11 Chapter 9: Zombie Apocalypse (1)

The Kingdom of King Vladimir, King Arthur, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth has fallen after forty days.

The zombie's reign the places found outside of Alicesha, for one day and they are attacking the Kingdom of Princess Alice.

"Bring Catthia and the boy, inside!" Alice ordered.

"Let's go!" Caliek volunteered to guide Catthia and the young boy to the palace.

"Princess Alice!" Cartlon grips her arm upon bringing back Ethos.

She narrowed her eyes and look at him sharply. "What do you want?!" She said.

"Why did you sneak out? For pete's sake, it is too dangerous, and you're risking your life!"

Cartlon told the princess angrily.

"Why are you so mad? I need and I have to see to it that my people are at good hands!" Princess Alice replied.

"You don't have to do it, alone!"

"And why, I can't be on my own?!"

Alice and Cartlon argued. Their voices are rising and echoed to the palace.

Cartlon walked back and forth, kicks the surface out of his anger.

"I promise to the King, that I will protect and save you from everyone! I won't break it, Alice." He emphasizes each word, and his voice was in a soft tone.

Alice looked away and stare at the high, steeled main gate of Alicesha. Zombies can't enter the palace on their own if no one will let them in.

"I can protect myself! I can save myself from the undead! You know that I can do it, alone!" Alice said.

"Don't do it again, Alice."

"I'm sorry, but I can't assure you about that thing, Cartlon." Alice walked away from him but suddenly remembered Shaotzie.

She looked at him and said, "Where is Shaotzie?"

Cartlon looked at her and replied, "In your room."

Princess Alice didn't waste any seconds arguing with him. She immediately went to her room and knock the door.

"Shaotzie?"

"This is Alice! Open the door, now!"

There are no gatekeepers outside of the Princess'room. Alice punched the door repeatedly but still, no one opens it.

"What happened?" Cartlon asked the Princess.

"Shaotzie is not opening the door!"

"Shaotzie?!"

"Stay back." For the second time, Cartlon pushed and kicked the door.

"Shaotzie?!" 

Princess Alice roamed around and search for Shaotzie but she can't find her younger sister.

Cartlon helped her and he saw the window. It was unlocked and there's a small piece of Shaotzie's dress. "Alice!"

She runs closer to Cartlon and saw the piece of cloth from Shaotzie. "No! She can't be!"

Princess Shaotzie sneaked out from the palace. Imitating her sister's activity.

"I'm sure about it, Alice! I left Shaotzie here! She was sleeping and so I... I forcibly opened the door. I asked her, where are you, and Shaotzie told me that you sneaked out. That's it! I left Shaotzie here!"

"Did you told her about  zombies apocalypse?" Princess Alice asked him.

Cartlon gulped and cleared her throat. She's right, he told the youngest Princess about it.

"Did you told her?"

"Answer me, Cartlon!" Alice exclaimed. She's afraid and frightened of Shaotzie.

If she really cringed out from the palace, Shaotzie is in danger.

"Yes, your majesty," Cartlon replied and lowered his head down.

"We need to find her, Cartlon. We need to bring Shaotzie's back!" Princess Alice put down the helm and went off from her room.

Cartlon prepared everything they need. Dagger, swords, knives, and safety gear. They have to be protected against the undead by iron armors.

Caliek saw Alice and Cartlon preparing themselves. "Where are you going? It's too dangerous!"

"Princess Shaotzie is missing. We need to find her, no matter what." Cartlon replied, wearing a helm made of iron.

"What?! How?!"

"Stay here, Caliek. Protect the woman and the young boy. We will come back, as soon as we found Shaotzie." Alice uttered plainly.

"Your highness!" Out of nowhere, Catthia and the young boy appeared at the back of Caliek.

Perhaps, they followed him without his knowledge. "Catthia, I need to save my sister. Caliek is here and he will be going to protect you from any danger."

"I know from the very beginning that you were the Princess of Alicesha. I am grateful to see and to meet you personally, your highness " Catthia told her.

"Here. Keep this, and we will look forward to your come back, your highness." The young boy gives her a silver necklace with a minute cross pendant.

Alice took the necklace from him and wear it. "Thank you." She kissed the young boy's cheek and stood up.

"It's getting dark now, we need to hurry. Caliek, I'm counting on you. Protect my people and my kingdom."

Caliek shook his head and bowed to the Princess. He looked at Cartlon, saying "Take care of her, or else I'll kill you".

"Let's go!"

Cartlon and Princess Alice began with their mission which is, to find and to bring back Shaotzie to the palace.

The gatekeepers open the gate and bowed to the Princess.

"Guard the palace. See to it that zombies can't penetrate."

"Yes, your highness!"

Alice and Cartlon walked quietly, as the zombies roamed around the Alicesha.

They spread unexpectedly in a short period of time. They are hungry, greedy, and desirous to eat the human flesh.

