Starting Life From Zero: Far From Home

Chapter Twenty-Three

There was a kind of hush that had fallen over the outside of the Royal Palace. The ramparts were vacant and while there were some guards on the ground near the gates where the road led in. From high up, it was rather easy to see that the castle was vulnerable to an attack from the air, but that probably wasn't exactly the kind of thing that most people were capable do doing.

Luckily for Bucky, Sam was able to lift him high enough to avoid any eyes from the ground who might have spied them if there were any there. The pair of them circled around the inner keep, passing over the circular arena in its shadow. Without the aid of radios it was hard to talk while moving this fast, but they had agreed to drop down as close to the keep as possible and see if there was anyone they could warn about what was about to happen.

As why dropped in altitude and the ground came up to meet them, Bucky let go, tucking into a roll to hit the ground and with his Vibranium fist down to disperse the force. Sam landed right beside him, the wings folding up and going into his pack.

"You posing for a full page spread," Sam said. "Come on, stop goofing around."

Bucky set his jaw as he glared at Sam. "You just want me to blow out my knees."

Sam pointed over at him, wagging his finger next to Bucky's face. "Are you about to go on another old man rant?"

The pair of them were approaching the garage-like tunnel that lead under the castle for Ground Dragons drawn carriages to drop people off. There should have seemingly been some kind of guard here or attendant, but there was none to be found. As they stepped into the covered garage the air cooled slightly.

"Doesn't this all seem kind of—modern?" Asked Bucky.

"Pshh, I've been saying that about this place since we first showed up here. This whole place seems like a mix of a bunch of things that in some cases have no business being anywhere near each other," Sam said. "Like a big old piece of pineapple on pizza."

Bucky drew a dagger from his belt. "Did you hear that?"

Sam turned his eyes toward the side of the garage where the Ground Dragon stables. He looked back toward the door of the palace where there was still no guard to be found.

"I don't hear anything," said Sam. "Wait, someone's coming."

Sure enough there was a loud noise like a group of people stomping through the inside of the castle. Guards, more than likely.

"You gonna lower the knife so they don't come out here and kick our asses?" Sam said to Bucky.

"Not just yet," Bucky said. "Listen to that, where the Hell have you heard guards marching that sloppy?"

When Sam listened closer it sounded like panicked running, like people pushing their way down the hallway in a frantic forced movement. Before either of them could further voice these thoughts a group of people lurched out of the opening of the door, moving with jerky motions like they were being haphazardly posed and moved.

"What the Hell?" Sam asked.

They moved their heads in a slow, circular motion as if trying to sniff out something nearby. Their eyes were open, but devoid of any kind of expression. Then, with a jerk, all of their heads turned toward Sam and Bucky.

"I don't think that those are the guards," Bucky said.

"You think?" Sam asked.

The people rushed them, moving like a horde of puppets dragged along by their strings. Though they moved like they were being controlled, they seemed to be real actual people. Castle servants, guards in their lighter armor, maybe even some low level noble—the differences in the clothes told the story. These were the people from inside of the palace.