Two Of The Same Piece || Book 1 (The Beginning)

CHAPTER 42

Rave, even half-conscious and barely holding herself upright, knew what was happening as she heard the loud clashes outside her cell. The yelling of the injured and dying. She slowly tried to stand, her shackles were tight, but she could break out of them.

There was a loose piece of the brick wall behind her. She had been pulling on that brick with her good hand, breaking her nails in the process. Managing to pull it out, she braced herself. She would break the rusted shackles, so she could get out of her cell. She didn't want to be stuck in this cell defenseless.

Rave was running on pure adrenaline. She forced her eyes to stay open as she hit the shackle with the brick. She gritted her teeth as the pain vibrated through her. The second hit loosened it and the third broke it. Her wrist was raw and bruised, but she could still move it.

She sighed, getting ready to break the other one. This time she was ready. She broke through it quickly enough. She forced herself up using the wall. She hoped the gods that the Thinlinytes thought she was useless enough for them not to lock the door.

Surely enough, the incompetent guards didn't lock the door. Rave pulled the door open and looked outside. The halls were completely empty. She thanked every god she could think of. Rave had never been to this part of the castle and she didn't know what way to go.

She took her chances and headed to her right, leaning on the wall as she limped her way around the corner to another hallway. The castle was too small to be a maze. If she looked around enough she could make her way out.

Rave sped up as she finally found the stairs leading up the steps. The fighting sounded clearer as she walked through the servant passage. There had to be a storage room or a closet, somewhere they kept spare weapons. She didn't risk the kitchens, the servants would likely sell her out.

She nearly stumbled into a group of young guards running away. She hid around a corner as they passed by. They were too busy saving themselves to even notice her. She didn't recognize where she was, but she would have luck if she went towards the violence. She didn't think Mow's soldiers would try anything with her, not if there was such a high chance of getting caught.

Rave listened for more footsteps, when she only heard the background noise of the battle outside, she limped out once again.

--

The battle was hardly a cause for worry. Thinlin was outmatched in every aspect. They didn't have the manpower or the weapons necessary to hold out against the strongly armed militaries of the three nations combined.

Aurilean didn't hesitate when it came to cutting down the Thinlinyte soldiers. They were in league with Josephine, that was enough for him to not stay his hand from making killing blows. They were cowards too, as the tides of the battle turned, they ran and hid like dogs.

He just wanted this all to be over with, he wanted to take Rave and Leo and ride back to Rayner. He sighed loudly as his soldiers cleared a passage to the castle gates. Thinlin wasn't made to stand against armies or anything. "Take the castle!" He yelled.

He was the first of them to reach the castle, commanding his men to find the queen. He and Rayner were going to find Leo and Rave. Aurilean halted a fallen soldier off the ground. "Where are they? The prisoners?"

"Please-" The man begged, "Mercy!"

Ragnor pressed a knife to the sobbing man's throat. "Where. Are. They."

"The queen's personal chamber!" The man yelled, "The princess is in the dungeon! Please, I am just a farmer!"

Aurilean threw the man down. "I'll get Rave, you get Leo?"

Ragnor nodded, "You four, with the prince. Rest with me."

Taiskin ran in after them. "Aurilean!"

"We know where Rave and Leo are." He told Taiskin.

"Your highnesses! I've spotted the Queen running with her guards.!" One of his soldiers yelled.

"Shit, we need Josephine first." Taiskin took off in the direction of the guard.

"Wait!" Aurilean bolted after Taiskin. He knew Ragnor was after him too, he could hear him yelling at the soldiers.

They wouldn't have managed to corner Josephine if they hadn't heard her scream and her guards yelling. Aurilean and Taiskin cornered Josephine and her guards in a hall, the main audience hall of Thinlin if Aurilean guessed right.

He didn't notice why Josephine yelled, not immediately at least. She was clutching her arm, which had an arrow pierced through it. Aurilean had thought it was one of his soldiers, or Taiskin's. But no, it was Rave.

He had never seen her so battered, dirty, and bruised. She was leaning against the wall, a bow on the floor and a quiver of arrows beside her legs. She looked like hell. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

"Rave!" She sluggishly looked at him.

"What...What took so long?" She slurred.

Taiskin was instantly beside her, letting her lean on him. "I knew you wouldn't just sit around while we saved you."

"Why...would I-" She rested her head on his shoulder. "-Wait?"

"We need to get her to a priestess, now." Aurilean walked up to her. "Can you stand?"

'Leg injury." She murmured, but then she looked up, suddenly awake. 'Wait, where's Leo? Get Leo!"

"Ragnor, Contyer, go get Leo." Taiskin handed Rave over to Aurilean. "Where is Leo?"

Josephine laughed, despite, or because of, her condition. "It doesn't matter. He's mine now!"

Rave looked up at her steady ad spat blood on Josephine. "Fuck. Off."