The King's Remorse

Make. Me.

Dove's arm shoots out to pull me into his side, halfway behind him, as his grey eyes flicker around, searching for the enemy.

"Show your faces, you cowards," Phoenix roars. I can almost see the flames leaping for the sky as they consume him, turning the black cat into a furious inferno.

"Very well." One by one, Guard and Soldiers appear from the shadows in the forest.

"We've come for Wolf and Dove."

"Good luck," Ky hisses, baring his teeth. His fluffy tail lashes from side to side.

"Why thank you, whatever your name is," one of the Guard replies with a fake smile creeping across his face. Ky frowns, confused and angry.

"It's Ky, thank you very much," he grumbles.

"Don't care. Now getting back to Wolf and Dove, if you would be so kind as to come with us, we'll be on our way, and you two, whatever your names are, can be on your way." The Guard shoos Ky and Phoenix with a lazy hand.

"You really think we're going with you?" I cross my arms across my chest.

It's incredibly tempting to just shift into my wolf form, but then I might get hurt... Or Dove would get hurt. Or Ky and Phoenix- they're starting to grow on me and I don't know if that's a good thing. They could be spies, as odd as that sounds saying it in my mind.

"This is going nowhere," Phoenix growls under his breath. He's shifting on his paws with impatience; he's itching for a fight. His fiery eyes flicker between each of the Guard and Soldiers, searching for any hint of movement towards us.

"What did you say?" One of the Soldiers turns his gaze towards Phoenix.

"What I said was that this is going nowhere. Are you really so stupid as to believe Wolf and Dove will just willingly go with you? That they'll just walk up and surrender to be taken to their deaths? 'Cus you must be really idiotic to believe that they'll do that." Phoenix laughs humorlessly.

"Take that back," the Soldier snaps, taking a few steps towards the black cat.

"Make me." Phoenix doesn't hesitate in replying, and he advances as well.

"With pleasure," the Soldier snarls as he draws his sword.

"Stop!" It's what appears to be the lead Guard, though not Snappy; I haven't been able to find Snappy, Screech, or Scorn in the crowd. Though I wouldn't mind a chance to get a bit of revenge on them. But what about Scorn? He was far nicer than either of the Guard. I'm jerked back to reality from my thinking when Phoenix leaps out of the way from the Soldier's attack.

"I SAID STOP!" The lead Guard bellows, sending an arrow whizzing past the Soldier's ear, and it's close enough to draw a droplet of blood.

The Soldier freezes, tensing up, but Phoenix just lazily turns his head and raises an eyebrow. "So you're not idiotic enough to try to kill your own minions?" He snorts, flicking the end of his tail.

"No. I'm making sure they're following orders."

"We're giving you one last chance to come with us peacefully, Wolf and Dove." The lead Guard turns to me and my brother.

"We're giving you one last chance to come with us peacefully, Wolf and Dove," Phoenix mocks, sneering. "Well, I'm giving you one last chance to get the hell away from us before I burn you all to ashes."

He snarls, baring his fangs. Thank goodness I'm not his enemy. Just look at those canines, not to mention his fury and fire.

"Thank you, but no." Dove stands his ground and crosses his arms across his chest as he mimics Ky's scowl at the Guard and Soldiers.

"Alright then. Four against, what? Twenty, thirty of My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV's Guard and Soldiers?"

"Really? You brought thirty people to capture us? You must really be afraid of us," I laugh. The Soldier shoots me a death glare, which is copied by many of the other Guard and Soldier.

"To hell with this," Phoenix mutters before he takes a few short strides and launches himself into the crowd. Shouts erupt, some cries of pain and others roars of anger.

"Are you letting me fight?" I quickly ask Dove. He ponders for a split second before replying.

"Sure. Just don't get hurt." My brother leaps into the air, gracefully shifting into his bird form. He descends upon the Guard and Soldiers with a screech.

"SPREAD OUT!" The lead Guard bellows. King Garonda XIV's minions scatter, putting more and more room between each other. Though there are a few who lay motionless on the ground, their charred flesh telling the tale of Phoenix's fury, and many of the remaining Guard and Soldiers nurse burned skin.

I hesitate, watching the battle for a few moments before exploding into my wolf form as I race into the fray. I try not to think too much about what exactly I'm doing to the Guard and Soldiers who fall beneath my attacks- if I do, well, I don't think about that as well.

The sword of one of the Soldiers carves a gash into one of my hindquarters. My lips curl as I hiss in pain. The Soldier leaps forwards with a swing of his sword, and I jump out of the way, though I trip over an unfortunately placed rock. I tumble in a clumsy backwards somersault.

A sick grin spreads across the Soldier's face as he continues to advance upon me. My paws scrabble on the loose dirt, scrambling for traction until I rise to stand again. The Soldier's sword flies in a silvery arc, and I duck just in time, only a few hairs from the black mane running down my head, neck, and shoulders being cut off.

I lash out, claws ripping a jagged gash through the Soldier's metal armor, and the iron groans as I tear through it. Blood pools in the dents and tears. The Soldier hisses through clenched teeth, cursing me as he collapses to one knee until the wave of pain subsides.

"Hey! Take that back right now!" Ky frowns, huffing in anger. The Soldier looks up at me and Ky, a sort of pained anger taking over his gaze. I shift back to my human form.

"Never. You're never going to win. King Garonda XIV sits upon the Amethyst Throne; you can't beat him. You will be crushed beneath his reign."

"No. We're going to win. The evil, twisted King will fall."

"How dare you refer to My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV by anything other than his full name!" The Soldier looks at Ky in horror.

"King, King, King," I mock, curling my lip.

"King, King, King," Ky repeats, baring his teeth.

The Soldier's head snaps up, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Wha?" He murmurs, looking at something just a little ways above us.

As usual, thank you so much for reading! Please comment and vote!

What does the Soldier see?

King Garonda XIV send thirty Guard and Soldiers to capture Wolf and Dove. Will the King of Ragdon be successful, or will Wolf and Dove evade him yet again?

Do you have any suggestions?

Predictions?

-Werewolf14-