Knights of the Nine - The Unborn Seed

Chapter 6: Demons Inside

Rushing footsteps, pounding on the doors, flames growing ever so bright. The city of Redmire has been corrupted by war, the elves versus the humans. King William has locked himself, with his family, in his living quarters. He watches as his city is being burnt to ash and charcoal.

The footsteps stop, then continue down the hall. The pounding on the door gets harsher. The orange flames dance from the windows reflection, lighting up the interior of the building. The footsteps stop at a door, the handle jiggles then cracks open. There stands King William, his son - Arthur William -, his daughter - Mist William -, and his wife - Catriona Barbosa William. They cower opposite the door, behind a lengthy dinner table, King William with a steel claymore in his hands.

The man whom opened the door suddenly shuts it behind him, locks it, topples a bookshelf across the door, then sits in a sheepskin chair, lighting a candlestick. King William let's the claymore slide to the oak floor, rushing over to the man sitting in the chair.

There was blood pouring from the mans mouth, nose, belly, and thigh. The man looked so pale that if he weren't breathing so heavy, you'd think he was dead. William placed his handkerchief onto the mans belly and pressed down on it, the man didn't wince at all.

Arthur William picked up his father's claymore and held it firmly in two hands, he stationed himself by the giant window overlooking the courtyard that led into the palace, there he saw numbers of elven military units charge in through the front door.

'They're inside.' Arthur whispered to himself but also to everyone.

The man stood up and blew out every candle in the room, peeling the King's handkerchief off his stomach. He pulled the claymore from Arthur's grasp and wedged it in the doorframe, then he tugged it in place. King William took his wife and daughter into the bedroom and shut the door, the boys were the only ones in the dining room.

The man took a kitchen knife and placed it in his boot. 'Just incase.' He looked to King William, then to Arthur.

'Kyrus,' Arthur looked over to the bleeding, pale, man. 'What if we need to escape?'

Kyrus just shook his head as an answer, there would be no escape. This was the final stand. If the elves find them they will have to fight til either side is dead or surrenders, and the elves don't look to surrender.

Kyrus took the claymore and held it again, not ripping it from the doorframe. He winced as he arched his back. The elven armor rattled as they got closer, the smell of smoke and burning flesh increased, the sound of screams of women and children rotted deep in Redmire's ruins.

King William rushed to the kitchen where a great sword was framed into the wall, he smashed the casings and tore the sword from it. The sword had etchings of foriegn writings across the blade, the hilt was smoothed from the hide of a Dable and had a red jewel casted in the center. King William held it firmly and readied himself at the door.

'No, my King. Protect young Arthur.' Kyrus whispered as the elven boots began to arrive at the door.

William crept to his son and stood in front of the lad. The door was no being beaten on, the thunderous kicks and punches haunted the ladies in the bedroom. The elves had broken through, the claymore Kyrus had wedged into the frame had snapped off and now the mighty blade was but a jagged dagger.

Kyrus threw himself into an elf, the first to enter, stabbed the broken sword into the neck of the elf. Kyrus was kicked in the stomach, right on his bloodied wound. He screamed in pain then threw his foot into the groin of the elven abuser. The elf fell, losing his torch causing the dining room to catch aflame. Two elves had taken King William and beaten him to a pulp, three had to surrender Arthur down. Kyrus was knocked out cold and was easy to take out to the courtyard.