"You let that kid escape. That is a form of treason, and we all know the punishment for treason." Ren shouts, looking at the citizens surrounding him and then staring directly at Mumbo.
"Yeah, i let an innocent kid escape, and you were to have him tortured, my king." Mumbo spits out, his hands bound in chains and tears in his eyes.
"That kid was mutated. He could be a threat to the kingdom and the realm, and now he is free. Are you trying to kill us all?" Doc asks, walking up to Mumbo and looking down at the angered, smaller man.
"He is a kid! And forgive me, but i don't think you should be speaking about this. You're just as mutated as that boy is, as is our king!" Mumbo shouts into Doc's face and shoots a glare at Ren.
He looks around to see the people around him with confused looks on their faces, clearly unable to tell who the bad guy is in this situation.
Neither Ren nor Doc have a clue what to say next. They look at each other, shocked before Doc retreats from his interrogation.
Cub walks forward with a grin on his face before he squats down next to Mumbo, leaning in close to his ear before whispering, "This is the last day of your life, I'll make sure of it."
He stands up again as Mumbo tries to lunge at him, being caught by the chains binding him to the ground.
"Mumbo, you are accused of helping that kid escape by missing your shot intentionally, a crime you have confessed to, but what about the crimes you have not?" Cub turns with a smirk on his face.
"What are you talking about?" Mumbo asks, shaking his head and seeing the others as confused as he.
"There were guards found at the gate of the castle. Someone killed them so the boy could flee. My question is, did you order them killed?" He asks with a look of excitement on his face.
"No, i have no idea who did, but leave me out of it!" He shouts with a slight laugh in his voice.
"This was found in the puddle of blood from the guards, recognise it?" Cub questions holding a blood-stained gold coin close to Mumbo's face.
"No, I've never seen it in my life. If you ask me, it looks like one of yours." Mumbo chuckles as Cub spins round to the king.
"It is the same type of gold coin that has been used to pull the strings of the entire kingdom, to nearly kill Mumbo, nearly, maybe that was intentional, maybe he told his assasin to miss, maybe he wrote the letter he showed us himself, maybe he started the war, he has significantly grown in position since it begun, maybe he is the traitor we have all been looking for." Cub spits out accusations after accusations, silencing the crowd and the judges alike.
"These are some serious allegations, Cub. i hope you know what you are saying." Bdubs says, rolling eyes.
They all look beyond Mumbo as the gates open behind them, three men in horses riding through next to each other.
"Who is that?" Ren asks, sitting up in his chair to try to see as the three ride closer to him.
As they approach, a man wearing a familiar black and yellow coat is spotted at one side, but the other two are hard to identify.
"Hypno?" Wels says, steppig forward, seeing them dismount their horses and walk forward.
Doc steps forward, "Is that, Xisuma!" He shouts in shock as he watches a ghost climb the steps towards them as whispers are thrown around the crowd.
"Impulse." Bdubs says boldly, watching his brother's killer walking towards him.
Ren climbs off of his chair to greet the returning men, "Hypno, Impulse, and Xisuma? It's great to see you." He says nervously, looking at Xisuma.
"I was a prisoner of Stratos, locked in a dungeon and beat until i told them the secrets of everything i know, These two and three more rescued me, and for that i am forever thankful, and Hyono had escorted me all the back here so i could be in my home again, for that i am ever thankful." Xisuma says, bowing down to Ren, who returns a small smile.
"What is going on?" Hypno questions trying to walk to the scene, but a guard steps in his way.
"This is a trial. Only judges and questioners are allowed through." The guard says with a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Let the damned man through. He saved one of the most important people in the realm and my life countless times." Ren says, waving off the guard as Hypno walks through to see Mumbo.
His eyes widen as he crouches down to Mumbo's side, "What in the world is going on." he spits out, looking at the beaten friend of his.
"He did this," Mumbo spits out, glaring at Cub as Hypno looks over.
"Not to anyone's surprise, but the king had a reason to put you here. Why?" Hypno asks with a hand on his sword.
"I let the kid go, i let the innocent kid go instead of getting the same treatment as his father." He sighs, still believing he did the right thing.
"Treason, the right thing but treason, they want your head for this, stay quiet, and you'll be banished, I'll make sure the king allows it." Hypno says, patting Mumbo's back before standing next to Wels.
"It's great to have you here, King." Ren says to Impulse as he leads him to one of the judges' seats.
"Im happy to be here." He replies, looking around to see the massive castle and walls which are almost too big.
He takes a seat looking at Mumbo, a sense of sympathy filling him.
"Back to my statement, this man hired assasins, manipulated everyone in the kingdom, and started a war just for his own personal gain, for that he should pay more than a banishment, he should pay with his life." Cub says dramatically pointing at Mumbo.
Mumbo can't help but let out a little laugh, knowing every accusation flying his way is a complete and utter lie.
"If this man did what you say he did, he is also the reason for me returning home safely. The mission to save me was executed because of one of these letters you speak of, if so i thank this man for my life." Xisuma says, nodding at Mumbo, his lifelong friend, a friend he will defend until the end.
