"What for, sire? Have you no wish for the people to learn the tale of how their fine king came to have the throne?" Asked the raconteur with a vicious smile.
"Guards! Seize that man!" Ordered the king, fear and fury turning him pale.
"Quint, stop him please." Said the raconteur, prompting a figure to drop from the shadows of the rafters to land behind the king.
"My pleasure, master James." Said Quint, pressing a dagger to the king's throat. "Call off the guards, dukey." Hissed Quint into his ear.
"Guards! Hold!" Said the king, in a voice high with fear.
"Thank you kindly." Quipped Jim with a mocking bow. "Tom, if you would be so kind as to block the entrances?" He asked.
"Sure thing, Jim." Said Tom, detaching himself from the crowd and barring the doors.
"This man, your king, was once a cruel tyrant responsible for the deaths of thousands across what was once his dukedom, before he was exiled by the previous king. He paid tribes of bush dwellers to terrorise the city folk, and is responsible for the first recorded death in the resistance against him on the day we were rescued by Quint... The death of a good leader and greater friend. Matt -" Jim was interrupted by the clash of a tomahawk colliding with a shield as Dart protected his back, turned to the king as he addressed the crowd.
"Wrong move, madman. It was your last as king." Said Quint icily, only to feel himself pulled backwards by a massive hand on his shoulder. "What? Who are -" he began, before being flung across the room to land against the far wall and collapse in a heap on the floor.
"My lad, I don't want to hurt you. Step outside, walk away, and we'll forget all this happened." Said the newcomer, a massively built man wearing a pothelm and full plate armour. The broadaxe slung across the man's back stirred painful memories in Jim's mind.
"It can't be..." He whispered. "You're dead. We saw you die!"
"Guess I was just unlucky enough to live, wasn't I?" Said Matt.
"Not for much longer." Said Dart, drawing his sword. "You betrayed the cause for which you wore the sigil so many years ago. Disloyalty of that kind warrants death."
"I know those laws as well as you, Joseph Tinley. I helped write them, after all." The onlookers muttered in surprise at hearing the mysterious Dart being identified as the high leader of the resistance.
"Draw, so I can cut you down like a man, Matt!"
"Well now, " said Matt, unlimbering his axe and holding it ready, "let's have at you." The moment Matt said the last word, Dart was racing towards him to deliver a massive jump strike aimed at the junction point in his armour by his neck. Seeing what was coming, Matt caught the blow on the head of his axe. Dart, keeping Matt on the back foot, launched a series of furious attacks until finally, a blow found its mark with a dull crunch, and Matt fell to his knees. With a horrible sense of Déjà vu, Jim ran to his side and ignored the cries of his companions to back away. "Matt," he said, "why?"
"Why what, lad? Ain't much to tell. Bush folk were in the pay of the duke, and I found out later they used a paralysing poison on their arrows. It slowed my heart and stopped the bleeding. When I came to, I had one of two choices: Serve, or be tortured. Held out as long as I could, but the longing for fresh air, clean water and a pain free existence became too great. Even now..." Said Matt, gripping Jim's shoulder, "even now, the thought of ensuring my family's safety compels me." As he spoke, Matt drew a dagger from his belt and drove it into Jim's heart, and the heart of the rebellion at the same time. Weeping, Matt pulled Jim into an embrace as Tom sprang forward to finish what Dart had begun, before turning his blade on all nearby in his grief, guilty and innocent alike. As the hall erupted into chaos and people fled through doors they had broken down, the king stood in the center of the hall and wept over the corpses of his brother and nephew, realising that power often brings regret and loneliness rather than fulfillment.
******
And so, we've reached the end of Jim's tale. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you have any ideas for future stories, or just drop me a line if you want to tell me what you thought of the story.
Happy reading!
Rook
No comments:
Post a Comment