Intertwined Fates 28: Regicide

"Ok, let's get ready to go," said Katherine as she cast the protection charm on Craig as he began undressing.

"Are you ready Katherine?" asked Craig as he finished undressing and dropped to the ground after casting the charm on her.

"Yeah, let's get in there," said Katherine.

Black stripes appeared all over Craig's body as his skin started to turn orange, then a thick coat of black striped orange fur burst out his skin and spread along his body. His muscles tightened growing more powerful as the lions in his arms and legs reshaped, the sharp teeth of a tiger formed in his jaw as his face shimmered behind the veil of the magic turning into the visage of the tiger. He stood there with his newly formed tail swiping the air.

Katherine knew just by looking at his eyes that was Craig. "Time to go Craig,"

***

"Joy! This way!" called Carl as he found the entrance the subterranean caves.

"Wow, this looks natural," said Joy as she climbed down through the entrance and looked at the water dripping down the sides of what appeared to be real unshaped rock.

"Let's go help Adam and Rachel," said Carl, his armor clanking as he ran down the rough rock hall.

Adam watched Rachel intently as she bit and clawed her attacker. The man tried to hit her with his sword but kept missing her. Adam was about to help her when another group of guardsmen arrived and charged at him with their swords drawn. He roared furiously and launched at them. He tasted ash when he ripped out the throat of one of the guards.

The other two stepped back warily as Adam watched. He growled and they tensed getting ready to strike at him. Finally Rachel got the killing blow in to the guard she was facing. As he burned to cinders, she faced the two guards that had come up to them.

Suddenly a horde of armored guardsmen came around the corner. The two guards chuckled at Adam and lunged at him. He yelped when one of the guard's swords sliced into his back. They looked to each other and raced down the corridor away from their pursuers. Then the guards pursuing them suddenly stood still as Carl and Joy came around the corner.

"How many do you think there are, Joy?" asked Carl, his voice muffled by his helmet.

"There looks to be twelve of them," said Joy,

"Let's see how well these weapon enchantments work."

After seeing Carl and Joy charging towards them, they both turned and roared at the pursuing guards. They drew their swords and held their line.

"Men, they cannot be allowed past. Do not fail our Queen," said the one at the front of the group.

One of the guardsmen muttered a curse as Carl slammed into him and drove his sword through the guard's armor. He shouted in agony as he cindered, letting the steaming plates of metal clatter to the ground.

"That was interesting," muttered Carl as he swung his sword around to defend himself.

There was a cry of pain as Adam powerfully wrenched the head of a guardsman cleanly off, the steaming armor plates clattering nosily to the ground.

"Oh boy," muttered Joy as she dodged the merciless strikes of the two guardsmen facing her.

"Sir! They are so fast," panted a guard as he desperately tried to land a blow on Adam's fast moving form as he dodged their blows.

A blur of black fur slammed into Adam, smashing him to the ground. He howled in pain as the wolf dug its jaws into his flank. Just as the guards were about to strike at him a blur of orange and black sped down the hall and smashed one of them to the ground while Adam wrestled the other wolf off him.

Carl was being slowly worn down deflecting the blows of three of the armored guardsmen. He grunted as one of the guards slammed his sword against his shoulder but instead of going in the blade snapped as the thick metal of Carl's armor resisted the blow.

The guard continued thrusting desperately at Carl with the shattered end of the sword until he was blasted back against the stone walls by a bolt of energy then cindered with the steaming armor clanking to the ground.

Katherine heard the drip of water as she prepared to blast another guardsman. She looked around to find that the dripping water was coming from the ceiling and collecting in various places across the floor. An idea formed in her mind while the battle raged on. Charging another bolt of energy she threw it at the water on the ground, the energy then passed through the water on the floor.

The charge ran up the metal of the guardsmen's armor and fried them inside them as they screamed in agony. Several suits of steaming armor then clattered to the ground as the last guardsman dropped his sword and raced down the hall away from them.

"Great job, Katherine!" exclaimed Carl as he pulled off his helmet. His sweat-laden hair was plastered to his forehead.

Adam growled as he grabbed the wolf he had been fighting around his head in his paws and twisted until bones snapped and the body went limp.

"I didn't know that was going to work so well," said Katherine

"It probably won't work a second time," said Joy.

"You're right. Go and find your friends. We'll get them back to the surface," said Katherine.

"Ok," said Carl as he raced off, his armor clanking loudly and Joy close behind him.

"Aaron, hold on we are going to get out of here," said Laura as Aaron groaned in pain. He gasped and tried to speak. "Don't try to speak, Aaron. You need to keep up your strength,"

Then the door squealed open and the guards made over to take Aaron.

"No! Take me!" pleaded Laura.

They chuckled darkly at her and kicked her to the floor before they picked up Aaron, carrying his limp form out of the cell. There was a cry of pain and then another, before Carl appeared in the doorway and asked "Are you going to be alright, Laura?"

"Yes! Get me out of here, Carl," cried Laura. Helping her up, he took her out of the cell where Joy was waiting carrying Aaron who was badly wounded.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Carl worriedly.

