A few minutes later, they arrive at Denborua. The townspeople have formed a crowd waiting for Andy to return; Mayor Katho was also in the crowd. He walked up to Andy and Mala, asking about what happened.
"Anything new, Andy?" Katho asked. Andy gets off the cart and answers,
"I was able to find a few weaknesses around the area, but I don't know much about their initial security, though I have someone who does."
He then points at Priam; the knight stands and gets off the cart. The townsfolk saw the armor that he wore and reacted quite hostilely. The hunters and blacksmiths around pointed their spears and hammers at the knight, yelling at him. Priam reacts accordingly and points his sword at the crowd in defense.
"Stand down! We're all on the same side!" Andy shouted at the angry townsfolk and the knight, trying to calm everybody down.
Mayor Katho immediately steps in for the crowd to quiet down. The noise from the crowd softened only a little, though it still remained very loud.
Mayor Katho walks up to Andy, dragging him aside. He was very uneasy about having what people see as an enemy on their turf.
"Are you insane?! You brought a knight here?!" the mayor yelled at Andy.
"He's on our side, mayor! He can help us!" Andy raised his voice, trying to make his voice heard over the noisy crowd around him. About a minute passed, and the yelling from everyone hadn't stopped.
Mala couldn't think, as the shouting drowned out any sort of thought that went into his head. He couldn't take the yelling anymore, he stood up and shouted, "Enough!"
His voice was louder than the rest of the yelling. Everyone had suddenly stopped in shock at the sudden yell, and Andy was surprised by this too.
Mala shouts again, now with the attention of everybody in the town,
"He's with us! If you don't believe Andy, then believe me! He's just like the rest of you, someone with almost nothing. Let's open your palms and help each other, so he can actually show that he's helping us!"
Silence loomed over the village; the townsfolk had stopped the noise but continued to glare at the knight. Mala walks to Andy and Mayor Katho, and the knight follows. He gestured to the two that they should talk in a place more private; they can't discuss clearly in a public space. The party walked to the town hall again. Mayor Katho went first, so he could give a warning to Coraphus, who was already inside.
"Hello, Mr. Katho. Has Andy and his woodworker friend returned?" said Coraphus, who was just cleaning up the office.
"Hello, Coraphus, and yes, they have," Katho replied, uneasily fidgeting with his hands on his sides.
"I have to tell you, or rather, show you something quite... shocking, I'd say," said Katho.
This comment confused Coraphus, "Okay? What is it?" he questioned.
Andy and Mala walk into the room, and the knight shortly follows them. Coraphus stepped back in shock upon seeing Priam. The armor that Priam wore was something the mayor could never forget.
"Why is one of them here?!" Mayor Coraphus exclaimed, rather angrily.
Andy quickly responds to this in an attempt to ease him as soon as possible. "Calm down, mayor. He's on our side," he says.
As expected, Coraphus didn't immediately believe Andy. He stares at the knight with such repulsion, looking at one of the people who attacked his town just recently
Mayor Katho proceeded to speak as well, "It's true, my friend. He is with us."
This stirred up conflicting emotions in Coraphus, much like Katho just a few minutes ago. He looked at Priam, who remained unfazed. The knight is unarmed and is trying to avoid any action that could be seen as "hostile" or "dangerous." Deep down, Coraphus didn't want to accept Priam as part of their plan, but he trusted that Katho and Andy knew what they were doing and who they were inviting onto their team.
"Okay then, I trust you..." said Coraphus, who then shifts to Priam. "...and you, knight. You and your other knight companions have caused great trouble for my people. If you want to gain my trust, you'd have to show your worth."
Priam nodded as he was determined to fix the mess Solia had made.
"You have my word, sir. It's either I fight against the queen or die trying," says the knight.
Katho looked at the knight and nodded with a smile.
Andy pats Priam's back and says, "Well, to tell you the actual reason he's here, me and Mala brought him here so he can give us plans on how to attack the queen."
Mayor Coraphus perked up when he heard this; the same thing happened with Mayor Katho.
