Chapter 4: A knight in bloody armor

"Nohr?" Oona took steps back. "You aren't Nohr"

The knight remained silent. He had blood all over his face. He stared at her like she was some foreign object.

" i missed" he said in surprise but his facial expression was devoid of that. No he had a plain expression on his face. He looked at his palm then at her. He pointed his arrow at her once more with a passive expression on his face. They both stared at each other, eyes locked, breath held. Time stood still between them both.

Oona felt her heart skip a beat. Was she going to die, she can't die, what would happen to Nohr? She turned to her window which was now in blasted pieces.

Just then a bottle tied to an arrow flew into the room and landed in between them.

BLAST!!!

Oona felt her body pulled out of the window.

"Ahh!!"

The golden knight walked out of the black smoke and stared at the retreating figure of Oona and the knight who held her hand.

"I missed"

He jumped down from the top of the building and landed on the ground feet first. "This is getting annoying"

In the woods a few miles from the palace

Otto rode on his horse with Oona clinging loosely to his shirt.

"Where's Nohr?" She asked the knight she had seen a couple of times with her brother. They hardly spoke to each other, no she could hardly speak whenever she's outside the castle walls.

Otto didn't reply to her question, he kept his eyes on the road ahead. His horse galloped through the thick green forest."please tell me where Nohr is"

"Shut up okay" Oona clogged on her words. "I'm only saving you because Nohr begged me to, I am not obliged to answer any of your questions"

Oona but her lower lip and left his shirt. She turned to the path that led back to the palace. "Take me back "

"No" he yelled at her "I can't take you back " Oona gritted her teeth and fell off the horse on purpose. "Princess "

Her body rolled for a while and her hair got tangled, once she stood up she started running as fast as she could towards the palace. Otto quickly caught up to her and blocked her path. "Move aside " she yelled angrily.

"I can't " Otto yelled back "I can't let Nohr's sacrifice go to waste"

"I don't care" Oona was about to run when Otto's horse blocked her path and pushed her back.

"Listen princess, in as much as I hate you I have no other choice, you're our last hope and heir to the throne"

"That's a lie" Oona found it hard to believe. "Nohr is alive and the heir to the throne "

Otto climbed down from the horse and walked up to her landing a resounding slap across her face.

"Nohr is probably dead by now, don't make things harder for me, now get yourself on that horse right now" Otto yelled at her, pulling her hand he turned to his horse."I don't know why he would decide to protect someone like you but I'll fulfill my duty even if I die"

"Oh yes, for tempering with her delicate face. Your death is certain " a thunderous voice echoed behind them. Otto though couldn't see Bacius he could sense the eerie aura. Otto unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards his horse.

"Princess run" Oona shook her head sharply she could see the demonic creature in front of them.

"For God's sake be obedient, get out of here " Otto yelled causing her to move her feet.

She ran deep into the forest not having the slightest clue of where she was headed.

Oona squeezed herself through a thorn bushes where she got her long thick hair tangled and stuck. "Ah!" She yelped and fell to the ground. She struggled to pull her hair out."let go... Ah!" She was able to pull herself out but had a full portion of her hair sticking out of the bush. Regardless of her aching hair, Oona kept running.

"Found you" Bacius' voice shook the forest.

BOOM!!!

Oona tripped on a sticking out root. "I can't get caught"

"Hello princess" her heart skipped several beats. Gradually she felt churned in her guts. What happened to Otto who was fighting this beast. She turned to Bacius who stood in front of her with hands dripping blood. Fear made her paler than she already was.

"Oh don't worry about I made sure that bastard got what he deserves" Oona had tears brimming, she was terrified by the aura this creature was emitting. All the spirits Oona had encountered were no where close to the bloodlust and eerie aura of this beast.

"Now let's get you to sleep" a V-shaped smiled out stretched Bacius'face. He stretched his bloody hand to her.

Instinctively Oona covered her face with her hands and shut her eye. "Mother... I'm scared"

SLINK!!

"Now what?" Bacius growled like a wild beast and pulled out the arrow in his chest.

