The Forsaken King

When Huntley reached for his ax, I knew how this was going to end.

Huntley swung for Klaus, and they became locked in battle. Spike was still on the ground, and he slowly removed the dagger from his neck and made more blood spill onto the snow.

Two rushed for Huntley, and he battled three foes all at once.

The others came for me, teeth protruding out of their mouths.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.”

I had time, so I sheathed my sword and withdrew my bow. I nocked two arrows to the string, held my breath as I aimed, and fired. The first pierced one right in the neck, making him fall to his knees just like his comrade. Another flew from the string and pierced the closest one in the thigh.

That didn’t slow him down at all.

My sword was back in my hand, and I blocked the blade aimed for my torso. I barely had any energy, but I mustered it from somewhere and struck back, making him trip on the snow and fall back.

That gave me a moment to address the other, who had risen, to strike his sword up and down, push him back to find an opening. If I could defeat him, I could run for it while Huntley was engaged with the others.

It would be my only opportunity to get away.

My attacker was too fast, met my blade as if he knew where it would be in just a moment. My energy was draining, the other guy was getting back to his feet, and I was running out of time.

So I did the first thing that came to mind.

I spat in his face.

He winced when the warm saliva hit him right in the eyes, blinding him momentarily.

I stabbed my knife into his gut then kicked him off.

The other grabbed his sword from the ground and rose to meet me.

But I was faster.

I slammed my sword down into his neck, deep into his chest cavity, and killed him instantly.

Huntley was still engaged, taking on Klaus and the other two. They surrounded him in a circle, and he managed to turn and meet the blows of each one before kicking them away. He moved so fast, faster than I could really see.

I’d never seen anyone fight like that.

I sheathed my sword and heard one of the guys scream.

I looked back, seeing that Huntley had narrowed it down to just two men.

I took off at a run, heading in the direction of the cave that wound up the cliff. Whoever remained the victor, I would have enough time to get inside and possibly block the opening. If Klaus was the victor, he probably wouldn’t even know where to find me.

Hopefully Huntley died. He would probably run out of energy first, taking on multiple experienced swordsmen at once. I would return to the castle, report everything that had happened to my father, and this whole thing would feel like a bad dream.

“Ah!”

The scream echoed against the falling snow, made the trees vibrate with the sound. It made me halt because I knew it belonged to Huntley. I’d heard it enough on my travels, heard that rough depth of his voice day in and day out.

I looked at the trees in front of me, the piles of snow, the way back home.

But I didn’t move.

Girl, don’t be stupid.

Leave him.

Home. Father. Ryker.

I gritted my teeth before I turned around. I sprinted back, following my own footprints, and saw the battle come into view.

Huntley had a dagger protruding out of his side, the blood striking against his fur clothing, and he struggled to keep up the fight, barely parrying the blades that came for him. He nearly missed the next one, too weak to keep going.

Klaus grinned as he spun his sword around with his wrist. “I don’t normally eat your kind. But I’ll enjoy sucking the marrow out of your bones.” He launched his sword, overpowering Huntley’s and making it drop into the snow. “But don’t worry. I’ll be sure to return whatever’s left to your queen—”

The arrow pierced his neck, and he stumbled back.

The distraction was enough to make the other pause the fight.

I trained my bow on him next—and struck him in the shoulder.

He rushed me, his razor-sharp teeth coming right for me.

I met his sword with my own, and we engaged in a flurry of attacks that were nearly beyond my skills. But it became instinct, my focus just as sharp as his teeth. I didn’t come this close to home just to lose at the final stretch, and I wasn’t letting this motherfucker take me down.

I could never get an opening because he was too fast. I was on the defensive the entire time, blocking every hit but doing no damage myself. My only chance was a distraction. I could spit on him again.