"Okay, I'm interested. Is there any insight you can give us about the kingdom?" said Coraphus.
Priam looked around the room for something to write with; he found paper, some brushes, and a filled inkwell. He proceeded to draw out a rough map of the kingdom, talking about potential attack positions.
"There is a wall around the kingdom, about twice the size of the houses in the village inside and almost as tall as the castle. The castle is right here at one of the ends of the wall, and there is a road from the front gate straight to the castle. There are knights guarding this gate at all times, except in the middle of the night. The knights are guarding the outside of the castle at this time. There is a hole in the wall surrounding the castle, because part of it was still in construction. This is the way we used to leave the kingdom without provoking other knights." The knight explains his plans, encircling certain parts of the area.
"I see... Andy, can we use whatever entrance you used when you first escaped?" Mayor Katho asked.
"I don't think that would be efficient. I got out through a very small window; that wouldn't be good for a large-scale attack," Andy answered, crossing his arms and shrugging.
Priam nodded in response to Andy's comment, "Yes, that's right. But there is another entrance we can take. There is a cellar for wine whose walls have weathered, at the other end from where you escaped. No one looks into this area, even the people who are supposed to be patrolling. We can use this to attack the forces from the inside out," the knight followed.
The two mayors were surprised by this, while Andy and Mala remained focused on their plan.
"This is pretty useful, but there's a problem; how do we actually fight the other knights?" Katho asked in addition to the plan.
Andy looks at the knight, expecting an advantageous response. "Yeah, I don't think I can fight them, at least not with just a knife," he says.
Priam thinks for a few moments, trying to think about what he learned in training, and what weaknesses they could possibly have.
"Our armor is pretty strong; any attacks on the body wouldn't work with blades. We don't have helmets though; the queen says it's a sign of power, and powerful knights don't need to wear one. Our heads are vulnerable to blades and projectiles," Priam said.
Andy had only realized this fact, and he looked back on how he fought the Soland knights just recently—he had always aimed for the neck or the head, most probably out of instinct.
"I don't think I have enough bullets for all the knights," he thought to himself.
"We need more people to fight; there's too many knights for just a small group like us," said Coraphus.
"I think I have friends that can fight, but it is still not enough for this war," Mala added.
The group pondered what action they could take next.
"Mayors, is it okay if we make an announcement to the people? We need all the help we can get," said Andy.
The mayors looked at each other, seeing if the other would agree to his proposal. They took a few moments to think,
"Are you sure we can have them fight? What if they all die? What if we lose? You can't send people to fight a war they can't win; that's stupid and reckless," said Coraphus.
Mala was a bit offended by his comment and felt the need to bud in. "Sir, I understand your concerns about the people, but do you want to stay under her rule? Do you want us to suffer having almost nothing?" he said.
"We cannot fight those knights! You are insane for thinking we could! It will erase what we have left!" Coraphus answered quite angrily. Frustration started to brew within Mala; he raised his tone towards the mayor.
"We are already having everything taken from us; what will be the difference whether we fight or not?! Sir, do you want us to stay under that tyrant's rule?!" Mala slams his hands on the desk of the mayor, "My brother is in there, and I don't know what they are doing to him! The townspeople also might have their family imprisoned; they would agree with me in wanting to fight!"
Andy tries to calm Mala down. He holds him back and slowly pushes him away from the mayor.
"Hey, hey. Chill the fuck out, man," says the agent—unfortunately, the others don't understand this sort of slang.
Coraphus takes a deep breath to recompose himself. Katho then proceeds to speak,
"Mala, I understand that you want your brother to be safe, as you are also concerned for our townspeople, but is attacking them the action you want to take?"
Mala didn't want to fight at all; in the back of his mind, he wanted to give up, but he won't let that happen in situations as dire as this.
"Do we have a choice? This might be our only chance for freedom; I am not letting this slip. I know it's risky, but it is a risk I'm willing to take," he says.
