[h3][i]The Barcean-H'kelan Border - The Great Cracks[/i][/h3]

It was truly a combination of the efforts on the Barcean front that drove the H'kelan forces back. Though the efforts of the two Gifted which produced shocked responses from their enemy, the terror that the Direwolf struck into the hearts of those unlucky enough to face him, and the chanting of the Paladin as he crushed heads were all significant factors in driving the attackers back, it was more than just the efforts of the strong that resulted in victory that day. Everyone involved truly played a part in it, from the defensive Sampson to the wild Gortul, the sniping Alice to the watery Stark, the healing of Diane to the trickery of Dalious, the strength of Thuraya and the force that was Shadar, the returning skill that was Vesta and the fresh slaughter that was Calypso; all of these efforts came together to not just ensure victory, but to make sure no Barceans were lost to these simple H'kelan soldiers.

Cyril played no small part of this. His efforts on horseback consisted of not just smashing through lines, but also guiding and directing. More often than not he shouted orders to someone (typically the Sentinels or someone along those lines), guiding them to weakened points of the H'kelan forces. With the Prince's keen eyes repeated strikes were brought down upon the crumbling H'kelan mind, and it was only a matter of time before they turned and fled. When they did so, a few gave chase initially, such as the Paladin, Direwolf, and even the Prince, but the latter of which soon reined his horse in, calling out high over the clamor of the retreat:

[b]"RETURN TO ME! RETURN TO THE BORDER, TO OUR FORCES!"[/b]

The Prince's reasoning for this was quite straightforward: There was no telling what Gartian had waiting for them beyond the cracks, what force the retreating H'kelans were running towards. Pursuit would just lead to someone getting killed, losses that the Prince refused to risk. Instead they would retreat back to the Barcean line with plenty of warning about the coming conflicts, and with plenty of time to prepare. Whatever time they could get, the Prince would take; he knew it was all a matter of surviving until the Guratans arrived.

The quick retreat brought them back to Alasa and the Queen, who were already waiting back at the main fort on the Barcean side of the Great Cracks. The Queen had already given orders, which meant the Barcean soldiers were mobilizing as the company arrived. Cyril added on to the orders of the Queen with the following: To hold the Cracks for as long as possible, then the forts, and then every single inch of the Barcean fields for as long as possible.

With the orders given, Cyril looked to his sister. [b]"It's not safe here, Kori. We need to get you back to the Capitol."[/b] The Queen didn't respond to his words initially, acting as if she hadn't heard him at all. Instead, she simply looked back and forth, seeing as the soldiers began rapidly preparing what defenses they could muster even before moving out to set up lines along the Cracks, but she eventually looked to him with after a gentle sigh, giving a nod.

[b]"If you insist, Cyril."[/b]

[h3][i]The Capitol of Barcea[/i][/h3]

When the walls of the Capitol once again came into sight it was already well past the setting of the sun, so the white walls almost gleamed eerily as they reflected the moon. The gate was only brought up after they announced themselves, security tighter than normal thanks to the changed (and now rapidly worsening) conditions. Having seen the streets for the most part full during the day, to see them so empty at night was a strange sensation for many of them, even for a few of those that had lived within the Capitol for all of their lives.

From the outer walls to the inner walls they made their way, before passing into the center area with the castle. Gentle light came from the castle, leaking through the windows and the walls, so it wasn't terribly dark as they made their approach. When they got closer the front doors to the castle were opened, their arrival clearly expected...

Probably in no small part thanks to Ayano, who practically tumbled through the newly opened doors after they opened. Who knew just how far away she had smelled them from, but she had single-handedly made sure enough servants were up for the company's return (and more as well, thanks to who she went blindly crashing through the halls to do so). Even as the party came to a stop she was right there in front of the horses, her fingers groping out to find anyone she could as she spoke up.

