Luke throws his shield off to the side. He whirls his sword. Forcing his body to stand up straight. He grunts a little.
"Well boy, seems like I'll get one last chance to put you in your place." Luke takes a large step forward. Swinging his sword from the side.
Frank blocks the attack. Twisting forward, his fist slams into his fathers throat. His sword falls from his hand. Gasping for air, he grabs at his throat.
"You have be-little me for the last time. We lost the war. Yet, you held on to your pride. We're you going to lead our men to death for your pride?"
"Yo… Worthles… child…" Frank punches him in the face. Bones crunch. Luke falls to the ground. Blood dripping from his mouth.
"You only hate me because I look like her. I look like your mother. I have no control over this." Frank gesture to his body. "I was a boy and you use to drink and beat me. BEAT ME!" Frank slams his into his father's side.
Luke doesn't move this time. His groans in pain the only sign he's alive. Frank runs forward, stopping just before him.
"Dam you! Why did you have to ruin my life?" He reaches down, picking his father up by his collar. Holding him up above his head. "I use to fall asleep praying when I woke that I had hair another color."
Tears now stream down his face. His muscles failing him, he falls to his knees. While his father bounces off the ground. Luke rolls on the ground. Pushing himself up.
Luke stumbles a little taking his first step towards Frank. He pulls a dagger out. He reaches Frank and thrust the dagger into Franks chest. Franks eyes snap up, looking his father in his eyes.
"I hate you because your weak. You never had a backbone. A disgrace to the Havrick line. I will honor you as my son and you can die fighting."
Luke pulls the dagger out, swings the dagger to cut Franks throat. Frank ducks under the blade. Slamming his shoulder into Luke's stomach. Luke gasp for air. He tries to catch the dagger as it falls.
They slams against the ground. Frank feels Luke's ribs crack under his weight. Frank stands up. Looking down at the old man squashed on the ground. Frank turns around to pick up the dagger.
"You know father, I can't tell you how many time I imagined this moment." His fingers curl around the handle. The old leather grip molds in his hand. "Every time you raised your voice. I'm done with you, Father."
Frank steps over his fathers body. He hadn't moved at all. His chest barely moving. Frank places the blade against his throat. "Good-bye father."
The dagger slices through the skin. Blood gushes out. Luke's hands shaking try to reach for his throat.
Frank drops the dagger, turns around and walks for the gate. For the first time in his life, the weight on his shoulder is gone. The moment the dagger went through. Freedom. He's no long bond by the name Havrick.
"Stand down, shoot three white flares. The Kings army is there and they will destroy you. Thank you for your service." Frank walks out the gate and takes off running.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hoof of the horse pound the ground. They gasp for air, their lungs burning. Alred pushes his heel deep into the horses side. They rush up the side of the hill, he pulls the reins back tightly. The horse slams its feet down, sliding to a stop. Half of the hill is gone and raging river replace.
"The Grand River." The other three horses come to a stop next to him. "Looks like the old stone bridge was taken out. We will have to travel down river to cross."
"Do we have time?" Agis ask. Moving closer to the edge.
"We are going to have to make time. We can cross the river but then we lose our horses."
"We can't wade through the river?" Laena ask. Everyone turns their heads looking back at her. "What? It's just a river."
"This is the Grand River. It's too wide for normal animals to jump, and the banks only go out so far before they drop off into unknown depths." Jep spoke up this time. Agis and him are still not talking.
"Oh." She looks deeper at the river. "Alred, can't you just make a bridge?"
Alred looks at her, then looks at his staff, then the river. Then repeats the process. Moves his staff out and walks to the river edge.
"Wait, look up river, there is something sticking out of the water." Jep turns his horse and rides up and races back. "The old stone bridge was there, the pillars are still in the river."
"Good, I can use that to line everything up." He hops back on his horse and they race up the river. "Looking at this river I'm afraid that if I build one it won't last that long."
"You just have to get us four across. Why build a bridge, can you use a flat piece of earth and move us across?" Laena ask.
"Maybe, that may work, but I may only be able to do one at a time. Jep, hop down and hold your horse steady" Alred sits on the ground, pushing his staff as deep into the ground as he can.
Jep does as he is told. Holding the reins as tight as he can. The earth around Jep and his horse crack, dust flying all over. The ground starts to twist, then lifts up. Jep feels the weight of the horse pushing it sideways.
"Alred?"
"I'm trying just hold still."
The flat rock tray levels out and starts to float across the river. Alred feels the mana being pulled from his body. The weight and the distance draining to much.
Jep makes it half way, the rock tray starts to shake. Jep kneels down, pulling the horses head down as well. He tries to stay in the center.
They continue to move forward, the weight of holding it for so long, Alred can feel his body wanting to give out. He opens his eyes to see they are only feet from the edge. Jep mounts his horse and it jumps. It lands with a thud.
"Woo-hoo!" Alred relaxes and the rock tray falls in the water.
"Alred? Alred?" Laena race towards him, jumping off her horse. She makes it to him just in time to catch him. "What's wrong are you hurt?"
She starts to look over his body, she sees his eyes starting to turn white. She rocks him, holding his head to her chest. She hums a tune. Half an hour pass and Alred opens his eyes.
"Ugh, what happen?"
"You got Jep across the river and then passed out. Your eyes got all white."
"Ah, mana poison. I used to much. I don't have the largest mana pool, that's why I fight the way I do. I will have to do one person and animal at a time." He turns and looks at his horse. the animal slowly steps back.