. I drew a breath and straightened my shoulders imperiously, trying to salvage some of my dignity. It didn't matter that I was acting like a child, going out to get revenge, I was still the Queen of Wonderland, and it wasn't fitting that I had allowed everyone to be so familiar with me.

Haigha shouldn't have the guts to stare at me. He should be embarrassed. He should avert his eyes. Who was I kidding? I was bruised, and cut, and beaten. My hair was cut short, my clothes were dirty and tattered, and I reeked. I was nothing more than a girl who desperately needed a bath, wandering around with a boy who never talked.

I sighed. "What?"

He shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you staring at me? Do you want to know how I got this?" I asked, as I gestured at my blackened eye. "Or this?" I traced the cut on my jawline with my finger. "Or this?" I ran a hand through my short hair.

He nodded, once, sharply, cautiously.

I sighed again. "This," I said slowly, as I gently laid a hand beside my eye. "This was given to me by a guard, shortly after I left your rooms."

Haigha seemed shocked, horrified even. I met his questioning gaze. "He didn't know it was me. I know, I know, my disguise wasn't that good, at that bit- you saw right through it, at least, and so did that chick at the bar- but the guard didn't, and he thought that I was a scruffy little boy running amuck through the palace. I...also...might've hit him first."

Haigha snorted in amusement.

I felt myself flush, and I smiled, embarrassed. "Yeah, well, he didn't give me much of a choice. He was taking me to see the Queen. I told him I didn't much like the idea, but he didn't seem to care...I thought it would be rather strange, trying to explain why it was that the Queen suddenly went missing, when a scruffy little boy got thrown in her dungeons."

Haigha was grinning. I couldn't blame him. It was a horrible, ironic position that I had been in- but it was also funny. I grinned too. Suddenly, hesitantly, Haigha reached out and touched the cut on my jaw. His touch was gentle, but it startled me, and I jerked back.

He jerked his hand back and looked at me apologetically. I cleared my throat. I wouldn't snarl at him- strangely, I didn't even feel like snarling at him. I didn't know what I felt. "That one I actually did myself," I stated, somehow unable to draw my eyes away from his.

Finally, I managed to pull myself away. I turned and leapt down into the alley. "I needed Miranda to believe that Heart Scum had attacked me, so she'd welcome me into the Rebel HQ."

I heard Haigha make a surprised noise. I smirked and looked at him. "That's right, I've been right in the heart of the Rebel HQ, and out again."

Jubiah

I slipped into the nearest alleyway and hastily removed my gaurds' uniform to reveal my rebel clothing underneath, shedding my facade to reveal my true nature. My true nature looked like hell. Scraped, cut, with tattered, dirty clothing that was two times too big for me. I looked like an urchin playing dress-up. Oh well. At least I'm not in that infernal dungeon anymore.

I step into the main road again, and unknowingly gravitate towards the bar. When I realize that I have reachd the bar, I go in without a second thought. I feel safe here, despite what happened the last time. There are other people here that feel the need for rebellion, that express it as openly as would be wise in any place remotely near the Queen. I do not feel alone here.

"Hey." I say to Lini as I sit down on one of the barstools.

"You look like hell." She says, pointing out the obvious.

"Tell me something I don't know." I say, smiling.

"So the bird hasn't been caught yet, huh?" She asks, a little suprised that I am still in possession of my head.

"He has." I say, smiling wanly.

At that moment, I turned around as the bells jingled atthe door, sigaling a new arrival. I turned to see a promiscuiosly dressed woman, in a red, deeply cut dress. She has a garish- I can't thik of another way to describe it- hat atop her head, which has an almost unnaturally pointy chin. While this ssems to make up an ugly picture, she is actually quite beautiful. My eyes would probably have popped out ofthier sockets before now if I played on her team.

She sits down next to me. "Duchess," I say curtly. I don't have to fear being found out by her- her actual alliance is well-known in the rebel world.

"Jubiah," She responds. I am a little suprised. Why des the Duchess know my name?

"How do you know me?" I ask, bewildered.

"The Queen sent for you." She says. When she sees my face pale, thinking she is actaully working for Yamini, she says, "Not that scum on the throne."

I instantly relax, but still have more questions. "But why would-" I start to say, but am cut off.

"Not here, not now. Come with me, I'll take you somewhere where we can talk." With that, she turned to leave, waltzing out the door.

I said a quick apology to Lini, and followed quickly behind the Duchess, hurrying to catch up to her. She took me down sidestrrets and alleyways until I was completely lost. Eventually, we reached our destination. A tall building, bussiling with activity.

"Welcome to the rebel HQ." She says, amused at my wonderment.

Haigha March, The March Hare
She had pulled away from me.. Well, of course she had, who did I think I was? Lately I'd been having far to high thoughts about myself. No wonder I walked into that trap.

