HOWL

35

The sword is a simple tool
but in the hands
of a master
it becomes the most
versatile of weapons.

Leondre killed mercilessly, his grip on his sword was tighter than usual. His will to murder every last one of the assassins stronger than before. He watched them all fall to the ground and he remained callous and remorseless. They had wanted to kill him and so deserved what they got.

Not far away from him stood his brother who was also in his own bloodbath. The once calm and gentle prince had suddenly turned violent.
He had remained true to his word, an attack against his family was an attack against him. Levi pushed the last assassin away with his leg as he drew his sword out of the lifeless body.

Levi watched as the man fell to the ground like a log of wood with no life in him.

Leondre grunted and stood to his full height, he was breathing heavily and so was Levi.
He was still panting when a raindrop fell onto his nose and more began calling bringing about a drizzle.
They had barely rested before they got attacked again and the fighting once again continued. There were smears of blood on his face but none of them belonged to him.

The fighting lasted for sometime while Leondre was focusing on his enemies before him, he had forgotten to check the ones behind him and Levi too was also preoccupied.
One of the assassins stalked closer to him, the man raised his sword in the air to stab Loendre at the back but an arrow shot him on the neck rendering him lifeless immediately. Leondre turned around to see that it was Issa that had saved his life.

"Levi and I would take it from here"
Issa had read Leondre's gloomy mood, she knew that he wanted to find Reuel, "Leondre please" She said as Leondre had turned to leave, "He is still our brother"

Leondre didn't know the perfect reply to give her. Yes, his brother had betrayed them but he didn't know what he was going to do when he finally came face to face with him. He pivoted and walked away.

~*~

Reuel walked round before finally standing behind Cyane, "I didn't want to kill you with my own hands, I didn't want to have your blood on my sword"

"Then don't" she pleaded with him

"I wish, Cyane, I wish but everything was planned out long before you came. My only regret is that you had to get involved"

The chair that she sat on was held by a rope and the rope was tied to an hour glass.

"Why am I involved? I'm only here because of the king"

Reuel chuckled low, "You really think that your presence in the castle is only because of the King?"

Cyane furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She was unable to comprehend what Reuel had said to her. Before she arrived to the castle, she was told that they were in dire need of her services.
She nodded slowly unable to believe that there was more to her presence in the castle.

Reuel walked to the edge of the wall where the rope connected to her chair stopped. There he turned the hourglass over and the sand began pouring to the bottom.

Underneath the rope, he placed a torch, the rope was to be burned by the torch once the hour glass had run down.

Cyane craned her neck to see what it was that he was doing, "Please Reuel, don't do this" She could perceive the pungent smell of burning rope. She tried to wriggle her hands free but to no avail, a tear slipped from her eye "Reuel please, I beg of you"