The Traitor of Inlustris

VII

Crossing the river to Solennes Jubar was the easiest task after joining the Tenebrosus Bleeders. The relentless currents were nothing compared to the incredible tension of being surrounded by actual gang members. Not to mention how they all stared at me as if I was their next prey. Considering I was a royal in disguise, I was their prey, but I was hoping my disguise as a predator worked well enough.

When the Bleeders stopped their trek only a couple of feet away from the river, I wondered if that whole swearing into the gang part was all a trap. My heart dropped to my stomach when Herc threw me a pointed look.

Were they going to kill me?

But when most of them sat down underneath different trees, closed their eyes and leaned their heads back, I realized we were there to rest.

"Sleep, Ella," Herc urged me. "We start training at dawn."

I didn't dare speak a word and plopped down under a tree. I couldn't see the foliage from the darkness, but the roots protruding from the soil were slightly highlighted by their electric lantern. I wondered where they managed to salvage such an antiquity, but focused on being as invisible as possible.

Hugging my bag to my chest, I rested my back on the tree trunk, keeping my body facing every Bleeder in sight. I was afraid that if I let my guard down, they'll murder me and keep going. Seeing as they were a gang, I knew I wasn't in the safest hands.

But if being in a gang was going to get me to the answers I longed for, then I'd try my best to fit in. However, I had no idea how this particular rogue gang worked. I hoped I wouldn't be brutally murdered come dawn.

I told myself to stay awake. My eyes burned as the hours piled on top of my shoulders. After having such a long day, burying Theodora, holding a sobbing Orpheus, packing up my things, and jumping off a palace window, I needed a good night's sleep.

My body, weakened from exhaustion, won against my will, and soon I lost consciousness. The last thing I remembered was sending out a tiny prayer to Gracious for me to not be attacked by brutal gang members.

—

Waking up was unlike any other experience I've had. I had trouble remembering where I was. I was so confused by the soil under me and why I was leaning against a tree. I almost called out to Philip to help me out of my hallucination when I remembered I was surrounded by the Tenebrosus Bleeders.

They roamed about the area, stretching their limbs and greeting each other. I hugged my bag closer to my chest as I inspected each of them. They were all unique, but they all shared an edge. I figured it was a Tenebrosus Bleeders attribute. I wondered if I would get it if I stuck beside them long enough.

The thought scared me. Would I have to stay with them for a long time? I was still the queen of Potentia Flamber. I couldn't deny my duties. I was already putting most of them on hold by joining a rogue gang.

I could only hope Philip would do his part as I tried to bring a solution to all Flambers.

"Are you gonna stay sitting there or are you gonna get up and start training?" Herc called out.

I looked up at him feeling my cheeks color at the scrutiny. His arms were crossed over his chest, accentuating the veins that bulged out of his skin.

"Come on," he waved at me, "you have to know how to fight. It's the only way you'll survive."

I followed him to a clearing by the river. Everyone nodded at me in greeting but didn't bother to get in our way.

Training must be considered crucial if they all treated it with such respect. It reminded me of how serious training was for the army. Every soldier had to undergo a series of rigorous training in order to be officially enlisted and start working.

If this training was going to be anything like the army, then I'd surely die from exhaustion. A princess was never exposed to brutal exercises to boost stamina and strength. We were expected to look pretty and stand beside the king.

A queen's job wasn't any different either.

"Here," Herc pressed a blade on the palm of my hand. I stared down at the same dagger he had pressed against my throat hours before. I turned the hilt of it in between my fingers and felt the cool touch of the metal against my other hand. "Come at me."

I whipped my head in his direction. He held another dagger in his huge hand, already expecting my attack. I gripped the hilt of my dagger. Grimacing at the foreign feeling, I took a lame stance and stared at Herc, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. However, I didn't know when the perfect opportunity would arise. I was stumped. I would never be able to survive in a gang, which meant I could never find information against my enemies.

No.

I wasn't going to let that happen. If I could jump out of a window, then I could learn how to fight. He'll be impressed by my skills, even if I was terrible now.

Perhaps an easy disarming spell could startle him enough. All I needed was that surprise element to have the upper hand.

"Are you just gonna stand there, Flamber?"

As a response, I swung at his shoulder. He blocked it with his dagger, and pushed me back with extreme force. I fell on my bottom, but I managed to block his own attack by sliding across the ground, hooking my ankle with his. The movement made him trip, and I used the opportunity to get up.

Herc got up, sizing me up slowly. I took a step back as he started towards me again. His dagger went down on me and I yelped trying to block it. My legs shook as I blocked hit after hit.

I noticed some of the Bleeders sat a couple of feet away, enjoying the match as if it were a show. My sore body begged to differ. All I wanted was a hot bath to relieve my muscles from all the tension. Instead I just got more hits.

"You gotta learn to take offense, Ella," Herc grunted. He used an arm to push me back and I fell again. Before I could try to get up, he pressed the dagger to my throat. "If you just play defense, you can get tired and get yourself killed."

He sheathed his dagger and offered me his hand. I took it, noticing the great size difference between his and my own. He really was built to be the muscle of the gang. I was no match for him.

"Remember: when you fight, you have to be one step ahead of your opponent."

"That's what I'm trying to do," I whispered. I twisted the dagger in between my hands wanting nothing more than to be sneaking around King Davian's palace.

"What?" Herc asked.

I shook my head. Right then, one of the Bleeders hollered. I turned to see the other Flamber and the freckled one carrying a dead deer on top of their shoulders. The blonde girl came holding on to a pile of firewood.

"Someone get the fire started," the Flamber said.

"I'll do it," Herc said. He turned to me. "Our first lesson is over. You have a long way to go before you can say you're a Bleeder."

"How nice," I replied, my speech oozing in sarcasm. He rolled his eyes before jogging towards the blonde girl and taking some of the firewood to help her out.

I studied them as they got ready to cook the deer. The scene before me was crazy. I never thought I'd be in the middle of the forest about to eat a deer that had been roaming around minutes before. If I were at the palace, I'd be eating only the best of the best. Carefully cooked meals made daily from my very own royal cooks. Here, you ate what you could get. Fortunately, they seemed to be used to hunting animals and eating them on the spot.

I sat down a couple of feet away, holding my bag close to my chest once more. I didn't know what to do as everyone started working amongst themselves to cook. All I could think about was how much time I'd have to live like this, and when would I be able to get close to the intel I so longed for to end the war.