Blood and Water: An 'Into the Badlands' Fanfiction (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2: The Attack

Chapter 2: The Attack

"By open words

A scheme of villainy is soon bewrayed."

― Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus

Erastos had flown into a state of panic. He called Antigone's name, loud enough for her to hear, but not so loud that he would make it easier for her attacker to find her. He ran around like a madman, calling her name and looking in doors and corridors. When he ran into the ballroom to see if she had gone there, he was met with a tall, scary man, who was bearing a red sleeveless uniform and a long silver sword.

Erastos raised his sword. "Who are you," he asked, strongly, despite how frightened he was. "What do you want?"

"The little girl," the man replied.

He meant Antigone. Erastos knew that. Because Antigone was so much younger than all the other Barons, many of them often referred to her as "kid" or "little girl" or "child" to demean her. Not many people took her seriously until she actually showed them what she was capable of.

Clearly, this man had not been shown what she was capable of. Perhaps she would have to show him.

Not today though. Not when she was in direct danger and severely outnumbered. Erastos would not allow it.

He scoffed, "You mean the baron, right?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said. "Bring her forward. There's no need for bloodshed."

"Whatever you wish for, I'm sure that the Baron would be happy to do business with you if you discuss it with her in a civilized manner," Erastos said, his voice chillingly calm.

The man gave a sly smirk and a jolt of fear ran up Erastos's spine.

"Really," the man asked. "She would be open to the idea of providing her head for us?"

Erastos's fear quickly turned into anger. "So, this is an assassination attempt," he said, his voice dripping with venom.

"Took you long enough to figure it out, genius," the man said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Some regent you are."

Erastos had always been good at controlling his anger. It was what made him such a good fighter and quick to catch on when he was training. He knew that to deal with the situation at hand, he needed to be calm and collected. He could not let words get to him and he could not poke the bear.

He could only hope that the other Firebirds were handling themselves well and that Antigone had escaped safely. He knew that he wasn't getting out of this one.

"I'll make you a deal, buster," the man said. "How about twenty pounds of opium for her head? Once she's gone, you'll have more than enough resources to rule alone. You're obviously a young man with a bright future ahead of you. I'm sure that you hate being under a girl's thumb anyway."

Opium.

He was a Clipper from Armadillo Territory.

Opium was the primary resource of Armadillo territory, one of the eight territories of the Badlands. Clipper territory was home to several poppy fields, which were the main ingredients of opium. Opium was a prized commodity in the Badlands and several people would kill to get it. However, Phoenix territory had no need for it right now, and it certainly was not worth Antigone's life. Nothing was.

Not to many of her people and not to her Firebirds.

Especially not to Erastos.

If it weren't for Antigone and the opportunities that she gave him, he would be nothing more than a lonely, helpless cog scrounging for scraps.