Martyn and most of his men ride back through the white walls of Stratos, being greeted by the hand of the king.
"I trust our enemies have been killed." Jimmy says with a smile on his face, seeing how many men had survived the battle.
"You assume correctly, i can assure you the dwarves will no longer be a problem, but the king was not there." Martyn says, jumping off his horse and handing it to the stables boy.
"Oh well, im sure we can kill him another time. In the meantime, the king is requesting us with him, along with the rest of his council." Jimmy says as his yellow wings flap into Martyn's face.
"What are you waiting for then? Let's go." Martyn smiles, looking down at his bloody armour and sword.
The two of them walk through the city with a guard of at least twenty men, catching looks from the citizens.
They walk into the castle where the council meetings are held, making their way up the long winding stairs, which lead to where King Joel is.
<14 years ago>
Joel runs up the stairs he's always hated, as his city seems to be burning and the kings people unorganised and unable to fight by themselves, his green cloak dragging across the floor and splattered in blood.
He bursts through the door to find his king, distressed and seemingly going crazy, not that he can blame him, if he had been King and his city was falling he'd go a bit crazy himself.
He walks up to the king with his sword in hand, and a dagger sheathed across his chest.
"My king, what are we to do?" He asks, putting away his sword as the king directs all attention to him.
"Il tell you what to do, you go out there, and you fight! you kill them all! do it now!" The king shouts, standing in front of his throne, Joel feeling saliva land on him.
"The city is going to fall. Nobody is coming to help us, and we can't just go out there and fight. At least without you, a good king would go down with his kingdom!" Joel shouts back as the other guards in the room become weary of him.
"Don't forget your place, boy, one order, and these men will chop out your tongue if you dare speak out of line to me again!" The king spits out, walking up to Joel, screaming obscenities in his face.
Joel turns around to leave, realising he can't win an argument with the king. A king that's too scared to fight with his people is no king, he thought to himself, and he will not have his wife being killed because of his inept king.
"That's right, boy, run!" The king shouts with an audible smirk on his face, causing a slight chuckle to come from the other men.
It was in that moment Joel turned his head to look back, staring out the window, watching the fighting in the streets. He thinks for a moment before looking straight back at the king, a fat man who is only getting fatter. In the books, he was portrayed as some amazing warrior who was the best swordsman in all the realms, how far he had fallen.
Joel turns around, fully pulling out his sword, watching four men stand in front of him, men he had known very well, and now were opposing him.
One tried to poke him with a spear, a quick swing of Joel's sword caused it to snap in two, leaving the man with only a shield, and another two charging straight for him, forgetting everything about defence and with a quick movement to the side he completely avoided their swings, allowing him to slice behind their legs incapacitating them.
He knocks the shield of the other man out of his hand before thrusting his sword into his neck, killing him swiftly.
The other man was going to be the hardest, certainly one of the strongest warriors in stratos, the only other man in Stratos who had the green cloak, Martyn.
They both stood looking at each other for what felt like hours, but was merely a minute at most, analysing eachothers movements and weapons, and deciding the best plan of attack.
It was before long. Martyn had trusted his sword into Joels, catching him by surprise and knocking his sword out of his hand.
He stands looking at Joel, having disarmed him in one simple attack, the king trying to sneak out of the rook as the other two stand in front of the throne.
Martyn lets his guard down convinced he's already won the fight and makes another thrust for Joel, who avoids it and grabs his head, slamming it on to the front of the throne, knocking him out in an instant, and just to make sure he kicks him in the head.
"My king." He says, looking down at the king who had reached the door. The king looks back at Joel, who is now walking towards him.
"What are you going to do, boy? kill me? with what? that dagger on your chest, a gift i gave you when i knighted you, kill a man with his own gift, and that very same gift will kill you!" He screams as Joel pulls out the dagger. It glistened as it had never been used before. The king tried to back up to the door, but Joel gravs him from the back of his neck, looking into his eyes as he plunges the dagger into his heart.