"That one I actually did myself." I didn't know what to think. Why would she do that to her own face? If she needed to get something done so badly she should've just ordered me or any of the other soldiers to do it for her.

She looked me in the eyes, which was something that I greatly appreciated. Other people normally averted their eyes when I looked at them. After a while she turned away and jumped down into an alley. I quickly followed. "I needed Miranda to believe that Heart Scum had attacked me, so she'd welcome me into the Rebel HQ."

I think I might have gasped, or something like it. It came as a shock. She could've gotten herself killed! I swallowed the words that I wanted to yell at her and just stared. If was stupid enough to enter the rebels hq and get myself killed, fine. I was just a soldier, but for her to do it? It was madness. If she died then the war was over.. Although I hated to admit it, I was a bit impressed too. She had done what I couldn't.

"That's right, I've been right in the heart of the Rebel HQ, and out again." I shook my head reproachfully. Madness. Impressive, but still madness.

I kept following her until I spotted the HQ. Was she really planning on going inside? I couldn't let her do that, could I? No matter how flattering it was that she wanted to take revenge on my behalf, I couldn't let herself get killed because of me.

Adonis
"Which side wins?"

I sighed, not wanting to explain that I seemed to be blinded when it came to this war.

A visible shiver ran through her, dashing those thoughts away.

It's not that I cared about her health, gods forbid that, but I was supposed to be a good doctor, and overlooking a fever was not good medicine.

I stood again and returned to my bag. "Are you experiencing any other symptoms I should know about?" I asked, ignoring the fact that I had forgotten to do the obvious a few minutes before.

She waved a hand in front of her eyes. "My eyes," she murmured.

I frowned. "What about them exactly?" I brought out a thermometer, another beautiful modern tool my people had refused.

Her brow wrinkled, and she sighed. "The colors are... mixing."

I blinked and stuck the thermometer in her mouth. "Under the tongue please," I muttered distractedly. Fuzzy vision? I took a few steps back and lifted my hand, four fingers up. "How many fingers do I have up?"

She squinted and shook her head, squinting once more. "I... can't tell," she mumbled around the thermometer.

I took it out of her mouth and stared at the number, not comprehending for a moment.

This needed to be fixed right now.

I cleared my throat, looking for a fever reducer. "What exactly caused this, did you say?"

Minerva
"Welcome to the rebel HQ," I purred, grinning at his look of shock. "What?" I asked innocently, trying to forget that I had put him in Yamani's dungeons to begin with, "Did you think we would forget about you?"

He shrugged, and I laughed, just relieved to have found him before someone else that wasn't part of Miranda's plan could.

I came to an abrupt stop when we almost ran into another pair. I almost continued on my way when I glanced up to see- I stopped short again, putting a tight hand on Jubiah's shoulder. "It looks like we have friends," I murmured softly, a warning note in my voice.

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
"What exactly caused this, did you say?" I couldn't really tell if he was worried or not. His voice just sounded calm.

"There's this guy working for the queen. Apparently his words contain power, so he never speaks. I was going to kill him, but before I did it I asked for his last words, and he said that he wanted to live." The memory no longer made me happy, as it had before. Now I could only curse my stupidity. "And then I killed him. I'm guessing that he cursed me." I realized how stupid it sounded, but I really couldn't come up with another explanation. "Immediately afterwards I started to feel sick."

Adonis stayed silent for a while, checking my pulse again. I heard him rummaging through his bag, and then he put a small glass bottle in my hand. "This will lower your temperature."

I drank it, and it was just as gross as the first medicine that he had given me. "Seems to me like you're just treating the symptoms." Well, what else could he do? I highly doubted that whatever I had was common. Maybe it would go away after a while if he could keep me alive.

I was starting to get afraid now. I had never really thought about death before, and certainly not a death caused by some mysterious illness. If I had to die, I wanted to do so in battle and not in sickbed.

Adonis
I bit the inside of my cheek in thought. People cast curses in my neck of the woods. There was a spell and then there was a remedy for the spell. I had never heard of this before.

"Seems to me like you're just treating the symptoms."

I glanced at her. She was a sharp one, she was. "It's better than nothing, yes?" I snapped.

She gave me a look that spoke volumes. She was scared.

I remembered what I had seen when I had first laid eyes on her. It had yet to come to pass yet. "This isn't the end for you," I murmured, aware that the future could have changed but seeing no reason to let her know that. "You will taste at least one battle."

I opened a small pocket on the side of my bag and began to pull out charms. It was time to resort to the voodoo, I supposed.

I threw two at her. "One keeps bad spirits away. The other staves off illness." I studied her and shrugged. "Maybe they'll help you." I untangled a bracelet from a knot of chains. "This improves accuracy." I wrinkled my nose. "I'm not sure it will help your eyesight, but it's worth a try."

