Heirs to a Nothing Throne

Chapter 6

We awoke the next morning, ate breakfast at the usual time, and talked for about an hour. The door then opened and a hooded figure stepped in, interrupting our expected solitude.

"Get a move on, now. I'm stuck babysitting children again today," it said quickly. We looked at each other. Jasmine shrugged. We got up and followed Rnlme.

After we had walked a bit, I had a question. Our guide's touchy nature made me unsure if I should speak up, but I doubted he was allowed to do anything to us. "We see you guys all the time, guiding us places and such. Who are you guys?"

It took the man a full minute to finally answer. "We're Qaddej, although I don't know why you care."

Jasmine looked puzzled. "How many are there? How many... Caldeys?" she said to him. I smirked.

"I don't know. Who cares? There's so many that none of us really matter."

"Where did you come from, though?"

"I don't know! Outside, we came from the regular world, I guess! I don't remember!" I feel like it was Jasmine's constantly chipper tone that was getting to him.

Angelique chimed in, though. "What about the knights? The creepy ones?"

"Chevaliers. Now shut up, no more questions."

"Wait," I interrupted, trying to look apologetic, "one more. Before we came to this building, I met another guy, with yellow skin. He had a big head too, and I mean literally. Do you know who he—"

Rnlme stopped without warning, as soon as I had begun talking about what I saw in the woods. His arm shot out and grasped me by the throat, and all of a sudden my feet weren't on the ground. When he spoke, his voice resonated in our heads.

"I asked you to shut up! I told you to shut up!" I couldn't breathe, I was unforeseeably panicked, flailing my arms against his. "But you brought him up instead, more people who strut about, kicking us when they want! Well you kids are the lowest on the food chain now, and now I finally have someone I can kick—"

Rnlme was cut off by Andrey's fist, knocking him to the ground. I landed on my feet and stumbled, although Jasmine steadied me.

I raised an eyebrow and grinned, gasping a little. "What was that, pent-up stress, Andrey?"

Andrey chuckled, although his eyebrows were narrowed. "Maybe I just wanted to defend my classmate."

Rnlme jumped up and charged Andrey. I repaid Andrey by delivering a hardy kick to his aggressor. He collapsed to the ground again, where Andrey kicked his head. Andrey was a combat fanatic who knew his way around weapons and fighting, just out of passion. I was just in good shape and knew how to throw a punch. Rnlme seemed pretty flimsy.

But he was able to slowly rise, shaking with pain, anger, or both.

"You!"

He got to me before I could react. Hands closed around my neck again, this time undeterred by Andrey's quick, violent response. I didn't panic this time, though, and kneed him. His grip loosened, and I wrenched free. I kicked him in the side of the head, but my foot was caught while on the return trip. Rnlme yanked on my leg, and I fell to the ground with a cry. Andrey grabbed his arm on both sides of the elbow before hitting it with his knee. There was a loud crack, and Rnlme screamed in pain. Eva gasped at the brutality, and I felt a little sick too. My adrenaline was catching up with the situation, and I wasn't quite thinking straight. I punched his face, maybe unnecessarily, and another crack came from beneath the mask.

He fell to the ground, and Andrey and I backed off. Hopefully that's it.

Instead of falling back, Rnlme grabbed my pants and bit my ankle. I cried out and instinctively kicked. It had no effect, and the Qaddej knocked me over and began choking me again, persistent in this pursuit.