The king has tears in his eyes as Joel could swear he saw his soul leave his body. He let's go watching the man drop to the ground in front of him, bending over to grab the crown he had worn, he turns around to look at the throne, reaching behind him to rip the green cloak right off his back, as it falls on top of the king.
He slowly walks back over to the throne, which he runs his hand over. He looks down at it for what feels like years before he finally decides to sit down, slowly falling on to it as he can feel how much power he could now have if the people accept him as king, that's if the people survive, a crude smile appears on his face as he lifts the crown up, looking in to his own reflection sparkling on amethysts that had been encrusted on it.
He places it on his head with a smirk on his face, re-sheathing the dagger and looking across the room at the covered up dead king, his dead king.
<Now>
The two of them finally reach the top of the stairs. It felt like at least ten minutes they had been spiralling as a guard opened the door to the throne room for them.
Before they even entered the room, they could hear the screams of Joel, his voice booming and bouncing off the walls behind them even before the doors had been opened.
The two of them walk in to see Joel shouting down from his throne at the much smaller blue haired man, possibly the most angry the two had ever seen him.
"It was an ambush. There was nothing we could do!" The blue haired man argues back up at the king, only setting him off more.
"An ambush? you were supposed to be ambushing them, you idiot! And because of it, we've lost one of our best fighters!" Joels voice echoes throughout the castle before he catches a slight hint of pink in the corner of his eyes, and he calms down, looking behind all of them.
Martyn and Jimmy turn around to see the queen walking in behind them in a beautiful pink dress.
"My queen." Jimmy says, bowing and allowing her to pass. She makes her way past the two of them with a smile on her face before it quickly wipes, making her way up to the chair closest to the throne and sitting down, glaring at Joel.
"Please, everyone, take your seats." Joel says, gesturing for them to sit, so they do. The four of them take their seats on the table, Jimmy sitting at the opposite side of Joel, Lizzie, and Zedaph sitting on the left while Martyn and Scott sit on the right, the six of them are the counil for Stratos, the most powerful men, and woman.
"So, my beloved husband has brought us into war, and now we have to deal with it. Tell me what you know." Lizzie says with a snide comment towards Joel. He just rolls his eyes and listens to the others.
"Personally, im a fan of war. It's the only time i can kill people, and i like killing people." Martyn says with a smirk on his face, leaning back in his chair happily.
"Speaking of killing people, give me my dagger considering you never used it." Joel says, holding out his hand.
"As you wish, my king." Martyn feels around for where the dagger was sheathed, finding it but not finding the hilt of the dagger. He quickly pats himself down before realising he had lost it.
"Is there a problem?" Jimmy asks with a grin on his facs, finding it funny the struggle Martyn was in.
"Uh- i think I've lost it." Martyn admits with a hand behind his head, trying to laugh off the situation.
"You what!" Joel shouts, standing before Lizzie places her hand on his, dropping him back down on to the throne.
"Deal with that later. For now, take a look at the situation." Jimmy says before standing up and walking around the battle table, which has a layout of the realm on it.
"We have killed the dwarves, winning a battle there." He says, knocking over the dwarvern figure on the map.
"Maybe so, but the king lives, and with a king comes revenge." Scott says before Jimmy glares at him.
"Scott, dont speak to me. You lost your battle." He gives hon a dissaponted look before placing one of the Stratos figures where the battle had taken place and knocking it over.
"And finally, we have the battle which took place here." He leans over the table, grabbing a dogwarts figure that was on Stratos and slowly bringing it over to Dogwarts.
"We get it Jimmy, overall we're losing this war, but that's about to change, Zedaph? Martyn?" Joel says, looking at them both before Zedaph stands.
"Right-uh-okay, Xisumas' so-called 'Flame of the void' worked perfectly, and we have a lot more of it in our disposal. It could knock down the Dogwarts walls if we got close enough." He informs the rest of them before abruptly sitting down again.
"What about the mushroom forrest? That's a good thousand men with a hatred towards Dogwarts we could use." Lizzie suggests picking up a figure on the mushroom forrest.
