I saw him, in the red suit layered over his white undershirt and dark brown trousers.
His skin disfigured before me in this dark haze that followed behind him. Those eyes never wavered when he looked at me.
He was not the one I saw back in the forest. This one was bulkier and his eyes heavy-set like he had not slept in days. His hair was crossed in a myriad of thick long strands.
He breathed out as if exhausted. Fidgeting, he whipped his head back and forth in some dire effort to shake off something. I did not know what, but I knew it creeped me out.
He took a purposeful step toward me. I wanted to step back, but my body was ice.
No bone was at my command. I trembled and rambled incoherent, yet I did not heighten it beyond whispers.
Were they going to strike, for nothing occurred.
What were they waiting for? He was right in front of me, kill him!
He cried out loudly, twisting to the right. An arrow lodged in his neck and a rope was attached to it. That was not the only arrow, for many arrows flew into the back of this champion.
“Carmine! Carmine!” My wrist squeezed from the grip. I turned to see Yodan, who grabbed my arm. “Come on now!”
I found strength and moved into his stride as we ran. A heavy thud shattered my thoughts, but the ache shook me senseless. I was weightless in my flight, but only for a second, for I dived hard and scratched my arms hitting the ground.
Bricks and rocks dropped all around me as I saw a shadow charging at me.
The rope twirled and spun. It rolled around the champion and then it tightened. The champion shifted back into its human form.
I glanced up to see the shadows of the men on the roofs of the houses. Were that Valor and the others? The ropes tightened and pulled into the shadows which dragged the man to the ground.
“Got him!”
A rock, that stone, the musothin slid across the ground toward the champion. The champion drifted back from it in fear, so the champion tried to rip the rope by pushing out its arms.
"Carmine!" Yodan said.
Valor's axe sailed toward the champion, but the champion threw his restrained feet up to slap the axe away from nearly hitting his head.
Blood dripped, for he didn't come out unscathed.
I rolled off the ground and shifted onto my knees. Yodan grasped my shoulder, but I was frozen to the spot.
Xallion came out from around a building's corner.
The champion grit his teeth and rolled which caused his restrained legs to flick up the musothin.
That rock gets thrown further away from the champion. If that was enough to make him happy, he probably was.
Xallion moved in on the champion’s side stabbing him with the spear, yet there was no blood. Instead, it was black smoke leaking out of his punctured skin.
The champion broke apart into black smoke and smiled at me.
A disconcerting charge went up the length of my back. Valor jumped down from the roof and shouted, “Go!”
Yodan dragged me up and we sped off. I was wraith with anticipation, or the hope of safety. My legs ached, but I did not tarry.
I heard stories, but I thought it was all lies, falsehoods meant to distract us and deceive us or to scare me into a good Princess.
YOU ARE READING
Carmine (Completed)
FantasyA young clever Princess of Ascus named Carmine is stuck in a daunting predicament by her father's decree. She wants to escape it by any means, for that was all she has ever done, running away from her duty, her crown. She must survive the darkest of...
