My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 75- War Bells

Bianca ran as much as her crippled leg allowed. On one hand, her loyal cane on the other, the arrow only her granddaughter could have sent her.

She gasped for air with each step she made, on grass, stone and dirt. It hurt her, a pain she buried as she continued her run. Her Elli was in danger. And that pain was enough to propel her weak body, to submerge everything else. Her heart could not handle the sharpness of losing her own blood again.

Behind her were her students, their steps aligned with hers. Their pace was slower to let her lead the way. She sensed more joining, but she could not listen to them. The only thing on her mind was the humming of the arrow that showed her the way. It was a beacon without light, working through her being, through her soul.

It was the goddess's words.

This blessing, long lost, had been passed to her by her mother and her mother before her. All the Di'Mellos had once used it in the service of the crown and the goddess until their power died out and the once-loved family of the light had turned into a forgotten darkness in the eyes of their creator. Yet, that never happened to Bianca's ancestors.

They kept it in secret, fearing an ostracize bigger than the one they already faced. They feared as well that their mission would die with their deaths. However, now this arrow, The light of the Goddess, had been used for the first time since the Fall.

Their prayers had been answered. It was now their duty to act on the will of the goddess.

Her heart jumped in her chest and then she saw her. Her Elli, surrounded by soldiers more than twice her height. Many had fallen to the ground from her blessed arrows, she continued to brandish. Now in her hands, the bow discarded some steps away.

Her granddaughter was becoming short of energy and arrows to throw, but she did not flatter. She was brave and beneath all that politeness; she was fierce, just like her father.

Too much like him.

Bianca lifted her cane as she leapt into the group, choosing the man closest to Elli to strike, leaving the rest to her students and their loyal men. She went for his back and with the arrow in her hand; she cut through his armour, his wrists, his ankles and finally his throat.

As he kneeled on the ground, a hand on his throat to contain the blood splurging everywhere, he tried to speak with his last bits of strength.

"Traitors. You are acting against the Empress's orders!" his eyes, which should have gone milky and losing their shine, were now glossy black and large. Hate emanating from his body.

She struck him in the head while she told him, "I will deal with that later."

When he fell cold in the dirt, Bianca ran to her granddaughter, touching her face, checking every bit of her to see any injuries.

"Are you alright, my dear?" she asked, noticing, to her relief, nothing on her, but minor scrapes.

When Elli nodded, relief overflew, and her eyes misted.

"Grandmother," she called, taking her little fingers to Bianca's wrinkled face, cleaning a tear that had escaped. "You have to help. I believe Prince Cedric is being held against his will at the Empress palace."

She would not dare. Would she?

Bianca looked to her side, to where the Mountnero Duke stood, bathed in blood. Elli, however, remained calm under the storm, although she caused a bigger ripple with her next words.

"Lulu went to help him." The cold was almost unbearable, and Elli took a sharp breath before adding. "Fanny went to request assistance from Prince Francis."

"And where is Amelia?" asked Lord Castello, in a moment of panic not very often seen on a man as stoic as him.

"She was with Lulu."

Dread. The Mountnero Duke, who was already on his way to the castle, stopped to look back to ensure he had heard it right. Even Bianca was feeling anguished. In a scene with so much chaos and probably with so much blood... This was not good.

Their apprehension confused Elli. "What is the matter, grandmother? I thought Amelia knew how to defend herself. It gave me some comfort knowing she was with Lulu."

Bianca dragged her eyes to her granddaughter's. The cold had subdued, so she no longer shivered. But Bianca did. Elli's eyes could catch so much at such a young age. It was right, Amelia knew how to defend herself. She could fight, but she could not stop.

"We must go." ordered Lord Castello, sombre.

Both the Duke of the North and the Mountnero nodded, ordering as well their men, loyal to the Emperor, to follow them. Into the Empress palace.

Then they all heard a voice. "You traitors will die at the hands of the faithful!"

It was a royal guard, loyal to the Empress, bloodied and barely with enough strength to voice the words that left his lips.

She approached him, staggering. "You fool. It is them who will die."

Bianca then looked at the horizon, where smoke was pilling over, and whispered to herself. "If they are not already."

It was then that the War Bells sounded, warning everyone in the palace of the attack. Of the war about to start.

From then on, nothing would ever be the same.

Here it is. A new chapter with a little back story of the Di'Mellos and a mention of the Fall. What do you think it is?

Also how bad is things with Amelia for her own father to be so panicked?

Next chapter we may know a little. :)

Also, are you following me on my Instagram? andreasouza_author

I have started a little project with the help of IA to create portraits of the characters. Each week is a new one. I posted last Sunday Lulu's portrait at the start of the story. I made almost all of them so who do you want to see next??