Whispering Embers - Valoria Kingdom
Stan remembered seeing his neighborhood torn apart by palace soldiers.
He saw neighbors and their families being pulled from their houses with swords to their throats. Countless other people were lying motionless on the ground - pools of dark crimson forming beneath them.
Stan dropped the bag of sugar cookies and sprinted toward his house, hoping his mother and sister were alright.
When their house came into view Stan saw two guards pinning his mom on her stomach and another had Katherine in his iron grip.
Katherine's face was red from all her screaming and struggling. She kept reaching down toward their mom with one hand while pounding the man in the chest with her other hand.
Stan turned toward them dodging guards and crying neighbors.
One of the guards keeping their mom on the ground spotted him. Before Stan could think to defend himself, the guard holding Kitty moved quickly grabbing him by the throat.
Stan's eyes widened and he started hitting his captor's arm in an attempt to free himself.
A moment later he and Kitty were thrown to the dusty ground. The guard who'd spotted Stan sneered at them she released her hold on their mom. She nodded for the other guard to lift her up.
Stan gathered Kitty into his arms as she continued to cry. Kitty wrapped her arms tightly around his neck hiding her face from view.
The woman pulled her helmet off revealing a scarred face she earned from many wars and fights. Her brown eyes were cold and empty and her sneer widened showing some of her perfect white teeth Stan wanted so badly to knock out.
"You're the mastermind behind Queen Patricia's death?" she spat at his feet. "Pathetic."
What?
Stan blinked. "Queen Patricia's death?!"
"My son didn't do that!" their mom wailed. "He was at work!"
"Pft. I'm supposed to believe that?" the woman glared down at their mom. "You people spit lies faster than you can come up with them."
Kitty sat up furiously, wiping at her tears. "It's true. He works at the best bakery in Whispering Embers. Natasha and Jerof's Sweet Stop." she then spat on the ground near the woman's boots. "Piss off."
The woman chuckled and then extended her hand toward Kitty before she made a fist.
Kitty's eyes widened and she grasped for her throat. Her mouth was open in a little 'O' and her eyes were darting about. Her face and lips were turning blue.
Stan started to pat her down then realized she was choking. He whirled toward the woman. "Stop! You're hurting her!"
Their mom was struggling against the guards pinning her. "Stop! Stop! She's just a child!"
The woman released her hold on Kitty and Kitty slumped against Stan's chest her breathing ragged.
Stan rubbed small circles on her back pushing some healing magic into her.
The woman crouched before them. "Now, I suppose I should've introduced myself. Call me Farley."
Stan stared. This woman had killed hundreds of thousands of people and was a top assassin for King Agnus.
Why the hell was an assassin here of all people?
"I suggest you keep that tongue in your mouth, girl, unless of course, you want to lose it." Farley shrugged. "I promise it'll be painless."
Kitty lifted her head to glare at Farley but didn't say anything.
Farley laughs. "I like this one. It's kind of disappointing you were raised with this lot, hm??"
Stan continued to rub circles on Kitty's back, hoping it'll soothe her. He could taste the anger and hatred tolling off her in waves.
Kitty only averted her gaze when Farley stood and turned toward their mom. "Correction, brat," she turned back to Kitty who was already glowering at her. "Your brother used to work there."
"What do you mean 'used to' what the hell is going on?!" Stan snapped, his heart was pounding and he could hear the blood pounding in his ears. "I'm going to be-"
Farley groans. "The shop blew up, idiot."
Stan stopped rubbing circles momentarily taken by surprise. The shop blown up?
Are Natasha and Jerof alright?
Jenna-
"Are the owners and-"
"Wouldn't you know?" Farley snarled, whipping toward him. "You set off the bomb."
What the hell?
"No, I didn't!" Stan ran his hands through his hair. "J-Jenna told me to fo on break. S-She gave me cookies to bring home to my s-sister!"
Farley narrowed her eyes. "Nice sob story. Arrest them."
The guard grabbed Kitty first but then she grabbed his wrist staring into his eyes.
The man grasped trying to pull away. His skin turned ashen, the man began screaming in agony. Many cuts of various shapes, depths, and sizes covered his skin then he slumped to the ground losing his hold on Kitty.
Stan scrambled backward from the body when it began to smoke. The skin melted off the man like wax from a melting candle - the other organs and muscles all did the same revealing his bones.
Kitty then turned slowly toward them, her eyes were black - darker than a night sky without stars. Then she blinked and her eyes returned to their natural blue color.
"Now!" Kitty shouted.
People in masks and cloaks drop out from everywhere. They charged the guards and saved the remaining citizens who were alive. A masked stranger tackled the guards holding Stan's mother while two more swooped down to scoop his mother and Kitty up.
Stan tried to stand but someone bashed him across the head with the hilt of a sword.
The last this Stan saw was a burst of stars and Farley's blurry figure standing over him.