Return of Rumplestiltskin | COMPLETED | Book 1

TWELVE - Battle

UNEDITED

"J-Jerard?" I asked, confusion written all over my face. My eyes travelled towards his hand.

His fingertips were blazing with fire that strangely emitted blue sparks instead of reddish-orange. I noticed the absence of his robe and his hunting attire was in plain view. It was made of leather that covered almost every part of his body and the insignia of the Crown was sewn on the middle of the garment along with intricate patterns that would have taken a normal tailor a long time to weave. His long hair was as glorious as it has always been as he strode inside the room with brisk steps. His hostile steely blue eyes glared on the cat in front of me, barely acknowledging me.

"Goons of the Senate." Janno said wryly as he crouched as if assuming a fighting stance. His tiny claws elongated as if he could harm the man more than thrice his size.

"I thought that it was impossible that there will be enchantments in the Princess's bedchamber." Jerard mused as he smiled, but there was no humour. "I am glad I happen to pass by this corridor when I sensed magic."

Watching from a distance, it looked like Janno didn't stand a chance. After all, he was a cat but who am I to judge? I've never even seen magic in action until now. I observed them stare at each other, trying to read each others' minds.

It happened so fast at first that my inferior eyes didn't catch it but the next thing I knew, Janno was hurled across the room and I flinched when he crashed on to the ice-coated wall, the force shattering the ice into bits. Janno's little body slid down the wall, smearing the wall with his blood. The shards of ice added to his wounds as he gasped for air.

I heard a strained voice and realised it was me. I now realised It pained me to see a cute little cat mercilessly thrown. I tried to run to him, save him from this evil animal-abuser but stopped.

The black feline recovered as he stood up again, with strained effort as his paws were injured, and spat blood. "Senate never plays fair, I see. Nothing changed." He commented.

"Fancy that, when you are the one who cast a spell on her Royal Highness's guards." He pointed his head outside and I saw Jason and Peter knocked out cold.

Janno, with his little harmless paw up in the air, produced a ball of black unidentifiable object that doesn't look so harmless. He charged forward and flung the thing to Jerard, hitting the lower of his chest. He grunted in pain as the thing smashed in his body and there was an audible crack. I'm assuming it was a rib. But regardless of the crushing force, all that happened to him was that he stumbled a few steps backwards.

"Is that all you can do, I wonder?" Jerard taunted.

Another of those black thing and this time, Jerard swiftly evaded it, countering it with his blue flame. Janno managed to block the fiery force and he melted in the floor, like a shadow rapidly advancing towards Jerard, aiming for his heart. Jerard braced himself for the attack and met Janno with his own power but the force was so great it sent him sprawling on the floor.

I watched what was happening in horror and fascination. I didn't expect to witness a fight involving magic and I found myself trying to pick sides but couldn't.

The exchange of black and blue and grunts and curses made my head hurt. But, I noticed Jerard's flames strengthening and strengthening until came a time when one bold strike to Janno's heart ended the battle.

My lips quivered as I blinked in shocked horror. I watched as Janno's body stumbled against the cold floor and I found a painful tug in my heart and anger towards Jerard when it should be the other way around. I am supposed to be on the Senate's side.

It was a quick fight. Nothing too climatic. Just... a fight.

Jerard wiped the blood on his lip as he sighed in relief. He then turned towards me, his blue flame reduced to merely a spark.

"Princess, I'm sorry you had witnessed such a-"

Suddenly, a black thing shaped like fierce claws sliced through Jerard's right eye earning it a cry of pain.

"Wh-what in the world..."

Standing behind Jerard wasn't the black cat I know, I saw the glimpse of something dark as the deepest, hellish pit - shadows encircling it as if it was the epitome of Death itself. Its eyes were the blackest I've seen, its expression so cruel I stumbled backwards, subconsciously trying to find a way to escape this... thing's field of vision.

Jerard was down on the floor and as if sensing he couldn't fight back, he grabbed something in his pocket. I only saw a blue glint in the light until Janno hit Jerard's hand, causing what the thing he took in his pocket to skid away from him.

But the black thing that was supposed to be Janno didn't finish him off. It only advanced until it engulfed me, drowning me in darkness and that is when I lost to unconsciousness.

***

Jerard Faulkster, covering his injured right eye with his palm, limped towards the bed where his angarius was thrown after a fierce battle with a shadow demon. The angarius was a small, blue, palm sized device the shape of a pentagon. It was the common form of communication between bounty hunters powered by magic. He cursed-something he usually never did-because it was his fault the Princess was taken away. Just because an ancient demon took the form of a feline, he let his guard down. He thought that the demon was just a simple messenger but he should've known that it was no ordinary faerie if it worked for Lord Rumplestiltskin.

What was the Senate's miscalculation is that Rumplestiltskin had the ability to squirm himself in a barrier so strong. They simply underestimated him. At first, they paid no heed at the Queen's constant pestering that Rumplestiltskin has appeared because no amount of magic could break through that magic barrier. Who knew he would find a way?

Clever and cunning. They should have expected it.

He pressed the button and waited until the signal reached the Headquarters.

"Faulkster, number three-oh-four, bounty hunting division" he said on the device. "Sound the alarms. I repeat, sound the alarms. The Princess has been taken."

At the panicked reply of the other person on the line, he breathed to calm himself down and forced himself to endure the pain in his right eye.

Inhale. Exhale.

The kidnapping of the princess is just a prelude to a war that has been brewing long before the King's marriage. This will be the trigger the Senate has been waiting for.

"Tell this to the higher ups, soldier!" he snapped at the panicking person.

"The treaty has been broken. The Lord of the Hazen faeries has waged war."

The Kingdom must prepare for the return of Rumplestiltskin.

To be continued...

Fa la la la la~

Another chapter! Holidays is almost there and I am excited because...!

*drumroll*

No school!

Yipee! And finally, Erinne is taken and I know she acted like a dumb person just watching but hey, don't expect her to come in between. She doesn't know shit about magic.

And I also want to thank all the people who took the time to read this. Really grateful ;)

Question of this chapter is,

What do you think will happen next?