A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 14

Liam woke under the soft glow of the wall lights beneath Harksgold, yet he was not comforted by them. He felt on the verge of disaster, but disaster of what, he did not know. He could see the others asleep peacefully on the floor. Harvey had grains in his black beard and his eyes were concealed beneath his hat. Ryan was asleep under the influence of the golden pill Stephen had given him. Stephen had somehow wrapped his hands once more and slept with them near his face, alongside Gresham and Prima, who slept with each other's heads resting upon one another. Jackson slept near the farther end of the tunnel, though Liam could sense he was not in a deep sleep, for guards were trained not to be in such a state. Theron lie once more with his face buried beneath papers.
Liam sat with a chill and achy bones. He glanced at Stephen, then shook his head. He did not want to fall asleep under the influence of a drug-at least, not yet. He glanced at the box of food lying on the ground, then frowned. His appetite was not with him. He knew he should eat, or perhaps drink, though he did not want to stand, for he did not trust the little strength in his body to support him. Father, why did you worry more of the kingdom than of the person who would rule it? At least, Liam thought, he would not have to pass sickness onto an heir. His family was not destined to rule, and it was time a transition took place, even at such a moment as the one he found himself in.
Despite his weariness, Liam stood and dragged his feet toward the end of the tunnel. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes in a feeble attempt to calm his racing heart.
There came a clatter from deep within the tunnels, and Liam froze, listening. His training kicked in, his senses alert. He could sense the others behind him still asleep, even Jackson.
"Are you sure?"
It came as a whisper, yet it was so clear that Liam was sure he had heard it. He even thought he heard the voice belong to a male who was afraid and hesitant to speak. But then he saw movement before him that belonged to no man.
Liam must have inhaled too sharply, for he began to cough. This was not how he'd intended to wake his friends. The coughing grew more intense and his heart was beating too fast. Shakily, he reached for the knife concealed within his clothes, but when he grasped and turned toward the invading zombie, he found it lying dead at his feet with a knife through its temple. Liam sensed Jackson behind, but he could not see, for spots were in his eyes. In the next moment, he found himself lying on the ground, Stephen hovering over him. Liam's entire body ached, especially his head, and he could feel something inside his throat. He coughed, which led him down a path of gut-wrenching coughs, until his throat momentarily stopped itching and he could breathe.
"Liam, can you hear me?" asked Stephen, his voice echoing in the tunnel.
Liam could hear Stephen, though his voice was not as clear as it should be. Liam did not trust himself to speak, so he remained quiet. He could hear his breaths, loud and ragged. The sound scared him.
Stephen seemed to understand that Liam could hear him and he spoke calmly. "I will give you medicine that will help to calm your breaths, though that is only if you can keep it down. Do you want to sleep?"
Liam shook his head. Even that simple movement caused him pain. But he could bear it. He must.
"Good choice," said Stephen. "There is also a pill I can give you to help with the pain. Does this sound good?"
Liam nodded.
Stephen grabbed from two bottles that had been placed beside him and tipped a pill from one. "Forgive me for having to drop this so abruptly, but my hands are not yet healed and I do not want to have everyone crowd around you. Are you ready?"
Liam nodded, and Stephen tipped the pill into his mouth. It slid down Liam's throat surprisingly easily and he took a breath, attempting to slow his racing heart.
Stephen then grabbed the second bottle. It was full of a purple liquid. He poured some of it into the bottle's cap, somehow managing not to spill a single drop, and tipped the liquid into Liam's mouth. It tasted like grapes fresh from the vine.
After a couple of breaths, when Liam felt steadier, he asked, "What happened?" His voice was raspy. As much as he did not wish to give attention to the sickness inside of him, he wanted to know how it was defeating him.
"Your body is exhausted," said Stephen. "You have not eaten or drunken anything, to give you strength. As for the blood you are coughing, it's... it's a new symptom..." His voice trailed off, and Liam's mind wandered to his father. He'd died of pneumonia, and he had coughed up blood.
Stephen continued, "I will gather some food and water." He stood and hurried over to the box lying a few feet away, amongst where the others stood quietly, trying to avoid looking at Liam. He knew they spoke of him, and he knew they were afraid. He wished he could rid them of their fear, for it did not better their chance of survival.
Liam did not feel as if the pills would stay in his stomach. He rolled over and leaned on his elbows. When he saw just how close he lie to the dead zombie, he began to gag.
Gresham and Harvey appeared, grabbing the zombie's arms and legs. They lifted it, and as they did so Liam could hear bones shifting and wounds spurting. A small bit of blood and the pills came from his mouth, and he rolled back over and collapsed.
"It's alright, we can try again a bit later," said Stephen, returning with a bottle of water and a bag of grains. He opened both and handed them to Liam. "Drink the water first."
Liam drank from the bottle, water sliding down his throat. It was warm and less refreshing than he imagined, but nevertheless he found himself draining the bottle.
Stephen grabbed the bottle and gently took it away, setting it down next to Liam. "You must be careful. You do not want to drink too fast."
