Morons and Monarchs

Chapter 40: Ahmya🌴

The horse gallops faster than ever.

The open feilds blaze before us as we set off, I already left a note for Garbhan, and Bayou left one for Viviendel.

My nerves are blanching within my chest, but I have to come back alive. I will not fail this heist. For the better of Garbhan, for the better of the world. The Queens have made us destructive, they have demolished our pride and our honor, they have stepped on our opinions and have ruled in tyranny. Well, no longer. We will rise. We will take it. We will win. We will destroy it.

We will accomplish our goal.

I jab my heel into the side of my horse, and the horse neighs with disapproval before lurching forward. Thanatos's borrowed hound races ahead.

Brishen is riding with me, for he does not know how to ride himself. Though he is more vulnerable to iron and probably has a headache, nobody else volunteered. And now I know why. His scratchy, rough skin keeps rubbing against my back, and his legs keep brushing against mine. Fae made of bark. Not a good combination. And already, in this basking heat, do I not only smell but also feel the warm, thick maple sap radiating from his flesh.

I wrinkle my nose.

We left Araceli back at the cavernous cells. This is too dangerous to put an ancient at risk, and she could easily be found out in Tech Duin.

The sun starts to rise and I pull my hood back a bit. "OMNIA SOL CADERET!" Every sun must fall. I scream, raising my fist.

Bayou shouts back in unison with everyone else, "ET LUNA CORRUET!: Every moon must tumble. We shake our hoods off and dismount.

We tie our horses and hounds to trees and apologise to the leaves for using them so barbarically.

"Everybody listen up!" Bayou orders as he stands upon a fallen tree stump. His fist raised and another cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice.

"Nos vincere!" He shouts.

"Nos Vincere!" Thanatos and I fold our hands together and raise them as we scream back. We will win.

He crawls down from the stump and orders us to gather sticks. I team up with Thanatos, while Branwen teams up with Brishen, Bricria and Bayou team up.

"Come on," I elbow Thanatos as he continues to gaze at the stars. "We need to get the most sticks before the other groups." The Grand Revolt: A group of revolutionists who fight over who wins the stick contest. Whoever loses has to sleep on the ground and not in a tent, unless they can find somebody to bunk with. Which is highly unlikely.

"Thanatos," I elbow him again. "Our group will lose." He grabs my elbows and I quickly lock them and brace my feet apart, as if to sweep them around his knees and knock him down. But I dont. I cant.

"Ahmya," He says. His voice breathy as if near tears. "Are you scared?" He asks me. "Do you ever just want to go and die?"

"I-"

"Ahmya." He warns.

"Yes, I do."

He lets out a breath. "I am terrified."

"But also exhilarated, I hope."

"True," He chuckles. "I am so terrified that it makes me giddy... does that make sense?"

I touch his shoulder gently. "It does to those who understand how dark a mind can be."

"Whatever is," He searches for the words.

"Intoxicating?"

He nods. "Whatever is intoxicating is also petrifying." He shakes his head. "Whatever I seem to think is intoxicating, or exhilarating, I also seem to be terrified of."