Don't Forget

#37 Who We Are

Ty is rather clumsy with a bow, but ok with a spear. This is not his first time in battle. He's no stranger to death. Killing doesn't have a whole lot of effect on him, even if he hates that about himself.
Ty grew up on the streets. Sympathy never went very far. He always had to look out for himself. That perspective carried over for all these years. Death just doesn't faze him.
What does concern him is the entire second, and larger, army on the wrong side of camp. Ty dropped his spear when hearing the screams, jumping off the wall and rushing deeper into camp. Ty can hear Lachlan screaming to keep some troops on the wall as the rest head towards the other side. Ty doesn't care. That's the direction where they left Sky.
Sky- Adam- whoever he is, is the first friend that Ty has ever had. Even when he dumped Ty's unconscious body in the woods, Sky stayed to make sure that he did get back to camp. Ty finally understands why Sky is the way he is. Everyone wants to be somebody else when they loose everything. It happened to Ty. He grew cold, inflating his own ego to make himself feel like he was better off. Joining the army has helped him get over his own grief. Sky never had that chance. Ty wants to give him a chance.
A cracking sound splits through the air, and Ty nearly falls over while looking wildly around. Bright blue spikes shoot up from the ground right in the middle of the camp. Other soldiers were on their way to the fighting, but most stop to stare at what looks like ice pillars.
Ty slowly gets up and starts to runt towards the pillars. That's exactly where the medical building is suppose to be! It takes almost ten minutes for Ty to get there, and he's even more stunned by the shear size of the ice spikes.
He circles around to the front while trying to find a way in. The ice is too close together to squeeze through. The street rat stops short when he sees all the carnage.
Nearly thirty squid bodies littler the ground in front of the medical building. Strangely enough, there aren't any soldiers around.
"Ty! In here!", Ty whips around to see Jason wedged between two ice pillars. His slick armor, and small size, let him squirm his way out of the defense.
"Jason, what happened here?", Ty moves to block the kid's view of the bodies. It doesn't do much good. Living through the underground base's burning was worse.
     "Quinten made the ice, but you have to go find Adam!", the Zemrlt shoves Ty forwards, "He went to other wall with a bunch of assassins!".
"There are other assassins here?", Ty thinks back to Red's mansion. Just how many people lived in that place? Did they all come here? If so, why did they come?
"Go! I have to get back to Quinten", Jason turns back around back towards the ice. Quinten's secret is out. Jason left him with Sub when he saw Ty.
      Ty only hesitates for a moment. He keeps a tight grip on his sword while continuing to the wall. Ty assumes that there must be a whole in it by now.
      The streets are empty, besides the occasional body. The street rat is thankful to see more dead squid then GoldenEye soldiers. Still, he can almost feel people fighting just out of his sight. It's like a sixth sense. Ty knows that assassins are all around him.
       He didn't notice it until now, but Ty is moving like an assassin, too. He skulks from building to building while keeping under cover. He scans the roofs above out of habit,  managing to spot the dark clothing of a retreating assassin.
     That's when Ty runs into his first squid. He rounds the corner and immediately ducks to keep his head intact. He didn't even have to see the sword coming. All of Sky's lessons make Ty hyper aware of his surroundings. He rams his shoulder into the squid's chest and knocks them off balance.
"Duck, Duck, Goose!", Ty drops to the ground and springs away when the unknown voice shouts from above him. A knife buries itself into the squid's chest. "Oh, you're alive!". Red's colorful hoodie is recognizable anywhere.
"Do you know where Sky is?", Ty is too focused to question the insane assassin.
"Maybe. I thought I saw him jump off the wall", Red slips off the building, landing like a cat on the way to retrieve his knife.
Ty runs for the wall. Would Sky have really jumped over? Who knows how many squids there are! He wouldn't let Ty fight before, but the street rat feels brave; he's sure of himself for the first time in his life because of what he's running to.
     There are more assassins and soldiers fighting squids in the streets the closer Ty gets to the wall. He tires to avoid most of it, focusing on getting to Sky.
       There is a breech in the wall, but all the squids around it seem to be focused on something outside. Ty is able to climb up without anyone noticing him. The scene before him is shocking.
Sky is about ten feet from the wall, crouching over what looks like a squid Captain. Sky's stance is a little different from how he usually is. Ty can pick up on it from how much time they spend together. Ty is looking at the True King.
