The Princess and The Bandit

FORTY SEVEN

Just then, Lucy the she-elf arrives. Along with the group of elves assembled by prince Zayn and the elf warrior Billie.

Lauren uses her impressive agility to outmaneuver Camila and momentarily push her several feet aside. She takes this small window of reprieve to order Lucy and prince Zayn to take over fighting Camila.

"Do not hurt her! Only disarm and restrain her, I repeat, and please trust me on this . . . Do not hurt my Camzi!"

Lucy didn't like it. She much preferred to stick by Lauren's side to make sure her vision won't ever happen.

A vision that depicts the empress' demise.

The elf didn't get to refuse the empress for Camila recovered from her little stumble in a matter of seconds and has already kicked both prince Zayn and Billie's elvish butts at the same time. Lucy fights with the bandit, and she didn't last that long either. She falls on her ass, Camila's dual dao swords quickly following to slice her across her neck.

But in the nick of time, Commander Austin arrives galloping on his horse to her immediate rescue. He blocks the dual dao coming at the elf with his own sword. He quickly dismounts, then him and alongside the prince of Javaad and his trusted warrior now battle altogether against the most skillful fighter they all ever had to face.

Lucy scurries off to the empress, who, for some reason was the only one who equaled the lord of serpents in combat. Several centaurs has already fallen to their deaths, a few were helping themselves with what looks to be a bottle of whiskey, all the while her trusted imperial knight, Shawn, struggled so bad that it was as if all the training he had was nothing but a waste of time.

Wielding only a regular sword, a standard issue Arcadian sword from Oakridge and not her own or her father's, empress Lauren matched Alejandro who was bigger than her, brandishing two weapons against her. But the empress has that unseen power in her that whatever strike Alejandro gives her with every swing of his broadsword and the golden staff, she counters it all with equal strength and accuracy.

"You are defeated Alejandro!" the empress exclaims with every powerful strike, "All of your serpents are dead, all the Astorians you charmed with the golden staff has been restrained! Its time for you to surrender!"

"I already won! You lost her, princess! She's under my control now and I'll have her kill you all!"

He motions over at Camila who was dominating her fight against Commander Austin, prince Zayn and the elf warrior Billie. Ally joined in on them also, despite her still weakened by the poison wound inflicted on her, yelling at Camila to remember they are not the enemy.

"Yes princess, that evil piece of shit who betrayed you just now is my daughter! You fell in love with that filthy animal! That freak of nature! Now can you really kill your beloved's father, huh?! You're too good for that shit! You can't kill me, princess!!"

"Watch me,"

Lauren growls.

Her anger is starting to show.

Anger at how he treated Camila, at how he thinks of his own child. Her Camz deserves so much better than this asshole of a father. Anger that the death of her parents led her to face this maniac nurtured by her own kin. Anger and frustration that she needs to control before she ends up destroying everything and everyone with the fiery blaze of her blue fire.

With all of her might, she strikes at Alejandro. Hard, strong and fast blows of her sword. The lord of serpents staggers backwards, slightly stunned at his much smaller opponent's ferocity. He didn't get himself to go on offense this time because all he can manage to do now is deflect every strike with either his blackened sword or the golden staff.