[b]"Kori, Cyril! You're back! Everyone's okay, right?!"[/b]

Cyril was one of the first to drop from his horse, so he stepped forward to Ayano, gently taking one of her hands and giving it a squeeze. [b]"We're alright, Ayano. A few bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious. We're all here."

"Oh, good!"[/b] Even as she spoke the Princess heard her sister gently return to the ground, and still holding Cyril's hand reached out for her as well. Smiling gently, but in a tired sort of way, the Queen placed her hand in Ayano's as she came close.

[b]"I'm here, Ayano. You should be asleep by now."

"Do you honestly think I could sleep now?!"[/b]

As Ayano rushed out the doors to greet her siblings, Etsuko wasn't far behind. The fortune teller did her best to keep up with the Princess, trying to guide her as best as she could. However, when Cyril and Kori seemed to take the lead, Etsuko immediately rushed to her tall friend and wrapped her in a tight hug.

[b]"Calypso! Oh thank the Divines you're alright!"[/b]

Calypso seemed to be startled at a sort of reverie when her friend hugged her, hopping in her place slightly. However, she smiled even more than usual as she looked down to the Diviner, gently bringing one hand up to pat her head with the tips of her fingers.

[b]"Of course...~"[/b]

Etsuko looked up at Calypso, smiling slightly at the gentle pats she was receiving on the head. She still hadn't let go.

[b]"Are you alright? Did you get hurt?"[/b]

The taller young woman shook her head- indeed, despite all the blood that had been drawn, none of it had been hers.

[b]"Nope...~ Not at all...~"[/b]

Finally, she let go and gave a sigh of relief. Her smile grew as she heard the news of no injuries from Calypso.

[b]"I'm so happy to hear that."[/b]

She seemed to remember that there were other people in the party as well, and she tilted her head to look behind Calypso. Immediately, her eyes landed on Christopher, to whom she gave a smile.

[b]"Christopher! It's good to see you again!"[/b]

The Paladin's student seemed more tired and surly than usual, but at Etsuko's greeting he seemed to at least try and muster some more energy, to be polite. He gave her a nod, bringing up one slight wave to her with his now grime-covered gauntlet.

[b]"Hey, Etsuko. Doing alright?"[/b]

She nodded her head, still smiling.

[b]"Yes, now that you're all back here. I was so worried!"[/b]

She started moving towards him, her smiling slowly giving way to a worried expression.

[b]"Did you get hurt? Are you alright? I can tend to any wounds you have if you need me to..."[/b]

He quickly shook his head, bringing up one hand some as he did so and shaking it as well. [b]"No, no, I'm fine. Just some bruises, nothing unusual. Don't worry about it."[/b]

She seemed to do the exact opposite of that for a moment, looking even more worried as her eyebrows furrowed slightly, only to sigh and nod.

[b]"Well, I'm glad you're alright. You and everyone else, it seems. Er, I'm sure you're tired, like everyone else. Um, good night then, Christopher. I'm glad you came back safely."

"Night, Etsuko."[/b]

While those two said their farewells, it was while the royals came to Ayano that the much taller elf made her presence known. Krissandria stood back a ways, behind Ayano, staring at the Queen. Slender hand came up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear and took quick steps forward. The click of her heels on stone were full of determination, of what, she was sure they would know. She stopped just behind Ayano, eyes falling on Kori still. Lips were tight, posture was perfect as she stood there, one hand raising to rest upon her hip for only a moment before both arms crossed. 

