Julie stopped breathing.
She watched as Ashrynn Kleir's summoned sword was stuck inside a wooden doll.
He looked at the sudden appearance of the doll in confusion. Then his head turned around and he looked at her.
His remaining silver eyes turned murderous.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?", Julie countered. "Commander of the 12th knights?"
Ashrynn Kleir stood up laughing. His laughter sent a chill down her bones making her feel paralysed.
"My my, you've played well Julianna", he said his face turned into a wicked scowl. "How long have you suspected?"
"Ever since I saw that memory. The one where you stab Werche while aiming for Juvian. I knew that the strike of a mercenary like you would never miss. And I suppose Julianna Emore lived all these days in her manor above knowing the truth of what happened that day. The truth of you killing the King"
"Excellent", he remarked his eye glistening. "You are still as smart as you were then. A bit less emotional too. You really were meant to be my woman", he crooned slowly. "But sadly, now you have to die", he said lunging at Julianna with the sword that was still stuck in that doll's body.
"Why?", she yelled at him escaping from his blade. "Why did you kill Werche and the Royals?"
"Why, you ask? Why did I protect a family of cowards who kept depleting their power by their tainted bloodline? Did you even know how much power the Royal family of Arcene holds? And instead of utilising their power, they were killing it off. Mixing it with the blood of low humans off the street", he jeered swinging his sword at her again.
The Royal Family's power. She tried to remember Werche saying something about it and failed.
Julie was lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Ashrynn advance towards her again.
She was frozen in place at his sudden movement. But right then, suddenly a sword came out from behind, blocking Ashrynn's sword with tremendous might.
The dark cloak fell on the ground. Vellona stood facing Ashrynn Kleir her sword flashing around to slice his bicep.
"Weretti", Ashrynn growled. "Isn't it good to see you again?"
"Not as good as I get to kill you now!!", Vellona screamed lunging.
Julianna dashed towards the guild and looked inside. The female attendant seemed to have escaped as Julie asked her to. It was a good thing. She probably would have escorted the real Riler Arcene to safety now.
She turned around and looked back at the explosive fight between two right hand commanders of the late King Werche.
Her heart filled up with sadness like every time she tried to think about the late king. He was an emotion to Julie, she knew really nothing about him like the real Julianna Emore did.Those emotions from those memories were the only true feeling she would ever get to know about this dead man.
And she vowed to protect his family for him.
Vellona swung her heavy blade at him mercilessly and Ashrynn countered with ease. She twisted her wrist at an odd angle and managed to throw his blade off balance. She then swung and gave a roundabout kick throwing his blade on the floor and leaving him unarmed.
Ashrynn raised his hands and took a few steps backward. Vellona swung a deadly blow catching him in his chest and he screamed in agony falling on the ground.
Julie saw him remove his blindfold weakly with his left arm and quickly moved towards Vellona feeling ominous.
Vellona kept her blade pointed at him. "As much as I would like to kill you, you need to wait for a minute. The guards will be here soon."
Julie nodded. Kale would be arriving here soon with the soldiers from King Juvian. Soon this will be all over. And she will be able to go back to Liere captial again.
Julie made a small mental note to thank her parents for making her supress her memories. They had done it to protect her and this underground kingdom.
She was worrying about the long walk back home when she saw Ashrynn bit into his own hand. He drew blood from his palm and then touched it where his red eye was supposed to be.
There was a loud slurping sound, like something was drinking the blood from his palm.
The ground suddenly began to rumble.
No way.
"Vellona, cut off his arm!", Julie yelled but it was too late. The ground moved in waves like an earthquake and the ground split open and a yellow mound reappeared curling and wriggling its way through the surface.
All the hair on Julie's body stood on straight.
No no no no this cannot be happening-
The sound of the creature's cry filled the entire underground city. Julie stood paralysed in spot as her hands suddenly started shaking.
Kale had killed it before. Why was it here?
She heard Ashrynn laugh hysterically as the sandworm swallowed him up with one fast swing.
Vellona charged at the creature swinging her blade. She made a barely made a scratch in its middle and it trashed against the ground rolling over and moving towards the river.
"It's trying to escape!", Vellona shouted.
Julie still couldn't move. Her eyes remained fixated on the round mound where it's head was assumed to be. The cresent shapes were still shut. For how long?
The worm lashed it's tail at Vellona. She was hit and she flew across the ground, crash landing against the doors of the guild.
Julie watched in horror as the worm moved towards Vellona ready to devour her like Ashrynn.
She needed to move. Right now.
But the prey paralyse was still in effect on her, the memory of the other worm vivid before her eyes. She closed her eyes and dashed blindly at Vellona. She heard Vellona yell something at her but it was too late.
The exact time the worm swept it's head down to swallow Vell, Julie tackled her from her right moving her out of the worm's course. Vellona mumbled something loudly and then dropped down unconscious. Julie dragged her by her feet and pulled her inside high on adrenaline.
