– Day 3 –
Billy and Princess Alice went off to look for Shaotzie. They roamed around but still, there's no trace of her.
"Billy, we need to go to the forest!" Princess Alice whispered.
"But how about my friend?!"
Alice tapped his shoulder and said, "Perhaps, there someone who saved her. If zombies bit her, she must run and asks help from us. But, your friend was gone suddenly. Billy, trust in me, she's fine."
Billy gulped and sighed. He's doomed when Alice finds out that he lied. "But–"
"Follow me, now!"
Billy wastes the chance to tell her the truth. How could he dare to lie to the Princess? His queen?
Billy kicks the ground out of anger. If a bad thing happened to Shaotzie, Alice will punish him.
"Carlton, help Diane and I'll protect Billy." Princess Alice carries out things she can bring.
"We need to get to the forest, the sooner the better. Billy! Bring this!"
Billy shook his head and walk closer to Alice. "Yes, your majesty."
"Your majesty, I can handle myself. My foot is fine, now." Diane told the Princess while her head down.
Alice, to end the conversation, nods her head. "Let's go!"
With no trace of fear and doubt, Princess Alice leads the way into the forest. Shaotzie has been missing since yesterday and now that she found out, Alice won't slip the chance away.
Along the way, Princess Alice saw how Alicesha collapsed. The infrastructures, the houses, the streets, and everything in it. "Zombies wrecked my kingdom in one day."
"Don't worry, we will not stop looking and seeking for the mage that can reverse the situation, your majesty," Cartlon told her sincerely.
Alice suddenly thought about Catthia and the young boy. Are they safe with Caliek? Does the palace is the best place to hide? She's been thinking about a lot of things lately.
How can she reverse the current phenomenon? How can she save and protect her people if she can't still find the elusive mage? How can she rule Alicesha if she's the only survivor?
"Step back!" Billy exclaimed. He touches his weapon and was ready to tug it.
Alice looked at Cartlon, saying that bring Diane in a better place. "What's the problem, your majesty?"
"Cartlon and I will protect you, Diane. Just step back and hide in a safe place, now!" Princess Alice screamed and was about to tugs her sword but it wasn't in her waist.
She must be forgotten to bring with her the sword. Princess Alice looks back, if she would run faster, she can reach the store and look for the sword but zombies are walking nearer to them.
"Cartlon! Protect Billy and Diane!" She screamed. Without any approval, Alice runs rashly back to the store but she can't find her sword.
Billy and Cartlon tug their sword from its sheath. Diane hides at the safest place while Alice still seeking the weapon.
"Yah!" Billy turns around with the undead and stabs one of them.
"Grrrrrgg!" Cartlon swipes the sword as he saw one who's ready to bite Billy's arm.
"Thanks," Billy said and twirled.
Something fell in the ground and Billy kick its body. "Billy, move backward!"
Cartlon swipes the blade into a zombie's neck and blood scattered around. "Alice!"
He shouted out asking for help. As they killed them one by one, zombies from nowhere showed up. There are too many for Billy and him to fight alone.
Alice can't hear Cartlon. She went back to the place where she rested but she can't find it. "I need you now." She uttered.
Zombies heard their voices. They walk slowly to the food store and they smelled Alice's blood. Alice didn't notice that there are walking dead at her back. "Grrrghhhh!"
Alice turned her back and realize that she was cornered. She can't run out of them anymore. She has no weapon to protect herself.
"Grrrrrggg!" Zombies growled and grab the princess's leg that made her stumbled and fall into the surface.
In a quick movement, Alice kicks its head before she got bitten. She crawls until she saw the sword at the back of the door.
With enough courage and confidence, Alice stood up and killed them one by one. She was tired and sighing deeply.
"Alice! Help me out!" Diane shouted.
Cartlon heard her shouting but he can't leave Billy alone. "Heeeeeeelp!"
"Diane!" Princess Alice uttered. She walked into to save Diane but zombies are loitering around and ready to attack her.
Alice grips the sword upright and bends her knees. She must kill all of them, now. "Yah!" She thrusts it deeper and kicks the undead body.
She swirled the sword and was ready to attack when Diane shouts loudly. "Noooooo!"
Alice, Billy, and Cartlon turned their heads when a zombie grabs her arm and bites it.
"Heeeeelp me!" Diane tried to fight back and pushes the undead away but it was too strong. Alice, run towards her and jabs the zombie from the back.
She yanks the weapon back and thrusts it again. The zombie's corpse fell into the ground. Diane burst into tears and disgusted by looking at her wounded arm.
"Swordsman, lower down your head!" Billy, the young boy told him. In a snap, head rolled out into Cartlon's feet.
"Such a mess!" Billy smiled at Cartlon.
There was a zombie at his back, if Billy didn't saw it Cartlon will be victimized. "I owe you, young man." He said.
On the other side, Alice ripped her cloak and tie Diane's arm. She needs to stop the virus from spreading all over her body. "You'll be fine Diane! All right?"
