Arthur's POV
First time in weeks, I slept peacefully. Usually I would have those dreams, then woke up and fell asleep again. When I woke up this morning, only Matthew was awake. He greeted me, smiling and holding a bow and a quiver full of arrows.
"Where are you going?" I had asked.
"To hunt. Want to come with me?" I nodded and went to find a bow and arrows. I had wandered around here, and now I knew this place like my own pockets.
When we came back, my mood had brightened up a little. Matthew had told funny and maybe a little embarrasing things about Alfred. I was still chuckling to them, but it ended when I heard a bloodcurling scream of pain. I startled, glancing Matthew. He had a expression of horror and panic. He started running. I followed him, worried.
Soon we were at the where sick and dead were placed.
"Allistor!" Matthew exclaimed, looking around. Finally he spotted him. Again, I heard that scream. Dylan sat next to Allistor, holding his head in his hands. Brittany was stone-fased.
"Brother? What's wrong?" I hurried next to him. Allistor didn't answer, only looked away. Matthew walked next to him and sat down, hugging him. Dylan looked troubled.
"The sickness has come back." Brittany said, and I felt slightly nervous.
"What sickness?" Dylan answered to me.
"The sickness which killed Seamus and Patrick."
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I let out a cry and woke up. I opened my eyes, glancing around, but luckily I couldn't see if anyone was awake. Or maybe they just thought it was the patient's cry. The sickness, as my mother calls it, kills its patient in a extremely painful way. It slowly eats away the patient's internal organs, so they couldn't eat or breathe well. Dylan said that there were no cure; they could only ease the pain. I hoped it wouldn't spread, or we'll be all dead.
"Why are you here, anyways? Shouldn't you usually stay away from the patient?" I had asked.
"All the people, who live here, are close to each other, so when one dies, we gather to say a farewell to them." Dylan answered. "Many of the people are immigrants, thiefs and murderers, who have their second chance here. Now they are good." I nodded.
Oh god, it happened again.. I saw that vision again. I rose up and sneaked out of the main cave. I didn't know why I see it over and over again. Tonight, however, it felt more vivid. It might be a warning, I thought.
The torches were burning as always, like they were enchanted. Even if I touched them, it didn't hurt. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the peace of night. Half moon was shining on the sky. I walked over to the bank of the river, where I sat couple days ago, when I had arrived here.
Suddenly, I noticed a man next to me. I startled, but the man only smiled warmly.
"Good night, youngster. What brings you here, to Verdi?" The man's voice was slightly hoarse, but nevertheless kind and understanding, like he knew what I was going through.
"Good night to you, sir. May I ask you, what is your name?" The man flickered, looking uncertain.
"I do not have a name, young boy." I felt rather annoyed, when he called me just a boy. I was seventeen, for god's sake! Well, my birthday is today, so I'm eighteen now. "But you can call me Virra."
"Virra? Interesting name. Where are you from?" His name didn't sound Spadian, or other kingdoms' names either.
"Oh.." The ghost's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm from a continent, which has been destroyed because of the wars we had." Now it was my turn to be confused.
"There aren't another continents, sir."
"Well, then it's this one." What? What is Virra talking about? There hadn't been any wars, or at least wars, where all kingdoms were.
"I borned on this place and I died on this place. There weren't this river and gulley then. Only a field and our house. Then, a bomb dropped here and I died."
"A... Bomb?" Virra nodded. I opened my mouth to say something.
"Yes, a bomb. And now I'm here, waiting for my love to come around." The ghost flickered again, before looking at me with sad eyes.
"Go. You have to go and see for yourself." The ghost disappeared, leaving me in confused. I sighed, maybe he was crazy. Then I felt it. The dread. It felt like I was choking on it, it was a knot in my guts. Something was happening. I gasped, surprised.
And it was bad.
I didn't know how I knew this. But still, I found myself stumbling to stand up and running towards the path, which lead to the forest. Somewhere there was a path, which lead to the castle, or nearby it.
I ran and ran, not caring about the thorns which shredded my pants. I smelled smoke, and I saw a glow of fire further. I knew what was happening, but I still couldn't believe it. I arrived at the forest's edge.
