Enter Abyss

Chapter 36; Duel of kings.

It used to be that Cogs did not mind waiting. Why, at one point he had even waited for the Keepers to send him to what he thought would have been his death.

But waiting for your friend to come back from the dead was different.

It involved sleepless nights and quarrels with Pip about how she shouldn't have gotten involved in the rebellion in the first place... then apologizing when their arguments nearly came to blows.

No, waiting for one's friend to return with the hope and peace that they needed was not the same as waiting for one's own death.

Not the same at all.

Sighing, Cogs shifted slightly from where he lay on his bed, feeling Meera's back press up against his own.

She had been spending quite a bit of time in his room lately-- mostly commenting on the state of disarray it was in. And though most of the time she slept in Pip's bed-- Pip herself being gods-know-where-- tonight the girl cuddled up close to Cogs, keeping him company.

Now, as Cogs lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling, he HAD noted that Meera's presence had helped him to fall asleep better.

It was staying asleep that was the problem.

The worries of the world were laden upon his shoulders-- or so it seemed. Every day was a battle; both in the streets and inside his mind. For though Mordren has successfully taken the throne, a good majority of the people had objected strongly to such a thing. For though Mordren spoke of greatness, there were others that knew better, others that valued the ruling of a king chosen by the Ancestors over a king who had stolen that right, even for a good cause. There were riots, protests, and general civil unrest, all of which weighed heavily on Cogs as if he had something to do with it.

No, it was rather that he couldn't help anyone.

He couldn't help the people gain back their king. He couldn't help Pip fix the mess she had made. He couldn't get Archer back.

Huffing in frustration, Cogs was just about to go off on another tangent of thinking when the door to his room flew open, startling Meera awake.

"Who's there?" Cogs shouted just as Pip stomped through the doorway, carrying a lantern glowing with an eerie blue light in her hand.

"What the bloody heck are you doing asleep?" she demanded.

"It's the middle of the night!"

"Could have fooled me; this place is too bloody dark anyhow."

Cogs glanced over at Meera, how was frowning in Pip's general direction. "Was there something you wanted?"

Pip nodded, swallowing, a serious look passing over her face and nearly giving Cogs a heart attack; Pip was never serious.

"Archer's back," she said.

And that was when chaos errupted.

                              .....................................

Pip had hardly believed it when she had seen him.

It was like seeing a ghost, or something else equally unbelievable.

Even now as Cogs and Meera pelted her with questions, she could only remember how seeing him had felt, how her heart had soared at the sight of his dirt smeared face and bright red hair that nearly came down to his waist, falling out of its usual braid.

Immediately, he first thought was to run to get Cogs, and as she led him and Meera through out of the room and through the streets, she wondered if she should have hugged Archer instead.

But, as much as she would have loved tackling him to the ground in a rough hug, he HAD been half dragging, half carrying Galen, and it was rather hard to hug someone when they were carrying someone else.

That and Mordren had been with her when she had seen them.

'It doesn't matter,' she thought, determined, as she ran through the streets back to the square, Cogs and Meera close on her heels. 'I'll fight him if he touches my cousin. I'll fight anyone. No one will ever hurt my cousin again.'

Or so she hoped.

Skidding to a stop right beside Mordren himself, Pip glanced at him, shuddering at his expression.

His face was white with fury, his grey eyes flashing like cold steel. It was the look of a king scorned; the look of someone ready to kill.

Pushing thoughts of him out of her mind, Pip looked upon Archer instead as he dragged the king of the Abyss up to where she and Mordren stood, silent, waiting. And though Archer never once looked at her as he stood before them, she wished he would. She wished he would see her. Talk to her.

Forgive her.

"You are aware that the penalty for returning from a banishment is death." Mordren hissed through gritted teeth, making Pip want to yell at him to shut up.

What did it matter? What did any of it matter?

The tension spiked then, the air crackling with white-hot electricity as the crowds, and even Pip herself, held their breaths, waiting.

But Galen only looked upon his brother with fearless eyes and replied in and exhausted, but bold tone, his voice ringing throughout the streets. "Nay, for I call upon the tradition of my Ancestors; I call upon the right to win back my throne, my people, and my life. I invoke the right of the Duel of Kings!"

There was a beat of silence, then Galen slumped in Archer's arms, unconcious.

                                ...........................................