Silence came from here for a few moments to wait for the Queen to finish what business she had with her siblings and with a small, sharp breath, she began. [color=82ca9d][b]"Your Majesty!"[/b][/color] Her tone was not loud, though it was nearly as sharp as the breath she'd taken. It was not so much one of discipline, but more of concern. No one had mentioned a damn thing to her. [color=82ca9d][b]"Throne and chambers empty? Steed gone? No note?!"[/b][/color] She simply stared then, then let her eyes shift to Cyril. [color=82ca9d][b]"And you let her go!" The tone was clear - she didn't mind so much that they had gone. It was just... "Majesty..."[/b][/color] she started softly, [color=82ca9d][b]"I am a hundred and nine years your senior. When I say not to go off without telling me, one would think that I speak from experience. Yes, I realize you're the Queen, and know that you can, and respect that you do make your own decisions. You know I would do anything for you, but I ask just one thing... One thing that perhaps you would do for me..?"[/b][/color]

She brought herself down then, to a kneeling position. At first her head hung to match her bow but eventually did look up at Kori. A soft, relieved sigh, and eyes full of almost fleeting worry. [color=82ca9d][b]"Please do not leave without notifying me again..."[/b][/color]

While Ayano remained blissfully relaxed when the elf spoke, both the Queen and Prince seemed to realize that they were in trouble. While Cyril's back suddenly went straight, the Queen closed her eyes gently as if she accepted her fate, before opening them once again to listen to her bodyguard. The Queen was much more calm than the Prince, who went even more rigid as the Queensguard suddenly (and thankfully only briefly) turned her attention to him before focusing on the Queen again. In that moment it seemed like the Prince might try to slink away, but the Queen just gave a slow nod.

Her hand went down, gently resting on Krissandria's head before it went down as the Queen bent to lift the elf up by her hand. [b]"I apologize for worrying you so much, Krissandria. I would have avoided doing so if I could, but there simply wasn't any time."

"Gartian forced our hands..."[/b] Cyril mumbled this as if to defend his own actions, before he quickly busied himself with checking over the Sentinels and making sure everything was being taken from the horses properly. The Queen briefly looked to him before her gaze returned to the elf, giving a slow nod.

[b]"He called for a meeting on the border, but it was just to declare war. If we had waited any longer, then many would be dead now."[/b]

As she felt Kori's hand upon her head, then lifting her up. Krissandria hand reached for the Queen's and only held for a moment before dropping. She stood slowly, keeping in a slight bow for a moment even as she got back to her feet. [color=82ca9d][b]"I understand."[/b][/color] Her mind went over what had been said. War had started again then. She couldn't say she didn't see it coming. Gartian, from what she had learned, was completely mad and it had really only been a matter of time before he forced battles to begin once more, and for war to rage its way across the lands. 

She gave another soft sigh, eyes closing, clearly calming down now. [color=82ca9d][b]"A meeting on the border, I assume to take your life himself?"[/b][/color] her tone dropped to a much lower pitch, eyes opening only slightly, looking down to the ground. Head shook once in each direction and she forced a small smile to her lips. [color=82ca9d][b]"Well, what's important is that those lives that would be lost are not, and your own is spared as well. Surely you need rest, Your Majesty... Cyril!"[/b][/color] she looked back to him then; [color=82ca9d][b]"I would have a word with you, if I may, about what transpired at the border? Then, you too, should rest."[/b][/color] Of course, she would accept the events' explained by anyone else, if he so chose to appoint someone. Truly she only wished to know what she would need to prepare for.

Briefly it seemed like Cyril thought he might be yelled at again and a little more thoroughly this time, but he relaxed a bit once again as it seemed that she just wanted information. He nodded, returning back to the elf, and as he did so the Queen began to move again, gently leading her sister inside. [b]"I'll be inside, Krissandria. Come, Ayano. Good night Cyril."

"Good night Ayano, good night Kori."[/b] With his farewells said, he looked back to the member of the Queensguard. [b]"It was pretty straightforward. It took place in the Great Cracks, and he was waiting with his forces. When he didn't get what he wanted, he left and had them attack us. Alasa was the one who led the Queen to safety."[/b]

[color=82ca9d][b]"And so simply, the war continues."[/b][/color] She frowned slightly, brow furrowing. [color=82ca9d][b]"Well, it would seem that my time upon the battlefield is not yet complete."[/b][/color] Eye opened and she gave another small bow to the prince. [color=82ca9d][b]"I'll see to it that Alasa is properly thanked. For now, however, it would be wise if you and the others also get some well-deserved, and needed rest. Get it while you can, Cyril... Rest may not be a luxury you get to enjoy much longer."[/b][/color] Her tone dropped once more, as did her gaze. Her hand went to the side of her face, fingers gently moving along the side of her eye-patch, other eye closing.