Vellona's head was bloodied and Julie pulled out her handkerchief and wiped the blood on her forehead. She still was unconscious making Julie worry whether she was dead. Her fingers ran over her neck and found a pulse. Relieved she leaned her head back against one of the benches lining the guild.
The worm seemed to be wrecking havoc outside the guild's walls desperate to get in. Julie saw an open window nearby and ran towards it ready to close it in case the worm comes inside.
But then, she looked directly into the cresent black eye through the window.
Julie turned to stone.
The worm slithered and slowly made its way inside.
Julie didn't move, she couldn't even if she tried. She felt it curl around her ready to crush her bones to dust. Her hands cramped tightly around her waist and she suddenly felt a sharp pain where the worm was tightening herself around her waist.
Something dug into her hip then. The dagger which she had stolen from Vellona's kitchen.
The pain around her waist brought her back to her senses, she pulled out the dagger from it's hilt.
The round mound with the black eye swirled around her head as is taunting her to stab it.
'I dare you', it seemed to say.
Julie tried to wriggle out of its grip. It held on tighter choking her. She raised her hand and felt her movements sway as she slowly suffocated around the worm's grip.
Her eyes blackened at the corners, she was about to pass out any moment now.
Then two things happened.
The creature suddenly shrieked thrashing around and making Julie fall on the ground in the process.
Julie gained consciousness and she grabbed at the rough bumps on the worm's body and reached over and stabbed its black eye.
The creature let out an anguished howl trashing around wildly. Julie ran towards the unconscious Vellona and pulled her towards the counter and rolled her over the counter before jumping in herself. The counter held half of the heavy blows as the creature thrashed and then Julie saw why.
The lower half of the creature's body was seared and red as if something had burned it.
The worm trashed blindly through the windows again and then failed when it couldn't see it's way out. It lashed out at the four walls and the door slowly gave way and it crawled through the broken door making its way towards the river.
Julie didn't dare move from behind the counter. Her grip was still bloody from the knife she held in her hand. She threw the knife to one side and bit down on her lips, burying her tears inside.
Not now. She can't cry now.
She suddenly heard the alarmed cries of the knights from the city who Kale had gathered. She didn't dare to move out even when knights had surrounded around the guild.
A tall woman with silver blond hair led her way inside the guild to where Julie was still shaking. She crouched down in front of Julianna after crossing the counter.
"Do you remember me, Julianna Emore?", she asked slowly.
Julie looked at the woman shuddering. She couldn't stop the tremors that rocked her body.
"Thank you", she said softly. "With your help we managed to find Ashrynn and where the rest of the 12knights were hidden"
Julie nodded, still shaking.
Her words meant that the knights must have infiltrated the 12 knights quarters hiding in that potion shop Ashrynn had taken her when they first met. It was a bad bad idea for Ashrynn to take her to that place.
The queen motioned for the guards to take care of her and two of them held her by her arms hoisting her to her feet. One of them held the unconscious Vellona in his hands.
They led her through the bridge and Julie saw the aftermath of what had happened to the worm.
The worm had made its way into the river. It's head was separated from its body and she saw Kale further up ahead, guiding the men.
He was leading them into the river giving them instructions on retrieving Ashrynn who was now inside the worm.
She looked at the thrashing worm for one last time and saw the men severing the worm using steel ropes by holding them on either sides out of the worm's body. The river had turned red with the colour of its blood. Julie felt nauseous.
The smell of blood was in the air.
The last sight she saw was half dead Ashrynn Kleir being hauled out of the worm's body.
**************************************
Julie tucked in the few extra strands of her silver hair inside the brown cloak. They had arrived near the bronze well to watch the execution of the remaining twelve knights which was held publicly.
The Wellerones had an ancient system to publicly punishing their enemies. In this case, the 12 knights who had served under the late king Werche Arcene, and their head Ashrynn Kleir who had killed the king during the 12th's incident was found guilty of using forbidden magic and treason.
Further investigation revealed that Ashrynn Kleir had joined the 12 knights in hope of stealing the power from the king. Julie didn't really get much details on what this mysterious power was, but it certainly was powerful enough to kill a king for.
The queen stood at the podium looking pale. The king Juvian was nowhere to be found. He won't be attending the execution ceremony. Julie's eyes trailed back to the queen again, and back to that day, when she had walked into the broken down guild to save Julie and Vellona Weretti.
Vellona disappeared after her wounds were treated. Kale told Julie that she might have gone back to her old mercenary life, now that she no longer had to take care of the Prince.
He had urged her that they leave for Liere immediately but Julie had told him that she wanted to see the execution.
After much whining and quarrelling she was here now, under a new disguise watching as the heads of traitors rolled in the ground.
And when it was his turn, Julie moved forward through the crowd wanting to see it clearly.
She saw Kale move on her trail, careful not to lose Julie in the crowd. He hadn't really wanted Julie to see the execution telling her that it would be too bloody for her.
But Julie stood her ground. She needed to see this. She wanted to see this. For 'Julianna Emore's' sake atleast.