Oona opened her eyes slowly and turned to the silhouette of a knight in front of her. It was the same knight that had shot an arrow at her.

To think she had enough on her plate.

The knight tilted his head and scrutinized her.

"Who are you?" He questioned her with intrigued eyes.

"Why are you here?" This question was directed to Bacius.

"Hmm... You don't seem pleased to see me, well me neither" Bacius stood ready for battle, where as the knight stared at him blankly. "You had better entertain me"

There was a long silence between them both, yet the atmosphere was as tense as ever.

"You see unlike my brother, I'm not really good at sparring nor do I find joy in it" saying those words he turned to Oona totally ignoring Bacius. He stretched his hand to Oona who was still sitted in the ground but what she did left both men surprised. Oona ran away.

"Ha! Looks like you got rejected" Bacius mocked "well then see you" and in a flash disappeared.

"This isn't funny at all"

Oona had covered a lot of ground. She found herself once again at a new place she had no idea about. It was a huge flowing river that had a wide waterfall up ahead. "You have quick legs princess " she jumped in fear and turned to the creature. Her heart was banging against her ribs with so much force she felt it would burst out any minute.

"What did you do to Nohr?" She squeezed her words out in fear and worry.

"Ahh princey" he laughed calmly "he was a great play mate, don't worry unlike that fool that had hit you, I made sure I kept Nohr's body intact, so as to have a proper funeral" Oona sucked in air in disbelief, her brother wouldn't die just like that.

"Yo-you are lying"

"Am I?" Bacius retorted with a question. "Let's get this over with" two daggers appeared out of his sleeves. He swung a dagger at Oona even before she could realize what he was doing.

"Aiye" it was the knight again. He stood right behind Oona, he's hand was wrapped around her hips and his other hand holding the dagger Bacius threw at her tightly.

"Why can't we get our own alone time " Bacius yelled in agitation. He's body began to release an odd looked fume for his cloak.

Oona felt air knocked out of her lungs. His hold round her waist became more firm and tight. Her back was against a solid metal so it was hard for her to free herself.

"We jump at my command " he whispered in her ear.

"I will really enjoy killing you" Bacius laughed angrily.

"I couldn't care less" the knight replied and pulled Oona with him as they both fell into the water.

Bacius appeared in front of them, ready to attack with his weapons. "You can't run from me... I will definitely kill..."

"Flourish" the knight whispered before he and Oona were completely submerged in water.

AT GARETH

The kingdom was completely ruined and fallen apart. Some part were barely standing and smoke ash and blood filled the air. Some parts of the kingdom where peasents live had been completely burned to ash, dead bodies and decapitated human parts were scattered on the streets.

Some knights carried out the dead bodies of Gareth soldiers which were littered all over. All the bodies were dumped in a huge pile which was been burned to ashes.

"We were late" two golden knights stood in a aside to converse.

"The prince" the golden knight who was larger and had a red cape turned to the knight beside him.

"Dead, he had more holes than a flute" the shorter knight replied "it's a miracle he survived a few minutes "

Just then there was a huge explosion at the other end of the kingdom. Everyone turned to the spot where the dust was slowly dispersing. Another golden knight stood in the rubble he had just created.

He walked towards the knight that stood aside from the crowd.

"I can't believe this is the so called conquering kingdom of the West. What a waste" the knight complained. "I hate this place, I'm going home" the knight began to walk away from the death scenery.

The shorter knight shook his head tiredly and tailed his comrade."oh Manasseh"

The knight called Manasseh bounced out but then stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. "Where's he?" He questioned. "Where's Sage?"

Manasseh turned to the slim knight. All the knights around looked at each other and shook their head. "where's he off to now?"

The ground started to vibrate vigorously as if an earthquake was occurring.

"Found him" another golden knight that stood at the top of the damaged tower (oona's tower) pointed at the forest where a huge tree was growing continuously. "I wonder who he changed to a tree this time "

The knight whispered to himself.

Manasseh shrugged his shoulders and walked away from the palace

"I'm going home"