"A traitor none the less, to everyone he knows and everything he once believed in." Cub drops the gold coin at Mumbo's feet, staring into his eyes.
Mumbo laughs louder now, growing sick of the lies that could cost him his life.
"I let out a kid, yes, i let out a kid, and you Doc, you killed an innocent kid in his home, a spear through the neck as he pleaded for his life if i remember correctly." Mumbo revolts.
"Be quiet. It is not your time to speak, traitor." Cub spits out at him before starting to speak again.
"Not my time to speak? when is it my time to speak? Do i even get to defend myself in this god-awful trial, This isn't a trial. It's foreplay to make it feel better when you all sentence me to die, to make the release all that more satisfying as you watch my head fall off my body." He looks into the eyes of everyone there.
"Quiet Mumbo, you don't want us to take that head early, do you?" Ren orders him.
"You don't see it, do you, you're not judges, you're little pawns in that fools game, i will not play that game, not any longer, and neither should the rest of you, i saved your lives, if i didn't ride down with my men then all of your heads would be on spikes, your castle burnt and your people killed, all of your houses destroyed and your children murdered, i am not the traitor you accuse me of being, and i know damn well you all know that, but his gold burns in every pocket here, and aslong as it does there will be no justice. I will not give my life for a crime i did not commit. I demand a battle to decide my fate!" He shouts with a smirk on his face, staring into the eyes of Cub, who appears to be shocked.
Hypno laughs a little as Impulse leans back in his chair, chuckling to himself. both of them know this is the first time Cub has lost a battle like this.
Bdubs looks around, suppressing his smile as he nods to Mumbo.
Ren shakes his head, clearly annoyed by the decision Mumbo has made, and unsure of what comes next, "Good luck finding someone to fight for you." Ren smiles before climbing off his chair.
Hypno looks around as some of the men begin to move around to surround them.
He looks to Wels, who is unaware of the situation, but everyone is aware when the kings path is blocked.
Cub walks away into the castle as the men pull out swords and daggers.
"Men!" Hypno shouts, pulling out his sword as his men pull out their swords.
"What is this?" Impulse questions axe in hand, looking around at the men who surround them.
"Step aside." Ren demands as the man in front of him completely ignores him, saying nothing at all.
"I said step aside!" he shouts, now pushing the man out of the way, but now they start stabbing and slashing anyone in their way, even citizens.
Wels pulls out his sword, making his way to the king to try defend him, These random, poor looking men are pouring out of alleyways with broken axes and swords.
"There's too many!" Hypno shouts, slashing one down as another two appear.
Cub looks back from the castle gates with a smirk on his face, watching closely as the men surround everyone important in the kingdom.
His smirk only grows before he feels a dagger pressed against his neck from behind, "Whos there?" He questions, feeling it poke him.
"Im assuming this is your doing. Call it off, and you'll live." False demands poking him further.
"You think i can call it off? I didn't do this, and a bunch of poor people have the chance to take over the kingdom. There's nothing i can do, isn't it beautiful." He laughs watching the others panic.
"Fine." She concedes, pulling the dagger away before beginning to run over to them.
"Leave now and live, or stay and die, your choice." Hypno says, knowing all of them can't take them if they tried.
"Alright, go now." Cub says to a man who runs off into the alleys.
"Arent i a hero." He whispers to himself as he sees the actual guards appearing from the alleys and starts killing the intruders.
"Protect the king!" Wels shouts, fighting with them, swinging his sword through the chest of a man as blood splatters all over him.
Wels fends off four men at once, his heavy armour sustaining the weak stabs from almost broken weapons. He laughs a little at the weak attempts before beheading a man in front of him.
Bdubs hides in the middle of the chaos, where everyone is fighting around him, but no one is fighting him. He isn't his brother. He isn't a warrior.
Everyone begins to split as the fighting dies down, leaving him vulnerable as he sees a man dashing for him. He picks up a blood-stained sword he finds on the ground and holds it weakly against the man, who laughs at him.
He pokes it forward while stepping backwards, trying to fend this monster off, he can smell him from here, a man straight from the east of the city, in the east most of the houses have fifty people who share it, and the hygiene is non existant, the streets filled with feces and urine.
He sees a large axe slammed off the head of the man in front of him, looking down to see the dwarvern king being the one who swung it, killing the man in an instant.
"You alright?" Impulse asks, clicking in front of his face to try to bring him to reality.
"Yeah, yeah, thank you." He says, nodding his head, in disbelief that he just thanked the man who killed his brother.
before long, all of the others are dead, along with some of their soldiers but not many, and Mumbo, surprisingly alive and chained to the ground as before with the dead bodies of countless men around him
Cub looks down, shocked that Mumbo somehow survived, the entire point was that he died, that is until he sees Hypno Standing behind him staring in to his eyes, clearly he has defended Mumbo to try get at him.
He shakes his head before walking into the castle, annoyed at the stubborness of these men.
"Clean all this up, and find me a champion to fight this battle, and Mumbo, find yourself one." Ren says, cutting him free of his chains.
"Yes, my king." He says angrily, walking with an escort of guards that had been sent to make sure he doesn't try to escape.
