Don't You Come Crying When They're Rippin' Out Your Throats (Sequel to AsHollow)

3 - The Fires, Grisly Will-O'-The-Wisps

Laurence was darting and out the crowds so much that I was going to lose him. The other three were running behind and to the side of me, all desperately trying to catch up with Laurence before something bad happened. He turned a corner and I lead the four of us round but we all skidded to a halt when we realised he'd run straight out of view. 

Fuck.

I looked around the place, not seeing any sign that Laurence was ever here - and no one that was standing around seemed to have been disturbed by anyone running through. They were all just acting normal. Well, as normal as people in this place could get. A couple of people glanced up at the four of us as we stood there looking around like we were lost, but didn't maintain eye contact for much longer and hid their gazes from us.

I ran up to a lady who was picking some things off the ground that had fallen from her little stall, muttering curses under her breath. She just glared and snarled something about the tall men in black went down an alley, then shoved past me.

There were four little side alleys on the left and another two on the right - which didn't really narrow it down for me. I shouted the information about the streets to the others then ran, glancing down each of them as I went looking for any sign of Laurence.

"KIER! DREW! LUKE! OVER HERE!" I heard Barrone yell.

I looked up to see him standing at the end of the market street at the very last side street, waving to us. It didn't take us long for the rest to get there and we all charged down, but skidded to a halt when we came up to a body lying face down on the ground.

The body's back was covered in blood - shirt slightly ripped from what I could see and his arm was bending in a way that I could see straight away that it was broken in at least two places. I dropped onto my knees aside the body, just to confirm my suspicions about who it was - and once I tilted his head ever so slightly towards me - they were confirmed. It was Laurence.

"Bloody hell..." I heard Luke murmur as he knelt on the other side before looking up at the Timids, "Go and get some help right now." Drew nodded and was suddenly away, leaving Barrone to kneel down to inspect Laurence over. Luke moved round slightly and took his jacket off before moving Laurence's head onto it in an attempt to try and get him a little more comfy.

I slapped his hand away however when he went to roll Laurence's shirt up, "Don't..."

I found a tear in the middle of Laurence's shirt and gently tugged at it so it ripped up the middle. I wanted to see where the blood was coming from and try to stop it as much as I could. Once Laurence's back was bare I leaned back slightly and frowned.

"Something's been written on him..." I said quietly, looking at Laurence's bloody back.

"No, not written - carved," Luke piped in, a frown also appearing on his face. He jumped up and ran out onto the street, coming back a few moments later with multiple towels in his hands. We didn't even want to ask him how he'd gotten them, and we didn't really have much chance as he threw one to Cyrus and they both started carefully wiping the blood off. Laurence made a quiet whimper and started to move slightly which we all knew would only make him hurt more so I moved up nearer his head and gently stroked his hair in an attempt to calm him down - which thankfully worked a little as he settled himself.

The blood was all off and it was plain to see the horror on the three of our faces. Just then Drew came running back down the street with a doctor looking man close on his heels, and they both froze in their tracks at the sight in front of them - but thankfully the doctor snapped out of it and carefully nudged Barrone to the side so he could start patching Laurence up.

Barrone and I stood up to go over to Drew while Luke quickly spoke with the doctor about what could be done to help ease Laurence's pain. We all knew who had done this, it was plain to see - and that only meant that Laurence had been right all along.

I glanced back at Laurence's now bandaged up back, the words replaying over and over again in my head - imprinted in my memory.

"I'm coming for you boys" 

                                                      *                             *                          *

 "Why?! Why did you leave him alive?! That was a perfect opportunity to kill him!"

"Hush now Gilbecc... Don't question me when you know nothing of my plans," The Cardinal replied to me, causing a slight frown to spread over my face.

"But sir - you've been trying to kill the Prince for a very long time...he was on his knees beside you and it was the perfect time to strike! Not only would you finally have him dead but it would be so humiliating for him. Did you-"

He spun round and his hand struck me across the face, causing my whole body to snap to the side. I could feel my cheek suddenly flare up and knew how red it'd be compared to how white my skin normally was. I glanced back up at him to see his stony face staring right back at me. I didn't even risk opening my mouth in case he snapped and got angry at me all over again and instead sat down on the only seat that was in the small room.

Suddenly a massive grin appeared on his face and he started laughing. I finally picked up the courage to open my mouth, only when I did he lifted his hand to silence me immediately.

"Are you loyal to me, Gilbecc?"

The question caught me off guard and I looked at him in disbelief. It was only when his smile started to fade that I realised I still hadn't answered his question.

"I would give my life for you in a heartbeat my lord... Like I always have and I always will - I swear on my life."

His smile suddenly returned bigger than it was before and he nodded, "Good. Just don't ever question me again."

I swallowed hard and watched as he wandered over to the window and pushed the curtain back to peek out. I decided to ask again what his plan was, but more calm and not sounding as though I could rip his head off - which definitely wouldn't do me any favours. "If you don't mind me asking Sir... Why was it that you left the Prince alive?"

He sighed and moved the curtain back into place and leant on the wall to look at me, "It's quite simple really. I had Laurence - I could have killed him if I so wanted to, but I didn't. When he wakes up he'll know that his life was in my hands."

"I'm not sure I quite follow sir..."

He gave out a small sigh and as he spoke he slowly walked towards me, arms folded. "I could have killed him but when I carved those words into his back he passed out, and for all he knew he could never have woken up again. We had him Gilbecc - and now he has to live with that paranioa that we're coming back for him, only this time he doesn't quite know when it's going to happen. Does that make it a little more clear for you, my friend?"

I nodded fast, looking up with him. I didn't want to say again that I didn't understand again so while he spoke about something else, more him thinking aloud than actually speaking to me, I went off to try and crack his plan a little more by myself.

"It's only a matter of waiting until the perfect time... When Princey is so caught up in trying to protect everyone he cares about once again that we will take one of them. He won't be able to do a single thing."

I felt a smile tugging at my lips, "Are we going to get one of them sir?"

His head snapped round to face me as though he'd just been woken up from a dream and he was suddenly back in reality. "We'll just have to wait and see now, won't we?" 

"Yes sir!"

"Before all this happens however, we need to build are army up - there's a lot of supporters outside of Grandomina that we can recruit, and clans that didn't like Laurence's stupid parents so they'll definitely help. My army will grow until the Grandominan army don't stand a chance and will crumble beneath our force, bowing at my power when they realise that I'm the leader they deserve. Not that maggot of a Prince."

"Is that going to be our first step in winning, sir?"

He nodded and looked back at me, smirking, "Shall we go raise an army?"