Knock on the door

"Everything will be explained in due time young Zera, now time for the-"

"YOUR MAJESTY, YOUR MAJESTY ARE YOU IN THERE!? PLEASE OPEN UP WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Everyone turned to look at the chamber door, then at each other. Silvana stood up and rushed towards the door everyone watching her in anticipation. The palace had been quiet aside from Zera and her screaming. This claim that they were under attack was completely out of the blue.

Silvana slowly opened the chamber door...a body fell in.

It was a guard, his armour had some sort of claw marks on the back and an arrow had been lodged into his neck.

Silvana watched in horror as the body continued to bleed at her feet.

"Silvana, what is it dear?" asked the apostle

Silvana looked up from the body and stared down the hallway.

The torches had died, ash was scattered on the floor almost as if someone blew them out in a rush. It was empty she could barely see anything but what was even more concerning was that there was

Dead

Silence

"Guardians, formation NOW!"

"I'm on it"

Lucien hurriedly walked over towards Apostle Athena and stood guard.

Without hesitation Hunter rushed towards the chamber doors to assist Silvana, taking up a stance that heavily suggested he was ready for combat.

"Zee take Zera back to the dorm"

"Huh? Why me!?"

Silvana gave Zaranah a death stare that instantly convinced her to listen to her instruction.

As Zaranah was about to grab Zeras hand she reluctantly stepped back to avoid her attempt.

"Excuse me? I'm not going anywhere!"

"You don't have your sword and you don't have a blessing, you're neither a Guardian nor a knight in this current moment so you're useless to us if you can't fight. Take her to the dorm Zaranah that's an order, she'll be safer there"

Hunter, not exactly fond of his commanders order decided to step in.

"Actually Grand Priestess won't it be safer if we all stick together? whatever is in this palace is most likely highly dangerous if they manage to break past the guards and make it all the way to the chambers undetected."

Zaranah added on to her friend's comment.

"Not to mention we haven't heard any more screaming or shouting since then, that could mean it's more than one intruder and I doubt anyone outside the palace actually knows what's going on"

"But who is capable of doing all of this with such ease and without making a ruckus?" Asked the apostle, who is clearly intrigued with these circumstances.

Silvana let out a heavy sigh

"You know what fine we'll go together but don't even THINK about leaving our sight, okay listen up Hunter and I will lead from the front we first have to safely secure the Apostle somewhere outside in the main courtyard then Lucien will stay with her while trying to get outside help then the rest of us will head back in and do a clean sweep of the palace. Zaranah you're on babysitting duty"

"Huh? Baby? What? Me?"

"Yeah so try not to cry like you did earlier would ya?"

The Guardians left the throne room in formation while keeping a decent distance apart from eachother and silently began navigating the palace to find the nearest exit while walking past bodies of slain guards and pools of blood scattered throughout on the palace floor, the bodies had been ripped apart, limbs torn, bones broken, organs seeping out. The smell of death made Zera want to vomit, she has never seen anything close to these scenes before. It was so dark to the point where Hunter kept on tripping every 2 minutes.