Charms were always a funny business. It was hard to decide what to use and what would work. I studied three rings and put one back, handing the remaining two to her. "The one with the green stone washes away guilt since it seems that the act of killing this man cursed you. The one of white metal is luck." I grinned. "Because with the mess you've gotten yourself into, you'll need some."

Miranda Marble, The White Queen
I laughed. Not a pretty girly laugh but the laugh of a madman. Charms and trinkets? I was screwed. He couldn't help me and I would die, slowly and painfully. The laugh set of another coughing fit, but still I couldn't stop. Maybe madness was another symptom? Or maybe I was just scared. So scared that I couldn't keep it together. So scared that I had to laugh.

"You're not going to die," he reassured me, though he didn't sound nor look too convinced.

"You look like you're lying," I mumbled.

"The charms seem to be working then." I looked at him, not understanding what he meant. "You can see me."

Oh, he was right. I could see him. He was a still bit fuzzy round the edges, but at least he didn't look like a smear of paint mixing with the paint around him.

Yamani (Queen of Hearts)

"There it is," I whispered, as I sank down behind a crate. As if he didn't already know.

Haigha seems hesitant, trying to be mature, to dissuade me from storming thier haven, but he couldn't hide the passion burning in his eyes. He was excited too.

"Ready?" I asked, and, remembering that he wouldn't answer, I corrected. "Come on," and started forward.

We sprinted around the edge of the building, pulling up just before we crashed into two other people. "My 'pologies ma'am," I muttered, and started around them, when I realized who they were.

I stopped short and so did she. Her grip tightened on her companion's- on Jubiah's- shoulder. "Looks like we've got friends."

She looked right through my disguise. If I wasn't sure before, I was now- she knew exactly who I was, and I could only hope that she didn't get the entire bloody base of Rebels on my heels.

I was too startled, and distracted with my desire to get to Miranda, to let my rage fully develop that she had Jubiah. My prisoner. The spy that she had given me in our deal. Bitch.

"I let you go once tonight, cousin dear, I won't do it again," she purred.

I cracked my neck- more of a nervous habit than anything, but still threatening enough, I hoped- and smirked. "Well I've beat you up tonight, and I will do it again." My voice sugary, but dripping venom, my hand resting on the sword Haigha loaned me.

Haigha March, The March Hare
I put my hand on the Queen's shoulder. This wasn't the time, and definitely not the place. If we started a fight now every rebel would come out from the HQ and join the fight. And what was worse, the figure that I saw inside looked a lot like Lordshire. We were clearly outnumbered.

The Queen had on hand on the hilt of her sword, and Jubiah was reaching for something inside his sleeve. They drew their weapons simultaneously, as if an inaudible starting pistol had gone of.

The Duchess backed of, a wise choice indeed. I, on the other hand, did the only thing that seemed right. I quickly drew the Queen behind me, causing her to hit my side with her sword, and Jubiah to stab me in the chest. I ignored the pain and pulled it out, meaning to put it into him instead. He managed to duck, and all I managed to do was make a cut in his shoulder.

More rebels were arriving, so I grabbed the Queen by her waist and ran for it. Of course she fought back, but I didn't stop. She could yell at me all she wanted later, but right now I had to get her to safety.

The adrenalin made me run quicker than usual, and soon we were out of sight. I put her down on the ground again when I was sure that she wouldn't run back.

"Damn, Haigha. Why the hell did you do that for?!"

The pain was coming back again. Meaning that my wound had healed. I gritted my teeth and held back a growl.

"Are you okay?" Her voice had gone from angry to worried in a flash. I nodded and looked at her with the same question in my eyes.

Lord Lordshire (Knave of Hearts)

Before I could get a response from the boy, I saw some rebels running outside. As I turned to watch, I saw two familiar face. The Duchess, Minerva, and Jubiah.
Before I had time to celebrate, I saw what the commotion was about. There were two more figures standing across from them. There was a young boy and... Haigha. I could've swore he was just looking at me.

Why would that fool come back here again?

And that boy, I'd seen that face before. In fact, he looked almost, feminine. I knew who it was, I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Before I had a chance to get a closer look, their short scuffle was over, and Haigha took off with... that person.

Now I could've either gone and told Miranda what had happened, or greeted Jubiah when he came in with the Duchess. I had to decide which I really cared about more.

Jubiah

""It looks like we have friends," Minerva said to me, warning me.

I looked over my shoulder to see two figures behind us- one none other than Hiaga, the other a tall boy that looks to me a little like the Red Queen. But that woul be proposurious. Why would the Red Queen go to the rebel HQ herself? How does she even know about this place? The boy glared at Minerva, and the Duchess glared right back. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I think as I watch the two of them.

