Her father pulled out silver daggers with the Aljehni insignia at the top and handed them to her and Dharam. “Aaleyah when you leave do not turn back. Not even for Zale.” He took off his grey cape and tied it around her shoulders. “Remember, if night truly comes, in the future you can access the sacred texts with the bead from your clip.”

  Her head shook immediately. If they are to meet at the sycamore tree then he need not say this..

  “Dharam, take her out of here. Unless I or your mother fetches you, do not return.”

  “Father, you will come to the sycamore tree, yes?” He slapped her hands that had reached out to him.

  “Do you not hear? Many people have arrived, you are to head straight for the tree. Never stop, for you must return our legacy to its place in the light.” He pushed her into Dharam’s arms.

  “Father please! Do not send me away. Promise we will meet at the sycamore tree. Promise we will all be there!” If he promises her feet will definitely move.

  “Listen to me and you will live to understand my actions. Dharam get her out of here.”

  “No! I can not leave you. Do not make me leave you,” she attempted to push away from Dharam but he caught her arm.

  “Go!”

  As Dharam pulled her away Aaleyah watched her father turn and leave the house.

  Outside Zale raced past her, not a glance in her direction, but she felt it. His heart tightened with every step he took away from her.

  Zale raced away from Aaleyah, following Herom and Amenah.

  “Zale, take higher ground.” Herom ordered.

  Zale split off to the left past the servants quarters and scaled the building to the top. Reaching the top he sucked in a breath. Where did they all come from?

  Down below he could see groups of men racing through the garden paths of his home. The closest group of men were moving towards Amenah and Herom. Their clothes, the uniform of his mother’s guard, the sash at their waist, the academy’s soft yellow. Aiming his bow he ignored the fear that crawled up the hairs of his arm and released his bow.

  His aim was terrible, only scraping the man’s arm, but it was enough for Amenah to react and take him out with her sword. Herom appeared at her left and attacked the rest of them.

  “Zale, calm amidst chaos allows for more times of peace.”

  Zale tightened his fingers on his bow and nodded. Scanning the other rooftops he saw many archers scaling the walls and he tried his best to shoot them down.

  Between shots he saw Herom swinging his sword, occasionally splitting his focus to throw daggers at archers he had missed.

  Finally it was over and Zale counted his arrows. With so few left he debated jumping down to collect some from the ground.

  Amenah must have already been thinking it, for once they locked eyes she turned and yanked a quiver of arrows off a man. The action caused the man to grunt and sputter blood before moving no more. “Here.”

  Catching the tossed quiver Zale shot her a sad smile. He scanned all the red arrows he had shot. All the people he had killed. His eyes fell to his clean hands; when would the blood become visible?

  Heading towards the North Gate Chiara swallowed her nerves and addressed Roset. “Roset as we run, pick up as many arrows off the ground as you can. Stay between Asbed and I.” She slung the quiver she stole over her shoulder. Asbed had grabbed a bow earlier; and her aim was slighter better than his.

  The sound of footsteps came from the left and she pulled the sword tied at her side and tossed it to Asbed who immediately stood in front while she aimed.

  As the swordsman Asbed would move first, Roset protected in the middle, while she shot. As long as they kept this formation they would make it. She gritted her teeth. Her aim need not be perfect, just enough to weaken the men for Asbed to take down.

  Roset obediently followed her orders. She watched his small fist wrap tightly around a bow twice his size, and five arrows in his other. “Chiara, will this help?”

  Swallowing her nerves she took the bow and arrows. “Excellent work Roset.”

  The North Gate was in their line of sight and her heart pounded harder and harder with every step. “Calm amidst chaos, calm amidst chaos,” she whispered to herself. They made it to the gate, all that was left was to travel to the sycamore tree.

  Asbed skidded to a stop as the gate broke open, the wood splintering from the force. His hand reached back pushing them to hide behind the rows of backstops.

  Chiara held Roset in her arms, her hand wrapped around his mouth as she watched the people who wished for her family dead. They were… commoners?

  “Destroy the Aljehnis!” They yelled carrying pats, pans, wooden sticks, and short blades. What had her family done that caused the people of Cabimal to react like this?

  Asbe crouched so he was still hidden behind the backstop and lifted his arms. C

  With a shake of her head she dropped her hand from Roset’s mouth and grabbed Asbed’s cleeve. These people were commoners she had seen before. Could they truly attack the common people? hHow could they taint their hands in innocent blood?

  Asbed’s solemn expression worsened, but he lowered his swords and crouched back down.

  “For now, let us hide and come back out when all the people have gone.”

  Nodding she grabbed Roset’s hand, and moved to stand her nerves so high she tripped over Roset.

