The Kingdom

Chapter Ten

 Deryle just stood there, eyeing Reilious warily. He glanced at Talia, who looked worriedly at Reilious. He slowly stepped forward, snapping his fingers in front of his mask.

Reilious looked at him. "What."
Talia jumped at the sudden sternness of his voice. She looked at the ground as Reilious walked off. She slowly followed as the Night began to pick up the dead Royals.

Deryle rolled his eyes, walking back to the bunkhouse as the lights turned back on and the sirens and emergency lights shut off.

Reilious walked to the armory and to his locker. He took off the bloodied mask, taking out a cloth from the locker and sitting down. He began to clean the mask, staring down at it as Talia walked into the room. He looked up as she sat down next to him, taking off her own mask.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey Reil... What was all that about?" she asked.

"What do you mean...?" Reilious responded, looking at her.

"You just started killing people mercilessly, without an emotion," she said, still staring at her mask.

"Well..." he started, looking back down, "If you can tell, I don't like royals. Not only did they kill Fules, but they killed my parents when I was a child. I just thought I'd return the favor."

"Oh..." Talia responded, getting up and putting her mask in her locker.

She walked back to him and sat down as he put his now clean mask on the bench along with the bloodied cloth. She hugged him, trying to comfort him. He was very tense to the touch, but she still tried.

Reilious hesitated, but then hugged back. "So, do you like me or something?"

It was Talia's turn to tense up as she blushed, lucky Reilious couldn't see her face right then. She buried her face into his upper chest, that was as far as she could go from his height.

"Yes..." she muttered, half muffled.

"Why?" Reilious asked, curious.

Talia hesitated before she pulled back, her arms still around him. She looked up at him.

"Well, you're kinda cute, and um..." she stammered, blushing a bit more.

"I don't think I look cute in blood," Reilious responded jokingly.

Talia chuckled before continuing, "Well your face is... And you take charge when others won't, you don't go down without a fight, etc..."

Reilious looked at her, staying silent for a moment.

"So...?" Talia asked.

"Sure," Reilious answered.

"Sure what?" she asked.

"I'll go out with you, if that's what you're asking," Reilious agreed.

Talia went back to burying her face in his chest, hugging him a little tighter. He hugged back, rubbing her back.

At that moment, soldiers began to enter the armory and the two released. Reilious grabbed his mask and put it in his locker, switching from his suit to his normal attire, others doing the same.

Reilious walked back to the bunkhouse, Talia close behind. He walked in as lights out occurred, sitting down on his bunk. Talia sat down next to him, looking at him.

"Yes?" Reilious whispered.

"That was what I was asking," Talia answered, pulling him down into a kiss.

His eyes widened, then he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with his hair. She smiled into the kiss, blushing a bit as his hand wandered up and down her back.

She pulled back a few minutes later, lying down.

"We switching bunks or something?" Reilious asked, whispering still.

"No," she replied, smiling and pulling him down.

He fell down next to her, his head missing the headboard by a couple inches. He looked at her as she wrapped an arm around him, curling into his chest. She fell asleep soon after, so he decided not to move, eventually falling asleep as well.

...

Reilious woke up the next morning, Talia already gone. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, looking around at the other sleeping soldiers. He rubbed his beard, remembering about his van and getting out of bed. He put on his jacket and walked out of the room.

He walked down the dimly lit hallway, light from the main room shining in through the glass wall and casting shadows where the steel beams blocked it. He walked up to the main entrance, once again blocked up and the bodies gone. Everything was like it never even happened in the first place other than the blood staining the polished tile. He continued his quiet walk to the hall leading out of the bunker and to the ladder.

He looked up the ladder, the dim light shining on the small vertical tunnel. He grabbed the first few rungs and began to climb. He climbed up to the top and turned the vault wheel, opening the door. He climbed out into the forest, the path dark except for the light coming from the hatch.
He walked up the path, the darkness swallowing him as he walked further away from the hatch. His eyes adjusted and he looked around. He looked up through the leaves, the moon casting light through them, creating dancing patterns as the a breeze began.
Reilious sighed, an actual peaceful moment happening for the first time in a while. He walked up to the field, the vehicles still sitting there. He looked around the field, and found his van. Walking up, he opened the back door to find the gun and weapons still sitting there.
"Good," he said to himself.
"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind.
Reilious closed the door to the van and turned around to find Lillian standing there. To his surprise, she didn't have any guards with her.
"Making sure you guys weren't taking my stuff," he replied.
"Now why would we do that, Jolly Green Giant?" Lillian retorted with a chuckle.
"I don't know how you Night people act, so I can't be too cautious," he replied.
Lillian walked up and leaned against the back door of the van, looking out at the forest.
"What do you want, anyway?" he asked.
"Well, you're supposed to be the leader of the rebellion, so you've got to know something," she replied. "Plus you seem to know how to kill people the best."
Reilious rose an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is that all I'm here for is for your benefit?"
"Not entirely," she replied. "There is something else that will benefit you."
"Like what?" Reilious asked.
Lillian smirked and walked off.
"Thanks for answering me," he replied, rolling his eyes.

Reilious looked over at the treeline, the sun peaking through the forest. He walked back through the field and down the path, heading back to the bunker.