The Ballet of the Swans

Act Nine

Even though her legs were unable to stand and face the nightingales singing demonically around her, Ahiru tried holding her ground

'I have to do something!' She screamed to herself 'Why can't I summon the power I had at the party? Rue will be killed at this rate!'

Suddenly, Garhyn was right in front of her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest before she could react. "Come, dance with me, Ahiru" he said. The girl tried to refuse, and flee from his grasp, but the grip on her wrist was so strong, she couldn't fight back.

"Ahiru! Don't listen to him, run!" Begged Rue from her cage, which was attacked by nightingales to silence her voice.

"Rue!" Answered Ahiru "Please stop, you're hurting her!" She begged trying to reason with Garhyn.

He smirked. "Your friend will live. As long as she is quiet, that is." He said chuckling, as he continued to dance with Ahiru. "I'm not as bad as you think I am, Ahiru" Said Garhyn all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?" Asked bewildered the strawberry blonde "you've hurt so many of my friends!"

"I'm just saying" continued he "that you shouldn't believe everything the Scarlet Swan tells you."

Ahiru glared at him. "I trust Akiro!" She declared "He has never hurt any of my friends, unlike you!" Up until then, Ahiru didn't know she could ever speak such hateful words, but now, they had a meaning, and a reason.

Garhyn pulled her closer to him, and whispered in her ear "But, has he told you the truth? The reason of his hatred towards me, why you and I belong to each other?" He asked, placing a kiss on the girl's neck, which she shook violently as shivers ran down her spine.

Nevertheless, Garhyn's words marked Ahiru's thoughts. 'It's true' she said to herself 'Akiro won't tell me anything about Garhyn, not the true reason of the Holy White Swan's existence, nothing at all!'

"Get your damned claws off her, you demon bird!" Yelled Fakir as he charged towards Garhyn, sword in hand.

The Prince of Nightingales released Ahiru, right before Fakir's blade touched him. "So, who do we have here?" He asked smirking "Oh, if it's not the Scarlet Swan's pet! This is turning out to be fun." He said as a group of nightingales flied to him forming his sword.

Fakir sends Ahiru to Mytho, as he pointed his Knight sword towards Garhyn. "You'll be sorry you even showed up, Garhyn." Hissed the emerald eyed, as the two began to clash their swords against each other. Meanwhile Mytho and Ahiru tried to find a way for freeing Rue from her cage, each approached interrupted, by the repeated attacks of the remaining nightingales.

"I'm pleased that you have become my beloved's protector!" Exclaimed Garhyn "I was getting bored of Akiro, the rest of the Scarlet Swans, and their ridiculous defensive ways!"

"She is not your beloved!" Answered Fakir, causing a hiss to come out from Garhyn's lips "she doesn't even love you! I'll always fight for Ahiru, so that she can live peacefully away from you! I would die before letting someone like you to harm her!"

Fakir pushed Garhyn back, who returns with a spin; the Prince of Nightingales laughs as their swords clash again.

"That's pretty bold of you to say, Fakir!" Garhyn said jumping onto a nearby tree. "But. You will never be able to protect Ahiru and beat me. Specially, after you couldn't protect Mytho from the ravens!"

Fakir flinched, holding his sword with shaking hands. Garhyn noticed his gesture, and laughed once more.

"So, tell me Fakir. What makes you think you can protect Ahiru in this story?" Asked Garhyn.