TYRION

Chapter 21

Eerie, giant bats danced across the dark sky, flaring their wings in vast numbers and making deafening noises.

"Oh Lord, what is this?" the king mumbled to himself, his worry increasing.

"My King, go back inside. We shall protect you," one of the king's warriors shouted, commanding his colleagues to arm themselves. They rushed out in numbers, wielding spears, arrows, swords, and other weapons of war.

"Go back inside, my King! Don't interfere in this. We will serve you till our last breath!" Landon, the guard, exclaimed again as he and his colleagues formed a protective circle around the king. Just then, Tyrion rushed onto the scene with Princess Matilda. She gasped at the sight of the bats still parading the sky, their mission unknown to the crowd.

"What are these creatures?" the queen asked, her voice curious as she looked up with the others, all assessing the mysterious invaders of their palace.

King Ethan turned to his wife, her voice piercing the tense air.

"Protect the queen," he commanded some of the guards. They quickly moved to her side, forming a protective barrier. Tyrion watched closely as the bats continued their ominous parade in the sky, never descending. He wondered what their purpose was if they weren't attacking.

"Can anyone explain what these are? I... I'm frightened," one of the palace servants stammered, trembling.

"It's the stone. This is what happens when the Stone of Protection is taken from a kingdom. We are not safe," the queen replied, her words causing a murmur of fear and concern among the palace residents.

"Be silent, all of you!" Tyrion warned, but the commotion continued. The king glared at him before striding over, his steps heavy with murderous intent. Without hesitation, he grabbed Tyrion's neck with his strong right hand, squeezing tightly. Tyrion remained unfazed, meeting the king's gaze with unwavering intensity.

"Father! What are you doing? You'll strangle him!" Princess Matilda cried out, struggling to free Tyrion from the king's grasp.

"This bastard is a spy. He has been spying on us," the king seethed, his temper flaring.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. You are a king; you must think like one. I am not a spy. If I were, I wouldn't be foolish enough to stay here and risk everything. I'm here to save your land, not endanger it. I have no ill intentions, King Ethan. You need to calm down and understand that," Tyrion spoke urgently through gritted teeth. Despite his words, the king's hold remained firm, his eyes filled with doubt and suspicion.

"Don't tell me what toâ€"" The princess's high-pitched scream pierced the air, cutting him off. Heads turned in shock to assess the horror unfolding. Before anyone could react, Tyrion instinctively lunged to grab her leg but missed. An eerie bat was carrying her away.

"Save the princess!" the king's voice echoed with great urgency. Roars erupted as the bats began attacking randomly, injuring some and dropping others. Tyrion sprinted after the bat holding the princess. As the bat descended, he leaped again and managed to grasp her leg, vowing not to let go. The princess struggled violently against the bat's grip, trying to free herself.

With a heavy thud, Tyrion and the princess crashed to the ground.

"Are you okay, Princess?" Tyrion asked, his face etched with concern. She nodded, though visibly shaken by the ordeal.

"Isolde," Tyrion muttered to himself.

"What?" the princess asked, not hearing him clearly.

"Come with me," Tyrion said, helping the princess to her feet and guiding her toward the king. "You all need to go inside. I can handle this," he told the king, watching another body fall to the ground, injured. The king was about to object, but he had witnessed Tyrion save his daughter when he himself had been paralyzed with fear, hoping for a miracle. Unsure of the right course of action, he decided to trust Tyrion.

"No, I'm not leaving you here," the princess insisted, shaking her head as others fled to the palace for safety.

"You should!" Tyrion shouted, the chaotic scene around them intensifying. The king's guards remained, prepared to rescue those still in danger.

"I will..." the king began, but his words were interrupted.

"Tyrion!" A familiar voice called out. It was Alaric, sprinting toward him with a sword in hand.

"How can you be so careless and roam around without your sword, man?" Alaric shouted, throwing the sword to Tyrion, who caught it expertly. Tyrion smiled at his friend, knowing that the sword had been in the back of his mind since the chaos began. He hadn't anticipated a battle and didn't want to alarm anyone by arriving armed. But now, with the sword in his hand, he felt a new surge of power igniting within him.

"Thanks, mate," Tyrion said. Without wasting time, he began brutally cutting down the bats as they descended to attack their next victims. With Alaric's help, he was able to kill nearly fifty of them. Only six remained, their big black wings flapping furiously, but they kept their distance from Tyrion's sword.

"You're bleeding," Alaric noted as the remaining bats scattered. Tyrion glanced at his chest, noticing the wound that had caught Alaric's attention.

"I'll be fine," he assured, clutching his chest as the pain intensified. But he wasn't ready to show weakness; he believed there had to be a solution.

"It's bad," Princess Matilda said as she limped up to them. Everyone had come out now, including the king. Despite the pain, Tyrion sensed her presence. His eyes searched for her and finally settled on her.

Throughout the violent encounter, his mind had been on her, intending to ensure her safety after securing the palace. But here she was, coming towards him. He didn't understand why he felt such a strong connection to her, but looking at her again filled a void in him he never knew existed.

"Isolde" He called out as she lessened her running pace, now walking towards him with heavy breaths and reaching out for him with her step sister following after her.

"Tyrion," Isolde called out, the name of the man who had haunted her dreams since their separation. She could hear her mother's warning echoing in her mind, "Stay away from him, he's dangerous to you," but she pushed it aside.

Now, he was within her sight, alive and looking at her, and nothing else mattered. Just as she was about to reach him, Tyrion collapsed to the ground, succumbing to the extreme weakness and pain that overwhelmed him. Isolde's breath quickened as she rushed to the ground, along with Princess Matilda, to help him sit up.

"Tyrion!" both women exclaimed before their eyes met. Isolde quickly refocused on the unconscious Tyrion, begging and crying for him to stay awake.