The moment the ambush came upon them, some guards had taken Ny'ka and discreetly escaped from the scene. They were headed to the White King’s Castle to be highly rewarded for bringing to him the daughter of the leader of the revolution against him.
They were supposed to take Leader Tyrek along too, but it seemed the guards who had him in captivity had been attacked.
There would be much to tell the King upon getting to the castle.
While they silently snuck away, Ny'ka found a way to free herself from the bondage and attacked them. She would rather die than have them take her alive; it was looking like that was the only option for her until she felt she had until Alaris' showed up.
He descended from the sky with his massive leathery wings and he saved her; he killed the guards and swept her up into the air in his arms.
In that moment, she saw what the others saw in him.
A saviour.
In that moment, something changed.
“You saved me,” she said, the wind almost stealing her words away.
“You are only mine to kill.”
____
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“ALARIS!” Belladonna screamed as she struggled against her captor.
His hand held her firmly to his chest, his wings flapping aggressively behind him. She was terrified to look down, she knew they were very far from the ground. Fear rushed in her veins and it was starting to become too difficult to breathe. The gem had long been taken away from her, her captor had it in a small bag that went across his shoulders.
“Is that your leader? Scream louder, maybe he will hear you and rescue you from the ground!” He laughed.
Belladonna knew he was taking her to the White King. She couldn't let that happen.
Her captor underestimated her a lot and because of that, he didn't bind her hands and only laughed when she struggled once again.
“If I let you go, you will fall to your death, wingless fool.” He laughed again, but this time, his words were cut off sharply. He felt the cold blade of a dagger sink into his belly. Quickly, he held her with one hand, pulled out the dagger, and threw the dagger down.
It would be an unfortunate thing for anyone it would hit on the ground.
He turned her around to look at him as he stopped midair in his flight, his wings still flapping behind him.
His brown eyes were boiling with rage.
“It will take more than a dagger to kill me, you fool!” He yelled and raised his hand to hit her but he froze. His veins darkened under his skin like inky webs, like there was venom flowing through his veins. His eyes were bloodshot and blood ran down his cheeks like tears.
“What. Are. you?” He asked, blood spilling from the corners of his lips.
His wings went still, and he fell from the sky; she did too.
In that moment, when she looked at him, she could have sworn that there was something very familiar about those brown eyes.
Belladonna snapped out of it and struggled from his grip, pulling the bag along with her but that didn't stop her falling.
“Alaris!” She yelled again.
The force against her as she descended was painful; she couldn't keep her eyes open, and the wind was too much.
Everything was too much.
Just when she was about to give up, she heard the flapping of wings in the distance, and when a hand went around her, she knew that she was safe.
____
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Balerion.
That was the name of the place they had acquired back tonight. The part of the Rebellion that the White King’s army had attacked here lived in the caves around, but their major haven had been the underground living spaces they had constructed for themselves.
The White King's army had discovered it and that was why there was an attack.
There had been a mole between them.
“It was Rofas,” One of the survivors of the Belarion Rebellion had said. “They must have promised him a lot of gold. He led them straight to us, but we didn't know. But we found out when he told them about Leader Tyrek coming to save us too. It was too late. He led them straight to you too. It is shameful that we had a mole in our midst. You suffer this because of us.” Her name was Xida, the leader of the Belarion Rebellion. Tall, muscular, and bald. “It will not happen again.” She said, on a knee.
Alaris nodded.
Then he turned to the people and introduced himself as he had done to people of the Cave.
They chanted his praise, filled with hope and happiness that the tales they had heard were true.
Then he told them that they couldn't stay here; although they would have to rest tonight, they must continue their journey tomorrow. The White King’s army would return, and they had to keep moving to the rebellions that were closer to the Capital because the King would expect them to run away from him so he would send his army to places further away from the Capital, but if things happened otherwise then at least they would be closer to the Castle and be able to launch an attack on the King himself.
“We must be prepared. We have been in hiding for so long; we have been killed, our freedom taken from us, and deprived of what is rightfully ours. Not anymore! Follow me and I will give you the bones of your enemies to wear as ornaments and their blood to drink. This war is ours to win, who will fight with me?!”
The cheers rented the air.
Xida was the first to go on a knee, shouting “The Heir”, then the rest of her Rebellion did.
They all bowed to him; contented, he looked at Nyka as if to show how much people believed in him.
She was irrelevant, and tonight, he would kill her.
They both knew.