Mayor Katho looked surprised, but he respected his decision; Coraphus, on the other hand, still felt uncertainty but also admiration in his heart. The room was blanketed in silence for a few seconds, each person awaiting the other's response.
"Is there anything else I can say to convince you?" asked Mala.
Mayor Coraphus sighed and said, "You can make your announcement."
Coraphus stood up and pointed at an object in the corner of the room; it was a bell that was mounted on a frame made of iron; this also came with a mallet for striking said bell.
"That's the bell Katho uses whenever an announcement needs to be made. You can use it." Mala nodded and tried to carry the bell, but it was too heavy for him to carry on his own.
"Uhmm, I need a little help," he then says, with a slight hint of embarrassment.
Both Andy and Priam helped with carrying the bell, placing it outside the town hall to be used. The party went outside to hear his announcement. Mala held the mallet and took a deep breath before striking the bell a few times. The ringing of the bell resonated across the area, despite it's relatively small size compared to the town. A few moments after the bell had rang, the commoners started going outside to see what was happening.
"I have an announcement!" shouted Mala, trying to get the word out to everyone.
A crowd forms around them waiting for Mala's message. He clears his throat, and his grip on the mallet tightens; he then spoke a few seconds later.
"Greetings. I'm Mala, Mala Caius. I've been given the opportunity to make this announcement to all of you. It's about our state of our current situation, about the queen."
The crowd looked at each other with confused glares, awaiting what he'll say next.
"I've come to know that someone I hold dear to my heart, my brother, Aora Caius, was... arrested by the queen," he continues.
The commoners gasped as the crowd got loud with awed conversations; they felt shocked and, some would say, afraid.
"I'm telling you this not because I want your sympathy or pity, but because I want you all to finally realize what she's doing. We have had suspicions for a while, but I'll tell you all this; I will draw the line here!"
As Mala approaches the crowd to continue his announcement, he makes a gesture towards Andy, saying he should come forward.
"I may not seem different than the rest, because, that's right, I'm not. I'm just like the rest of you all, someone who works simply to make a living. I never wanted to say anything about the queen or whoever leads this land, because I never thought it mattered. Things are different now; things are a lot more dire and less peaceful. Still, I never wanted to say anything; I kept quiet because it's all I knew how to do. Let me ask all of you: if someone you loved was taken away from you and, potentially, put in danger, would it still be possible for you to stay silent?"
The crowd had an uproar; almost everyone yelled "No!". The men yelled with protectiveness and determination, and the women held their children and pets tightly.
"This person is a friend of mine," he continues, shifting the crowd's attention towards Andy.
"I met him just recently. I don't know much about him, but I know he is capable of a lot of great things. He was able to escape the queen by himself!"
The townspeople were stunned by this comment, similar to how Mala reacted when he first heard it himself.
"If he is capable of doing something like that, we are capable of a lot more," he then points at Priam, shifting everyone's attention onto him.
"The knight over there, Priam, fights for the same reason as us! He has had his freedom taken from him and he was forced to work for that tyrant! He is someone that can help us; we should welcome him with open arms, as he knows the same pain we suffer."
The townspeople went into loud chatter again; there were numerous talks about the knight and his background, or rather, the background they associated him with.
"We shouldn't stay like this any longer! I'm not waiting for another person I love to be taken from me! I want to fight, and I cannot do it alone! If you are willing, we will lead you; we will make sure we will persevere! Now, people: Are you with me?!"
Cheers arose from the word; determination ignited within the hearts of the people—they also wanted to be free from the rule of the dishonorable queen. The two mayors were glad and impressed that Mala was able to elicit such a reaction from the people.
Mala made a signal towards Priam; he was gesturing that the knight should pick up from where he left off. Priam noticed these signals and stepped forward to speak.
"We thank your desire to fight; we will make sure we prevail! People, we plan to attack in seven days! The queen will be conducting public executions that day, and she and the rest of her knights will be occupied. They will be starting at early morning; we need to get any prisoners out at the crack of dawn," Priam announced. The men in the crowd started talking about how they'll be able to fight, making promises to their wives that they'll come back, knowing well that some of them will not be able to keep that promise.
