Briar's Conflict (GxG Fantasy)

Chapter nine

The place was quickly set on fire once again. The entire place being surrounded by vines probably didn’t help. She continued her search, eventually running into the army. She defended herself easily. Too easily. They basically just violently told her to move aside. They aren’t here to battle the defense. She took a mental note and continued to look.

Briar got her whip out from under her bed and willed her magic into it. She was going to debate leaving her room or stay before she heard Nabal scream. She ran out to see he was stuck under a suit of armor statue that was on fire. She tried to push it off but it was too heavy. She wondered  why he wasn’t teleporting but the wrist of the armor was putting pressure on his throat. He couldn’t breathe let alone talk. She then tried to only move the wrist. It took her entire body weight but she did it. He gasped before coughing a bunch of time. “Teleport Nabal!” He then muttered his spell and in the blink of an eye was beside her. “I thought I told you to stay safe!”

She then pointed down the hall and he left. Just as he left he felt someone pull on her hair. She swung her whip back at the person knocking them back. Once she was free she turned to face them. “Where are they!?” They screeched as blood continued to gush out of the wound. “What? Who?” Soon a flame of magic came at her and she ducked. Knowing she isn’t safe just standing around she ran away.

“Oh my Ambrosia…” Marina said, looking at the castle. The two clans have finally made it. “ODIN!!!” She then ran forward not thinking. Marina turned to her people. “Celine and I will head in, the rest of you try to extinguish the fire.” Celine and her mother teleported in. The army, confused , began to attack. But because they are part of the Water clan they give up eventually. Meanwhile Marina and her daughter ran around frantically. “Mom, those meteors…do you think that was Ambrosia?” Celine asked. “I don’t know darling, but something tells me it was.”
“Arden!” Ava yelled, catching his attention. “It’s the king's fault this war is happening. He’s doing something horrible and I don’t know what! I need someone to help me find out and I know it sounds insane and you have every right to not believe me-” He put his hands up.

“I believe you, so slow down.” Odin ran up to the two. “What’s going on?” Now with a plan Ava began to speak. “We have to keep Prince Odin and Briar safe. Arden, you go and keep Briar safe. Odin and I will go to find answers.” Everyone nodded and officially split up. Ava chose Arden to protect Briar because she trusted him and he was the only one that trusted her. She needed Odin too as well. “What exactly are we looking for?” He asked following behind Ava. “The shrine, we’re gonna find out what the king is hiding.” She practically jumped down the stairs. But a force caused her to lose her balance and fall on her face. For once the tile wasn’t cool but warm.
She turned to see Nabal on the stairs holding his head. “Damnit!” Despite the sting on her cheek she got right back up and continued to go outside. The army as they saw them passed held their weapons up. “Ava, they're going to attack!” Odin exclaimed, trying to hold her back.

“No they won’t! Trust me.” And sure enough they didn’t. They ran by and they yielded. “What..?” They finally made it outside and began to go around the building. “They aren’t here for us, not that one guy I bumped into, and not even Briar. They’re here for a hostage.”
Nabal dizzy stayed on the stairs and watched the two leave. Once the world stopped spinning he got up and went up. “Celine!?” He yelled. “Nabal! There you are!” But then someone grabbed her and Nabal. The two of them screamed as their skin was being burned off. “Tell us where they are!” Celine’s captor said. “We don’t know what you’re talking about!” She yelled with honesty. But all she was met with was him pushing on her skin harder causing her to scream out in pain.

Nabal went nonverbal. He heard his captor ask questions but didn’t listen. In fact he felt like he wasn’t even in his body. Like he was a spectator watching from afar. His skin was melting off and the smell of burning flesh was becoming stronger. His eyes were dull and lifeless. Celine meanwhile who was fully alert was still screaming. Marina heard her daughter screaming and ran to the scene. She saw them being burned alive. Nabal noticed his mom came back. He was alert and now felt everything that was happening to him. He then started to cry out in pain. She made her move and used her magic to make water hit Celine’s captor with extreme force. He flew back and hit the wall and then went limp. She didn’t know if she knocked him out or killed him, but she didn’t care.

