Chained Princess

Chapter 9 - A Safe Place Pt. 2 (MAP)

The sound of clanging metal and shouting snapped Rowan out of his bewilderment. Rowan's keen eyes surveyed his surroundings. There was a number of dead bodies littering the ground and five people total who had caused the carnage, from what he could tell. Looking back down at the unconscious girl in his arms, he felt the corner of his lip tug up ever so slightly. Scratch that. There were six people who had caused all of this. Pride swelled in his chest as he stood from his crouched position on the ground, but it was quickly replaced with anger. The foolish girl could have gotten herself killed! He could feel the heat from her necklace radiating dangerously through his shirt. Even if he hadn't seen it, he knew she had used way too much magic.

He was still completely baffled by how he had even gotten himself here. One second he was ready to give that fat noble his due desserts and the next he was standing in the middle of a war zone. Rowan shook his head. He would have to think about it later, his thoughts cut off by the approach of a few cloaked figures.

Laying Anastasia gently on the ground, Rowan cracked his knuckles. From what he gathered, the enemy was using magic to attack. Good. He was going to school them the good old-fashioned way - with his fists. There was some tension he needed to relieve and this would do just the trick. As the first cloaked figure approached, Rowan reared his fist back and swung, a nice crunch sounding through the air as the person's mandible cracked and flesh ripped apart. The cloaked figure crumbled to the ground with a scream, clutching at their now hanging jaw.

The others halted their approach slightly, but still continued to attack, more hesitant than before. Another one came from Rowan's left. Spinning on his heel, Rowan roundhouse kicked the attacker, more bones snapping as the assailant went flying in the opposite direction. Two approached next, one from the front and the other from the right. Rowan grinned with satisfaction as he punched straight through the first one, his fist completely red and dripping crimson as it protruded through the other side of the man's body. Pulling it out, he swung his arm out toward the ground, the excess blood splattering the ground in a half crescent of cerise tendrils. He was still smiling as he approached the other target, who had stopped in his tracks and was trembling like a leaf. With one quick motion, Rowan snapped his neck and let the body crumple to the ground.

Rowan scanned for more attackers but there were none. Instead, he felt five pairs of eyes directed at him. Two women. Three men. They looked tough. He wasn't sure he could beat them in his current state. He hadn't eaten in days and his body was beaten and battered. Despite his display of strength only moments before, he couldn't deny that he was absolutely exhausted. He was running only on the fumes of his rage and they were quickly dwindling out.

"R-Rowan?" a faint whisper called out behind him. He rushed over to Anastasia's side, helping her sit up. Her eyes were wide as she took in his image.

"You're covered in blood, are you hurt?" she gasped out, panic written all over her face as she scanned him from head to toe.

"Don't worry, it's not mine," he said, wiping his bloodied hands on his pants before helping her up to her feet. She teetered back and forth as she clutched onto his arm for support.

"Who are you?" a deep voice asked from behind them. Rowan turned his torso just enough to see behind him. Standing there was a blonde-haired man and what looked like four soldiers, three of whom were giving him scrutinizing looks, while the red-haired man was grinning widely with a peculiar gleam in his eyes. They were all covered in just as much blood as Rowan was. They weren't ordinary soldiers. They were chevaliers. Rowan narrowed his eyes at them, his guard on high alert.

"Who's asking?" he replied, turning to face them fully, while supporting a shaking Anastasia at his side. She was barely standing on her own. He was doing more of the lifting than she was.