Carmine

The sheet ran upside my legs as I shifted them and rolled straight. Sleep got harder, while time passed, so sleep came in two hour periods where I woke up feeling this tense dread either from a dream or some assumption my life got threatened.

This feeling left a weight on me. I found it hard to function with this sporadic sleeping.

She got louder. Ah, trying to ignore her was easier the louder she got.

Weird, like a puzzle I had yet to solve. Weeks have passed and I cared little for the romp and bump of noble presentation. If Canus called me out for something where we could be alone I was sure to be ready for him.

But if it was a family affair, I found an excuse. It was my way of being nice, but I really hated being around some of his family members even if the Jester was hilarious.

I felt a touch on my upper back. I shivered as her voice spat out words too fast for me to comprehend. My shoulders fidgeted after I stared up at her fuming face.

I widened my eyes as if to say 'what?'. She groaned loudly and pointed at the accused. There was one person other than us two ladies here, so we all knew the culprit.

"My Lady, this vulgar bastard, tell him to stop!" Janilla cried out.

I asked after yawning, "Stop what?"

"He is creating noise on purpose to annoy me."

"What?"

Five's voice came. "I was checking the place to make sure nothing has changed or been missing after we returned from the last trip outside. I sense someone has been in here."

That was possible. Retainers would come in to change the sheets and used clothing. He never complained about that before, so it must have been someone new or different.

Stilling myself, at least I can say he was doing his job. "How sure are you of that?" I asked.

"Not sure..."

I immediately rolled my chest onto the bed. "Janilla, just ignore him."

"How can I ignore him when he keeps tapping the wall with his infernal sword?! I can't read in peace!"

"Stop shouting Janilla, these walls are thin now that I think of it and people can overhear you. I did not hear it. So I can ignore him and besides he needs to keep us safe."

Five's voice echoed in my head. To be honest, she just saw the sword and got scared.

Is that so? I thought.

Janilla fired back. "Him, keeping me safe. No, that man cannot keep me safe. He is a monster through and through. He was made to be a monster. You letting him inflict—"

I replied, "Janilla a—"

It is fine Mother. I need no apology.

My thoughts questioned Five. That Mother thing. You can use my name, you do accept that realization?

As my leader, I call you my Mother. We always call leaders in Elam, Mothers, and Fathers.

Ah, I see. I am a leader.

"You guys are having a mental discussion without me, aren't you?" Janilla asked, her voice tinted with bitterness.

I lied. "No, I was thinking to myself. Also, you said you wanted to be left out of the mind meetings. Why do you care?"

"I-I-I d-do not I-"

Five uttered in my mind. She's lying.

I chuckled. "Anyways, Five, stop tapping the walls."

"Yes, Mother. I will go re—someone is coming."

A knock was heard on the door. I growled and slammed my fist on the pillow in disdain. I was trying to sleep!

Forget it, I lifted myself up and snapped a finger. Janilla went to the door. She opened it up to reveal a retainer.

It was announced to us that we were being summoned to the royal courtyard.

It was not an invite. That was an order, so that meant It was coming from Acomn who still siphoned off Canus's name, leech.

We got ready and I told Five to stay in the room. The retainer personally escorted us.

We reached this large hall, the columns here contained incremental grooves. A square block rested on it, while a series of snake-like arms held up the brown water-painted roof that curved inward.

This hall was usually quite busy, since there were many passages leading into this one, yet, it was so quiet. It was kind of refreshing, because only now did I truly saw the beauty of this place.

As we came into the center, a chill hits me just before the retainer turned and nodded at us. Janilla was yawning when I saw the retainer's leg parted and their hand lowered.

My eyes shot to his waist seeing something black perched in between his pants and his raising shirt ends. I pushed Janilla back and the retainer instantly drew that thing by the time I kicked at his ankle.

He yelped and a loud bang sounded off. I convulsed and dropped onto the ground. What was that? Then the pain seeped in and it was immense.

Something ripped through me like a knife.

"Carmine!" Janilla shouted.

What the hell just happened? I closed my eyes and tried to fight off the terrible pain. I looked up and saw someone approaching from behind.

Five, Five?

"Should we kill the other girl?" Another voice was heard.

"Of course, Erxis cannot hold this space up much longer, so make it quick," said the retainer. I heard some metal clanking and a low screech before I was able to lean myself up.

Five!?

