PROJECT:V

PART 22: REVENGE

2 months later they were perched atop a manor house in the city attempting to find a way into the castle. They had gotten this far with very few casualties.
"Alright then were here. Now what ?"
Nora grinned at him.
"Now we have to find a way in."
"Ok."
"You got this far but how good are you at climbing without ladders ?"
"I'm alright at it I guess."
"Alright works."
At that Nora ran across the roof and jumped straight into the castle wall, pushing off just before smashing into them, landing in a window frame.
"How on earth ?"
Nora turned and grinned as she dropped a rope for him to climb up. Twenty minutes later they were both walking through the halls of the castle.
"You never did tell me why you suddenly decided to help me get in here."
Cervas laughed at the suddeness of the question.
"No I didn't did I."
"Are you going to?"
"Probably not."
They kept walking until they came to a large door.
"Do you think that is the Kings room ?"
"Yep. That's it alright."
He walked up and knocked, his gauntlet tapping against the wood.
Nora stared at him in confused amusement as he stepped back and attached two knives to the bottom of his gauntlets. The door opened and he waltzed in, shoving the knives into the throats of the guards. One tried to rush into him but he simply brought his knee up and kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Whilst Cervas dealt with the guards Nora went to the Kings bedroom. She pushed the door wide open and punched a guard, snapping his head backwards. She tried desperately not to retch at the sight of the King going at it with some whore, blissfully oblivious to her presence. She cleared her throat and laughed as the King turned and went bright red. The whore pulled on a night gown and walked out whilst the King pulled on a night gown and attempted to wrestle back control of the situation.
"Who let you in ?"
She looked over her shoulder as a guard came sliding into view.
She closed the door and turned to the King.
"Hello. My name is Nora. Perhaps you remember me ?"
She pulled oit one of her knives and began twirling it whilst the King attempted to answer.
"No I'm afraid I do not remember you. Please remind me."
"Sure. Do you remember when you found those three travellers on the road, one of which had been your son? Whatever happened to him anyway ?"
"That is none of your business."
"I'm standing here with a knife and you are sat here with a night gown and shredded dignity and you honestly want to play the high and mighty card ?"
"He pitched himself off of the North tower."
"Oh. Why."
"The letter he left said it was because he couldn't bear the guilt of what had happened to the people who brought him back to the city."
"Ah well then that leads on nicely to my second question. Do you remember the two travellers. I was one and the other was called Arvin."
At the mention of his name the King lunged for a sword. Nora blurred across the room and grabbed him by the neck.
"You pathetic little man."
She threw him to the floor and pushed the knife towards his heart when a hand caught the knife and grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. She looked down at the person that the hand around her throat belonged to and saw a hulking juggernaught encased in black armour. The thing threw her and she smashed through a door and rolled across the bridge connecting the West and South towers. She pushed herself up on to her hands and knees. It was raining. Great. She looked up and saw the thing strolling across the bridge holding the biggest hammer she had ever seen. It raised the hammer and she rolled backwards as it smashed into the bridge. She scrambled to her feet and got a proper look at the armour. The helmet was forged to look like a snarling face and the rest of it was fairly average. She pulled out her two longknives and lunged across the space between them, thrusting the first into its chest plate and the second knife into its waist. It moved with an unatural speed and dodged both knives whilst shooting a knee into her stomach. She doubled over and was sent sliding across the bridge, stopping only when she stabbed a knife into the floor. She looked up towards the thing as it swung the hammer towards her face. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow that never came. She opened her eyes to see Cervas straddling the thing and punching it repeatedly. His fist was like a piston, slamming into its head over and over. The Thing caught his fist and sent its own into his chin and he flew off of it, landing heavily on his right shoulder. The Thing got up and its helmet fell off as it did. The face underneath made Nora gasp as Arvin stared at the two of them with no recognition.
"Arvin?"
"He's not here."
"Arvin, do you remember me ?"
"He's not here."
"Its me. Nora."
"Nora."
"Yes. Arvin its me. I came for you. Come with us."
Arvins eyes widened and he fell to his knees and began to scream. Nora and Cervas ran to him and tried to keep him from hurting himself as he flailed and convulsed on the floor. Eventually he stopped and they half carried half dragged him across the bridge.
"Very heart warming indeed." The three of them looked up and saw the King standing in front of them as well as a woman and a little girl. Cervas went rigid.
"Yes it was all very heart warming. But you see the problem is you just took away my newest toy."
Nora bared her teeth.
"I'll take your favourite toy in a minute you sick fuck."
"Hold your tongue. Now Cervas I offer you a deal. Kill those two or I push your bitch and child of the bridge."
She looked at Cervas and saw the conflict in his eyes. She smiled.
"Go ahead Cervas. You upheld your end of the bargain. We saved Arvin and got him out. You've nothing to give anymore."
He looked at her.
"I cant. I .... oh god."
"Cervas don't worry. You've done your part."
"Too late."
They all whirled on the King as he plunged an ornate dagger into Cervas' s wife's back. She gasped as she toppled of off the bridge. Cervas ran forward and the King pulled out a crossbow, firing it into Cervas's daughters head. He stopped and fell to his knees as she fell into the void.
"What. Why ?"
The King looked at Cervas.
"Because loyalty that was not given immediately means nothing."
"But why."
The King didn't get to answer as Nora slammed into him. She pushed off and tried to vault him but he grabbed her ankle and slammed her down on the bridge. She rolled away and got straight up. The King unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Nora. At once the fight started, the King swinging cleanly and precisely as if to cut the very air they stood in to ribbons, Nora swaying in and out of range trying deseparately to find an opening and through it all Cervas just sat there. What could he do ? He couldn't even protect his own family let alone a friend. What could he do ?

A familiar pair of boots walked up and crouched beside Arvin and he realised without shock that he was looking at himself. Very little shocked him anymore.
"Are you in there Arvin or are you still a slave ? I can tell you arent gonna answer because this is one of those moments so I'll do the talking. Im disgusted by your lack of effort to be frank. Your friend is in a fight and what's his name has just lost his family and you just sit here like a vegetable. Are you a vegetable Arvin ?"
He disappeared and Arvin stood, a familiar heat burning behind his eyes as well as an alien calm and detachment. He wasn't just a snarling animal anymore. He could control the rage and the hate, channel it into a fixed point. He moved forward as the King finally made contact and cut Nora from shoulder to waist.

She looked up as the agony in her torso sent daggers of pain up and down her body. The King stood over here and pulled the sword above his head. He swung it towards her neck when a shadow blurred above her. She looked up and saw Arvin with the King's sword buried in his shoulder and his hand wrapped around his throat. He lifted the King off the ground and threw him across the bridge. The King slid along the bridge as Arvin kicked him in the ribs.
"Stop."
Arvin took a step back and sighed.
"Fuck you."
At that the King stood and ran back into the castle and slammed the door. The last thing she saw before her vision went black was Arvin collapsing and Cervas crouching beside her.