Chapter 151 Get the crown
Anaise spots a man creeping up from behind Ryker and she let's out a shriek and Ryker turns but not in time as the blade slices the crook of his neck, only missing his neck by an inch. Ryker stumbled back, shocked by the hit but he quickly recovers fending off both of the men. Anaise begins to panicked and she grips the chest tightly to her form, her hands quivering as she watched on with angst. They closed in on him and while he skillfully blocked the stabs of one of the men the other knocked out his blade and it clashed to the ground.
Anaise gasps, her eyes wide. Just then the two men disperse, one of them focusing on Ryker and the other turns and begins approaching her. Fear renders Anaise glued to the spot as she watches the man getting closer, her mind switching between freeze and flight. The man slips his dagger away, his gaze locked on the chest. Anaise pushes herself out of the carriage and attempts to run off only to get caught by the masked man. He pulls her back, holding onto her tightly. She struggles, pulling and tugging away from him
"Let me go!" She screams, squirming to get out of his grip but it only tightened.
"Give me the chest and I will not harm you. You seem like a sensib-" but before he could finish Anaise had already bitten his hand and he groans, staring daggers at her.
He throws Anaise to the ground and she lands unceremoniously, her body hitting the gravel. She hisses, breathing out in pain as her elbows and arm grazes the ground and marks form but she pays it no mind knowing it would soon heal.
A growl is heard from Ryker who watches the scene, his canines bared and his eyes a fierce shade. The masked man begins to lean down for the chest but Anaise fists the chest and swings it, crashing it against his head. The masked man stumbles back, his vision beginning to blur with black dots and his consciousness leaves before he drops to the ground, the side of his head bleeding. Anaise pushes herself to stand with difficulty and she watched Ryker fighting the first masked man with his fists, switching between punchi and throwing kicks at him.
The man comes closer, his lip busted. Ryker dodges the dagger but it cuts through his abdomen, tearing through fabric and leaving blood oozing through his shirt. Ryker groans and lunges towards the man, delivering a heavy uppercut to the man's nose. The man staggers back and Ryker picks up his sword and drives it into the man's stomach. The body falls to the ground, limp and dead, leaving crimson trails to linger on the floor.
Ryker slides down to the ground, holding onto his abdomen where the cut was currently leaking blood. Anaise runs to him, abandoning the crown to the side. Tears spill from her eyes as she registers his condition. He looks like he is slipping in and out of consciousness.
Anaise cups his head, trying to concentrate his attention on her "Ryker! R-Ryker please stay with me. You're bleeding a lot, why aren't you healing!?" Her hands shake violently as she inspects the injury
"T-the daggers were made out of silver and laced.. With wolfsbane" he responds weakly, his eyelids closing before reopening.
Anaise lets out a strangled sob, "Oh my goddess! What am I going to do!? Ryker please we have to get you back to the palace right now"
She began searching around for any meanst to get back but there would be no farmers traveling by this time from fear of bandits and it was getting dark soon. An idea sparked in her mind and she ran over to one of the horses that had been pulling the carriage. She unbuckles it and pulls it close to Ryker.
Anaise bends beside him, taking his hand over her shoulder and pulling him up with great difficulty. Tears dribble past her cheeks as she tries to call out to him but he barely responds.
Her voice breaks"Ryker, please I need you to try to get on the horse. Please try for my sake, I beg you"
Ryker gurnts, his teeth clenched in pain as he uses the last ounce of strength, combined with Anaise's to mount the horse. Anaise quickly runs over to the horses, untying the ropes that bound them and hurrying back to Ryker. She lifts the chest, joining them both at the front. To prevent Ryker from falling off she ties him to her back with the rope and he completely rests against her. She props the chest in front of her and starts the horse. With her vision blurred with pain and fear and her body shaking with every gallop of the horse Anaise whispers silent prayers under her breath.
She couldn't let him die, she just couldn't. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest and stumped on, it physically ached.
"Please stay with me Ryker, please"
~
My heart thrashed around in my chest, my lungs rasping and my eyes swollen and red from all the tears spilled.
I watched as the knights carried Ryker from the horse into the castle and a maid was sent to call the Physician. I felt my heart being ripped out of my chest as my gaze was fixed on Ryker's pained features, his eyelids screwed shut. I let out another sob, Astrid holding onto me as I cried into her chest. She soothed my hair, whispering sweet word into my ear as I clung to her. I pulled back, sniffling and swiping at my wet cheeks.
"Come with me" Astrid led me to the lady's quarters in front of our rooms. She held onto me, checking my hands, face, neck, her eyes roaming my form "Are you hurt anywhere?"
I shake my head as she notices the dried blood from when I was pushed down by one of the masked men. "Dried blood?" She asked, her brows squeezed in confusion.
"One of the masked men pushed me and I got a few scratches" I pursed my lips, remembering how much pain Ryker was in compared to me. I wish I could have helped him instead of standing there in fear.
Astrid's jaw clenched "Did they get the crown?"