Clearly her memories had bested her in that moment, lips parted slightly as she slowly took a deeper breath then composed herself. [color=82ca9d][b]"Good night, Prince Cyril."[/b][/color]

[b]"Good night, Krissandria."[/b] He gave her a nod before he turned, once more beginning to move away with some actual purpose. Everyone was dismissed in that moment, considering how sound the Queensguard's advice was; rest was needed, especially with what would probably be coming in the other days. As everyone dispersed, either going straight to rest, cleaning themselves, or tending to whatever small wounds they may have gained, the Prince took a moment to look out towards the wall, frowning some before he turned to enter the castle.

Things were normally quiet within the castle, but at night it was a different kind of quiet. Rather than being one of reservation and borderline contemplation, at night it was a sort of stillness, just enough to be restful. Whatever noise that was created by their entrance and moving through the halls was quickly dispersed, but to the east where the Queen kept her quarters it was almost completely silent.

The Queen walked herself back to her rooms after dropping Ayano off at hers, lost in her own thoughts. Her hand rested on her chest just above her breasts, in the same spot that she had touched each other as Gartian barked his demands. Her expression was thoughtful, but unlike usual there was almost a frustrated note to it. She managed to break this negative inflection as she entered her room, giving a heavy sort of sigh. Finally in her room, it would have been a simple matter to undress and then clothe herself for the night, but instead she delayed. The most she did was remove her crown from her head, gently setting it upon its place on her large nightstand.

Worry had set in early that day, though with everyone back at the castle things seemed more at peace, both within the walls themselves, and with Krissandria. She'd taken a more calming walk after her talk with Cyril. Slow paces, thoughts wandering, though she'd kept them from running off too far. Mostly, she thought of how she could keep herself informed, to prevent today from happening again... Of course, the thought of simply never leaving Kori's side was the first to come, and the longest to linger. As she struggled to think of other ways, she found herself walking closer to the Queen's chambers. Before she knew it, she was standing outside the door, hand rose but simply placed itself on the cool wall, fingers pressing against it lightly before she finally moved it off the wall, and curled lightly, letting her knuckles tap against wood. 

Silence followed for only a moment before another light tap and she spoke; [color=82ca9d][b]"Kori? It's Kriss -- I-It's Krissandria, my Queen."[/b][/color] eyes shifted, head turned each way down the hall. Fingers uncurled and she placed her hand lightly against the door, awaiting invitation in.

Perhaps the reason why the Queen had been moving so slowly was because she had been expecting a visitor to end the day, and more specifically this one. She gave a sigh to herself in order to keep her composure, closing her eyes briefly. She was tired, her thoughts were lost and almost overwhelmed, and neither of those would do in the moment. With the moment passed, she turned towards the door, raising her voice to gently call out to it:

[b]"Come in, Krissandria."[/b]

Hand slid down the door to the handle, opening it and she slipped inside. Closing the door behind herself she turned to the Queen and her eye scanned over her body. Checking for any scrapes or bruises that would've been visible. Any differences in her stance or posture. Slowly she stepped forward, stopping a short ways away, taking herself down to one knee, head bowed. This bow was much different than the one she'd shown earlier, where others could see. It was much more of a relieved slump, than a proper bow. A real smile showing now, rather than a forced one. She reached one hand forward, palm up, as if asking for Kori to take it. 

[color=82ca9d][b]"I'm so relieved you are unharmed..."[/b][/color]

Once more the Queen's hand found the elf's, gently resting in it for a moment before she took it gently, and once more brought Krissandria to her feet. The Queen understood why the elf felt the need to bow, especially in public, but in private it really was unnecessary. She'd rather see the elf's face when they spoke, and she gave a slight nod with her smile.