"We will train tomorrow morning; we will need anything you can use as weapons; spears, hammers, pitchforks, anything. We will be using it for the attack. May God bless us all."
The announcement ends, and the people go back into their homes or go to the local church to pray. The three talked to the mayors again, satisfied with how they made their announcement.
"Well, that's that. We finally got it out. We need to actually train them now," said Andy.
"That's right. Hopefully, we win," Priam playfully followed. Andy chuckles and pats Mala on the shoulder.
"You did well, man, you did well. We'll get your brother back, mark my words," he says, the patting on the shoulder turning into a handshake. Mala nodded in response; his eyes are bright with determination and bravery.
"We sure fuckin' will," he says, out of passion.
This response stunned Andy a little, frankly, because he never heard Mala curse before—he felt proud, like a father seeing their child take their first steps.
It was getting late, and the party was starting to feel sleepy.
"We should sleep; we need as much energy as we can get. I need a place to sleep, though," said Priam.
"Oh, I have extra space in my cabin; you can sleep there," Mayor Katho responds.
Priam bows in gratitude, "Thank you; I appreciate it."
Mala mentioned to Andy that he knows a friend that has enough extra space for both of them. The party was set for the night, and hopefully until the time of war.
It is now morning; Andy and Mala have just woken up, presumably around 6am. They woke up to the sight of a lot of the townsfolk already outside. Groups of people were talking to each other, a good amount of them had weapons and tools in hand; some were swinging their tools around and laughing, some were sitting around with their worried significant other, and some were already practicing potential fighting moves.
The two moved through the crowd to find the rest of their group; some people even waved at them. Coraphus, Katho, and Priam were at the town hall, waiting for the two. They saw each other and waved.
"Hey! It's about time you guys are here," Priam greeted.
"Yeah, I guess we are a bit more tired than we initially thought," Andy jokingly answered.
After a bit of a laugh, they got to training. Adam trained the townspeople in hand-to-hand combat and striking, and Priam taught offensive and defensive positions. The commoners trained all day, and Andy felt good about the progress that they are making. This training went on for seven days—several people's bodies ached, but their yearning hearts ached more for liberty.
The time is near; it is the night before their attack. The townsfolk are mentally composing themselves so they can fight; some had confidence, and most were understandably nervous. Families gathered together, staying with their spouses or siblings one more time; this may be the last time they see each other. The two mayors approached Andy, Mala, and Priam, having their last conversation before the war.
"So, it's almost time. Are you two nervous?" Mayor Katho asked.
"A little bit, I haven't been in something this big before," Andy answers.
"Same here, but I'm doing this for the people. I can at least fight with the comfort of knowing that I'm doing a good thing," Mala follows,
Mayor Coraphus approaches Mala, and he puts his hand on his shoulder.
"I apologize for doubting you; even if we don't make it out, we will die with honor, even if other people don't see it as such," the mayor said in a reassuring tone.
Mala chuckles a bit, rather a little doubtfully but still playfully. "It's fine, sir. I understand how you felt, but I'm glad you can see my vision for all this," he responds.
The moon has past its apex in the sky, in a few hours, the sun will be seen rising from the horizon; this is their sign to leave for their attack.
"It's time, everybody. Before we go, let us say our last goodbyes to the ones we hold dear," said Mala, announcing to the townspeople. The men hugged their wives, their children, and their pets. Most families wept, some families made jokes for the last time, and some families decided to reminisce for just a moment.
Is this genuinely the last for them? None of them really knew, but it's what they expected.
The men of both Nuringham and Denborua get on carriages; some had little to no space left, but they were still able to occupy what little space was still usable.
"Soldiers, are you guys ready?" Andy asked, to which everyone chanted in unison, "We're ready!"
The carriage drivers pulled on the horse's reins and started their trip.
Andy and Mala's carriage led the way, as other carriages followed.
