Rogue

Button 6

I glared at the robed people behind me as they pointed their staffs at me, ready to kill me at any given moment.

"Any last words before we send you to the other side, Princess Noor Kiano Akita?"

Sensing another presence in front of me, I continued to glare at the black robed men, growling, "You're pathetic."

Both of the robed people sneered before the one wielding the staff at me raised it above his head, preparing to strike. "You Bit**!" He swung down his staff.

But it didn't touch me. The staff stopped about a centimeter away from my face.I breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling sweet run down my neck. Turning my head to my savior I gave them a smile. "Thanks Hakim, Almas."

Hakim pulled his sword out of the black robed man that was about to attack me, while Almas stood with her rounded hand axes where the other robed person should have been, blood on their faces. They swung their blades to the side, effectively dispersing the blood on their blades.

While Almas put away her blades and walked over to the edge, Hakim kept his sword out and walked up to my frozen figure. I gave him a smile, telling him to continue.

He nodded his head in understanding and raised the sword above his head.

Please hit it right. I don't want to face Almas way of getting defrosted. I shivered remembering how Aqil had been forced to encase me in ice because my father ordered him to. Almas way of getting rid of the ice was to start a bonfire in the courtyard and throw me in. I love Almas like a sister, but so can be very violent at times.

Hakim brought down his sword hitting the ice just right. The ice cracked and split in half, freeing me from my frozen state. I got up and stretched.

"Princess."

"Hmm?" Looking back at Hakim, I saw him with his usual blank expression, but I saw a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Please call out for help next time princess."

"He's right princess."

Turning my attention to in front of me, I saw Almas standing before me with an equally blank expression. The difference was that her eyes had a dark glint to to them.

I felt sweet begun to run down my neck. Please tell me she's not going to put me in a fire still!

"Had we not been passing by, you could have been killed."

I felt my eyes widen in realization. Then I smirked, giving them a closed eye smile. This'll be interesting.

*press*

"I wasn't worried because I knew you two were already there." Opening my eyes, I let my smile soften. "I trust you guys with my life. Which is why even in the most hopeless of situations, I will rely on you guys."

They showed a look of surprise as I said so. Then Hakim looked down blushing while Almas turned her head to the side and tried hiding her face in her left hand. I smirked.

"Now then, care to tell me who this Al-Tharmen is? I mean, they are the reason we've been growing distant lately, right?"

At my words Hakim paled a bit, while Almas refused to look me in the eye.

Felt my smile twitch in irritation. "I'm waiting~."

A few more moments of silence passed as they still refused to answer my question. I sighed in frustration.

Looking at them square in the eyes, I asked them in the coldest voice I have ever only used with my father.

"Hakim, Almas, As your princess, you will tell me what you know."

More silence passed. Just as I was about to give up. Hakim spoke up.

"Of course, your highness."

"Hey." Almas stopped him for a moment, giving the young general a warning look.

I narrowed my eyes at them. Is this Al-Tharmen so horrible that they refuse to tell me anything?

Glancing at Almas, Hakim spoke to her quietly.

"Our princess has commanded us to answer her. We can not keep this a secret any longer."

Upon saying so, Hakim turned his attention back to me before getting on his knees and bowing. Seeing him do so, Almas soon followed suit, with an expression that said she was giving up.

Hakim spoke up.

"Princess. What we're about to tell you is something we ourselves only recently discovered."

Almas took over from there.

"Al-Tharmen in an organization that's goal is to cause chaos and wreck havoc upon the world."

Hakim continued as Almas took a breath. These two are almost like twins who finish eachothers sentences.

"As your subjects we have always noticed them in the shadows acting as spies, but we assumed that you knew so we kept quiet. But recently, they have gotten more aggressive and we noticed that you didn't pay any attention to it so we assumed you knew."

I narrowed my eyes in thought as I let their information sink in.

It's true that more recently there have been more poison incidents than usual. And the strange occurrences like part of the stables collapsing right after I visited or hanging lanterns suddenly bursting into flames have been going on too. But there is something I'm curious about.

Looking up, I pushed my question away until after they were done explaining.

Hakim looked a little sad as continued. "Then we thought that since you weren't really paying attention to the recent incidents and not doing anything, we took matters into our own hands." He bowed his head as if in shame as he finished.

I felt a pain strike my heart as I saw Hakim lower his head. I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder, trying my best to comfort him.

Almas looked at us from her position next to Hakim, I saw a look of sympathy before she quickly shut down her emotions again.

"When we began researching why and who was doing this to you princess, we threw ourselves into our work." Standing up, as did Hakim and I, Almas looked me straight in the eye. "We started growing distant because we didn't want you to get involved in what we were doing." Almas bowed, Hakim following suit not long after. "Please forgive us from keeping this secret from you, princess."

Saddened, I stared at Almas and Hakim. Why do people bow to me? Even those I care for bow to me. I'm nothing special, I'm just a princess that disgraces the royal family by going out into the city dressed and acting like that of a commoner. Not a royal.

I sighed. "Please, just answer me these last two questions you two."

Looking at them, they still had their heads bowed as they answered. "Yes, princess."

I took a moment to gather y thoughts and slowly asked them what has been eating at me for a while now.

"Did either of you notice the black birds?"

Raising their heads they looked at me in confusion, Almas being the first to answer. Hakim spoek soon after. "What birds, princess?"

Hakim glanced over at the two corpses that we had yet to discuss on what to do with them. "I don't see any indication that these people had birds or any animal with them, princess. Did you see them fly off or something?"

I was shocked. How could they not have seen that SWARM!? There were so many of them, I wouldn't be surprised if it looked like a dark cloud from far away.

As I became lost in thought, Almas and Hakim shared a look that I didn't catch. Getting on their knees they called out to me.

"Princess."

Startled, I looked down to see Hakim and Almas stare at me as they kneeled down. They spoke in unison, giving me shock far worse than what I just experienced about them not seeing the huge flock of birds.

"Please leave Akita!"

*press*