Second Chance (Sequel to Weight of the Crown) (HIATUS)

No Victory Without Sacrifice

Grayson stumbled forward as the castle shook. The loud bombing was heard and loud screams of fear and agony filled the ears of the Lycadians present in the room. "They are here!" The soldiers shouted, releasing the two teens. "We're done for!" 

Grayson looked up, a look of terror in her eyes. "What of the army?" She asked. The taller soldier shook his head. "We don't have time to get ready for battle!" Grayson's heart thumped in her chest. "Lockdown the palace. Find refuge..." She returns to the throne and grabbed the dagger, shoving it in her belt. 

"Go out and protect the sick, elderly, and children with your lives." She commanded. The soldiers looked to her, as they stood. "What of you, your majesty?" 

The girl swallows deeply. "I will be right by you the entire time." She nodded to them. "Go." The soldiers nodded and ran off. Grayson rushed to the royal armoury. The young ruler quickly dawned a leather under armour and some basic protective armour. She looked longingly at her mother's helmet but thought against it. 

Outside the castle, Lycadia was a mess. Lycadian citizens running for their lives. Some fighting off the earth military bravely. Some with weapons, some in their wolf forms. Grayson's head pounded at the deja vu. 

Her father had died in a very similar battle years ago. Her mother had thought quickly and had more control over the Lycadian army. Unlike her... Anger surged through Grayson. These were the species who hadn't thought twice before cutting down one of their own. 

The anger that rose in her was well on time as an earth trooper rushed at her, blaster in hand. A helmet cloaked his face, but Grayson could imagine the smug smirk on his disgusting face. The trooper aims and shoots. 

Grayson easily dodged the blast of energy and dashed at the trooper, unsheathing her sword in a flash. The human only had time to take another breath before he was slashed in the middle and fell to the ground. 

Grayson's chest heaved in adrenaline and anger. Her pent up emotions that she had shoved deep into the crypts of her mind were slowly being let out. More troopers run at her, guns and blasters aimed at her. 

The young Alpha took them all on. One human waited back while she was focused on the others. Taking the chance he had, he raised his blaster and shot her in the back. A sharp yelp followed the thump as Grayson fell forward, her crown toppling from her head. 

"Seems like this one was their leader." A trooper observed. The four humans cackled before turning away. An angry growl made them turn again to see the girl stir. Her back steamed, but she stood nonetheless. The armour had done its job well. 

Grayson stands and grips her sword, rushing at the soldiers, not leaving one standing. Her chest heaved with heavy breath. A sharp cry of pain made her look to her left. 

Cornered to a building, two children are huddled as a soldier advances on them. The older brother pushing his younger sister behind him protectively whilst baring his fangs at the human. "You all are monsters from birth eh?" The trooper says, raising his gun. 

"Don't worry, I'll make it quick." He promises. Grayson doesn't waste any time and runs at him full speed. She leapt onto him and grabbed his arm, forcing it away from the children, making it go off. 

"What the-" He shouted. "Get off me, freak!" The trooper dropped the gun to grab a knife. Grayson looked at the kids and jerked her chin in the other direction. "Run!" She shouted. "Run and don't look back!"

The kids jumped up and dashed off for their lives. Grayson watched them go until a sharp pain in her side made her howl in pain. The trooper yanked out the knife and kicked the young Lycadian off of him.

Grayson held a hand to her bleeding thigh and did her best to stand. "You wanna play dirty huh?" She growled, grabbing her sword and hurling it at the trooper who was bending down to retrieve his gun.

The human trooper fell to the ground and Grayson pulled the sword from his back. "I can play dirty too." She muttered. Just then a thought caught her. Reminding her of the one person she didn't want to die. 

"Malik!" Grayson shouted as she ran to the stables. The young Lycadian slashes through humans and ignores the bullets and blasts that zipped by her face. Reaching the stables, Grayson was shocked and enraged to see her old mentor and only trustworthy friend on the ground, disarmed as a trooper stood over him. 

"Malik!" She screamed. The trooper looked up, but not before shooting the older man in the shoulder. "No!" Grayson cried, attacking the trooper, claws out and slashing the man. His screams of pain did nothing to her whipping claws. 

"G-Grayson...." Malik calls. The girl pauses her mauling to look at the man. Blood spray coated her face and tears sprang from her eyes. She ran to her friend and helped him up, slinging his good arm around her neck. 

"We have to get out of here." She said, making her way to the castle. "We have a royal escape pod in case of stuff like this." Grayson's thigh throbbed and protested in agony but she pressed on, feeling it heal slowly.

Malik wasn't looking so hot. His head drooped his dark brown skin beaded with stressful sweat. "Those....only fit....one person..." He pointed out. Grayson's throat bobbed. "I know..." Once they arrived behind the castle where a launching pad lay, Grayson leaned Malik against the ship as she punched in the coordinates. 

"I'm sending you to earth." She informed him. "You'll be safest there... You'll blend in as a Terran...." She punches in the location and tries to ignore her trembling fingers. 

Malik lifted his head to look at her. "Gray...you have to go....not me..." He urged. She shook her head. "Not a chance. A good captain always goes down with their ship." Even as she said that her mind burned. 

Malik smiled a bit to himself. She was a true leader. A true Alpha. Grayson was willing to send him to safety and stay behind to defend her kingdom. She didn't deserve to die this way. 

"Stop what you're doing!" The hair on Grayson's arm stands up straight at the harsh voice. She turns to see three troopers approaching. "Quick," She muttered, helping Malik up to the ship's cockpit. Abruptly, a burning pain exploded in her shoulder. 

Grayson lifted a hand to her now bloody shoulder. Malik acts quickly and shoves her in the only seat available in the ship before closing the lid. Grayson looked up, weakened and confused. "WH-what? No! Malik!" She shouted, banging on the clear window.

"Ten seconds till ignition." The automated voice announces. Grayson watches the only man who never used her, nor betrayed her smile weakly. "You are young and have your whole life ahead of you, Gray." He tell her. "Live well!" 

"Five seconds." 

Grayson's eyes filled with tears that mixed with the dirt and blood on her face. "Malik!" She shouted, trying to find a way to open the ship. "You'll be fine." He reassures before running at the troops the best he could. 

"One second."

Grayson could only watch as Malik was shot over and over as the human troops open fire on him and the ship. She could only watch as the ship rose and zoomed out of Amarog's orbit, out of the radar of the human militia. 

Grayson sat back and pressed a hand to her bleeding shoulder, eyes full of anger, sorrow, and guilt. "This is all my fault." She muttered. "All my fault."

Well, this isn't going to go well......Oops...It hasn't gone well. What do you think Grayson is going to do once she reaches earth???