The King's Remorse

Already Dead, Remember?

"Don't do it, Soldier," Freedom says. "Don't do it." Her black eyes swirl darkly.

"He's a traitor," the Soldier seethes.

"Perhaps to the King, but Bryant is a traitor to Ragdon. Luke is merely trying to do what's right." I can hear the 'mostly' in her voice. I move to detach the Soldier's arms from my neck, but the look Freedom says not to.

"You're a traitor, too?" The Soldier's grip tightens, and my mind starts to go fuzzy.
Freedom's rainbow wings and the fur on her tail begin to glow, shimmering in the light from overhead. Immediately, the snake spits, rearing up when it sees her through the haze in my mind. Tendrils of yellow light curl, slithering like a frilled sea serpent toward the Guard and Soldiers. Again, I begin to lift my arms to free myself, and again Freedom gives me a look that says don't. My hands immediately drop. When the tendrils reach the Guard and Soldiers, they back up. 1 of the Guard fires an arrow that lodges itself in Freedom's neck. She doesn't move. "An arrow won't do anything, Guard. I've already died."

The Soldier holding me in a headlock suddenly relaxes, and he lets go, retreating several steps. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I-I don't know why I was doing that. I don't know what happened..."

"My apologies, I'm not sure why I've got this dagger in my hand. Oops." As Freedom's magic takes effect, the Guard and Soldiers drop their weapons. The anger's gone just as quickly as it came.

"What were we doing here?" The Soldier who had restrained me looks around frowning.

"What did you do to them?" I slowly turn around to look at Freedom, bracing myself for her reply.

"I took away their anger and made their memories from the last few days fuzzy. I forgot that I could do that. I thought it was just emotions. They're probably tied somehow." Freedom shrugs, but the movement turns into a shuddering spasm as the entire left side of her body convulses. She collapses to the ground, limbs twitching.

"Oh, no! Are you ok?" The Guard and Soldiers rush over. What's going on with them? They're near her because they're worried, not because they're trying to kill her.

"Just peachy," Freedom grits out, trunk curling as she fights it.

"What's going on?"

"I died, was rotting in the ground for years on end, and when Arcane brought me back he messed up. That's what's happening." Her wing jerks, unfurling and catching 1 of the Guard on the head.

"Hey! Get away from Freedom!" Brook comes galloping over to us at full speed, ears pinned to the side of her head, teeth bared. The whites of her eyes flash.

"W-what? Something's wrong with her. We're just trying to figure it out." The Guard and Soldiers hold up their hands, backing away from Freedom. Brook reaches Freedom's side just a moment later. She stands directly between the Guard and Soldiers, and where Freedom's laying on the ground, limbs continuing to twitch and spasm. Brook's nostrils are flared, tail swishing, and she stares down each of the Guard and Soldiers.

"Brook, Freedom did something to them. I don't believe they'll attack." I cautiously approach her, keeping my hands visible. We could just kill them, the snake whispers in my mind. They're traitors. They tried to kill us. That's punishable by death. Think about how easy it would be. So simple to just snuff out their life. We would feel much better. They tried to kill us.

"They're hunting down Clap. They cannot get to her."

"Where is Clap?" The little cat is nowhere to be found.

"She's in a hiding spot where no one will find her." Brook's gaze doesn't waver from the Guard and Soldiers.

I know Brook won't leave Clap's side, so I imagine Clap is somewhere with in eyeshot.

"We want to help," 1 of the Guard says. "What's going on?"

"I'm sure you want to help." The sarcasm in Brook's voice is laid on so thick I can practically taste it.

"Why don't you believe us?"

"Because you're a threat to Clap, and no 1's going to lay a finger on her. You're going to try to kill her, and I won't let you get anywhere near her." Brook's ears swivel and her gaze doesn't miss any detail around her.

"Brook," Freedom manages to say weakly as she fights the convulsions that still wrack her body.

"Yeah?" Freedom turns her body slightly to listen but keeps an eye on every movement the Guard and Soldiers make.

"They're... They're under the control of my magic." Hearing her say the words out loud is like a dagger through my stomach. She admitted it... she admitted it and didn't say. She didn't say she was sorry. No remorse for it.

Freedom's breathing is ragged, and her sides heave. "Freedom, are you alright?" I move closer to her, keeping an eye on the Guard and Soldiers.

"S-still peachy," she wheezes. "Normal. Arcane... messed up." The talons on 1 of her hind legs flare out and carve deep scores in the rock.

When the snake realizes Freedom's beginning to recover, it narrows its eyes, hissing its discontent. No, don't you dare, snake. It huffs at me, telling me how it's not fair that Freedom can modify their emotions so easily. It tells me that Freedom did that to me, so why should she just be able to change what someone is feeling whenever she wants? Who gave her the right? Yes, but what you're doing will get us killed. The snake snorts, saying that Freedom deserves to die; she's a traitor. You'll be getting Brook and Clap killed, as well as us. And at least Freedom's trying to do the right thing. You're not. The snake tells me that I'd be dead with that comment if I wasn't its vessel.

I don't doubt it.

Dust begins to shake around me, but I hold the snake back and let it settle. "You ok, Luke?"

"Yeah, sorry." I hate you, snake. The snake tells me I'd be dead a 2nd time.

Freedom exhales through her teeth, groaning as her muscles tense. The talons on her hind legs splay out to the side. Her vision seems to go blank for a few moments, and that's when the yellow tendrils of her magic begin to bleed from the bodies of the Guard and Soldiers.

Thanks for reading! Please comment on your thoughts, and consider a vote if you enjoyed the chapter!

Freedom used her magic to be able to control the Guard and Soldiers, but now her magic is bleeding from them. That can't be good

Luke and the snake seem to be on rocky terms. Though, not that they were really ever close to begin with.

Clap's in hiding, though Luke doesn't believe she's far. How's she doing?

And how are Wolf, Phoenix, and Seneca and Icarus? How are the Ragdonians in the White Tent Sea doing? Hopefully they're all ok.

I hope you're having a great day, wherever you are

-Werewolf14- :)