Legend of Antalasia

Chapter 9

Antalasia sat up with a jerk. She grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and looked out of the window wondering what had woken her. Her hand slipped and the glass rolled onto the floor spilling water everywhere. Her dress and bed got wet but Antalasia paid no heed.

Antalasia watched transfixed in silent horror at the scene unfolding outside. Red, orange and yellow balls of flame were billowing into the sky at the edge of the kingdom. Shadows of ginormous Rhazaqats darted through the flames. Antalasia ran to the window and threw them open. Thick, heavy, smoky air hit her face. She stepped back and took a few deep breaths to get her bearing back, only to end up coughing hard. Faint, but terrible screams and shouts reached her ears. As she watched in silent horror, the shadows darted closer, the screams grew louder, the flames grew hotter and the smoke grew so thick that her eyes began to water.

Thud! Thud! Thud! THUD! THUD! Thud!

Antalasia jumped startled, her eyes wide. Someone was banging the doors and shouting, "Get out! Get out! We are being attacked. Get out! To the secret passage in the dungeons."

In the corridor, it was utter pandemonium. Everyone was pushing one another. There was panic and fear on everyone's faces. Few were dressed properly while others hardly wore any clothes. Some were dressed randomly - wearing a hat on their nightdress or a shirt on top of their coat. Few wore shoes, few did not and few only wore one. Some had drool marks on their faces. Most peoples' hair was unkempt, flying in all directions.

There were shouts for their loved ones and panic everywhere. The soldiers kept pushing everyone down the stairs into the dungeons. People kept tripping over one other and it was a miracle there was no stampede. In a distance, King Charles and the generals could be heard giving orders to defend the kingdom.

Princess Antalasia kept searching for her family. However, she was pushed by the crowd into the dungeons. The nobles, the generals and their families in the castle made their way through the secret passage in the dungeon, walked under the kingdom and finally emerged out into wide, open land. There were a number of wagons and donkeys in a penned area. The soldiers began to harness the donkeys to pull the wagons. The soldiers urged everyone into the wagons.

"All of you are going to be safe. We are taking you to the river where you will board a ship. You will then travel to the Sun Kingdom. You will be safe. Now, move. Please. You can find your family on the ship. Hurry," shouted the soldiers repeatedly. 

"Wait, what about the King and the soldiers? What about the villagers?" shouted Antalaisa while desperately searching for her family. However, no one paid heed to a little girl's shouts in the midst of all the ruckus.

Having spied her family on various wagons and fed up with the lack of answers, Antalasia tried to make her way back to the castle. 

Albert, the General's grandson came out of nowhere and dragged Antalasia into a wagon. "I have my orders to protect your family, Princess. Please get into the wagon. We cannot save the villagers. There is not enough space on the ship. Our fathers and the soldiers will buy us time," he informed Antalasia. 

In a stupor that her family would leave the fate of the common people to the mercy of their enemies, Antalasia sat in the wagon.

The castle and the surrounding village burned hot. The buildings collapsed. A putrid stench of burning flesh soon began to overpower all other smells. King Charles and the soldiers continued to fight the creatures hoping to buy time. Some of the villagers died from the fire and some died from the collapsing buildings. Some were killed by the Rhazaqats. Some were caught by the attackers. Some ran out of the village in random directions.

There was no concept of father, mother, daughter, son or any familial connection. Children were abandoned. Toddlers were left crying in the middle of the street, ripe for Rhazaqats' picking. Elders did their best to hobble their way to safety. It was simply a fight for survival. Yet, there were a few rare instances of courage and selflessness. Mothers sacrificed themselves so that their children could escape. A few brave men and women fought a hopeless battle so that the weak could run and have a chance at survival. Regardless, it was a truly horrifying and gruesome sight.

The procession of wagons made their way to the ship. One by one, each person started climbing into the ship. Antalasia spotted her mother and both her brothers on deck. Queen Eliza Rose was clutching Michaelo in terror. Prince John and Albert were busy giving directions to the soldiers. The ones who found their families were giddy with relief. Those that did not, were running around the ship in a mad frenzy searching for their loved ones. Antalasia caught a glimpse of Lizzy in the last wagon. She waited for Lizzy at the edge of the river.

Clip Clop. Clip Clop. Clip Clop.

There were sounds of horses running at full speed, coming closer to the ship. Hoping it was the King and the generals but terrified if it was the Rhazaqats, everyone looked in the direction of the noise. The soldiers formed a protective circle ready to defend. Everyone relaxed once they observed that there were no strange deformities that were integral to the Rhazaqats and they were only men riding the horses. 

However, as they arrived closer, everyone soon realized that they were not horses after all. They were Rhazaqats that looked like horses. They had gills on their neck with the head of a dragon. Their bodies were covered in dark brown scales. Their eyes were red that made the Rhazaqats looked wild. However, the most perplexing aspect of the new arrivals was that humans were riding these creatures. 

Petrified, everyone on the ground began scurrying up the ship. The men jumped down the dragon-horse Rhazaqats and blocked the last wagon. Antalasia, people from the last wagon and a few soldiers remained on the ground. 

"You can climb aboard," shouted Prince John addressing the new arrivals. 

Hearing that, the men burst out laughing loudly. One of them shouted, "Those who are already aboard can leave. We don't need any more of you." 

Looking at everyone's lost faces, the men guffawed even more, "We are glad you didn't believe the Karas. We provoked the monsters into attacking your village. We will capture those who are left alive and sell them to the Central Continent." 

The soldiers moved to attack the men. 

"Uhuh, I wouldn't do that," shouted the leader, tossing a bottle filled with colorful liquid. 

"This here is a cocktail bomb. If I throw this on the ship, it will burst and burn the ship down," warned the leader. 

"We'll just take this last wagon here and the rest can leave," the leader cackled.

Everyone was disgusted and horrified. "How could you have done that as humans?" shouted someone. 

"Enough. Move now or I'll throw this. I don't care whether you live or die. Your choice," shouted the leader coldly. 

"Very well. Have your way. Men, come aboard," ordered Prince John and Albert. The soldiers made their way to the ship reluctantly. 

"Antalasia, you too. Come aboard. Let's leave," half-shouted and half-begged Queen Eliza Rose desperately. 

A determined fire lit Antalasia's eyes and she replied, "No Mother, they are holding Lizzy." 

The ship began to move away and Antalasia remained on the ground. 

Michaelo shook off his mother's hold and jumped into the river. He ran and stood by Antalasia. "I won't turn my back either," he said proudly. 

The ship continued down the river and Queen Eliza Rose's screams could be heard far and wide.

Thank you for reading this far.

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