I was suddenly kicked down. The retainer came close and held the black thing over my face. It had a very long handle and he was holding it from the back of it.

A bang made me shudder. The retainer stumbled to the side of me holding the back of his head. That thudding, I looked and saw that biology book rolling away from me.

Janilla shouted, "Let me go!"

I also saw a small hole in the ground next to me. Surging up, I saw the retainer or should I say assassin staring at me. I swiftly ducked, dropped to my knees, and slid around the corner.

I drew my gun and shot an arrow in the back of the other man who was holding onto Janilla. Janilla dropped and ran off. Loading, I attached the string this time.

I heard the distinct sound of a sword coming out of a scabbard. Damnation, why me? Why was Five not answering my calls?

But the more I looked around, the walls, where were the walls? All I saw was a dead black space that stretched out far in the distance.

The only thing visible were the columns and the ground. I was not in the keep anymore, I feared. Stepping back from the column, a metal raised at my face. I fell back and fired off a shot stabbing the retainer in his gut.

My running away made him fall. The other growled as he rushed me, ax ready. I ran, swerved wide of his swing, and came around another column.

The string pulled tight. It crushed into the column creasing out and breaking off tiny shards of stone from its epicenter. I saw Janilla ran up the stairway to only come out on the other side of the room.

Oh, It was not possible to escape this place. Alright, let us kill these guys first. Remembering what I learned, remaining calm was important.

The pain was gone now, so it was easier for me.

I tried loading. The other guy swung at me. Watching the body, I saw the counter swing and twirled away.

"Stand still!" he shouted.

He said that and honestly, it was too easy. Five was harder to dodge and read. This man's movements were graceless. Still, he caught me close as a part of my robe got sliced through when I whirled under his swing.

I tried to give myself distance, but he kept swinging and the metal closed-in with each swing. My arm was cut, my chest got cut, but these injuries were small, so they never pained me for long.

After I pushed myself away, I fired the arrow straight at his chest. It bounced off as a flash of blue tendrils dazed me. What? He swung, I regained sense and shifted away. He clattered me as I whirled around.

It left a biting pain in my shoulder.

My arrows are useless, they worked a while ago. He never saw them then. Maybe?

The retainer screamed after he pulled out his arrow.

That column.

The string.

I whistled at Janilla.

Janilla looked up.

"Pull the string!" I shouted as I ran forward. Janilla just stared at me.

She was lost in thought or just scared.

"Pull the string! Janilla Please!" I screamed and loaded as I ran.

Janilla ran forward. The retainer stood up. I fired hitting him in the leg, so he fell.

Janilla stared in horror.

I was almost there.

"Janilla! Do it!"

She jumped forward pushing the retainer to the side and pulled, I jumped.

I dropped haplessly onto the floor, hard, bruising my shoulder and my face. A deafening scream filled my ears before a heavy weight dropped on me sending my pain into the high heavens of ire. I screamed out.

"Carmine, I am here!" Janilla's voice. By the time I opened my eyes, Janilla was holding my face. I looked around and noted the man's torso slumped on me. The rest of his body was left under the string.

That was one sharp piece of metal, that string.

I blinked and tried to breathe. The pain was decreasing, but his blood was soaking my robe. I was drowning in blood, disgusting! "Janilla! Get this heathen off me."

Janilla pushed with a struggle, but slowly rolled the torso off me.

I grabbed my bow, loaded it, and stood some distance from the retainer. He gave me murderous eyes, I just smiled and said with swagger, "Corona should have told you, I am a hard woman to kill!"

He smirked, snickering, he uttered, "Another time will come."

He groaned as he lifted himself up by one hand. Janilla came behind me. The walls flashed briefly with sparks of white and suddenly Five appeared.

Five dropped to one knee and breathed hard.

"Where have you been?" I asked. Five fell over. Janilla and me stared hard at him, this was not right. They must have done something to him. It was weird when he did not come when I called him.

The walls now returned back to good old stone and I was now hearing gasps. I looked around and saw a number of people looking at me weirdly.

That and there was no body left on the floor. No blood, except on me, I turned and saw that the retainer was gone as well.

Wait, what, what just happened? Running my hand along my side, I was still bleeding. Okay, I was sure I was not crazy, but I looked around at all the faces watching me with scrutiny and aghast.

The soldiers perusing me and Five with wary eyes, I must have looked crazy.