[b]"I'm fine, Krissandria. Cyril was intent on not letting any harm come to me, so the likelihood of anything happening was very minimal."[/b]

As she stood, Krissandria's fingers curled around Kori's. Her eye shifted between each of the Queen's, keeping her smile, letting it grow slightly. [color=82ca9d][b]"Yes... Yes I know Cyril would never let anything happen. As goes for the Sentinels, and all else in these beautiful lands."[/b][/color] her other hand came up, taking Kori's other hand in it, before bringing them together with the others. Her own hands encasing the Queen's, eye closing as her head bowed. [color=82ca9d][b]"It's just.. if anything had happened... For any reason at all, and I wasn't there, so I couldn't protect you... I..."[/b][/color] fingers curled a bit more to grasp tighter at the other's hands.

The Queen smiled a little bit more, though it almost had a bittersweet note to it considering what Krissandria was talking about. In order to distract both herself and the elf from that line of thought she gently squeezed Krissandria's hands, reminding them both that they were still there, rather than in some sort of hypothetical. [b]"I know, Krissandria, I know... But nothing did happen, not yet. Let's just be thankful for that, rather than thinking about what could have happened."[/b]

A small nod from the elf and she let her eye fall upon the Queen once more. [color=82ca9d][b]"Yes... Yes of course. You're absolutely right."[/b][/color] a small shake of her head and her smile faded slightly though looked much more sincere now. [color=82ca9d][b]"Perhaps my worry can get the better of me. But all is well, now."[/b][/color] She hesitated for a moment, to let go of Kori's hands, but after she'd managed to let go she stepped closer, pulling her closer. Arms wrapped around the other woman gently but amorously, tightening as she took a deep breath. 

The Queen returned the gesture just as gently, briefly resting against the elf as she closed her eyes for a moment. Only after Krissandria had relaxed after her deep breath did the Queen pull away ever slightly, smiling gently as she looked to her once again, giving her a gentle nod. [b]"All is well, as you said. Please, don't worry yourself about it anymore. I promise to do my very best to keep you informed from now on."[/b]

Krissandria relaxed further, feeling the Queen's weight leaning into her, however slight it was. The embrace tightened for a short moment before she pulled away slightly, and she let her eye meet with Kori's once more. Keeping one arm around her, the other pulled back, to once more take Kori's hand in her own. She rose their hands between them, placing a gentle kiss upon the queen's fingers before her own hand grasped tighter. [color=82ca9d][b]"As you say, my Queen. I'll hold you to that promise. Yet I find myself pondering still, perhaps I could simply not leave your side."[/b][/color]

The action made the Queen smile a little more, and she clearly didn't seem to mind what the Queensguard had to say. She gave another nod before she returned the gesture, mirroring how Krissandria had kissed her fingers as she did the same, before gently letting her go afterwards. [b]"Maybe some time soon, Krissandria... But for now, I need to rest. My advisors are going to be quite... vocal tomorrow."[/b]

She nodded, tightening her embrace slightly as the queen let go and stepped back after she spoke. [color=82ca9d][b]"Yes, of course. Rest well, Kori."[/b][/color] To the door, she grasped its handle and opened it as slowly as she had when she'd entered, pausing to look back upon the Queen once more, smile fading only after she turned and left the room.

The Queen had returned the elf's smile as she left, but as soon as Krissandria left her face once again fell into its pensive state. She slowly turned, moving as if without direction as she slowly drifted through her room. Once more her hand came up, though this time it slipped to her neck. There it gently found a bright gold chain, and with a slow tug she slowly removed the piece of jewelry from her dress.

