The Portal Soldiers

Chapter XXXII

XXXII

Sleep

———

In the silence of the sleeping palace of Portland Goldens and in the lightless lobby where the throne lies, a resplendent light brightened up the whole lobby. From that light, six young people in winter sweaters came out.

"Help!" Elise yelled. "Someone, please wake up!"

The Communal Portal behind them shrinked pronto. Sally tiptoed and raised her sword. In her hands, her sword blazed, making light for the whole lobby.

"Help us!" Lance yelled. "The princess is in need!"

Clashing sollerets and tiles made their way to the Juniors' ears. For that moment, the dimmed lobby became lit. Numerous guards of the palace made their way to the Juniors, and now, some of the sleeping people in the palace were awakened.

"What's happened to the princess?" a man, who is in a common minimal armor only guards wear, asked.

"Call for the medics! Quickly!" Lance's voice cracked.

The seven guards standing around them became three—the four ran towards the smallest hall in the right of the lobby.

"Why did... Amy," Lance sobbed.

"Mister, we have to take the princess to her room," a guard said. "The medics will be going there."

Lance only nodded and lifted Amy higher as he stands up. A guard reached out one hand, expressing surprise.

"I can bear with her weight," Lance said and walked away. Elise, Sally, William, and Tom followed Lance, who was walking towards the largest hall at the right—towards the staircase and hall of Amy's room. While walking, Lance stared at the innocent blood-free face of Amy. He can feel Amy's cutlass against his right thigh, but he doesn't seem to be worried of the wounds he might have. Lance went up the stairs and stopped at the front of a two-door room.

"Mister, please lay the princess on her bed inside," a woman said. The woman's blonde hair is in a tight bun, and she is wearing a lab coat. She looks so witty with the rectangular-shaped lens of her eyeglasses. The mid-sized box in her hand is obviously containing Amy's needs at the moment.

The woman opened the door to make way for Lance and for his teammates. As both of the doors are opened, Lance entered and walked to Amy's pastel-brown bed. It's the plainest royal bed I've ever seen, Lance thought. He laid Amy down the purposely faded beddings. When Amy's head had already touched one of her bed's pillows, Lance removed the two quivers off of Amy. He also pulled the cutlass from the tight grip of Amy's hand.

He turned to the lady in lab coat, placed Amy's quivers and bow on the table beside the bed, and rapidly said, "Please do your best to wake her as soon as possible. Her wound is from an arrow. We don't know why she collapsed but... please."

"I'll do my best for the princess," the woman said. "If I can't do better than my best, I'll call for more medics. Now, mister, you can leave."

Lance nodded as a thank you and left with his friends. With such worrying, Lance dropped his backside on the corner of Amy's bedroom's exterior wall, waiting for his best friend to wake up.

---

Amy's long eyelashes shook as her eyelids opened. With light and dark trying to fight for her sight, she heavily pulled her eyelids up by raising her eyebrows. The excruciating pain in her shoulder made her screech to consciousness. Her eyes are widely opened and clear to every angle. Her feet shaking in coldness under her thick blanket.