The Hathway Kingdom (Book 2)

One.

~One. ~

Larissa grunted before she thrust her sword through the front of the bandit that was in front of her throat. She was very much against killing anyone but when those people had turned a normal four-day journey into a week and that they were constantly attacking her and her travelling companions, it was the last thing on her mind to bother with her conscience. She withdrew her sword blade from her opponent's throat, ignoring the sickening sound that it made as she withdrew it, before she whirled around, her sword colliding with Tristan's as he swung at her at the same time, both aiming at what they thought was an enemy.

"Princess?" he asked between pants and they both lowered their swords as Larissa looked around them slowly.

"Is that the last of them?" she asked as she reached up and wiped some bloodied sweat from her brow with her sword hand, though who's blood it was she didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it.

"It is. Shall we collect and burn the bodies?" Tristan asked as he quickly wiped his blade before he sheathed it. He had lost the shield that he normally carried with him in a previous battle, but he didn't particularly care about that right now.

"No need," Larissa said before she clicked her fingers and each of the dead men, both enemy and ally alike, that were scattered around them burst into flames. Tristan jumped away from the body closets to him before he looked at Larissa, watching her as she surveyed the scene before her with her now glowing orange eyes.

"Prin-"

"Let's get going," she said, interrupting him as her eyes slowly went back to their normal green as she turned and began walking over to where her horse had run off to. Elissa crept out of her own hiding place and looked at Larissa as she came over to her.

"Are you alright, Princess?" she asked Larissa as she climbed into the saddle and looked at her maid.

"I am fine, Elissa. We need to get going," she replied before she urged her horse on and Elissa looked at Tristan as he brought over her horse.

"Is she alright?" she asked Tristan as he helped her into the saddle, and he looked at Larissa's retreating back.

"I'm not sure, Elissa," he said before he climbed onto his own horse and they both took off after the Princess.

Larissa had heard every word that they said but she had paid them no mind. She had only one thing on her mind and that was to get home to her Uncle as quickly as she could. They had crossed the border between Falconer and Hathway hours ago and she had felt her connection with the barrier come to life, letting her know that her Uncle was still, at the very least, breathing. It was surrounding the palace and she could sense that most of their citizens had managed to escape to the palace for refuge and protection. However, she could feel the barrier wavering and she knew that if she didn't reach the palace soon, the army of bandits would get through and her people would be more than likely hunted down and killed.

That thought alone made Larissa's grip on her reins tighten. She looked down at her hands, which had traces of blood and dirt on them from her fights. She swallowed heavily as they shook slightly before her eyes snapped up as she heard a whistling through the air. She turned towards it before she leant back in the saddle, letting go of the reins and letting her legs guide her horse as she spurred it to go faster. She had just barely managed to avoid the arrow that had been sent towards her before she sat back up again and called out to Tristan and Elissa, who had managed to reach her.

"They're back!" she cried out before she leapt from her saddle, drawing her sword once more as she went and tackling a bandit to the ground as she fell.

By the time that Larissa, Tristan, and Elissa eventually did reach where she felt the barrier started, they had lost both Tristan's and Elissa's horses, as well as everything else they had on them aside from what they physically carried. Tristan and Elissa were both on Larissa's chestnut brown mare's back, despite their protests that she should be the one riding her as she was the Princess, and Larissa led them along the path. They were covered in God knows what and now sporting a few injuries of their own. They came to a stop as several guards came out from behind several of the surrounding buildings, weapons pointed at the trio, with Tristan and Elissa raising their hands to show the guards that they meant no harm.

"Who goes there?" demanded a Lieutenant as he came forward, his sword raised and pointed straight at Larissa, who's grip tightened around the hilt of her sword, but she didn't raise it.

"Take a wild guess, Lieutenant. Now let us through," she snapped at the man, weary from her travels and wanting nothing more than to be near her Uncle. The Lieutenant narrowed his eyes on Larissa as he stared her down now.

"I can't just let anyone through...Especially if they are claiming to be the Princess," he snapped in return before she swore colourfully, earning a gasp from Elissa and a slight smile from Tristan.

"Then if we aren't who we say we are just be happy in the knowledge that we will die in a matter of seconds then," she snapped as she tugged on the reins of her horse and encouraged her forward. She heard Elissa go to say something but the quick glare that Larissa shot her silenced her.

The Lieutenant went to protest as well but upon receiving a terribly similar glare from Larissa himself, he fell silent and stepped back. He gestured for his men to step back and Larissa looked at them before she moved forward, leading the horse along behind her as she swallowed heavily.

She felt it before she saw it. As she stepped through the barrier, the air was taken from her lungs and her grip slackened on both her sword and the reins, both of which slipped from her hands. Her sword clattered to the ground and her eyes widened before she gasped as she felt the connection to the barrier intensify and it flared to life. The energy shot through the barrier and the light coming from it suddenly became blinding, causing everyone nearby to raise their hands to shield their eyes.

When the light faded and everyone lowered their hands, Larissa was now standing there, shoulders squared, her back straightened and her eyes alight, as she looked at the guards and soldiers that were present. Her eyes had gone the same electric white that they had when Master Paddon had pushed her in their sparring session, but unlike last time, Larissa felt in control of her abilities. Her breathing was even, but the air around her stirred and had become electrified.

"Your Highness!" she heard the Lieutenant exclaim before he and the rest of the guards and soldiers present sank to their knees and bowed to her. Her horse came over to her on of its own accord and nudged her arm and she turned to her before she leant down and picked up her sword. She then turned to the Lieutenant as she patted her horse's neck and the Lieutenant stood up once more.

"Take me to my Uncle, Lieutenant..."