Walking Between Dreams

Chapter 23

Warning!

In this chapter it has graphic violence.

----

The sun beat down on my back, seeping through the black cloak that covered the leather armor that I adorned. A strong bow was strapped to my back, the dagger from the Mirkwoods still attached to my hip along with a quiver of arrows on my back as well. My hands reached for my pocket and found the usual lump of my watch. In the silence I itched to release the wooden spear into the target that was appointed; it did not matter if it was alive or not.

Trained guards observed me when I crouched with them on the stone wall that overlooked the garden, now in full bloom. 

None of them spoke until a gentle voice said, "What are doing here? You are not a guard."

"That's true, but I am still apart of the rebellion," I responded.

He pressed with his gray eyes lighting up, "What makes you qualified?"

"I was a member of the royal guard for the Ytger family," I answered sharply while gazing at the towering bushes still wondering how I got myself into this mess.

He stated with him glancing towards me, "My name is Lolos, and yours?"

My eyes were still on the empty garden. "Ymir."

"That is a boring name." he commented, "What do you have to gain by helping the general of the North to escape?"

"Satisfaction that I helped the rebellion," I partially responded truthfully.

I cocked my head to see the person who was sitting by me. He lazily propped his head on his knee, brown locks glowed in the day. Faint freckles covered his round face that had a beard beginning to grow.

I nodded, "Why are you here?"

"The Captain of the Royal Guards asked us to be here." Lolos said while pulling out something, "You might want this."

He handed me a purple flower and I clipped it to the collar of my shirt. 

I opened my mouth but before I could answer he explained, "It is a symbol that everyone wears, so they do not get killed."

I turned my attention back to the garden and waited.

All of the sudden heavy footsteps echoed through the once empty garden, the flowers quivered. In the distance I spotted the Calaena sprinting with an injured Aedion who barely held onto her. Right behind them were guards who wore black uniform with wyverns printed on the chest.

The man who was in command gestured with his hand and we loaded our arrows. I pulled the string tightly with a shadow casted right below it, and poised my arrows for one the guard's heart. With a deep grunt from the man about a hundred arrows were released once Calaena and the general were in the safe zone.

A shower of arrows pelted the lush grass; however, the enemy guards did not falter. They continued on with inhuman strength that frightened everyone, even me. My breath got caught in my throat as looked into their cold, dead eyes and waited for the captain to tell us to flee. It was going to be a bloodbath. 

Ultimately, he held his ground and waved a hand forward. Then all of the archers leaped down onto the soil and charged forward with ferocity that only soldiers had. As I jumped down to be one of the last ones the air blew through my hair and caressed my cheeks with my grasp still on my loaded bow. With a true aim I released the arrow into one the black covered guard's eye, he shrieked in pain.

"Ymir!" bellowed a voice from behind and a trace of shadow appeared.

I ducked and dug the dagger between the rib, black blood was coughed onto me.

Lolos muttered, "How did you know that was not me?"

I smirked viciously, "I didn't."

Another arrow was released from me into a guard's midnight chest and he slumped over instantly. Nearby Lolos was swinging a battle axes with strength and agility that was from years of training. I whirled around to find two of the enemy guards rushing towards me with their blades drawn, glinting in the sun.

I had to retreat a few steps and readied my arrows, even so there was not enough space between us to make an accurate shot. I traded my bow for the Mirkwoods dagger and sprinted towards them with the lack of patience guiding my actions. 

The grass shredded underfoot as I ducked from a swing to my throat; my blade stopped the other one. I kicked for the temple on the other guard, nonetheless I rammed into his side and sent him flying.  The guard with the swords saw a chance and kneed my gut that knocked the wind out of me. The pommel of one of his swords smacked into the back my head and black dots filled my vision. I had to strike now or risk being killed, resulting with me punching the back of his leg.

He tumbled down and I hit his elbows sharply as he lost grip on the dual swords. I looked into his dead eyes, smiling he clawed my cheek. I yelped in pain, reached for the dagger and drove it into his heart, and flung him into the accompanying guard. I sheathed my dagger and took a deep breath. The hilt of the onyx dual swords fit nicely in my hands, the blades sang their song while I did some practice swings.

I turned to face the accompanying guard and smiled grimly. He took that as a challenge and raced at me with great speed. I only heard the yells of the dying men for a moment and lunged at him. My foot sent pieces of the grass soaring, the dark blades ate the sun and sparked when they met the enemy. 

Clanging of steel on steel rung silently in the conflict, it was blasted out by the orders given by the rebels and the screams. The remaining guard sliced with a sword toward my left and I deflected barely. I took the dual swords and swiftly aimed one for his neck and the other to slice into his side when he was recovering from the attack. It took seconds to cut the man in half with quarts of blood spilling onto the ground. 

I pivoted to discover Lolos staring at me with an unreadable expression as if he has never met death. I shrugged it off and launched myself at an assailant who crept up on Lolos, my blades detached the head cleanly.

"Thanks," grumbled Lolos as he turned to get back to back with me.

We circled in one movement to survey the area to find most of guards wearing black pursuing Calaena. I raced forward with my steps echoing my breaths and heart beat, and I hunted the guards. My blades mirrored each other's movements as I cut through the guards like wheat ready to be harvested, black blood coated the vibrant grass.

The man who commanded us bellowed, "We need to retreat! There are too many!"

I looked up to see a robust man calling out the order who was already turning to flee. I dashed towards Lolos and cut down anyone who stood in my way. The stench of blood was the only sensation I perceived as I dragged Lolos out after me, he was still fighting.

"What are you doing?!" snarled Lolos who bared his teeth to me, his eyes narrowed.

I spat while he adjusted himself to jog by me, "Would you have stopped fighting?"

Lolos gazed ahead and picked up the pace to a steady sprint so I did the same. We ran out of the gardens to a wide, dirt road that led all the way to Rifthold, it had cracked in it from the changing of seasons.

Birds from the garden could be heard now singing a gentle song as we ran for our lives out the grounds of the castle that were now overran with the dark guards. We ran until safety