It was a small thing, just enough to fit it in her palm as she held it up. Made of gold that seemed to glow and gleam gently, the locket was a perfect circle and closed without a seam, so perfectly it was made. On the front face of the locket were set seven small jewels, no two of them exactly alike. The closest there were to being two of the same were two purple ones, though one was a much brighter shade while the other one was deeper and darker. Beyond that there was a bright silver gem, a dark gold one, another that was a soft red and yet another that was a faint blue, and the last of them all was one that seemed both black and white at the same time.

The Queen was one of the few who knew what was inside, so she made no move to open it. Instead she simply held it to her face, lightly pressing it against her skin as she almost desperately planned for the days ahead.

[h3][i]Around Twenty Four Hours Later[/i][/h3]

The next day went exactly as some may have expected, with plenty of movement into and out of the castle. Messengers were constantly on the move as soldiers were directed from the Capitol towards the border in even greater numbers than before. What messengers that returned from the border brought news that even if the H'kelans had already fought their way through the Great Crack, the forts were at least holding for the time being. However, no news returned from the north about the Guratans, which meant they were discounted in any sort of planning.

More than one of the advisors thought that the Guratans had already abandoned them, but both the Queen and the Prince held faith, and showed their patience. While the Queen set about calming those few advisors and keeping all minds on the tasks at hand, the Prince went about inspecting his own forces and his own maps, trying to come up with his own plans. He planned for every situation that he could account for, considering who he would send where and why. Even if he had recruited and brought many new people into his fold, it didn't feel like nearly enough.

So lost was he in his own thoughts and frustrations that by the time he snapped out of it day had already become night once again, and once more the halls had emptied and become quiet. Perhaps he would have simply stayed awake through the entire night if it weren't for the sudden wave of exhaustion that hit him, one that made him yawn and realize just how late it was. It took him a moment for him to put away everything he was working with, but soon enough he was on his way back through the hallways.

He should have head back to his room, but for some reason that night he didn't. Rather than following the hallways straight back, he instead chose to head outside into one of the courtyards. The night was unusually chilly, and yet still the Prince chose to remain outside, looking up towards the sky. Once more, a displeased expression came over his face, as if he came across a sour thought.

The constant movement throughout the castle did nothing to soothe Etsuko's nerves. Everyone seemed busy preparing for the impending battles to come and she felt utterly...useless. She couldn't offer her ability because of how weak it was. It would only give a small glimpse of the future, and even then, those glimpses were vague and blurry. Her worrying left her awake and on that cold night, she was wrapped up in her shawl in one of the courtyards.

She had been alone for a while, looking up at the sky from where she sat, which wasn't on a bench but rather in front of it. Her head rested on the seat as she looked up. Up above, it seemed like there wasn't any sort of chaos. No battles to be fought, no deaths to risk, just the starry sky.

A sudden stirring in the courtyard made her jump and turn around. She saw Cyril, a sour expression on his face. Slowly, she stood up and approached him, making sure to identify herself in case he was startled.

[b]"Prince Cyril? I-It's just me, Etsuko. Is everything alright?"[/b]

The Prince tensed ever slightly in surprise, quickly turning in the direction of her voice. Realizing who it was and hearing her identify herself calmed him though, and he slowly relaxed as he gave her a nod, smiling weakly.

[b]"Oh, hello Etsuko. Everything is..."[/b] He gave a slight sigh then, and shrugged. [b]"Sorry. I've had a lot to think about as of late."[/b]

She nodded her head as she went to stand closer to him.

[b]"Um, would you like to talk about it? I've heard it helps. B-But only if you want to, of course."[/b]

For a moment he was quiet, but then he just gave another sigh. [b]"You weren't there for Etsuko, so it's hard to explain, but Gartian said a lot of true things about what Barcea has done in the past. How we attacked them, and the things we did. He's not wrong, and that's part of the problem."[/b]

She nodded her head slowly this time, remembering everything she had learned as a child in school. She knew about what the late King Olain Serio had done, and so she could imagine how upset the entire nation of H'Kela still was at Barcea. It didn't surprise her that they wanted Barcean blood to be spilt after having their own blood water the grounds on which they stepped on.

