Guardians - A King's War

10

Hero's POV

I ran at full speed down the endless halls. I hadn't seen any draugr or hellhounds yet, I assumed Captain and Divine had dealt with them.

I could feel them there, somewhere.

There wasn't a trace of the Dark One to be found anywhere, which was aggravating considering the entire castle was a testament to her location. She had to be somewhere inside, and I knew Captain and Divine and everyone else in the world couldn't stop her for 5 minutes. I had to get there first.

I slowed to a stop as I found the throne room I'd been in earlier, looking around on high alert. I approached the throne she'd claimed for herself, letting my eyes wander over the delicate carvings.
I whipped around in time to see Captain and Divine bolt in, Destiny and 4 others I didn't particularly recognize not far behind. Captain and Divine were bruised and littered with cuts, but I knew if they'd met with the real Dark One I wouldn't be looking at them.
"Hero!" Destiny looked relieved, thrilled, excited to see me.
I didn't know what to say to her.
I'd failed her, as a guardian and as a friend. I'd left her to deal with my problems alone, Captain and Divine easily could have said no and left her to die by herself.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw a black blade sliding towards Destiny's neck in slow motion.
"Destiny!!"
Thankfully, she ducked, and I was on the Dark One in a heartbeat. Our blades clashed, causing the air to reverberate.
Unlike me, she wasn't injured in any way, and she was fully prepared to kill me.
"You're getting weaker." She purred, smacking my sword away with one of her blades and swinging her free hand at my neck. I ducked and went to trip her but she dodged easily, barely giving me time to stand back up before launching at me again.
I slid back about 14 inches, straining to hold my weapon against hers.
"You're getting older."
I whacked her hands with the broad side of my sword and went to stab her in the stomach. She dropped down and kicked my blade away before springing backwards with her hands and landing on her feet.
"You're getting distracted." She smiled and panic swept over me.
I glanced at Destiny, and when her group was fine, untouched, I realized I'd fallen for it.
I braced myself in time for her to slam into me, shoving me into the wall hard and going for my throat with her right blade.
I ducked and rolled away, hopping back up to my feet in time to block her knives with my sword.
"This entire battle is useless!" I spat, hitting her away only to dodge another slash.
"You think so?" She grinned, not relenting her attacks and not breaking a sweat.
If she kept up at this rate I'd be gone for good.

Some more fierce battling later, she was pissed off.
"You shamed me, banished me for no reason other than to shove me out of the way!" She seethed, slashing at me 3 times before I could move my sword to strike her.
"For no reason?!" I glared, letting my anger overwhelm me slightly.
"I banished you for no reason, did I!?"
I snatched the King's blade from a tear in the mists, dual-wielding and slamming both swords into the ground where she'd been standing half-way into my swing.
I freed my first sword from the gravel and threw it, it spun and hit her so she had to block it. I sprung at her to continue the battle where we'd left off with my single, newer sword. The King's blade rippled with unharnessed potential and I slammed my fresh edge against hers, chipping her blade.
"You turned everyone against me!" She screamed at me, the shattered look returning to her eyes.
"And for what!? For what Hero!?!" She swiped at my sword repeatedly like a cat, but I held strong and so did my blade.
"For everyone's good!!" I snapped, slicing towards her shoulder, only to get blocked.
"You lied to them!!" We threw our attacks at each other as hard as we could, sending us both flying back about 14 feet from each other.

"How would I lie about being murdered!!" I screamed, every fiber of my body trembling.
"... How could I lie to someone about being killed by my own mother...?"
She paused and studied me, looking just as lost as I was.
"I loved you!" I continued, warm tears streaming down my face. I tugged on my shirt, my sword's edge crashing to the floor as the strength left my right arm.
"I would have died for you! We both would have!!" I think I motioned vaguely to Divine, but I'm not sure if my hands actually followed through.
My mother was silent, watching me cry and pour my broken self out for all to see.
"I'd asked you a question- I'd asked when dad was coming home, since Father's Day was coming up. I didn't know about the guardians, the elders, and certainly not some stupid prophesy!!"
"You watched me with your stupid eyes, shoved me to the wall, and slit my throat."
I glared.
"And you watched. You watched my blood spill on the kitchen floor."
She didn't answer.
She didn't make an excuse, or ask what I was talking about, or call me insane.
"I saw it!!" I swore, my voice leaving me.
"I..."
Her yellow eyes watched me again, she frowned softly.
"I'd never kill you, Kade."
I wanted to stab her for calling me that, but her voice was calm and soothing, and I wanted to let my guard down, just this once, even if I regretted it for eternity.
"... I was so proud of you, of all you were becoming, of all you'd already done."
Her eyes showed her hurt, her brokenness, her confusion.
"... Why would I kill my little treasure?"
"I'm a ghost, aren't I?" I managed.
"You can feel it- I can't make this stuff up."
She shook her head softly.
"I'd left a note on the kitchen counter, I was going to be gone for the day. I told you and Divine to make yourself spaghetti for dinner if I wasn't home."
"I never made it to the kitchen counter." I growled.
"And Divine was a little preoccupied with her brother's corpse."

"I didn't kill you."
"Then who did!?"
My mother's gaze turned distant and she turned her eyes towards her throne.
But the question rang through the air, nagging at the both of us.

If she hadn't killed me, and I'd banished her falsely... 

Who had?