Tempest

             The screams of terrified nobles pierced the air as the guards scurried back and forth along the towers, trying to keep a strong defense built up. “It’s over here!” One of the guards suddenly yelled frantically, waving his hands wildly in the air, trying to get everyone’s attention. Several guards ran over to the yelling guard, spears in the air. “There!” The guard yelled at the figure skulking just out of the range of the arrows and spears. It was only vaguely visible in the darkness, no moonlight tonight.

             The captain of the guards ran over, an arrow already loaded into a crossbow. “Where is it? What does it want this time?” the captain growled, catching sight of the glowing figure and aiming the crossbow.

             “We don’t know!” another guard yelled over the deafening thunder that just sounded from the approaching storm. “It’s just out of our reach and the guards that went after it didn’t come back!”

             The captain whirled on the guard furiously. “You sent people after it? Are you mad? They never come back!” the captain roared, shoving the guard out of the way and taking aim.

             Then, in a flash of lightning, it was there, perched on the castle wall in front of the captain, the arrow pricking its chest. It appeared to be humming and singing. “Better build your house brick by boring brick or the wolf’s gonna blow it down,” It sang merrily, unperturbed by the arrow or the guards surrounding it. It seemed to notice the shaking arrow against its heart and tilted its head slightly, a smile curving on its lips. It leaned into the captain’s face, which was slack-jawed and trembling. “Go on. Shoot it,” it crooned and the captain froze, finger tightening on the trigger. “Me dare you,” it sang, almost laughing. The captain didn’t pull the trigger but pressed the arrow down on its chest, making a pinprick of blood appear. The captain saw that it was using its messed up speech as a taunt and shoved the arrow in a little more. It frowned as if it wanted the captain to shoot it, to kill it. “Not going to do it, huh? What if me triple dog dare you? Can’t turn that down,” it cackled, seemingly taunting the captain.

             The captain resumed an offensive fighting stance and frowned. “You can come quietly, or I can shoot you. Your choice,” the captain said quietly, and it frowned slightly.

             “What, there’s no third choice?” it pouted, and the captain, eyes narrowed, shoved the arrow into its chest a little. It flinched. “It got it,” it rasped. “The third choice.”

             The rest of the guards pointed their spears at the figure in case the third choice was to kill everyone within a mile radius. It laughed, turning into a sort of hacking cough with the arrow partially in its chest. “Bye bye,” it whispered, and fell off the castle wall, yanking the arrow out as it went. The captain roared with anger and signaled for the troops to follow the figure as it fell. The captain shoved aside nobles cowering in fear and their servants hiding behind skirts, storming down the stairs and finally bursting out of the giant castle doors. Some ground troops were already assembled around the spot where it had fell, heads bowed. The captain swatted aside some of them and looked at it.

             Its limbs were splayed out awkwardly, neck bent at an awkward angle, eyes closed. The glow still hadn’t faded from the body, but the captain shivered. “It killed itself,” someone hissed in horror. Blood was still leaking from the hole in its shirt, no armor, nothing to protect itself. The captain bent down and placed a hand over its chest. The blood flow should be stopping now.

             And then roared, feeling the telltale thump-thump of its heart. “IT’S ALIVE!” the captain yelled and every guard drew their swords, only to shriek and drop them to the ground, the metal suddenly scorching hot. They gasped and clutched at their burnt hands, but the captain stayed rigid, still holding the loaded crossbow.