Throughout the trip, multiple conversations were being passed around in the carts. "Do you think we'll make it out?" said one person.
"Yes, I believe we can do it," another answered.
"What happens if we survive?" says a third person from a separate group.
"Well, I don't know; I just want to be with my wife, to be honest," answered the other.
Mala hears these conversations, soldiers who feel both confidence and hopelessness; he didn't want to fail them, so he moves on. Seconds and minutes pass by; they move through big patches of trees and grass; it's pretty easy to get lost. Fortunately, Mala and Priam knew the way to the castle.
They eventually see the kingdom; it's as well lit as the party last saw it. The fighters looked at the castle with astonishment; this is their first time actually seeing Soland for themselves. They arrive at the same spot Mala had waited for the last time he went to the place.
"Let's stop here; we are the most hidden at this spot," Mala said, signalling the carriages to halt.
Everybody got off their carts and readied themselves, Andy fixed his clothes and padded down his pockets to do one final check on his things. Utility knife, check; pistol and ammo, check; smartwatch, check; bandages, check. They were all set. Priam volunteers to lead the way to the castle.
"There's a hole in the surrounding walls of the kingdom; we'll use that to get in the area," the knight announced.
As they walked towards the walls, Andy noticed that Mala's hands were shaking; Mala held his machete tightly, though the sweat on his hand weakened his grip.
"You can do this, man. I'll make sure of that." Andy whispers to him. Mala nodded in response, like he needed to hear that.
After a few minutes of walking, they finally come across the hole. Everybody enters one by one, trying their best to make minimal noise.
They come across a room of the castle that wasn't fully intact; it was the wine cellar Priam talked about; the room had barrels in it, and the walls looked broken down from weathering or erosion—this part of the castle was most likely abandoned or forgotten. The walls had this opening that was big enough for everyone to walk through relatively quickly. The room had a door that was a little rotten but still functional.
"I'll see if the cost is clear," Priam says, reaching for the door handle.
As he pushed the door open, loud creaks echoed in the hallway it was in. Everyone in the cellar winced at the sound of the creaking and how loud it was.
Silence envelopes the area for a few seconds. Priam looks at the agent with an expression only seen when someone expects trouble.
Andy then mouthed out, "What the fuck, dude?!"
Heavy metallic footsteps were then heard coming from the end of the hall; it was one of the knights. Andy quickly grabs the door handle and slams it shut, again creating a loud noise. The footsteps grow louder and closer. The soldiers stepped back, away from the door.
The door opens again; this time it was opened by the knight. Before the guard could react, Andy plunged his blade into the knight's eye and neck; the knight immediately fell to the ground, dead.
The agent sighs and says, "So much for stealth."
Shortly after, they hear more metallic footsteps approaching the door; it was more knights investigating the commotion. Andy pulls his knife out of the dead knight's throat; the blade is now dripping and painted with blood. Andy walks out of the room to see two more knights.
"It's him! Get him!" one of the knights shouted out.
Mala ran out of the room as well; he positioned himself next to Andy, maintaining hard eye contact with the knights. The knights ran towards the two to seize them, and the two reacted accordingly. Andy swept the feet of one of the knights and stabbed his knife into their mouth. Mala was able to evade the other knight's attacks; once he saw an open spot, Mala swung his machete directly at the knight's face, slicing their head almost completely in half—the head looks like the hinged lid for a container.
After this brief encounter, the coast looked clear.
"Others might have been alerted; we need to spread out. I'll go through the castle; Andy, Mala, you two clear out the town outside. Try to calm down the commoners while you're at it. We'll handle the prisoners," said Priam.
Andy and Mala nodded in agreement. The three split the soldiers into groups and went to their designated area. Priam and his group of soldiers look around the castle, trying to get by in a place full of guards.
"Hey, Priam, was it? I just felt the need to ask, do you know where the queen is?" said one of the soldiers.
"She's usually asleep at these times, but I don't know for this occasion. Let's just hope we don't see her," Priam answered.
