The Tales Of Esmeralda

Chapter 35: Is Redemption Even An Option?

Esmeralda got on Yolanda's horse Rain. Yolanda said Rain was the faster of the two so Esmeralda chose him.

"Let's get this bitch," Heracles said as the heroes lined up to meet with Titania's army.

Esmeralda turned and glared at Heracles. "She's still my cousin. Don't call her that."

"My apologies."

Esmeralda took a deep breath. "But nonetheless, we should take her down! Everyone! Forward!"

Esmeralda had yelled loud enough for the whole army to hear her. They yelled in agreement and ran forward, weapons in hand. Esmeralda had the horse running at full speed, the other horses running with them as well. They didn't have nearly as many horses as Titania's army, but it would have to do.

The dust cloud had been gone for a couple minutes before they set out for Titania, but the black smoke was still going. This led to the heroes running into a camp. They all slowed down to a stop.

Esmeralda climbed off the horse. Sebastian had been running but he now climbed on top of Rain just in case.

Esmeralda walked slowly to the center of the camp. Nobody was nearby except her people. Nobody came to attack her or shoot her. No one was sitting down eating breakfast or lying down to get some sleep. There were just empty tents and a fire in the middle of the circle.

Esmeralda looked up at the smoke from the fire. It was a dark black color. So this was the smoke they were following. They were in the right spot.

But where was Titania?

As Esmeralda asked herself that question she heard a scream coming from behind her. She turned and saw a man kneeling on the ground with an arrow in his back.

"Stand guard!" Esmeralda yelled. She ran out of the camp to try to find where the arrow came from.

"There!" Theseus pointed.

Esmeralda looked. There were multiple horses in the distance. Many of the people on them had bows and arrows and they were getting ready to shoot them.

"Take cover!" Esmeralda yelled.

Next thing she knew she saw darkness.

~~~~

Esmeralda woke up. The only thing she could see was Eirinn's face. She looked as if she were yelling at somebody. Then she smiled.

"Hey," she said, though Esmeralda heard it echo as if it were from far away. "You're awake. Good. We were all worried there for a minute."

Esmeralda sat up. As the pain in her head increased she winced.

"Hey," Eirinn said, this time her voice sounding normal. "Be careful. You took a rock to the head."

Esmeralda frowned. "I don't remember that happening..."

Eirinn nodded. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't. That's okay. But you gotta get up soon."

"Why?"

Eirinn nodded her head to her left. "Look over there."

Esmeralda turned to look behind herself and gasped. Around the camp there was a battle going on. Many of the heroes and Esmeralda's friends were fighting armed men on horses with better armor.

Standing alone on the outskirts was Titania, sitting proudly on her horse with a smirk on her face. Nobody had been getting close to her. Many tried. But her soldiers knocked them down. Titania sat as tall as she possibly could. If she wasn't so tyrannical Esmeralda would've said she looked like a queen. However, in some kingdoms the queens are like that...