Aliana took my hand and tugged me out of the way of a stray arrow that lodged itself into the flagstone behind where my head was and I gasped.
"I thought you said it was an unarmed riot..." Aliana panted, ducking behind a column.
"Athena said they were unarmed!" I huffed, weaving beside Aliana as I surveyed the wreck before me.
Commoners had axes and swords and bows and the palace gates were red with fire and crackling under the heat. Dozens of the guard were lying lifeless on the floor, discarded and trampled on by the advancing citizens who were surging against the ambushed Royal Guardsmen.
"They're obviously not!" Aliana screamed as an arrow slammed into the stone beside her shoulder, "These aren't government regulation weapons!"
"How do you know that!?" I gasped, the clashing of steel and the howls of pain the most prominent noise in my ears.
"You know that my title is Merchandise Overseer, correct?" Aliana hissed, eyeing me through the small distance between us.
"No! How did I not know about this? I thought you were only in the council because of the Whitemane name!" I yelled over the commotion and Aliana rolled her eyes.
"This isn't the time to argue! We need to get out of here!" She shouted but I shook my head.
"I can't! I need to stop this!" I declared but Aliana cocked a brow and scoffed.
"How can you be so naive!?" She growled, "You're going to get your head cut off!"
"I'm not leaving until this gets solved!" I hissed at her and dived to the ground, wincing as I peeled the longsword from the corpse of a royal guard and hefted it into the air.
Aliana let out a disgruntled groan before stepping out of her place behind the column and snatching a dagger from the waistband of her dress, "Fine. I'm not leaving you alone here so I'll have your six."
"...Where-- How do you keep a dagger in there?" I muttered and she shrugged.
"Mistress Xanthe taught me a thing or two." She answered and I nodded, observing the cluster of agitated masses and Royal Guardsmen.
"Where to first, Cap'?" Aliana smirked, nudging my shoulder and I rolled my eyes, narrowly dodging a chunk of wood flung in my direction.
"Any bright ideas, Killjoy?" I asked her and this time she rolled her eyes.
"I say we get The Nine Hells out of here and bar the doors in the kitchens!" Aliana suggested.
"Why the kitchens?" I groaned and she shrugged.
"There we'll have enough food to last us a week or two!" Aliana replied and I cocked a brow.
That's... Actually kind of smart.
Aliana opened her mouth to say something else but was cut off by a commoner near us lopping off the head of a Royal Guardsman, the blood painting Aliana's dress and skin an eerie crimson and she squealed at the top her lungs like a banshee.
Her eyes went red with rage as she rounded on the attacker, "This dress was made of Threyan silk! You monster! Burn. In. The. Hells!"
She slammed her fist so hard into the anarchist's nose that he collapsed to the floor in a daze and she let out a guttural growl that actually made me fear the gossipy, prim countess who surrounds herself with courtesans as friends.
"Okay, maybe we should leave..." I stuttered, grabbing at Aliana's shoulders and directing her away from the massacre.
"How dare that scum!? Does he know how hard it is to get Threyan silk this far south!?" Aliana hissed, glancing over her shoulder every now and then as I guided her through the hallways, "I'm going to kill him. Mark my words, Elia!"
At that moment, Taman materialised from the adjoined corridor and double-took his blood-soaked sister.
"Is that your Threyan silk dress!? What psychopath would do this?!" He gasped and, for the first time ever, showed his sister affection.
"Tell me about it! I was seeing red, Taman! Luckily Elia was there to pull me away from the scene! I would have knocked everyone in my path down!" Aliana cried and I nodded.
"I do not doubt that for a second." I sighed, "Come, you two, we need to go to the kitchens!"
The Whitemane siblings fussed over Aliana's stained dress on the way to the kitchens and I took Aliana up on her suggestion by placing a plank of wood beneath the doorknob so that hopefully no one can barge in here unannounced.
--XANTHE'S P.O.V.--
After I had heard the crash, I had gotten Serana to follow me from my chambers to the foyer and I peered through the doorway to the hordes of enraged rebels thrashing The Royal Guard.
"Well, that's irritating," Serana grunted, her voice cool, calm and collected as per usual.
"Can you still use your knives?" I asked her and she cocked a brow.
"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Serana scoffed and I rolled my eyes.
"That's handy but still not quite... Explosive..." I murmured, tapping my chin.
"What about that High Priestess you're always fawning over?" Serana suggested and I cocked a brow.
"What would Althea do?" I wondered and Serana shrugged.
"You tell me." She chuckled incredulously, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"You're very nonchalant for the fact that there is a slaughter occurring right before our very eyes," I muttered, stepping back from a guard that was slammed into the wall near us.
Serana shrugged and observed the onslaught from our spot just beyond the foyer.
"You know what? This is becoming tedious and repetitive. I'm going to take you up on your word, Serana. Accompany me to the throne room." I demanded, already turned on my heels and striding in the direction of the throne room.
"What do you mean 'taking me up on my word'?" Serana questioned me and I glared at her over my shoulder.
"I'm going to have a chat with our resident High Priestess," I answered and she nodded, considering the situation.
"Isn't she like... I don't know... Busy?" She pressed me but I shook my head.
"Althea spends most of her time meditating or unearthing spells," I responded and Serana tilted her head in thought before coughing into her shoulder.
"Stalker."
"I heard that!" I hissed and she rolled her eyes.
As I stepped into the pool of water, I shut my eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of the Corian mountainside and the pines just to the south.
Not a few moments later, Althea's face appeared in my vision and she bowed her head.
"High Priestess," I regarded her.
"Mistress," She nodded, "I can sense that you haven't called me for good news."
"No, I'm afraid not, High Priestess." I sighed, "The palace is under attack by the insurgents and the shock of the ambush has taken its toll on the soldiers."
Althea briefly fluttered her eyes shut before letting out a heavy sigh, "You know that I cannot exhaust my powers; there will be disastrous repercussions."
"I am aware, High Priestess, and I am deeply ashamed to ask this of you but we really need your help..." I mumbled, gazing down at my 'feet' which, in actual fact, was just a pit of darkness.
"I hope that your guardsmen should hold them off for a small period of time whilst I consult with Her Royal Highness, Lady Arabella Harlaw." She nodded at me and I gave her a weak smile.
"Of course, Your Excellency..." I mumbled before opening my eyes and glancing over to Serana who stared at me with curiosity, "She says she will speak with Arabella about it."
"Well, if you don't stab someone, can I?" She smirked and I narrowed my eyes at her.
"As much as I'm tempted to approve that..." I muttered and she nudged me.
"What if I stab someone just a little bit?", I glared at her and she rolled her eyes, retrieving her daggers anyway.
"No," I growled, the sound of clashing steel and hollers of pain, followed by a deafening rumbling sound
"What is... That?" Serana wondered, peering through a doorway and marching into the corridor.
"I'm... Not sure..." I sighed, trailing after her to the foyer.
She repeated her previous action for the doorway and her eyes widened, "how long does it take to knock a whole room of soldiers and heavily-armed civilians down?"
"What?!" I grumbled, shoving past her and gasping at the sight of a tall, dark figure standing in front of the throne.