Wandering Wolves

29. Battle of Maganti (2)

Stella was almost there, she reached her blade up and lost grip of it when an arrow just barely missed her hand. The guards from below fired more arrows at her. She used another knife to deflect them, one arrow cut her upper arm as it landed against the tower. 

Beda rushed full speed at the archers. He threw his shield at one, it hit when a sickening thud. Took out his axe and swung it at another. The archers now became focused on this big man and forgot about Stella making her way to the top. 

With a huge ounce of strength Stella pulled herself up onto the tower. Upon reaching the top, two guards rushed her. She gripped both knives in hand "Would you just give me a break!"

                                                           ——————Alex/Matt————

Just an absolute cluster of people in this tower. Guards were running down the tower to defend it. While Alex, me and some of the citizens ran up. Alex merrily lifted few guards over his shoulder. They tumbled down the stairwell to be beaten by people running over them. 

I tried firing an arrow but between the amount of people clustered in here I couldn't do anything. I sheathed my bow and pulled out a small knife Kate told me to keep in my boot. Sure thing she told me that as I would have been useless in this fight. Alex and the citizens pretty much made it all the way to the top. 

Emerging on the top, I looked around at the madness. People were fighting on both sides of the towers. I tried looking out towards the other gates. The only one I could see, barely, was the water gate. Was that a ship crashed into it? 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sword bare down on me. I swiveled out of the way at the last second. Tumbled a bit as my leg shot pain threw me. I held up a knife to block his sword again, it just barely nicked my face. I pushed my boot into him and with whatever strength I somehow mustered, lifted him up over me off the ledge. Leaning over I shut my eyes as his body made a sickening thud against the rocks below. Turning back around at this madness I noticed a wheel. One on this side and one on the other tower.

"I need help!" Shouting it to anyone that would hear me. I pushed against one end of the wheel. My leg now killing me as I tried pushing against it. It nudged forward as Thomas now had joined me in pushing it. Two more rushed over and we were now moving along. Looking over I saw a few on the other wheel. 

                                                                               ————Kate————

Kate slashed a rope lifting her up where the Pharoh had used a the lift. She almost reached Hamet when an arrow sliced through the rope she was holding. She hit one of the planks with a thud but held on. Leaping off the plank to another, the one she leapt off of shattered. 

Then a few more starting creaking. Kate climbed faster, dodging a ton of arrows. They stopped once the planks shattered more, now falling onto of them. Once Hamet reached the top and dove off the lift as it began to topple. Kate dove onto a level as the lift continued its destruction down. Toppling everything over, including falling into a pillar below. The other pillars began cracking under the weight. 

"Give me that!" Hamet took the bow from the archer up top, shoving him over. He looked down at Kate who rolled out of his view. She sped forward using her unnatural speed. Leapt off the level to the other lift,  grabbing hold of the ropes again. Slicing one, propelling herself all the way up to Hamet who shot arrows as she flung upwards. The lift crashed into the other pillars.

Causing more to crack under the weight of the pyramid. Upon jumping onto Hamet's level he fired his last arrow. She sliced it in half.

"You never give up do you?" 

"Nope" Kate grinned "I was told to kick your ass."

He gripped the hilt of his sword when the level they were standing on cracked in the middle. Hamet took the opportunity to slide into the room. Kate managed to just barely grab the ledge as the level they were once standing on fell. 

Kate pulled herself up, sighing as she did. This was taking a lot out of her. She pulled out her sword and enter the room. It was as lavish as Matt described it. Hamet was standing near the throne, sword in hand. Another pillar must have collapsed as the entire place shook around them.

"You...you just think you can walk into my city and change everything. There was no need to change a thing."

"This wasn't a city. It was your play thing." She cautiously walked forward "You gave these people gold, sure, but you never let them leave. You gave them hope with a race but there was never going to be a way out. This entire place is a slave."

"One that I built! The world out there is harsh and full off death. People here got to live their lives. You, you're the one who brought death to this city."

"This isn't living. This is being herded like cattle and if you stray too far you get slaughtered." She gripped her sword "That's no way to live"

"And you think you know what it's like to live?" He grinned "Tell me, how do you live knowing you killed your entire family?

She lunged forward meeting her blade with his.

"I bet they screamed for mercy but you cut them down without a care!" 

Kate pushed off him and went for his feet. Hamet jumped and side swiped her in the head. She fumbled backwards and barely managed to block his next attack with his sword "Why not give this charade up? I'll give you a spot as my royal guard. The pyramid will be rebuilt twice as big with the people I gather after this. Don't you want to finally live as you want?"

"Not near you!" Shoving him away, she gathered some distance away from him "The people you gather? That's more slaves as in more people that lose their lives just built this architectural nightmare! And for what? So I can get my kicks off with anyone I want?"

"Is that so wrong, Kate? To live such a lavish life while the people who serve you cherish you and provide whatever you need?"

She chuckles "You honestly think people cherish you? All the people I've spoken to want you dead."

"An unfortunate side effect for having so much power." 

The floor gave way underneath both of them. Cracks formed around, debris falls to the floor with sickening thuds and screams from below. Hamet scrambles to his feet and races to the balcony. Kate's blade slices a gash across his arm as she attacks him again. Shoving her against the balcony rails. The rail gives way but Kate rolls away in time.

"Enough"