"I won't fight." Hypno says to Ren as they walk up to the castle as Ren looks at him shocked.
"What do you mean you won't fight, why not?" He asks with an angry look on his face.
"I think he's innocent, i won't fight against a man i believe to be innocent and a friend." Hypno tells him while cleaning his sword as Ren walks away, annoyed.
Mumbo asks around, being denied by Wels, Hypno, and anyone he could think of asking before his mind lands on one final answer.
"No one will fight for you?" Cub asks Ren, who nods slowly, clearly tired and annoyed.
"Make the stratos girl do it, she's a keen warrior, and no, not GeminiTay, Pearl, make Pearl do it. We need to kill her anyway." Cub suggests a smirk appears on Ren's face.
"You're a genius, my friend." Ren laughs as he demands a soldier to bring Pearl to him.
The soldier brings her in chains, looking at the ground like she's traumatised. She's been a prisoner for years now, almost no human interaction, and a lot of beatings.
"Let's make a deal. You fight for us, or you die, and if you win, you get to go home?" Cub asks, knowing she has no option but to agree.
"Fine, I'll fight for you. Take these chains off then." She scoffs as Wels rips the chains off of her arms, and Ren sits on the throne with a smug smile.
Mumbo opens the cell door to the last hope he has, seeing the person he fought onlt days ago with her back against the wall.
"GeminiTay?" He asks, closing the door behind him as he walks in.
"You, the weak one." She says, looking away from him.
"I need your help, Gem. i need a champion, someone to fight, or I'll die. Please help me." He pleads, hoping she will accept
"I would never fight for you. You're the enemy, you idiot." she laughs at the idea of fighting for him after fighting him.
"I let an innocent kid free, and now Cub is framing me for something i didn't do, i dont deserve to die, and if you win, you get to go home." He holds his breath as she watches her think.
"Who's the opponent." she says bluntly as he shrugs his shoulders. She accepts that answer anyway, anything to go home.
Mumbo walks with her to the armoury to help her choose whatever weaponry should would like.
"Looking good, Pearl, you're gonna destroy whoever that Traitor has prepared." Cub says, smiling at her as they stand at the entrance to the arena.
Hypno and Gen stand at the other, talking about god knows what, trying to prepare her before she enters the arena, to meet her best friend.
"Bring forward the fighters." Ren says, sitting on the highest viewing chair there, Mumbo underneath him with his arms in chains.
"He won't have any good fighter, no need to fear my king." Bdubs whispers in his ear, still hoping Mumbo will come out victorious.
The two of them walk out through opposite ends of the arena, walking towards each other before it finally clicks who they are looking at.
Cub stands up in his seat as he notices Gem walking out into the arena, looking down into Mumbo's smug face as he knows Mumbo had gotten the better of him again.
"Gem?" Pearl asks, taking her helmet off to help her see clearer, tears forming in her eyes as she looks around to see crossbows aimed at them in case they dont fight.
"Now, this is interesting." Ren says, grinning, seeming to have grown an enjoyment for suffering.
"This is horrible, forcing two best friends to fight to the death i couldn't think of anything worse." Impulse mutters frowning while looking on at the two of them.
"Good luck, Pearl, remember, i love you." She says, throwing her helmet down and pulling out her signature flowered sword.
"Good luck, Gem." She replies, looking at the ground and pulling out two daggers.
They circle each other for what feels like an eternity as tears drop to the ground, and the crowd boos at the lack of attacking.
Gem sighs before swinging for Pearl. getting blocked by the combined two daggers and pushed away.
Pearl tries to jab her chest with a dagger, but Gem moves swiftly out of the way.
"Im sorry." Gem says before knocking the dagger out of Pearl's hand and kicking her to the ground, a light scream coming from her friend
She can't help but sob as she walks towards the fallen Pearl, knowing she has to kill her.
Cub laughs from the stands as Ren's grin only grows larger, but everyone else seems to have lost the fun in the fight. Knowing what is happening is wrong.
"I can't watch." Impulse scoffs looking away before any final blows are made.
Gem stands over Pearl, struggling to bring her sword down and kill her, a waste of time she would seen regret as Pearl swipes her legs from under her, dropping her on the ground directly next to her.
Mumbo leans forward as fear grown on his face. Maybe Gem will lose. Will Pearl win this fight?
A tear drips off of Pearl onto Gem as she holds her dagger up, Gem frantically moving her hand around the ground until she feels the other dagger Pearl had, quickly bringing it up and plunging it deep Into Pearl's lower chest, pushing her to the ground as blood spits out of her.
"Im sorry!" She shouts with tears flowing all down her face, taking the other dagger, and burying it deep in her heart.
She falls back, sitting on the ground next to her best friend, who she had just killed as not even Mumbo tried to celebrate. The smile had even faded from Cub at this point but remained large on Ren.
The guards cut Mumbo's chains off as a small smile appears on him, watching Cub walk off in anger and the others looking more than annoyed, and once again, he is a free man.
End of chapter 10: 3283 words
This one was done in one sitting, so it could be very bad, but we're keeping the sad aspect to it.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED