Ethyn's timely attack with the helmet had allowed Silver enough time to leave Borit behind and take a second swing on the rope from the rafters. As he crashed into the archer, the Guardian second guessed if it was the right move.
"The King!" Ethyn had the same concern.
Silver glanced to the throne where the two guards were holding off the attackers. For now, it seemed as if Borit was willing to help them out. It was an alliance that wouldn't last, but at that particular moment, the Commander was putting on a good show.
"Rhodri will be fine! Worry about your own problem! Look out!" Silver spoke just as much about his own situation as Ethyn's.
The Guardian stabbed at Kaarel, who was right beside the man he had just tackled, but managed to miss by only a narrow margin.
Kaarel was limping, but quick enough to run in the opposite direction from the sword. Having lost his own sword in the fall, the general scooped up the crossbow and loaded it with the last deadly arrow which had been affixed to its side.
After leveling a hit across the archer's skull with the butt of his sword, Silver raced toward Kaarel.
Like a serpent's tongue, he managed a quick strike. The razored-blade easily sliced the string of the crossbow before it could fire. The tension suddenly released, the string sling-shotted back and cut a swath of Kaarel's cheek. Then it flew into his left eye, blinding him on one side.
Screaming, the man fell backwards right into the blade of one of his own soldiers. The Lakilian man mistook the scream as a battle cry, and only realized his mistake when it was too late.
Silver turned away, content that the general would not be causing any more trouble. He had other problems.
For Kaarel's blood was not the only one being spilled in the room. Although the general fell prey to friendly fire, many of the innocent people in the room were also being struck down by the enemy's swords. Silver needed to act fast.
'Too bad they barred the door.' Silver took a deep breath and dove into the fray.
Unfortunately, the soldiers of Lakyle had congregated in front of the door to block anyone from leaving while the announcement was ongoing. Now, they were making a stand by taking down anyone who tried to escape.
The unfortunate recipients of most of the violence in the back of the room were the servants. The palace staff were fighting valiantly for their country, but inevitably, they were completely outmatched.
'Not for long.' Silver called for the servants to clear the way. Only a few of the people heard him enough to oblige.
From the side, a lovely woman in a maid's uniform, who Silver remembered was named Caitlyn, put her fingers in her mouth and blew as hard as she could. "Give the Guardian space!"
Hew words shocked the servants, but suddenly a bubble of space formed around the soldiers, giving them space to breathe. It was an unsettling victory.
Silver faced off against them, a little sad they could not see the wicked grin on his face.
Behind them there was a rhythmic pounding on the door.
"I think it's for you."
The guards all exchanged nervous glances, but none abandoned their post.
Without waiting for them to attack, Silver leapt like a panther and landed deep in their midst.
Swords came at him from all sides. The strikes were overwhelming both in number and severity. The Guardian's only saving grace was that this is not the first time he had fought against such odds.
Sure the soldiers were many, but that could also be leveraged against them. Every strike that missed Silver inevitably landed against another soldier. The bloodshed was growing by the minute.
The hits that Silver did not deflect mostly landed against his tenebrous cloak. The fabric seemed impervious to tearing, meaning that the Guardian felt like he was being his with a club rather than sliced by a sword.
The couple of strikes that had gotten past his cloak...well, he would deal with those later.
Suddenly, there was a flash of metal not attached to a weapon. Silver moved to strike against it, only to nearly take off the head of his closest friend.
"Watch out!" Ethyn ducked.
"Sorry," Silver instinctively pressed his back against the knight, giving both men a little bit of cover. "What are you doing over here?!"
Ethyn huffed at the reproof. "Helping you out. You really think you can take so many on your own?"
Silver shrugged as he stabbed his sword forward. "I'm fine."
"You're bleeding!" Ethyn shoved back a guard with his boot.
"Details," the Guardian knocked a man's skull with the butt of his sword. "I have fought more men than this!"
"Not alone!" Ethyn made a lateral swing across a man's abdomen.
"Well, then I guess it is good you are here." The Guardian ducked, simultaneously sweep-kicking his opponent's legs out from under him.
"What are you doing back here? The king is at the other end of the room." Once Ethyn had spotted his friend, he instinctively went to assist him, but his mind was still back with the monarch struggling by the throne.
"His Majesty will slip out of his secret entrance. Once there, he will be secure." Silver's confidence comforted the knight.
"Then what are we doing here and not there?" The green-eyed man blocked three hits in one fluid motion, reversing his grip to strike back at the final opponent.
"Turning the tide."
Beyond their fighting, the banging on the large wooden doors was growing more intense. Only a few more men stood between Silver and access to the entrance.
"Dare I ask who's on the other side?" Ethyn inclined his head toward the banging.
"Either the Birilian reinforcements freed from the dungeon coming to help us, or more Lakylian soldiers who will try to wipe us out," Silver turned up a corner of his mouth in amusement.
"You aren't sure which one?!" Ethyn was beginning to wonder about the sanity of the Guardian.
"Only one way to find out!" Pushing aside yet another guard, Silver opened a path to the entrance.
Although it had taken three men to put the massive bar in place, the cloaked Guardian lifted it away as if it were made of feathers.
The banging on the door only happened once more, as the makeshift battering ram no longer met with any resistance.
The fighting near the door ceased for a moment as everyone turned their gaze to swinging hinges.
On the other side of the door, men in purple and gold stood ready to fight.
But for what side?
The question was quickly answered. "For Birle!"
To differentiate themselves from the enemy, the real palace soldiers had ripped the hems of their uniforms and tied them around their arms. It made for a purple mark across their golden sleeves.
Silver stepped aside to welcome them.
The new soldiers charged forward, crashing on the men blocking them like a tidal wave. The fighting suddenly became intense.
Ethyn pulled himself from the fighting enough to come alongside Silver. He looked at the two groups of soldiers. The men from Birle looked battered and exhausted, probably from being subdued and trapped in the dungeon.
He guessed that whatever method Silver had used to help get them free...it still involved quite a bit of fighting.
Ethyn was bolstered by the appearance of the soldiers, but then he did the math and frowned. "Is it enough?"
"While they will likely not be enough to fully eradicate the Lakylian force, at least things were no longer hopeless. But you have other matters to worry about. Get to Haven! She helped sound the horn. Protect her. Don't you dare mess up a second time!" Silver shoved the knight out of the door.
Ethyn ignored the insult. "What about you?"
"I'll get all the innocent people out of here and then deal with as many of the soldiers as I can. Protect the princess and make sure the men of the fort know to come to the throne room. Now, hurry!" Silver added a little less forcefully. "Take care of yourself. And her."
"You too. I'll see you on the other side." Ethyn silently saluted.
Silver turned away to the servants. "Don't just stand there! Get out!"