Ashrynn Kleir stood at the podium staring at the crowd. And even through the loud crowd gathered, she knew that he had found her. His one red eye was no longer covered with a blindfold. It looked malicious, ready to summon another sandworm at his command.
He mouthed something which she couldn't really see. And then he was bent down on the ground. The sword lay on his neck, ready to swing.
The head rolled on the floor with a sickening thud.
And then there was silence for a very long time.
**************************************
"And if you follow this river, you'll come across a small waterfall. You'll need to swim up through this path behind the waterfall", the guide told them before bowing around to leave.
"This is as far as I can assist you. I cannot set foot on the Upper cities", he told Kale.
Kale nodded warily.
Julie, Kale and the young Riler were escorted to near the surface by a guide sent by King Juvian. Julie never got to meet him in person, but she sure was grateful.
She could feel it in her bones now. They were somewhere near the surface. Deducting the path through the maze was easy now, even without the guide's help.
She led the way while Kale held onto Riler making sure that Riler had his arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"Be careful. We might have to swim a bit up from here", she warned leading the way through the river bank.
It didn't take long for them to reach the waterfall, the guide had mentioned.
The waterfall was in the darkness of the cave and the sound of slushing water made Julie nervous. It wasn't flowing down with much force either but it still was a waterfall. Which meant that it could probably sweep away either Julie or Kale.
"Hold onto Riler carefully your Highness", she told him taking a step into the pool surrounding the fall.
The pool went upto her knee. She slowly waded her way through making her way slowly behind the waterfall. She avoided the rocks that seemed dangerous although it was hard to locate them within the dark. It almost made her wish that she had taken a torch from the guide before he left.
"Go behind the waterfall and check first Julianna", Kale ordered.
Julie turned around and looked at him to give him a mean comment and then stopped herself.
Kale had dark rings around his eyes and he looked tired. He had carried the child for three days in the maze now and that too on foot. Whenever someone asked him to switch taking care of Riler he had been way to stubborn and had refused outright.
Julie slowly made her way through the waterfall. From behind it she could see the water flowing steadily from a cave. Hopefully that cave would lead them out of this maze for good.
"It's much deeper in here", she called out loudly. "Take care of your step, your highness"
Julie was suddenly a bit startled when she heard his voice inches away from her. She hadn't realised that he had followed her into the dark yet.
"Stop calling me that", he murmured.
"Calling you what?", she asked confused.
It was dark but she could feel his golden green eyes fixated on her face. She tried not to feel the burn but was surprised to know that his stare didn't affect her as much as it used to do before.
"Wake up the heir. We will have to swim upwards. You better warn him first", she told him moving forward.
Right as she had suspected the cave ended with the water level rising above their necks. Julie took a dive beneath. It was pitc h black under the water and cold.
She moved around feeling for a huge rock or something that signified the end of the cave and found a jagged stone which was slanted at an odd angle. She dived again underneath the water and found a small hole big enough for two to pass through.
She rove back to where Kale was again wiping her face. "I have found a hole. It's big enough for two but we'll pass through one by one, just to be safe", she told him.
Kale held Riler's head a bit higher making sure that he wasn't drowing behind his back. "Can you take a deep breath as I explained to you before Riler?", he asked the child slowly.
Riler nodded slowly. It was a good thing that he listened to Kale. Riler Arcene had been a stubborn crybaby ever since Vellona had left. Julie watched as Kale and Riler took a deep breath and disappeared into the black water.
She waited for a minute or two and then followed them through the hole under the slanted rock.
It was pitch black under the water and the jagged stones made scratches on her legs but she made her way through the hole and suddenly found a bright spot overhead her.
It was the sun. Not yet artificial one, but the real deal, bright and warm. She saw Kale and Riler make their way towards the surface and followed with her hands outstretched towards the brightness.
**************************************
Evela Liere had been distraught ever since she heard that her son had been missing. She had refused an audience with anyone who came to speak to her, even the Emperor. Somewhere within her chest there was a heavy burning, something that wouldn't be extinguished untill she saw her son again.
Her Kale. Bright and warm as the sun itself. The very reason she put up with the title of the Empress of Liere.
She had been enraged at her incompetent brother and Lord Emore who seemed to be slacking off instead of searching for her son. She was even angry at the Emperor for not sending more guards down there to look for him. She felt that everyone in the world was oblivious to her pain, her anger and the sorrow of her loss.
Today too, just like any other day she had confined herself to her garden. The garden was built by her and her son, lining with marigolds and freesias. The sight only seemed to make her heartache worse.
But then, what she saw next skipped a few of her heartbeats.
Someone came out of the golden fish pond that was built in the garden. It was a tall man, holding a child. He was dressed in travelling clothes like a trader, but Evela recognised that wisp of blond hair anywhere.
It was the colour of her own hair.
She ran down from the chairs lining the open garden, forgetting her slippers as she clutched the cheeks if the missing Crown Prince.
"Kale!", she sobbed hugging his wet figure.
Within all that chaos she never saw the child that was holding his hand and the woman who climbed out of the fish pool after him.