"Alice!" Cartlon called her. He pointed the two zombies walking in the opposite direction. They can run away from them by walking peacefully.

"And one, two, three!"  Cartlon counted but Alice steps on a branch of a tree. It causes an unnecessary noise that caught the zombie's attention.

Princess Alice cursed into the wind and tugs her sword from her side. "It's now or never."

Cartlon was forced to tugs his sword too. He walked closer to Alice and tugs his sword.

They're ready to attack and to kill them with no mercy.

"Raaarrrgghh!" Zombie screamed and run towards Alice. But, she was too fast, Alice steps backward and thrust her weapon to the zombie's gut.

Blood came out, and she pulls the weapon to set it free.

"Cartlon! At your back!"

Alice told him in a low tone.

He turned his back and zombie is coming into his way. Cartlon, without hesitation, he swipes the weapon into the undead and its head dropped into the ground.

"Live in hell, weak zombies!"

Cartlon and Alice put their swords back into its sheath. The sun was totally disappeared, and the place became darker.

It will make it harder for both of them to find Shaotzie during at night. But, Alice promised to Shaotzie that she will protect her even if it takes her life away.

"What are we going to do, now? It's dark in here, Alice! We can't see, Shaotzie."

"Shhh." Alice put her finger into his lips to shut him up.

"Look at the starry night and the fascinating bright moon." The Princess added, smiling while looking up above the starry night.

**

When Cartlon leaves Princess Shaotzie, she can't get rid of the thought about the undead.

"Zombie apocalypse! It's happening now, your honor."

"I need to save, Princess Alice!" She uttered, embracing her cold, soft hands.

Shaotzie walked back and forth, thinking for a better plan. She opened the window, seeing a high ladder.

"I'm coming, your highness!" Shaotzie said.

Shaotzie rushed down, and so her dress was torn. She didn't realize that a piece of her dress left at Princess Alice's room.

As soon as she reaches the ground, Shaotzie runs towards the gate found at the back of the palace. It was a secret gateway, and the person who knew about it was her, and Alice.

Shaotzie, wandered around when she bumped into someone who's running fast.

"What's going on?!" Shaotzie asked the poor girl.

The poor girl was crying and she got a small cut into her knees.

Shaotzie felt a pang of sudden guilt, so, she helped the girl to stand up.

"Zombies! They killed my parents! My younger sister and my younger brother! They killed everyone!"

Shaotzie covered her mouth upon hearing it. It's true! The rumor is true and it is happening now in Alicesha.

"Zombie?"

"Princess Shaotzie?!" The poor girl steps back as soon as she recognizes the youngest Princess.

Shaotzie shook her head and smiled bitterly at her.

"Where are you heading at?"

"I don't know, your honor. I have nothing now! But, I've promised my mother that I'll fight to stay alive."

"Don't worry, I'll going to help you. But, we need to get out of here!" Shaotzie replied.

"By the way, I'm Sahara." She bowed to the princess, despite her wounds and fear in her heart.

"I'm glad to meet you, Sahara." The Princess offers for a handshake and Sahara accepted it.

"It's getting dark now! We need to be careful, Princess Shaotzie."

Sahara knows everything about the zombies. She witnessed how her mother and father bitten by the undead. She hid at the old cabinet of their small but until her parents turned into a zombie, too.

"Sahara! Look!" Shaotzie, while holding Sahara's hand uttered.

They saw, as what they estimated, ten zombies sauntering around. They were bathed of blood, and their clothes are ragged and wicked.

"Shhh. Their sense of smell and hearing is strong at night. We need to be cautious and prudent, your honor."

Sahara told Shaotzie, and she leads the way. Walking dead is usually active during the night, they can easily predict and indicate where the noise is coming from.

As Shaotzie and Sahara, find the way back to the palace, they unexpectedly meet a new guy.

"Hey!"

Shaotzie halted and looked around. "Wait!"

"I heard someone's voice, calling us."

Sahara did the same but she saw nothing.

"There's no one in here, your honor," Sahara replied.

Shaotzie sighed disappointedly. "Let's go!"

The Princess and the girl named, Sahara tried to find a way to get back to the palace.

But, how can they survive when zombies are roaming around the kingdom? Will Shaotzie can save and protect herself from the waking dead or she will be bitten and become of them?

"Come this way!" Out of nowhere, a boy appeared carrying a sharpened, and polished steel.

He was tall, with white fair skin, black-haired, thick eyebrows, pointed noise that matches his paled lips and jaw.

"Who are you for us to trust you?!" Shaotzie hides Sahara, and take a few steps backward.

The boy gave them an abrupt laugh and said, "Trust in me, young lady. You and your friend are safe if you come with me, now."

Shaotzie stared at him with doubt in her heart. If they will reject the boy's offers, anytime soon zombies night showed up again.

"Who said that we're not?!" Shaotzie composes herself and replied, with her head held high.

The boy smiled bitterly, as he leads the way to their hideout.