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Oriel fought his way through the yard, and the longbowmen were quickly dispatched along with those who had rushed out to fight. Nobody could stop to rest as arrows and magic came from the windows and the roof. The yard had turned into a deathtrap, and some started to go around the side. Getting inside was the only goal now.
The doors were sturdy, but a few with axes were working on them. The first-floor windows were too high to reach from the ground, so the ladders were hauled up. Getting them through the crowded yard was another issue.
Arrows bounced off of shields, and Oriel went under the covering over the front door with Roth. Someone screamed a moment later and came hurtling down from the roof to land on the bottom step. The step won.
Oriel ignored the bone and armor crunching and snapping as the man was instantly killed. A ladder went up, and several soldiers rushed for the window. Glass shattered, screams rang out, and a couple disappeared inside. Oriel and Roth rushed for it next.
Blood sprayed Oriel across the face as soon as he entered the sitting room, and the soldier who had gone ahead collapsed with an open throat. Oriel shouted for Roth to watch out as he dropped and kicked. The big fairy grunted as his knee gave out, and Oriel swung a moment later.
Lighting and steel did the trick. A bookshelf clattered against the wall, and books fell off as one of their own was slammed into it by an enemy. Both were shocking each other and tensed with their muscles locked. Oriel ran forward and thrust his sword into the enemy’s back. The other soldier collapsed to his knees with a grunt.
Steel clanged and lightning crackled from the hall, and Oriel knew other windows had been breached. Two went at it near the Hall doors, and Oriel raced to his left down the main entrance hall.
Within minutes the bottom floor of the Castle was overrun, the front doors were thrown open, and they started to work their way upstairs to kill more and allow room for the rest trying to get in. Oriel picked a hall to fight his way through with Roth.
Oriel had just killed a soldier by a bookcase in a sitting room when he heard a creak, and something looped around his neck. Instinctively, he tried to make a fireball, but the wire cutting into his throat must have been lirek.
For a moment, all he could think about was the men in his privy room and the lack of air as they shoved his head under to collar him. He was jerked backward as he dropped his sword, and Roth’s panicked face was the last thing he saw.
Something clicked as darkness swallowed him. He hadn’t passed out yet although the wire had drawn blood, and the lirek restrained his magic. Something thumped against the bookshelf as Roth screamed for him.
“It’s nothing personal,” King Taven said as Oriel scrambled at his neck.
He wasn’t supposed to get his far to be taken out by yet another cowardly sneak attack. He was supposed to come out alive with Roth and Aspen.
In a split second, he remembered Father telling him a trick if he was ever caught with something across his neck. It didn't matter if it was a bowstave, a garrote, or the flat of a sword. The trick wasn’t to run forward because it only further cut off the victim’s air. Panicking would waste what precious little air and time they had left, but most people’s first instinct was to run from whatever was hurting them.
Oriel dug his boots into the rough ground and shoved himself back. Taven grunted as he hit the wall, and Oriel planted a boot on the opposite wall of the narrow passageway as he struggled to keep pushing back. The garrote loosened enough for him to suck in a breath. Taven tried to yank him sideways, and Oriel fumbled for his dagger.
He vaguely noticed a crack of light, and it grew bigger as whatever covering the peephole was ripped away entirely. As Oriel stabbed behind him with the dagger, purple lightning lit up the dank space a moment later.
Oriel grunted as the shock passed through him too with so much of Taven’s body against his. Even the armor couldn’t block all of such a blast from Roth, and he sagged for a moment which tightened the garrote even as he twisted the dagger.
Taven went limp behind him, and Oriel finally jerked forward as he gasped. The lirek fell away, and he lit up his other fist to see in case Taven lunged again.
The King had fallen but was already struggling to his knees. He pulled his dagger since the space was far too narrow to properly use a sword, and lightning sparked. Without a second though, Oriel smashed his boot into the man’s face.
Taven roared as his nose spurted blood, and his weapon fell with a small clank. Oriel drove his boot into his face once more and heard his nose crunch that time. As Taven instinctively clutched at his face, Oriel lunged with both of his fists lit up.
“You fucking bastard!”
Father was dead because of him. He’d never get another piece of advice because of this man. He’d never practice with his brothers or try to beat them at drinking and miserably fail. He’d never hug Mother again and smell the familiar scent that she’d dabbed behind her ears every morning.
Every flaming punch made Taven grunt, and something clicked.
Roth was at his side in a second, and Taven screamed as he was jolted. Oriel snatched his hands back so he wasn’t touching, and Taven went limp in the dim light.
“Are you all right?” asked Roth.
“Yeah…” Oriel breathed heavily as he tried to clear the rage from his mind. A quick death right now was too easy. He’d promised Aspen…unless…
He felt the limp man’s pulse. It was still there although it was weak, so Roth’s last attack hadn’t killed him.
“I want him healed enough.” Oriel stood and wiped at his throat as he kept one fist lit for light.
“I know. You're bleeding.”
“I’ll be fine. Your lightning saved me.”
