Knights of the Nine - Beginning of the End

Chapter 15: Assassination of a King

Ciri woke up with a sharp stinging feeling on the back of her head. She was also damp from, what smelled like, wine. Candles lit the rich room she was in, she was lying on a bed. Flowers on a nightstand and an empty picture frame. Ciri rubbed her head as she sat up on the side, she tried standing up but he legs were devilishly sore.

Ciri sighed and took a sip of the wine, she nodded and placed the glass back down. Ciri sat there, listening to talking outside of the door that separated her. Ciri bent down and hit her legs, grimacing as she did. She stretched them out and forced herself to stand.

Walking was going to be something impossible to Ciri but she tried it. Aches and aches and aches. She moaned and groaned as she finally got to the door. Ciri twisted the knob and pushed open. It was the king and his children, eating.

"Ah, my dear. Pollix and Kide, this is Ciri." The King stood up.

Ciri bowed and nodded as the kids ate.

"Please, please. I've a chair set for you."

"Dad, they've but not chairs. They're arse-rests!" Pollix called out.

"Quit. Or you'll be se-"

"It's alright, King. I've heard far worse from children, believe me." Ciri interrupted taking a seat.

Ciri sat down and looked at her plate. It was a pork slab, lettuce and tomatos, and a batch of mashed potatoes. Ciri took her fork and took a slice of pork into her mouth. It was tender and a bit chewy, nothing of a delicacy but she didn't want to be rude.

"So, Ciri... you're not from these parts, hell I think you're not even from Condor!" The King laughed as he took a bite of mashed potatoes.

"Mhm," Ciri finally swallowed the slice. "I'm actually from... from Borden."

"Hmm." The King murmured.

"Dad, quit bothering tha lass!" Pollix said with a mouth full.

"How'd you know she is a lass?" The Kings daughter walks out from a room with pots and pans. "She may sound like one, but-"

"Lassie got tits!" Pollix blurred.

Ciri coughed and looked at the King who shot Pollix an angry look.

"Pollix! Watch yer language, no way to treat a young lady!"

"I'm jus sayin' she got tits like Daxim's lassie!"

"That's enough outta yer mouth, young man! Go, tell Serivan you're to hunt with the others." The King stood up and took Pollix's plate away.

Pollix thumped his foot in anger and walked out into the hall. The King returned and and sent his two other children away, he sat back down.

"I've known why you have came, Ciri. But, I don't know if he's alive. Jeff has been sentenced to death, it is but a matter of time, and the court has not made a decision on what to do with you. I say we let ye go, hope you don't cause trouble. The others... oh they think you should be punishable like Jeff. I like you, Ciri, I really fuckin' do. But you'd squirmed too much and you are to rot in a prison cell, unless someone pays your bail which is highly unlikely."

Ciri swallowed a lump in her throat she looked dead into the Kings eyes. She could teleport away, but she'd leave Jeff to his death. Ciri had a plan.

"Do what you want with me, I can get out one way or ano-" Ciri was being choked by a guard.

Ciri struggled and tried to get her chin over the brutes arm. But she was fading away, the room around her once bright with candle light now so dark.

Ciri awoke in a cold cell. No not a cell, a cage dangling above the ground. Growls of hunger came from below, a monster. Ciri tried to move her hands but they were chained down with gliactic steel. Ciri heard the cries, men cries, women cries, children cries. This King was no King but a monster in human form.

Ciri tugged and tugged trying to get free but nothing would break the gliactic chains. The groans of the monster below were getting more blood thirsty by the minute.

"Cirilla!"

Ciri looked ahead of her.

"Cirilla!"

"Who - who is that?" She moaned.

"Cirilla, you must be quiet. I'm talking through telepathic spells, a total of four to be exact. You see, I am in your head, merely think and I can hear it. I am contacting you because I can get you out, us Sili'otia can free thou."

"This is weird. Help me get out and I'll help you back." Ciri thought.

"I already know you'll help us, it us why I am talking to you. But first, the king here must die. He's troubled our existence for far too long, hunting us down. Many around you are of my kind.
I'll free you but you must murder the king."

"How?"

"Through the beasts lair below you. There is a cave that leads to the jail, but you can just teleport once you are out of the cage. I, we, know your abilities, Cirilla. Find him, murder him and I shall set you free and give you back to Derek."

"Derek! Okay, set me free."

Suddenly the chains broke off, she rubbed her wrists and readied to teleport. She arrived outside the Kings bedroom. Ciri bent down and peeked through the peep whole. It was the king sleeping. Ciri twisted the knob but it was locked. She couldn't teleport any closer, it was impossible. She looked for a way in, the window. Ciri climbed up to the window and began scaling the walls. She finally got to an open window and she climbed in. The King was sleeping, snoring loudly. That was bad.

Ciri snuck over to the kings side and readied her hands. She took one last look around for a sharp object, none. Ciri breathed in and breathed out, then she began choking the King.

"Cir-"

Ciri threw her knee over the kings mouth and pushed down harder. She groaned and forced the kings throat to turn red. The King stopped breathing, it was quick... too quick. Ciri quickly changed positions and snapped the kings neck.

"It's done! He's dead." Ciri thought.

"Ha-ha! Good, now brace yourself."

The area around Ciri turned green, she was gone.