Eternity with You

Chapter 15

George fell to the ground, his lungs crying out for oxygen. He tries to take in deep steady breaths but all he can manage is a desperate pant. He couldn't move... he had gone too far and now he was paying for it. He was light-headed and he couldn't stop shaking. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear his people and several of the castle guards, who volunteered to stay behind, lighting torches to illuminate the valley.

George reached out a trembling hand to try and grab any crevice in the wall that he could use as support to help him stand up. He manages to lift his body enough to look down and see the last group of people enter the tunnel.

"Okay... I need to rest for a bit to recover my powers. Then I can close the tunnels..."

Suddenly he heard the sound of rock being hit. At first, it was just one sound but as the seconds past more and more joined in creating a resounding choir of blows raining down on the rock dome covering the area.

George's anxiety spiked when a tiny ray of sunlight managed to slip through a crack in the dome.

"All of you take cover!" George yelled, just as the roof started to crumble and large chunks of rock started falling, threatening to crush anyone on the ground.

Everyone on the ground took off in different directions. Once making sure that everyone had managed to avoid getting crushed he turned his eyes back toward the sky. If it had been any other situation, George would have watched in awe at the magnificent display of Pegasus and wyverns descending upon the valley.

Adrenaline pumped through his body, giving him the energy he needed to turn on his heels and run into the castle. He had just reached the stairs when the unmistakable sound of someone landing on the tower caught his attention. He turned his head to find a regally dressed knight get off his Pegasus and offer him a mocking bow.

"O great guardian of Estel, I am honored to meet your acquaintance. My nephew has told me all about you." The man said.

"Emperor Seth..." George breathed out.

"In the flesh! Do forgive my rather vulgar entrance, allow me to make it up to you." Seth continued before he raised his hands to signal his men.

The knights that were still in the air started dropping barrels, while those on the ground shot flaming arrows at them. The arrows that hit their mark triggered an explosion spreading sparks across the forest and setting it ablaze.

George cried out in horror at the sight and tears gathered in his eyes as he felt the loss of life of some of his people.

"There... much better, the valley could use some landscaping so it would be best to start over from scratch," Seth stated with a sadistic smile.

"Why are you doing this?" George gritted out in anger.

"Would you think lowly of me if I said that I was greedy?" Seth replied. "I sent my nephew out here in hopes he would die on the way. The empire preferred him over me. When that failed and I heard how he was about to turn this valley into a bustling trade city I got a little jealous. Why should that bastard, that my whore of a sister bore receive more praise than I? I am the emperor and he is merely a lowly knight!" He spat out, before taking a minute to compose himself.

"Well I was simply planning to assassinate him, but then I heard about you, his darling lover who has protected this valley from intruders for centuries. I know that you would have sensed any intruder in the kingdom and protected him, so if I am going to get rid of him, I need to kill you first."

"You have my pity, as you said I have protected this land for centuries. Emperor or not you are a mere human, you do not stand a chance against me." George bluffed. He could feel it, his power slipping away and he was taking much longer to recover his strength. But he needed to stall, to give Dream enough time to return and help.