Diane stiffened because of pain. Her wound was not big enough but Alice notices that her skin color changed. It turned yellowish and nerves came out.
"We need to get out of here!"
"But we can't pass through, your majesty!" Billy shouted while struggling.
Fifteen zombies crept along the way, five on either side. They sounded ridiculous to Billy and their breaths were harsh and violent.
"Stay here Diane. Whatever happens, you can use this. I need to kill all of them and to protect you from any harm." Alice lends her a knife that she saw at the store.
"No! Kill me, your majesty!" Diane holds the princess's hand and points the knife into her gut.
Alice shook her head in disbelief. "What are you doing? You will not get infected, Diane. Please, trust in me."
But Diane was too hopeless and miserable. She knows that Alice is lying to her. "You're a liar! You're a liar! Before I turned like them, kill me, my queen."
"Alice, stay away from Diane!" Cartlon told the princess but Alice didn't listen. She gets the dagger from Diane and embraces her.
Diane burst into tears. But, without her knowledge, the virus spread out through her body. "Thank you, my majesty."
Diane's hazel eyes turned into a rustic white. Her body was shaking and trembling but Alice didn't leave. "Diane!"
"Diane!" But its too late, the virus already took her nerve cells and mind. But Alice can't kill her.
Cartlon runs towards the Queen and throw the dagger at the walking dead. "We need to kill her, Alice. She's not Diane anymore."
Alice closed her eyes and grips the sword upright. Killing Diane is against her will but she has no choice. Diane began to move like a zombie, she opened her eyes and walk into the princess.
"Now!" Cartlon shouted.
"I can't kill her, Cartlon!" Alice drops the weapon and cried. She can't bear to kill one of her people. Even Diane.
"Noooo!" Billy rolled into the ground together with his weapon. His back was a slam at the surface. "Die and live in hell!" Cartlon helped Billy and stabs the undead with no mercy.
Billy can't stand and fight with ease. His back is ailing when he tried to escape. "Perhaps you need to rest Billy." Cartlon helped him to stand and let Billy rest.
Cartlon fights against the remaining undead. They were too greedy, hideous, and voracious.
Alice remained standing in front of Diane. Looking at nowhere, when Diane suddenly stood up and attack her. "Gggrrrh!"
She knocks down and Diane grasp her right leg. "Ggrrrrr!"
"Noooo!" She shrieked and moved her feet but Diane was too strong. She tried to reach the gauntlet in her left foot but she failed.
"Cartlon!" She said.
"Your majesty!" Upon hearing Alice, he walks too fast and thrusts the sword into Diane's back. "Grrrrrgh!"
He didn't hesitate to cut Diane's body into pieces. Cartlon, for the last blow, swipes the blade at her neck. Blood splashes and Diane's head rolled out.
Princess Alice gulped and sighed deeply. She stood up and tapped Cartlon's shoulder and said, "I need to see Shaotzie." She told him boldly.
The Princess walks tiredly and gets her sword from the ground. It was full of blood, of souls. Then, she looked at Billy. "Show me, my younger sibling, Shaotzie."
She helped the young boy to stand and let him hold her arm. "Let's go!"
Cartlon sighed deeply and put his bloody sword into its sheath. Along the way, the princess was too excited and eager to embrace Shaotzie.
"Billy?" Alice uttered of nowhere.
"Yes, your majesty."
She smiled bitterly and replied, "I didn't know that you can use such a weapon to protect yourself. You're such a brave young boy."
Billy looked at the Princess and bowed. "It's been my passion, to use a skillfully different weapon such as dagger, swords, and gauntlet."
Alice laugh at him and shook her head. It's not new, the young man usually learns how to use swords and gauntlet and or knives like an expert. They are dreaming to be one of the greatest warriors of Alicesha, including Cartlon.
"Your majesty." Billy halted and stared at the princess's pale face. His conscience is eating him up, and meeting Alice changed his perception regarding the royal family.
Alice stop laughing and said, "Do you have something to tell me, Billy?"
He began to open his mouth and was ready to speak but Cartlon intrudes and said, "There are still zombies loitering around. We must not create any nuisance."
Billy gulped, for the second time. "What was your saying?"
"Nothing, your majesty. But, we're nearer to reach my small hut." He told the princess shortly.
Alice smiled sweetly and they walk into the forest in peace. Zombies must stay in the city since it has more population than in the forest.
"We're here," Billy uttered.
"Hey, open the door! It's me, Billy!"
It took for a while for Sahara to open the door. She's been peeling out the potatoes for Princess Shaotzie and didn't notice that Billy knocks on the door.
"We need to get inside, now!" Cartlon told them.
Hoping that he can unlock it, Billy puts something on the keyhole and luckily it opened. "Come in!"
Alice and Cartlon sighed upon entering the house. There's a girl sitting at the couch, and doing something.
"Shaotzie?" She uttered.
The girl turned her head and shocked upon seeing the Queen. "Who are you?"
Sahara can't speak and stuck with the beauty of Princess Alice.