CHAPTER 86: FOR OUR SURVIVAL

Aeron stood there with his mouth open as he was unable to speak.

"What?" he finally said.

Nyella looked at him. "Tell me, Aeron... is it painful?"

He blinked, confused. "What?"

She stepped closer. "Is it painful? Tell me. The act itself, or the words?"

Aeron’s heart thudded. He shook his head, stepping back. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. No. I don’t believe this. I don’t believe you." He pointed at her, then turned in a half-circle, pointing at the soldiers around them. "But still... It is happening. You, them! What is going on here? You really did use me, didn’t you?"

Nyella’s expression did not change. "Still shocked, are you? And yes, it is happening."

Before Aeron could reply, two guards rushed him from the rear. Nyella, who had been about to say something more, moved instantly. She kicked one of the guards in the chest and sent him stumbling back. In the same motion, she grabbed the machete from his hand. The other guard slashed at her, but she caught the blade with hers and twisted, striking him down smoothly.

Breathing hard, she turned her face back toward Aeron. "That is what you get, Aeron, when you accuse someone innocent. When you speak words that could break them."

Aeron stepped back again, his face pale. "Wait... what? Is that what this is about?" His voice cracked. "I thought we had gotten over this. I thought you had forgiven me."

Nyella’s eyes softened for a moment, but only for a moment.

"Forgiving you, yes. Forgetting, no. You cannot expect me to forget. Do you know what it is like to hear words that break the spirit? Do you know what it is like to be left with them, alone, when the one who spoke them walks away? And now you come back, and you expect me to forget? No, Aeron. I cannot. But..." She took a breath. "At least now I am at ease. At least now... we are equal. So we are good."

Aeron could not move. He stared at her as though he were seeing her for the first time. His lips parted, but no words came.

Then again, he heard movements close to him. Two men approached from his right, and another from his left. Instinct took over. He looked to Nyella, who already saw them. Without hesitation, she threw him the machete she had taken.

"Fight!" she said.

Aeron caught it clumsily but raised it in time. The two men on his right closed in. He swung and blocked one strike and staggering back.

Nyella faced the man on the left. She did not even draw another weapon. With a sharp turn of her body, she sidestepped his lunge, caught his arm, and twisted it until he cried out. She slammed her elbow into his chest and sent him crashing to the ground.

Around them, the prison yard was slowly falling quiet. The Ivarion soldiers had finished off the nomads inside. The ground was littered with bodies, weapons scattered like broken sticks.

Nyella wiped the sweat from her brow. She stepped forward, raising her voice so all could hear.

"Soldiers of Ivarion!"

Every head turned to her.

"This... " she pointed at the yard "is not the fight we should be fighting. This is not the fight we should die for. This is not a fight worth a single drop of our blood. Our true fight lies elsewhere. Our duty is not here. Our duty is to our people. To our families. To the ones waiting in Ivarion. And our main enemy prepares to march against us even now. That is where our strength is needed. That is where we must stand."

For a moment, silence. Then the soldiers roared as one:

"Yehhhhhh!"

Nyella lifted her hand for silence. "Then follow me closely."

Slowly, and carefully, they left the prison yard. They moved out and headed to the forest. For a moment, it seemed they would make it.

Then, they heard sounds and Shouts. From the trees and fromdges above. The nomads approached. Hundreds of them.

The soldiers froze, as they were trapped in a circle of enemies.

Nyella stopped at the front, she lifted her voice and said. "This is not the fight we should die for," she repeated. "Remember my words. Remember our duty. If we die here, we abandon our people. If we fight here, we waste our strength. We must survive. We must face our true enemy. Not this."

The soldiers nodded, as they gripped their weapons.

They were ready to fight, but also ready to follow her command.

"Yehhhhhh!" they shouted again.

But just as they prepared to break the circle, a hush fell. The crowd of nomads shifted. The circle opened. And through it came the village chief.

He walked slowly, and beside him, a man dragged Sira forward, holding a knife to her throat.

"You do not want to do that," the chief said.

Nyella froze and widened her eyes when she saw Sira with a blade pressed to her throat.

The soldiers behind her gripped their weapons tighter, but none dared to move.

From the opening in the ring, Chief Uzek stepped forward.

"Well, well, well," he said slowly, his voice loud enough for all to hear. "What do we have here? You must be the princess, then. And what a sight. More beautiful in person than the rumors say. And clever too. It seems you had other plans tonight..." He pointed toward Sira with a mocking grin. "Aside from the one that just failed."

Nyella’s hands clenched at her sides. Her soldiers shifted, waiting for her command. But she stayed still. Calm. Watching him.

Uzek’s voice hardened.

"But then, my dear, you are not leaving this place. Not until I get what I want. You have two options." He raised two fingers, slowly, deliberately. "Option one: hesitate and fight. Your friend here dies immediately. And your soldiers, outnumbered as they are, die with her. Option two: yield. Yield, and perhaps we can... discuss something. A bargain. For the survival of both parties."

He took another step forward. "Make your choice, princess."

For a long time, there was silence. Nyella’s soldiers looked to her.

Finally, Nyella lifted her head. "Wasting any more time here is giving my kingdom more weakness. Every moment I stand here is a moment my enemy gains strength against Ivarion. So I will advise you. Let us leave now. Because if you don’t, you will not survive what comes."

Nyella stepped forward. "Surrender, and die here. Fight, and die with the Hydra when it comes. I know my choice. And the soldiers of Ivarion stand with me."

"Yehhh!" the soldiers roared.

Chief Uzek tilted his head.

"You really are a brave one. Brave... and difficult. Very difficult." His smile dropped. His voice turned sharp. "Then she dies first."

He flicked his hand. The nomad holding Sira pressed the knife harder against her neck.

Nyella took one step forward. But Uzek raised a hand.

"Careful, princess. Or her blood will soak this ground before you take another step."

The chief’s smile returned. "All I ask is an agreement. A negotiation. We both leave satisfied. Refuse me, and you both die."

Nyella’s jaw tightened.

"Anything but entry into Ivarion. Anything but your people seeking shelter in my kingdom under the excuse of war, I will consider. But that, Chief, I will never allow."

The crowd of nomads muttered. Uzek’s smile faltered for a moment. Then it twisted into a snarl.

"Ah. Now I see the difference." He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on her. "The difference between the real one... and the impersonator. You’re a difficult princess, hard to deal with, and that will be the end of you."

He turned his gaze to Sira. "And this," he hissed, "this is who you risked your life for? She does not even want to save you?"

Sira’s eyes flashed. "You have to fight him off, Your Highness. You have to leave this place."

Nyella’s breath caught. "What about you?"

Sira’s lips trembled.

"Forget about me, Your Highness. Thousands of citizens wait for you in Ivarion. Soldiers. Families. Children. They are more important than I."

Chief Uzek laughed.

"Well, well, well. What a melodrama! Now I see how pityful you people are. Now I see why you call us barbarians. Because we are not weak like you. We are not weak in heart. We are not weak in mind. We are strong. Stronger than you will ever be!"

He lifted his hands high and shouted.

"You want to fight? So be it! Azaaaaata"

"Hoooooo!" the nomads shouted as they dropped in their stance.

The Ivarion soldiers stood firm, gripping their weapons.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Aeron stepped forward.

"Stop this please," he said. "Os this really happening? Listen to me. We all have a common enemy. And yet here we are, ready to kill each other instead of facing it together."

Chief Uzek narrowed his eyes.

"And who might you be?"

"..."

*****