Don't Forget

#47 Divided

With one last crash of the siege machine, the West gates slam open. Adam and Ty are finally able to put down their one shield and make a break for the open gate. The siege machine is pulled back to let more soldiers through.
Prince Adam expected a fight, and so did the troops at his back. That's why he slides to a stop in confusion when there are no squids behind the gate. A few small groups of soldiers decide to go up to the wall when there is no confrontation. The squid archers are trapped up there now.
     "It's almost completely abandoned. Did the squids really run away that fast?", Ty stands next to Adam, just as confused. This city is important for supplies and it acts as a midway stronghold on the continent. It shouldn't have been won so easily.
     "I don't know, but Mitch needs to secure it. There could be squids hiding in any of the buildings", Adam warily looks around. He can't see Mitch anywhere. He's the one is charge.
The town looks deserted, the GoldenEye and squid soldiers being the only people outside. Dan's GoldenWings probably for moat of the people hunkered down for the battle.
Adam nearly jumps put of his skin when a hand comes down on his shoulder. He twists around to find Captain Lyssa hovering behind him.
"Prince Adam, what are you orders? There's archers in the wall, but no other troops are attacking", Lyssa looks at Adam with an expectant gaze. She puts all her faith in her prince.
     "Well, what does Mitch say? He's more of an expert at this kind of thing", Adam tries to nervously deflect the responsibility. He can't help it. He's been running for nine years. Everything is moving a little too fast.
     "Mitch went down just before the gate broke. He told me that you would know what to do", Captain Lyssa isn't deterred at all.
     Adam bites his lip and looks back up at the wall. The squid archers are cornered from both sides. The True King is terrified of the responsibility, but it's his birthright to take charge. All of this is his fight. Adam knows that now, and he won't forget it. Ty offers a smile of encouragement as Adam takes a breath to speak.
     "Round up those archers and bring them down here! If they don't fight back, they're not to be harmed!", Prince Adam's voice rings out loud and clear, addressing the soldiers. Most of them don't recognize him by face, but by his amulet and all the rumors.
Adam looks nothing like the King, but Lyssa can suddenly see him in the way that the prince holds himself. Adam has a hidden strength that allows him to lead. People will listen if the prince just tries.
The squid archers have alley hurt a lot of people, and killed some, so more then a few of Adam's soldiers were looking forward to getting some revenge. The squids are just as uneasy when they hear the order. They're made to believe that capture means death. The GoldenEye soldiers spent nine years trying to survive, but the squid soldiers spent that time in fear. GoldenWings caused just enough trouble to make them doubt their victory. This battle proves it.
     "They won't go easily", Ty mumbles. He's supposed to keep Adam safe, and Ty is determined to do so. The street rat has a lot of grief to pay back.
     "Lachlan gave them an out. Not all these soldiers are bad, but just taking orders. It doesn't matter how you or I personally feel", Adam's calculating outlook comes from Sky. The assassin used to measure the effect life and death on every mission. Leaving these squids alive sends a better message.
There's only 15 squid archers that stayed until the gate broke. They're marched down the wall's towers and up to Prince Adam. Soldiers prickling with weapons line their path.
"My name is Prince Adam", it takes everything he has to uphold his 'kingly' look. "Which one of you is in charge? I understand that your Captain may not be present, so who should I speak to?". There's a few seconds of hesitance, but one of the archers do step forward.
"I'm the head of the archers. You can speak to me. My name is Emickle", the archer has silver cuffs on his uniform, showing his rank. Emickle holds his head nigh despite their obvious capture. He knew what would happen when his Captain asked him to stay. Facing a dead prince really shakes him up on the inside
     "Where did the rest of your soldiers go? Your answer determines your fate", Adam's eyes give nothing away. He could be walking right in a trap, for all he knows.
"They're already gone. We're just a distraction", Emickle answers coolly, but Adam knows better; I an made sure of that. There's a nervous twitch in the squid's hands that gives him away. He's lying.
"We both know that you're lying", Adam steps closer, lowering his voice, "Tell the truth, or I'll make one of your men talk". The threat isn't hollow at all. Sky's done it, so Adam shouldn't feel as bad as he does. His stomach clenches at the thought.
The archer says nothing. Prince Adam only waits a moment longer before motioning to one of his soldiers. He then points to the smallest squid archer in the group.
A soldier grabs the squid by his shoulder, retching him out of the group. The other archers shrink away in fright.
"Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk! Leave him alone!", Emickle's act quickly falls apart, but gains a little respect. There's plenty of military leaders who throw their soldiers around like fodder. Adam has a little more respect for the archer now. The soldier lets go of the small squid archer.
"You can all walk out of here if you tell me where they've gone", Adam talks a little softer. Emickle looks down in shame.
"It doesn't matter anyways. The Liblicen troops you called already killed my Captain. We could see the battle from on top of the walls", Emickle half snarls.