  One hand on her arm to steady her, Asbed swung Roset over his shoulder and made a sharp left.

  Opening her mouth to speak, Chiara was cut off by more yells. “Attack the Aljehnis! May they feel the loss we experienced. Kill them, kill them all!”

  Roset lifted his head on Asbed’s shoulder to tearfully look at Chiara. “What did we do Chiara?” His small voice cracked.

  She could not answer. How does one explain the makings of a kingdom? Or the balance of power? How does one tell their brother that the world preys on the kind to feed their inner monsters? You do not. Instead she followed behind Asbed dodging and jumping until they reached the small bridge and ducked underneath.

  Asbed kept Roset on his back and bent to pick up an arrow but a brown boot stepped over it. Chiara could not find her voice to yell, before he tossed Roset into her arms. His swords sliced through the air in the direction of the men. Moving his swords in perfect harmony, he would not pause until they fell.

  Seeing more men coming, Chiara sat Roset down behind her and released arrows.

  The men easily evaded them with moves her mother once taught her. How were they military trained?

  At the edge of the garden behind the servant’s quarters Zale picked up another quiver Amenah had thrown onto the roof, and slung it across his chest. He peered his gaze to the North and made out Asbed by the bridge. Chiara and Roset were missing, and Zale trembled as Asbed’s sword flew out of his hand. Quickly Zale prepared to take a shot, taking a few moments to gauge the direction and strength of the wind he released with a prayer.

  The arrow flew threw the air, but the target was too far and instead of hitting the Stilits’ chest the arrow sliced the side of his arm. Zale did not have enough time to see if that gave Asbed an opening because an archer caught notice of him. Zale dodge the arrow that came his way, but lost his footing and fell off the side of the roof.

  The weight of his body broke through the tarp and Zale crashed into baskets of spices. Coughing as he stood he forced himself to move to return to Amenah and Herom’s side.

  “Zale?” Amenah asked while she fought her opponent.

  His head shook and ducked from a Stilit that raced in his direction. Bouncing on his feet he grabbed a broken arrow and stabbed the man. “Fine,” he answered his sister’s question.

  The silver glint of the sword shined in the scattered sunlight before it threw a man into the wall. Herom kicked another Stillits away from Amenah and made his way to Zale. “Can you run?” He calmly asked, throwing a dagger before ushering his siblings to retreat.

  Zale nodded.

  “Good, I will distract them,” he threw another dagger, “you two make it to the hole.”

  “You mean to leave you behind?” At her words Zale turned his gaze to Amenah. Her bloodsoaked arm, holding her sword in a shaky hand. The blood dripped down the blade onto the grass.. Her grey cloak was black and red, and Zale saw small cuts on her legs; of course Herom was telling them to leave first.

  At the West Gate Havil heaved, his feet dug into the ground as he pushed against the three Stilits. He recognized their style; and their faces. Feigning to the left he stabbed a Stilit in his side. “Aminah when given the chance you need to go!” He grunted out. There were more than he had planned; without the help of his wife he would surely die.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Several paces away Aminah swung her staff to attack the men surrounding her. “More time!”

  Havil grimaced but understood. It is not sure if their children have made it out yet. Before they choose to split up they must follow the plan of playing the bait. He summoned his strength and continued to attack.

  Spirited yells broke through the inner courtyard North of them, “Destroy the Aljehni blood! Kill the traitors!” The townsfolk raced through on a path of madness. Killing intent shined through their eyes as they locked their gaze on Havil and his wife. Racing towards them Havil could only wonder. If they ran through the inner courtyard then they came through the North Gate; what happened to his children?

  On the opposite side loud screams drew Herom and Amenah’s attention. Amenah kicked Stilits away, Herom retrieved his blade and saw Asbed, Chiara, and Roset making their way towards them. Behind them were…townsfolk?

  “Herom!” Chiara yelled. Her arms wrapped around Roset as he clung to her shoulder crying. When the people began to attack Roset recognized some of them and cried for them to stop. His body refused to move. It was better for Asbed to have both hands so Chiara carried him.

  Herom was baffled, “What are you three doing here?”

  Asbed leaned against a pillar and tried to catch his breath, heaving his hand clutched his stomach. “They broke through the North Gate. They are after our heads, all of our heads,” he mumbled

  Herom tried to comfort his brother but Chiara screamed and rushed to put Roset down. Chiara?” His leg tensed and he grunted. His hand moved to the arrow that had been shot into his leg. He moved to the side and scanned the roof, where was-

  “Where is Zale?” Amenah asked.