After looking out, they came across the main hall, which was guarded by a multitude of knights. Their footsteps were loud enough that it alerted the guards.
"Hey! What are you doing, Priam?!" a knight exclaimed.
Priam sprints towards the guard. "I'm saving us," he says, swinging his sword at the knight's neck.
There were about a dozen more guards, charging at the soldiers all at once. Multiple fights happen all at once; sounds of metal clashing against metal and men screaming and yelling out of anger or pain are heard in the main hall; it was the loudest sound you can hear in the castle. All the knights eventually fell, some died, and most weren't fatally injured—a few had bones broken, others had stab wounds, and the rest had blunt force trauma with major dents in their armor.
On the side of Andy and Mala, they scouted around the town of Soland, warning every civilian to shelter themselves during the attack. Each soldier went to each house, knocking on the windows in an attempt to wake the homeowner up. Mala sneakily approached one of the houses and knocked on a window. It took a few seconds for them to respond, but eventually his knocking was answered.
The person who answers is a farmer and his wife, and they loudly whispered to him, "What are you doing here?!"
Mala tries to keep the tone quiet and the conversation short; he responds, "Don't go outside; it's not safe."
He then runs away to other houses to tell other commoners the same warning; the farmer was left with sheer confusion, but he ends up taking Mala's word and stays inside.
Andy, on the other hand, had a less stealthier experience. As he went from house to house giving people warnings, he was able to have a look at the town center. A few people were building this wooden stage; the platform was elevated about 6 feet high. Near this stage, there was a guillotine, having it's blade sharpened and polished.
Other things were also present—chains and whips were placed on the stage; this would most likely be used on the prisoners before execution.
"Jesus..." Andy mutters under his breath.
While he was viewing this preparation, to his dismay, he came across a group of guards who were patrolling the area and supervising. Andy suggests that they should be quiet and walk around the guards.
One of the soldiers. who was a hunter, uses a slingshot with iron balls to apprehend these guards. This soldier was accurate and fast; he aimed for the heads of the knights, and the iron balls were able to inflict bleeding and can even fracture one's temporal bone.
This soldier took down the knights one by one; each one fell down in seconds; even Andy was surprised by this.
"Goddamn, I would've recruited this guy if he was in my time," Andy thinks to himself quite jokingly.
Back to Priam, him and his group of soldiers managed to find a dungeon, but not the one Andy escaped from. This dungeon had multiple cells and was bigger than the one Andy was in. The cell bars and walls lacked any sign of rusting or weathering; this room must've been built just recently.
Multiple prisoners stayed kneeling on the ground, bound by chains on their wrists and legs. The prisoners had bruises and whip wounds on their bodies; some even bled—all signs that they are being beaten as they are kept here. There were a bunch of men who had lost hope; there were even women, and a few were teenagers.
As Priam walked in, the prisoners' hearts dropped, thinking the time of execution had come. They lowered their heads and accepted whatever fate befalls them. Priam then speaks, ordering his soldiers to free the prisoners from the chains.
"Go, we need to get them out as quickly as possible," he says.
The prisoners were confused, a bit scared, and were uncooperative as the soldiers attempted to uncuff them. While the soldiers were picking the locks of the cuffs, Priam was observing the prisoners and who they were, and then he saw this one captive. This person had brown hair, now messy due to the abuse, and gray eyes that now appear restless.
Priam then realizes who this was—this was Mala's brother, Aorus. His body was covered with bruises and he had mild trouble breathing. Priam ordered that his soldiers help Aorus.
"Hey, protect that one," he says to his team, pointing at Aorus. "Bring him outside; get him to Mala as quick as possible."
Aorus's eyes widened upon hearing his brother's name. Two soldiers quickly carried him by the arms, trying not to hurt him any further. They dragged Aorus to the nearest exit, avoiding any knights along the way.
As they walked out, they saw that the town was mostly empty and knights are the only ones around—they most likely know what's happening now. They stayed near the walls of the castle, looking for a route they could take.
