The Royal Mishap

Chapter Eleven

I couldn't just sit there and be useless. I couldn't. Even if someone as big of a coward as Prince Nijel is hurt, he can't watch others get hurt. No one deserves that.

So, I slowly got up, gaining balance. The first figure gets closer and closer to a retreating Hazel, as Edwin stands like a human shield between the two. This startles me. Why did Edwin care as much as to protect the girl he had met only a while back? Did he love her?

I shook my head; this isnt the time to think about that. I pull out my sword and limp as fast as I can to Hazel.

"Get... get aside Edwin." I say.

Edwin looks back, "I can't! You're hurt already, Prince Nijel!"

"I'm a better fighter than you ever will be, Edwin. So, get aside and take Hazel away, she's the main target."

"No! Nijel, I'm not going to go away! You'll die without me!" Hazel yells, but I've already overtaken her. Edwin heads back, slowly and grabs Hazel, pulling her aback.

"Please give me strength, Ma." I whisper to the sky. "Please. For your son."

I look infront of me, the figure approaching me with the ball of black fire curled in his hand. I point my sword to his nose.

"Go ahead. Try." Says the figure, his unnerving smirk only rising.

I close my eyes and stab my sword through his eyes.

I open them to see the figure standing there, sword through eyes, not a drop of blood. I gasp, my mouth hangs open.

The figure flicks the ball of flame towards me. I immediately fly backward, hitting the ground with a large thud. I feel my wound throbbing, and my heart racing. Behind me I hear Hazel screaming, I grunt, hurt and manage to look back. Hazel's face is buried with pain. Edwin's crouched next to her, trying to figure out what's happening.

I yelp, "Hazel?"

Edwin looks at me, scared, "She's got a weird mark on her hand."

Before I could react, I felt a punch across my face. My lip is bleeding. It's really busted. But I dont think much of it, y'know apart from the throbbing pain, I glance back at Edwin and Hazel.

"Edwin... I need you to tell me what the mark looks like." I yell. The figure brutally steps on my leg. I scream with agony, almost at tears.

"It's... it's the same as her symbol. Why... why is her symbol here, Nijel?!" Edwin screams, cowering.

The realization shakes me far too late that even Edwin is just a young man under eighteen. Someone who hasn't been trained to deal with all this. I wouldn't be surprised if he left us if we ever get out of this.

If we ever get out of it. I really need to get out of it. I need to think.

I close my eyes, ignoring the first figure getting closer to stomp on me again. I need to act as if I can't see... as if I'm blind. As if I'm blind.

Blind! The creature must have a blind spot. I just need to find it, and help Hazel.

So I open my eyes, the figure just throwing another scratch worthy bolt at me; the other two figures appear to be just standing. Not helping at all－ just standing. It caught me off gaurd, and for that I got another little something on my right arm. God, this one stings.

I take the hilt of my sword and try disable his feet. As expected, nothing happened. I furiously try every single spot I can think of. The figure doesn't budge, instead looks at me with a crooked grin, knowing I can't win this one. Just a few shots in, and I'm already tired, and ready to quit. A thought races through my mind about being dead. Maybe it would be bett－

No! One more time Nijel! One more time, you can do this, Hazel's voice flashes in my head, interrupting my thoughts.

"Please ma." I squeak. "Please help."

And with all the courage and power I could sumon, I lift myself up and slice him through his armpit. His ever happy face turns into a bewildered sadness. I watch a his body disintegrates into dark ashes.

Edwin laughs behind me. "Nijel! The more you kill, the less painful Hazel's mark turns!" Edwin cries, his hands kept soothingly on Hazel's arm, and a bit more relaxed face.

I smile back. And then I fall to the ground. Too... much.... blood... loss.

My eyelids shut, and I hear a familiar voice.

"Get up, son." The voice has a strict and well-modulated tone to it. "Save your friends. You can't let them die."

Silence.

"Couldn't even complete your life-long goal, could you? You're an idiot. A loser. This way, you'll never achieve anything, even in the afterlife- that is, I you have given up?"

"Hmm. Of course. Have fun dying then." The voice continues.

My eyes half open, "I won't quit, Ma."

Her blonde locks fall around her face, shaping it. Her eyes are a steel brown, showing nothing but disappointment in them.

"Then get your filthy butt up." That's the last thing I hear before I wake up to reality.

"Nijel!" I hear Edwin yell.

"Fine... I'm fine." I nod. Time to kill more good for nothing demonic figures. This'll be fun. I force a wide grin, trying to signify I can take the other two bafoons down too.

The figures are a few feet away; which gives me and advantage to understand and utilize my surroundings. First I look at my wound, examining it. The cloth wrapped around it didn't seem to be soaking up more blood－ so I don't have to worry about it right now. I then grip my sword with a style called the 'hammer grip.' I stepped two steps forward, not wanting the demonic figures to get close to Edwin and Hazel.

The figures halt in front of me, their faces not as cheery or smug as they were before.

"I already took your friend down. You think you'll make it?" I say confidently; wanting to lower their self-esteem.

They glance at each other with a nervous look, speaking with their eyes.

"I thought so. The other one was stronger, wasn't he?" I smile.

No response － instead they attack. At the same time. To say the least, I was not expecting that.