Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 87: Slingshot

Davyd was crouched in a corner of the castle, he fiddled with the knife Isaac had given him and his slingshot in his back pocket. He picked dirt from the cracks in the floor and watched people walk past him. Laundry lady was carrying a basket that was really full of white sheets. He wondered how she always got them to be so white. Maybe she was magic, it would be nice if she was. Sometimes Davyd wondered if he was magic but he decided he probably wasn't because if he was then he would be able to fly and he couldn't do that.

Apple man was talking to brown cleaning lady. He was laughing and so was she. Davyd decided they were probably very good friends. She had a dirty rag in her hand that she kept toying with and his fingernails were black underneath. It was nice when two dirty people found each other.
The fire maker boy came up to him and dropped a letter at his feet then walked away like nothing happened. Davyd put his knife down and ripped open the letter, there was a black feather inside. He smiled and leaped up, grabbing his short knife he ran through the corridors.

"Boy!" someone shouted and he turned to see the angry lady who was in charge of the kitchen. "Come here!" she barked at him and Davyd glared but he did what she said. "Where are you going?"

He stared at her with his dark eyes before answering. "I have to go light the candles in Lord Lattantio's chambers."

"Why would they send a skinny boy like you to light the Warden's candles?" she boomed. "He is the ruler of our city and he deserves better than you. At least bring up these cakes, he'll need something to distract from you." she handed him a tray which he took. "Don't forget, that's the most powerful man in the world up there. Don't mess it up."

"Yes, ma'am." he replied and ran off, the tray perfectly balanced as he whipped through crowded hallways and up staircases. He knocked on the door exactly three times before he was told he could come in. Kenrick Lattantio sat at his desk, he was busily going through papers and he was wearing black.

"Come in here boy," he said loudly. "What have you got on that tray?"

"Cake." Davyd said and stepped towards the man, his knife tingling in his hand which he concealed behind his back.

"Right. Set it down over there." he didn't bother looking up from his papers so Davyd just put it on the floor. Kenrick put a small paperweight on the ginormous stack. "Get my candles lit, it's too damn dark in here to see anything properly."

The boy walked through the room lighting candles. When he was finished he put the match down and walked towards the Warden, his footsteps falling silent on the stone floor. The old man continued shuffling through his papers, Davyd clenched the knife in his hand and stalked towards him the same way he saw the cats going towards the rats in the streets. The man looked like he was made of steel, his eyes were sharp and he moved with such vigor. It seemed impossible that a blade could go through him.

Davyd was close enough now, he gripped the knife tightly and with a quick sharp movement he pulled the blade up and swooped down with it. Faster than the eye could see, Kenrick's arm flew up and his bony fingers put Davyd's wrist in a vise grip, stopping the blade before any damage happened.

"Did you honestly think it would be that easy to kill me?" he rose from his seat and towered over the boy like a giant. "I am Kenrick Lattantio. My family is the greatest dynasty this kingdom has seen since the Merlin's. It would take more than a boy to kill me." he released his grip and threw Davyd so he smacked onto the floor, his knife clattering across the stones, far away from him. He scooted backwards on the ground while the man walked towards him. Davyd leaped to his feet and started to run towards the door, Kenrick laughed and in two steps he was in front of him. The boy felt his heart pounding in his chest and fear creeping through his bloodstream. He started backing up, desperately trying to think of something to do. He had no weapon-

The slingshot sticking out the back of his pocket pressed against him and Davyd's eyes wandered to the paperweight on the desk. He didn't make any movement towards it and allowed the silence between them to grow. He could see the old man staring at him with falcon eyes and his feet twitched towards the desk while his hand maneuvered around his body towards the slingshot. In one swift movement Davyd had the paperweight in his hand and the weapon loaded. The Warden laughed and put his hands in the air.

"Are you going to hit me with the rock?" he taunted. "Is this supposed to frighten me? I've been through dozens of battles, three revolutions, and a war. Your childish attempt to kill me, is well, rather amusing." He paced towards the window and looked out over his city, Davyd followed him with his slingshot, lining up the moment. "I do have one question, who sent you? You can't be working on your own, you're much too old for that. Someone who would want the Warden dead.... It is hard to think, isn't it?" he laughed again and turned to face Davyd.

The boy didn't hesitate, he released the large rock and it smacked into the old man's scull, sending him careening over the edge of the window and down the side of the tower. He could hear screams but the boy turned from the room and ran through the forest of legs, towards the castle doors. Nobody noticed Davyd, nobody ever noticed him.

A/N everyone please read the new chapter in the Secrets of Amelia Merlin! It explains some stuff about this chapter that might interest you!