Then, they came across Mala and his team. The two soldiers raised their hands and waved, hoping Mala would see them. After a few seconds of frantic waving, they were seen. He saw the soldiers holding Aorus, who was fatigued.
"Aorus!" Mala says as he sprinted towards his brother and the soldiers. When he got near them, he saw the bruises and wounds on Aorus's body and face. Mala held Aorus's head, looking into his tired eyes.
"Brother, you're here..." said Aorus, showing struggle in speaking—his core tensing up whenever he spoke.
"I'm here! I'm here," responded Mala, crying as he hugged his sibling dearly. After a few seconds, Aorus wrapped one of his arms around Mala as well. Eventually, Andy and his group of soldiers came across them as well.
"Hey, what's going on here?" asked Andy.
"This is my brother, Aorus. The soldiers got him out," Mala responds.
Andy was shocked to hear that this is Mala's sibling, especially seeing that he underwent some abuse. He grabbed the bandages packed in one of his pants' pockets and handed them to Mala for him to use on Aorus.
"Use this; you need it more than I do," Andy says, giving the bandages.
Mala took the bandages and wrapped it around some of Aorus's wounds. Aorus winced a bit because of the sudden pains in his body as he was being wrapped. Some of the wounds Aorus got were recent; some of his blood seeped through the bandages, showing small dots of red throughout his body.
Mala took a few more seconds after helping his brother to fully compose himself. Aorus even saw this and slowly lifted his hand to wipe the tears off his face. Mala gently holds him by the wrist, causing Aorus to stop wiping his face.
"We'll get through this, I promise you," said Mala.
"I know we will; you can do it, brother," Aorus responds.
A few moments after their talk, a soldier points out a big group of knights leaving the front door of the castle. The guards then noticed the group of fighters and bulleted towards them. The fighters pulled out their weapons and formed a barrier around Aorus, Mala being the closest to him.
As the knights drew near, Andy went forward first, pulling out his pistol and pointing it towards their heads. One by one, knights fell down, but there were too many for Andy to be able to shoot—he eventually runs out of bullets.
Priam and his fighters ran forward to clash with the knights. Sparks flew as metal clashed with each other, some weapons started to break, and shards of metal scattered around. It was every man for himself.
As Priam, Andy, and Mala fought, Priam noticed familiar faces among the group of knights—it was Priam's group of friends. The group stood back as they watched the war, they were confused and scared as to what they should do. Priam gave a signal to them while fighting, the signal meaning they should keep a safe distance.
Blood splattered on the stone floor, screams and yells of pain and anger were heard, heads rolled, and bodies dropped. The place was scattered with the bodies of both knights and soldiers.
Andy noticed there were more left, Priam's friend. He was about to charge towards them, but Priam immediately stopped him from doing so.
"No, not them. They're with me," Priam said. Andy nods in response.
Priam approaches his knight friends, hoping to clarify what they are doing.
"Bertas. Nito. Pax. Sorry for what's happening, but I'm doing this for a good cause," says Priam, as he looks around for more enemies.
"What's happening, Why are you killing everyone?" Bertas questioned.
"We're getting rid of the queen, once and for all," Priam says
"What?! Is that possible?! She has a lot of knights!" Nito exclaims.
"We've dealt with a good amount of them already, I don't know if there's any more," Priam replies
"There's more inside; the queen is also on her way out," Pax follows.
"Then let her have it," Priam responds.
Bertas, Nito, and Pax agreed to be on Priam's side in the war. These three were also subjected to Solia's evil and were forced to do evil things much like Priam. They took the opportunity to potentially free themselves; they just hope this plan works.
Then a few moments later, another group of knights appeared; this was the biggest one they've seen—this must be the last of them. Behind the army of knights was Queen Solia herself. She wears a black lace gown; the design on it was streaks of green and purple. She walked out with an angry expression on her face.
"That's her; we should go," said Priam. The rest of the group follows.
They went out to the town center, facing Solia and her knights. The queen saw them and her face went from anger to enraged shock.
