Rising Moon

~Chapter Ten~

"There you are!" Adira exclaimed, running over to Hector and General Ulysses.

She pulled off her cloak and wrapped it around Hector's shoulders. The warrior was only wearing a shirt and a pair of trousers, and the night was cold. Adira knew that her brother must be freezing. She had been out on her patrol on the other end of the fortress for several hours now, so she was fully clothed. The same had been the case for Ulysses, Quirin, and Eugene. Mythica had been up all night working, and no one had managed to find the king.

The run to the front gate of the sanctuary had been a blur for Hector since he saw the army of Insurrectionists outside the window. He had been completely lost in his thoughts, terrifying thoughts that he couldn't comprehend or even remember. It was like some horrifying nightmare. Adira draping the heavy fur cloak over him had brought him back to reality. She then pulled out a roll of bandages from her belt and handed it over to Hector, gently instructing him to wrap his feet. They were bruised and bleeding. The floors of the sanctuary weren't meant for running around without shoes; they were old and, in many places, rough, chipped, and cracked.

Ulysses allowed Hector to lean on him as he bound his bleeding feet. As he did so, Ulysses spoke.

"How close are they now?" The general asked Mythica.

The high priestess took a moment with her hands folded and eyes closed. She quickly muttered something under her breath before her eyes shot open again.

"They'll be stopping right in front of the gates any minute now."

Ulysses swore.

"We can't wait on the king anymore. We have to get out there. Hopefully Edmund is safe for now."

The group gathered several guards and magic-users before making their way up the stairs that led to the top of the gate. They heard some kind of harald outside as they did. They could only assume that the Insurrectionists wanted to speak with whoever were the Loyalist leaders.

Hector suddenly realized something and grabbed General Ulysses's arm, stopping him.

"I'm supposed to be dead!" Hector said.

"Yes, we know," The general responded. "But their leaders also know. They've probably constructed some kind of lie or illusion for this. And anyway, we have no idea how many people on the Insurrectionist side know that you're alive. We might have some kind of secret weapon with you, and we need to learn as much as we can before we use it. We'll be keeping you hidden for now."

"Then why am I even coming with you and not searching for Edmund?"

"Because we don't know if the need will arise for us to reveal you. Now hurry!"

Ulysses took Hector's hand and led him the rest of the way up the stairs. As they opened the hatch door all of them were surprised by how quiet it was. They knew there was an army of armored soldiers waiting for them, but it didn't sound like it. The enemy was waiting patiently for them to show their faces.

Hector stayed low to the ground by the hatch door while the others stood. The warrior couldn't see over the high stone wall, but that also meant that the Insurrectionists would have no way of seeing him. Ulysses stepped forward to the edge of the wall, and Hector subconsciously began to flick his wrist like he would in order to draw out his wrist blade. Hector would always do everything in his power to keep Ulysses from harm, and the general was stepping right up to speak with the Insurrectionists. For all Hector knew, the enemy could be aiming an arrow at Ulysses's skull.

Then someone began to speak. He wasn't shouting, but he was more than loud enough to be heard from atop the high wall of the Loyalist sanctuary. His voice was obviously being amplified by magic. And even though Hector couldn't see him, he knew exactly who was speaking.