The Death of a Hero

Chapter Two

Serena's P.O.V.

The other heroes arrived over the span of two weeks. The second to arrive was Gambit Flynn, who made his appearance two days after I had.

The Queen and I were currently having tea in the garden when a guard came rushing in. "My Queen! Gambit Flynn has arrived!" he shouted urgently and Queen Helena stood up abruptly. I rose more gently and the Queen turned to me.

"Follow me, Serena, I believe it to be important that you heroes love and respect one another. Teamwork will be fruitless without a strong bond," she told me and I smiled softly at her.

"You can be cruel, my queen. Love and respect them when I know how the story ends? I will live with a hole in my heart should I heed your words," I told her and Queen Helena rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Dear, remember what I told you the other night. There is a chance you could save them. Please do not lose heart so quickly," she told me and I sighed as I followed her and the guard to meet Gambit.

We entered one of the lounges to find a man decked in armor with a giant broadsword swung over his shoulder. A scar chipped his left eyebrow and he had a slight red scruff. He had his curly red hair neatly trimmed short but he wore a stern expression on his face.

"Mr. Flynn! An immeasurable pleasure to have you here, I trust my knights showed you where you could stay for the nights to come?" Queen Helena asked as she sat down on one of the chairs. I did not sit.

"Yes. Who is this young girl?" Gambit asked as he gestured to me.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Flynn, I'd like you to meet Miss Piko. She is your fellow hero, I do hope you get along," the Queen explained and Gambit looked me up and down.

"You sure? She seems too young," he said and I felt a little irked by this.

"If you doubt my competence, I ask if you can shoot an apple straight through the core from 300 meters," I told him and he blinked before he grinned.

"No I cannot, I like you already kiddo, I apologize for testing you," he said as he stood up and held out his hand. I looked at it before I quirked my brow and took it.

"I've dreamt of meeting one of the Piko family members but to be in the presence of the family's best archer is simply fantastic. Please, I hope you will be able to give me some tips some day, my archery is child's play compared to yours," he said as he shook my hand.

I laughed and smiled at him. "It'd be my pleasure, Gambit," I told him and he grinned.

"I'll hold you to that," he said and I felt my chest warm at his kindness before a small weight was placed on top of it. Guilt was a terrible feeling to know.

Arriving a day later was a strange tanned dryad. Covered in war paint, she was armed to the teeth in weapons, a huge beast following her as she stepped into the dining hall. Her dark brown dreads reached all the way down to her thighs, her fierce yellow eyes scanned the room before they landed on me. Vilja Corleone was a terrifying woman.

I immediately engrossed myself in my stew, blowing on it as I put the wooden spoon to my mouth. It was late in the night and I had just gotten back from training with my bow, the wooden weapon leaned up against my chair as I ate silently.

"You are Serena," she declared and I swallowed before looking up at her. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. You must be Vilja," I said politely and just as Vilja was about to speak again, Queen Helena suddenly entered the dining hall.

"Ah! Miss Corleone! Pleasure to finally meet you," the Queen exclaimed and Vilja clicked her tongue.

"You will call me Vilja," she stated, resting a hand on a huge tiger. The striped feline purred and leaned into Vilja's touch, showing his affection openly.