"Thank you, Stephen," said Liam faintly. He pushed himself up so he could lean against the wall. His mind wandered toward the voice he had heard. Someone else was in the tunnels. "Stephen, I heard a foreign voice," he said quietly.
Stephen froze, looking further down the tunnel as if he'd see a stranger there. He met Liam's eyes and saw the truth within them. "When did you hear this?" he asked.
"Just before... When the zombie came," replied Liam. "It was quiet, belonging to a male. They said, 'Are you sure?'"
"I can search the tunnels," said Jackson suddenly, peering at Liam not as if he were on a deathbed but as if he were the king of Harksgold. "I can be back within an hour."
Liam saw no reason to keep Jackson with them. They all had knives and were tense after the zombie had come. "You may do so. Be back in an hour or less."
Jackson nodded and disappeared into the tunnels.
"'Scuse me, Stephen? I think Ryan needs you," said Harvey.
"Ryan will need surgery," said Stephen quietly. "I will do my best." He stood and made his way over to Ryan.
Liam took a breath and grasped helplessly at the walls, before placing his feet beneath him and standing. He felt a little dizzy with pain, but he blinked it away.
"You behave like a thief," said Theron, who was sitting on the ground with papers sprawled everywhere. He stood and nodded with a crooked smile on his face. "Thieves do not let sicknesses nor injuries prevent them from getting what they want."
"I have underestimated thieves," said Liam.
Theron shrugged. "Well, not all thieves are like us."
It was in that moment that Liam realized just how poorly equipped Charles was. As random a thought it was, Theron was much better at relations within the kingdom, and he'd make a good advisor.
Just thinking of Charles made Liam feel sick. What a fool Liam had been to trust his father's ways blindly and thoughtlessly. He had endangered all the peoples of Harksgold, including Stephen, Jackson, and William. He had wasted three years on the throne living day by day, tortured by advisors he could have gotten rid of within a minute. How foolish he was.
"Shouldn't you be resting?"
It was Prima, and she grabbed Liam's arm as if he needed steadying. "On the contrary," he said, "I feel I should make the most of my time while I'm awake. Sleeping will not rid the sickness from my blood."
Prima sighed and let her hand fall. "You are a stubborn king."
"No, I am a bitter one," said Liam quietly.
"Too many expectations are placed upon a king," said Prima. "Do you think that Jackson will find that storage house we are going to?"
"Hopefully," said Liam. "But I suspect there are more zombies waiting."
"No wonder why Ryan was shaking his head," Prima mumbled. She brushed her hair behind her ears and glanced at Liam, then took a breath. "Why does Tholam change his name?"
"I believe he does it every time he thinks of a new item to steal," said Liam.
Prima scoffed. "What do you think he's drawing now?"
Liam stopped. One reason why he stopped was because he hadn't noticed they had been walking while talking. More pressingly, he detected scheming in Prima, and he did not appreciate it. He couldn't blame her curiosity, but nevertheless he didn't want it. He couldn't share what he'd told Theron to draw-not yet. The time had not yet come. "I won't raise your hopes when the idea may not work at all," he mumbled. Before Prima could respond, he said, "Why do you hate him?"
Prima looked surprised. "I do not... I do not hate the man. He..." She sighed. "He and I dated briefly when we were younger. It was no more than a month. I broke up with him."
Liam raised his eyebrows. "Well, he must still adore you."
"He is a good man at heart, but foolish at mind," said Prima. "I should have listened to Gresham. But that is in the past."
"Lucky for me, I was never encouraged to date in my youth," said Liam.
Prima smirked. "Were there any women inside the palace?"
Liam shrugged. "Not many," he said honestly.
Prima let out a laugh and took a few steps backwards, tossing a bag of grains at him. He caught it and frowned. "Now you act like Stephen." He tossed the bag back to her, his appetite still missing.
"You have blood on your face," Prima said, as if she had said nothing out of the ordinary. She tossed the bag back.
A chill ran down Liam's spine. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He tossed the bag.
"I am telling you now," said Prima. "Are you in a lot of pain?"
The bag hit against Liam's stomach and fell to the ground. He suddenly had a disturbed feeling in his gut, and it had nothing to do with his sickness. He turned and looked behind, a dark and ominous tunnel looming before him. "No," Liam replied to Prima's question. "I don't feel anything at all." He looked back at her, but she was gone. He was staring at stone walls and stone floors.
A chill ran down his spine. He looked back and his breath hitched in his throat. A single zombie stood amongst eerie shadows cast by the lights on the walls. Liam reached for his knife, but he grasped at air.
Suddenly, the lights extinguished, leaving Liam in total darkness. He wanted to call out, shout for Prima, but he couldn't afford to attract more zombies. He didn't understand why he could feel nothing, and a striking thought hit him: perhaps he was dreaming. After all, the lights in the tunnel could never go out. It was nearly impossible. Liam supposed he could be safe even in a dream he couldn't control, for surely the zombie could not see in the dark.
He heard running footsteps.
Liam braced himself, digging his toes into the floor and holding his arms protectively over his chest. A moment later the zombie slammed into him, and Liam fell backwards into a pool of water. The tunnel was flooding. He struggled with the zombie on top of him. It was a heavy zombie with lots of skin hanging from its bones, and its arms were entangled around him. He couldn't breathe. Water whirled around his head.