  Chiara also looked up, “He was the one who helped Asbed. An arrow came out of nowhere and grazed a Stilits arm.”

  An onslaught of arrows began flying towards them and Herom pushed his siblings to take cover behind a pillar.

  Behind the pillar Amenah helped Chiara get Roset out of her arms. Thanking her, Chiara aimed for as many archers as she could.

  Herom broke the arrow off and removed it, ripping off a cloth from his inner robe he tied it around his leg. “Is your plan to escape with us through the hole?” He asked Asbed.

  Asbed squatted down behind the pillar still catching his breath. “The plan was to circle back to the North Gate, but more Stilits came. Herom, they fought like soldiers. Aidkjeen soldiers.”

  Herom grimaced and scanned for their next move. “I know, I taught some of them.”

  Amenah shook her head in angry disgust, “After everything our family has done, all the ways we tried to better the kingdom are being used to destroy us.”

  Roset’s body shook as he clutched onto Amenah’s hand. “Why is grannie so angry at us?” His tearful question was hard to understand through his hiccups.

  Chiara bit the inside of her cheek to stop her sobs and focused on shooting more archers down.

  Asbed wrapped cloth around his wrist tightly, “Mother will answer all your questions at the sycamore tree,” he gently dismissed Roset’s questions.

  At the edge of the inner courtyard Dharam pulled her arm, “We have to go Aaleyah! The longer we stay the more danger for the others.”

  Aaleyah stumbled after him, “Dharam, something is wrong,” she brokenly told him. Her entire body pulsed with pain, her leg especially was throbbing.

  Dharam glanced back at her, “Is it Zale?”

  Aaleyah gasped and clutched her side, “He is injured.”

  “How bad?”

  “He can still move but I think his leg may be injured, and his wrist. It feels as if I have been thrown into a wall.” Her jaw trembled, if he was injured then he would not be able to defend himself. He could be in more danger. She did not say all the things she needed to say before they split up-

  Dharam tightened his hold on her wrist, “You are too close to him. We have to get you out of here.”

  Aaleyah stumbled after him, “Dharam will you really make me leave him? There are so many people, mother and father will not be able to hold them off.” She tripped over Pouyen’s body; her hand reached out to catch herself landing in a puddle of blood. Her heart lurched in her throat.

  Head Servant Pouyin’s eyes were open in fear, a knife ledged into his gut. “Pouyin,” she whispered in mourning.

  Dharam lifted her from the ground, “Ley Ley, you must not speak anything into existence. It is too dangerous. I cannot hold your hand and take you out of her. Please be vigilant.”

  As she ran behind Dharam she took in the state of her home. The petals of the trees blew peacefully in the wind, landing on bloodstained grass. When they put the grey flags and lamps around their home to mourn; was it for the death that was to come?

  Dharam pushed her ahead of him, “Just keep running. The faster you get out the faster you can see Zale. If it helps imagine you are racing him, you can prove you are the fastest!” He urged, his arm clutched his bow.

  Aaleyah clutched the daggers in her chest pocket and nodded. Dharam was right, they had to get out of here. To her left a man fell from the roof, his body crashing onto the ground before her.

  “Just keep running, I will clear the path for you,” Dharam promised her and with no other options she swallowed her sobs and agreed.

  Aaleyah and Dharam hid behind a bush and people from the town raced through the estate grounds. Before she was pulled to duck, Aaleyah thought she saw Asbed. Ducking behind the bush she caught her breath and turned to tell Dharam.

  Dharam’s body rose and fell with each breath. He swung his quiver around and counted his arrows, “Aaleyah if possible do you think you can collect arrows as we run?” He whispered to her.

  “Dharam, I saw Asbed.”

  “That is impossible, he is North of us.” He was quick to dismiss her words.

  “Did the people racing through the estate not come from the North? What if they had to circle back? We should help him?”

  Dharam peaked around the bush and scanned their surroundings, “I do not see him. We must not stray from the plan Ley Ley.” Aaleyah opened her mouth to argue but he held his hand up. “If you really did see Asbed running past us, he may be heading to Herom. Herom will not allow anything to happen to him.”

  Aaleyah held her tongue, Dharam’s skeptical gaze was proof he did not believe those words. But if he was willing to lie to convince her to head for the East Gate then it is better for her just to get there quickly.

  Dharam suddenly winced and clutched his shaking arm, “we have to move. Now!”

  Near the edge of the garden Amenah wrapped her arms around Roset and turned, taking an arrow to her arm.

  Herom held a table from the garden as a shield to block them from the stream of arrows. “Still no sign of Zale?” He worriedly watched Amenah pull the string of her bow, ignoring the blood that poured from her wound.

