Dragon Marked

Chapter 10: starts with blood, ends with a bad not really a joke.

"MARKED, ATTACK!" as one, the other fighters pushed forward as fire lit up the area, burning several of the solders. Screams of pain, the stench of burning flesh, and horrible thoughts about her brother filled Kate's head, marking her unable to move. "Forget what I said earlier, MARKED ARE EVIL! ATTACK!" River's terrified voice ran over the chaos. I thought- I thought that they were on our side.

"I did, too, Edith. Don't kill Rivers, but make sure you kill the rest of the army." Kate tried to see through the mist but couldn't. Kate herd a scream that made her freeze. It was Neil's. Kate ran thorough the mist and flying blood. She arrived just in time to see Adrian and Neil were fighting. "WHY DID YOU TAKE HER?!" Adrian shouted as she rushed towards Neil.

"YOU ENTERED INTO OUR HOME! WE OWE YOU NO ANSWERS" Neil blocked her blows, but he was clearly struggling under Kate's mentor's blows.

"-TRYING TO FIND HER! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER?!" Adrian got Neil cornered.

"WITH WHO?!"

"KATE!" Adrian glared down at Neil. She would have already killed him if she didn't need him to find Kate. Kate, for her part, stared in horror. This was about her?!

"SHE- SHE- SHE'S HERE! ON OUR SIDE! SHE'S MARKED! SHE SAVED HER FRIEND, AND SHE IS UNDER OUR PROTECTION!"

"YEA, RIGHT!" Adrian raised up her sword. It was clear she wasn't getting and answers out of this marked. Kate took a deep breath and rushed out calling to Adrian,

"YEA, RIGHT! IT'S TRUE! STOP IT, ADRIAN!" Kate jumped between her mentor and her friend.

"Kate?" Adrian's eyes softened, seeing that Kate was alright.

"Yes, Adrian. Why are you doing this?" River, who Adrian had forced to hide after giving her orders, rushed out.

"Adrian came back saying that you had been kidnapped by the marked." River informed Kate.

"I went willingly. I went to protect Edith, and you. I AM on their side. You two must believe me."

Adrian turned to rush away, but River grabbing her tightly. "WHY WOULD YOU LIE, ADRIAN?!"

"I... Damian made me." Neil finally stood up, and Kate helped him to stand up. "WIND!" Neil coughed "CALL OFF THE MIST." after a while, the mist dissipated and there was no mist left. River looked up and called out, "WE SURRENDER." the royal solders did not take this well.

"WHAT?!"

"SIR, YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

"WHY? WE CAN STILL WIN!"

"LITSEN!" Rivers looked around. "We intruded into their home, and of corse they protected their home. I wasn't looking for a fugitive! I was looking for my sister. Your princess." Rivers extended his left hand, thumb and pinky separate from the pointer, middle, and ring finger. Kate accepted the gesture with her hand. River nodded for her to talk. Edith dropped a dead solder in shock. "Look around you, all of you." Skylar helped Megan up. "We all lose a lot in this battle, and we'll keep losing a lot until there is not enough of us left, or we drive each other to extinction. After that, the pillar of fire will swoop in, and rule the world, all because we were blinded by our hate of each other. The only way out of this future where we both die off and are ruled by liars is to unite. The burning of Tahy wasn't done by the underground, but by the pillar of fire. We need to stand together, even against the queen, and fight for our future, our friends and family's future, to avenge all we've lost. we've all lost something. Please, help me fight the true enemy."

"WHAT ABOUT CAPTAIN DAMIAN?!"

Rivers looked up at the shout. "I think we've got a message to send to the queen, and a messenger who WILL take it to the queen, to save his life." Kate looked at Damian, who was cowering in the crowd. "Right?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Good. Any dungeons near here?" Rivers asked, turning to Neil who was leaning against a building. "The old food storage would work. It's a giant pit. It should hold him well enough." A few nervous people walked forward and offered to escort Adrian to the pit. A few marked went to show them where it was. Megan attempted to join them, but Kate asked for her to stay. "Do you really think we will be able to defeat the pillar of fire?" River asked Kate.

"It's possible, if we can unite both sides."

"The queen won't like that."

"I know, but we can win, eventually. I'm the mean time, we've got an awfully long letter to write."

"What should we say? Hey, not really our mom whom we hate so very much, this is Kate and River, ya know, the two you 'adopted' to make yourself look better? Yea, so... Kate's marked, River betrayed you,"

"And now we aren't fighting the underground, instead we are fighting their enemy. Oh, yea, mind supplying us with solders?" Kate chimed in.

"Don't love you! sincerely you adopted children who betrayed you." The two siblings bursted out in laughter. When Kate stoped laughing, she said "I don't think she'd help us. Maybe she wouldn't send ten assassins, if we get lucky." Neil interrupted.

"If your done with this sentimental moment, you should, probably lead this, Kate. It'll take time for me to heal, and... well, you understand the importance more than anyone." Kate nodded and tuned around to face her new group. River spoke up, "We need a name."

"Solders and dragons fighting for justice? Like, S.A.D.F.F.J?" Megan offered.

"Hm... How about solders and dragons? Or S.A.D? S.A.D.F.F.J Is way too long." Kate suggested.

"Ok, fine. Sad it is." Megan replied in mock defeat. A grin spread across Kate's face,

"Aw, that makes us sound SAPPY."

"Was that supposed to be a pun?" River looked at his big sister questioningly.

"Yea."

"Not funny. It doesn't even make sense." Kate pulled back, pretending that that hurt.