The zombie momentarily lost its grip. Liam found air and he gasped, trying to get his feet beneath him. A spiking pain flared through his arms and he noticed scratches on them.
He had been scratched. He had made it so far only to be defeated by a scratch. Battles were not meant to be fought by scratches but by stabs and gouges. This was no way for him to die, yet neither was sickness. He had failed.
The zombie resurfaced and lunged again at Liam, but this time when he hit the water he was already unconscious....
Liam gasped, his eyes wide open. He felt as if he had been holding his breath for minutes, his chest tight. He was lying on a hard surface and his vision was blurry, and it took a minute of blinking and breathing before his vision began to clear. Soft golden lights were on the walls. He was lying in the tunnel. He looked left and right and saw no zombies, but instead saw his friends.
A pain unlike anything he felt before washed over his body, and he closed his eyes. His limbs felt stiff and awkward with pain, and it was his head that pounded the hardest. He felt as if he were lying on hot coals and spikes.
"Liam, can you hear me?" came Stephen's voice.
"Not again," Liam groaned, opening his eyes. Stephen was before him, hair wild, hands shaking.
Stephen did not reply. His mind seemed elsewhere, and he was looking at Liam's arm. Panic flooded through him, and his breaths quickened. "Was I scratched?"
Stephen quickly shook his head and sat back on his heels. It was then that Liam noticed an empty syringe in his hand. "What have you given me?" Liam asked, fearful for the answer.
"Forgive me," said Stephen apologetically. "I was afraid. I gave you a mixture that will replenish some of your energy. You're starving and dehydrated."
"Where did you get a syringe?" asked Liam quietly.
"We had to go out, but we made it back safe," said Stephen.
Liam frowned and turned his head toward the others, who were sitting further along the tunnel very quietly. Theron was holding his papers against a wall under a golden light and scribbling. "Was none of it real?" whispered Liam.
"You may be confused and that is normal, considering," said Stephen quietly. "I woke to the sound of coughing, and then it had stopped. I noticed you weren't with us and I found you lying at Jackson's feet. Liam, I... I thought he had killed you."
Liam glanced at Jackson. He was sitting by himself, looking a bit pale.
"He was quick to explain that he killed a zombie just as it had reached you. That was when you fell unconscious. You... You were choking on your own blood."
Liam glanced at Prima and held a hand to his face. His hand came back clean.
"I cleaned the blood to the best of my ability," said Stephen quietly. "For a moment you were stable, but then you started seizing. When you stopped, I had the others monitor you while Jackson and I went out to gather syringes. We came back and... Well, here we are now."
Liam was somewhat relieved to hear that his dreams were not real, but he was still confused, trying to separate the dreams from reality. The male voice he had heard within the tunnels had sounded so authentic... it had ignited hope within him. Surely that had been real. "Jackson did not search the tunnels?"
"We... We moved to a different tunnel," said Stephen, hair falling into his eyes. "Ryan's feeling was correct... Some zombies found us. Jackson and I moved you while the others fought, and they caught up to us when it was finished. We passed by the storage house... It was where zombies seemed to have been lounging."
Disappointment filled Liam's heart. "What became of the food box?"
"We lost it," said Stephen, his voice hardly above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Liam. We can go out again and gather more."
"Jackson, how near are we to the next tunnel entrance?" asked Liam. It was difficult for him to raise his voice.
"An hour. We are in the heart of the tunnels," replied Jackson.
Liam closed his eyes. "Stephen, I can't travel for an hour. All this time, I thought I was awake and walking and having conversations with... How long have I been unconscious?"
"A little over a day," replied Stephen.
Liam closed his eyes. Tears were threatening to fall. He didn't want to show Stephen how afraid and disheartened he was. "How long do I have, Stephen?" he whispered.
There came a long silence, during which Liam assumed Stephen was struggling to fight his own tears. Finally, he spoke in a broken voice. "It hasn't been long, I cannot be sure..." He took a breath. "If you were to continue to decline this rapidly, I would give an estimate of a month, at the most."
"I have both of their symptoms," said Liam quietly. "Very well. A month... Stephen, I would like-"
"Forgive me for interrupting but I cannot have you ask that of me," said Stephen very suddenly.
Liam opened his eyes. Stephen's face was drenched in tears. "You would have me suffer pointlessly for a month, when you could be off in a safe place?"
"What safe place?" Stephen argued.
"Perhaps a thief would know," mumbled Liam.
"You are my friend, and while I do not want you to suffer, I do not wish to be the one to end your life," said Stephen bitterly. "I will do what I can to ease the suffering, but you cannot ask me to end it."
Liam frowned. He knew he had previously told Stephen not to end his life, but whether it was the pain or the bitterness, Liam had changed his mind. Quickly, he had found the point in which the suffering was most unbearable. After a moment, he said, "You should check on Ryan."
Stephen looked taken aback by this, and he stood quite slowly and left Liam alone to his thoughts.