Power and Love

Chapter 14: Battle cry

(Warning! Might be triggering)

Alfred's POV

When we arrived at the city of Eight of Spades, it was almost empty. People had left the city in fear of being killed in a war. The setting sun made city's silhouette more creepier, like it had been abandoned years, not days ago.

"This was more lively when I last visited here." Yao mumbled to himself.

"What?" I asked, although I heard perfectly what he said. Why did he sound older than he was, anyway? His father was deceased Jack, yes, but that didn't meant he had visited every place in Spades.

"Nothing." He answered and stopped his horse. I stopped my horse, too, and shouted: "Let's take a break here!"

Soldiers behind me sat down. Someone complained about his aching muscles and his friend scolded him. I chuckled and got down from the horse. Yao did the same. Suddenly, I heard clattering of horse's hoofs. I turned my head and saw Arthur.

"Bloody hell..." He muttered.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My ass and calfs hurt." He replied and got down from his horse.

"You're quite... Direct." I said hesitantly.

"Why not?" Arthur asked and smiled a small smile.

"Maybe we should put guards around for the night." Yao suggested. I nodded.

"Good idea." I raised my voice. "Any volunteers to be guard for the night?"

Soon, four young soldiers volunteered. Arthur had disappeared, but he came back with two steaming bowls of soup. A young boy - he said his name is Rick - carried third bowl. He gave it to me, and I thanked him. He looked me like I was some kind of god.

When I had eaten the soup, I lay down on the cold ground. I heard Yao talking with Arthur, but I didn't want to interrupt their conservation.

Just before I fell asleep, I saw something moving further. Someone whistled a pretty sounding melody. Maybe a soldier wanted to entertain himself and others.

The melody sounded pretty, like a lullaby.

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"Attention! Wake u -" Guard's cry cut off abruptly. I startled awake, opened my eyes and stood up.

"It's the Diamonds! They are attacking!"

What? How did they know we're here? And why did their attack at night? I drew the sword out of its sheath and looked around me. Yao was fighting against a big Diamond soldier, and he looked like he was loosing. I rushed to help him.

Everything was chaos. There was yelling, roaring, cries of pain and soldiers, who were fatally injured and were pleading for help or death. Some of the injured were even praying for someone - I didn't know who.

I hit the big guy to his side. He roared and turned to watch me.

"Ah, murderer king!" He laughed and lifted his sword to attack -

- but Yao's sword went through his neck. Soldier wheezed, dropped his sword and tried to stop the bleeding. I watched in horror as he fell on the ground and stopped moving. Yao nodded as thanks and went to fin another enemy.

Murderer? I haven't murdered anybody. My mind was a confused mess, as I stood on my place, totally frozen

"Alfred! Watch out!" Arthur yelled and blocked someone's attack with his rapier. He thrusted it through attacker's stomach and yanked it out. His rapier was now bloody and Arthur panted slightly. Attacker fell on his knees and coughed. Blood dripped from his mouth.

I looked Arthur. There was fear and terror in his eyes and some blood on his side, but I didn't think it was his.

"Are you all right?" He asked. I nodded, because I didn't think my voice would be more than a whisper.

"Alfred." He said. "Please. Be strong. For this kingdom, for your family."

"I'll try." Arthur nodded and sprinted off, leaving me alone. I huffed and went to find an enemy.

Soon, I saw a man in yellow fighting another man in blue. Man in blue clothing was disadvantaged, and he had small wounds all over his body. I killed his opponent quickly.

"Thank you, my King. I owe you -" His sentence was interrupted by sword which cut his head off. Young Diamond soldier looked at head and corpse, before looking at me. He couldn't be older than sixteen. Teen raised his sword to hit me, but I dodged and slitted his throat open.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I could never forget those brown eyes full of dread and pain. Blood spreaded on the ground.

Next moments were blurry. I dodged, attacked, killed. I killed young boys and old soldiers. Once, I tried to save a Spadian soldier, but his head was cut off before I could do anything. Soldier's expression was full of pain.

Now I knew it.

This wasn't game. In our training, no one died. But here, on these fields of death, everyone is in danger of dying.

Suddenly, someone yelled in pain. Of coourse, on a battle field everyone was screaming in pain and praying for mercy, but I knew that voice. It was Arthur. I turned my head to look and saw him further away. He was fighting with the King of Diamonds.

"Arthur!" I shouted and started running towards them. Francis heard my yell and watched me with a sly smirk on his face. He raised his sword to attack, I dashed forward and Arthur opened his mouth to yell me in terror -

- and then I felt it. The sharp pain at my stomach. I looked down and saw a sword's blade coming out of it. Someone screamed in agony, maybe Arthur, as the person pulled the sword out. I coughed, still surprised and confused, and some blood splattered on my chest.

I felt like my knees were about to give in at any moment. Suddenly, I found myself on the cold, wet ground. Maybe it was wet from all the blood there had been shed.

Someone kneeled next to me. It was Arthur. His hands were bloody as he put them on my wound. He closed his eyes and started enchanting something.

I felt only coldness.

"Hey, are you in... Heaven too?" I asked. Arthur opened his eyes and looked me.

"No. Don't you dare to die on me!" He snarled, mainly to himself. My eyes widened. I was dying?

I watched the sky. Stars shined, looking so cold and distant. I smiled. Soon I could see my father and brother again.

"Damn it!" Arthur exclaimed next to me.

"Don't worry. If I die tonight, we'll meet in another life."

"Don't speak like that! You'll live!" Tears shined like stars in his forest green eyes. I coughed slightly and tasted blood in my mouth. I was tired. I just wanted to sleep.

I smiled, when I recalled one of mine and Arthur's training session. He was pointing his rapier to my throat and he was smirking. I had smiled to him.

"Hey, Arthur."

"Shh... Don't speak." He said, wiping away his tears with his bloody hand.

"... When I met you for the first time, I fell in love with you." I confessed. Arthur tensed and looked me, his expression shocked. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"No! Don't close your eyes!"

"Only fools die smiling."

>w< And finally, he confessed!

My school seems to think that we students are slaves, because we have to pick up rubbish

Me: What? 609 reads already?

My mind: *trying to cooperate with the fact that so many people are reading this*

Thanks so much!