The Rogues of Night; Chapter 15

by Jae in a Land of Wind and Earth

Chapter 15

            “Is she dead?”

            “She better not be.”

            “Look, she’s hurt.”

            “That’s where you got her.”

            “Hey, are you alive?”

            The last question was accompanied by a jab with a boot.

            “AUGH! Don’t do that, you imbecilic piece of palace trash.” Groaning and clutching her side, Nacata slowly rose up, pooling blood as she went. Trying to stand, burly arms grasped her and half dragged, half carried her back to the camp. When there, a cold voice rang, “Drop her.”

            The ground rushed at her and smacked her in the face. Pinching her now bleeding nose with one hand, and applying pressure to the arrow wound with the other, she curled into a ball of pain. “Get up,” a sharp metal-toed boot kicked her injured side. Biting her lip so hard it bled, Nacata thought to herself, “I will not give him another chance of satisfaction.” And slowly rose and looked him squarely in the eye. His eyes were a shade darker than hers and as cold and hard as the stones in a riverbed. “Quite foolish of you. To try and run away like that, ill planning does not go unpunished.” With that he tightened his hand into a fist and socked her in the stomach. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she uttered not a peep, but could not prevent doubling over. This was rewarded by a piercing knee in the face that sent her sprawling. Pushing up on her arms, Nacata spat defiantly at his polished feet. Her mouth was cut from the inside and the pain was unbearable.

            “Hm? No noise? Are you trying to prove something? Nevertheless, Merax? Tie her up, she goes to the King now.”

            Fear, pain and weariness washed over Nacata, and once again, her world went black.

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            When she awoke, they were at the palace gates.

            “Who goes there?” Cried the guard.

            “Captain Eron. I’ve another rebel for the king.”

            “Right away sir. Lower the bridge!” This was followed by a sinister snigger.

            The creaking gate was lowered and the horse trotted inside. Once there, it stopped, impatient to be unloaded. Nacata was roughly pulled off and partially untied so that she could walk. “Move,” Eron shoved her.

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            The palace was quite, cool and fearsome. Anticipation of the dreads that awaited her nearly drove Nacata out of her mind. But, she kept a calm aura as if she were headed in for praise instead of doom. At the massive door, they stopped. Then, from inside boomed a voice, “Enter!”

            The oak doors were pulled open by two guards from the inside and Eron shoved Nacata to get her going again. At the end of the long room, all the light seemed to be sucked into shadow, and King Darxon sat coolly in his splendid throne. “Hm. Copper, gold, mix of silver, sterling, cobalt… Is that iron?” Thoughts of how expensive that throne must be and how hard it would be to make it filled her mind as she numbly walked to the throne. Her attention was snapped back when the king said in a chillingly calm voice, “Have you lived in the wilderness your whole life? Or are you that ignorant to forget to kneel before the king?”

            Taking a deep breath, Nacata replied in a raspy voice, “One only bows to nobility, and royalty. I don’t think you are really either.”

            A kick behind her kneecaps sent her sprawling on her knees and two new guards pointed javelins at the back.

            “Look at me.”

            Her hair was ripped back directing her face upwards. Stubbornly, she clamped her eyes shut. An iron point jabbed her back shocking her into opening her eyes. A pair of stunning red eyes held her transfixed. “Where are the others?”

            “Having a party in the basement of the palace.” Someone knocked her on the back of her head.

            “Tell me child, why put up with this? If you tell me, I’ll let you go, give you a good position. You won’t have to worry. Tell me, why are you doing this?”

            The words were enchanting, but Nacata shook them off, “Because I swore, that I would avenge my father and terminate the person who had him killed. Murderer.” With finality, she broke her gaze and spat at the foot of the throne.

            “Dungeon.”

            And with that she was dragged off.