The Scarlet Scepter

Chapter Nine

I expected to see my life flash before my eyes or whatever, but nothing happened. I was still paralyzed.

Then I realized that my feet were still planted on the ground.

I felt dizzy, and then a whirling sound deafened my ears.

"General, listen to me."

I was standing in a poorly lighted area. I squinted at the lights coming from what looked like a little opening on a door. When my eyes were accustomed to the gloom, there was a figure in the corner. I came closer, and I saw that there were two of them, speaking in hushed tones, with their backs turned to me.

"General, if anything happens to me, you know what to do," said a man. His voice had a ring of authority in it, but it also had a hint of sadness, like he knew what he exactly he was talking about. The same tone my father had on that night.

"But, Your Majesty, you cannot possibly mean that–"

"Protect my family at all costs. This is my final bidding to you."

The scene changed. I was then standing outside a tower, and in the moonlight, the sight of many dead men lying on the ground somehow made me nauseous. A lone soldier was trying to fight off three men dressed in black with his shield. I felt sorry for him for there was nothing I could do. He was going to be killed, and I tried to avert my gaze, but at that moment, a man in full armor appeared and with one swift slash of the shiny metal, the men fell. The lone soldier staggered, and the man caught him.

"What happened, Eleazar?" He was one of the men in the dark room.

"You were right, General. They came, and we had lowered our guard. We were overpowered," he managed to say, and his voice was shaking, and it left me with a strange feeling of familiarity.

"Where is the king?"

Eleazar didn't answer.

"What about Her Majesty?"

"She died with him."

The General's eyes were downcast. "I should never have left."

"But someone escaped, General. I saw someone from the palace escape," Eleazar said.

The General's eyes lit up. "Then go, Eleazar. Find them. We must save the Bloodline."

"But General, I do not know if I can make it."

He put his hand on Eleazar's shoulder. "You are the only one left I can trust. Gather a few from those who were left and find them." Eleazar nodded.

And then I was back in Ranah.

"Welcome. How may we serve you at this late hour? It is almost midnight," said a man in fine-looking clothing and bowed at the waist.

"We need horses, Narsus," Eleazar replied. Behind him were about twenty soldiers, with weary looks on their faces.

"Ah!" Narsus exclaimed, "But may I ask what for?"

Eleazar shot him a none-of-your-business-look.

Narsus gulped and bowed once more. "Follow me, if you please."

I followed them to a stable in the eastern part of the town. Narsus was obviously edgy. He waited nervously while Eleazar inspected the horses.

"We will borrow them for a short while," Eleazar said. "The kingdom will compensate you."