The corridors of the palace still seemed to tremble from the oppressive weight of King Argus's departure. Once the King was gone, General Valerius had only one thought in mind: to find his wife, Commander Seraphina. After a brief search, he found her in Queen Isabella's chambers.
When the General entered abruptly, the gloom and the deep, consuming shadows that etched his face mirrored the silence that reigned in the room. Seraphina understood everything in a single look, sensing the darkness threatening to overwhelm him. She immediately went to him.
"What happened? Why are you so distressed?" Seraphina's voice was laced with concern.
The General offered no response. Instead, he went straight to Queen Isabella and knelt at her feet. His eyes were filled with an ocean of unshed tears, yet a profound dignity kept them from spilling over. He forced the words past his constricted throat, "My Lady... please forgive me. I have failed in my duty. I tried everything in my power to persuade the King, but I could not move him."
Queen Isabella calmly placed her hand on the General's shoulder. Her voice possessed the practiced stillness of experience. "It does not matter, General. You tried, and that is enough." Her eyes grew solemn. "As far as Argus is concerned, I know him better than anyone. Once he commits himself to a path, it is impossible to reason with him." She paused, her gaze hardening. "Now listen, the time for reasoning is past. You must take Daker to those who can truly help him. Seraphina, you know of whom I speak. Go, find Daker."
"Wait!" the General interrupted, his hand raised. "Seraphina, if this must be done, it must be done tonight. The King has dispatched certain 'knights' to find Daker, and he has paid them in gold. But I have my suspicions... they are not mere soldiers. They are rebels disguised in knights' armor. The King has chosen them precisely because they will eliminate anyone who stands in their way to save Daker. You must not only find him but also save your own life."
The General's voice grew even deeper, as if he were unraveling a terrifying mystery. "Today, when the King gave me that ancient decree (scroll), a strange, putrid odor clung to it. It was written in black ink—perhaps it was black ink—and it bore a crimson thumbprint at the bottom. It was about 'The Dire Dirge' tournament."
Both the Queen and Seraphina gasped in surprise.
"Argus's great-grandfather had banned it 300 years ago to put an end to the destruction it wrought upon the kingdom," the General continued. "In its place, the three smaller annual tournaments were established, the ones we have known for years. But the scroll stated that any successor after 300 years could revive it if they so chose. The King is bringing it back, treating it as his legacy. It is not just for Daker... it is a trap for the hungry, the poor, and the helpless who will seek to erase their poverty by sacrificing themselves to this game. If they stay here, they cannot pay the tribute because the land has turned barren, and if they flee to 'No Man's Land,' the terror of that place will kill them. They are ensnared from all sides."
Queen Isabella fell into thought. "Argus never mentioned this decree to me. General, where do you think he found this scroll? Regardless, I am not concerned about the criminals of this kingdom. When I used to visit the dungeons, most of the prisoners were there out of necessity—someone's land had been seized, or someone had stolen out of hunger. I never met a single prisoner who was a murderer or capable of taking a life."
The General interjected, his tone urgent. "That is the point, My Lady. The words on that paper were strange, the ink was black, and that odor... something is fundamentally wrong. But I have no more time. The King will have me watched; I must remain at his side like a shadow. Seraphina, you are the only one who has tonight. Go!"
In the Dark Corners of the City…
Seraphina scoured the entire city, but Daker was nowhere to be found. Exhausted, she sat down on the roof of a house near the field where the tournament had been announced. A heavy silence prevailed, the sky was clear, and the stars were shining brightly. Then, a flicker of candlelight caught her eye from a window.
She stealthily descended and jumped inside through the window. Daker was startled to see her.
"Have you lost your mind? Why have you lit this candle!" Seraphina hissed. Then her gaze fell upon a girl hidden in the corner. "Daki, come out. I have seen you."
"Daki is my friend. She gave me shelter here," Daker said.
"The time to leave has come, Daker. Follow me without question," Seraphina commanded.
Despair marked Daker's face. "Why should I come? What is happening? You and the General both say Father wants to kill me. Even if I accept that he is afraid of some demon's curse... what will my death achieve? Will the curse go away? And if I don't even sign up for the tournament, how will they fight me?"
Seraphina let out a cold sigh. "Child, do you think King Argus is a fool? Your name would have been entered on that list long before he changed the 300-year-old rules to make it happen. Killing you may not end the curse, but it will perhaps free the King from the fear that has hollowed out this kingdom. Let's go, or you will endanger not just your life and mine, but the life of this innocent Daki as well."
Daker looked at Daki. She lowered her head. Daker went to her and said, "You let me stay here and you fed me. I will never forget this kindness."
Daki smiled and embraced him tightly. "Whatever happens, do not die. Now go."
The Death Trap
Seraphina and Daker were just emerging from a deserted alleyway when the sound of a horse neighing echoed. A knight stood at the mouth of the alley, spear in hand. They turned back, but another knight blocked the rear entrance.
"Seraphina, there aren't just two... it's a whole line of them!" Daker cried out.
They tried to scale the walls, but their feet slipped on the smooth stone, and they tumbled back down. Then the leader of the rebel knights stepped forward and laughed. "One sword and one dagger? We are ten, and you are two. Our spears will finish you before we even have to reach you. We aren't warriors, we are rebels... but look how well this knight's armor suits me!"
Suddenly, the sound of tearing air cut through the night. Swoosh-swoosh!
Two heavy bolts arrived with lightning speed. One bolt tore through the collar of Seraphina's armor and embedded itself in the wall behind her, while the other did the same to Daker's collar. They were pinned to the wall, all strength drained from them.
The rebel leader laughed aloud. "This is marvelous! Now we won't even have to work hard."
But his laughter died abruptly. A heavy Ballista bolt tore through the air, striking with devastating force. One after another, the armor of the ten rebels shrapnelled. Heads were split open, lungs and flesh were ripped apart. The sickening sound of bones cracking and bodies tearing echoed through the alley.
The warm blood of the slaughtered rebels splattered onto Daker's and Seraphina's faces. Daker trembled, his breath catching. He looked in the direction from which this death had fallen, but there was no one there.
The Scene Shifts…
General Valerius was standing in the darkness, looking at a shadowy figure. A mysterious glint was in his eye.
"Welcome, my friend..."
[Chapter End]