[b]"I...see."[/b]

Etsuko was at a loss for words, unsure how to comfort the Prince. The least she could do was put a hesitant hand on his shoulder.

He didn't seem to mind, silent for a moment longer. Eventually he spoke again, looking upwards briefly before looking to her. [b]"It makes things difficult, especially considering Gartian is just wanting to attack us all the more. We have no choice but to defend ourselves, but still... Their grievances aren't without foundation."[/b] He shook his head slightly, as if thinking of something to say. For a few moments, both listened to the quiet of the castle...

The quiet that wasn't restful, but oppressive. In that moment the Prince tensed, a shiver running down his back as he tensed. His eyes flicked back and forth, hand going down to his sheathed blade at his side even as he coiled, ready to strike-

[b]"Look out!"[/b] His hand shot out, knocking Etsuko to the side and to the ground even as two dark shadows dropped from some of the nearby trees. How the Prince had missed them he had no idea, but he had barely enough time to move Etsuko out of harm’s way before diving away from the thrown daggers as well. Rolling against the ground he shot up to his feet, rushing forwards to close the distance with the attackers, the only chance he had with his only weapon. With how quickly he moved he struck down the closest in their surprise, taking him down with one brutal strike that cut deeply into the neck.

The next was more than a little ready, and even as the first attacker fell the second was on top of him, forcing him back. Eyes narrowed as he watched the movements of his opponent, the Prince kept back as a knife was stabbed at him again and again, Cyril barely keeping out of its reach. The Prince only attacked when his opponent finally made a misstep, not pulling back fast enough from one particularly deep attempt at attacking. The Prince's blade flashed up, severing the would-be assassin's hand before he stabbed forwards, into the man's gut.

After a brief cry of pain, the man fell back and away. Cyril quickly whirled, going to Etsuko and holding his hand out to her. [b]"Are you alright?!"[/b]

Etsuko yelped as she fell to the ground and watched as Cyril fought the two assassins off. She watched with bated breath as they attacked Cyril, hoping that no royal blood would be spilt. Thankfully, there was none. She was wide-eyed when Cyril offered her a hand, to which she took as she stood up. Gulping, she nodded and began frantically looking around.

[b]"W-We need to get everyone! I-I can get them, b-but please let Queen Kori know!"

"No!"[/b] Cyril said, quite forcefully. Even as he said this he was turning, taking Etsuko by the shoulder and pulling her with him as he moved quickly towards the door. [b]"I'm not leaving you alone when we have no idea how many there are. Besides-!"[/b] Cyril cut off his own words when, quite suddenly, he heard a scream, one that was followed by many more yells. As the castle suddenly woke up in chaos, the Prince grit his teeth as he slammed the door open, saying, [b]"I'm sure they all know by now."[/b]

The first scream that came from the guard who woke up before he was killed was the cause of many saved lives that night. If it weren't for that one scream brought on by being stirred by his attackers, many more would have had their throats slit before even waking. Now though, they had a chance to arm themselves and fight, and maybe even survive. Their enemy, though great of number, was only lightly armored, clinging to the shadows in the attempt to kill before being spotted. With the Barceans awake, most of their element of surprise had been lost...

But there was something else wrong about this enemy, terrifyingly so, something that the Prince would soon discover. Through the hallways he led Etsuko, protecting her even as he passed guards that had just woken up and servants that were attempting to flee to safety. More than once they were attacked again, but Cyril fought off the assassins to send them fleeing back to the shadows. They passed more than one Barcean body, but the only corpses of the enemy they had seen were those of the ones the Prince had killed. That was the first sign that something was wrong.

The second sign came when they reached Kori. When they came to the Queen's room, several guards were already in place around it, and the doors were open. Why quickly became apparent as they entered, where they saw Kori sitting with two daggers decorated with blue in her hands, one of them wet with blood.

[b]"Kori! Are you alright?!"