"We could use the mushroom forrest, that would increase our forces to at least ninteen thousand." Martyn says, smiling at the queen, who smiles back.
"It's risky, we've lost enough as it is at the moment, we need to regain ourselves before we make any moves." Scott says, not moving any figures.
"For once i agree with the one who lost, we are in no place to do anything at the moment. We need to stay put." Jimmy agrees, stepping back from the table and leaving it as it is.
"Very well, Martyn, gather your men and prepare any defences you deem necessary, Zedaph. we need more Flame of the void, and Scott, you don't do anything right now." Joel says, standing up and leaving the room after giving them their orders.
The queen follows shortly after, leaving the other four alone in the room, in silence, awkwardly looking at each other, waiting for someone to finally say something.
"I can't believe you failed an ambush. If you had just won that fight, we could've won the war in a day. Now we're losing." Martyn scoffs, standing up, clearly disappointed in Scott.
"It's not my fault. Clearly, they had prepared for an ambush, i didn't lose a physical fight i lost in the matter of strategy, which is what wins wars." Scott stands up facing him, a clear annoyance flowing through him.
"I can't say i didn't tell you so. Money and knowledge always wins wars." Cub says, walking behind Mumbo with a smirk on his face.
"Maybe you're right. Your money and intelligence won this battle, but i wouldn't be surprised if it started it." Mumbo scoffs walking into the main hall where they are alone.
"Think what you want, Mumbo, im only doing what is best for Dogwartz, like you and anyone else here." Cub replies, sitting down on his signature chair in the hall as Mumbo does the same scoffing.
The door flings open as Doc marches in, his footsteps sending shockwaves through the room, and the look on his face petrifying anyone who is unlucky enough to face it.
He stomps towards Mumbo, looking down at the tiny man in comparison to him as Mumbo looks up visibly terrified.
"Uhh, what's up, Doc?" He asks, laughing nervously, before the other slams his hand on the table, shocking him.
"My prisoner has escaped, with you im presuming, in your little army that went to save the king was my test subject." Doc says calmly, which makes it even more frightening.
"Oh. Well, i didn't know about that, so uhhh, not my problem." Mumbo puts hid hands up with a small put on smile on his face.
"I don't see the problem. You have a new test subject anyway." Cub smirks, leaning back in his chair, Doc giving him a quick glance.
"I suppose so, I'll let you off this time." He clicks his tongue, standing straight once again.
"Children, stop arguing and sit down." False laughs to herself, walking into the room and making her way next to the throne.
"I don't know if the personal assistant to the king has any say in this." Cub argues, sitting up in his chair.
"Could you be any more rude Cub?" A foreign accent says, walking behind him, presumably Keralis.
"If it was beneficial to him, then yes, he could." Mumbo laughs a little, receiving laughs from the others as well.
The doors open for the final time, Ren walking in with Bdubs and Wels to his side.
"Glad to see everyone important made it out of that trap alive." Doc says, nodding to the king as he walks past him.
"I wouldn't say that, Hypno is missing still, and no one has any clue where he is." Ren says, correcting Doc and sitting atop the throne.
"I trust he's alive. He's been in countless battles, and in none of which has he ever been killed, he'll return like the rest of us." Wels says with a smile on his face, standing at the opposite side of False.
"The boy is probably dead. Maybe we would be better off defending dogwartz with all we have, we cannot afford to lose more men." Cub suggests looking around at the faces of the people who are obviously disgusted by him.
"I thought you could afford anything." Mumbo says with a smirk on his face.
"Very funny, i can see i am unwanted here, so I'll make my leave." Cub scoffs before walking out the room, making his way down to the dungeons, where the new prisoner is being held.
He walks up to a cell, peeking inside to see Gem sitting against the wall, head rested in her hands as her legs shake.
Her head jolts up when she hears the door open in front of her, Cub walking in with a smile on his face.