Tersely, yet sweetly, the Duchess purs, "I let you go once tonight, cousin dear, I won't do it again," So I guess I was right then. The boy is Yamini. Oh, great. A royal turf war that I'm right in the middle of. Great.

"Well I've beat you up tonight, and I will do it again." Yamini's voice is poinsoned honey, dripping with poisonous sugar.

Wait, was the Queen here before? Ithink dumbly. But I stop thinking altogether when Yamini pulls a sword out. Instead, instinct takes over an I pull out my knife from my sleeve, my second one. Minerva draws her weapon as well, and she takes a step back from her cousin. I almost follow suit, but decide that enough's enough. No more running. I will fight or die today. I'm tired of running.

With that, I charge at the Queen, my knife raised, aiming gor her heart. How ironic! I fuel all my anger, my hatred, my disappointment and fear into the arm holding the blade, to make the plunge of the knife stronger, to see the life drain from her eyes. But before I can reach her, before I can have my revenge, Hiaga steps in front of her. No matter. I will still have my revenge, I will still see blood spill. But as I carge him, I am utterly suprised that he does not try to stop me. What the hell? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not complianing, but who doesn't defend themselves from being killed? Without further ado, I drive the knife home, in the middle of his chest, hilt-deep, a fatal wound. Or so I thought.

Still standing, Hiaga pulls the knife out of his chest, the blade a wet red, covered in his own blood, and lunges it at me. What the hell? I think. That isn't natural. What is he, a f*cking tank? Is he freaking immortal or something? With these thoughts racing through my mind, I realize that the blade- the blade that was supposed to kill Hiaga- is now hurtling towards me. I recover just in time to duck, the blade whistling over my head, splityting a few of my hairs.

More people rush out of the building, ready to kill the Bloody Red Queen once and for all. The two of them, he Queen and Hiaga, decide to play it safe, and they run away, Hiaga dragging the Queen with him, althoughit's clear she still wants to fight. No one is brave enough to go after them. I don't blame them. As the pair leaves, I notice two things: I am bleeding from my shoulder, and as Hiaga walks away, I notice he is not leaving a trail of blood. In fact, he seems to be completely healed. Maybe he really is immortal. If he is, thn the Rebellion is screwed.

I glared at Yamani, noting her new hair cut and every scratch on her face.
"I let you go once tonight, cousin dear, I won't do it again," I purred, repeating that to myself as I felt worry well in my chest. She was out of control.

I didn't blink at the cracking of her neck, used to the silly habit.

"Well I've beat you up tonight, and I will do it again."

My eyes narrowed at the sharp threat, and I ignored the hand resting on her sword. I wouldn't be fighting her. I opened my mouth to retort when Jubiah drew his sword, Yamani following suit at almost exactly the same time.

I recoiled, cursing the Jubiah, and raised my eyebrows as Haigha pulled Yamani behind him.

There was some true loyalty.

I could withhold a gasp as Jubiah plunged his sword into Haigha's chest and Haigha... pulled it out.

He swung it at Jubiah, but Jubiah ducked, the blow glancing off his shoulder. Haigha took off then, despite his supposedly mortal wound,dragging Yamani behind him which caused a smile to twitch upon my lips.

I doubted Yamani had been dragged anywhere in her entire life.

I looked around then, noticing the group of rebels beginning to gather. "Get back into the HQ," I cried, shoving through the crowd with Jubiah by my side, his face white with pain. I glanced at him and murmured, "We'll find someone to take care of you soon." I scanned the crowd and almost froze when I saw Lordshire's smirking face. Guilt crashed over me again.

What had I done to this kid but throw him in Yamani's dungeon?

My hand hovered over his upper arm possessively, and I hurried Jubiah into the HQ.

Yamani (Queen of Hearts)

Minerva's about to say something scathing, when Jubiah pulls his blade out- my sword's in hand in a flash. Minerva stepped back, and I started towards her, when Jobiah leapt towards me. I lifted my sword, prepared to fend off the attack, when Haigha stepped in front of me.

I felt the shock of terror and rage once more before I could remember what I had seen in Haigha's room, as Jobiah's knife plunged into Haigha's chest. Haigha pulled it out, and took a pass at Jobiah, but missed.

Suddenly, before I really realized what was happening, I was over Haigha's shoulder, and heading the wrong way. I look up right before we round the corner- to find Minerva smirking at me.

Indignation welled within me, and I pounded on Haigha's back. Finally he set me down. "Damn it Haigha! What did you do that for?"

He grit his teeth. He looked pained. "Are you okay?" I was disgusted at the weakness in my own voice.

He straightened his shoulders and nodded. He was lying. "Do you want to go back?"

Would you come with me? he scratched in the dust.

"No."

"Then no."

I growled in irritation. "Fine then. Let's go find Miranda."