Prince Adam has to be careful to keep the surprise off his face, even as Lyssa and the others shift uneasily. He'll deal with Liblicen later if it's true. He has to focus on the now. All the responsibility might drag him under if he doesn't.
Before Adam can tell the squids to leave, Emickle is pulled back. One of the archers punched him away to get to Adam. The prince sees the sword, and throws himself back to dodge it.
Ty's speed shocks the audience. No one's ever thought mush of him, but the street rat's never tried before. He gets between Adam and the squid, catching the sword with his own. Ty kicks in the squid's leg and twists to get behind him. Their blades slide off each other just in time for Ty's sword to find soft flesh. The squid goes down with a bleeding wound on their neck.
     Staring in shock, Ty feels oddly numb. He's never killed anyone like that before. He didn't even think; it just happened. It's a little unsettling.
Emickle stares in shock. He was the one who was suppose to protect that archer. Their lives are on his shoulders.
"Drop them!", the archer whirls on his troops, desperation in his eyes. The squids are hesitant, but eventually drop their weapons one by one.
     "Try that again, and if won't be just one", Lyssa hisses. Adam is grateful that she speaks up first. He doesn't know how to respond to an assassination on his own life. Now Adam knows what his targets must have felt like. He ties to shake off the feeling.
"Lyssa, take a unit with you and take the squids out the East gate", Adam turns back to Emickle, "You can still walk out of here. You're lucky that archer didn't spill any blood". Adam talks while making a point to look Ty over for injuries.
     With a few shoves, the squids are taken away. Emickle glances at Adam over his shoulder. It really is Prince Adam, isn't it? There's so many rumors about his survival, but most of the squids believe he's a fake.
When they've gone, Adam sends soldiers to march through the city. The different groups have orders to keep any civilians in their homes for the time being. The city needs to be secured before anything else.
There could also be a Liblicen army outside that needs to be dealt with. Adam really wishes that Mitch or Lachlan were here. The prince isn't sure what to do with the situation.
     "I think we need to find Lachlan", Ty speaks, seeming to read Adam's mind, "Jordan, Robin, and Alister's groups should be safe to come in here if Liblicen really is here and has even taken care of the rest of the squids".
"Yeah. I feel like the next few days are really gonna suck", Adam looks down, running a hand through his hair. Out of the eye of his own soldiers, he can relax and drop the act. He's starting to feel like this job is just another mask. That gonna have to change. Adam doesn't want to pretend that he's anybody else. It only ends p hurting in the end.
Ty and Adam walk back to the West gate. They're not surprised to see GoldenEye soldiers rounding the corner of the wall and heading towards them. Strangely, Lachlan isn't with them.
      A bit of the forest is visible from the gate, but there's a hill between the two. If Liblicen fought a battle, it'd be there. It's hard to believe they came on such short notice just because Sub asked them to.
     "Do you think we should get the medical team to bring everyone here? What about whoever is leading the Liblicen troops?", Adam thinks out loud, biting his lip.
     "Jordan could probably help, since neither Lachlan or Mitch are here. He'll understand", Ty shrugs his shoulders.
     "No, he doesn't know what's happed to me. Jordan's expecting me to have been in hiding and learning about all this stuff. What everyone think if they knew that I'm making it up as I go?", Adam laughs a little.
     "Don't say that. You've done pretty well so far. At least you're able to reclaim your title without being called a liar", Ty tries to joke to make Adam feel better, but it doesn't make either of them feel better.
     The two are dragged out of their sob party when a horse reins in just a few feet away. Vikk quickly slides off, out of breath.
     "Is the city secured?", his first question immediately brings back the tense order of responsibility.
     "There was only a handful of archers left, and the leader claimed Liblicen troops dealt with the rest. Do you have any idea if that's true?", Ty asks in curiosity.
     "It's real. There's at least a hundred Zemrlt, and some other hybrids, just over the hill. They took out the squid's main force. Lachlan and I went to meet them, but a Zemrlt said that their commander can't talk with us", Vikk explains.
     "They travel all the way across an ocean, join a battle without a heads up, and now they don't want to talk?". Adam deadpans. It doesn't make much sense at all.
     "Don't shoot the messenger", Vikk shrugs, "But have you seen Mitch and Lyssa? Lachlan wants to you and all the Captains together for a meeting".
"Lyssa's in the city, but I haven't seen Mitch since before the gate was busted", Adam confesses. It's worrying that even Vikk hasn't seen him.
"Speaking of, Jerome's gone, too. He's kinda hard to miss", Ty adds.
When Vikk looks over Adam's shoulder, face going white, he immediately knows that there's something wrong. He turns around to find an assassin walking towards then. The Prince recognizes the pitch black hair and the chain weapon on her belt, that's not what he pays attention to.
Scarlet is carrying a body.