Nabal was still being tortured though. The pressure stopped because that startled him, but he was still being burned. “Let him go or face a fate worse than your little buddy over there.” He then ran away scared. Both Celine and Nabal fell to the ground. “Celine!” She cried out looking over her daughter's wounds. “What about me…?” Nabal whispered to himself. It was like she forgot about him. All her focus was on Celine and healing her. Nabal felt a tiredness creep up on him and how it slowly took over. And he then passed out before his mother even looked at him.

Briar was using her whip to fight off the soldier trying to attack her. Arden was surprised and proud. Once the stranger was defeated she turned to see Arden standing there like a proud dad. “I knew you had it in ya. Come with me.” He held out his hand and she took it. They went to the guest room that Nabal used. “Look, Ava came to me and said that the king is hiding something. And I believe her, I mean think about it.” Briar sighed and looked away. “The only reason they’re attacking you is because you’re attacking them. And for the past six months the king has been off and I know you’ve noticed it too. If you can’t believe only Ava’s word, believe mine and hers together.”

He saw the conflict in her eyes. “You're saying this with no evidence and you don’t even know what it is. I need to see it for myself to believe it.” He sighed. “Alright, I’ve noticed she has been trying to get into the shrine lately so I think it’s there. Let's go so you can see it for yourself.” Briar agreed and they made their way over. They soon ran into the army again. “Just keep walking.” He said. Nervously she did so and they left her alone only setting the castle on fire. “We should probably get out of here.”

“Yeah.”

“We’re here. And I was right nobody is guarding this place now.” She placed a hand on the door. “Ready for…whatever the hell is in there?” Odin nodded so she pushed the door open. “Ugh It’s dark.” After she said that a bunch of gasps and muffled noises filled the room. Odin flipped a magical switch and the whole room lit up. The altar made for the goddess Ambrosia stood in the
middle of the room. But then their eyes wandered to the sides and what they saw made them both freeze. Multiple people from the Fire clan were tied down onto tables. They both ran to them and saw most of them were gagged.

There were so many marks and wounds were on their bodies they couldn’t even imagine what the king did to them. Burns, gashes, dislocations, and injection marks. “Holy crap.” This caught Ava’s attention. She turned to see what Odin was talking about and saw the crown prince of the Fire clan was there as well. Unlike most of the people here he wasn’t awake. Odin grabbed his arm and placed two fingers on the other fae’s wrist. “He’s alive but very sick. If we don’t get him out he may die.” Odin stated. She then ran over to one of the conscious people.”What did he do to you guys?” She asked removing the gag. “He treated us like lab rats…no worse than that. He treated us like we weren’t even real. He injected us with things I don’t even know. Trying to get us stronger or something. He would put us through these tests and we all got hurt doing them. If we disobeyed he’s torture us, pull our nails off or rip off our hair.”
“Believe us now?” Startled, Odin and Ava looked and saw Briar and Arden in the doorframe.

“No…he wouldn’t…This…this can’t be right.” Briar mumbled. Ava walked over to Briar and grabbed her hands. “I know this is a lot to take in, but we can’t let them suffer anymore. This
whole war started because of him, now he has to be stopped.” Briar was still in a state of shock. “A bastard like that should not be allowed to be king, hell shouldn't even be allowed to be in this kingdom!” Odin said. “We have to let the prince’s parents know where their son is.” Ava said. “What?” Odin and Ava showed the two the crown prince. “Well, that explains the war.” Arden said. “Will they believe us?” Briar asked. “Of course they will, they may be powerful fae, but at the end of the day they’re just a couple of parents looking for their child.” Arden explained.

“Okay then let’s-” Odin stopped mid sentence because of what he saw in the doorway. Well, who he saw in the doorway. “Father.” Briar said standing in front of everyone. “Briar.”