Once Upon A Knight

Chapter Nineteen

"Ahh!" A hinge somewhere on the platform became weak, snapping, sending the entire height of it swinging around in a half circle and towards the storm. It struck a pillar on the set, shorting the trip into the Split by mere seconds of space.

I held fast to the shaking metal where I could, but the ride had slid me from one side of the rig to the other, and I could feel the heat of the lightning nipping at my legs as they dangled from the ledge.

"Cassidy!" my knight called. He scrambled to his feet, arms out to either side, his only chance at balance. "Hang on!"

As he rose the light behind Kiel was eclipsed by another shape. I parted my mouth to scream for him, but the Inventor took his chance before the sound came out.

Kiel seemed to sense the attack, be it by my wide eyes or the call from the audience, he twisted around just in time to dodge the scrap of sharp metal the Inventor jabbed at him. He tried to swipe it from his hands, but Victor moved more aggressively, taking another jeer.

"Stop it!" I yelled. My hand slipped. I yelped, quickly reattaching it. "Kiel!" I tried.

Ki barred his arms out, creating a wall between the man and I, shielding me with himself. "I'm coming, love," he told me. "Look at what you've done, Victor!" he called. "Is this what you want?"

The other sneered, shaking his head. "No. This wasn't me. As always this is your fault!"

"My fault!?" he growled. "How is this– how is anything my fault?"

He took a step; Kiel matched it, back. He glanced behind him, his footing unsteady.

"You meddle!" Victor hissed. "You can't help yourself; you always meddle! If you would have just left me and my Cassidy alone, she never would've fallen!"

"You were burning Ísfjall to the ground!" he spat. "As a knight, I cannot let that happen!"

The level jerked, dropping half a foot. "Fuck!" I sang.

Kiel found me, he started towards the ledge, reaching for my hand, but as he moved, Victor ascended towards him, wildly, armed with the shard.

He had to dodge him a second time, but this time, he was able to grab the Inventor by the sleeves of his shirt and toss him to the platform. Victor grabbed his legs as he went down, and the two of them became a mess of knotted arms and uncontrolled jabs with the weapon.

The beam that had become loose before, bent further, completely splitting from the level. As it craned away from the rest of the set, towards me and I used it to climb back to the top. It snapped, breaking and vanishing into the storm, and I breathed, painted to the floor, despite the wobbling.

Something skid out from their fight and into the space between us three. It gleamed just enough, despite the rays of various hues cycling around us, that I realized what it was. I scrambled towards it, following it as it scurried around them, and when I finally grabbed hold of the watch; the other two tumbled into me and Kiel went off the ledge!