nala

escort

Torra

I kissed her.

She kissed me.

We kissed.

What?

Andi shook my shoulder, waking me up. "Wake up lovebirds. Its, like, noon." Andi walked to the other side of the bed to get Nala. "Wake up." Andi yelled. Nala woke up gently, like she didn't just have Andi shatter her eardrum.

"Just five...more...hours." Nala pulled a blanket up over her face.

"Sweetie. It's time for you to get up." Andi said sweetly, just as she punched Nala in the stomach.

Nala screamed, something even more painful to listen to from the events of last night. "You hit the wound you obtuse water buffalo!" Nala sat up, clutching her stomach. Other patients laughed at Nala's brilliant insult. Nala climbed out of the bed, untying the dress she was wearing last night. "Let's go moron." Nala said rudely to Andi, but Andi ignored her entirely and slung an arm over her shoulders.

I followed the girls in front of me out the door, where they stopped abruptly. There were a few guards carrying spears in a circle, civilians circled around them. "In accordance with the temporary Commander, an escort has been arranged for Nala of Napoli, Andi of Napoli, and Torra of Lanca." The guards announced.

"Well shit." Nala said under her breath. I stepped forward between the guards and Nala.

"In accordance with—" The guards began to say again.

"I don't think you understand how much I don't care." Nala exaggerated. "Let's go." Nala shrugged. The guards assumed formation around us and walked us to the compound.

"What the hell did you do Andi?" Nala whispered.

"I'm not the one who killed six leadership assholes!" Andi countered.

"I'm not the one who agreed to." Nala finished. Andi had no idea what to say to that. The guards dropped the butts of their spears on the ground, and we all shut up. We had four sets of stairs to go up.

"You alright?" I asked Nala.

"I'm fine." She assured. She twisted around, wincing as bloody fabric started to drip.

"No you aren't." I jumped a few steps and sped up to her.

"Andi opened it." Nala admitted.

"What an obtuse water buffalo." I joked. Nala laughed, immediately seizing her stab wound.

"Don't make me laugh it hurts!" Nala exclaimed quietly. I stepped to the other side and held her hand tightly, while she was pushing her stomach to stop bleeding.

We continued up the stairs to reach a landing, where we were guided to what seemed to be a throne room. There were hundreds of people in the hall, mostly civilians. There was a single throne made of smooth metal and wood, with jewels embedded at the head, elevated above everyone by a platform.

"Interim Commander Sasha, Nala of Napoli." A guard announced Nala's name.

"Nala onh Napoli. What a pleasure." The figure in the throne commented. "My name is Sasha. My father was the man who stabbed you." Sasha answered calmly, something extremely out of place for what she was saying. "As daughter of the only man on the Committee, it was under every impression that I was to assume his crown." Sasha continued. She jumped off the throne, only to realize that she had a sword on her back and a circlet, most probable her father's. "His ultimatum was that the Committee would stand no longer. I would rule alone, command all. It was under his impression that he would lead me through ascension." Sasha explained.

"That is unfortunate." Nala mentioned.

"My father wanted to continue the dictatorship that is the Committee through the power of one. From cradle to grave, I will believe that his ways were wrong, not in the interest of Lanca." Sasha surprised everyone. "In your past, the guards of the Bunker gave you the alias 'Queen of Death'."

What?

"How do you know the inner workings of the Bunker? The Matches?" Andi inquired rudely.

"Emerson." Sasha answered. "Emerson's agreement is beside the point. The 'Queen of Death' is a topic I am more interested in." Sasha started to walk down the stairs elevating her throne. "If I was to command, I would have to be more powerful than the people, by an extent, you." Sasha sneered, directed specifically for Nala. Sasha pulled her sword, coming only a few feet away from Nala. Guards were right next to Andi and I. There was no way Nala was getting out of this. "Nala onh Napoli, there is one answer. Your power must be taken from you, 'Queen of Death'." Sasha smiled. She adjusted her sword in the hilt of her hand.

Sasha then did something no one saw coming.

Sasha flipped her sword in hand, grabbing the blade with her fingerless gloves. She knelt before Nala, her sword pointed down into the ground. Townspeople, guards, even Andi gasped. Civilians began separating, before kneeling, guards alike. And even got down on a knee, bowing her head. Nala turned around, looking at the people. Then she came to me.

Nala raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, quickly glancing to the ground.

"Fine." I succumbed. I knelt down briefly. Footsteps sounded, echoing throughout the throne room. Everyone rose. Sasha sheathed her sword, wrapping the band around it and passed it to Nala.

"Thank you, Sasha." Nala politely said.

Aden and Jordan bursted through the doors of the throne room chased by a unit of guards. "We've got a problem!" Jordan yelled, extremely distressed.

"Yeah we do!" Aden agreed.

"Yes you do!" A guard chasing them agreed.

"Stop!" Nala yelled. The guards chasing Jordan and Aden stopped.

"Napoli...they're here." Aden panted.

"Elliot." Nala mumbled, a little scared. "Sasha. Order attendants to shut the gates. I want a hundred archers for every Napoli. Evacuate all citizens to the compound." Nala commanded. Civilians in the throne room were directed deeper into the compound, while many more filed through the door, each taking the time to bow to Nala. "Dammit." Nala wiped her blood on her pants.

"Can we get some bandages and a fresh shirt!" I yelled, people turning to find stuff. 

Guards came together, archers prepared with two dozen arrows each. Nala grabbed a shirt someone offered, with drapes for sleeves and a tie to secure it all.

A guard team clambered up the steps. "Their leader would like to speak with ours."