"Knight Priam! You traitor!" Solia yells. "I gave you power, and you draw your sword against me?!"
"You used my power to commit heinous crimes! I'm not standing for it any longer!" Priam yelled back.
"You will not survive without me! I am the one that kept you alive; now you will die for your actions!" The queen shouts again.
Solia's knights started charging towards the Nuringham and Denborua soldiers. The soldiers started charging as well—Andy and Priam follow shortly behind; Mala slowly stepped forward while focusing on protecting Aorus.
The two sides of the war clash against each other like two waves crashing into one another. Each individual fought another; one's sword hits another's machete, one spear hits another's rake, and one mace hits another's hammer. This was royalty against revolution.
Multiple knights and soldiers fall to the ground, either injured or dead. Blood sprayed and splattered as they fought. Wounds became slits, bruises became gaping indentations. and straight limbs become broken bones, The fights were ruthless and unforgiving, each side pushing to conquer the other.
Andy fought multiple knights at the same time. He grappled onto one knight and elbowed their face, stunning this knight. He quickly pulls out his knife and stabs the blade into the side of the knight's head. Another tries to attack from behind, to which Andy reacts quickly and stabs their eye. He swings his blade all around, stabbing and slashing any knight that approaches.
Priam also fights diligently, pushing through any knights out of strength and sheer will. He even broke through the armor of some knights with his blade. He cuts through the necks of multiple knights like he was chopping wood. As being one of the higher ranked knights in Soland, Priam was able to adapt to both blades and spears; he would grab the weapons dropped by other knights and use them to his advantage. He swung swords and spun spears rather gracefully yet aggressively.
Mala only stayed behind to protect Aorus from other enemy knights that might pass through. A few knights made it through the crowd of soldiers and guards. Mala quickly swung his machete at the knights. One knight has their head chopped by the side, another had a massive split on their face, and the last had a gaping cut at where the eyes would be. The knights drop to the floor and bleed out. This was the first time Mala has ever killed anyone; he felt both adrenaline and horror. He had conflicting feelings, but in the state of absolute war, those feelings won't matter, he just had to keep fighting.
The fight ensued for a long time, but most knights eventually were killed or unable to move. Corpses were scattered around the town centers; blood painted the walls of houses and the stone floor. Solia sees this and tries running away with a couple knights that are still alive.
"We need to leave! Retreat!" says the queen. Andy sees this and alerts his allies.
"Hey! Solia is running away!" Andy yells.
Priam hears this and starts chasing the queen and the knights beside her. He was impressively fast, being able to chase the queen with heavy armor. Priam eventually catches up to them and kills one of the knights. The queen and her other knight stops due to this. The other knight tries to fight back but to no avail—Priam decapitates this knight much like any other guard he fought just earlier.
Mala quickly ran towards Priam and Queen Solia, trusting the leftover soldiers to guard his brother.
"No- no!" says the queen.
"You have done enough evil. It's about time it ends," Priam says.
"You've taken too much from all of us, this is what you deserve," Mala follows; walking behind the queen.
Before the queen could say another word, Priam and Mala drag her out to the town center, giving everyone a view of what they'll do to the queen. As knights and soldiers die of blood loss or fatal injuries, some of the commoners of Soland go outside their houses to take a look.
"Everyone! Queen Solia's rule ends here and now!" Priam shouts out to everyone.
The queen tries to struggle and yell, but her struggling didn't work, and her screams were ignored. Mala goes behind Solia and stabs her in the back. Solia screams out in pain, and Mala proceeds to push her down to the floor. Priam then lifts his blade and swings at her neck, beheading her.
Silence envelopes the town once again—the ringing from Priam's blade is the only sound heard for the next few moments. The sun started to rise, and light began to reach the kingdom. Andy and every remaining soldier shifted their attention to Priam and Mala. The citizens of Soland go outside as well to see what is happening. Priam then lifts Solia's head by the hair, presenting it to everyone around.
"Everybody! She is finally dead!" Priam announces, showing the decapitated head.