Inheritance

End of Part 1: Chapter 44: Savior

Eory came to Pollyanna's side and crossed his arms with a look of distaste in his eyes as he gazed upon the cowering king.

I'd like to see him dead. I'd like to see him shot up with as many arrows as he shot Gershom up with. Eory thought to himself with seething rage.

"Please let me live. I h-have a wife and children! The kingdom needs me!" Laurence protested as Pollyanna brandished her sword.

Pollyanna put a strong hand on the fairy's shoulder and she told him, "just give me the order and I'll cut him down."

But in a moment, his look of distaste and rage melted into one of repentance and compassion.

He looked down at his hands and, even though they had no blood upon them, they were dripping red; all he could hear were the screams of the soldiers he murdered with that abomination he had conjured from the corpse of his dog.

Eory sobbed and said aloud as his feelings of hatred shifted into feelings of sadness. "I desecrated his corpse! He'll never make it to Ashenklein now..." Eory said, recalling the paradise fairies were said to go to when they died.

Pollyanna, whose dress was torn up from the arrows and who was still leaking blood out of many of the wounds from the arrows, wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder and brought him close. "You made him stronger. Stronger is better."

Eory took a moment to try and process all of his emotions, and then he was finally able to look upon the king again with shaking hands and a shuddering breath.

Just kill him! It'd be so easy! The woman dared him.

Eory clenched his fists and bit his lip until it bled, but he managed to resist the temptation.

He fell on one knee before the king and said, "King Laurence, my life is in your hands. Choose whatever punishment you find suitable enough for me."

Laurence was stunned. He looked down upon the fairy with confusion mixed with revulsion. The king snarled and unsheathed his blade. "This is the only punishment suitable enough for you and your wretched family!"

Eory screwed his eyes shut and whispered to Pollyanna, "I'm sorry..."

Pollyanna felt no rage toward the fairy, to her surprise, and only rage and panic toward King Laurence as he held his blade high. She wanted to leap at him—she wanted to cut his throat—but the magic potion coursing through her veins would not allow it.

Laurence swung the blade downward--bu was stopped as Kori shrieked, "put that blade down!"

She dashed in front of Eory protectively—her arms wrapped around his neck—and glared at the king. "You lied to me! You promised me Eory would be spared! Now you see where your lies have gotten us all! If you kill Eory, you may as well kill me, too, because he's the only thing I have to live for!"

Eory stroked the waif's hair and told her regretfully and sincerely, "Kori, it's okay. I'm prepared to pay for my crimes. The world is better off without me."

"No!" Kori protested. "I won't let you!"

"Damn you, Kori, move! Let me kill this monster!" Laurence growled.

"You never wanted to give him a chance! You decided he was a monster before you even met him! You promised to give him a fair chance!" Kori sobbed. "Even now, he is saving your life by ordering Pollyanna not to kill you!"

Laurence watched her weep in silence for a moment as Eory continued to stroke her hair.

His fingers were still tight and tense on the hilt of the sword, but in a moment, he lowered it.