The castle was burning. It was like a huge bonfire. The fire had spreaded towards the forest, and people were running around, trying to extinguish it.
I walked forwards a few steps, before I collapsed on the ground. I panted, trying to understand what had happened. Then I realized. It was the revolution. Theresa had told us to be careful because of the Freedom Fighters, but we had forgotten them. Now they striked, and I couldn't do anything.
"Wee brother?" Allistor's voice seemed to come from afar. I heard other voices, which sounded like Matthew and Dylan. Dylan sounded surprised, like Matthew, but there was something else in the former prince's voice. Anger and sadness, I realized.
"A-alfred... No.." I managed to choke out. "I... need to find him..." I tried to stand up, but my legs didn't support my weight. Allistor caught me, before I fell again on the ground. Alfred might be dead, or lying on somewhere, shouting for help. I couldn't help him, and I was a wizard! Sometimes it felt like magic was useless. That sentence gyrated in my mind. I couldn't help him.
"We'll help you find him, Arthur." Dylan said. How did I got so caring brothers?
Tears, which streamed down my cheeks looked like blood droplets in the glow of fire.
I choked back a sob and buried my face against Allistor's chest. I didn't know what his reaction was, but I didn't really care. All the emotions I had bottled inside of me, came out as tears.
"Rebels will tear your kingdom from its roots. And you can't do nothing. Be lost, be found."
"Follow the ghost. Find your blood. Seek for love."
I swear those usuk cardverse pictures is what I live for-
Congratulations! You've made it through here.
As you know, this is the last chapter of Power and Love, and I want to thank all of you, who left comments, voted or just read this. You have no idea how brighter a comment made my day. And, I have no idea how, when and why I have 1,72K reads and 241 votes. It might not seem big to you, but to me it is.
I got this idea while I was writing a story named "Oblivion" (it tells about an angel [named Joanne] who is captured in a war against the demons. He meets a demon [named Nicholas] in Hell, who helps him to get away. Joanne falls, like Nicholas, and they winded up to a place, where they live their forever. They can't get out of there. Eventually, they fall in love.) in English. (I swear there were at least hundred mistakes. I wonder how many mistakes is in this?) I planned first the main events of this story, which were Alfred almost dying in the war against Diamonds, the Jokers getting the King and Queen on the cliff, Arthur falling and the revolution. Then I started writing, and while I wrote, I planned the smaller events, like Theresa's death, proposing, the failed assassination of the King of Spades and the prophecy.
There are few things, which I changed, and it was Rick's role, the time of revolution and the appearance of Arthur's brothers, mother and Matthew. Rick was a rebel, whose mission was to kill Arthur. He died by his rapier, though. The revolution was supposed to happen after Arthur had fallen and returned. Allistor, Dylan and Brittany weren't supposed to appear in this at all. Matthew returned to castle with Arthur, after he had healed from fever.
So, this story is finished, after four months (wow, that makes me feel slow)
(I swear that I listened too much music while writing this... I've listed them here)
Two Steps From Hell: None shall live, Victory, Heart of Courage, Sons of War
Jon Bellion: All Time Low, Carry Your Throne
Panic! At The Disco: When The Day Met The Night, Emperor's New Clothes, Death of A Barchelor, House Of Memories
Galantis: Hunter
ItaloBrothers: Summer Air
Blackmore's Night: Loreley, Ghost of a Rose
Set It Off: Partners in Crime, Wolf in Sheep's clothing
Thirty Seconds To Mars: This Is War
BTS: Not Today, Dope, I NEED U, Interlude: Wings
EXO-K: Overdose
Forever The Sickest Kids: La La Lainey, Nikki, Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone)
The Royal: Dreamlife
VanLadyLove: Neverland
Hamilton: An American Musical
The Script: Half of Fame
David Guetta: She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)
Thousand Foot Krutch: War of Change
Of Monsters and Men: King and Lionheart, Little Talks
Five For Fighting: Heaven Knows, Your Man, Symphone Lane
About A Mile: Born to Live