       Adam plunges his blade down and ends the fight. He stands still after that, oblivious to the rest of the squid army around him.
      Ty isn't the only one to come help, he was just the fastest. As the street rat throws himself over the wall, a host of soldiers climb up behind him to join the fight. Nearly half of the present assassins also abandon cover to face the enemy's army.
Ty knocks over a few squids in his haste to get to Adam. Using his sword, he jumps in behind Adam to block an incoming blade.
"What are you doing? Snap out of it!", Ty bumps him with an elbow, blocking another attack. He's lucky that the squids are distracted with the death of their Captain, and the arrival of the fresh GoldenEye troops.
       When Adam turns to look at Ty, his eyes are a little unfocused. He doesn't speak. The street rat looks around at the battle ranging around them before grabbing Adam's arm and pulling him towards the wall.
      The squids are still out for revenge, and Ty has to skip to the side to avoid an arrow. Adam reacts when a squid attacks him and bats away the sword with his own blade. He's starting to come out of whatever trance he was in.
        There are GoldenEye archers firing from the wall now, and someone pulls Adam up while Ty climbs over. Somewhere along the way, the prince got a nasty cut down his forearm. A few people look at Adam strangely. They don't quite connect him to the assassin in black with a snarky attitude.
"Hey, you ok?", Ty leads Adam around the side of a small building to talk. Most of the fighting is being wrapped up, the remaining squids fleeing with their tails between their legs.
Adam looks down at the ground, and back to Ty. He's sheathed his weapons and his shoulders are slumped. The street rat is caught off guard when he starts to cry.
"I really miss my family. I don't think I've ever really cried about anyone before", Adam hiccups, trying to hide his face.
"....... It's alright to cry sometimes", Ty hesitantly pats Adam's shoulder, "I think I balled for two straight days when I found out what happened to my sister".
"Ty?........ Are you gonna run away again? I don't think I could take l-loosing someone else's when I know you so well now", Adam is still trying not to cry.
     "N-No. I'll be here for you this time, Sk- um, Adam". Ty smiles, trying to be reassuring. This is the second chance that he's been wanting.
     Adam and Ty aren't so different. They're both orphaned court children fighting their parent's war. Both are just starting to find out who they truly are.
     That's where Lachlan finds them, three hours later. They're both sitting in the dirt with their backs again the building. Adam is leaning on Ty, eyes red and puffy. The street rat has also been crying from his own past and the prince's. He knows everything now. Adam told him how it happened on that day nine years ago.
      The battle was won. A list of the dead has been made, and the squid bodies have been piled up outside the walls to deal with tomorrow. Graves for GoldenEye troops will be dug then. The full moon is half way risen. One of he most concerning issues is that Max and Ross are nowhere to be found. No one has seen them, or their bodies, since the battle started.
      "I was wondering where you two were at", Lachlan's voice isn't angry, but weary and exhausted. He's glad to find the two still alive and not laying dead somewhere. "Adam? I think you're gonna have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow".
       "I know. I think I'm ready to try again now", Adam slowly sits up. He has one hand around the amulet. His amulet now. Lachlan could see the shift in his aura as soon as he turned the corner.
       This is his King. He might be broken and grieving now, but it won't always be that way. Adam is old enough and strong enough to fight now. He's brave enough to go on, but hasn't lost his empathy along the way.
     Ty finally stands up. He gives Adam his hand to help pull him up as well. The prince can already feel the weight of the crown settling on his shoulders again. He ran from it more times then he can count, be he's ready to accept it now.
     General Lachlan leads the way deeper into camp. At the medical building, it looks like one of the ice pillars have just been cut down. The rest are starting to slowly melt.
It looks like the majority of Red's assassins are sitting on a nearby roof, including the Deader himself. They get lots of wary glances. It's not every day that you meet a whole group of assassins who are on your side.
Sub is off to one side with Jason, carrying Quinten in his arms. The squid still breathing. Magic exhaustion made him pass out. Strange enough, there's two teenage boys with their swords drawn, keeping other people away from Quinten. He's not wearing a jacket and it shows his squid heritage.
Adam will explain himself to all everyone, but not until tomorrow. Questions can wait. There is still much to be done before the prince is accepted by the people.