Divided Nation

The Battle Of Goldridge

The halls rang out with sound as guards rushed through them. Red velvet carpet was laid on the floor, but the guards uniforms were blood-soaked, making the carpet a more crimison colour.

     "Hurry!" One of the guards shouted, "The King! He's wounded."

     With a shock, I realized I was back at the Royal Palace at Crown's End. The guards armor was tinted blue, showing their allegiance to the Blue Kingdom. I followed them as they rushed along, there were maybe 10 in all. They skidded to a stop in front of the heavy dual doors to the throne room.

     "This is it guys," The lead guard said, "Remember, respect."

     They pushed open the doors and marched in an orderly fashion in. I didn't follow them in, but rather stared around at my old home. The crystal chandelier looked exactly the same as the day I was forced out. Looking down the exact hallway I had fled down, I noticed the carpet was torn up and some paintings fell. 

      I followed the guards through the doorway and into the throne room. Inside, Louis was sitting on the Colour Throne, with my fathers body beneath him. The guards assembled in a loose semicircle around the throne, drawing their swords.

     "Now, remember boys," Louis said, rising to his full height, almost 2 metres tall, "There are to be no weapons in the prescience of the king."

     "Who the hell are you?" The guard said, "The only king we know is at your feet."

     "Oh, this fool?" Louis replied, kicking my fathers body, "His time was up a long time ago. As for you loyal fools..."

      Louis opened his hand his sword flew into it, shooting up from the ground. The guards flinched in unison as they realized the sword in his hand.

     "Thats right," He said, "The Sword Of Power. Took me a while to get it, but it'll come in handy now. Kneel before the new king or, you know."

     The lead guard took a deep breath and charged Louis. He had barely made it up the steps before the sword was buried hilt deep inside his chestplate.

     "Fool," He said, his face turning into rage, "I'll give the rest of you one more chance. Kneel!"

      One by one, the guards lowered their swords in front of them and bent the knee. Together they chanted in unison, "All hail King Louis the First, the King Of Gala."

      Louis smilied and looked directly at me. The Colour Thrones light shook brighter and brighter as Louis took the throne and the scenes suddenly changed.

      From here, my visions became much more blurry and unrecognizable. A saw a battalion of dragons fighting each other above a giant forest as fires raged below. A golden sword plunged through the belly of a titian as it collapsed onto the ground. A hammer that was as blinding as the Colour Throne starting to bleed crimson, then slowly turned into blood.

     The scenes moved quicker and quicker as voices started to blend into one another. 

     Suddenly, I was sucked out of the vision and found myself sitting on the banks of a river facing a familiar old friend.

     "Hayden," Harman remarked, "A miracle you aren't dead. Let's fix you up with some food now, huh?"

     _____________________________________

     "4,000 men?" I said, still taking in the news, "Did nobody else escape?"

     We were sitting in a makeshift camp near a river. The canyon had ended a couple kilometres up ahead, but the river that snaked through still remained. The camp was orderly, but had no banners raised in fear of the large Regime army in the area.