  Chiara had no more arrows and picked up a sword right as 3 men jumped from the roof before them.

  “Drop your weapons, this does not have to end in bloodshed.” The black mask that covered the man’s face was not enough to conceal his identity.

  “Ishmek?” Herom called out. Did his brother know he was here? “Why is it you?”

  Lieutenant Ishmek pulled his mask down, “If not me it would have been someone else. This does not have to be a fight to the death. If you allow us to arrest you no one will get hurt,” he pleaded.

  “Does Iddin know you are here?” Or worse, was one of his best friends here as well? The group he dismantled to protect them, were they here to harm him as retaliation?

  Asbed stood in front of Amenah and Roset and pointed his blade in Lieutenant Ishmek’s direction. “Ishmek, how dare you come here? Years of friendship with my elder brother means nothing to you!?”

  Herom could not afford to feel betrayed, not with his sibling behind him. He lowered the table in his hand and secretly prepared to throw it. “On my call you the four of you run to the hole. Stop for nothing,” he told them in the old language.

  Lieutenant Ishmek took one step towards them, “Captain Herom, talk to me. Please be rational-”

  “I am not your captain!”

  “I am not here to betray you, please just drop your weapons. I promise no harm will come to your family. I truly came to help.”

  Herom lifted the table and in the old language yelled, “Now!”

  Asbed wrapped a hand around Roset and Chiara reached for Amenah and they sprinted for the hole. They were close enough to see the stupid bush Zale had maintained.

  Herom threw the table at the men and immediately followed the attack by throwing daggers in their legs. Once they were down, Herom made for the opposite direction of his siblings to look for Zale. He could not leave the estate without him. However the God of Fortune did not bless this plan as he heard a piercing scream from Chiara.

  The townsfolk had caught up to them, the killing intent they surrounded his siblings with was petrifying; thus he made his way back to them.

  Mixing with the crowd Stilits joined in the fray. The anger of the crowd blinded them from reason.

  Amenah hesitated on raising her sword, “Look around you! You claim we work with the Stilits but they fight alongside you!”

  A man hit her in the stomach, “The atrocities your family has committed has knocked the sand out of their heads. They finally see the Aljehni family for the monsters they truly are!”

  Herom pushed the man away from his sister, “Amenah-” his own lack of energy prevented him from saying the rest. There was no use talking to the crowd. They could not be reasoned.

  Amenah swung the sheath of her sword, stopping others from approaching Roset.

  Determined to get his family out, Herom stabbed his knife into the hand of an archer. Taking the arrow in the archer’s hand he rammed it into another’s leg. An arrow flew through the air into his shoulder, he stumbled and slowly moved his body to protect his siblings. Another arrow flew through the air into the back of his thigh and he stumbled. Herom turned in the direction of the arrows just in time to see the archer get shot off the roof. As he heard a familiar voice he smiled.

  Zale limped towards him, his leg dragged a piece of his cloth around his thigh. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he clutched his side. “Herom. I saw. I saw her, she will make it,” he reported.

  Zale collapsed into his arms and Herom held back his hiss of pain. “You did great, Zale. I am glad you are safe.” Herom comforted. Unable to lift his arm to pat Zale’s back he tapped his elbow instead.

  Around them the people circled them and with a look towards Amenah, he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, and moved Zale to the side.

  With a cry the fight began. Asbed grabbed Roset and stuffed a clean part of his grey cloak in his mouth to quiet him before making for the hole.

  Herom ripped the arrow out his arm and attacked another with it. Some of these townspeople were soldiers in commoners' clothing, and with those men he showed no mercy. More men continued to appear, wave after wave. Herom and his siblings continued to fight but it was no use. How long would they have to keep fighting?

  To the right of Herom, Asbed stood in front of Roset, His sword was broken, and his swings no longer had the energy to attack. The only thing keeping him afloat in the battle was the sacred sword dance. His feet continued to move in the same formations unaware that the rest of its body was broken.

  A few paces away Amenah was knocked unconscious on the ground and Chiara fought off the people who tried to get closer.

  Zale clutched his chest, “The pain is fading, she made it,” he announced.

  The sword was knocked out of Asbed’s hand and his body collapsed to the ground. “The legacy, the legacy is safe,” he panted.

  Next to the stables by the East Gate, Dharam stabbed a Stilits in the neck, and they both crashed to the ground. He rolled to the left and rose to his feet. He had no arrows left and watched with a slight smile on his face as Aaleyah rode out of the estate.

  Holding his bow like a staff he swung at the Stilits around him. He knew he would not be able to follow behind Aaleyah like he had promised. But as the rain fell he knew he would buy her as much time as possible.