"He's taken a really bad beating but I think he should be alright. If we get him back to Cindy, she should be able to help," said Joy.

"Great, let's get them out of here," said Carl, supporting Laura as they moved down the hall.

A voice boomed down the hall "Where do you think you're going with them?"

Carl cursed and then said to Joy "Quickly, get them out of here. I'll deal with this."

"Ok, I'll meet you outside," said Joy, supporting Laura with difficulty as she fled around the corner.

"It's good to finally meet the man that the Queen has been so worried about," sneered Michael as he drew his sword.

"And why would she be worried about me? How could I possibly dispose of a vampire over a thousand years old when I'm not even six months yet," said Carl gripping his sword hilt tightly as he pushed on his helmet.

"We're about to find out aren't we?" said Michael menacingly as he charged at Carl, their swords clashed together as they battled each other's strength. Michael kicked at Carl and hit him square in the chest. Carl hit the ground with a thud and a groan of pain as his sword fell from his grasp and clattered along the ground.

Michael slashed at the ground where Carl had been moments before. Carl grabbed his sword from the ground and parried the savage blow that Michael directed at him. Michael began directing his blows towards Carl's head figuring out the weakest point in his armor.

Carl dodged a blow and lashed a kick out at Michael's legs knocking him off his feet and on to the ground with a grunt of pain. Michael stabbed his sword up and through the armor plate covering Carl's stomach. He yelled in pain as the force of the sword swing cut straight through the thick armor plate and into his skin. When Michael tried to wrench his sword free it held fast in the rigid metal of the suit. Carl swung his sword down and sliced into Michael's shoulder. He cried out in pain as an arc of blood sprayed out of the wound.

When Carl swung another blow it slammed straight into his back. Michael coughed up blood from that blow then rolled away from another vicious strike Carl aimed at him. Michael got up from the ground and cursed him before racing away. Carl grimaced in pain as he grasped the hilt of the sword still buried in his stomach plate. He cried out as he yanked it free.

Carl looked around for a moment deciding which way to go, then walked down the hall deeper into the chambers.

Katherine and Craig were waiting for Joy on the surface as she helped Laura out of the building while still carrying Aaron, who had slipped back into unconsciousness.

"I have to get back down there and help Adam and Rachel. They've been cornered by another squad," said Joy.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," said Katherine as Craig picked up Aaron.

"Hurry," said Joy as she rushed back inside.

Adam looked to Rachel as she back up against the wall. The group of five guards had them cornered and they had no where to go. They were almost completely worn out as Adam panted trying to regain his breath.

"Hey boys, over here!" called Joy as she rounded the corner.

Adam took this momentary distraction and lunged at one of the guards tearing his head off as Rachel crashed into another one and sank her canines into its neck while Joy charged them and sliced at them with her dagger.

Adam roared furiously as he crashed into another guard. The remaining two turned and fled down the hall.

"Let's get out of here guys," said Joy before there was a clanking sound coming from the hall and they turned and saw an entire battalion of guardsmen after them. "Run!" cried Joy as she raced down the hall with Adam and Rachel close behind her.

Turning around another corner Joy realised that she had lost Adam and Rachel and that they had gone a different path then her.

"Just great. Now what do I do?" mumbled Joy.

"You could die," said a voice as it charged her from the shadows. Joy squealed in surprise as she ducked the savage blow. She slid her dagger out and took a swipe at the fast moving vampire. It evaded her so she swiped at empty air. He brought his sword around again and took another slash at her Joy ducked again feeling the sword cut the air just above her.

Joseph grunted as Joy's heavy plated foot came in contact with his leg. She ducked his blow again as Joy stabbed him, digging the blade into his shoulder. Joseph cried out in pain as the blade dug into him. Joseph snarled and swung his sword around and made brutal contact with her shoulder slamming her into the wall. Joy grunted in pain as she smacked into the wall with a dull thud.

Collapsing to the ground she rolled away as his sword clanged against the ground. Lifting his sword again for another strike Joy saw her chance and struck like the cobra, digging her dagger deep in his chest. Joseph cried out in agony as a bright blue white flame shot out from the dagger.

Joy yanked the dagger out as the flames spread across his body consuming him, he screamed in agony falling to the ground as his body cindered to white ash. Joy sighed in exhaustion as two guards came racing around the corner swords drawn as Joy preparing to flee them a dark shape appeared behind him. They screamed in pain as a sword was thrust through them, the steaming armor plates clattered to the ground allowing Joy to get a good look at her saviour, Gregor.

He looked to Joy with respect then disappeared back into the shadows.

"Now to find the way out of here," murmured Joy.

"Damn this place is like a maze," muttered Carl as walked down another hall that seemed identical to the last. Carl came to a thick set of ornate doors set into the stone. He pushed at them they creaked as they swung open. A woman with flowing white hair sat on the throne with a scowl on her face. Carl's sword dripped blood onto the marble floor as Regina spoke.

"I knew this time would come, but I will not have this prophecy come true!" She got off her throne chair and withdrew a long sword with a scrape of metal from beside the chair. Carl tensed, readying himself for the coming fight.