"Yes, I'm fine-"[/b] Even as she spoke the Queen's eyes widened, her rising to her feet as she brought her weapons up. [b]"Cyril, behind you!"[/b] Swearing, the Prince whirled even as the guards that had been guarding the door screamed, falling as more assassins surged through. There were four of them, all of them wearing the similar dark robes that allowed them to hide so well in the dark... And yet Cyril still recognized two of them.

He recognized them simply because he had killed them both already, recognizing the wounds he had inflicted and the severed hand of one of them.

Once more his hand went out, grabbing Etsuko by her arm to shove her back and away, towards the Queen's own bed. As Kori moved in between Etsuko and the doorway with her knives drawn up, it was the Prince who actually went on the counter attack. Once more he moved with the intention to take out as many as he could before they could swarm past, and once more his blade cut through flesh with each. His strikes easily found home past the defenses of his opponents, stabbing deeply into chests, severing limbs and even lopping off heads...

And yet still it didn't end. Those he knocked to the ground simply got back up even as he struggled to deal with the next. They moved with jerked sort of movements, as if they were being manipulated by an outside source, almost like puppets. Though the limbs and other pieces that fell remained down, the rest of the body that remained together rose once again.

The situation became even worse when Cyril found himself caught in the middle of all four of them. Even as he spun back and forth trying to keep them all away at once, one with one leg and one armed suddenly surged forwards, leaning forwards in its movement oddly as if it were being dragged forwards. Its arm suddenly shot up, carving into the Prince's side as he yelled out. His arm swung, free fist knocking it away, but that simply opened up an opportunity for a killing blow...

A killing blow that never came, thanks to Kori. The Queen had rushed forwards, and with her full weight slammed against the attacker that would have killed her brother. Her tackle took them both off their feet and too the ground, and even as they hit the ground the Queen brought both of her daggers up and then down, driving them deep and all the way through the soldiers of the assassin, into the floor below. She kept them stabbed through, pinning the attacker to the ground even as she called out, [b]"Cyril-!"[/b]

[b]"I'm fine!"[/b] The time bought was enough for Cyril to recover. He lashed out, cutting one attacker back and diving away from another, towards one of the fallen guards. Hand lunging out to pick up one of the fallen blades, he pulled himself up into a crouch even as the third of the three still up swooped upon him. Lunging forwards, he crashed into this opponent as he stabbed him through with the guard's blade, running the attacker all the way to the wall where he pinned him through. From there his hand shot down, grabbing the dagger of the attacker from his hand before it fell so that he could whirl and throw it. It pierced through the arm of one of the attackers, sending it back to the wall but not pinning it; the Prince had to do that himself with a full shoulder ram, one that would leave a deep bruise in his own shoulder but pinned the attacker down.

That left one for the moment, one the Prince turned on just in time. The attacker had rushed forwards to attempt to stab Cyril through as he was distracted with the one just before, and he barely had time to bring his blade up to deflect the blow away. Even as he swung he released his own blade, tossing it to the ground as he instead went to grab both arms of his opponent. Back and forth they struggled, before the Prince managed to swing the surprisingly limp form around, twisting their own weapon on them to stab through and into the wall.

The Prince then whirled, quickly moving to pick up both his blade and another guards. He brought the guard's blade up as he approached Kori and the one she still had underneath her, and after she shoved herself off to the side he stabbed forwards, pinning it to the floor with a longer blade then Kori's daggers. With the sword placed he then pulled out both of Kori's daggers, handing them off to her even as he turned towards the door.

[b]"Cyril, you have to go get Ayano! She can't defend herself!"

"What-?! Damn! I can't just leave you two-"

"Go, Cyril! I'll be fine!"

"Kori-!"[/b] Even as they argued, another dark form filled the doorway, and the Prince swore even more loudly. As he rushed to meet the newest of their attackers, throughout the castle others were having just as much difficulty with their opponents as presumed corpses suddenly rose to strike again, killing many good men and women unfairly.