Vain: A Kingdom In Flames

Chapter 17: The Great Escape of The Grand Exchange.

          Our army masses just outside the city gates. Hope is right beside me and the other Elite. Ivan has avoided me all week. I consider the entire team my friend, even Cameron, who I cant seem to figure out at all. One moment he is friendly, the other he is mysterious. But Ivan almost seems to hate me more with every word that comes from my mouth. Ivan makes his way to the front and is about to speak. I look over at hope. Her golden hair is blowing in the wind. Her beauty is beyond comparison. I’m still gawking as Ivan speaks.

          “Men and women of Gielinor! Today is the day we take back out freedom! Today is the day we say to the world, we will serve our God! We will be free! And we will fight for both rights till we all lie dead! For Gielinor, for freedom, for God! CHARGEEE!” He turns and races towards the opened gates of Varrock. The rest of us run as well. When we enter the city though, it’s obvious we have been trapped. Black Knights spill from behind the wall like ants. I unsheathe my swords and Hope pulls hers, and we begin to fight and swing down on any man willing to get near our horses. The rear of the army pushes forward and the front slows. The fight spills into the city square as the back end of our army pushes to get into the city. Black Knights pour from the castle as well. The entire city fills with violence as our rebels make it into the city and dart left and right to clear room for more. A man comes running at me just about to stab me in the leg when Hope counters and puts the man to the ground. The fountain in the center of the city turns red as Knights and rebel’s bodies slip into it. The streets slowly turn red with blood. Then I hear scream to the east, not a battle cry, but screams of running terrified men. The doors to the eastern wall come crushing down and man rebels as hundreds more Black Knights run through them. The fight keeps going as men from the east hammer into us in the middle trying to escape. I’m throne my horse as it tries to run and tramples anything in its path. I look around trying to find Hope when I am slammed down again.

          I sheath my weapons and run to the nearest building, an old needle shop, and jump with all my might trying to reach the roof. My hands catch the top and I haul myself upwards. I get to the top and desperately look for Hope, praying to The Lord she’s alive. I can’t find her but what I do see is almost even more horrifying. Our entire army begins to churn and turn westward towards the west gate, where there are probably a thousand more Black Knights just standing, blocking the path. Then more screams from the south as I watch thousands of desert warriors, likely from below Shanty Pass, charge upwards towards the south gate, causing our men to stampede north, and then west trying not to be ran over by the men running from the east gate. I remove my bow and begin shooting. I let arrows fly. As a child I learned to shoot well enough that I can put an arrow through the slits in a knights visor. I begin using that vary lesson now. I let arrow after arrow fly, straight into Black Knights faces, and other kinks in armor. Then the rocks begin falling on the city square. Catapults from the roof of the palace rain down large rocks. The building I’m standing on is hit and crumbles. I fall through the roof as it rains down on the ground. I land on my back inside whats left of the tiny shop. I stand and look around for my bow, when I spot a young woman and two small boys hiding under a table. I pick up my bow and put it in its place, then remove a dagger and two throwing knives from my hidden sheathes. I bend down by the woman, as she and her sons try to scoot closer to the wall in fear.

          I reach out my hand with the weapons and say, “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m sorry you have to see this. Stay in here and stay under this table. If anyone tries to harm you, use these.” I lift the weapons a bit higher and more towards her, to show her I’m giving them to her. She reaches for them and says something I didn’t expect at all.

          “God bless you!” I smile but the sounds I hear outside force me to stand, draw my swords and run out.