"What do you want?" She mutters angrily, looking at the man who sits down in the chair in front of her.
"Im just here to talk, as a friend." He says, handing her a glass filled with water.
"A friend, huh, you're the enemy, i won't drink this poisoned water." She scoffs, pouring it out slowly in front of him, noticing the smirk on his face.
"Your loss, im more of a friend than you might think. Can i ask why this war started?" He asks already, knowing the answer. She can see he has other intentions here.
"You know why, your king murdered out friend, or ordered one of his men to do it!" She shouts, standing up in front of him.
"Why are you so sure?" He asks calmly, clearky unbothered by her shouting.
"Because he was found dead in one of the guest rooms you idiot!" She tries to stop closer to him, but a chain attached to her tugs her back.
"Why are you so sure that the king ordered it?" he says, standing up to leave laughing a little.
"Well then, who killed him!" Gem asks as he turns slightly.
"A Hitman, his name is Etho, he killed your friend." Cub tells her with a smile on his face, beginning to close the door before she fires another question.
"And who bought the hitman?" She asks, desperate for an answer.
"Me." Cub says, slamming the door shut as he walks away, hearing the screams coming from the room he had just left, causing a grin to form.
"Your prisoner escaped so what, it's not that big of a deal he was useless anyway." Ren replies, unamused by Doc's shouting.
"I needed him, I, needed him!" He shouts again, looking down at the mix of fear and amusement coming from the other members of the council.
"This is funny to you? is it? that's great. Laugh all you want. I'll go torture that kid instead!" He scoffs before turning around to leave.
"Wait." Ren sighs, knowing Doc has gotten the better of him.
"I'll send out a few men to look for him, I'll get Python to go." Ren gives in looking at the fiery faced man who only nods at him before leaving the room.
"Thank you, that's all i wanted." Doc says nicely before leaving the room, closing the door slowly.
Bdubs smiles to himself, knowing Jevin had escaped and is no longer being tortured for 'scientific purposes'.
"Keralis, have you found the mistake in the wall yet? If so, have you fixed it?" Ren looks down, snapping Keralis back into reality.
He thinks for a moment before answering. "No, not yet, I've been looking about as much as i can, but i find nothing." he lies, knowing exactly where the mistake is, considering he made it in the first place.
"Well, that's no good. Find it as soon as possible, or maybe someone else is better for your job." Ren sighs clearly upsetting Keralis, who leaves.
"And Mumbo, i have to thank you. You saved all of our lives when we needed you." Ren, thanks him, seeing a smile appear on his face before there is a knock on the door.
"I've got it." False says, walking over to the door where someone hands her a letter. "It's for you, my king." She says, handing it to him.
"I know that stamp. it's the stamp of the dwarves." Bdubs points out with a confused look on his face as Ren opens it, his eyes widening as he reads it.
'Merely yesterday, there was an attack on my home, an attack lead by Stratos men has destroyed my home, my people, and my best friend, only about a hundred of us remain alive, and if i had been here i would have been killed aswell, we will fight any battles against Stratos in the future to the best of our ability, and supply you with whatever supplies you may need to defeat them.
Impulse.'
"I have no doubt Martyn led that attack." Wels spits out.
"We have a new ally, although there's not much of them they are an ally none the less, and Impulse is a strong warrior, during the siege of Stratos when the dwarves arrived late to the fight it is sais Impulse killed over a hundred of our men, including my brother Pungence." Bdubs says with as the smile on his face fades, remembering finding his brother on the battlefield, a dent in his chest where Impulse's waraxe had smashed straight into it.
"Verywell, send a letter back inviting Impulse to meet here. He is a valuable ally." Ren says to False, who nods, leaving the room as the others follow.
He sits back in his throne to relax for once, breathing heavily. The chaos his kingdom is in definitely isn't doing good for his sanity.
End of chapter 8: 3473 words
I like the first part of this one, but the last part not much, although i enjoyed introducing a couple of new characters. Well, one new character, the other, was just mentioned once and is dead lol.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED.