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The long, winding halls of Retroville Middle School's main floor had long ago been enswathed in darkness. Whispers and occasional screams had replaced the normal vibrant chatter. It was now a different and frightening world inside these corridors, and few knew it better than the three young men traversing the dark on horseback."How much longer?" an anxious eighth-grader called Randall asked. He brushed his oily black bangs from his eyes and swung his lantern all around. Nothing of note waited to be seen. Hair back in place, he replaced his grip on the boy seated before him. Godwin, a better groomed blonde and fellow eighth-grader, let out a groan of annoyance but let his friend settle into the ride.The final lad, Roderick, sat alone atop the group's second steed. He stared hard at the cracked and torn parchment in his grasp. "Not long," he promised, though he couldn't stop his free hand from rubbing his short chestnut hair.His two friends shared a glance; they'd come to know that tic well. "You're lying," Randall gently whispered."I'm not," Roderick assured them just as their white Welsh ponies whinnied and reared back.Roderick calmly gripped his reins as Randall cried, "Whoa!" and clutched Godwin tighter."Quiet," Roderick instructed while gazing around the halls. No attackers lurched from the empty classrooms; the only threat seemed to be the looming bend in the corridor."The horses started it," Randall grumbled.Godwin turned towards Roderick as their ponies halted a few yards from the end of the hall. "Something got the horses spooked?"Roderick shook his head and answered, "They're just tired." Roderick pointed at the map and let Godwin lean towards the parchment. "This shows Canterbury should be just around the corner."Randall scoffed and said, "We'd hear it if a village was right there."Godwin placed his left hand on the hilt of his Zombie Strike sword. "Dismount and investigate?""Indeed," Roderick agreed. He hopped off his horse and tied the reins to the other pony's bit. "Keep watch behind us. Shout if you see anything."Randall accepted the group's torch from Godwin. With his free hand, he effortlessly unslung his green Dreadbolt Crossbow off his back, chambered a black bolt, and swung it around to watch over the hall they'd just traversed. "I've got this," Randall assured his friends.Roderick nodded; that loathsome twitch in Randall's voice always dissipated when he was aiming a crossbow. Roderick unsheathed his Marauder blade and raised it towards the ceiling. He couldn't help but stare in awe at the majestic forty inches of sparkling foam. He gripped the red hilt tight and stared at Godwin, who'd readied his own blade."On me," Roderick said while approaching the bend in the corridor."Always, my lord," Godwin assured him. With that said, the two boys swung around the corridor with blades ready. Nothing but a dozen dark yards greeted them. Godwin sighed and mumbled, "Definitely not Canterbury."Roderick took a few cautious steps forward. The hallway was sparse, only a single classroom and opposite janitor's closet halfway down the corridor. Roderick had expected the only light to be stray beams from Randall's torch, but a small lantern hung from the ceiling at the corridor's dead end."Let's not be so hasty," Roderick told his friend while sidling towards the light. "Could be a secret entrance.""To an entire village?" Godwin couldn't help but scoff. A surprised look from Roderick caused him to drop his tone. In an offer of conciliation, he said, "Maybe our map leads to more instructions on how to get there. There could be a message.""Maybe," Roderick agreed. They passed the janitor's closet and classroom - no attackers burst out nor were hidden within. "I didn't read the map wrong.""I believe you," Godwin promised. "Maybe it was written wrong, though."Roderick considered this as he craned his neck back towards their horses. "Randall? Still clear?""Nothing!" came the fast reply.Roderick nodded and halted before the hanging lantern. He and Godwin looked all around, there was no message of any kind."Very odd," Godwin whispered. "Trap?""We'd be dead already," Roderick countered as he rubbed his itching scalp. He began to press on the cement walls, hoping to find a hidden switch."There's nothing," Godwin said after a moment. "The map must have been wrong.""It was supposed to be here," Roderick dragged his palm down the cement; his fingernails strained against the rough rock. "It had to be here.""If Canterbury exists, we'll find it," Godwin assured him. "On you, my lord."Roderick took a deep breath, then nodded and shouted, "Coming back!" towards Randall. Roderick and Godwin began the short march back but halted after three steps when Randall didn't reply. "Randall!" Roderick shouted once more. "All clear?"The only answer was a ceiling tile crashing before their faces. Both boys stumbled backwards just as a thin preteen dropped to the floor. The stranger was clad entirely in black. A loose ebony shirt, tight raven pants, and charcoal leather boots let her blend entirely into the dimly lit hall."Who are you?" Roderick cried out while pointing his sword at the stranger. He stared into the woman's bright green eyes, but a black cloth hid her hair and the top half of her face. Only her eyes and lips, devoid of all emotion, stared back at him.The girl gripped two symmetrical silver and blue swords - one in each palm. As she raised them up, Roderick jabbed his blade towards her. The girl effortlessly parried the blow with her left hand."My name is Cindy Vortex," the stranger flourished both her blades, spinning them around her wrist and aiming them towards her two victims. "You should not have come here." A small smile crept over her lips as she added, "Prepare to die."Roderick and Godwin raised both their longswords and arced them down towards Cindy; she lifted her own swords and caught both blows on her blades. With a swish of her wrists she sent the boys' weapons to the side and quickly jabbed her blades straight towards their chests.Roderick and Godwin sidestepped Cindy's straight attack. They swung their swords towards her back, but she rolled forwards and underneath their strikes. As she spun along the ground, she sliced her swords at their feet. Both boys jumped over the slashes and tried to stab their swords straight down on her.Cindy barely rolled past their blades and jumped to her feet. She raised both swords straight up towards the ceiling, ready to parry any blows coming her way. Roderick and Godwin did the same."You're quite skilled," Roderick told his foe. His arm shook with anticipation as he watched Cindy connect both her blades together, forming a nearly five-foot long double-sword. "Any chance you'd like to stay the blade and discuss a truce? We're heading to Canterbury and could use -"Cindy abruptly jabbed her staff at Roderick's heart. Godwin swung his blade down on the center of her weapon, sending it crashing to the floor."A pity," Roderick spat while thrusting his blade at Cindy's neck. She shot her head to the side and stared down at her pinned staff. She yanked one of her double blades free, jumped backwards, and waited until her right foot landed on the wall. With perfect timing, she kicked off the cement, spun around, and slashed her sword across Godwin's throat."NO!" Roderick roared as Godwin clutched his neck and collapsed to the floor. He wanted to fall to his knees and mourn his friend, to weep over his body and fondly remember the three days' of struggles and fights and laughs and terror they'd shared. But the blade plunging towards his forehead gave him no chance.Roderick swung his head to the side and madly sliced his blade towards Cindy. She spun away from the blow and sent a horizontal slash aimed at Roderick's waist. He thrust his own weapon down, parrying her strike back towards her."You wench!" Roderick roared while flourishing his sword and thrusting towards Cindy's heart. She deflected the blade, but he kicked at just the right time to send her flying into the wall behind her. He slashed towards her throat, yearning to give her the same end as Godwin, but she raised her sword in the nick of time. Foam crushed against foam; the edge of his blade crept towards her neck as he used every ounce of his strength. For the first time, he caught a glint of fear in her eyes.Cindy managed to push Roderick away, but he elbowed her wrist hard. Her sword clattered to the floor and he swung his blade back at her throat. She gripped his wrist tight; the muscles in her arm bulged and quivered as she realized she couldn't hold him back."My name is Roderick Ward," Roderick spat as his own muscles threatened to burst from the effort. His blade crept closer and closer towards the blonde's neck. "You should not have come here."Cindy kicked up between his legs. Roderick shot his own knee up and blocked her blow. He shoved harder against Cindy, and the foam halted a millimeter from her skin. "Prepare to die."Roderick prepared to give one last push towards Cindy's death just as a loud Whoosh! rang through the hall. Roderick felt a sharp thud against his left thigh. He let the leg collapse and stumbled down to one knee.Cindy took this opportunity to push his wrist away. He clumsily swung at her, but she ducked beneath the blade and fluidly scooped up her own sword. She kept spinning, raised the blade high, and crashed it down onto Roderick's right arm.Roderick dropped his sword and let his dead limb hang limply beside him. He swung his left arm towards the clattering weapon, but Cindy simply stabbed his left shoulder with her blade. Roderick collapsed onto the ground and watched as another raven-clad figure walked down the hall. This boy loaded a new bolt into what used to be Randall's crossbow, swung the priming lever, and leveled the weapon at Roderick's chest."For what it's worth," Cindy said pointing her blade at Roderick's heart, "this is a pity.""At least I die with honor, for my friends." Roderick swallowed his fear and hid all but a slight tremor from his voice. "What do you live for?"Cindy hesitated, but another Whoosh! sent a final bolt slamming into Roderick's heart. He closed his eyes and let his last breath drift through the silent halls.Cindy stared down at the dead boy before her. Silence hung in the halls for a long moment, then she turned towards the boy in black beside her. "That was my kill."The boy took off his black mask and revealed perfectly coiffed obsidian hair. Nick Dean shrugged and said, "You hesitated.""Did not," Cindy argued while walking over to Godwin and picking up her second dropped sword."Did so," Nick shot back.Cindy scoffed and attached her two blades back into a large staff. "As long as we're criticizing, thanks for the speedy assist," she snapped. "How long does it take to kill one idiot on a horse?""About ten seconds," Nick shot back with a wry grin. He pointed at the crossbow and went on, "But the first bolt I tried to shoot jammed. We shouldn't rely on this one."Cindy shook her head and started searching Godwin's body for more weapons or food. "You could have run over with a knife.""Please," Nick argued while doing the same with Roderick. "It was only two-on-one. I've seen you take four."Cindy shoved Godwin's body aside; he carried nothing of value save for his sword. "Anything?" Cindy asked.Nick still knelt over Roderick's' body. He dangled the crossbow behind him. "Nothing. Save for that." He stood back up and faced his comrade. "And this," he handed Cindy the map Roderick was certain had lead to his salvation.Cindy stared down at the cracked parchment. "How many of these are there?""Gotta be a ton," Nick answered while slinging the crossbow over his shoulder. He scooped up Roderick's longsword, bobbed it up and down to get a sense of its weight, and decided it would serve him well. "Too bad the kid who made them was a better cartographer than swordsman."Cindy leaned against her staff and studied the map. It had been two days since she and Nick had followed a different copy towards this very spot, since they had been ambushed. They'd barely survived the attack, but before they could recover and leave another group had shown up. After Cindy and Nick had dispatched that unfortunate trio, they'd realized they may have stumbled upon a prime location to set up shop.She stared back at Roderick's peaceful form. "It really was a shame," she told Nick. "They knew how to fight.""Not well enough," Nick countered. He led Cindy back towards the bend in the hall and pointed past Randall's crumpled body, towards the two horses patiently awaiting their masters' return. "What do we do with them?" Nick asked.Cindy realized that was an excellent question. "We can't keep them here," she answered. "Noise will ruin the ambush."Nick nodded but countered, "They're a heck a prize to cut loose."To their knowledge, there were only three horses in the whole school. Cindy turned back towards Roderick. How had he managed to acquire two of them?"We could use them," Cindy offered.Nick sighed at the resurgence of their days-old debate. "You really want to leave this place?""I don't like graveyards," Cindy shot back. "Besides, we've taken out, what? Two dozen people? That's a drop in the bucket. There's gotta be hundreds of kids left in play. It'll take forever to thin them out this way.""But it's working for us," Nick countered."Barely," Cindy motioned back at Roderick. "You weren't the one a hair away from a slashed throat."Nick scoffed and shook his head. "So what do you want to do? Go back on the road and try to find Canterbury?""It's how we found this place," Cindy said. "Maybe it's how we discover somewhere better."Nick turned away and stared down the pitch-black halls. "There's nothing better than this, Cindy. There's no Canterbury.""How do you know that?" Cindy asked."Because how could a peaceful settlement survive in this?" He motioned around the dead school, down at Randall.Cindy hesitated and fought back a wave of guilt. "The River did.""And how long did that last?" Nick asked. He cringed as Cindy dropped her gaze to the floor. "I'm just saying it took five hours for that to fall apart. You really think somewhere in this building there's a thriving civilization? That some kid's held it together for days?"Cindy respected Nick enough to deeply ponder his question. She'd seen the horrors of war. Cindy stared at her double-sword, then back towards Roderick and Godwin. Hell, she thought, I'm one of them. Maybe that was why she needed to believe that out in the halls there was someplace, and someone, better."I do," Cindy answered.Nick rubbed his chin. "You know I'll follow you anywhere, right?"Cindy smiled and once more answered, "I do."Nick shrugged. "Then what the hell. You have any idea where to go?"Cindy nodded and started inspecting the ponies' satchel bags. A smile crept over her face as she realized it was full of salted mutton. Another bag was loaded with sheepskins of water. "The last group we killed, one of them mentioned how the map seemed wrong. He said that he'd heard Canterbury was on the third floor."Nick couldn't hide the skepticism from his face, but he said, "Then let's check it out." He climbed atop of Randall's horse.Cindy scooped up Randall's torch, still blazing away. She handed Nick her double-sword and seated herself on Roderick's steed.Nick motioned at the barren school before them. "On you, m'lady."Cindy nodded and held the torch out before her. Without another word, she kicked her horse in the ribs and felt it lurch forward. With each step, the torch's light spread and fought back more of the darkness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As Nick and Cindy came to a bend in the halls, Nick took the usual precautions. He gripped the horse's reins tight with his left hand and aimed his crossbow with his right. Nick held his breath as his horse rounded the corner and let out a sigh of relief as no ambush greeted him."Still clear," he whispered while shouldering the crossbow. He turned to Cindy and watched the flames from her outstretched torch quiver. "You need a break?""I think the horses do," Cindy shot back."Right. The horses," Nick wryly agreed."You try holding your arm up for an hour," Cindy grumbled while switching hands for the torch. "Find a classroom to hole up in?"Nick was about to nod when a raspy voice breached their ears. "Hello! Could you spare a few coins? Or even a few darts?"Cindy immediately jumped off her horse, yanked one of her dual blades off her back; and spun towards the voice. She managed to spot a tiny child leaning against a wall ten feet away. He was camouflaged in a dark cloak, looked abhorrently haggard, and thrust out two cupped palms."Please," he moaned as Cindy raised her sword and lurched towards him. She prepared to slice the beggar down, but a bolt from Nick's crossbow slammed into the boy's temple first."Reloading," Nick said while grabbing another bolt from the spares lined atop the bow. Cindy slowly spun around, peering in every dark corner and doorway. Her fingers danced along her sword's hilt and sweat raced down her brow, but no one else greeted her."Seems clear," Cindy muttered. Once Nick had primed his bow's lever, he also spun his horse around."Same here," he mumbled. "Dismount?"Cindy nodded, so Nick hopped off his horse. They both knelt before the dead beggar. Cindy pulled the hood away to reveal short-cropped black hair and freckled umber skin. The utter exhaustion on the panhandler's face couldn't completely cloud his youth."I remember him," Nick whispered. "He's from Lindbergh. Zachary, right?"Cindy thought back to Lindbergh's playground, to their voyage to Yolkus. It was hard to believe the decrepit boy lying dead before her had once complained about a belly too full of cotton candy. "Yeah, that's him." She turned around and examined the halls once more - they remained empty. "Still no ambush. Guess he really was just begging.""Makes no sense," Nick argued while patching the child down. While rummaging through his pockets, Nick went on, "He survived three days by sitting in the hallway?"Nick pulled what felt like a coin from the child's cloak. He opened his palm to reveal a circular wooden token."Let me see that," Cindy snatched the coin and held her torch closer. She gasped at the sight of a crudely inscribed atom. Voice quivering with longing, she whispered, "Jimmy," and rubbed the token. She shot her gaze at Nick and said, "This has to be from Canterbury."Nick grabbed the coin and inspected it. "They must have made it in the woodshop. Maybe Canterbury's there?"Cindy considered changing their course to the woodshop, at the other end of the main floor. "We're nearly at the stairwell. If we try the third floor and it's a bust, we'll circle back and check it out.""Alright, m'lady," Nick and Cindy rose back to their feet. "Let's clear a room and get some rest."Nick readied his crossbow as Cindy flourished her sword. They took positions on either side of the door nearest to Zachary's body. Cindy rested her cheek on the door's window and strained her ears."Nothing," she whispered."Wrong," Nick pointed above the doorway. Cindy followed his gaze to find a makeshift wooden sign. No words graced the placard - only a simple sphere resting atop some sort of a circular base."A pearl?" Cindy inquired.Nick studied the sign closer. "Looks almost like a crystal ball. But whoever made that isn't passing art class."Cindy clutched her blade and torch tight. "Well let's put a starving artist out of their misery." She spun around, faced, the door, and got ready to storm her way in "Ready?""On three," Nick answered while plastering his back against the wall. He hovered his free hand over the doorknob. "One, two, three!"Nick turned the doorknob then kicked the door in with his left foot. Cindy burst through the entryway in a low crouch, and Nick was a step behind her aiming his crossbow over her.The room was a complete mess. Empty food and water bottles littered the floor. The bitter smell of cheap whiskey hung in the hair. Nick and Cindy took a few steps towards the middle of the room, where a wrinkled sleeping bag rested. Beside it was an empty glass and a few torn romantica novels."You don't sleep in the middle of the room," Cindy chided the mystery inhabitant. "Someone bursts in?""Dead in a heartbeat," Nick finished her thought. He shrugged his shoulders and added, "But I guess our guest is proving us wrong.""Glad to hear you approve," a gravelly voice came from behind the teacher's desk. Nick swung his crossbow and Cindy readied her blade."Show yourself," Cindy ordered while taking a cautious step towards the desk.A mop of frazzled dark ginger hair popped up. As soon as a pair of dark blue eyes followed, they immediately narrowed in fury."Blondie." Veronica Wolf rose to her feet, all of her joints cracking in protest."Ms. Wolf?" Cindy couldn't stop her face from contorting in confusion."Obviously," Veronica groaned back. She swiveled towards Nick and offered a small smile. "Hey, Casanova. What brings you two here?"Nick's fingers danced along the crossbow as he said, "We're trying to find Canterbury. Are you…in the game?""Me? No," Veronica smoothed her pink nightgown and leaned against the wall behind her. "So do you mind lowering the weapons?"Nick turned to Cindy, who dropped her sword just a hair. He followed suit and asked, "Why are you here?""Well one reason is to guide the worthiest of students to the prize," Ms. Wolf motioned at the crystal ball on her desk. "And the other answer is I was evicted from my apartment.""So you're a fortune teller?" Cindy probed."I'm a lot of things, Blondie. And master of divination is just one of them. So what do you say? Price is some food. Preferably mutton."Cindy turned to Nick in disgust, but he simply shrugged. "I kind of want to see where this goes," he whispered. "And we do have a lot of mutton."Cindy rolled her eyes but said, "Fine. Can we bring the horses in here? Don't want anyone to steal them.""You have ponies?" Ms. Wolf excitedly asked. "Yeah, bring them in!""I got 'em," Nick said while heading back out into the halls."Take a seat," Ms. Wolf instructed while motioning to the front row desks. Cindy slowly did as was told and laid her sword across the desk. Ms. Wolf took her own seat and started hovering her hands over the crystal ball."Ms. Wolf? Before you start…scrying," Cindy tried to keep the skepticism from her tone, "have you seen one of these before?"Cindy pulled out the token they'd taken from Zachary and flicked it towards her biology teacher. Veronica caught the coin and studied it."No, I haven't," she admitted. "But looks handmade." She shrugged and asked, "Woodshop?""That's what we were thinking," Cindy said as Nick returned, leading the Welsh ponies into the classroom."They're beautiful," Veronica's eyes lit up as she stared at the ivory creatures. "So innocent and pure!""Ms. Wolf!" Cindy snapped. "The coin. Canterbury. Do you know where it is?"Ms. Wolf tore her gaze away from the exquisite equines. "No, I don't. I've only been in this room and the library. I've heard the same rumors you have. From what I can tell? Canterbury's somewhere between the basement and third floor. Or it could be where you go after you get stabbed with foam and die. But my favorite version is that it's a special place in all of our hearts.""Well thanks for the help," Nick grumbled. "How much mutton for a fortune?""Quarter pound. I'll do the two of you for a third."Cindy glared at Nick as he opened one of the ponies' satchel bags. He pulled out a handful of salted meat and took a seat beside Cindy."When I saw you two, I wondered what led you to this point," Veronica began. "Blondie and Casanova together? I thought you were with Soft Serve.""I am with -" Cindy started to explain, but Veronica cut her off."I can see back to the beginning," Ms. Wolf went on as she stared at the orbuculum. She peered deeper and deeper into the glass. Eventually, a wisp of white smoke formed from the void. "I see you two. Cogs in a well-oiled wheel, spinning fruitfully. And then, as chaos erupted," explosions of smoke filled the crystal ball and the spinning circle faded away, "it fell apart."
Cindy adjusted her black mask, struggled to peer through the eye holes, and looked over the crowd milling about the gymnasium. "Cindy!" Jimmy shouted and frantically waved from a dozen yards away.
Cindy smiled as she caught sight of her boyfriend. He was clad in a loose cotton shirt, brown pants, and black boots. She shoved her way past dozens of bustling students. They happily whistled, clunked together frothing mugs of root beer, and tore thick strips of mutton from over-sized bones.
"
Hey, you," Cindy playfully punched his arm. "Thought you could sneak away without me gloating?"
Jimmy rolled his eyes and turned away from his girlfriend. He led the way towards the back of the gym, where the petting zoo had been set up. "I refuse to validate Ms. Wolf's decision. I can admit that your diorama had a more artistic appeal, but its anatomical likeness was sorely lacking."
Cindy grabbed his arm and halted him in place. "It wasn't a diorama," she spat the word in disgust. "It was a fully functioning model of a heart."
"
It was shaped like a valentine!" Jimmy screeched.
"
It's called artistic license!" Cindy roared back.
The two kids fumed before taking in a deep breath and clasping each other's hands. "I…am proud of your 100," Jimmy slowly mumbled.
"
There, was that so hard?" Cindy teased while squeezing his palm. "Hang on," she tugged on James' arm and pointed at one of the dozen food and drink booths lining the walls of the gymnasium. "I need a drink."
The couple sauntered over and ordered two frosty mugs of ginger ale. Once the freezing glasses were in their hands, Cindy held hers high above. "How about a toast? To surviving the first half of sixth grade?"
"
I could drink to that," Jimmy agreed while clinking his glass together.
James and Cynthia looked out over the gym, at the wonderful chaos surrounding them. Between the bustling students swathed in brown cloaks and exquisite medieval dresses, the couple caught site of all the Renaissance Fair had to offer. There were the pony rides in the middle of the room, the Shakespeare performance near the entrance, a blacksmith just a dozen feet away smelting a horseshoe, and of course the petting zoo in the back wall.
Cindy whistled and took another sip from her ale. "Forrester really went all out for this fair."
"
Yeah, he did," Jimmy agreed. "How much do you think this cost the school?"
"
I don't know," Cindy shrugged. "And I don't really care. Let's just enjoy." She resumed the march towards the petting zoo. It was only a few steps before they were following Carl's excited shouts.
"
Look, Angie!" his unseen cry guided Jimmy and Cindy. "You see that! That's an alpaca, not a llama! They labelled it wrong!"
Jimmy and Cindy pushed through the crowd just in time to see Angie flash her boyfriend a smile. They were both clad in simple brown ranger cloaks. "I still don't get the difference," she teased.
"
What?!" Carl roared. "They're just smaller! It's not complicated!"
"
Hey guys!" Libby's excited cheer and enormous smile silenced Carl's frenzied shouts. She burst through the crowd and straightened her flowing maroon dress.
"
Wow," Jimmy reflexively muttered as he caught site of Libby's attire and her tied-back braids.
Cindy glared at James as Sheen followed his girlfriend. "Hello, everyone," he calmly greeted the group. Clad in fur-emblazoned boots, dark grey pants and shirt, a glorious ebony cloak, and sporting a pencil-thin mustache, Sheen exuded an air of power and confidence. He clutched a foam rapier in his grasp and peered over his friends.
"
You all took this way too seriously," Angie protested.
"
Agreed," Nick Dean said while approaching the group. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Cindy. They were mirror images, both clad in the same black outfit. Nick grinned and said, "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
"
You seem a decent fellow," Cindy shot back. "I hate to die."
James cocked his head and asked, "Huh?"
"
Don't worry about it, Neutron," Nick clapped Jimmy's shoulder. "Your girlfriend's just got excellent taste."
"
It's not polite to fawn over someone else's date," Betty said while joining the group. Cindy rolled her eyes as she got a look - the brunette was clad in the same outfit she'd worn for MacBeth in Space. Betty pointed at the chewing brown camelid and said, "Cute llama."
As Carl groaned and began to lambaste Betty's lack of zoological knowledge, Cindy handed James her glass. "Bathroom," she shouted over the gymnasium's chatter and Carl's increasingly frenzied clamor.
"
Same," Nick said while turning back towards the gym's exit. "M'lady," he playfully offered Cindy his arm, which she smacked away.
"
Heck of a turnout," Nick said as Cindy led the way out of the gym.
"
I'll say," Cindy agreed. "Did Forrester need to invite the elementary and high school kids here too?" She shoved her way past a conglomeration of teens watching the high school drama club's performance of Hamlet. "This place has gotta be a fire hazard."
"
I get the sense the school board isn't on top of things like that," Nick shot back as they entered the hallway. "I'm not complaining, though. We could use a celebration after this past few months."
"
Middle school is a lot harder than Lindbergh, isn't it?" Cindy asked as they halted before the nearby bathrooms.
"
I never had to write a paper in math class before," Nick agreed. He pushed open the boys' bathroom door and said, "Until we meet again."
Cindy smirked and entered the empty girls' room right as the P.A. system crackled to life. "Attention students, this is Principal Forrester speaking. I hope you're all enjoying this last hurrah before Winter Break!"
Cindy smiled as a school-full of cheers pierced the bathroom walls. She chose the closest stall and started laying a few strips of toilet paper over the seat.
"
Because I'll tell you who hasn't enjoyed this school year," Forrester went on. "Me! You claim a few spare dollars from the budget for
Principal Expenses
and they label you a thief! So when you come back next year you'll have a new principal who doesn't break the law."
Cindy could practically hear the air quotes surrounding these words. She sat down and let her jaw drop as Forrester's tirade continued.
"So enjoy this last hurrah! Because if this school's taking me down, I'm taking it with me!
I'm sure you all heard of Principal Willoughby from Lindbergh Elementary. The man may be an idiot, but he's a master at chaos. And I've learned well from him. So you want to fire me? Go ahead! But enjoy cleaning up this mess! Because…how did it go? Oh yes."
Cindy's blood turned to ice as Forrester's next words echoed through the halls.
"
I have a little game planned for this school. And a wonderful prize for whoever wins!"
The nearby gymnasium erupted into screams. Cindy lurched to her feet and halted as Forrester's final warning breached her ears.
"
But be cautious, children. There are new rules you'll have to find this time. A great prize awaits the victors…but you might not want to kill everyone. Good luck!"
Cindy swallowed hard and gently pushed the stall door open. The same shouts and screams from last year's graduation party were rebounding through the halls. She knew that just outside the bathroom doors alliances were already being made, friends were being gunned down, and people were begging for their lives.
"
This wasn't supposed to happen again," she mumbled while clutching her throbbing temple. She took a moment and let all of her fears bubble to the surface. She remembered Ike's dart spiraling into James' gut and whimpered at the idea of losing him again. She thought back to letting Libby die. And worst of all, she wondered whether she'd have to wipe out another settlement like The River.
After a few frantic breaths, Cindy swallowed her fear, grit her teeth, and realized it was time to go back to work. She frantically searched the bathroom for any hidden weapon but came up empty. She took a few cautious steps towards the door, reached towards it, and nearly had her wrist smashed when it flew open.
A frenzied seventh-grader roared in fury as she burst through the doorway and locked her wild eyes onto Cindy. She swung her long N-Force sword straight at Cindy's neck - Cindy barely had time to duck underneath the blow. Cindy lurched forward in an attempt to get behind the girl, but she thrust her weapon behind her and nearly caught Cindy in the back.
Cindy sidestepped the blade, placed both hands on the girl's back, and shoved her hard onto the nearby sinks. The girl's temple landed on the porcelain with a sickening
thud
. Cindy watched in terror as her attacker collapsed onto the floor.
Cindy dropped to one knee and placed two fingers on the girl's neck. A steady beat assuaged her worst fears. Cindy lifted both the girl's lids, and the pupils constricted appropriately to the light. The girl groaned but tried to lift her sword back up.
"
I'm sorry," Cindy assured her victim while gently taking the sword from her grasp. "Damn this place," she whispered while raising the blade and gently lowering it into the girl's heart.
Cindy watched the girl's eyes close and then rose to her feet. She stared hard at the foam sword, listened to the screams outside, and then nodded in conviction. She gently pulled open the bathroom door and prepared to head back to the gym.
"
Wait," a whisper came from her left. Cindy turned to find Nick poking his own head out of the boys' room. Cindy gripped her blade tighter, but he held out a palm. With his other hand, he pointed to their left, past Cindy's view, and then ducked back inside the bathroom.
Cindy cocked her head in confusion but mirrored Nick's movements. She pushed her weight against the door to block any attackers' entry, but only heard a chorus of footsteps rush past. Once they faded out of earshot, she slowly opened the door and peeked her head back outside.
Nick's masked face greeted her. He flashed her a quivering peace sign, and Cindy sighed in resignation at the idea of an alliance. "We have to get back to the gym," she whispered.
Nick shook his head. "Listen." He pointed at the gym, and Cindy cringed at the screams coming from within. Her mind shot back to Lindbergh's gymnasium, to the trail of speckled blood she'd left towards the bleachers.
"
It's too crazy," Nick went on while exiting the bathroom and gently grabbing her arm. She let him pull her out of the lavatory and around a bend in the hall, away from the gym.
"
Jimmy," Cindy protested. She pulled away from him once they'd rounded the corner. "The others."
"
We'll find them," Nick promised. "But we can't do that if we're dead. They were all the way in the back. We'd just get lost in the chaos."
Cindy considered this; her mind was still cloudy after leaving that girl lying on the bathroom floor. She didn't realize Nick was tearing the sword from her grasp until it left her fingers. She coiled her hands into a fist and prepared to strike him just as he spun around and slashed her blade against a sprinting sixth-grader's torso.
Cindy blinked slowly as he handed her back the sword. "We have to go," he pleaded.
Cindy stared back at the gym, watched as a dozen students burst out of the double doors and madly slashed at each other. She nodded at Nick and said, "I know," while leading they way away from the chaos, into the depths of the school.
Cindy's knuckles blanched as she clutched her torch tighter. Ms. Wolf caught sight of her blank expression, then turned back to the crystal ball. "You've made choices you promised you'd never again make. Pieces of your soul have chipped away even as you assured yourself you were still whole. But deep down," Ms. Wolf peered at the ball, at the scattered wisps of smoke, "you know that you're broken."Cindy swallowed hard and asked, "And the future?"Ms. Wolf waved her hand over the glass, and the wisps of smoke began to coalesce. "But that's the thing about the past. It can be left behind." Cindy watched in awe as the shards of smoke assembled in the shape of a sword. "You have a long journey ahead of you."Cindy peered towards the crystal ball as the sword morphed into a turning wheel. "You'll have decisions to make, choices I don't envy. You'll have to decide who to spare, who to kill. You'll have to unite those who clamor for each others' blood. And when it's all done, you'll have to do what is hardest for you. You'll have to forgive. But if you choose well, the wheel will spin once more."Cindy's eyes brightened as the wheel morphed into a castle. She could see peasants milling about; she could see gardens tilled and then plants harvested. She saw civilization rise and thrive. She saw not only Canterbury inside that crystal ball. She saw everything she'd dreamed of.Ms. Wolf leaned back in her chair. As her hand pulled away from the crystal ball, the smoke disappeared. "You have a destiny to fulfill, Cynthia. You can be fixed. You just have to earn it."Cindy stared at the empty ball, then at her calm teacher. She leaned back in here seat and considered all that she'd seen."What about me?" Nick asked. He leaned towards the orbuculum. "What do you see for me?"Ms. Wolf leaned back over the crystal ball. She waved her hands over the glass, peered deep into the wispy smoke, and said, "You're there too."Nick waited, but it became clear that was all Ms. Wolf had to say. "That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "She has choices to make and a crazy journey and a freaking destiny? And I'm just along for the ride?""The ball says what it says!" Ms. Wolf snapped. "I just decipher it. Now give me my mutton and get the heck out!"Nick smacked the mutton on her desk and rose from his chair. "Come on, Cindy," he said while grabbing the horses' reins and leading them back into the hall."Be right there," Cindy assured Nick. Once he was gone, she faced her teacher. "Ms. Wolf, is Canterbury real?""I don't know, Blondie. But if it's not," Veronica leaned back in her chair and offered a rare smile, "you could make it."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Inside the sparsely lit classroom, Cindy leaned her forehead against a cool window. She stared through the glass at the world beyond. This alien realm was just as dreary as the familiar one inside the middle school's walls. Thick grey clouds obscured the rising sun, thunder rumbled, and in the distance lightning flashed. Cindy kept trying and failing to spot a magnificent bolt; each sparking rod burst just out of her view."Hrgh." Cindy didn't bother to face the noise, she'd become accustomed to the groan Nick made when he awakened. His exhausted voice asked, "Up long?""No," Cindy lied while scanning the horizon."How'd you sleep?" Nick asked while rising to his feet and stretching the ache from his joints."Like usual," Cindy lied once more. In truth, the Oracle's words and thoughts of Canterbury had bounced off her skull all night long. "I've been thinking," Cindy explained while pushing away from the glass and facing her friend, "about what could happen when we find Canterbury. It could play out a lot of different ways.""I doubt they'll welcome us with open arms," Nick said while grabbing two slices of brown bread from his horse's rucksack. He tossed one to Cindy before taking a huge bite from his own breakfast."Agreed. They could ask us to give up our weapons. They might try to interview us about what we've done. They could split us up," Cindy rattled off the different possibilities.Nick slowly chewed and contemplated these options. "I get why they'd want us to give up the weapons. I can go along with that." He raised an eyebrow and added, "As long as we hide a dagger."Cindy tapped her waistband, where a small Elite Combat Knife was sheathed against her abdomen. "One step ahead of you."Nick smiled and moved the tiny blade sheathed on his hip into his waistband. "If they want details on what we've done out here?""We'll be vague. But if they push us," Cindy sighed and said, "I suppose honesty is the best policy.""Very admirable of you," Nick said. "But if they want to split us up? No way," Nick locked eyes with Cindy. "We do this together.""No argument," Cindy shot back.With that said, the kids climbed atop their horses and rode back into the halls.It was a short and uneventful ride to the school's eastern staircase. Cindy and Nick halted at its base and stared up the flight of steps. "I'll lead," Cindy offered. She kicked her pony's ribs and frowned as it hesitated to march forward."Easy, girl," Cindy rubbed the horse's mane and whispered it words of encouragement. "I know it's new and scary, but you'll make it. Hee-yah," she gave another gentle kick, and the horse tentatively marched upwards. "Good girl," Cindy patted her mare's head and spun around."Got it?" she asked.Nick gently coaxed his own steed, and soon he was following right behind the blonde. "All good."Cindy reached the landing of the second floor and waited for Nick to join her. They both spun their horses around the tight corner towards the steps leading up above. As they reached the top of the steps and turned around the corner, their jaws dropped. In a single moment, everything changed.Ten feet down the hall stood a messy five-foot high barricade of desks, filing cabinets, and chairs. Peeking over this rampart rested a pile of moppy blonde hair and bespectacled pupils. "Halt!" a high-pitched cry ordered.Cindy and Nick grasped their swords' hilts, but a trio of crossbows swinging over the parapet froze their draw. "Not an inch!" a much fiercer shout rebounded through the stairwell. A ninth-grader with a red buzzcat squinted one eye while aiming his crossbow at Cindy's heart.Nick cleared his throat and said, "Easy, everybody. We mean you no harm."Cindy's eyes traced over the bastion and studied the four souls preparing to gun her down. The anxious blonde was getting his own blue Stratobow in position; Cindy realized he couldn't be more than a fourth-grader. The group's confident redheaded leader rested beside him, calmly flexing his fingers along his bow. To his right stood a brunette with a sleek face; she seemed the oldest. The final girl brushed a few stray curls of coiled ebony hair from her eyes and settled her bow on Nick's gut.The red-haired commander scoffed and shouted, "I'll take it easier when you drop those weapons."Cindy and Nick stayed frozen, the kids on the wall did likewise. "Seems like you have us outgunned," Cindy calmly told the group. "That really necessary?""It is," the leader answered."You got a name?" Cindy asked."I do," he answered.After a moment, Nick narrowed his eyes. "You gonna tell us what it is?""Don't think so," the ninth-grader shot back. "Tell us who you are.""Nick Dean. See? Not hard to give a name.""And I'm Cindy," Cindy offered. "Cindy Vortex."Cindy was hoping that James was behind those walls, that he'd told his guards to keep an eye out for her. That hope was quickly dashed when the ninth-grader said, "I didn't ask your names. I asked who you are."Cindy and Nick's eyes met. "We're just weary travelers seeking refuge," Cindy answered. "This is Canterbury, right?'"So you're not stupid. I'll give you that," the boy answered. "But you don't look like weary travelers to me. More like footpads.""Look," Cindy pleaded, "we've come a long way to find this place. Are our friends in there? Is Jimmy Neu-""The only person who'll answer your questions is the Queen. And to see her, you must concede to three rules. One, surrender your weapons. Two, swear to harm no person behind these walls. And three, leave peacefully if she declines you refuge. Do you agree to these conditions?"Cindy and Nick mulled this offer over. After a moment Nick asked, "Do we get the weapons back?"The ebony-haired girl said, "If the Queen gives you safe haven, then yes. If she declines, then no."The wall's leader clarified, "It's for our protection. Do you agree?""What if we say no?" Cindy asked."Then you may leave with your horses and weapons," the boy promised. "For the last time. Do you agree?"The lack of a witty remark told Cindy her partner's answer. "We agree," she slowly plucked the double sword off her back, held it far from her side, and dropped it to the ground."Was a stupid crossbow anyway," Nick grumbled while unshouldering his bow and tossing it to the floor. Next came the marauder blade sheathed on his hip."Happy?" Cindy asked."Not yet," the commander answered. "Step off the horses, place your hands atop your heads, and wait to be patted down. Peter, make sure they're clean."Cindy and Nick did as told and stayed calm as the twitchy blonde vaulted over the wall and approached them. He started at Cindy's ankles and slowly patted upwards. Right as his hand hovered over her hidden blade, Cindy asked, "Kid, are we gonna be safe in there?"Pete hesitated and met her gaze. "Don't worry. As long as you don't attack us, you'll be fine." He resumed patting her sides, then her arms. He moved onto Nick, and he asked a question as Pete went for his waistband."We're looking for our friends," Nick began. "Have you seem -""No talking!" the group's leader shouted. "Peter? They clean?"The blonde patted Nick's arms, then spun back towards his commander. "All clear, Bennett.""Good," Bennett answered. "You may approach the wall."Cindy and Nick followed Peter towards the barricade. Two of the crossbows had disappeared; Cindy realized the soldiers were pulling some of the desks apart to make an entrance. Peter went through the gap first. Cindy prepared to follow, but Bennett blocked her way.Cindy realized he was at least a foot taller than her and looked up at the intimidating teenager. His grey eyes were sharp as stone, as was the unsheathed shortsword clutched in his grasp. "I want you to know two things before you step beyond this wall. If you're an enemy, you'll die here." His grizzly voice softened an octave as he added, "But if you're a friend, I hope you'll forgive this show.""We're generally not the forgiving type," Nick said, "but we haven't been hurt yet.""Hm," Bennet scoffed. He turned towards his fellow guards. "Yen, you're with me." The brunette joined Bennett. "Peter and Aïda, keep watch and shout if you need anything."Peter rejoined his spot on the parapet with the umber-skinned girl as Bennett faced Cindy and Nick. "Let's go meet the Queen."Bennett led the way through the gap. Cindy and Nick followed, then Yen fell in place behind with her crossbow at the ready. As they stepped past the wall into the third floor's main corridor, all of Cindy's fears vanished.Though only stray sunlight filtered through the windows, overhead lanterns illuminated the wondrous scene. The hallway was utterly teeming with carefree life; dozens of kids of all ages milled about in a cheerful frenzy. The youngest kids fenced with broken mop handles or knelt on the floor to play knucklebones. Older kids touted freshly sewn clothes and kilned pottery from makeshift vending stands. A trio of well-armed high-schoolers rushed past clutching swords and longbows; the children cheered wildly and raised their mop handles towards the ceiling."This way," Bennett said. "Try to keep up."Cindy's jaw dropped in disbelief; a glance at Nick saw the skeptical lad was just as enamored with this place."Oysters, clams, and cockles!" a cheerful brunette in twisted braids shouted. Cindy watched in disbelief as she pushed a wheelbarrow filled with shellfish past the group."You have seafood?" Nick asked in disbelief.Yen couldn't hide a grin as she said, "You'd be surprised how good of a fish farm you can make from the stuff in your biology lab.""Yen," Bennett chided his cohort as they kept marching down the hall.Cindy cracked a smile and stared at each classroom they passed. Each room harbored new wonders. A makeshift barracks was filled with blankets and pillows. There was the pantry loaded with canned goods, salted mutton, and fresh fruit. A make-do infirmary had evidently snagged the examination table and medical supplies from the nurse's office. There was a pen holding most of the animals from the Renaissance fair, a locked door labeled Armory, and blacksmith working hard behind an anvil."You guys have been busy," Nick whistled in awe.Cindy caught Bennett suppressing a smile, but as they passed by a classroom labelled Theater, Cindy's heart stopped. The half dozen elementary schoolers in the audience blocked her view, but it took less than instant to recognize the unseen actor's voice."But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."Cindy couldn't stop herself from dashing into the theater. "Hey!" Bennett roared behind her, but her feet kept pushing forward."See how she leans her cheek upon her hand?" the smooth British tone droned on.She shoved past the kids in her way and felt every muscle in her face ache as she smiled at the redhead before her. "Carl!"Carl Wheezer, looking absolutely dashing in his velvet chaperon and maroon tunic, paused halfway through his soliloquy. For an instant he froze, then dashed forward clasped his arms around his friend. Voice cracking with shock and relief, he whispered, "Cindy."Cindy had never been so happy to see the llama lover, but their reunion was cut short. She felt Bennett's strong arms wrap around her waist and yank her away."Wait!" Cindy screamed. "Is Jimmy -""Enough!" Bennett shouted. He dragged Cindy a few feet away before releasing her. Nick stood with his arms raised high and Yen's crossbow pointed at his chest."Bennett," Carl pleaded, "can we just-""Not another word, Wheezer," Bennett warned. "They still need to speak to The Queen."Carl fell silent, though he flashed a tiny grin that Cindy chose to believe meant they'd be alright. She and Nick allowed themselves to be taken back into the main hallway."Another stunt like that and you're back in the wilds," Bennett promised as they marched down the hall. They stopped near the end of the main corridor. Bennett knocked on a closed nondescript door. "My queen?""Yes?" came the soft reply."We have two survivors from beyond the wall seeking refuge. Would you be willing to meet with them?""Of course! Enter at once."Bennett opened the door and led his guests inside. All of the desks and chairs had been removed from this room. In their place stood a simple golden throne and a red carpet leading towards it. Before this cathedra, with her back to the group, stood the Queen of Canterbury.Cindy studied what she could of Her Majesty. A simple emerald gown graced the monarch's back; a white-trimmed jade cloak rested atop her shoulders. A beryl longsword was sheathed on her left hip. Seated atop her temple was a simple auriferous crown."Your Grace," Bennett and Yen dropped to their knees. They withering glares sent Cindy and Nick kneeling as well.As the queen spun around, only Cindy's experience with Carl kept her rooted in place.Angie's calm face met Cindy's, and then both girls smiled."Thank you, Bennett," Queen Angie instructed her commander. "You may leave us. You too, Yen.""My queen," Bennett gingerly asked, "are you sure?""Do not worry for your queen," Angie instructed. "Have you already forgotten how we built this place?" She motioned at her blade. "I still know how to protect myself.""Of course," Bennett acquiesced. "Come, Yen." He and his fellow guard prepared to leave the throne room, though he offered his grace one last thought. "I think you should know, Your Highness, that they did not cause us much trouble."Cindy offered Bennett a grateful grin; Bennett gave a steely nod back. Then he and Yen were gone, leaving the three sixth-graders behind.Cindy raised both her arms, and Angie nodded. The two girls stepped forward and wrapped each other in a tight embrace."Cindy," Angie squeezed her friend tight. "It's so good to see you." Once they'd broken their hug, she smiled at Nick. "You too, Nick.""Same here," he offered a pleasant nod. "So you're a queen now, huh? Does that mean Carl's king?"Angie brustled at the question. "I founded Canterbury; built it from nothing. It needs no king."Nick raised his palms. "I meant no offense.""None taken," Angie quickly assured him. "This time." The Queen straightened her dress and sat atop her throne. "You must have many questions.""That's a bit of an understatement," Nick answered. "About the fish farm...""Nick," Cindy snapped. He fell silent, so Cindy asked, "Are the others here? Is Jimmy?""Libby's here," Angie answered. Cindy's face brightened further, and Angie raised a palm to ward off her excitement. "As in she lives here, but she's out on a supply run right now. She should be back by nightfall.""Jimmy? Sheen?" Cindy queried."And Betty and Ike?" Nick added."I'm afraid they're all lost to the wind," Angie answered. "We haven't heard so much as a whisper about any of them since the mess at the fair."Cindy and Nick fell silent; it was only a moment before they felt Angie's studious gaze upon them. "Cindy," she sternly began, "I've always liked you. You're a friend. But I'm not hiding in the basement and planting flowers anymore. This is my kingdom," she motioned beyond the throne room's walls. "And those are my people. If you're to stay here, I need to know beyond a shadow's doubt that you mean them no harm."Cindy opened her mouth, but Angie cut her words off with an outstretched palm. "What have you done to survive out there?"Cindy fell silent, so Nick said, "Everyone's fought and killed out there.""I don't want to know how everyone survived," Angie countered. "Only you two."Cindy mustered her courage and met Angie's stare. "We were wandering the halls, trying to find this place. We'd come across a map, but it was a fake. It led to a trap. We were caught off guard, but it was just one kid. So we cut him down. We wanted to get back on the road, but another group stumbled onto us. We fought and they died. When we saw that they had another copy of the map, we realized we might be able to do what its creator couldn't. Turn it into a ludicrous ambush.""So you killed people who were trying to find this place?" A twinge of fire raced through Angie's words. Before Cindy could answer, Angie went on, "Let me ask you something, Cindy. When you ambushed these innocent people, when you cut them down? Were you despondent? Remorseful? Or were merely relishing in your skill and ill-gotten wares?"Cindy wanted to protest, but she remembered the last trio they'd slain. She recalled her first words to them. My name is Cindy Vortex. You should not have come here. Prepare to die.She remembered how she'd smiled when she'd said it.Nick shook his head. "Angie, it's awesome that you built this place. But it's not like we were really killing people. It's a game, and there's a prize for whoever wins it."Angie rapped her knuckles along her armrest. "Oh, is there?" she asked. "What is it?""Well," Nick tried to answer, but his voice fell short."Last year it was no summer reading," Cindy offered. "We assumed it was something similar. Forrester never really said."Angie stayed silent; Cindy and Nick began to wither under her unrelenting gaze. At last, she said, "You're telling the truth. You don't know The Rules, do you?"Cindy thought back to Forrester's announcement; his cryptic mention of how there were rules to find. When he'd failed to make a follow-up proclamation, she and Nick had eventually assumed this game functioned the same as last year's. "Did you," Cindy cocked her head, "find them?"Angie rose from her throne and motioned for her guests to follow. She led them around the central chair, towards the classroom's back wall. Hammered into the floor right underneath the rear window was a simple stone tablet."I built the throne room here so that all of Canterbury, but most of all its ruler," she motioned at herself, "would never forget what we are fighting for. Read for yourselves."Cindy and Nick knelt down and studied the tablet.
The Rules:
1. The game ends at midnight on the last day of winter break.
2. If more than 600 people survive, no one wins the prize.
3. If between 100 and 600 people survive, these children get three months of no homework.
4. If between 2 and 99 people survive, no one wins the prize.
5. If only one player survives, that student will never have to do homework through high school graduation.
Cindy and Nick shot each other disbelieving looks. "I thought it was no summer reading," Nick whispered. He swallowed hard and gasped, "I might never have to do homework again?!"Cindy found herself utterly consumed by the idea of an entire childhood free from homework. She felt her hand twitching towards her waistband and saw Nick do the same."Stop," Angie drew her sword and pointed it between the two of them. "The idea of winning the prize consumes us all at first. Let it pass."Cindy and Nick stayed frozen, and after a few seconds they felt their sanity returning. Cindy withdrew her palm, as did Nick. "So you're not trying to win the big prize," Cindy realized."No," Angie's pupils danced between her guests; once she'd spotted rational thought she lowered her blade. "Why should we all become animals, become what Forrester wanted us to be, just so one person might win it all? Why not prove to him and to ourselves that we can be better. Why not work together and still walk away with something wonderful?"All I need to know for you two to stay here is this. Can you set aside the ultimate prize and help me build this place? Help me win what we can for as many people as we can? Help me be better than we were last summer?"Cindy rose to her feet but kept her eyes on the floor. "I've been telling myself that I only did what I needed to do to survive. But the truth is...I didn't just do it. I enjoyed it. I wanted to be a better person, to leave that girl from The River behind, but I didn't really try. But someone told me yesterday that the thing about the past is that it can be left behind." Cindy sucked in a deep breath and nodded at Angie. "I can be better. I can fight for this place. I can fight for you."Angie turned to Nick, who stared at Cindy. "I think I could win the big prize," he teased. "But I told you before. I'll follow you anywhere.""If you are prepared to swear fealty to me and to Canterbury, then kneel once more," Angie instructed. Cindy and Nick did as were told, so Angie raised her sword. "Swear to me that you will defend Canterbury's walls, its queen, and most importantly - it's people. Swear that you will do this from this day until your last day.""We swear," Nick and Cindy answered.Angie hovered her sword over each of their shoulders. "Then with grateful breath I proclaim you subjects of The Kingdom of Canterbury. Rise and stand anew."Cindy rose up and looked her queen in the eyes. "Thank you. What happens now?"Her answer came in the form of fire and fear.A thunderous crash sounded far down the hall. A few startled shrieks rang out, but they were soon followed by dozens of blood-curdling screams. "Your Grace?" Cindy turned to the stone-faced Angie, who for the briefest of moments stood paralyzed.The throne room door was kicked open and snapped her back to action. "My Queen!" a trembling Peter screamed while collapsing onto the floor. A trickle of blood raced down his nose, and his breaths came hard and fast."Peter!" Angie lurched forward, but Cindy and Nick reached the shaken boy first. They each grabbed one of his arms and helped hoist him up."They broke through," his quivering voice barely croaked out the words. "The wall...it's down."Angie grit her teeth and snapped into action. "Go gather all the youngest children you can and get them to the library at the end of the wall. I'll help you in a moment."Muscles wracked by fear but heart bolstered by devotion to his queen, Peter dashed back into the chaos outside. As soon as he'd left, Ange faced her newest subjects."I know you just swore fealty," she hurriedly pleaded, "but Canterbury needs you. Peter and I will get the children to safety. Please help my soldiers. There are sixty-five civilians behind these walls and only twenty guards. Whatever's burst through that wall, we need your help.""You'll have it," Cindy swore."The armory's down the hall but it's locked. You'll have to find a guard who can-""No need," Nick answered while he and Cindy pulled out their hidden knives.Angie flashed a nervous smile. "Crafty as always. Good luck." With that said she dashed into the hallway.Nick watched her disappear, then asked, "You sure about this? Saving Canterbury," he pondered the thought. "We haven't exactly been heroes up to this point.""It's time to change that," Cindy answered. She stared down at the knife clenched in her hand and grit her teeth. "Let's go.""After you, m'lady."Cindy and Nick left the tranquil throne room behind. As soon as they'd crossed the threshold, chaos greeted them. Black smoke wafted from the wall at the end of the hall and grew thicker every second. Patches of flames smoldered on the linoleum tile from overhead lanterns that had crashed down. The clanging of swords, cries of fright, and anguished screams coalesced into a patchwork of horror.Cindy watched Angie lead a pair of wailing kindergarteners past the throne room; the Queen didn't toss her newest subjects a single glance. When Cindy stared back down the hall, she saw two ninth-graders clutching longswords and circular wooden shields chase a screaming first-grade girl.During Angie's questioning, Cindy had thought she might have a chance to leave her violent life behind. That dream splintered as the first high-schooler tackled the crying child. It shattered when the second raised his longsword and slit her throat.Cindy stormed forward and grabbed a fistful of the boy's long brown hair. She yanked it back and slammed the point of her dagger into the back of his skull. He was still roaring in agony when she flung him to the ground. She stared to her right just in time to watch Nick kick the other boy in the neck. His victim collapsed onto his side; Nick followed the blow with a stab to the heart.Nick and Cindy sheathed their knives, grabbed the swords and shields, and marched deeper into the smoke. A trio of bodies stormed towards them, wooden breastplates cemented them as targets. Nick smashed his shield against the forward girl's sternum, knocking her hard to the ground. As he plunged his longsword into the marauder's throat, Cindy kicked hard against the knee of her first target. A glint of foam caught in her eye; she raised her shield high and blocked her second attacker's blow. A slash of her sword cut the kneeling boy's throat. As the final raider pulled his blade away from her shield, Nick slammed the side of his own escutcheon into his skull. The pillager fell forward straight onto Cindy's outstretched sword.Cindy locked gazes with her attacker and watched the life wither from his eyes. Once it was fully extinguished, she shoved him aside and took a few cautious steps forward.The smoke seared the back of her throat; a few friendly forms around her started to beat down the stray flames. Distant screams still poured from the far-away wall, where Cindy surmised the thick of the action was. Two new figures stormed towards her; she and Nick raised their shields and angled their blades over them."Help!" the peasants pleaded. They're right behind -"Three arrows to the back shot the duo down. Cindy and Nick immediately dropped to one knee, linked shields together, and heard three more arrows bounce off their escutcheons.Cindy glanced to her right as Nick turned to his left. Two open doorways greeted them. "Ready?" Cindy shouted."Now!" Nick shouted while diving through the doorway. Cindy somersaulted through her threshold and slammed into the back of a bulky senior. The snarling raider spun around and slammed his wooden shield against her temple. Stars sparked and spun through her vision; she aimlessly thrust up her clipeus to ward off a blow that never came. An arrow from behind the teenager halted his attack by slamming into his neck. Cindy watched in disbelief as he crashed to the ground, then stared at the six children he'd been prepared to kill. She looked away from the two he'd succeeded in taking down."Thanks for distracting him," a trembling second-grade girl whimpered. She lowered her longbow just as Cindy remembered what she'd been diving away from."Trade ya!" Cindy slid the girl her sword, and the wise child tossed back her boy and quiver. Cindy plucked a foam arrow from the leather pouch, notched the dart, and locked eyes with Nick from across the hall. He offered a nod, so Cindy knelt near the doorframe and aimed her bow around the corner.Two archers aimed back at her from a dozen feet away; the third was storming her with a dagger. She loosed a dart at his gut and pulled back as two arrows spiraled past her. "Now!" she screamed as Nick burst from his doorway.Nick sprinted down the hall and slid straight into the left-most archer. As the bowman tumbled to the floor, Nick pushed himself up and swung his sword to the right. He slashed the marksman across the chest, immediately thrust the blade backwards over his shoulder, and stabbed the rising archer in the eye."Cind!" Nick screamed while clambering to his feet and raising his shield.Cindy stared at the children and pointed at the girl who'd saved her. "You! Get your friends towards the throne room. Angie's protecting a group there!" Without another word, Cindy dashed down the hall and rejoined her partner.A few more steps brought them to the armory, a friendly face was unlocking the door. Cindy and Yen locked eyes right before the guard disappeared into the room. It was only a split second before she popped back out and yelled, "Cindy!" while tossing the blonde her double-edged sword.Cindy dropped her sword and shield, caught the staff, and grinned madly at her weapon. "Yeah," Cindy nodded while spotting two more raiders dashing towards Yen. Cindy stormed forward and leaped onto the wall on her right. As soon as her right foot made contact, she kicked off and swung her staff across the first target's throat. Cindy rolled along the ground, split the staff in two, and heard the telltale whistling of a swinging sword. She crossed her two blades in an X, caught her opponent's sword in the middle, then pushed the blocked weapon forward. Her target stumbled back, and Cindy slammed both blades across her chest.Cindy spun around to see Yen handing Nick a Crossfire Crossbow. The guard grabbed herself an enormous Blazin Bow and pointed back towards the nearby wall. Through the blanket of smoke overhead, they could just make out a blazing inferno."They set the damned thing ablaze!" Yen screamed. "Come on!"The three set off on a dead run and slid before the fire. The entire barricade was shattered, desks and filing cabinets had been flung in all directions. Each individual component was in flames, and spewed thick black smoke. The hellish landscape was home to a half dozen Canterbury corpses. Only Bennett and Aïda still faced the ten remaining raiders.Yen shot down one of two raiders madly slashing at Aïda. The umber-skinned girl managed to block the second marauder's thrust, but he didn't hesitate to unsheathe a dagger and slam it into her throat."No!" Bennett roared as Nick shot Aïda's killer down. The commander found three pillagers crowding in on him. The first swung swung her Warlock Battleaxe straight at his head. He ducked beneath the blade and carved her open with his shortsword. The second boy, a seventeen year-old behemoth, kicked his chest and knocked him clean to the ground."Bennett!" Cindy roared while dashing forward. The third pillager swung her Battlemaster mace down towards Bennett's skull, but he thrust his sword up and parried the weapon out of her hands. In a split second he'd circled his blade back around and plunged it into her heart. Bennett jumped to his feet and watched as the last boy tried to slash his throat with a longsword. Bennett ducked under the blade, strode forward, spun around, and sliced the brute along the back of his neck. The ogre collapsed onto the floor like a timbered tree, sprawling before Cindy's feet."The rest!" Bennett ordered. Yen, Nick, Bennett, and Cindy faced the five remaining pillagers. For the first time, their enemy stared back with fear in their eyes."Retreat!" a blonde boy closest to the remnants of the wall screamed. He placed his hand atop a smoldering desk, vaulted over it, and disappeared down the staircase.The remaining four raiders hesitated just long enough for Bennett to scream, "Take them alive!""You're the boss," Cindy spat while slicing her sword against the nearest girl's thigh. The girl crashed to her knee, and Cindy used one of her blades to bat the raider's sword away. She turned to her right to see Yen shooting another boy's knee. Nick and Bennett settled for thrusting their blades against a startled boy's and girl's necks; they immediately dropped their weapons to the ground."On your knees!" Bennett roared. Nick and Bennett's targets joined their wounded compatriots on the ground. "Cindy, swords on them.""Gladly," Cindy answered while pointing each blade at a pair of victims.Satisfied that his prisoners carried no threat, Bennett stared at the chaos around him. Half the wall was still burning, the air was scorching their lungs, and over a dozen corpses lay strewn along the ground."Ye-Yen," Bennett stammered, fatigue and disbelief warping his voice, "let the others know the fight's over. We need a fire crew here.""On it," Yen assured her commander before dashing down the hall."One got away," Nick dropped his sword and primed his crossbow. "Should I get him?""No," Bennett spat. "Let that rat tell whoever rules over him that we've killed all of his men." Bennett turned to Nick and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "We need you here." He turned to Cindy and added, "Both of you.""What do we do with them?" Cindy asked while nodding towards the prisoners.Bennett walked towards the girl whose thigh Cindy had slashed. She seemed the oldest of the group. Bennett pointed his sword towards her heart and asked, "Your name?""Isabel," she solemnly answered."Well then, Isabel. Who do you serve and why have you come here?"His prisoner stared down at Bennett's blade, then into his eyes. "You fought with honor, good sir," she quietly answered. "I hope you can agree that I did as well.""You fought well," Bennett shot back. "That's not the same as with honor."The girl gulped and said, "What I mean is...I cannot betray my king.""I didn't ask you to betray him," Bennett grumbled. "I asked you to name him. Is withholding a name worth a sword through your heart?"The girl pondered the question before sighing. "I suppose not," she whispered. "We came here on the order of King James."Cindy's heart sank, then she saw red as the boy beside Isabel added, "And Queen Betty."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As blood red blurred Cindy's vision, she struggled to process the prisoners' revelation. "Jimmy Neutron," she spoke slowly and tried to wring comprehension from each syllable, "married Betty Quinlan?" Hands trembling with fury, Cindy glared at the two prisoners staring down her right sword. Isabel nodded, so Cindy barked, "Where are they?"Isabel gulped and stammered, "I ca-can't-"Cindy bowed towards the girl's pale pink face. "You do seem like an honorable woman." Cindy threw her left sword to the ground, gripped the hilt of her right blade, and raised it high. "So you deserve an honorable death!"Before Bennett or Nick could protest, Cindy slashed her silver weapon hard across Isabel's throat. A sickening gurgle escaped her bruised voicebox as she collapsed to the floor."What about you?!" Cindy screamed while turning to the boy by Isabel's side. "Where's King James?""Cindy!" Nick lowered his crossbow and grabbed his friend's shoulder. "The wooden shields and token, we know -""Shut up!" Cindy screeched. She shrugged his hand away and growled at the trembling boy before her. "Where is he?!""I can't tell -"Cindy scooped up her fallen blade, crossed her swords in an X, and shoved them against her prisoner's throat. As Bennett shouted in protest, she sliced the blades apart hard enough to draw a trickle of blood."That's enough!" Bennett roared while grabbing Cindy's arm."You want answers?" Cindy shrieked. "What about Aïda?" Bennett faltered, so she swung her left sword towards the two remaining captives. "They'll talk. And if they don't?" Cindy shrugged. "What's the point in keeping them alive?"She swiveled towards the last two victims. The boy was a sixth grader, tousled cool brown hair swept over his forehead. The tiny girl beside him seemed a fourth grader. Her auburn fishtail was perfectly segmented and flowed well past her shoulders. She was next in line, so Cindy hovered her blade against the girl's light brown neck."King James," Cindy spat. "He's in the woodshop, isn't he?""Screw you," the girl snarled while reaching for her right wrist."Thanks for the help," Cindy pulled back her sword and prepared to thrust it into the girl's neck."Wait!" the last prisoner screamed. "He is in the woodshop. We can-""Ethan, stop!" the girl ordered."King James wouldn't want us to die like this, Aashna," Ethan protested. "Even he would say Minerva's not worth this."Ethan locked his blue eyes on Cindy's blazing emeralds. "I'll tell you whatever you want. I'll tell you where our kingdom, Minerva, is. No, I'll show you! There's traps," Ethan hurriedly explained before Cindy could strike him down. "Defenses! We'll help you get past them. Just please," he begged, "don't kill her."Cindy considered his request as Nick stepped between her and the prisoners. "We're done," he told the blonde."He's right," Bennett ordered. "They're cooperating." He glanced around the hallway, at the dying flames and near score of bodies all around him. As his eyes settled on Aïda's corpse, he muttered, "No more bloodshed."The group was finally greeted by a half dozen civilians carrying thick blankets and water buckets. They doused the remaining flames; their presence also seemed to extinguish the frantic air of hostility."Yen!" Bennett shouted while sheathing his Vantage sword. He gestured at the wrecked wall. "Turn that back into a passable barricade. We're going to bring the prisoners to the infirmary. We'll send more guards your way in a moment. And if anyone approaches and doesn't follow your instructions to the letter? Kill them.""As you wish," Yen nodded and began shoving a smoking desk back into place."You," Bennett pointed at a random civilian pouring the last dregs of her water bucket on a dying flame. Once the fire was out, she faced the commander. "Grab any guard you can find and tell him to give Bennett a report of the dead."After the girl nodded, Bennett faced his prisoners. "On your feet, then. March forward."The prisoners fell in formation with Bennett and Nick behind them. Nick aimed his crossbow at Ethan's back; Bennett pointed his shortsword at the girl. Cindy fell in stride at the rear of the group as they marched down Canterbury's main hall.Though Cindy had been a resident of Canterbury for mere moments, she felt crushed by the misery flowing through the halls. Children no longer played jacks and fenced, they lay dead on the floor or sobbed over their fallen friends. The market stalls were crashed and destroyed; their vendors were either hiding or dead. Brave knights lay slumped against the wall, clutching swords which had failed to save them.The wailing of tears and agony formed an unholy chorus that broke Cindy's spirit.The group halted at the infirmary, which was now doubling as a a morgue. Bennett stepped into the large converted classroom and ordered the troop, "Stay here." A wise senior clad in flowing brown monk's robes awaited him. Bennett clasped the frail teenager on the shoulder and tiredly greeted him."Aldous," Bennett whispered."My child," Aldous swiped his long, white beard aside and pulled Bennett into a tight embrace. "It is truly a dark day in Canterbury.""It was awful out there," Bennett said while taking a step back and surveying the infirmary. The room was split in two. The wounded were being treated on one half of the classroom by Aldous' acolyte. On the other side, dozens of bodies were laid to rest. Young civilians, slain members of Canterbury's guard, and wooden-armored enemies were arranged side by side."But it's worse in here," Bennett went on and motioned at the dead, lying peacefully together. "Battle-lines are erased in the afterlife?"Aldous ran wrinkled hands thick as leather over the cumbersome golden medallions around his neck. "All men must one day cross the river Styx. Why ford it alone?"Bennett nodded and motioned at his two prisoners. "We captured two of them who agreed to help us. Can we keep them here? We never got around to building a prison."Aldous shuffled towards the frightened children. "That depends." He pulled a vial of anointed water from his cloak and asked, "Could you help me bless the dead?""Um," Ethan gulped and turned to Bennett. "If you allow it."Bennett stared deep into the prisoner's bewildered eyes. After a long moment, Bennett lifted his shirt to reveal a sheathed dagger sporting a silver, not foam, blade. Ethan gulped as Bennett grabbed the dragon-shaped hilt and plucked it free from its scabbard."If you harm him," Bennett promised, "I'll kill you with this. Not that," Bennett nodded towards his foam shortsword. "Understood?""Absolutely," Ethan promised."Good." Bennett turned to Aashna; his gaze softened as he studied her petite face. "Are you thirsty?""No," she rasped."She's lying," Ethan chimed in. "We're quite parched, actually."Bennett motioned at Aldous' acolyte, who was holding a damp cloth to an injured guard's forehead. "Percival! Fetch the prisoners some bread and water."The black-robed assistant bowed towards Bennett before darting off into the hall. Turning back to Ethan, Bennett growled, "Don't make me regret this.""You've made it quite clear that we would be the ones regretting it, my lord," Ethan assured him.Nothing else needed to be said, so Bennett stayed silent as he sheathed his dagger. He led Cindy and Nick back into the hall, towards the throne room."You trust them that much?" Cindy inquired."I trust them to believe my threat," he shot back.It was only a few steps until they passed the nearly abandoned theater, where a fresh wail of sorrow decimated Cindy. Angie was the theater's sole living occupant, crumpled over the chest of its lone corpse. Cindy dropped her swords, dashed inside, and slid to a stop by the red-headed corpse."Carl," Cindy moaned while clutching the dead boy's hand. He was cold and stiff; Angie's tears formed a puddle beneath her weary eyes."Your grace," Bennett gently shoved Nick inside and closed the door behind him. "You should not be out here yet. We haven't fully cleared the main hall.""So many dead," Angie sniffled and rose from Carl's corpse. She cast one last adoring stare at her late lover, then looked up at the commander. "Who did this?"Cindy squeezed Carl's palm, then snarled, "It was Jimmy. Jimmy and Betty."Confusion swept aside Angie's grief. She cocked her head and asked, "James did this?"Nick shared in her bewilderment. "Makes no sense. Neutron and Betty aren't this cold-blooded."Cindy rose to her feet and offered the queen a hand. As she lifted Angie up, Cindy glared at Nick. "You and Betty did ambush us last year."As Nick pondered a witty retort, Angie motioned for the group to fall silent. "How do you know it was them?""We have two prisoners, your Grace," Bennett answered. "They told us King James," he spat the monarch's name, "rules over a land called Minerva. It's apparently in the woodshop. They've agreed to guide us there."Angie considered this report as she stood straight and tall. "Then gather a small team and leave at once."A knock at the door interrupted Angie's order. Bennett peered through the glass window and then let the lone guard inside. "Rhoslyn," he greeted her, "what's the count?"The raven-haired sixth grader hung her head. "Seven soldiers, my liege. And thirteen civilians." Rhoslyn caught sight of Carl and swallowed hard. "Fourteen, then.""The enemy?" Bennett asked.Rhoslyn's tone bristled in fury as she spat, "They bled more than we did. We killed twenty-seven of them." She turned to the queen and knelt on one knee. "Anything else, your Grace?""N-no," Angie stammered. She waved her hand and said, "Go and help the wounded.""At once," Rhoslyn rose, nodded at Bennett, and departed back into the hall."We had eighty-five," Angie's eyes were blank, sorrow for the dead depleting the last of her strength. "A quarter dead."Bennett processed the numbers, then turned towards Cindy and Nick. "It could have been much worse, my queen. If it weren't for them-""This could have been no worse!" Pure enmity stained her words."Of course not, your Grace," Bennett dropped to one knee and hung his head.Angie panted and glared at her best soldier. After a moment, she unclenched her fists and softened her tone. "Rise, commander. That was the girl speaking, not your queen." As Bennett slowly stood up, Angie asked, "Can you gather your men and depart for Minerva?""Your Highness, I will gladly do whatever you ask," Bennett answered. "But we only have thirteen guards left, and three of those are beyond our walls gathering supplies. I worry about sending more out.""Some of the civilians can manage a sword," Angie countered."They can," Bennett agreed. "But perhaps the best suited for this expedition are our newest recruits." He motioned at Cindy and Nick. "This would allow the guards that our frightened people know best to rebuild this place. I think the peasants need friendly faces around."Angie considered Bennett's proposal while facing her freshest subjects. "You do both know James and Betty best. I appreciate how hard you fought for a place you barely knew," she admitted. "But would you be willing to aid in another quest for Canterbury?""We swore fealty," Cindy immediately answered.Angie offered all she could; a solemn half-smile. "Canterbury appreciates your devotion. Bennett," she faced her commander, "bring our valued subjects to the armory and outfit them with whatever they require. Then escort them and the prisoners to the wall.""Yes, your Grace," Bennett bowed before leading the group back out into the hall.In a few seconds he'd reached the locked door, produced a golden key, and allowed his followers inside. "Take what you wish."Cindy and Nick stepped into the converted janitor's closet. Stray beams of light from the surviving overhead lanterns illuminated the cache of weapons. A dozen various longswords leaned against one wall. Covering another were a collection of Dreadbolt, FocusFire, and Crossfire crossbows carefully resting on pairs of hooks. The final wall harbored a half dozen Blazin Bows, Stratobows, and Mega Lightning Bows.Nick plucked a pristine Dreadbolt and asked Bennett, "Does this one jam?""I'm not a bow man. But Yen gave each one the all clear," he assured Nick.Nick nodded and slung the hefty weapon over his shoulder. He scanned the swords next and settled for the Marauder blade he recognized as Roderick's. "You know, you were right," he told Cindy while studying the massive sword. He sheathed the blade on his left hip and then holstered a Zombie Strike machete on his right. "It was a shame they never found this place."Nick's word's stung Cindy like a bolt to the knee. She stood as though cast under Medusa's gaze, listening to the sobs still echoing from the halls. She wondered how many children scattered across the school were crying for the ones she slew."Cindy," Nick said while offering her a Stratobow.Cindy's hand reflexively shot for the doubleswords strapped to her back. She shook her head and said, "No bows. You can handle the ones from afar." She spotted a delicately woven basket lying near the swords; a glance inside revealed it was full of various daggers. She settled for clasping a blue and white Menace blade to her left hip."We're good," Cindy assured Bennett. The commander led them to the pantry next. He grabbed a large leather bag and stuffed it full of sheepskins, bread, salted meat, and fruit. Bennett also grabbed a few yards of thick rope before leading the trio towards the wall. On the way, Nick paused to grab a wooden clipeus from a stray raider corpse.The barrier was already crudely reassembled. "Nice work," Bennett told Yen as she shoved a bookcase in place."We'll fine-tune it," the archer answered, "but it should hold.""Any visitors?" Bennett asked."None," she assured him. "Until now, that is." Yen motioned behind Bennett.The commander craned his neck to find Ethan and Aashna marching ahead of Aldous. "The departed are blessed for their final journey," Aldous explained. He raised a trembling hand, wrinkled from countless hard years. He brushed it over Aashna's disgusted cheek. "Thanks to these young souls."Cindy scoffed and said, "It's thanks to those two they departed in the first place."Bennett thrust up a palm to silence the blonde and approached his friend. "You shouldn't stray so far from the infirmary with those knees of yours." Aldous laughed, and every joint in his body popped. Bennett couldn't hide a grin as he asked, "They give you any trouble?""We're not going to hurt an old man," Aashna pulled her cheek away and studied the ancient seventeen year-old. She scrunched her brow and added, "Or whatever the heck he is.""Watch yourself," Bennett warned. "Now turn around and join your wrists."Aashna groaned but did as she was told. Ethan followed suit, and in a moment their hands were bound by the rope from the pantry. Once the restraints were secure, Bennett asked Cindy, "Do you want your horses?""No," Cindy quickly answered. "It would be hard to to ride with the prisoners and even more arduous to sneak up on the woodshop. You'll take care of them?""Our farrier will look them over," Bennett promised. He turned to Nick and held out a hand. "Good luck, Nick.""Same to you," Nick gave Bennett's hand a hearty shake."Cindy," Bennett faced the blonde. When she'd clasped his hand, he tugged her shocked face against his ear. "I appreciate all you did," Bennett whispered. "And you got us answers. But if we get more prisoners in this war and you kill them like that before checking with me? Your head will roll beside them. Do you understand?"Cindy's temper bristled at the threat, but she quickly quelled her rage. "You're the commander," she promised Bennett.Bennett huffed before releasing Cindy. "Take this," he offered her the dragon-like hilt of his dagger. She cocked her head, and he nodded towards the prisoners. "In case you need to cut their ropes."Cindy accepted the blade and Bennett wished her luck on the journey ahead. Yen cleared a path through the barricade, and then the group was off.The march to Minerva was a surprisingly quiet advance. Cindy surmised that the screams and cries from the Battle for Canterbury had plunged the stray survivors into hiding. As the group trudged past the main floor's library, the only life that greeted them was a cooing pigeon.The ill-fated bird was mid-flight when Nick raised his crossbow. A barreling foam bolt sent the bird crashing to the floor; Cindy ended its life with a slice from Bennett's dagger."Nice shot," Cindy placed their dinner inside the food bag hanging off Ethan's neck."Yen was right," Nick smiled while loading a fresh bolt and then shouldering his weapon. He struggled to adjust the straps on both his shield and crossbow. "This thing's not bad." He nodded down the hall and said, "We're nearly at the woodshop. We should take a break and figure out how we're breaching it."Ethan shrugged towards the nearby library. "We could cook the bird and talk in there.""No libraries," Nick's neck reflexively twitched."He's right," Cindy agreed. "Too big to secure for a quick meal." She pointed at a nearby classroom with an open door. "There.""On you, m'lady," Nick agreed. He let Cindy take point on one side of the door's threshold.She gripped her double-bladed staff in both hands as Nick lined up behind her. He readied his crossbow and aimed over her shoulder as Cindy burst low and quick into the dark room. Lightning flashed outside and provided a clear glimpse of all four walls; no targets greeted them."Get in," Cindy ordered her prisoners. They hustled through the doorway and headed towards the center of the room. As Nick barricaded the door with desks, Cindy peeked around the teacher's desk. No one lay hidden, so she grabbed a full trashcan and plopped it in the center of the room. She took the heavy bag off of a grateful Ethan's neck and set it down on a nearby desk. After a moment of rummaging inside, she found a set of flint and steel. A few strikes was all it took to send a tumble of sparks into the garbage. Soon the room was basked in radiance and warmth.Cindy shoved the fire kit back into the bag and retrieved her pigeon. She sat down on the floor and started plucking the bird. Once the doorway was blocked, Nick rummaged through the bag for a sheepskin of water. He unscrewed the cap and helped each bound prisoner take a few sips. Once they were finished he gulped half the remainder.Cindy was nearly done plucking the squab when the prisoners sat around the fire. Nick set his shield and crossbow down before searching for a desk with a loose leg. When he'd found one, he wrenched the metal rod free and handed it to Cindy. He took his seat near her and watched her skewer the bird. The four of them sat in silence as she held it over the flame, but it wasn't long before Nick's tongue began to itch."So," he broke the lull, "what's Minerva like?""Must we make conversation?" Cindy asked as the bird's skin cracked and glistened."Just getting some intel," Nick assured her.Ethan sighed and thought back to the kingdom he'd left only a few hours before. "It's a beautiful place," fond memories buoyed his tone. "Over a hundred people working together, thriving in this madness. It's...it's home.""You're exaggerating," Aashna playfully shot back. "We sleep on a pile of hay.""Still home," Ethan happily chided her.Nick unsheathed his machete and waggled its point between the prisoners. "So what's up with you two, anyway? You guys...together? She seems too young." Aashna scowled, so Nick added, "I'm not judging.""That's disgusting," Ethan groaned. "She's my sister.""But she's...and you're..." Nick twirled his blade and let his last syllable drag on, seemingly into infinity."Uglier than me?" Aashna offered.Cindy couldn't help but huff in amusement as Ethan snapped, "I'm not! And we're step-siblings.""Hm," Nick mused. "Been together since the beginning?""No," Aashna answered. "I had one glorious day without him." She smiled wide, the first time Cindy had seen the child show anything but indignation. "I killed two bandits, I held up a guard from Minerva, and then convinced King James to let me in with nothing more than my silver tongue."Ethan cocked an eyebrow. "Right, just the tongue. Certainly not the dagger you had pointed at his guard's gut.""You weren't there!" Aashna shot back.Face a portrait of apathy, Cindy asked, "So how you'd find her?""Same way anyone finds anyone else out here," Ethan shrugged as best he could with his tied wrists. "Dumb luck. Stumbled upon Minerva and there she was, mouthing off to some boy right at the gate." Ethan smiled at his sister, then turned back to Cindy. "How about you two? Been at it since the fair?""This was us gaining intel," Cindy shot back. "Not a friendly chat."Nick sheathed his knife and plucked a sizzling piece of meat from the bird. "Don't be rude," he berated her before turning back to his prisoners. "We got separated from our other friends at the fair. We knew each other before that." Nick's mind drifted farther and farther back to the past. "For a long time, huh?" He faced Cindy, who simply shrugged. To the prisoners, Nick devilishly added, "She just doesn't want you to know she had a crush on me.""Nick!" Cindy screeched as her cheeks flashed redder than the nearby flames. "That's not true.""Of course it is," Nick teased. Smiling in utmost joy, he turned to Ethan and Aashna. "I mean, can you blame her?""No," Aashna immediately answered."That's enough!" Cindy shrieked while yanking the bird from the fire. Her three companions blankly watched as she viciously carved the bird in rough quarters. "You all get to eat it half-raw. Happy?""I honestly am," Nick answered."Shut up and eat," Cindy took a bite, struggled to swallow the barely warm bird, and kept her eyes firmly rooted on the floor.Nick held the meat up to the prisoners' mouths. After a disgusting bite, Ethan asked, "So...when did you guys find Canterbury?""Today," Nick answered. "About ten minutes before you crashed the gates."Cindy felt Ethan's gaze swivel her way; she kept her eyes drilled on the linoleum. "For what it's worth," he solemnly promised, "I'm sorry for what happened.""No you're not," Cindy snapped while throwing her meal aside. "If you were, you wouldn't have have torn through the gates and killed those people.""It's not what you think," Ethan whispered. "We were told Canterbury was planning to attack us. That if we didn't strike first we'd die."Cindy considered his words, then asked, "James said that?""Yes," Ethan answered. After a moment, he stiltedly added, "I mean...we're just soldiers. The king didn't tell us personally. But Damien did. He's commander of the army, reports only to the king."Cindy and Nick shared a glance. Nick asked, "So Neutron and Betty didn't tell your groups to attack?""I mean," Ethan turned to Aashna, "Damien serves the king and queen. He wouldn't lie.""Did he die in the attack?" Nick asked."No," Aashna answered. "He's the one who called the order to retreat.""You mean the only person who got away?" Cindy clarified."I," Ethan closed his eyes and mulled her question over, "suppose so.""That rat!" Aashna snarled. "I never liked him or his ugly face!""I knew Damien," Ethan swiveled towards his sister. "He trained me to be part of the guard. He wouldn't lie." Ethan considered his words and gulped before adding, "He couldn't have lied."Nick lowered the squab in his hands and said, "Well whoever ordered this attack, we've got to get inside Minerva's walls and figure this out."Ethan stared into the fire, not seeming to process Nick's words. After a moment, he earnestly said, "If this was some sort of a mistake...or a trick," he turned to Cindy, "I am truly sorry.""Not accepted," Cindy snapped. "My friend died in that fight."Voice just as fierce, Aashna said, "So did ours. All of ours. Except for the ones you killed after the fight was over.""You started it," Cindy rose to her feet and dropped her meal. She ripped one of the dual swords off her back. "You did this.""Cindy," Nick jumped up, "it's not like we're innocent in this story. We killed...what? Twenty people who were trying to find Canterbury?""We didn't know The Rules," Cindy shot back."And The River?"Cindy swallowed bubbling guilt back down. "We didn't have a choice.""And when you beat up those kids in the gym? Or when I ambushed you in the library?" Nick scoffed and motioned at the walls around them. "These games...they bring out the worst of all of us, Cindy. The only difference between you and everyone else? We can admit that we've become monsters."Two things stopped Cindy from arguing Nick's point. The first was the pair of memories that assaulted her. The Oracle's fortune swam through her mind and reminded her that if she was ever to escape her past, she needed to confront it. Then she recalled her talk with Angie, where she'd admitted what she'd done and how she yearned to move past it.The more prudent interruption was Ethan's blood-curdling scream."Behind you!" he roared.The simple instinct was to crane her neck and see what he was shouting about. Yet her battle-honed reflexes override that primitive urge. Cindy grabbed her sword's hilt with both hands, juked to the left, and swung her blade backwards over her shoulder. The firm foam slammed deep against bone. She spun around and arced her sword with her; it sliced across the abdomen of a boy whose entire body was painted the same shade of ivory as the classroom walls.The camouflaged warrior crumpled to the floor. The combat knife in his grasp, also painted white, tumbled and bounced off the floor.Nick's crossbow was clutched in an instant. He scanned the entire room, pupils darting madly in all directions. "Where the hell did he come from?" he shouted. "We blocked the only door and searched the room!""Listen to me!" Ethan roared. Cindy and Nick locked their frenzied stares onto him. "They're acolytes of the Dark Brotherhood. They're...to the left!"Cindy and Nick spun to Ethan's left. Both their hearts stopped as bright white eyes materialized on the blackboard. The entire structure seemed to lurch forward and birth a human-shaped clone. Cindy realized after two steps that it was a teenager whose entire body was meticulously painted.Cindy lurched forward and swung her blade. The monster effortlessly ducked beneath her blow and thrust his ebony dagger towards her gut. A bolt from Nick's crossbow spiraled into the demon's wrist. The monster dropped the blade an inch from Cindy's abdomen. Cindy kept swinging her blade up and over her shoulder, straight into her assailant's eye."They come in packs of fifteen!" Ethan scanned the entire room; his sister struggled to steady her frantic breathing and mirror his movements. "They're great at camouflage but only average fighters. Cut me free and we can take them!"""Me too!" Aashna begged."Cindy," Nick roared while reloading his crossbow. "Bennett's knife!""No!" Cindy snapped. "You and me can handle it." She kept turning around and around, finding nothing. "There can't be fifteen in here! There's no one el-"The floor three feet away exploded to life as a painted figure leapt up and slashed at her face. Cindy barely had time to thrust up her blade and parry its dagger. Nick unleashed a bolt at the back of its head; the acolyte crumpled at Cindy's feet."KNIFE NOW!" Nick screamed as another attacked materialized from the window and dashed towards him. He tossed his crossbow to the floor and unsheathed his sword just in time to block the blow. Cindy raced to help, but a crouching figure plastered against the teacher's desk rolled forward and slashed at her gut. Cindy sidestepped the blow and slit her assailant's throat right as Aashna dive-tackled Nick's attacker."Cut us free, you idiot!" Aashna roared as Nick stabbed the acolyte in the heart."Damn it," Cindy growled while sliding to a stop beside Ethan. She ripped Bennett's knife free, slit Ethan's ropes, and handed him the blade. "Help her," she motioned at Aashna, who was struggling to clamber to her feet.Ethan raced towards his sister and cut her restraints in a single slice. "Weapons!" Aashna cried."Busy!" Nick growled while he and Cindy fought off two more attackers.Ethan pointed at a nearby acolyte's corpse and shouted, "The dead!" He scooped a combat knife off the floor and prepared to toss it to Aashna, but a map of the world launched itself at him. Aashna scooped up her own blade and stabbed the demon in the leg; Ethan followed up with a thrust to the temple."Formation!" Nick screamed as Cindy unsheathed her second blade and finished the last of their two attackers off. The four allies formed a diamond, backs nearly plastered together."How many was that?" Cindy swiped a sweaty wrist over her forehead as they each scanned a wall.Ethan flourished his dagger and thrust it straight forward. "Nine," he counted."It was eight," Aashna countered right as the back of a chair sprung up towards Ethan. He timed his dodge perfectly and swung the point of his dagger into the acolyte's ear."I saw him," Ethan gasped. "He was nine.""Six to go," Cindy said. The group's feet moved in tandem as they slowly circled in place, scanning for any movement. "There!" Cindy caught sight of two figures bursting out of separate corners.Aashna shot like a rocket between them. She sliced the first's thigh and watched him tumble towards the ground. She jumped over her assailant's low swing, gripped her dagger with two hands, and shoved it over her left shoulder. It caught in the second acolyte's neck; she kicked out and slammed her foot into the first monster's teeth. As he collapsed to the floor, she landed on two feet, dove on top of him, and stabbed him in the heart."Floor!" Nick screamed as another of the Brotherhood rose up in a low crouch. Nick swung his longsword, but the acolyte blocked the blow with his dagger. He swung his arm hard to the right and tossed Nick's blade to the ground. Nick reached for his spare machete, but Ethan slammed his dagger onto the beast's wrist. The acolyte simply punched Ethan's temple with his remaining hand. As Ethan stumbled back, Nick unsheathed the machete and shoved it into the camouflaged assailant's face."Three!" Nick gasped."Two!" Cindy screamed while ducking beneath an acolyte's swiping dagger and shoving one of her swords up into his chin."One!" Ethan groaned while throwing the penultimate attacker to the ground and letting Aashna dive on top of him."Where is he?" Cindy gasped for breath. "Where's the last one?"Nick hoisted Aashna to her feet. The crew settled in formation, back to back.They all feverishly scoured the room, looking over all the walls and floor. "There's no one here," Aashna protested. "Did we count wro-"Her question was answered as she circled by the barricaded door. While mid stride, the last acolyte burst from the casing and wrapped his arm around the back of her neck. She reflexively stabbed backwards, but he dodged her thrust and tore the blade from her wrist."Stop!" Ethan cried as he hovered Aashna's dagger over her throat.Nick slowly sheathed his sword and grabbed his crossbow. The acolyte simply cocked his head and watched as Nick primed the lever."What do you want?" Ethan begged."Your lives," the acolyte calmly answered. "Drop weapons. Now.""You just said you want us to die," Cindy snarled. "Why would we do that?"Each of the following words were croaked haltingly; deliberately. "You don't want her to die. You three for this one.""That," Cindy raised her sword, "is the dumbest deal I ever heard.""Then she dies," the acolyte answered. "Poor little one.""Cindy," Ethan pleaded."Shut up," Cindy shot back. "He's bluffing anyway.""No bluff," his voice rolled in a low grumble while he brought the blade closer to her throat. "I listened. Heard your regrets. You say no monster. Time to prove."Cindy watched Aashna squirm against her captor. The girl had seemed utterly ferocious not a moment before. Now, clasped by a teenager, Cindy realized how tiny she truly was."Just me," Ethan pleaded. "You can take me if you let her go. They'll let you leave." Ethan turned to Cindy, who faced him this time. "You only need one of us to get into Minerva. Aashna will get you there.""Like hell I will!" Aashna spat. She lifted her pupils up and caught site of her camouflaged attacker. "I'm going to savor killing you!""You all speak too much," the acolyte slowly whispered. "No more talk. Weapons down. Or she dies."Nick struggled to get a clear shot at the acolyte's skull. "You do realize I'll kill you if you hurt her?""Yes," the teenager whispered. He hugged Aashna tight as she reached for her right wrist. "But she must die first. Will you let her?""No!" Aashna screamed while grabbing the Modulus dagger from her sleeve and thrusting it into the acolyte's eye. He didn't cry out in pain, only dropped her to the ground in shock. Nick loosed a bolt at his skull, and then he tumbled to the floor. Aashna spun around and glared at her nemesis. "I won't."Utter disbelief forced Cindy to lower her blades. "You had a knife this whole time?""Yeah!" Aashna faced the blonde. "Pretty cool, right?"Nick shook his head and asked, "Why didn't you use it on us?" while reloading."I was going to. Back when I thought you," she pointed the blade at a bristling Cindy, "were going to kill me. But then you didn't. So," she shrugged, "I didn't."Cindy huffed in exhausted amusement. She stared around the room, counting the corpses. "So that's it, right?" She faced Ethan and asked, "They come fifteen at a time?""Yeah." He swallowed hard and added, "Sometimes the acolytes are watched over by a true member of the Brotherhood. But if one of them were here, we'd already be dead.""Yeah, right," Aashna scoffed as a few specks of dust rained on her from the ceiling above. "After seeing what we just did? No one would -"One last figure fell straight down and landed an inch from the girl. As Aashna recoiled in shock, the black-cloaked assassin brandished a Klaw hatchet in each of his hands. One sliced her thigh, the second slammed into her neck."Aashna!" Ethan let out a blood-curdling scream as Nick launched a bolt at the assassin's chest. The figure effortlessly swung one hatchet and batted the dart away."No more words," he said while flourishing his axes. "Only death." With no further ado, he stormed forward and swung both weapons at Cindy's chest.Cindy parried both blades and then thrust her own swords forward. The assassin effortlessly jumped backwards and readied his axes. Cindy flourished both blades before raising them high. Nick tossed his crossbow, scooped up his shield, and gripped his longsword. Ethan cast his fallen sister one last look, then twirled his dagger and held it outwards."Godwin," Cindy quietly said.Nick nodded as he remembered that fight from what seemed ages ago. "Go for it."Cindy roared and lurched forwards. She dodged the assassin's hatchets, leaped onto a nearby wall, and kicked off hard. As she spun in midair Cindy slammed one blade down towards her target. He effortlessly raised an axe, parried her blow, and tossed her aside.As Cindy slid across the ground, Nick launched towards her assailant. The assassin's back was turned, so Nick swung his sword straight at his spine. The killer sensed the attack and batted Nick's blade away with his second hatchet. He launched his first weapon at Nick's neck, but Ethan shoved his blade between them and caught the blow.Ethan thrust the hatchet away as Nick retreated. He adjusted his shield and cracked his neck as Cindy hopped back to her feet. "You're dead!" Cindy both swords over and over, the cloaked figure anticipated each blow and dodged the flurry of strikes. As her arms grew tired, he raised one hatchet and arced it down. Nick slid between them and raised his shield; the axe bounced off his escutcheon. Ethan clutched his dagger and dove towards the assassin's back. The assassin kicked backwards him and sent Ethan falling clumsily to the floor. Nick shoved his sword up at his target's gut; the beast merely twisted away and spun towards Ethan.Ethan cried in shock as two hatchets rained down at him. A swing from Nick's sword diverted both blows and sent them crashing into the floor. As the assassin stumbled, Cindy locked her swords together and thrust her staff at his thigh. The killer groaned and fell to one knee.The three allies stepped back and readied their weapons as the injured figure scowled up at them. He flourished his hatchets and waited for one of them to advance. Cindy strode first, thrusting her staff at his chest. He parried the blow and threw one hatchet forward; it spiraled an inch past her shocked face. Ethan slid by their target and sliced at his waist, the figure managed to juke away and elbow Ethan in the nose."Enough!" Nick roared while advancing. The killer swung his remaining hatchet at Nick's chest; Nick raised his shield and caught the blow. Cindy sliced her staff at his neck, but he managed to duck beneath the strike. Nick used this opportunity to thrust his sword into the figure's right shoulder.The assassin screamed like a stuck pig as he tumbled to the ground. "You," he grunted and struggled to clamber up on one knee. "Are...""No more words," Cindy angled her staff towards the ground, then flicked it upwards. Her swing caught the killer's hatchet and flung it away. Once the weapon was gone, she pointed her blade dead ahead and thrust it into his chest. "Only death."The assassin's eyes widened as the weapon dug into his heart. He let out one final breath and collapsed as Cindy pulled her sword back.The three survivors desperately panted for breath. Once fresh oxygen flowed through Ethan's blood, he turned back to his sister.Cindy and Nick sheathed their weapons and watched as Ethan collapsed before her corpse. "It should have been me," he clasped her cold hands and felt tears roll down his cheeks. "I was supposed to protect you." He ran a tongue over his bloody lips; the taste of sweat and iron sickened him. "It should have been me.""Ethan," Nick placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, "we have to go."The mourning child nodded and let Nick hoist him up. He stared down at the dagger in his grasp, then into Cindy's exhausted eyes. Ethan spun the blade around and offered her its hilt."Keep it," Cindy muttered. "It's too dangerous out here." She cast Aashna a respectful glance, scooped up their bag of supplies, and marched towards the door. "It's time to find Minerva."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
With a groan of annoyance, Jimmy Neutron rose from his slumber and clambered to his feet. He barely had time wipe the sleep from his eyes before a plate of rye bread, brie cheese, and mug of ginger ale was thrust before him."Morning, my King," Kevin smiled with a deep bow."Morning to you," Jimmy answered while setting the plate on his bed and taking a sip of ale. He smoothed out his silken pajamas before glancing around the converted woodshop's office. Just inches away from his newly constructed bed stood a flimsy elm partition. He motioned his mug at the divider and asked, "The queen up yet?""Of course," Kevin answered. "She's awaiting you in the throne room. Shall I tell her you'll arrive shortly?""Very good," Jimmy stared at his simple oak chair, where his royal clothes and crown lay."Your daily docket, your Grace," Keven laid a long sheet of parchment beside Jimmy's breakfast."Thank you." By the time Jimmy's gratitude was doled out, Keven had bowed and retreated from the royal chambers.Jimmy sat down on his bed, took another drag of the soothing drink, and nibbled on his breakfast. As he silently ate, James stared around the transfigured office. His quarters were tiny and made still smaller by the partition separating him from his queen. The scant abode had only enough room for the chair, a chest of drawers housing a few books, a wash basin, and bed. Jimmy rose up and smiled at the mahogany bunk housing a feather mattress. Jimmy found many of his kingly privileges rather inordinate, though he'd been more than happy to accept the first bed made by Minerva's craftsman. He'd truly detested that first night spent on a pile of straw.Already running late, Jimmy tore through his breakfast and stared at the docket. Flowing cursive letters revealed a busy day ahead. Canterbury's scouting party, tightening rations, promotion of worthy militiamen, search for more lumber, Cheval de frise construction...Jimmy put the list down and rubbed his temple. Being king had its perks, but ruling over an empire hadn't exactly been his plan for winter vacation. Yet despite his reservations, it was time to get to work.Jimmy slipped out his pajamas and into his umber cotton clothes. He slid a burgundy mantle over his shoulders, sheathed a blue-hilted Vantage sword on his left hip, and exited the royal quarters with the frothing mug and docket still in hand. Dead ahead rested the livestock pen, housing a half dozen varied creatures from the petting zoo. James stepped past the fenced animals, patted a chewing cow on its head, and smiled at the blonde-haired third-grader milking the gentle beast."Morning, m'lord," the girl flashed an easy smile James' way."Morning, Evelyn," Jimmy shot back. He watched in admiration as the tiny lass ran her wrists over the creature's pulsing teats, garnishing gushes of warm milk. "Flowing well?""I think we'll get another seven gallons today!" Evelyn beamed a gap-toothed smile.Jimmy huffed in amusement. "Keep up the good work." He sucked in a deep lungful of barnyard air and smiled as he surveyed all that Minerva had to offer. The enormous woodshop had long ago been rearranged to serve as a bonafide village. Each day his subjects expanded its borders and made life inside Minerva's walls more vibrant.To his right stood the hydroponics farm, where row upon row of garden cress seedlings rose up towards the overhead lanterns. A trio of students refilled the planters' nutrient baths, and Jimmy smiled as the sprouts proved that he'd gotten the solution's chemical composition right.Dead ahead lay the armory and training center. Like all the areas in the heart of Minerva, no walls separated this section from the rest of the converted woodshop. A few locked cabinets held the kingdom's stores of swords, daggers, bows, and darts. Before these hidden weapons stood six of Jimmy's guards, sparring with wooden swords and launching arrows at oaken bull's-eyes. Jimmy watched a fierce tenth-grader named Matilda sweep the leg of a much larger senior. As the enormous boy fell to the floor, he slashed his pine longsword. Matilda simply parried the blow, spun in a circle, and thrust her own blade into the senior's gut."Very nice!" Jimmy congratulated the girl before moving on to the area just ahead of the woodshop's entrance. Most of the workbenches had been arranged here, where a dozen children worked in pairs. The smell of sawdust hung in the air as they quickly sawed, screwed, and nailed various pieces of lumber."Hey Jim!" Oleander greeted his king while wiping a sweaty arm over his brow. Once his forehead was dry, he went back to sawing a yard-long plank of oak in half."It's King James," Emily elbowed her boyfriend hard in the gut as she twisted the final screw of a newly assembled bed frame in place. "Show some respect!""There's no need with just us," Jimmy assured the duo. "How are the Cheval de frises coming along?"A nearby ninth-grader named Conrad motioned at the half-finished device. A thick wooden plank rested horizontally in mid-air, supported by a dozen angled sticks jutting in all directions. Conrad motioned at a few wide gaps in the barricade. "We'll have it done in a couple hours.""Good," James nodded. "Let's get a second one finished by nightfall.""Of course, your Grace," Conrad assured him.Jimmy smiled and kept walking to his left. Ahead of the hydroponics farm rested the village's kitchen and pantry. Dozens of kids of all ages stood patiently in line, waiting to be served by a few chefs. Those with their meals sat at one of the five tables they'd wrestled from the cafeteria. Behind the serving line sat dozens of enormous cans of vegetables, meat, and sauces. He once more considered locking their stockpile up, but as always, the lack of thievery swayed his mind."Need a refill?" Nissa asked from behind the serving line as Jimmy sucked the final dregs of his ale."No thanks," Jimmy set his mug down on a nearby table and turned towards the woodshop's entrance. Two guards, clutching Stratobow longbows and carrying sheathed longswords, surveyed the area before turning to the corridor beyond. Jimmy strolled past them and watched their backs stiffen at his approach.Jimmy stepped into the short hallway outside the heart of his kingdom. This was where the first Cheval de frise would soon be placed as a second line of defense. Straight to Jimmy's right, in the corner near the woodshop door, were another pair of guards huddled behind a curved three-foot high wooden barricade. They aimed their crossbows over the low wall, ensuring no intruders made their way into the kingdom. A thick rope lay across the floor and connected those guards to the corner on Jimmy's left.Here rested an enormous wooden contraption, five feet high by five feet long, roughly resembling two shoddily assembled shelves. Yet there were five carefully smoothed notches on each shelf where a total of ten Outbreaker crossbows rested. A pull of the rope would snap a lever, releasing a latch lying over each bow's trigger. The result would be a rain of arrows down the hall. Though Jimmy could construct something infinitely better in his lab, he was still proud of its archaic design. He ran a hand over the polished pine and marveled at his craftsmen's skill.Jimmy turned away from his invention and stared down the hallway. Two large classrooms, one on either side of the hall, served as barracks for the hundred and fifty people inside his walls. Just beyond that were a pair of bathrooms. At the end of corridor rested the boundary of his kingdom. A six-foot high oak wall was supported by a smaller three-foot barricade behind it. This step-like structure enabled a quartet of guards to angle their bows over the barricade and sweep the hall."All clear?" Jimmy shouted."Yes, m'lord," came the lead guard's reply.Satisfied that his kingdom was for the moment safe, Jimmy spun around and headed back through the woodshop. He strolled straight to the back of the room, where a steel stairwell led to an overhang where lumber was stored. Jimmy placed his hand on the rail, but hesitated as he spotted the nearby bulletin board.The enormous slab of cork was filled with dozens of pictures of students. A small wooden sign rested atop the board; it read The Missing in beautiful flowing script. As he had every morning, Jimmy's gaze swept over the pictures of his friends. There was Carl grinning widely at a petting zoo and Libby bopping her head to whatever was playing on her Walkman. Yet as always, his gaze settled on the photo of Cindy from last year's graduation. It was taken by his mother right before Willoughby's announcement. Cindy was cracking up as Sheen tried and failed to steal a plate of sugar cookies from the snack table; he'd tripped and tumbled face first into a mess of sprinkles. She'd thrown an arm over Jimmy for support, and he'd cast her a wide smile as he reflexively patted her hand.James stared at that photo for a long moment as he wondered if she was still out there, fighting to find him."Hey!" Sheen's playful voice shouted from the overhang above. Jimmy glanced up to find his friend leaning over the rails, Dreadbolt crossbow hanging near his hip. "You coming up or what?"Jimmy ran his fingers over Cindy's portrait, then climbed the stairs. The overhang was relatively small, only large enough to rest over the hydroponics farm and barnyard. The back half of the second level was filled with stacks of wooden planks. The forward half housed two golden and maroon thrones just before the stairway. Seated in one was Betty Quinlan, looking none too amused."You're late," she chided with crossed arms. "Again."Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck and flashed a contrite grin. "Isn't being king supposed to have its perks?""It is," Betty agreed, "but tardiness isn't one of them. You know we have a busy day."Jimmy nodded while flashing his docket. "I'm well aware. Let's get to work then." Jimmy swept his royal mantle behind his shoulders and took a seat beside his queen. Staring straight ahead, he watched Sheen lean against the rails and cross his arms; bow still clutched in his right palm."The most urgent is the expedition to Canterbury," Jimmy told the group. He met Sheen's gaze and asked, "The troops already left?""Before daybreak," Sheen urgently squeaked. "You really think they're going to find that place? Find Libby?""I hope so," Jimmy said. "If the gang's holed up somewhere, it'd be there." A caustic huff from Betty sent a sharp glare her way. "Something wrong?""Everything," Betty tiredly began, "every conversation, swings back to your friends."Jimmy narrowed his eyes and growled, "Sorry we miss our girlfriends. And Carl," he added. "Don't you miss Nick?""Of course I do." A flash of regret lit Betty's eyes, but it was doused by her next words. "But we have a kingdom to look over. We can't do that if we spend half our time worrying about people who aren't in it." Betty arced an eyebrow and asked, "Isn't that why you needed my support in the first place?"Though the question sent Jimmy's hands curling into fists, he couldn't dispute her point. He had spent too much time worrying over Cindy and the others; it had weakened his hold as king. Perhaps if he'd let his friends go he wouldn't have needed to marry the popular soldier who now sat beside him."I concede your point," Jimmy motioned for Betty to drop the topic. "Let's just get back to the scouting party.""Good," Betty agreed while settling into her throne. "Because as much as you want her to, it's not like Cindy's just going to fall from the sky in front of you."Ever one for hitting a mark, a ceiling tile smashed to the floor right before the two thrones. A screaming Cindy Vortex tumbled right behind, ending up in a heap at the monarchs' feet.As Jimmy and Betty reeled back in shock, Sheen raised his crossbow and aimed it at the crumpled figure before him. His finger quivered over the trigger until he spotted the girl's long blonde hair. "Cindy?"Too dazed to recognize Sheen's voice, Cindy merely groaned, "Yeah, it's me," while clambering to her feet. She stared at the ceiling ten feet above, at the blank hole where Nick and Ethan still hid. As she finally gained her bearings and realized she'd just landed in enemy territory, her hand reached for the dual swords on her back. It stopped in place as she saw the three familiar figures around her."Cindy!" Jimmy screamed while leaping off his throne. "How did-""Oh what a shock!" Cindy interrupted while pulling her hand back from the swords. "You actually remembered my name. I wasn't expecting that, considering you MARRIED BETTY QUINLAN!"As shouts of worry and pounding footsteps echoed from the floor below, Sheen motioned over the rails that all was well. As he deterred the guards, Jimmy stepped back from the furious blonde and stuttered, "Y-you heard about that?""Yep I did," Cindy snarled. She swiveled to Betty and glared at the girl's revealing outfit. "I always knew you were a snake!"Betty crossed her arms and flippantly sighed. "I thought we moved past this.""That was before you married my boyfriend!"Voice dull with exasperation, Betty explained, "It's a political marriage. We have a divider in the bedroom.""You share a bedroom?""Cindy," Jimmy eyes kept blinking and refocusing on the blonde; James was half-convinced that he was dreaming. He tried to think of the words needed to quell her temper, but settled for storming forward and wrapping her in a tight hug. "I want you to know, and I mean this sincerely," he felt Cindy soften as he repeated the words from fifth grade graduation, "I love and missed you."Cindy fought the urge for a moment, but she couldn't hold out long. Her arms squeezed James' tight, and the two became trapped in a welcome embrace. "I missed you too.""Hate to break up this precious moment," Nick's voice bellowed from the ceiling, "but can we come down?""Nick?" Betty stared up at the gap in the ceiling, then beamed as his impeccably styled hair and easy smile peered down at her."In the flesh," Nick answered. Lying prone, he dragged himself further over the edge and got a look at the people below. "Hey, Neutron," he greeted. Spotting the lanky guard, he playfully added, "Hey, Shine.""It's Sheen! I know you know it!" Estevez screeched.Jimmy released Cindy, stared in awe at Nick, and then motioned for Sheen to fall silent. "What the heck are you all doing here?""Yeah!" Sheen roared while pointing at Cindy's swords. "You here to assassinate us?""Settle!" Jimmy instructed, and Sheen slunk back."My lord," it was now Ethan's turn to crawl forward and peer down the gap in the ceiling, "we all need to talk.""Ethan!" Jimmy motioned for Ethan and Nick to jump down; James and Betty helped them land more gracefully then Cindy. "You're supposed to be scouting Canterbury. What happened?""That," Ethan gulped rubbed his aching temple, "is what I was afraid you'd say. Commander Damien told us that our mission was to rout Canterbury and destroy it. So we tried to do that...and failed."Jimmy and Betty shared a disbelieving glance. Sheen stepped away from the railing and approached his fellow guard. "The others? Are they okay?""I'm afraid not. I am so sorry your highnesses," Ethan struggled to meet his rulers' trepidatious eyes, "but they're all dead."James, Betty, and Sheen quivered in shock. "They..." Betty's trembling hand wrapped around her chin, "all died?"Sheen gulped and quietly asked, "Aashna?""She survived the fight," Ethan whispered. "But the Dark Brotherhood took her out on the way here. As far as I know, Damien and I are the only ones left. Is he here?""No," Jimmy quickly answered. He shoved aside his confusion and grief to ask, "What exactly did Damien tell you?""After we left Minerva, he told us that our mission wasn't really to scout Canterbury. That you both," he motioned at the King and Queen, "didn't want the whole kingdom to know, but you'd found out that Canterbury planned on attacking us. So you sent the thirty of us out to stop them. Make sure there were no survivors...and no threats.""And Damien," fury began to wash away James' confusion, "survived?""He called the order to retreat when it was clear that we were losing. He's the only one who got away."Jimmy swiveled to Sheen, who gripped his crossbow tight. "We have to find him. Gather five men and head out into the halls. Drag him back here so we -"Jimmy's orders were cut short by the pounding of footsteps on the stairway. A breathless guard hopped up the last two steps and hung his sweaty head. "Your grace," he bowed further, "Commander Damien's just returned. Said something went horribly wrong at Canterbury."The group before the guard froze at the news; James sprung into action first. "Bring him here at once. Tell him his king and queen are anxiously awaiting his report.""At once," the guard replied before sprinting back down the stairs.Rage furrowed James' brow as he barked orders to the people before him. "We're going to catch Damien in his lies, then imprison him. Sheen, act like nothing's wrong and watch guard at the floor below. Don't shoot Damien so much as an annoyed glance.""Got it!" Sheen saluted before spinning back towards the railing."Ethan, Nick, and Cindy? Hide in the lumber," Jimmy motioned at the pile of planks behind the throne. "At the mark, shoot him in the leg, then come out and disarm him.""What's the mark?" Nick asked while ensuring a bolt was loaded in his crossbow.Betty answered before James could. "It's just a story." She turned to James and said, "Let me do the talking. I'm a better actor than you.""I did pretty good in Willoughby's play," Jimmy shot back.Betty let a goofy grin spread over her face, awkwardly waved, and drawled, "Hiiii," to James in an accurate imitation of their first scene together from Macbeth in Space."Girl's got a point," Sheen shot over his shoulder."Fine," Jimmy said while taking a seat on his throne. He turned to Nick and beseeched, "Don't miss.""Never do," Nick shouldered his crossbow, offered James a steely nod, and led his group to their hiding place.Jimmy took a seat beside Betty, and in a moment a sweaty and dirt-crusted Damien was led up the stairs. Flanked by a pair of guards, Damien's normally steely eyes were wild. Smeared drops of blood coated his face, and his hand trembled over the hilt of his sword.As soon as Betty spoke, James knew he'd been wise to heed her. Her heart seemed to break at the sight of their commander. "Damien," she moaned. She turned to the guards and snapped, "Leave us!""At once, your Grace," one of the soldiers bowed and led his compatriot back down the stairs. As soon as they were gone, Betty rose from her throne and strode towards the boy before her."What did they do to you?"Damien swallowed hard and fell to one knee. "I am so sorry, my queen. I've failed you. Canterbury...it was a massacre.""What happened?" Betty fell to one knee and looked her commander in his blue eyes."I led four men through the ceiling, as instructed. The rest stayed behind on the stairwell, out of their sight. We'd been listening for only a few moments when a tile broke. Ella fell and landed in the middle of their throne room. They must have thought it was an assassination attempt. I tried to tell them we were just scouting, but one of their guardsmen, I think the name was Bennett, sliced her throat. They fired arrows into the ceiling," Damien swallowed hard and met his queen's gaze. "We lost Joffrey that way. We dove down and took out the guards as the queen fled. The others at the stairwell must have heard the commotion and stormed the gate. Before I could sort the mess out, it was all out war."Betty took in his lies and motioned for him to stand. As Bennett rose to his feet, hers became shaky. Her quivering throat barely squeaked out, "Survivors?"With a crack in his voice, Damien answered, "None, my queen.""Are you certain?"As I can be," Damien whispered. "I remember them all falling around me; stabbed and shot and cleaved in half. After escaping I waited a half hour nearby, in case any one straggled out. But there was no one, so eventually I knew I had to leave and relay this to you.""That's horrible," Betty whispered. As she sucked in a new breath of air, any hint of despair vanished from her eyes. She stoically added, "Shame it's only a story."Before Damien could grab his sword, a bolt slammed into his thigh. He collapsed to one knee, hand on his hilt. He'd drawn the blade halfway form his scabbard when Ethan barreled into him. "How could you?" Ethan roared while twisting the traitor's wrist. Damien cried in agony as his carpus was sprained, Cindy easily yanked the sword out of his grasp.Damien gasped in shock as six angry faces leered at him. A glance to his left revealed Sheen's crossbow leveled with his heart. As his pupils darted right, Cindy tossed his sword aside and yanked one of her own blades free. She thrust the point towards his neck, stopping a millimeter from his sweating skin. Nick took a step back and reloaded his bow as Ethan knelt before the traitor.Ethan stared into the commander's aqua eyes. "After everything we," Ethan hesitated and whispered, "why?"Damien hung his head in shame. "Alright," he croaked to the group. "I'm done. You guys win.""Oh, thanks," Nick said while pumping the Dreadbolt's priming lever. "Wouldn't have guessed without you telling us."James rose from this throne and placed his right palm on his sword. "Nice show," he gave Betty a proud nod, then stopped two paces before the commander. "Look at me," Jimmy snapped.Damien kept his eyes glued to the floor. A harsh punch to the back of his head from Cindy lifted his gaze."Cindy," Jimmy asked as his eyes stayed fixed on Damien's, "how many from Canterbury died?""Twenty-one," she answered. "Including Carl."For a moment, Sheen and Jimmy faltered. James recovered first and spat at Damien, "You lied to your king and queen. You betrayed Minerva. You killed fifty people." Jimmy drew his sword and pointed it at Damien's chest. "Is there anything more to say?"Damien shook his head in defeat, but answered, "There is. There's a lot you guys still don't know about this game. I-""He's lying," Cindy spat.Jimmy motioned for quiet. He closed his eyes and contemplated his options before walking to the rails. "Matilda! You and Evelyn up here, now!"It only took half a minute for the two sophomores reach the landing, foam swords in hand. "My king?" Matilda asked.Jimmy pointed at Damien. "Escort this traitor downstairs; mind his injured leg. Bind and gag him. Then grab another guard and five militiamen. We're all heading to Canterbury." Evelyn opened her mouth in awe, but Jimmy shut down any chance for questions. "Now."The group watched as Damien was dragged away; he said nothing as he hobbled down the stairs. Once he and the guards were out of earshot, Jimmy turned to a fuming Betty."Thanks for discussing that with me," she glared at her husband."There's no time for debate," Jimmy began pacing in place as his five friends watched. "Canterbury," he locked eyes on Cindy, "I assume it's still functional? The loss of twenty-one people didn't obliterate the place?""They're hurt," Cindy answered, "but Angie's keeping it going. She's the queen." Another flicker of surprise flashed over Sheen, Jimmy, and Betty. "There's more than fifty people still alive. Including Libby."Sheen flashed an ecstatic smile, but Jimmy held up a palm. "If we just attacked Canterbury, they could be preparing a retaliatory assault. We need to get over there as fast possible before this fight gets out of hand. And the best way to bind the wounds are to offer them Damien. Let us all hear what he has to say together, then let Angie be the one to decide his fate.""Well that's quick thinking," Betty retorted, "but we just lost three-fifths of our guards. We can't spare any more men for any more expeditions." Facing Cindy, she went on, "You said there's only fifty people left there?"Cindy hesitated, realizing she'd given away too much.She refused to answer, so Betty turned back to James. "They're not going to send an army if their community's that small. Even if they do, we could fight them off. We should hold up here.""No," Sheen stepped forward and shook his head. "I've done everything you two asked. I've been happy to do it," Sheen explained. "But if Libby's at Canterbury I've got to get there. You understand, right Jimmy?" Sheen pleaded.Jimmy caught Cindy's eye, then nodded to his friend. "I do." He motioned down the stairs. "Betty, there's a board full of people that our citizens are praying to find. At least some of them must be at Canterbury. Now that we know it's real, now that we have an in with its people," he motioned at Cindy and Nick, "we can't sit on this. Our subjects won't allow it."Betty grit her teeth and weighed James' point."Fine," she conceded. "I suppose if we have a chance to end this peacefully then we should take it. But I can't go. One of us needs to stay here and rule over this place.""Oh no," Cindy moaned.Betty flashed her a death glare as Jimmy said, "I understand. If we leave now we should arrive in the early afternoon. We'll try to be back by nightfall. If we don't return in twenty-four hours?" Jimmy gulped and walked to the overhang's rails. He leaned over and watched the kingdom below, its inhabitants still bustling in blissful ignorance of what had just transpired. "Lock Minerva down and prepare for war."Once the weight of those words had fell from the air, Jimmy approached the only loyal survivor from the scouting party. He patted Ethan on the shoulder and said, "I'm glad you made it out. And I'm sorry about Aashna.""I appreciate that, m'lord," Ethan answered. "She," he paused to rub his temple, "should have been here with us.""I know you must want nothing more than to rest," James began, "but we could use someone who's been behind Canterbury's walls. Who knows its people.""With all due respect, your Grace? You're wrong. What I want more than anything is to make what happened right. I slew down innocent guards," he turned to Cindy. "I'm sorry.""I killed prisoners," Cindy's admission flowed before she considered the consequences. "I was so angry watching your people cut us down." Cindy shook her head and stared at Betty. "But I was more mad at the idea of you marrying Jimmy." She huffed in tired amusement and shrugged at Jimmy. "Or you marrying her. Wasn't sure who I hated more."Jimmy cringed at the word hate. "Cindy, I-""Every morning," Betty took a step towards the blonde, "Jimmy was late because he surveyed this kingdom and what he'd created. At first I thought he was just cocky and proud. But then I realized...he took so long looking over it because he wanted you in it. He was getting this place ready for you, Cindy. And I know that because the last thing he does every morning before climbing those stairs? It's gaze at your picture until I tell him it's been long enough."Cindy considered this for a long moment, then finally admitted, "You're not a snake.""I know that. But I'm glad you relearned it.""Okay," Nick clapped his hands together. "I guess we're heading out then, huh? Back to Canterbury?""Yeah," James took off his heavy cloak and set it down on the throne. "We are. Let's gather our prisoner and men, then get on the road."The journey back to Canterbury was quiet, though not wholly uneventful. A duo of footpads tried to liberate Cindy and Nick from their supplies. They'd tried to abandon that endeavor after spotting the caravan of soldiers behind them. Sheen shot the first bandit in the neck. Cindy managed to whip out her swords and cut the second down before any of the other archers could claim her kill. The only other distraction was a single emaciated raider who fled at the first sign of the convoy.The thunder and lightning outside had long ago vanished by the time Cindy's group reached the stairwell. Bright rays of sunlight illuminated the school. Cindy chose to take it as a sign that this time, no violence would await them behind Canterbury's walls.When the group reached the second floor, Cindy rose her palm and prepared to instruct everyone on how to approach the wall. Instead, that job was done by an unseen yet wholly familiar voice."Listen up!" Libby's shout echoed through the stairwell. "Whoever's coming up those steps, put your hands above your head and move slowly. The slightest reach for a weapon and we'll shoot!"Cindy couldn't halt the smile that threatened to tear her lips apart. "Libby! It's me!"It was a struggle, but Cindy beamed wider as her sister gasped. "Cindy? That you?""Yeah! I'm coming out. I'll put my hands up." Cindy turned to Nick and Jimmy, who marched at the front of the caravan. "Just let me handle this, okay?" The two boys nodded, so Cindy lifted her hands straight up and swiveled around the corner.A familiar set of braided raven hair peeked over Canterbury's wall. Libby Folfax aimed her crossbow straight towards her dearest friend, but lowered the weapon as soon as she realized no one else was coming. "You alone?""No," Cindy shook her head. "Can I drop the hands?""Obviously!" Libby grinned wide, though her joy was short-lived. "Who else is with you?"Cindy studied the wall; no other guards stood beside Libby. Or at least none were revealing themselves. "Sheen is.""Sheen's there?" She couldn't stop herself from screaming, "Sheen? Can you hear me!""I'm here Puppy Paws!" Sheen screeched."Look!" Nick shouted to Cindy's chagrin. He aimed his crossbow back down the stairwell, towards the way theyd come. "There's a lot of us here and the halls aren't exactly safe. Can we come out?"Libby let the joy recede from her tone and stoically asked, "How many total, Cindy?"Racing through her words, Cindy answered. "Thirteen, including me. There's Jimmy, Sheen, Ethan, the traitor who caused all this, and eight other guards.""Okay," Libby nodded. She turned to her left, at a figure who must have been crouching behind the wall. "Peter, go get Bennett. He needs to be the one to clear this." After Peter was gone, Libby faced her friend. "Send Jimmy, Nick, and Sheen up. Have the rest wait on the stairs."The boys followed their instructions and joined Cindy in the middle of the hall. It only took two minutes for the wall to split apart to reveal Bennett and Libby. As Libby dashed to her boyfriend and squeezed the breath out of him, the sober redhead strolled towards the group, hand on the hilt of his shortsword. He shouted over his shoulder, "Fingers off the trigger, but crossbows up!"Five Dreadbolt and Crossfire bows peeked over the parapet. Cindy couldn't help but gulp as Bennett halted in front of her. "Looks like you made it back," he praised her."Wasn't easy. We have a lot to talk about.""Seems we do," Bennett agreed. He studied the curly-haired boy standing before him. "I take it you're King James?""I am," Jimmy answered.Voice gruff as ever, Bennett grumbled, "I thought you'd be taller."Jimmy chose to ignore the remark. "I offer my sincere sympathies for the fight that transpired. If you'll allow us entry, I can prove to your queen that this was all a misunderstanding.""Misunderstanding," Bennett rolled the word over his tongue, contemplating its taste, "seems an understatement.""A traitorous trick by one of my guards," Jimmy amended his words. "I wish for no more bloodshed. We've brought the person responsible for this. I assure you I am no happier with him than you are. I lost twenty-eight men because of him."Bennett considered this, then stared over James at the corner beyond. "You have men there. Nine, including Ethan and the new prisoner?""That's right," Jimmy answered.Bennett turned to Sheen, who finally pulled out of Libby's grasp. He made certain to keep his crossbow aimed straight at the floor while trading steely gazes with the commander. "Here's what's going to happen," Bennett began. "Our people are scared. We can't have ten of your soldiers walk through these gates. We'll allow you, the traitor, and Ethan." Bennett studied Sheen once more, then added, "And you can have this one. No weapons...and no hidden daggers," Bennett shot Cindy a sideways glance."The rest of my soldiers?" Jimmy asked."They can wait on the stairwell with their swords and bows.""No," Jimmy shook his head. "We were ambushed twice on the way here. I can't lose another man. At least let them wait in front of the gate, where your archers," he motioned at the crossbows peeking over the barricade, "could help protect them."Bennett considered this, then turned to Cindy. "You trust him?""He is my boyfriend," Cindy shot back."Ugh," Bennett groaned while pivoting to Libby. "Do you trust these people?"She pointed at Sheen and said, "He's my boyfriend.""I trust Jimmy and we're not dating. Happy?" Nick asked."Not quite. But if this is what it takes to solve this mess, so be it." Bennett cocked his head over James' shoulder. "You all may approach the gate. You don't need to drop your weapons, but keep them pointed towards the ground. If we see any sign of attack, we will open fire." Bennett swung his head around and faced his own men. "Same as before. Weapons ready but don't shoot unless they draw on you."One by one, Jimmy's people climbed the stairs and entered the hallway. In the middle of this group limped Damien, bound by his wrists and ankles. Two guards tugged on the ropes and led him forward. He struggled once more against the gag in his mouth, but only a low groan pierced the cloth.The crew settled into place in the middle of the hallway. Sheen dropped his Dreadbolt and Stonewall dagger. Jimmy unsheathed his long Vantage sword and placed it on the ground. Ethan spun his blade around and handed the hilt to Bennett.Bennett accepted the dagger and faced Cindy. "You gave him this? And cut his ropes?"Cindy remembered Bennett's silver knife and handed him the exquisite weapon. "We needed to. Like I said, we have a lot to talk about.""Then let's get inside and do so." Bennett quickly pat down Minerva's men and came away satisfied. "On me, everyone."Cindy and Libby fell in step behind Bennett. Then came James, who stood by Sheen, and Ethan. The two guards accepted Damien's ropes and pulled the hobbling traitor forward as Nick took up the rear. Soon they were through the barricade and back behind Canterbury's walls.That small spark of hope and peace that Cindy had felt when she'd last entered Canterbury burned once more. Though the halls weren't as jovial as before, life was already getting back to normal. Children sparred with their mop handles, though they were decidedly more ferocious in their duels. The vendors were back at their stands, but no goods were traded. Merchants were giving away their wares to mourning friends. The stray drops of blood along the walls and floor were being mopped and wiped clean. There was still life in this kingdom, though it would never be the same.Every pair of eyes locked on the group as they marched down Canterbury's main hall. Cindy received appreciative nods and smiles, though their gratitude was fleeting. Most settled furious glares at Ethan and murmured in concern while pointing at the bound Damien.Cindy longed to sneak away from this convoy, to take a rest and catch up with her sister. She settled for grabbing Libby's hand. The two girls squeezed palms at the same time. Their fingers stayed clasped until the convoy halted at the throne room's entrance.Ethan gave three sharp knocks and shouted, "My Queen, Cindy and Nick have returned. They've brought King James and others with them. They say they were tricked by a traitor; they have him as a prisoner. Shall I let them all in?"There was a long pause, then Angie's unwavering voice answered, "You may enter."Bennett opened the door and led the way inside. Cindy sucked in a deep breath and stood straight as a board while strolling towards her queen. Angie sat in her throne, both arms gripped tight against the chair's arms. As Jimmy and Sheen entered, a twitch of a smile flashed over her lips. Yet as Damien was led in, her nails cracked while digging into the seat's golden arms."I finally meet the great King James."Jimmy stepped forward and watched Bennett's wrist go to his sword. "It's good to see you, Angie.""Queen Angie," the monarch corrected.Jimmy offered a contrite nod. "My apologies. Though I am pleased to be reunited, your Grace.""I wish it were under better circumstances. Tell me, good king, why we should not slit your throat and shoot down your men."James gulped. "We both suffered at his hands," he motioned at Damien. "I lost three-fifths of my guard today.""And I lost a quarter of my people," Angie shot back. "You say you, the boy genius, were tricked. Tell me how."Jimmy straightened up and explained, "We've heard rumors of Canterbury since the beginning. Eventually, most of the myths said you were on the third floor. So myself and Queen Betty organized a scouting party to find out if you were really there.""Scouting party," Angie huffed. "We battled thirty men. Why send that many just to watch us?""Only five were supposed to do the scouting," Jimmy explained. "The others were to wait in the halls. If the vanguard didn't return or they heard trouble, they were to go in and save the scouts. But they were not supposed to strike first."Angie considered this, then motioned at Damien. "And what did he do?""He was the commander of my forces," Jimmy answered. "He lied to the soldiers and said that they were to attack, that Canterbury was coming to get us. He falsely claimes that I authorized a preemptive strike."Angie turned to Ethan. "Is that true?""It is, your Grace."Angie swiveled to Cindy and Nick next. "What about you two? Do you believe this?"Cindy cleared her throat. "We had a chance to listen in on them over Minerva's throne room. We didn't hear much, but Jimmy did say the words scouting party.""Hmm," Angie rapped her fingers along her throne. "Do you trust him?""You know I trust Jimmy," Cindy shot back."Not Jimmy," Angie clarified. "King James."Cindy turned and looked into her boyfriend's cerulean eyes. She studied the boy before her, who was trying with all he had to hide his fear. "They're the same person, your Grace."Angie sucked in a pensive breath, then motioned at Damien. "Ungag the prisoner."Sheen did as instructed. As soon as the cloth was yanked from his lips, Damien gasped for air."You," Angie spat over Damien's coughs. "Do you deny what James said?"Damien turned towards his king, then at Ethan. The two boys locked eyes; this tumbled Damien's gaze to the floor. "No, I don't. James is a good king. And Ethan's a good man. So I don't deny it. For whatever it's worth? I'm sorry, Angie."Bennett gave Damien a rough shove. "Queen Angie.""No, just Angie," Damien straightened his back and locked eyes with the tall guard. "That's what I was trying to tell you at Minerva," he told James. "I did what I did because the game's over."The group exchanged puzzled glances as Damien revealed his motive."Forrester's out as principal; he's being arrested for embezzlement! He has no authority to promise months or years of no homework. The school board's not going to honor his prize.""How do you know that?" Angie probed.Damien sighed and stared back at Ethan. "My mom's on the school board. She sent me a raven with a letter. It was her signature; her handwriting. She said that the school board's been watching and waiting. They hoped we'd just give up on the game by now. Since we haven't, they're getting worried. They know that we'll riot if we win the prize and don't get it. But they can't honor Forrester's promise. It's against the education standards they have to follow.""If there's not going to be a prize," Jimmy asked, "then why did you betray us?"Once more, Damien hung his head. "My mom said that if I can win this thing or get us down to the two to nine-nine people range where they don't have to give a prize, she'd reward me. She couldn't offer no homework. But," Damien shrugged his bound arms, "she'd give me an Xbox."The group froze; Cindy was the first to snarl a response. "So you screwed everyone you know for an Xbox?""Well it's an Xbox 360," Damien shot back. He turned to Angie and went on, "There's not going to be a prize no matter what we do. So I figured I should at least get something out of all this. I didn't have a choice.""There's always a choice," Angie snarled. "You could have come to your king with this information; we could have found a way past this." Damien opened his mouth to protest, but Angie gave him no chance."I've heard all I need to hear," the queen proclaimed. "You've betrayed your fellow soldiers," Angie rose from the throne, "your King, and your people." With frightening fluidity, she unsheathed the jade sword from her hip."I, Queen Angie, Ruler of Canterbury and protector of its people, sentence you to death."It was Damien's scoff that sent her over the edge, that drew the next words from her lips before she'd thought them. She had no chance to ponder the consequences as she sealed Damien's fate."By hanging."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Confusion dissolved away from Damien's words, leaving only fury. "Wh-what does that mean? You can't hang me! You can't-""I am Queen of Canterbury," Angie stared down her sword at the bound boy. "I can do as I please. Bennett," she locked her gaze on the commander, "gag him and bring him near the theater. Find a spot in the ceiling we can hang a noose from.""Gladly, your grace," Bennett scooped the slimy rag off the floor and shoved it between the protesting traitor's teeth. "That's enough out of you." Bennett then grabbed the two ropes trailing Damien's binds, but the traitor struggled against him.Sheen raised his crossbow, but Angie waved him off. "Ethan, help Bennett!"Ethan cast a glance at James, seeking permission from his king. James nodded, so Ethan took the ankles as Bennett controlled the wrists. In a moment the two of them were gone, leaving only the six friends.No pleasant talk or fond memories guided the group's conversation. James merely said, "We can't actually kill him, Angie. You have to know that.""Don't think me a fool, King James. We won't really let him die." A hint of regret rolled through her throat. "Just suffer for a moment.""That's not right," Sheen countered."Not right?" Angie bristled while wheeling towards her newest detractor. "I'll tell you all what's wrong here. It's not right that I lost twenty-one people today. It's not right that it was caused by a man you," she jabbed a finger at James, "were supposed to lead." James offered an unwavering stare as Angie sucked in a deep breath. "I appreciate that you came here in a show of peace. That you offered an olive branch. That's why you brought him here, isn't it? For me to choose his sentence?"James nodded, so Angie adjusted her cloak and sheathed her blade."Then respect my ruling. Or get the hell out of my kingdom and prepare for war."Angie stormed past the group, but James' impassive tone stalled her right before the threshold."We have more people than you, your Grace. So if I were you? I wouldn't make threats I can't follow through on."To Cindy, the next seconds of silence were the most terrifying since the fair. Yet Angie's next words seemed to be cooler than any before, chilled by a newfound respect for King James."You may have more people, good king," Angie kept her back turned to the monarch, "but if you destroy us? Your own kingdom shall crumble as well. Of this, I promise you."Jimmy chewed her words over. "Then may I suggest we both tread carefully?""A reasonable request," Angie agreed. She faced her old friend and asked, "Was it just you, Ethan, Sheen, and the prisoner? Or are there others waiting in the halls? Like you claimed to want the first time," she grumbled."There are eight others," Jimmy answered. "Your commander knows of them.""Then bring them in the main hall," Angie instructed. "If their friends were truly cut down because of that traitor, they deserve to see justice befall him." Without waiting for an answer, Angie set off down the main corridor.Once she was out of earshot, Nick grumbled, "Well, that was a nice reunion."The five children traded glances, the first time this combination of friends had seen each other in days. A few anxious smiles and locked eyes were all they could spare."Are we really going to let this happen?" Libby asked. "Sheen's right; this is wrong." Libby instinctively reached for her boyfriend's hand and clutched it painfully tight."It's a terrible idea," Jimmy agreed. "Although," he offered the most hesitant of shrugs, "with a proper noose and a short drop, his carotid arteries wouldn't falter for at least twenty seconds. And brain damage wouldn't be terribly likely for at least a minute longer.""We are not risking any brain damage!" Cindy snapped. "Obviously!""Obviously," Nick agreed. He locked eyes with Jimmy and promised, "I'll tear him down after fifteen seconds."Sheen asked, "So we are hanging someone?"Everyone turned to Jimmy, who swallowed hard and began to shake his head. Cindy chimed in before he could speak."I'll talk to her," Cindy promised. "Don't forget we still have that rat's revelation to think about. The adults are trying to screw us over.""Like they always do," Nick huffed in disgust.Everyone nodded in agreement. Their journey to Yolkus had taught them to love their parents, but it had also shown them how capable they all truly were. It was children that assembled an interplanetary rescue mission. It was children that built peaceful settlements like The River, Minerva, and Canterbury out of utter chaos. So why was it always the lies and changing rules of adults that ravaged them?"We've earned that prize," Cindy snarled. "And both our communities need to work together to ensure we get it. So let me talk to Angie. I can handle this.""Okay," Nick agreed before Jimmy could. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick watched James cock his head in confusion as he added, "On you, m'lady."'I, uh," Jimmy shook his head and gently grabbed Sheen's shoulder. "We should get the rest of our convoy inside.""No," Libby countered, "I'll help Sheen. You help Bennett construct that noose. If it is going to happen, if we need to do this for a few seconds to keep us kids united, you make sure it's done the right way. Make sure it doesn't kill him."Jimmy gulped at this responsibility, but his friend's tone held just enough pleading and force to sway any argument."Come on, then," Cindy led the way out into the hallway. "Let's get to work."Once more, Minerva's main corridor was transformed. There were no sparring youngsters, no shopping or even mourning teens. There was only an enormous crowd centered right outside the theater, drawing more and more stray peasants in by magnetic force.Libby and Sheen stormed through through the crowd, towards the main barricade. Jimmy bore into the center of the throng with Nick trailing behind in case the king needed support. Cindy halted at the horde's edge and stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over the taller teens and find Queen Angie.She caught a glimpse of the monarch's cloak trailing on the floor of the theater. Cindy shoved her way past the crowd and watched Nick use a mop handle to dislodge a ceiling tile. Bennett tossed a rope over an exposed rafter, and James stared in horror at the noose tumbling towards him."Angie," Cindy stormed into the theater and closed the door behind her. The monarch sat on the ground, at the same spot where she'd mourned over Carl's corpse. She once more stared at the floor, though hearing her name seemingly snapped her out of a trance.Voice surprisingly gentle, the queen rose to her feet and asked, "Let me guess. You've come to talk me out of it?""You know me well," Cindy conceded."Even better than you think," Angie said. She took a deep breath as grey and emerald pupils dug into each other, settling in for a debate. "As I said, I appreciate all that you've done. Fighting for this place, bringing James here, getting us answers. But you don't have the moral high ground. Bennett told me what you did to those prisoners."Cindy chewed on her cheek and swallowed her anger. "You're right," she admitted. "I've made mistakes. But mine were still made with foam, not a real noose. Don't make this mistake, Angie. You're better than me.""I can admit," Angie conceded, "that I gave Damien his sentence because of his attitude. Because I detested him betraying his people so easily. But it's more than that now. Both our peoples and James' have had their world burned and spun upside down today. It's only going to get worse when we tell them that the adults are going to screw us over. They need an outlet, they need to see justice done."Angie motioned out the door's window. The two blondes watched as James tightened the hangman's knot, but their gaze settled on the dozens of snarling and screaming faces in the crowd."I haven't even explained what's happening yet," Angie explained. "But they know. They need it. Even if I wanted to take it back...I don't have a choice anymore."Angie's hand gripped the doorknob as Cindy said, "I used to think that." Angie gazed back at her friend as she went on, "But there's always a choice."Angie considered these words, then admitted, "I suppose you're right. I choose this."Before Cindy could protest any further, Angie stepped out the door. Cindy watched her queen inspect the noose, then assure James that no permanent damage would be done. Nick was standing beside James, arms crossed in silent protest. Cindy spotting Sheen and Libby next, standing beside Minerva's soldiers. As she scanned the crowd, she recognized Aldous, Yen, the children she'd saved just hours before, and all the other citizens of Canterbury. The only person she couldn't spot was Ethan.Cindy turned the opposite way, towards the throne room, and swore she saw a few specks of dust rain from the ceiling."Damn it," Cindy spat while slinking into the hall and darting away from the crowd. She sprinted past the throne room, past where she was now certain she could hear a thud up above. She ducked inside a classroom which now served as Canterbury's library. She stopped along the far wall, where a half-empty bookshelf stood. She used the vacant spots on the shelves as stairs and clambered atop the structure. She popped open a ceiling tile, tossed one of her dual swords up into the dark abyss, and then pulled hoisted inside. She felt the sheet of mineral fiber groan under her weight, but it held. After scooping up her sword, she crawled on all fours away from her source of light.About ten feet, she silently told herself as she moved into darkness that was less absolute than she'd expected. As she tried to measure the distance, the faint light ahead seemed to grow brighter. Once she'd estimated ten feet, she turned to the left and saw a dark form obscuring a slit between two ceiling tiles.Cindy gripped her sword tight, advanced forward, and watched the boy pull the tile back inch by inch. He stopped when it was a third of the way back, then readied the Mega Lightning Bow by his side. Cindy stopped a foot behind him as he loaded his dart. She thrust her blade forward, hesitated an inch from his back, and ordered, "Drop the bow, Ethan."She watched her old prisoner stiffen in shock. Keeping his gaze forward, he asked, "Cindy?""Yep," Cindy answered. "Now drop the bow.""It's not for any of your people," Ethan promised. "It's for Damien."Cindy shook her head, hilt of her sword still clasped tight. "I don't get it. Were you two friends or something before all this?""Not friends," Damien swallowed. After a long pause, he admitted, "Something. I clearly didn't know who he really was. But that doesn't matter. I'd do this for anyone."I don't know you well. I saw you take down those two prisoners. But I also saw you fight to defend this place. I watched you free me and my sister. I saw you consider that acolyte's proposal. And then you let me keep the dagger. So best I can tell? You're a good person who's rough around the edges. So you have to know this is wrong.""Yeah," Cindy agreed, "I do. That's why I tried to talk her out of it. But she's not budging.""Then I have to take care of it myself," Ethan protested."Jimmy and Nick are going to keep it from getting out of hand," Cindy countered."Out of hand?" Ethan scoffed. "We're hanging someone!"Sometimes the best arguments are the simplest, so Cindy fell silent."Look, Cindy. Have you ever not been able to breathe?""Once," Cindy admitted. "On an island...I got wrapped up by a giant boa constrictor."There was a long pause, then Ethan said, "My story's less extravagant. I got caught up in a riptide at the beach. Before the lifeguard got to me, I fought with everything I had to stay above water. It's hard to explain how that feels to someone who hasn't experienced it. At first you get this surge of adrenaline, telling you to give everything you possibly have to survive. There's fear there, but it's shoved down. But when your arms get tired and the first real gulp of water slides down your throat?"As Cindy watched Ethan stiffen, she remembered glancing down and finding blue skin on her ankles.Ethan sighed and went on, "That's when pure, heart-stopping terror hits you. It's not just that you need to breathe because every reflex you have is telling you to. It's not just that you're dying. The biggest fear of all is knowing that you're completely powerless; that this is going to happen no matter what you do." Ethan craned his neck and asked, "Was it like that for you?"Cindy gulped and croaked out, "Yeah.""Then you know better than anyone why we can't let this happen."Both children stared at each other, weapons drawn. Eventually, Cindy said, "You can't do this. Give me the bow.""I can't-" Ethan protested, but Cindy cut him off."You're not getting it," Cindy snapped. "Canterbury's people are clamoring for revenge. If one of Minerva's people takes that away it'll be war. So," Cindy stared hard into Ethan's eyes, "You can't be the one to do this. Give me the bow."Finally, Ethan relinquished the weapon. Along with the bow, Ethan offered a cripplingly sincere, "Thank you.""Just get back in the crowd," Cindy grumbled. She struggled to make room for Ethan to crawl past her, then sheathed her sword. Once Ethan was gone, she gripped the bow in her hands. It seemed heavier than she'd anticipated.Cindy peered down and saw that Ethan had picked the best vantage point he could, but obviously merited himself a worthy archer. She was far enough away to have a clear angle of the action and not be seen, but striking her target would be a tough endeavor. She spotted the bound and gagged Damien, kneeling before Angie's feet. To her right stood Bennett, hand firmly grasped on the hilt of his sheathed sword. To Angie's left rested a stool and a noose. Beside it stood James and Nick."Attention, everyone," Angie's faint voice carried down the hall and buoyed into the ceiling. "I know today has been utterly devastating. We have lost ones we loved. "Daisy, Sarah, Jason, Odilla, Aïda," there was a pause, followed by, "Carl. And so many others. Twenty-one of our people dead. Like the rest of you assembled here, I thought it was due to this man."Angie motioned at Jimmy, and a mild chorus of boos and hisses escaped the crowd. Cindy might have been too far away to see a fine reaction, but the insults didn't seem to faze her boyfriend. Angie flashed the crowd a palm, and they fell silent."We were wrong," Angie admitted. "King James had sent out a scouting party, designed to watch us before he made contact. It was this beast," she jabbed a finger at Damien, "who lied and instructed his men to attack us. He said the order came from King James; it came only from this wandought's mouth. He betrayed his king and his people. He got twenty-eight of his own loyal soldiers killed, and murdered twenty-one of ours. He is not human, he deserves no quarter. Today we all come together to watch him suffer. Not really die," she purred, "but most assuredly suffer."As she spewed out the last lines of her speech, as the crowd became more and more incensed, as the people clamored for blood, Cindy stared down at the weapon in her grasp. Cindy Vortex had always done everything she could to be the best, to win whatever challenge was thrown at her. She'd done it in elementary school when she'd fought tooth and nail for the top grades. She'd done it after their graduation party to protect Jimmy. She'd done it for the past four days, though she hadn't really been sure why. She hadn't known what the prize was until just hours before. She'd just fought for fighting's sake; she'd just struggled to live so she could say she'd survived.This bow was the antithesis of that. Firing this arrow would fling her out of Angie's good graces, possibly earn a sword through her heart. It was risking survival for humanity. It was the opposite of what she'd always done.It was what she now needed to do."And so, Commander Damien," Angie mocked the boy standing atop the stool, noose around his neck. "Any last words?"Cindy couldn't hear his quiet response as she lay prone and angled the bow below the ceiling. She pulled back the drawstring and carefully aimed her single shot."Then may the Lord have mercy on your soul," Angie spat. "Because I won't."Angie placed her foot on the stool, prepared to kick it away, and was stopped by an arrow slamming into Damien's chest.Cindy watched everyone freeze as Damien stared at the instrument of his demise. He slumped down, noose pulling tighter against his neck. Angie stared in utter shock, then shot her gaze where the arrow had been loosed from. Confusion gave way to utter and complete fury as she screamed, "Cindy!"Cindy watched James and Nick struggle to free Damien's corpse from the noose. She calmly hung herself off the ceiling tile and dropped to the ground. Bennett and Yen were already on her, sword and crossbow ready. Cindy dropped her bow just as the commander gripped her wrist in his powerful hand."Ugh," Cindy groaned as he yanked it behind her back. Yen halted and aimed her crossbow at Cindy's chest. Bennett sheathed his blade and tore her dual swords from her back.Yen's hands trembled as she asked, "Why'd you have to do that?""Because," Cindy tried to answer, but Bennett shoved her hard towards the crowd."Save it for the queen," he told her.As the trio approached the startled masses, Angie stormed towards her. "That," she snarled, "was not your decision to make.""I know," Cindy knelt before her queen. "I accept the consequences.""Good," Angie's hand shot for her sword."Angie!" Jimmy roared while storming towards her. "Don't you-""Queen Angie!" Angie screamed. "Don't start a war over this. Protect your people."As Jimmy weighed his options, Nick joined the action. "Funny thing about that," Nick cocked his head at Cindy and wrapped his steady fingers over the hilt of his blade. "You're the only person I've got to protect." Yen swiveled her bow Nick's way, the boy froze and locked his eyes on her trigger finger."Nick," Angie growled, "stand down.""Can't shoot us both," Jimmy clutched his own sword's grip and stood by Nick's side."Or three of us!" Ethan joined his king.Cindy knew that if she was going to make a move, this was her best chance. Yen was swiveling her crossbow onto Ethan's chest. She could tell from the shift of Bennett's breath that behind her, he'd glanced away from his prisoner and towards the queen for instructions. If Cindy lurched forward for the knife strapped to Yen's waist, Nick would know to draw his blade and parry Bennett's blow. Ethan could take care of Yen as Cindy shoved the blade in Angie's throat.It was time to choose."Stop!" Cindy screamed. Everyone glanced her way as she glared at the three boys defending her. "No one dies for me. I made this choice," she turned to Angie, "I accept whatever sentence you proclaim. No one else dies.""Cindy," Jimmy pleaded."NO!" Cindy roared with enough power to force the boys a step back. "If you idiots care about me at all, stand down." She turned back to Angie and said, "Do what you have to do."Cindy stared into Angie's furious eyes. The queen glanced towards the boys, who took their hands off their swords. "The traitor's dead," Jimmy gently explained. "We have a bigger battle ahead. Please," he asked, "do the right thing."Angie breathed in and out, stared Cindy down, and danced her fingers along her sword. At last, she sheathed her blade. "James is right," she faced her subjects. "Damien's dead. There's no need for more bloodshed. Aldous?"The ancient senior leaned on his cane and and warbled, "Yes, your Grace?"Angie pointed at Jimmy's guards. "Ensure that James' men are fed and given ale. And get rid of this body," she motioned at Damien's corpse. "No blessings. Just throw him over the wall.""Of course," Aldous nodded. Between popping joints, he playfully added, "As long as someone helps drag him.""I will," Bennett sheathed his sword, though Angie immediately protested."No. We are having a meeting in the throne room." She spun to each face as she said, "James, Nick, Ethan, Sheen, Libby, Bennett," she stared last at the kneeling blonde and offered a hand. "Cindy. Let's go."Cindy accepted the queen's arm and was hoisted to her feet. Angie yanked Cindy against her ear and whispered, "You're very lucky that there's more work to be done. And we need you to do it."Before Cindy could react, Angie led the the group into the throne room. She took took her place on the golden chair as her seven allies stood in a semicircle before her. "We must discuss where we go from here.""I know where to start," Jimmy stepped away from his companions and stopped before the queen. "You've proven yourself a noble and merciful queen. Your kingdom is everything I'd hoped to find." James outstretched his hand and said, "I offer an alliance with Minerva. We have plenty of craftsmen, and I acknowledge it was one of my citizens who raided your kingdom. We will send a small team of journeymen here, help you rebuild what was destroyed, and we will work together against the adults. Do you accept?"Angie only had to stare at his palm for a second. "Canterbury accepts."Once the monarchs shook on the partnership, Libby raised her hand. "It's great we're not going to war, but an alliance doesn't do us much good with the shape the school's in. Every journey beyond our walls is basically a coin flip on whether we'll lose soldiers. We're not going to be able to trade or travel between communities with all the kids scattered about.""She's right," Cindy chimed in. She stepped beside James and asked Angie, "May I?"Angie sighed but motioned for her to proceed. "You may."Cindy faced the group and explained, "The big threat now is the adults. We need to hold them to their word and ensure we get the prize. I think I know a way to do that, but we have to survive until the end of winter break for it to work. And the only way to do that is to either get the scattered kids on our side or eliminate them.""I think I know what you're getting at," Bennett said. "A crusade.""Exactly," Cindy agreed. "We go through the school, hall by hall and floor by floor. We clear each section and convert the willing kids to our cause." Cindy hesitated, then added, "And exterminate the ones who can't be redeemed.""The idea's good," Bennett explained, "but we no longer have the manpower for that. We don't just need a force big enough to fight the dozens of kids still out there. We would have to leave guards behind in each section of the school so the other scattered kids don't move back into it."Angie asked James, "Does Minerva have the forces for that?""No," Jimmy answered. "Maybe before Damien got three-fifths of my guard killed," he grumbled. "We only have twenty-one fighters left.""We have fifteen, including these two," Angie laid her cards on the table while motioning at Nick and Cindy. "That's not enough.""Some of the peasants can handle weapons," Sheen chimed in."No," Jimmy shook his head. "This is too big of a task for militiamen. We need skilled warriors.""Agreed," Bennett said.As the group fell silent, Cindy watched Ethan drum his fingers along his crossed arms. At last, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "If we need warriors, I know where we can get them. But you're not going to like it.""Where?" Nick asked.Ethan sighed and said, "The Dark Brotherhood. I know where their camp is. Or at least where it was."Cindy was already putting the puzzle pieces together, but she still asked, "How do you know so much about these people?"Ethan turned to James and said, "Because I lied to you, my lord. I didn't stumble upon your gates that morning as a lost traveler. I came as an acolyte of the Dark Brotherhood."As Bennett unsheathed his sword and Yen aimed her bow, James waved them away. "Explain."Ethan swallowed hard and relayed his tale. "That first night...I'm sure you all remember. It was complete chaos. I wandered down to the basement, figuring it would be an easier place to hide and sleep. I thought the boiler warm would be warmest, but I wasn't the first to have that idea. The Brotherhood had already banded together and staked a claim in the area. They were looking for strong new recruits, so I joined." Ethan shrugged and admitted, "Seemed safer than going it alone."Nick studied the boy and asked, "Who exactly are these people? What do they believe in?""Chaos," came Ethan's immediate answer. "The chieftain found a copy of The Rules and wanted the opposite of you two," he glanced at James and Angie. "They're fighting wholeheartedly for the big prize. They believe that whoever is the strongest in the school deserves it. They're trying to plunge this place into anarchy to ensure only one remains."Sheen probed, "So why'd you leave?"Ethan hung his head and went on, "The next morning, the chieftain sent us to Minerva. We'd already heard rumors that a society was forming there, and the chieftain wanted to destroy it before it got any bigger. So myself and fourteen other acolytes were sent to do the deed. I was prepared to do it," Ethan admitted, "until we got near the gates and I heard Aashna's voice."I thought about explaining to the Brotherhood why we couldn't raze the place, but they wouldn't have understood. So I only told one other girl, Trea, who'd gotten me settled in the night before." Voice wistful with regret, he added, "She was a good kid. The two of us fell in line at the back of the pack of acolytes, then cut them down. We carved through seven before they knew what was happening. It was a tough fight after that, but we took them all out. But she died against the last one."Ethan fell to one knee and met James' stoic gaze. "That's when I sought refuge, m'lord. I'm sorry for the lies...I just wanted a fresh start with Aashna.""To me," James answered, "it sounds like you saved my kingdom a bit of trouble. Since I've known you, you've been a loyal soldier. Rise and stand with us.""Thank you, your Grace." Ethan stood back up as Nick raised his hand."Their chieftain," he asked, "do you know his name?""No," Ethan answered. "He never told us who he'd been. But it's hard to forget him. Skin dark as night, voice deep as the ocean. And those glasses? I always found it odd that a fierce fighter would limit his vision with sunglasses in a dark basement."All the other children save Bennett shared shocked stares. In unison, the six friends moaned, "Ike."Ethan and Bennett glanced at each other, then turned to the rest of their group. "You know him?" Ethan asked."Yeah, we do," Nick answered. "And if anyone here thinks we're convincing Ike Burke to let his soldiers fight our battles for us, you're freaking insane.""Maybe not," Cindy countered. "Ike can be intense and a bit crazy, but the one thing he values above all else is honor. If we let him know that the adults are planning on reneging, he might work with us."Angie raised a palm. "Cindy, you said that your plan depends on us surviving through winter break. What happens then?""The way I see it," Cindy answered, "is if they refuse to give us the prize, this might drag past winter break. They'll probably keep waiting for a while until we run out of resources and give up. If we work together and make this place as self-sustainable as possible, we can prolong that a long time. If we last long enough, they'll have to do something to get us out of this building. They have one of two options at that point: give us the prize as promised, or drag us out by force."James considered this, then said, "Neither must seem very palatable to them. They don't seem able to give us the prize."Libby added, "And it won't look good if they launch into a bunch of kids with rubber bullets and flashbangs.""Especially after Forrester got arrested," Cindy agreed. "They have no good options. If we do nothing, it's a coin flip that they give us the prize. So I say we give them an option that we can control. We send them a raven telling them that if they want to drag us out of here, it's on our terms. Foam against foam.""You," Sheen blinked and struggled to comprehend her plan, "want to invite the adults to attack us?""At least we can control that," Cindy explained. "If our Crusade is successful, we can expand our ranks and work together. Three communities, all united against the adults, could ward off anything they throw at us.""Except riot gear and flashbangs," Nick teased."Right," Cindy agreed. "Which is why it has to be this way. We tell them that if they win, we give up. If we win, just give us the damn prize. It gives them a chance to get out of this without looking like monsters to the rest of the world. What do you all say?"Angie soaked in Cindy's plan, then admitted, "I say it sounds like our best shot. And we need more people to make it work. So we head for The Dark Brotherhood's lair."Bennett cocked his head. "When you say we, your Grace?""I mean it literally," Angie answered. "I'm coming with you all." Bennett started to protest, but Angie gave him no chance. "I know Ike Burke. He will never work with a leader who sends his or her men out to do their dirty work. So I must go. As must you," she turned to James and offered a devilish smile. "What say you, Jimmy Neutron? Up for an adventure?"Jimmy smirked back. "Adventures are kind of my thing. I'm in.""Eagle's in," Sheen smiled at his crew."So's Falcon," Libby agreed."I fear you'll all perish without me," Bennett crossed his arms. "So I'll go."Nick turned to Cindy. "Still following you anywhere, m'lady."Cindy turned to Angie. "I'm obviously in. So when do we leave?""There's not a moment to waste," Angie explained. "Bennett, we could use another archer. Yen's coming as well. Leave Rhoslyn in charge of the wall; I'll tell Aldous to manage the kingdom. James," she faced the king, "your guards can return home or stay here with their weapons. Whichever you prefer.""We told Betty to give us twenty-four hours," Jimmy answered. "I'd prefer they stay behind your wall until we get this Brotherhood mess sorted out.""Then stay they shall. We have empty beds...thanks to Damien." Angie shook her head, then leaped off her throne. "Let's gather Yen and the horses, raid the armory, and leave at once."Cindy, Nick, and Libby descended the final step to the basement. Nick and Libby and aimed their Mega Lightning Bows straight ahead as Cindy clutched a torch in one hand and one of her swords in the other. As their feet made contact with the ground, they all pulled back in unison."What's wrong?" Sheen asked from the stairway high above."Just wet," Libby shook her foot dry, then realized her attempt at comfort would be in vain.Cindy squatted down and studied the water, then the hallway sprawled out before her. "Jimmy, the whole floor's flooded. Less than an inch.""Pipe must have burst," Jimmy cried out from above.Nick shook his head and faced Cindy. "Why does it take no time for these basements to fall apart?"Cindy huffed and stared down the hall. "Don't know." Voice louder, she added, "We're all clear!"Cindy held her torch as Libby aimed her bow down the hall. Nick turned around as Ethan and Jimmy slid a jury-rigged ramp down the stairs. Nick helped angle the three nailed-together doors onto the ground. He placed a foot on the ramp to hold it in place, then told the group above, "All set. Let's get the horses down."Yen and Sheen slowly rode their horses down the ramp and onto the basement floor. Jimmy led the last pony by the reins, then helped Libby hop back atop her steed. The three archers on horseback formed a horizontal line and watched the corridor, ready to loose a trio of arrows at the first sign of danger. Ethan joined Cindy at the front of the group, clutching a dagger and shield. Bennett stood guard over the King and Queen behind the horses. Nick brought up the rear, Dreadbolt aimed behind the convoy."Boiler room, right?" Cindy asked as Ethan started leading the group farther through the floodwaters."Yeah. Other end of the floor.""What about defenses?" Bennett probed."I'm not sure," Ethan answered. "The first night they just had two kids stand watch. They probably have a more intricate system now.""Agreed," Jimmy said. "Take it slow and watch for tripwires.""And acolytes," Nick chimed in from the rear. He swiveled his bow from corner to corner, watching for the whites of any eyes. "Those bastards could be anywhere."Sheen aimed his Dreadbolt over Cindy's head and flexed his finger along the trigger. "So, what do we do once we find them. Just...ask them to join us?""I say we bring a gift," Angie suggested. "Capture some of these acolytes alive. Use them to gain entry.""That is easier said then done, your Grace," Cindy said while halting before a bend in the hallway. She knelt down, ensured there no tripwires, and sheathed her sword. "Bow," she commanded.Cindy traded her torch for Libby's bow, checked that a dart was notched, and swung around the corner. No fight occurred except the torch's dim rays battling back the darkness.Libby took back her weapon as Cindy accepted the torch. The blonde drew her blade and said, "Let's keep moving."Resuming their conversation, Yen asked, "If this Ike wants to cull the weak, would bringing him prisoners even work? He might not care about them.""If we can take them alive," Jimmy said, "do so. Worst that could happen is Ike kills them for us.""Well," Nick shot back, "worst that could happen is we die trying to keep them alive.""That's why I said if," Jimmy protested.Their debate was cut short by Ethan raising a clenched fist. The group fell silent as he inched his dagger up towards the ceiling far down the hall. "There," he whispered.Cindy followed his weapon and narrowed her eyes. The hallway led straight on for another twenty yards; he was pointing at the right corner all the way at its end. "You saw one?" She saw nothing.Her answer was the distant twang of a bow snapping."Down!" Ethan screamed while shoving Cindy to the floor and swiveling his shield before them. The clipeus only covered half his body; the dull thud of an arrow bouncing off his shield told him he'd gotten lucky.The archers on horseback took aim down the hall, but the walls and floor bust to life before they could loose a single arrow. As four acolytes assaulted the group, the three ponies bucked wildly. Yen gripped her horse's reigns tight as it threatened to toss her free. One of the acolytes finished the job by tackling her to the floor.The brunette tried to unsheath the dagger on her hip, but she couldn't beat the acolyte's draw. He plunged his shortsword straight towards Yen's chest. Yen screamed in shock as Angie arced her sword into his temple, tossing him to the floor."Archers!" Angie roared over the mayhem. "Join Cindy and Ethan!"Yen and Sheen fell in line behind Ethan and Cindy.Bennett dodged the wild swing of an acolyte's mace and slid the group's only other shield towards Cindy. The blonde scooped it up. "I'm high!" she told Ethan while holding her clipeus over his shoulder.Ethan stayed crouched behind his own shield; the two formed a narrow but impenetrable blockade. "Tighten formation!" Ethan barked. "Forward!" He took a step ahead, and Cindy struggled to keep her shield perfectly in line with his.The group cringed as another thud reverberated off their clipei. As Cindy and Ethan lurched a few steps forward, Yen and Sheen crouched low and desperately scanned the halls for other attackers."How close do you need to get?" Cindy growled as the twang of the bow launched an arrow inches from her foot."Was he up high?" Yen asked."Top right corner," Ethan growled. "On some sort of perch."Another twang, another arrow inches from taking them out."After the next arrow," Yen ordered. "Cindy, roll to your right and cover me. Sheen, pop up and shoot over us. Got it?"There was no time for anyone to agree; the next arrow sailed over Cindy's shield. Yen and Cindy stayed low and pivoted to their right. Cindy kept her shield in line with Ethan's, forming a long low wall for Yen to aim over. Sheen stood up and aimed his Dreadbolt over Yen's shoulder at the assassin's perch.She was well-camouflaged, but her movements enfeebled the subterfuge. As the archer reloaded another arrow, Sheen launched a bolt at her chest. He sighed as Yen's arrow beat his by a split second."Dang it," Sheen groaned."Too slow," Yen grinned and loaded another arrow. She spun around to help her friends, but the mayhem was over.The four marched back to found Libby sheathing her blade. Bennett and Nick held their swords an inch from two kneeling acolyte's throats. Cindy wearily grinned as she spotted an unharmed Jimmy and Angie approach the prisoners.Jimmy knelt down to the first acolyte's level. "What's your name?""No names," the sophomore bristled from deep inside his raven cloak.James cocked his head and said, "We mean your people no harm. We have to speak to your chieftain about a matter that concerns all of us. Is he still -"Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, the acolyte tore a Modulus dagger from his cloak's sleeve and lurched forward. Bennett plunged his sword into his neck before the beast could get within an inch of James.James gulped as he watched his attacker crumble to the floor. He swiveled his gaze to the final acolyte, who seemed equally in shock. "I...""Let me," Cindy offered."Cindy," Bennett growled, but she held up his hands."No swords," she promised. Wasting no time, she crouched down a foot away from the assassin and explained, "We found out the adults are not giving us the prize. We know your people want whoever's most deserving to win, but that's not going to happen anymore. The only way anyone wins anything is by helping us get to your chieftain. We need to talk to Ike."The acolyte blinked slowly, still seeming to process his friend's death.Angie knelt beside Cindy, causing Bennett to plead, "A foot farther, please."Angie sighed but did as her guard suggested. "As James said, we wanted to take you all alive. If we're going to fight the adults, every life is precious. So what's your name?"The acolyte swallowed hard and met Angie's gaze. "No names. Only acolytes."James asked, "What were you called before?"The cloaked boy considered the question a frighteningly long time before mumbling, "I think...Theo.""Well, Theo," Ethan stood over the confused lad, "I used to be like you. I was an acolyte the first night."Theo cocked his head and said, "But no cloak.""No," Ethan shook his head. He motioned at James and Angie. "I found better kingdoms. Places where kids work together and live normal lives. Where the strong help the weak. Where we have names. We want you all to be part of that. We want to work together." He let Theo consider this, then asked, "Are you still living in the boiler room?"Theo gulped, struggled to find his voice, and whispered, "Yes.""Is Ike there now?" Cindy probed."Who is Ike?"Cindy sighed, "Your chieftain.""No harm coming?" Theo asked."We just want to talk to him," James promised.Theo slowly nodded, then said, "He is there.""How we do we get in without hurting more of your people? Or losing ours?" Angie asked."There is a way," Theo said."Let me guess," Nick huffed. "Does it involve ceiling tiles?""No," Theo answered. "Classrooms, connected by doors. Parallel to main hall. Will bypass guards. Must pass only one. But must be silent." He cocked his head at Ethan. "Your new kind so loud."Ethan nodded his thanks and faced his crew. "No horses, then."Angie motioned at a nearby classroom. "Sheen, tie them up in there."James asked, "Should we leave a guard to watch them?""No," Angie shook her head. "We need every man. If this goes well, we'll get the horses back. If it goes poorly...we won't need them."Jimmy couldn't argue with her logic. "Where's this pathway of classrooms?"The acolyte slowly rose to his feet; no one stopped him. He pointed down the corridor, towards the dead archer. He then motioned to his left. "Down that hall. Then a right.""Any more guards?" Cindy asked."No. Not until classroom.""No point in waiting," Nick shoved the stock of his Dreadbolt against his shoulder and aimed back towards the stairs. "Let's move the horses."Sheen led the trio of ponies into the nearby classroom. Bennett patted Theo down and gave a satisfied nod after he'd found no weapons.Once Sheen returned, the group fell back into their old formation with Theo between Ethan and Cindy. They all walked two steps before the acolyte cringed. "Too loud.""We're not even talking!" Sheen screeched.The acolyte clutched his ears, grit his teeth, and pointed at Cindy's feet. "Heel of feet, then roll onto ball. Footsteps bring acolytes."Cindy rolled her eyes but took her next step more cautiously, slowly pivoting her foot from back to front. Her lips twitched in annoyance as she realized it was more silent.The team resumed their march down the hall. The passed the corpse of the acolyte archer; Yen made sure to pluck the girl's spare darts and shove them in her pockets. They turned left as Theo had instructed, then halted halfway down this new corridor.Theo broke the silence by whispering, "Guard ahead. Will lie...send him away. You wait here.""Wait," Cindy grabbed the acolyte's arm and held him in place. She turned to Angie and asked, "Should we let him go by himself?""Can only be me," Theo whispered."He's right," Angie admitted. "You'll ruin his cover." She nodded at Theo and said, "You may go.""Return shortly. Stay silent," he ordered before setting off.Once he'd rounded the corner, Angie motioned at her archers. "Cover both ends of the hall. Swordsmen? Watch for any dropping from the ceiling."The warriors did as instructed, but their precautions were superfluous. Theo returned after only a moment, motioning them towards the corner. The group cautiously moved forward and swung around the hall's bend expecting an attack. None come."That room," Theo pointed to a classroom on his right. "Labyrinth...leads to chieftain."The group initially thought his choice of words puzzling, but the network of classrooms did prove to be a maze. The rooms led one into another through randomly placed entryways, with doors near the chalkboard, along the walls, and even right beside the hallway door."This seems architecturally impossible," James muttered after the tenth room."Here," Theo muttered at last. A two foot high golden door sat right underneath the biology room's blackboard. "Leads to hall. Across boiler room.""No guards outside the boiler room's entrance?" Cindy queried."No," Theo answered. "In halls. And behind door. We go?""We go," Ethan answered. He took a deep breath, crouched down, and pushed through the auriferous entryway. He landed in the hall, just as Theo had said. Across from him led a nondescript steel door. Ethan glanced all around; no guards threatened them. "It's clear," he told the team behind him.One by one the children fell in place beside the boiler room's entrance. Cindy grabbed Theo's shoulder and readied him in front of her."I'm shield?" Theo asked."They need to see you so they don't kill all of us," Cindy explained. She turned to Angie and asked, "Just knock?"Angie nodded. "Let them know that we have one of their men. That we mean them no harm."Cindy nodded, took a deep breath, and reached over Theo's shoulder. She gave three hard knocks on the door and said, "My name is Cindy Vortex, and I have a group of men here with me. I know the Dark Brotherhood's in there. We mean you no harm. We just need to talk."She waited as the group's archers nervously swung their bows around the hall. After a moment, Cindy heard a tiny click. She grabbed the knob and gave it a vigilant twist; it was unlocked. She turned to her friends, who nodded her forward.One last deep breath preceded her gently marching Theo through the doorway. She blinked in awe as she glanced around the boiler room. A wave of heat washed over her skin, sending beads of sweat rolling to the surface. A dim orange glow radiated from rows of sconces screwed into the cement wall. Four steaming and whistling grey boilers gave birth to a patchwork of pipes which crisscrossed overhead. Enormous blue barrels of what Cindy guess to be oil lined the walls."What do you see?" Libby asked.Cindy took a cautious step forward. "Nothing," she heard Ethan's near-silent footsteps as he came through the door behind her. "No one," she amended her statement.She took a few more tentative steps into the center of the room. Once Nick had breached the threshold, a low whisper echoed from all around."Whispers in the dark...yield arrows through the heart."The door slammed closed as Ethan thrust his shield ahead of Theo. A bolt bounced off the clipeus, and the group readied their weapons.They saw no attackers.Ethan's knuckles blanched against his dagger. "We need to talk to the chieftain!"Cindy rolled her eyes and shouted, "Ike, you can see it's me! You're going to want to hear what we have to say!"No arrows came, so James stepped forward. "The adults lied to us, Ike! We know you want the worthiest to win the prize, but there's not going to be a prize anymore.""Lies," the word echoed from all around. "Deception."An acolyte suddenly burst out of the nearest barrel of grease. As he gasped for breath, thick drops of black oil rained from skin. He lurched towards Theo, Cindy yanked the prisoner back with no time to spare. Ethan swept the acolyte's leg with his clipeus. As the acolyte fell to the floor, Libby dove on top of him and pinned him down. Sheen stomped on the assassin's slick wrist and managed to kick his dagger away.James shouted, "It's not a lie! That's why we're trying not to kill them. Ike, please. We all need to work together or none of us wins!"No sound but the convoy's anxious breaths echoed through the boiler room. At last, a deep baritone voice said, "Old friends...one conversation. All you get.""All we need," Cindy answered.The group watched as a figure rolled off one of the pipes overhead. He fell gracefully to the ground, black cloak rippling through the air. He landed in a crouch, braced his fall with one palm, and stared up at them. They saw their own startled reflection in his mirrored shades."Hello, Ike," Cindy said as the chieftain rose to his feet. "Brought you a present." She shoved Theo towards him."Poor gift," Ike glared at the acolyte, who fell to his knees. "Only weak get defeated. Weaker become prisoners.""Said there's no prize," Theo whispered. "We must change paths.""I'll be judge," Ike growled and motioned the acolyte away. Theo scampered off, deeper into the boiler room. "No wasted words," Ike ordered. "Explain.""I'm King of Minerva, and Angie's Queen of Canterbury," James began."This we know," Ike answered. "Whisperers have ears.""Well what you don't know is that one of my commanders tricked my soldiers into attacking Angie's. He did this to decimate our numbers and plunge our kingdoms into chaos.""Chaos breeds strength," Ike countered. "Children born of flames fight the fiercest.""Well the problem with that evolutionary theory," James countered, "is they'll be surviving for nothing.""This guard, Damien," Angie chimed in, "told us that his mother's on the school board. She told him that they're not giving out any of the prizes. She was going to give Damien an Xbox to ensure that no one would reap any of the rewards. That way it wouldn't look like the school board reneged."Ike blinked slowly. "You know this? Are certain?""Damien told us himself," Jimmy answered. "He was a good and loyal soldier before today. It's the only explanation that fits.""He wasn't lying," Nick chimed in from the back of the crowd. "We could tell."Ike mulled this over and said, "Adults...change rules. Willoughby...""Did the same," Cindy finished. "We should have been expecting this. Joke's on us for trusting they'd keep their word.""So what is plan?" Ike questioned. "You think...you can stop this?""We've talked it over," Angie answered. "Cindy," she gave Cindy a respectful nod, "thinks our best bet is to tell the adults to fight us. They won't leave us in here forever and they won't just give us the prize. So instead of looking bad by coming in here with riot gear, have a fair fight. Foam against foam.""But," Cindy added, "that won't work if three different communities and a hundred random kids are all fighting each other. Minerva, Canterbury, and the Brotherhood need to join forces. We have to sweep this school and get as many scattered kids as possible to join us."Ike cocked his head. "You want my warriors.""We want to work together," Jimmy assured him. "Minerva and Canterbury will fight with you. And what we lack in warriors we can offer in trade." Jimmy motioned at the flooded floor. "I might be able to fix the flooding. And we're growing crops.""We have a blacksmith," Angie offered. "We can give you supplies."Ike considered all that was offered. "For days...have wanted strongest to win. Didn't need to be me. Whoever was worthiest. You propose," he swallowed hard, "large change.""Not really," Cindy countered. "Think of it this way. The adults are trying to screw all of us over. They think they're stronger, that we have to bow to their will. So it's still strong versus weak. Just on a bigger scale."Ike nodded. "We get crops. We got steel. We keep our land...our way. No reneging. Deal?" He thrust out his palm."Deal," Jimmy clasped his hand."Deal," Angie promised while pumping his arm."Come out," Ike ordered his men. Cindy's crew watched in awe as dozens of acolytes and true Brotherhood members exploded from grease barrels, rolled off pipes, and burst from the walls. "So," Ike cocked his head at Cindy, "what next?"Cindy watched the assassins slowly approach her group. A few old friends, classmates from the time before, said hesitant hellos to members of her crew they recognized. Cindy watched the greetings with a growing smile, then watched the three leaders settle back into friendly, relaxed postures."What happens next," Cindy's lips twitched into a smile as everyone faced her, "is we survive. We do what the three of you have been trying to do in your own ways." Cindy thought back to Ms. Wolf's classroom, to how desperately she'd wanted to find Canterbury. After all her struggles, she'd found it and so much more. Now, as three kingdoms stood united, the possibilities seemed endless. It was time to bring Ms. Wolf's vision to life."Now we build a new and better world."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Two Weeks Later
"I'm not sure about this," Kenneth mumbled. He leaned against a nearby wall and shoved uneven chestnut bangs from his eyes. After inspecting his doused boots, he flexed his toes and listened to the squelch of his drenched socks. The stray lanterns hanging overhead provided only the faintest glimmer of light. He used these precious beams to study first the flooded floor, and then his partner in crime."Well, come on now," Tom's lively southern drawl could barely be heard over the nearby river. "Don't tell me y'all are getting cold feet." Kenneth motioned at his socks, and Tom huffed in amusement. He thrust a jovial finger towards Kenneth's chest and offered a merry whistle. "I'll give you that one. Always did appreciate some wordplay.""Is all this worth it?" Kenneth raised his voice as he followed Tom farther down one of the basement's side corridors. "It took an hour just to sneak by the outposts.""Worth it?" Tom huffed and spit his flavorless wad of gum into the dank water. "You're not tired of eating garden cress?""Well," Kenneth shrugged, "I heard Jimmy's experimenting with chickpea sprouts.""No," Tom waved the suggestion away. "No more garnish or half-assed vegetables. And no more spam and no more parasite-riddled pigeon. I'm ready to eat the north end of a south-bound polecat! We're gettin' some real meat today.""But the fishing quotas-""Are to scare us off," Tom protested. "Two kids plucking a trout or two won't throw the river out of balance. Now hush and get the poles ready."As the boys reached the intersection between their hall and the basement's main corridor, the floodwaters crept past the boys' ankles and up their shins. They both stared up at the recently erected six-foot high steel wall. This simple structure was all that separated them from the raging river gushing through the main hallway. The water pounding against the wall sent it buckling towards Ken; Tom chuckled as the boy instinctively stumbled back."It'll hold," Tom assured him. "Helped make it myself.""Yeah, I'm not surprised," Kenneth pointed at an empty rivet hole through which water poured onto his boots."Well, it'll hold enough," Tom amend his statement. "And I didn't make every inch of it." He ducked inside a nearby classroom and quickly pulled two desks out, one after the other. After placing them side by side, he said, "Let's not dawdle."Kenneth sighed but hopped atop his desk. He handed Tom his fishing pole, then they both cast their lines over the wall. After a moment of waiting and listening to the waves, Kenneth said, "You know, I might not eat this fish.""Now that's a good attitude," Tom opined. "Already thinkin' you'll catch somethin'. But what are ya gonna do with it?""Fish goes well on the black market," Kenneth shrugged. "Might be able to buy a whole gallon of Aldous' ginger ale.""He really brewing that stuff himself?" Tom shook his head in wry amusement."Heard it tastes just like the real thing," Ken promised."Y'all are nuts over there in Canterbury," Tom ribbed."And Minerva's sane?" Kenneth scoffed. He looked around, saw that no patrolling soldiers were coming to arrest them, and finally let his guard down. "Aren't you all obsessed with a king and queen who are putting on a show?""Now I think those two are right for each other," Tom protested. "That vivacious girl is ten times better than James' blonde concubine.""You're just mad she sprained your ankle last summer.""Now I can't deny that played a role in it. But if we've gotta be ruled over by someone, might as well be someone with a pretty face. Not some lass who's smile could turn sweet milk to clabber.""Well, I-" Kenneth's remark was cut short by a vicious tug on his line. Feet wobbling on the flooded desk, he struggled to pull back against the unseen fish."Positive thinking!" Tom laughed as a magnificent salmon leaped above the river. It seemed to halt in midair; scales shining in the pale lantern light. Tom smiled wide as it descended back below the wall; his grin flipped into a look of horror as the line tugged Kenneth off his desk, then up and over the wall."K-Ken?" Tom stammered as his friend splashed into the murky depths. He threw his pole aside and hopped straight up. As his head peeked over the wall, he threw both arms over its jagged steel edges and struggled to hold himself up."I can't-" Kenneth's scream was cut off as his head disappeared below the deluge of rough water. After a heart-stopping moment, soaked chestnut hair peeked over the wave. "Can't swim!""Well," Tom swallowed and dropped himself down to the ground. He leaned against the wall, anxiously rubbed his black buzzcut, and moaned, "Neither can I." As he stood frozen in place, utterly lost at what to do, the sound of splashing water and pounding horseshoes billowed towards him. Tom slowly spun around and let his jaw drop at the three galloping animals tearing down the hall.The leftmost pinto Shetland pony carried King James. The monarch was clad in his usual beige doublet, but his recently cut chocolate hair hung in windswept bangs.The rightmost ivory Welsh steed seated Libby and behind her, Sheen. Libby's navy blue surcoat flared wildly in the winds as she galloped towards Tom. Her hair billowed out into a beautiful puff of kinky curls that pressed into her boyfriend's leather jerkin. Sheen clutched her waist with one hand and his crossbow with the other. He glared at Tom over his magnificent gunslinger mustache.Tom narrowed his eyes in fury as the middle horse pulled ahead of the pack. Cindy raced dead towards him, emerald eyes sparkling in fury. Her ponytail had been replaced by a waterfall braid billowing behind her. A polished leather cuirass lay over a heavy hauberk, which in turn covered a shin-length maroon robe. Yet it wasn't her hair, clothes, or even glare that drew his attention. It was the Vendetta sword clutched in her right palm.Tom's hand shot for the dagger on his hip, but another one of Kenneth's shouts froze his draw. He saw Cindy hear the plea for help and adjust her plans in an instant. She tossed her dual swords onto the floor, hopped atop the galloping steed's saddle, and clutched its mane to hold her balance. Tom's jaw gaped further as the horse slid past him and Cindy jumped over the wall.The other two horses halted beside him; Tom realized his disbelief was contagious. James dismounted first and hopped atop Kenneth's desk, Sheen and Libby clambered beside him on what had been Tom's platform. Cindy's three friends peered over the wall, eyes madly darting for any sign of life."Cindy!" James' terrified scream barely pierced the raging water. Cindy suppressed the urge to cry back out to him; opening her mouth would let murky water flow into her lungs.Cindy kicked with everything she had to breach the surface; water quickly saturated her armor and threatened to pull her into the depths. Her muscles twitched and burnt in agony as she finally cleared the waves and sucked in a gulp of air.Vision blurred from eyes full of water, Cindy could barely make out Kenneth's thrashing form. She kicked and paddled with all she had to reach the drowning boy and watched in horror as he disappeared beneath the waves.The river's roar conquered all other noise. Cindy barely heard Jimmy's warbled shout of, "Get the rope!" She took a deep breath, dove beneath the waves, and propelled herself forward. It only took a moment to slam into the flailing child. As his frantic limbs thrashed around her, Cindy threw her own arm under his neck and yanked him above water.Lungs already on fire, Cindy breathed a desperate gasp as their faces breached the river. "Breathe!" Cindy barely screamed before they fell back beneath the water. The chain mail was no longer merely heavy; it actually pulled her down to the depths below. Water and air slid down her throat, a toxic cocktail that sent painful coughs through her chest. She gave one last feral kick and popped above the waves as a thick rope landed by her face."Grab it!" Libby roared as Cindy swung her free arm onto the rope. She dug her palm into the lifeline and stared as her three friends struggled to keep the cord from slipping out of their grasp.Cindy kept coughing as she pleaded for it to hold; she could already tell that her prayers were going unanswered. "I can't!" Cindy could only hold on a second longer; she stared into Ken's manic eyes and already regretted her choice.She let him go and watched him disappear beneath the water. Left hand still slipping, she used her right to unbuckle her cuirass and hauberk. She unsnapped the last buckle as her grip finally faltered. She sucked in one last breath, then slipped out of her armor while falling beneath the water.Bile seared James' throat; his blood froze to ice as the rope went slack. Only a single second was wasted with worry, the next were filled with barked orders. "Sheen! Find Rose and Ava on the raft and bring them downstream.""The rapids will chew it up!" Sheen protested."They'll chew Cindy up!" James shot back. "GO!" As Sheen disappeared, James locked onto Libby's terrified eyes. He pointed at a nearby room. "Grab the rope and follow me through the classrooms!"Cindy's load was lightened but her exhausted arms felt as useful as a pair of bricks. She could do little more than watch Kenneth drift downriver and kick towards him. She let the current propel her and soon slammed into the boy. Mind over matter. She grit her teeth and forced her dead right arm around Ken's neck. Groaning in agony, she hoisted him back above water and screamed, "Calm down!""Can't," Kenneth's head dipped into the river before a jerk from Cindy brought him back up, "breathe!""You can if you shut up!" Cindy kicked against the current, barely able to slow their advance. She managed to pull Kenneth tighter against her and passively float on her back."Pipe!" Kenneth's hoarse voice screamed.Cindy's eyes widened as she spotted a jagged and broken pipe hanging from the ceiling. Speed picking up as they approached the rapids, Cindy barely managed to kick them out of the way. The razor-sharp edges whistled past her face, and Cindy felt her chest tighten as her heart skipped a beat."Desk!" Kenneth cried.Cindy spotted the more welcome obstacle; a vertical and half-submerged teacher's desk. "Grab it!" Cindy screamed as they barreled towards it. Cindy and Kenneth flailed their arms out; Cindy managed to latch onto one of its legs.With one last burst of energy, Cindy yanked Kenneth towards the desk. He wrapped his arms around the other exposed leg, and the two gripped the slippery steel.As they both gasped for breath, Kenneth panted, "We safe?"Cindy craned her neck and watched the churning waters turn into a bonafide froth. In between sprays of vicious foam, Cindy spotted more acuate pipes forming an impassable blockade a mere thirty feet away."No," Cindy shook her head and stared at the nearby steel walls to her left and right. If she released the desk, she might be able to swim to them before the current dragged her into the mesh of lead teeth. But she wouldn't survive while dragging Kenneth with her. "We're not."Compounding matters was the fact that the desk was already beginning to creak. She stared underneath the murky water and saw that the table was lodged against an amalgam of flooded debris; it wouldn't be long before it listed and collapsed."Cindy!" Jimmy's shout emanated from her left. She craned her neck and saw him smile at her; his eager grin was dashed as he spotted the wall of pipes just yards away. Libby hopped atop the teacher's desk and stood beside him. She tossed Cindy a rope; it fell a few inches short.She locked eyes with Jimmy and silently asked, Take it? Could her friends tug against the current and save her from being sliced into pieces?Before Jimmy could answer, Sheen's voice shrieked, "We're coming!"Cindy stared upstream as a narrow wooden raft careened towards her. Rose and Ava's oars barely steadied the wobbling boat as Sheen shoved an oak pike pole into the water. He pressed into the obscured floor with all his strength, trying to brake the raft. The ship all but slammed into the desk, listing it further into the water. As Rose helped pull Cindy and Ken aboard, Ava grabbed onto Sheen's arm and helped him lean over the boat. He gripped the rope and pulled it taut as his friends behind the wall did the same.The desk's groans told them there was no time to waste. "Go!" Sheen screamed as Ava gripped the rope and jumped into the water. A few mighty kicks and strong pulls brought her to the wall. "Rose, you're next!"As Rose followed Ava and the desk listed forward, Cindy shoved Kenneth's palms onto the rope and kicked him in the water. She turned to Sheen, who glanced nervously at the pipes looming before them.He shakily offered, "You should-""JUST GO!" Cindy screamed. Her conviction left no room for argument, so Sheen handed Cindy the rope and dove into the water. He'd just reached the wall when the desk finally gave way.The raft lurched forward, finally snatching Cindy's footing. She collapsed into the water as the raft barreled straight underneath the flayed pipes. She barely saw the wooden planks finally tear apart from the violent waters; the day's catch of fish fell back into the river below. Every muscle in her arms seized as she held onto the rope for dear life. She felt it stretch and threaten to tear as Sheen was hoisted over the wall."Pull!" Jimmy ordered the rescued kids. They each grabbed hold of the rope and tugged Cindy towards them. The rope finally snapped when she was three inches from the wall; she shrieked as Jimmy threw his upper body over the edge and grasped her palm."I got you," he promised as he was pulled towards the water.Two strong grips on his legs kept him steady. "And we got you," Libby swore as and Sheen gripped him tight.For a moment, James and Cindy fought for breath as the water crashed all around them. Then, with a final violent pull, they slammed into the wall. Ava, Rose, Libby, and Sheen hoisted them over and they collapsed onto the desk.All seven kids gasped and choked for breath. Jimmy and Libby braced their backs against the wall, Cindy and Sheen rolled off the desk and onto the floor. Ava and Rose slowly clambered to their feet. Once they stood tall, they offered Sheen and Cindy a hand.Cindy stared up at Rose's wrinkled palm, then clasped it tight. "Thank," a spasm of coughs brought up a mouthful of water that she hacked onto the floor, "thank you. All of you." She flashed James and Libby a weary smile, then wrapped Sheen into their first hug.As she collapsed against his shoulder, she slowly blinked the water from her eyes and stared at the terrified boy she'd rescued. Once she confirmed that he was breathing, she shoved Sheen away and locked a murderous glare onto the fourth-grader. Each word bolstered by a new surge of fury, she snarled, "What the hell were you thinking?"Kenneth swallowed as six pairs of irate eyes bore into him. "I, uh," he gulped, "wasn't really thinking."King James hopped off the desk and stood before the boy. "That is a colossal understatement. You're not from Minerva. Canterbury, then?" Ken offered a meek nod, so he turned to Cindy. "Your jurisdiction.""Good," Cindy growled. "Someone give me some rope." Libby handed her the half they'd recovered from the water. "Let's bring you to the Queen." Cindy shoved him Ken's face into the nearby wall, pressed her shoulder against his spine, and bound his wrists together."I'm sorry," Ken stammered. "It was Tom's idea.""Tom?" Cindy pulled Ken away from the wall, then remembered the boy she'd barreled past just moments before. He'd looked so familiar. She spun to James, who nodded before the question escaped her lips."From the gym," he agreed. "He's one of Minerva's.""You never told me that you took that rat in," Cindy spat.Jimmy shrugged as led the group back through the classrooms, towards the horses. "Found him at the end of The Crusade. We'd agreed to give everyone who surrendered a second chance." Cindy's gaze didn't soften, so James added, "He won't be getting a third."The group stayed silent until they reached the three horses. Jimmy went for his Shetland and plucked a coarse wool blanket from his saddlebag. Cindy offered no protest as he draped it over her shoulders."Where is Tom?" Libby asked.Everyone looked around to no avail, then glared at Ken."I don't know where he went."Sheen huffed, "He didn't even help save you. Some friend."James shook his head in disgust as he plucked another blanket from the bag and covered the shivering Ken. He caught Libby's eye as she asked, "Should we send out a search party?""No," Jimmy answered. "We'll send ravens to the outposts. We need to return home." He nodded towards Ava and Rose, then offered, "We appreciate your help and apologize for the raft. You may return to Minerva with us if you wish."After Ava and rose agreed, Cindy locked eyes with Jimmy. She pulled him into a tight embrace, then leaned her forehead against his. As she spoke, each syllable brushed their lips together. "I owe you one, Big Brain.""Consider it repayment for last summer, Vortex." Jimmy grinned, then swallowed hard. "Don't do that again, okay?""Hard not to, when I know you've always got my back." Cindy planted a quick kiss on his lips, nestled her head in the crook of his neck, and stayed there until the air became saturated with her friends' impatience. As she pulled away, she voiced one request. "Do me a favor and don't tell the Crafts Guild about the boat. I'll let them know myself." She smiled at her boyfriend and added, "It'll give me an official reason to ride over later."As Libby and Sheen hopped atop their steed, Libby asked, "You don't want to just come now?""No," Cindy answered as she and Jimmy hoisted Ken onto the back of her pony. "Need to get this idiot to Angie first."James kissed her cheek, then climbed onto his Shetland. Rose and Ava hopped up behind him, squirming to fit on the tiny horse. "Hurry over."Cindy nodded and watched as James and Libby kicked their steeds. The ponies whinnied and lurched forward, propelling themselves into an impressive gallop down the hall. Cindy followed suit, and her own Welsh horse raced through the corridors. Once she reached the stairs that had long ago been covered with a wooden ramp, her ride climbed up to the first floor.After she and Ken had warmed up, the boy cleared his throat. "I am sorry," he repeated. "We just wanted a couple of fish. We didn't know this would happen.""Oh, so you weren't trying to murder me. Just break the law," Cindy shrugged. "That makes it better, I suppose.""Well...""How about this," Cindy offered as she led her steed down the first floor's main hallway. She nodded her head at a trio of freshmen puling a rickshaw towards Minerva. The load of freshly smithed chain mail and seared squab rolled past them. "We make this a tight-lipped, contemplative journey.""I don't know what that means," Ken admitted."It means shut the heck up," Cindy snapped. She breathed a relief as the prisoner finally fell silent, then followed the steady row of overhead lanterns towards the central stairwell. It was a short climb up the ramps to the third floor."Approaching the gate!" Cindy shouted as her steed took its final stamps up the ramp. Though Cindy Vortex was one of the most recognizable people in Canterbury, she still made the friendly approaching signal. As her pony rounded the corner, Cindy raised both arms straight towards the ceiling, crossed them in an X, and then held both fists against her shoulders."Keep approaching!" came Rhoslyn's shout.As Cindy's pony strolled towards the wall, Cindy studied Canterbury's new defenses. Cindy navigated the seemingly randomly placed chival de frises separating the stairwell from the wall. The angled wooden beams jutting out of the devices were close enough together to prevent any soldiers from easily slipping through, but far enough apart to prevent an enemy from using them as cover. As she guided her horse between the obstacles, Cindy stared up at the large steel pots hanging from the ceiling. She followed their trails of rope behind the wall, where the guards could release a rain of hot maple syrup on any attackers.Cindy cast her gaze towards Canterbury's wall. The crude and charred barricade of furniture was gone; in its wake was a solid six-foot wall of smelted iron. Rhoslyn stared over the barricade and flashed Cindy an easy smile. She leaned against the parapet but made sure to keep her arms away from the shards of broken glass wedged into the top of the rampart. "Back so soon?""Unfortunately," Cindy grumbled. "Been quiet since I left?""Since my shift started," Rhoslyn answered. She craned her neck up to her left, where an oaken hunting blind sat atop a mahogany platform. "You seen anything before that, Theo?""Nothing," the former acolyte's voice seeped through the blind's small aperture. The slit was scarcely big enough for his crossbow to peek through."I'm a little miffed, ma'am," Rhoslyn teased. "You've made things too boring for us."Cindy huffed and said, "That's a sin I'll happily confess to. Do you mind if we finish catching up inside?""Suppose not. Let's open 'er up!" Rhoslyn twirled her finger in the air, then hopped off her unseen platform. She'd barely disappeared from Cindy's view when a crack appeared down the middle of the wall. Behind the barricade, a pair of guards each yanked a rope, which pulled the groaning halves apart.Cindy trotted her horse through the gap and halted just past the barricade. As the guards closed the gate, Rhoslyn motioned at Ken and finally asked, "What happened out there?"With a tired shake of her head, Cindy explained, "This dunderhead tried to poach some fish and nearly drowned both of us. I need to bring him to the Queen. Is she around?"Rhoslyn's coiled bun bounced as she shook her own head in disgust. "She's in the gardens. Aldous is with her, though.""I'll have to intrude," Cindy shot back. She nodded towards Peter, who helped the bound Ken slide to his feet. "Mind bringing Arion to the barnyard?""Not at all," Peter smiled and started to lead the neighing pony away, but Cindy gripped his arm."Oh, and have Nissa send ravens to the outposts. Be on the lookout for a fugitive called Tom. Fifth grader with a southern drawl and a black buzzcut. Got it?""Got it," Peter promised. He marched down the hall with Arion in tow.Cindy watched him go, then pushed Ken after him. The scent of freshly braised mutton stew wafted from the nearby kitchen; Cindy had to yank her feet from its direction. She marched straight past the packed dining area, where a hundred peasants milled about and happily sampled Aldous' latest batch of ale. She followed the lanterns and sconces past the bustling barnyard and smoke-filled smith shop. She yanked Ken to a halt just outside of the garden and stepped past him. She waited just behind the threshold as Angie's and Aldous' voices carried into the hall."What else is on the docket?" Angie asked.Cindy peeked around the corner and caught site of Her Majesty kneeling in the center of the room, over the largest mound of dirt. Her cloak lay neatly folded on a chair near the entrance; her emerald gown was coated in moist soil. Angie was currently using a spade to rearrange the dirt around a bent sunflower shoot. Surrounded by seedlings, bundles of garden cress, and microgreens, Angie seemed immune to the worries that normally plagued a monarch."We've double checked the census, as requested," Aldous' trembling tone barely reached Cindy's ears."And?" Angie asked while patting down the soil."The previous count was correct, your Grace. Every life is precious, but the three we lost during The Crusade could be considered a fruitful, er, investment.""We really gained seventy people from Cindy's venture?" Angie asked."And another thirty when the Brotherhood's lair flooded," Aldous added. "The total count as of this morning is one hundred and sixty."Angie's awe was short-lived. "I suppose that leads us to the next item on the docket.""It does, your Grace. The rations-"Cindy finally knocked on the door and asked, "Your Grace? Sorry to intrude, but might I have a moment?"Angie dusted the dirt from her palms and rose tall. "Of course." She turned to Aldous and said, "Why don't you get some breakfast. We'll finish this shortly."Aldous stared at the next item on the docket, then mumbled, "I'll just have some tea and watch the little ones eat." He shuffled past Cindy and headed towards the kitchen."You're back early," Angie noted while grabbing her cloak and wrapping it over her shoulders."Not of my own volition, I'm afraid," Cindy dragged Kenneth into the garden and shoved him before the queen.Angie stared at the terrified fourth grader. With an exasperated sigh, she asked, "What did he do?""I-" Ken tried to explain, but Cindy cut him off."Just a few things," Cindy bristled. She tallied his crimes on her fingers while explaining, "He tried to poach some fish, nearly drowned, almost got me drowned, made Ava and Rose lose their day's catch, and what else?" Cindy tapped her chin before saying, "Oh yes, he got our raft destroyed."Angie blinked in shock before regaining her composure. "Well," she glared at Kenneth, "seems you've had quite the busy morning. I don't suppose you have anything to say for yourself?"Kenneth gulped and said, "I, uh...it was really all Tom's idea.""Tom?" Angie arced an eyebrow Cindy's way."A cad that Minerva scooped up in The Crusade. He got away in the chaos; I had Peter send ravens to the outposts to be on the lookout.""Good," Angie nodded. Turning back to Kenneth, she asked, "I suppose he forced you to fish at knifepoint?""Well, not exactly, your Grace.""Didn't expect so," Angie shot back. "You know, Kenneth, it never fails to amaze me how there are two kinds of people in this world. There are ones like Cindy and myself, who can bring people together and forge civilization out of fiery chaos. And then there are selfish knaves like you, who will tear it all down for an extra ration." She drew the jade sword from her hip and asked, "Do you have a single reason why I shouldn't carve you down?"Ken dropped to his knees and hung his head. "I don't, your Grace. You're right. I knew it was wrong, I tried to tell Tom...but I did it anyway. I'm sorry."Angie danced her fingers along the sword's hilt, pondered her options, and turned to Cindy. Her friend simply shrugged. Angie pointed her blade towards Ken's heart and spat, "Half rations for three days. And whatever your normal duties are, you're swapping them with Mia. She's off manure duty and you're on it for the rest of the week. And you're spending the night in the stocks."Ken gulped and accepted his punishment. "As you desire, your Grace. I am grateful for your mercy.""Hm," Angie huffed while motioning for the boy to rise. "You won't receive it again. Go tell Mia her good news and get to work."Ken bowed as Cindy yanked an iron dagger from her waist. She gripped the lion-shaped hilt and sliced the ropes from his wrist. Ken muttered a quiet thanks, then disappeared into the main hall.Cindy holstered her dagger and huffed, "I have to say, I'm liking your fiery side. Been awhile since I've seen it.""I believe you were one of its last targets," Angie joked, and the two girls grinned at each other. The queen studied Cindy's damp hair, then seemed to realize how exhausted the blonde was. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that sumph's antics on your morning off. Is it as bad as it sounds?"Cindy shrugged while leaning against the door's siding. "Jimmy would argue that losing the fish isn't a big deal. They'll just keep growing in the river and make for a bigger catch next time. And no one actually got hurt. But the boat," Cindy closed her eyes. "The Crafts Guild won't be happy.""Nor should they be," Angie said. "It was a good boat.""It was," Cindy agreed. "I'll ride over to Minerva and let them know the bad news. I'll stop by the foyer's outpost and see if I can beat that raven."Angie smiled and said, "I'm sure Arion can." The queen strolled out into the hall and motioned for Cindy to follow. They headed farther down the main hall, towards the throne room.As Cindy fell in stride with her queen, she said, "I couldn't help but overhear the daily docket.""Couldn't help, hm?" Angie teased as she entered her chambers and sat on the throne. She motioned for Cindy to close the door behind her.Cindy did as instructed before bracing her back against it. "How bad are the rations?""Bad," Angie admitted. "We're at two days' worth. Three if we cut things down further.""I know we lost today's catch and the boat, but if the guild hustles they can get a new raft by tomorrow," Cindy explained. As she went on, she watched for any sign of hope to spark inside Angie's stoic gaze. "We can have more fish by tomorrow night. Plus we've got pigeon hunts, the garden cress and sunflower microgreens, eggs, milk..."The fire never came. "I know what we have," Angie gently assured her friend. "It's not enough. We scoured every inch of this school during The Crusade. We found every hidden lunch and snack, raided all the vending machines, and wrestled every can from the cafeteria. But we have three hundred kids between our kingdoms." Angie motioned at the walls around them. "We're inside a concrete building, Cindy. You and Jimmy can only make this place so self-sufficient."Cindy fell quiet, so Angie rose from her throne and grabbed her shoulder. "You've done all you can. We would never have lasted this long without you."Cindy clasped Angie's hand and said, "We have to last longer. I'll talk to Jimmy. We'll figure something out."Angie hesitated, then pulled her hand away. "You do always find a way. Are you leaving now?""I should. I want to make it back by nightfall.""Go, then," Angie opened the door and led Cindy outside. "I have to find Aldous and finish the docket. See you tonight?" Angie held out her hand."See you tonight," Cindy ignored the handshake and wrapped the Queen in hug. Angie returned the embrace before they parted ways.Cindy headed to a classroom near the wall which had replaced the old, smaller armory. She twisted the doorknob and found it unlocked. She grinned as she entered, spotting Bennett, Yen, and Nick inside. The three guards had their backs to her and were closely inspecting the wall of bows. Bennett was the first to hear Cindy's footsteps and spin around."Morning," Bennett sheathed his Shadow Fury shortsword and cocked his head in concern. "Heard you went for a swim.""News travels fast," Cindy sighed. "Never would have pegged you a gossiper, Bennett.""Only when the canards are good," he assured her. "Come on," he patted Yen's arm. "Let's get the supply bags."Yen grabbed an enormous turquoise Signature bow and offered Cindy a respectful nod. "Good to see you."Cindy nodded back, then turned to Nick. Once the door closed and sealed them inside, Cindy rubbed her arm. "Hey.""What exactly happened out there?" Nick asked.Cindy hesitated, then relayed her story. As she finished with how Jimmy and her friends had plucked her from the river, Nick gingerly asked, "Was it bad?"Cindy flashed back to the freezing rapids, to the nauseating sensation of dirty water flowing into her lungs. "Bad," she whispered."Come here," Nick put an arm on her shoulder, felt no resistance, and pulled her into a hug. She rested her forehead on one of his broad shoulders. "I'm sorry I wasn't there.""It's alright," Cindy mumbled. "Jimmy and the gang were."She felt Nick swallow hard and grumble, "Yeah. Good thing." They stayed locked together for another moment, until Cindy pulled away. Nick watched her adjust her cascading hair, then asked, "If you want to take your mind off things, you could join the hunt."Cindy buried the memories from that morning and said, "I'd love to. But I need to get back to Minerva. Besides, I owe Ethan a visit at Prudentia. He's pretty bored out there."Both kids contemplated the idea of manning the remote outpost with nothing but former acolytes as company. Sarcasm dripping from his tongue, Nick said, "Hard to imagine that. Those acolytes aren't one for friendly conversation.""No they're not," Cindy agreed with a playful grin. "You're welcome to ride along.""I've gotta pass," Nick shook his head. "We're under orders to get twenty birds.""I see how it is," Cindy teased. "You were just trying to get me to do your dirty work for you.""I'm offended, madam. I merely wanted some good company."Cindy chuckled as she turned away from the bows and towards the wall of armor. She plucked the last spare set of chain mail and a leather breastplate off of an otherwise empty row of mannequins they'd liberated from the home-ec room. She slipped her arms through the hauberk's sleeves, fastened its front straps, and then slid the breastplate over it."Hey," Nick asked as she twisted around, ensuring the armor was a good fit. "Do you have plans for tonight?""I was going to finish going over the docket with Angie. Won't take long though. Why?"Nick rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Wanted to know if you'd like to catch up by the fire later. I heard Aldous is perfecting his first batch of root beer. We could convince him to sell us a couple mugs.""I do love root beer," Cindy beamed wide, a playful glint sparkling in her eyes. "But you had me at catch up by the fire. I'll see you soon."As Cindy carefully urged Arion down the stairwell's ramps, she found her mind drifting to questions she'd rather not ponder. Where did Tom scuttle off to? How can we possibly stretch more food out of this school? Since when do Nick and I hug?She shook the thoughts from her mind and rubbed Arion's ivory mane. "I feel like it's always about me, boy. How're you enjoying Canterbury?" She grinned as the horse chewed on its bit. "You're not still fighting with Sleipnir over Llamrei's heart, are you?"Arion offered an annoyed whinny as Cindy led him onto the first floor's main corridor."Don't worry," Cindy patted his head. "Sleipnir's a real jackass. Llamrei will come around. You're the -""Help!" a high-pitched shriek froze Cindy's playful conversation. She thrust a hand towards one of the Vendetta swords on her back and strained her ears to locate the sound. "I can't get free!"Cindy isolated the shout to her right and kicked Arion's ribs. The stallion raced forward and followed the pull of Cindy's reins down a winding side hallway. She yanked a blade free and held it high as they galloped towards the desperate cries. Cindy tugged tight against Arion's bit as she spotted an injured figure lying on the floor. A messy bun of ginger hair sat atop the seventh-grader's tear-stricken face. Her tiny arms tried in vain to pull apart the leg-hold bear trap clamped onto her foot.Cindy immediately leaped off her horse and sheathed her blade. She knelt beside the sobbing teenager and studied her bruised leg; there was thankfully no blood. "How'd this happen?" Cindy asked while gripping the steel jaws. Her arms quivered with strength as she tried and failed to rip the trap open.Words garbled through painful sobs, the girl whispered, "Refilling the bait. Tripped," the girl stared at her injured leg and looked away in horror. "Set it off."Cindy's face collapsed in guilt. She and Ike had petitioned Earl to make these traps to stop the pounding of raccoon feet in the ceiling. We set them away from the main roads so this wouldn't happen!Cindy set her feet on the two side pedals and pushed down, but the trap failed to open. She shook her head in fury. "Earl wouldn't screw this up!" Cindy swallowed her fear and offered the girl a hand. "Can you get up? I'll help you get back to the smithshop.""Think so," the girl whispered while clasping Cindy's palm.Cindy hoisted the injured teenager to her feet. She didn't realize until her back slammed into the the wall, until the girl drew a knife against Cindy's throat, that she'd been tricked.A slow clap, clap, rolled towards her. "Well," a familiar Southern drawl bellowed, "that was a bee-utiful performance. I really believed that you'd turned your goat loose."Tom strolled out of a nearby classroom, still applauding. Cindy's teeth threatened to crack as she grit her jaws in fury. "You really are a son of a bitch.""Well ya see?" Tom thrust a finger her way, "That's yer problem right there, Cindy. Letting your emotions get the best of ya. I mean, come on? How does someone trip into a bear trap? And if she was was really hurt by that thing, don't ya think there'd be some blood?""That's enough," Cindy growled as two hooded and painted acolytes peeled themselves off the wall and joined Tom. One aimed a crossbow at her heart, the other brandished a dagger."Well I'm just tryin' ta understand the situation," Tom chuckled. He pointed at Cindy's brain and said, "Guess the elevator just don't stop there."With a roll of her eyes, Cindy sneered, 'Yeah, I'm the stupid one. Do you really think you'll get away with this? We have both kingdoms looking for you." She shot her eyes towards the two acolytes and the girl she realized was another Brotherhood member. "And why are you all working with him?""He works with us," the girl whispered."We fought for you," the boy with the knife said. "We died...more than your people.""We were promised land," the archer whispered. "You lied."Cindy had no more energy to play the diplomat. "Come on! It's not our fault the pipes burst. Me, Earl, and Jimmy did everything we could to fix it.""You failed," the redhead bristled."We let you into our communities," Cindy protested. "Ike's at Minerva right now!""Don't want that life," the first boy growled."Want ours," the second boy said.Cindy shook her head in disgust. She turned to Tom, who still flashed that infuriating sneer. "So after nearly two weeks with us, you'll throw it all away after this morning? You'd kill me over a night in the stocks?""I'd kill ya cuz I hate you," Tom answered while unsheathing his dagger. "But truth be told, Minerva or Canterbury were never really a fit for me. These guys," he motioned at his new allies, "are more my style. I'd love to drag this out some more, Cindy. But we've got more chaos to sow."Cindy sucked in a deep breath and watched his blade. She'd have to dodge his thrust at the perfect moment, duck beneath the girl's dagger, and try to shove Tom in front of the archer's arrow. Then she'd still have three acolytes to kill. It wasn't a good plan, just the only one she had.Tom had barely inched his knife up when a bolt spiraled down the hall and dug into his neck. He stiffened in shock, then collapsed onto the floor. Cindy didn't make the acolytes' mistake of staring down the hall. She simply juked her head sideways, away from the knife near her throat. Then she pulled back and kicked the startled girl towards the remaining boys. As the girl stumbled forward the acolyte archer loosed his bolt; Cindy watched his trigger finger and easily dodged the dart. As the arrow slammed off the wall, Cindy yanked one of her swords free.The acolyte with the dagger lurched forward and swung; Cindy ducked beneath the blow and swept her foot over his ankle. He tumbled hard into the wall as she leaped up and slammed the point of her blade into the archer's chest. She spun around towards the girl, but another bolt from her unseen savior spiraled into her back. Cindy settled for carving her blade over the back of the fallen boy's neck.Cindy heard footsteps and swung her sword down the hall. Ethan, clad in a black leather cuirass over an ebony Amaris shirt, approached in a low crouch. He swung his crossbow over the hallway, finding no new targets. Cindy panted for breath and offered a warmly sincere, "Thanks.""I should thank you," Ethan straightened up as he realized there were no more hostiles in sight. He brushed a hand over the feeble wisps of a mustache, then leaned his crossbow up against his shoulder. "We've been trying to find these acolytes for days. Probably never would have if you and him," he motioned at Tom, "hadn't drawn them out. Is that the fugitive from the raven?""Yeah," Cindy sheathed her sword and leaned against the wall opposite her friend. "Kind of wish you'd left him for me.""Well, you got two of them."The friends shared weary grins as Cindy stared down the hall. "Where's the rest of Prudentia?""At Prudentia," Ethan answered.Cindy shook her head in disapproval. "So you've been hunting a group of acolytes by yourself? You know you're supposed to leave the outpost in pairs.""You're not gonna tattle, are you?""No," Cindy easily shot back, "but it's a stupid thing to do."Voice more serious, Ethan admitted, "I know. But I need a break from those guys. You had to staff me with three former acolytes? No one else from Minerva or Canterbury could do it?"Voice gentle, Cindy answered, "You'll have to take that up with the king and queens. Assigning guard duties isn't my call.""Doesn't matter anymore," Ethan shrugged. "My rotation ends tomorrow. Was thinking of swinging by Canterbury before heading back to Minerva.""You should," Cindy beamed. "Rumor has it Aldous is working on a barrel of root beer.""You do know how to persuade me." He motioned at Arion and asked, "Mind giving me a lift back to the outpost?"Cindy motioned for him to follow as she hopped atop her stallion. He gently gripped her waist as she led Arion down the hall. "Sorry you drew the short stick," she offered."Eh, I can't really complain," Ethan admitted. "It's been lonely, but soldiers do get extra ale. And manning the outposts is a piece of cake compared to the old days."Cindy smiled as she remembered adventures past. "We did have our share of fights when we first met.""I'm glad we're at peace," Ethan went on. "But do you ever think that things have gotten too boring around here?""People keep saying that," Cindy answered. "But in the past three hours I've nearly drowned and gotten ambushed.""You are a magnet for trouble," Ethan teased. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked for that ride." Cindy fell silent, so Ethan patted her shoulder. "I'm just kidding.""I know," Cindy whispered."I appreciate you coming to visit," Ethan assured her. "Really.""Well, I appreciate you saving my life.""You probably would have survived without me."Cindy considered this, then devilishly purred, "Probably. But I'm glad I didn't need to roll the dice."Cindy and Ethan fell into a pleasant silence, both letting their minds drift as Arion sauntered down the hall. Eventually the horse turned a corner towards the school's foyer. Cindy's focus snapped back as Prudentia loomed into view.The outpost was a one-room wooden shack taking up most of the hallway. It rested a dozen or so yards from the school's front entrance. A row of stacked sandbag's formed a three-foot high fence around the shanty prevented anyone from sneaking through the corridor. Protocol dictated that at least one guard faced the main entrance and one faced the rear of the shack, down the other end of the hall. Ethan's crew had decided to flout this order.Irritation lent Cindy's next words unexpected bite. "You run a tight crew here at Prudentia, don't you?"Ethan shook his head in disgust. "They never abandon post.""Maybe it only happens when you abandon yours," Cindy only half-teased.Cindy pulled Arion to a halt as Ethan hopped off the steed. "At least I was hunting down a threat. These idiots just love ale." He marched towards the shack's rear entrance and grumbled, "I'm confiscating it."Cindy leaped off her horse and jogged behind Ethan. The boy ripped open the outpost's door and shouted, "Cecily! Why aren't-"Ethan's rage was doused by a Stonewall dagger burying into his gut. Ethan gasped in terror and looked up at the tall thirty year-old staring back into his eyes. Ethan struggled to draw breath; he could already feel his life withering away. Ethan placed a trembling hand on the adult's shoulder, but the attacker simply yanked the blade back and sliced it over Ethan's throat.Ethan spun towards a horrified Cindy, reached out for her, and then collapsed onto the ground.As Ethan tumbled to the floor, Cindy fought every urge she had to scream. She suppressed the need to cry, to turn around and run, to blindly launch herself at Ethan's murderer. As Ethan fell, she forced herself to stay steady and use that split second to study the scene in the cottage.There was Ethan's murderer, flourishing his dagger before angling the blade straight towards her.Two women stood behind him, one to the left and one to the right. The left-most brunette clutched a Warlock axe in both hands. The right-most blonde clutched a Chopstock hatchet in each palm. Three dead acolytes lay at these women's feet.Behind the corpses and adults, in the center of the room, stood a long table with flipped over chairs. Cindy ignored the half-eaten plates of food and empty mugs of ale. She locked onto the red and white Lightning bow lying on the center of the table, right near a forty year-old man clutching a Marauder blade.As Cindy blinked, she watched the final woman fall to a crouch behind this table. The redhead leveled a purple agent bow straight at her heart and pulled back the drawstring.All the adults were clad in leather cuirasses with chain mail armor and readying their weapons towards her.Cindy's most uneven fight had been with four kids. That had been on her terms. In an open space with room to maneuver. Against foes her own size. As Cindy's eyes opened, for a split second she was thrust back to Lindbergh's gymnasium, when she had realized she simply had to survive. If she hadn't, that would have meant a night of pain and torment and protecting James would have been for nothing.This was just like that moment in the gym, only so much more was at stake. So Cindy's lids shot open and she got to work.Cindy tore the Combat knife from her hip and barreled through the doorway. She hopped over Ethan's corpse, twisted her body away from the incoming arrow, and ducked beneath the first adult's swinging knife. As she spun around, she sliced her dagger against his thigh.She felt him tumble to one knee but kept moving forward. She thrust her dagger into the brunette's shoulder. As Cindy's blade scraped against the foe's hauberk, she tried to swing her axe into Cindy's neck. Cindy ducked her head low and to the left, but Cindy could feel the wind from the blonde's hatchets falling towards her.Cindy dropped to the ground and rolled back towards Ethan's crippled killer. She swung her left wrist out, grabbed his good ankle, and yanked it hard. His face crashed hard beside her. Before he could cry in shock, Cindy swung her dagger up and buried it deep into his terrified eye.
One down.
The twang of a bow sent Cindy's body spasming away from the corpse. She had no time to watch the arrow bounce into the ground, the man near the table swung his longsword at her skull.Cindy thrust up her dagger to parry the blow, but the tiny blade barely slowed the sword's advance. She used the extra split second to slide to the side, then jumped to her feet as the brunette's axe sliced towards her gut.Cindy skidded back, grabbed the axe's pole, and yanked it towards her. As the shocked woman staggered forwards, Cindy slammed her skull into the woman's forehead. Light flashed in Cindy's eyes, but the adult took the brunt of the blow. She stumbled back, and Cindy kicked her further away.Cindy heard the whooshing of hatchets to her right. She let out a mighty roar while arcing the ax up and slicing it down to her side. It caught the other woman's neck and smashed her into the ground, hatchet's scraping only the edges of Cindy's hauberk.
Three to go.
Cindy gasped for breath and turned towards the swordsman. The enormous blade was slicing straight towards her skull. Time warped to a crawl as she angled her head just below the blade, then was tackled forwards. She bared her teeth at the woman whose ax she now clutched, but they both collided into the long table. Cindy's eyes widened in fright; the corner of the furniture loomed towards her skull. It slammed into her forehead, then
Cindy blinked her eyes open, then rose a palm to shield away the blinding white light. Far in the distance, surrounded by the peaceful white void, Carl Wheezer offered a friendly wave.
Her mouth was numb and seemed full of cotton. It took all she had to croak, "Carl?"
The llama lover strode closer, still waving, but the white light became muddled by a maroon hue. She blinked her eyes, then realized they were pooling with blood.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, Cindy's lips curled into a childish grin as she stared up at the ceiling. The archer's orange Modulus blade arced downwards, straight towards her chest. She blinked at the orange dagger; it seemed to sprout little curls of hair that reminded her of her friend.She wanted to hug Carl, but knew the plastic wasn't to be touched.Cindy rolled to the side and landed face first on the tiled floor. She placed a palm on the ground and slipped against the streaks of warm liquid. She cocked her head to the left and locked eyes with the dazed woman who'd hugged her."Yours? Mine?" Cindy laughed as the swordsman's foot slammed into her ribs. Cindy was tossed onto her back and spotted the scowling archer. Her angry face grew fuzzy, so Cindy blinked her eyes hard.When they opened, the furious form was clearer and shoving the dagger back towards her chest.Cindy roared and thrust her arms up. The redhead's eyes widened in shock as Cindy grabbed her wrists and halted the blade inches from her heart . The swordsman cleaved his enormous blade at Cindy's wrists.Cindy swiveled her body to the side, over the streaks of blood, and yanked the dagger onto the floor beside her. The archer tumbled forwards, right into her ally's blow. The new corpse fell straight on top of her.The furious swordsman ripped his dead friend off of Cindy with a single powerful arm. Cindy rolled to the left, away from her enormous foe. She hopped to her feet and placed a hand on the rickety table. As the swordsman readied his blade, Cindy vaulted onto the furniture, rolled over it, and gripped the Lightning Bow as she landed on her feet. Cindy loosed an arrow at man's unarmored neck and watched it hit the mark.
Last one.
Cindy watched the brunette throw an arm onto the table. The injured woman pulled herself to her feet, and Cindy cringed at the enormous gash on her forehead. Cindy watched a drop of blood roll down her own nose and splatter on the floor. She clutched her skull, which suddenly throbbed in agony. She pulled her hand away and studied the sticky coagulating liquid.As the woman wobbled in place, Cindy placed a foot on the table and kicked it forward. The woman lost her grip and collapsed back to the floor. Cindy dropped the bow, unsheathed a Vendetta sword, and lurched herself over the table. She fell right on top of the final adult and plunged her sword deep into her gut.The blade bent against her leather cuirass. As the woman threw a blood-soaked hand across her face, trying to gouge Cindy's eyes, Cindy reached blindly out. As red stained her vision, her hand grasped the hilt of the archer's Modulus dagger. Cindy squeezed it tight, slashed the brunette's throat, and collapsed to the floor.Cindy gasped and stared up at the ceiling. Every muscle in her body cried out in agony; her temple was throbbing in harrowing fervor. She panted for breath, trying to quench her burning lungs. Cindy swallowed hard, tasted raw iron, and watched the red-tinged ceiling turn fuzzy."Focus," she wheezed while slamming her eyes shut. Staggering fatigue tried to pull her into slumber, but she forced her lids open and stared at the clearer ceiling. She dropped her weapons and rolled onto her side. Her bruised ribs seared in protest, but she managed to pushed herself off the ground.Cindy stared in horror at the outpost. Nine corpses lay strewn over the blood-speckled floor. Cindy leaned on the table, then flailed her arms towards a nearby quill and parchment. She dipped the quill in ink and hastily scrawled a desperate note.
Prudentia's fallen. Heading to Minerva to warn them. Prepare for war.
Cindy
Her hands trembled as the adrenaline bubbled out of her blood. She scooped up the note, sheathed her dropped sword and dagger, then staggered outside. Arion had trotted over to the outpost and whinnied anxiously behind the sandbags."Good boy," Cindy groaned while clumsily vaulting over the sandbags. Her feet slipped on the landing, and she tumbled against her steed. She caught her breath and shoved the noted inside his saddlebag. "Listen to me," she croaked while grabbing his reins. "You know the way back? Head home, boy. Head to Canterbury." She pushed herself away and smacked him hard right beside the tail."Head home!" Cindy roared as Arion started galloping away. She managed a quick smile as he disappeared right around the wall, then walked down the corridor. Each step sent a new pang of pain over her ribs, but she pushed it aside and limped left towards Minerva.Fifteen minutes later, she hobbled around a corner and caught sight of the kingdom's towering oak wall. She raised both her arms up, tried to complete the friendly approaching signal, but collapsed onto the floor. She crawled forward and wrapped her arms around the nearest post of a cheval de frise. Shouts and footsteps cried out rang through the hall; she looked up to find Matilda dashing straight towards her."Cindy!" the sophomore shouted while dropped to her knees. She slid her arms under Cindy's and tried to hoist her up, but Cindy yanked her back down.Faces inches apart, Cindy clasped the girl tight and croaked, "They're here."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As Cindy rode her horse down the sparsely lit corridor, she took stock of her tired bannermen. The eight acolytes polished their daggers and inspected their longbows. Two of Minerva's soldiers drank from their sheepskins while conversing with the lone Canterbury boy. This soldier clutched a dagger in one hand and a long lead pipe in the other. Cindy stared up at the pipe's crest, where a red, green, and black flag waved. The united kingdoms' sigils blurred together on this fabric: Minerva's owl, Canterbury's shield, and the Brotherhood's dagger.
Arion came to a halt before the bend in the hall. Seated behind Cindy, Nick leaned forward and asked the two acolyte scouts, "What lies beyond?"
"Many whispers," one of the acolytes answered.
"An arrow," the second added while pointing at lone ebony bolt lying at their feet.
"A single bolt?" Nick asked.
The acolyte nodded, so Cindy spun Arion around to face her men. "I know we're all weary. But our kingdoms are depending on us. We must not fail. We'll give these bandits a chance to surrender. And if they don't?"
Nick chimed in, "We'll carve them down."
Cindy arched her back and cried, "For the kingdoms!"
A chorus of nods and cheers answered her. Satisfied that her men were ready for a fight, Cindy turned her steed back towards the scouts.
"Listen up!" Nick bellowed to the unseen bandits beyond. "If you want to survive the next few minutes, that better be the last arrow you fire. I don't know how many kids you have, but it ain't as many as we've got."
"We know you're scared," Cindy shouted. "But the rumors you've heard of villages in the school are true. Minerva, Canterbury, The Dark Brotherhood...we are all united now. We're trying to build something, but we can't do that with the halls mired in chaos. So lay down your arms and you will be welcomed into our communities. Whatever sins you've committed," Cindy closed her eyes and took a measured breath, "they can be forgiven. What say you?"
Another arrow spiraled inches past her stoney gaze.
"So be it," she spat. "If any among you wish to survive, throw your arms upon the ground and lay on the floor. We shall grant you quarter. The rest shall fall."
Cindy dropped her reins to unsling the clipeus from her back. She asked Nick, "Think these are the ones who gave Sheen's crew trouble?"
Nick pressed his crossbow's stock into his shoulder. "Only one way to find out." He turned around and shouted, "Archers! To the front!"
Three acolytes graders gripped their lightning bows and settled in position against the corner's wall.
Cindy dropped her voice so the footpads couldn't hear. "On our mark, loose your arrows," Cindy ordered. "We'll storm through their front lines and take out their bowmen. Everyone else? Ready your shields and kill the rest. But honor my words and spare those who bow out the fight."
Their men readied their weapons, so Nick wrapped his free arm around Cindy's waist. She gripped her reins with one hand and clutched her clipeus with the other.
Nick ordered, "Ready! Set! Loose!"
The archers blindly fired their three arrows, and Arion chased after the darts. His mighty hooves pounded on the floor, kicking up dust all around. Cindy and Nick huddled behind the clipeus as arrows bounced off the wooden shield. Nick fired his crossbow at an approaching swordsmen, ending his life with a bolt to the chest. The roar of their bannermen was soon eclipsed by foam clashing against foam. As Arion dashed past a trio of enemy archers, Cindy dove off her horse. She landed smoothly, rolled along the ground, and slashed the first bowman across the chest.
One of the archers thrust a dagger down towards her skull. She swung her clipeus up and smacked the puny blade away. The shocked bandit had no time to register the Vendetta sword burying itself up through her chin.
Cindy jumped to her feet as another of Nick's bolts finished the third archer. A glimpse at the battlefield showed her dozen men making quick work of the six remaining bandits. Cindy spotted two freshmen dashing into a nearby classroom; she set off after them. She breached the room right as the boy footpad hoisted his girlfriend into the ceiling.
Cindy roared in fury while slashing him across the back of the neck. The shocked boy spun around and clutched the wound; Cindy kicked him to the ground and focused on the girl dangling from the ceiling. She gripped one of her swinging legs, yanked her to the floor, and thrust the point of her blade into the pleading girl's chest.
As her boyfriend gurgled for breath, Cindy crouched behind her shield and angled her sword over its curved ridge. The caution was superfluous, as the last of the bandits were slain as she entered the hall. Cindy studied the corpses and let her gaze linger on the sole dead acolyte.
"My lord," one of the Minervians snatched Cindy's attention. The soldier stood over a trio of kneeling bandits. "They stayed on the floor the whole fight."
Cindy cast the acolyte a final mournful glance, then sheathed her blade and knelt before the prisoners. "You chose wisely."
The middle captive, a blonde-haired seventh-grader, cleared her throat and gently asked, "It's really true? It's not just...madness out here?"
Cindy stared the frightened girl in the eyes and admitted, "Wherever there's people, there's madness. But I've been where you are. And our kingdoms are better." She swiveled her gaze between the three children and said, "But there is a price. The adults are coming to tear apart everything we're building. To renege on every promise they made. We're preparing to fight them. So there will come a day when you have to give our kingdoms everything you have."
Cindy swallowed hard and stared deep into the blonde's eyes.
"Can you do that?"
Cindy leaned against the stairwell's metal post and focused on slowing her breathing. The deeper the inhalation, the sharper the pain. She closed her eyes, fought back the white void that now accompanied any twitch of agony, and peeled open her lids. She loosed a death glare over the crowd. Nearly two hundred children, the entirety of Minerva's kingdom, had evidently decided to push against her injured ribs. Once she'd finished scowling, she swiveled her gaze above, towards the throne room.King James and Queen Betty stood high and tall, staring down at their kingdom. James was the first to speak."Ever since Damien's betrayal and his subsequent confession, we've lived with the knowledge that the adults would come for us. We've prayed that moment would never come while knowing it always would. My subjects, that time has now arrived." He motioned down to Cindy, and she felt hundreds of eyes lock onto her."Cindy's brought news that Prudentia has fallen. Ethan and the former acolytes are dead." He ignored the gasps in the crowd to say, "The hardest fight we've ever faced is marching our way. We are about to wage war against those who are bigger, faster, and stronger than us. Yet we shall prevail," he promised them. "Because where they fight to destroy, we battle to survive. Where they come to conquer, we stand to claim what is ours. Where they see frightened children," James motioned at his queen, "we see the bravest souls we've ever known."Betty gripped her palms on the rails and stared at her subjects below. "Yet it will take more than bravery to win this fight. It will take every scrap of skill and ounce of luck that we carry. And it will take every man and woman we have."James chimed in, "We've prepared for this day. We all know the roles we're to play in this final battle. Guards," he bellowed while locking eyes with some of his soldiers, "you will fight by the sides of our citizens. The smallest and frailest shall hold up here, in the throne room. A few militiamen will guard you with bows, but be prepared to fight until your last breath."A chorus of anxious murmurs rolled through the crowd, so Betty leaned forward. "For those whose faith fails them, know your queen shall be down there with you." Betty ignored James' shocked glance. "I was a soldier before a monarch. I will fight by my people's side."Jimmy swallowed hard, then nodded in approval. "As will I. I'm not as skilled with a sword as my fair queen," he offered Betty a wry smile, "but I can handle a bow." The crowd's mutterings died down as James proclaimed, "Let's waste no more words. Grab your weapons and armor, then get to your posts and defend our kingdom."With no more fanfare, James descended the stairs with Betty in tow."You heard the king!" Matilda roared from the middle of the crowd. "All of you, find your commanders!"As the crowd bustled towards the armory, Cindy watched the monarchs descend the stairs. Sheen, Libby, and Ike joined her at the foot of the staircase. The six friends formed a circle and shared sullen glances."Cindy," Jimmy began, though his girlfriend waved his words away."Don't even try it, Neutron," she warned. "I know my limits. I haven't reached them yet.""Your ribs are cracked," he protested."Just bruised," she corrected.Jimmy turned to his friends for support. Ike shrugged and offered, "You did say we need everyone."Jimmy chewed his cheek but ultimately conceded the point. "Fine. But take care of yourself," he begged Cindy. "These adults don't seem to be holding back."Cindy felt all eyes upon her as she drew shallow breath. "Then neither shall we. We've all come a long way since the fair." She turned to each of her friends. They stared back with smoldering eyes she wouldn't have recognized three weeks ago. "We haven't survived this long to die here."Jimmy thrust his hand straight out and let it hover between the ring of friends. "For Minerva." Betty and Sheen laid their palms atop his."For Canterbury," Libby said while throwing her hand in."For the Dark Brotherhood," Ike growled.Cindy stared at the pile of palms, then laid hers atop the stack. "For the kingdoms."The group shared steely nods before pulling their hands away. With nothing else to be said, they marched towards the crowd of people gathering weapons and armor from the armory. Cindy lagged behind and stared around the woodshop.Over the past weeks, Cindy had spent many hours at Minerva. She'd visited friends, stolen James away from his queen, lead diplomatic envoys, and brought prisoners from the Crusade. She knew many people in the woodshop's walls, but not all. Not like at Canterbury.Cindy closed her eyes and and felt the ivory void threaten to pull her out of the present and back into her home. She could hear Nick's wry tone, smell the smith shop's smoke, and taste Aldous' ale. She wondered if Arion had made it back or gotten lost along the way. Were Nick and Bennett still out hunting? Had they been called back to help lead Canterbury's defenses? Even if her message was delivered...would it do any good?Was her home about to fall without her to defend it?Cindy's lids tore open as she stormed after her friends. Like it or not, there was nothing more she could do for Canterbury. With the adults marching through the halls, it would be suicide to head back. So as Cindy shoved her way through the crowd and emerged into the open armory, she focused on saving at least a piece of the world she'd helped create.Cindy watched as a half dozen guards passed out bows, swords, and armor to the throng of children. The sound of war drums reverberated throughout the open space, reminding Minerva's people that death loomed just past its gate. Cindy stared after a trio of peasants clutching their longbows. The archers lead the kindergartners and first graders up to the throne room. She nodded in approval as each child clutched a polished Modulus dagger."Take this," Ike offered her an enormous pine sputum. Cindy hefted the fifty-inch high tower shield and felt her arm strain against its twenty-pound weight."I'll stick to my swords," Cindy handed the scutum back. "Can't kill a man with a shield.""You can't form a phalanx with a blade," Ike countered. "You want be on the front lines? You're taking this."Cindy sighed while getting a better grip on her new equipment. She studied its sigil; the red and gold Owl of Minerva. She then watched the other children gather their munitions.The largest group of kids slid oaken breastplates over their necks while brandishing pine parmas and Thunder Fury short swords. Next were the archers, clad in light gambesons. They clutched bucklers in one hand and a variety of bows in the other. Last were the guards like Cindy and herself, clad in chainmail with heavy scutums and longswords."Listen up!" Ike's deep voice bellowed. "Forward guard, on me! We march to the wall!"Cindy fell in step beside Ike as he led thirty of Minerva's most skilled warriors out of the woodshop. They strolled past the two enormous siege weapons on either side of the entrance, each ready to fire ten crossbows. Assembled over these massive ballistas was a wooden platform stretching across the width of the hall. From up here the platoon of archers could unleash the ballistas and fire their own bows towards the wall.Cindy and Ike marched forward, past the pair of classrooms. They halted a dozen feet from the wall, between the two bathrooms. Cindy studied the six-foot high beech barrier. Standing atop the short platform just ahead of it were a half dozen guards. Two clutched Dreadbolts and the rest hefted longswords. Though Cindy couldn't see beyond the barrier, she knew that the perimeter defenses mirrored Canterbury's.Cindy spun back around and looked over Ike's men. Thirty tall and muscular warriors filled the hall, fingers blanching as they clutched their swords and shields tight."Attention, Spartans!" Ike roared. All of the forward guard, including Cindy, gave the commander their full attention. "We've been drilling for this moment ever since our communities came together. We know the plan inside and out. But if your heart harbors any doubt, allow the beauty of our defenses to squelch them."Ike motioned behind him, towards the wall. "Beyond that barricade lays a network of traps to slow the invaders down. The cheval de frises that our craftsmen have labored over will interrupt their steady advance. Pots of scalding syrup shall rain on their heads and clumsy their strikes. As they approach the wall, they'll pass a set of three colored markers."Ike raised his voice while jabbing his sword towards the archers ascending the platform. Cindy followed his gesture and spotted Jimmy and Sheen leading the twenty marksmen."The Sagittarii have drilled nonstop to land each arrow at just the right distance. Our scout," he motioned over the wall, where a hunting blind just like Canterbury's rested against the ceiling, "will call out as the adults pass each marker. We'll cripple their forces before they even reach the wall. Once they do, they might try to climb over it. That would be a mistake."A chorus of blood-thirsty chuckles ravaged the Spartans. Ike pointed at the wall's crest, where nails jutted up over its parapet. "Our main defense will slice them open. The guards will finish them off."Ike swallowed hard and went on, "But eventually they will get through. That's where we come in." Ike slammed his sword against his scutum and raised the shield high. "Whereas the adults will already be whittled down, we'll stand strong. As Spartans, we will form a phalanx and hold the line."Ike nodded and spun towards the wall. The war drums' foreboding beats rolled from the woodshop until Minerva's entrance was sealed behind the Spartans and Sagittarii. "We aim to cut every one of those bastards down. But if we get overrun, don't panic. We'll steadily retreat back into Minerva, form a new group inside its entrance, and hold there. If the enemy breaks through, the Velites will help us finish this fight. They'll also be watching the ceilings in case any cowards sneak through our lines."A deafening bellow from the hunting blind's blowing horn drowned out Ike's words. "Adults!" the scout roared.Ike tore off his sunglasses and tossed them aside. He drilled his grey eyes into the gaze of each soldier he led. "As I look at each of you, I recognize people from the world before. Classmates and friends, bullies and victims. But we're not the children we used to be." The distant sound of footsteps rolled in like the tide. "We've lost people we cared about. We've lost pieces of who we are.""Advancing!" the scout cried. "Red, ten seconds!"Ike slammed his sword against his shield and stood tall before his troops. "No, those kids we were are dead and gone," he repeated. "But what those fools out there don't know..."The deafening footsteps shook the ground beneath the Spartans' feet."Is that what is dead may never die!""Red, mark!"Ike spun towards the wall and crouched behind his scutum. He angled his jade blade over its edge and screamed, "Loose!"Ten of the archers fired their bows, sending darts spiraling high over the Spartans' heads. Cindy crouched beside Ike and craned her neck to watch the arrows disappear far beyond the wall. As she spotted the scout fire his own crossbow, Matilda fell in line beside Cindy. Seven other Spartans took position at the front of the phalanx, and the other twenty guards formed two more rows of ten behind her. Cindy felt a shield press dig into her back and knew the girl behind her felt the same.As the first half of the archers reloaded, the second half sent ten more darts arcing over the wall."Gregor!" Ike roared as the two archers on the wall fired their own crossbows. "How many are there?"From his hunting blind, the scout shrieked, "Too many!""That's not a number!" Ike snapped. "Count!"Seconds passed as the first ten archers fired their second valley. The Spartans held their breath while awaiting Gregor's words, then gasped in terror as he shouted, "Four hundred!"Ike locked his gaze on Cindy. "Your raven told the adults to meet us in equal numbers, didn't it? We only have three hundred-sixty between the communities.""Guess they rounded up," Cindy snarled."And sent every man they have here?" Ike's voice bristled with doubt."Yellow! Mark!" Gregor shouted."Loose!" Ike instructed."Cover!" Gregor screamed.As ten new arrows flew lower over Cindy's head, fifty darts raced towards the archers. The Sagittarii immediately ducked beneath their platform's wall and locked bucklers above their heads. The rain of arrows bounced off the shields, Cindy saw only a single archer take a dart to the neck."Green! Mark!" Gregor bellowed."Loose!" Ike yelled.The archers dropped their bucklers, and each bowman launched a deadly arrow straight over the wall. Cindy could finally hear the thumps of heavy bodies against the ground. More arrows flew back towards Minerva, and the archers huddled back behind their barricade and bucklers.Cindy swiveled her attention to the wall as the first adults tried to breach the barrier. Thick hands gripped the top of the parapet, then roared in agony as nails dug into their flesh. The few guards on the wall thrust their longswords over their heads and down onto the injured adults.Ike ordered his men to hold steady as the guards sliced more climbers. The archers stayed pinned down as a steady torrent of arrows rained onto their bucklers.Cindy gulped as the first guard was slain. The blonde sophomore thrust her sword over the wall, but a pair of sinewy arms reached up and yanked her clean over the barricade. The second was taken down by a Modulus dagger fastened to a long pole. The makeshift spear plunged into the boy's neck and sent him tumbling back towards the Spartans."Fall back!" Ike shouted at the four remaining guards. Three managed to make it off the platform; the fourth was cut down by another pole arm. The phalanx let their compatriots pass, then reformed their impenetrable barricade.Cindy kept her gaze drilled on the parapet, waiting for adults to climb the barbed edge. The fight never came from above. It tore through.As a few archers blindly fired over the bucklers and the phalanx held formation, the whirr of a buzzsaw sprang to life. The Spartans watched as it sliced down the middle of the wall."Hold!" Ike ensured he was fully hidden behind his scurum. He and Cindy shared a trepidatious glance until the whirring ceased."Gregor!" Cindy shouted. "See anything?"The dead Gregor didn't answer. Cindy locked gazes with Ike and raised her pupils towards the ceiling. Ike nodded, so she lifted her eyes over the crest of her scutum. Her pupils dilated as the the wall was yanked apart, leaving a two-foot gap into the hall beyond. The arrows finally stopped flying towards the Sagittarii, so they rose up and gripped their weapons. Twenty bows locked onto the gap between the walls.Cindy watched Sheen and Jimmy stare down their crossbow's sights, into the darkness that greeted them.Nothing happened. No adults poured through, so the Sagittarii saved their arrows. The silence stretched stretched on and on, threatening to drive even the disciplined Spartans mad. Then, just as the Spartans voiced their confusion, a new whirring spun to life.Cindy was thrust back to Lindbergh's library, when Betty's crew had taken down Carl. Her ribs flared in agony as she sucked in a terrified gasp. The white void brought Betty's furious face front and center, peering over the double-barreled machine gun."Rhino!" Cindy groaned as death spiraled through the air.The Rhino machine gun's dual barrels spit dart after dart straight towards the Sagittarii. Half a dozen were mowed down by the automatic fire. Cindy's eyes widened in shock as she watched Sheen join the dead. A few shocked archers loosed stray arrows which spiraled madly over the phalanx; the rest huddled behind their barricade.As the Rhino's motor died down, an otherworldly roar rose from beyond the wall. It only took a second for it to rush through the barricade. Dozens of adults poured through the wall's gap. With no archers to stop them, they charged the phalanx with swords and rifles.Cindy and Ike had no time to discuss the adults' treachery. Ike simply roared, "Krousis!" At this signal, the phalanx's front row dug their shields into the floor and shoved their shoulders against them. Cindy felt darts and swords thrust into her scutum. An adult managed to slash his sword straight over her head and threaten to slice her scalp. She ducked as a slash from the girl behind her halted the attack.The weight of the opposing army forced Cindy backwards; the two rows of students behind her used all their strength to shove back. Cindy's ribs burned in fiery protest as she was crushed between the two armies; pure willpower fought the white void back. She snarled against the pain and focused on the surviving Sagittarii's arrows flying towards the adults.Ike grit his teeth and roared, "Othismos!"All thirty Spartans pushed as one, shoving the army of adults back. Cindy caught her first sight of the attackers; they seemed an impenetrable wall of warriors numbering in the hundreds. Cindy forced that terrifying count aside and dropped to one knee as the adults stumbled back.Cindy thrust low at the nearest soldier's unarmored waist. The girl behind Cindy stabbed over the blonde's shoulder and took out another adult's eye."Krousis!" Ike screamed, and the phalanx once more locked shields. They each took a step back, away from the line of dead, and felt new blows rain on their scrutum.Cindy and Ike sucked in a few deep breaths, then pushed forward as Ike screamed, "Othismos!"The adults once more staggered back. Cindy swung her shield to the side, slashed her sword against a woman's knee, and then stabbed up through another's neck. A trio of arrows spiraled over her head and took out two more soldiers. They each dropped a Demolisher rifle as they crumpled to the floor. Ike and Cindy sheathed their swords, lurched forward, and scooped up the SMGs before getting back in formation."Krousis!" Ike screamed as the kids linked shields. The two Spartans who fell during the push were replaced from the line behind them. The adults pushed harder against the children; the phalanx threatened to buckle under their superior weight. Ike and Cindy traded feral nods before aiming their Demolishers over their shields and spraying their ten-round clips. A sickening thump followed each pull of the trigger as more and more corpses piled up against the phalanx.Cindy and Ike tossed their empty guns aside and unsheathed their swords. For the first time since the fight began, Cindy realized that victory might be within their grasp. That hope was smothered as the phalanx was shattered.Clad in glistening steel plate armor, three enormous men dashed straight at the forward line's shields. They ploughed through the children and sent them tumbling to the floor. Cindy collapsed ground and slammed hard onto her ribs. The impact sucked her breath away and drew white around the edges of her vision.Ethan knelt down, offering her a hand and peaceful smile."Rah!" Cindy smacked the hand away as the balasts unleashed death upon the charging adults. Over a dozen fresh corpses fell and caused their comrades to stumble; this gave the children time to jump back to their feet. Two Spartans pinned one of the knights to the ground; Cindy ended the beast's life with a sword through his visor.The hallway was too packed to reform the phalanx. The Spartans fought the best they could, but the endless throng of adults soon overwhelmed them."Come on!"Cindy felt a yank on her arm. She yanked her blade out of a woman's gut, spun it towards the frantic shout, and halted a hair's breath from slicing Ike across the throat. The commander didn't bat a lash as he pointed to a nearby classroom. "In there!"Cindy stumbled after Ike; white pulsed against her throbbing eyes. She ducked beneath a swinging sword and shoved her Vendetta blade up into the adult's chin; it bent and snapped in half as Cindy tripped over a stray corpse. She fell hard to the ground and screamed in agony as one of her ribs finally cracked."Follow me," Aashna offered Cindy a hand. "It's time to go."Cindy blinked at the girl's calm eyes, then felt her own pupils widened as a snarling brunette thrust a sword her way. Cindy tossed her broken blade and flailed to unsheath her second sword. The adult was tacked by another Spartan, them Evelyn hoisted Cindy to her feet before she could process the chaos."With me!" Evelyn groaned while slinging an arm under Cindy's armpit. Cindy's struggled to draw shallow breaths and fight the void back. Snow flitted across Cindy's vision and obscured the form dashing towards them.Cindy slashed her sword across his legs and Evelyn finished the brute with a stab through the neck. As they reached the classroom, Evelyn tossed Cindy to the floor. Cindy landed hard and screamed as Ike dragged her further inside.Cindy scuttled back as Evelyn ducked beneath an adult's mace. She swiveled around and swept the man's leg; James dove on top of the cretin and dug his dagger deep into the man's screaming mouth.Cindy stared through the doorway into the corridor's madness. A sixth-grader fired his crossbow towards the wall, only to be met by an arrow to the gut. Two Spartans bashed a much larger grey-haired man to the floor. The left-most boy stabbed him in the heart and swung his blade in an arc, taking a brunette forty year-old out as well. His friend yanked him back out of view as a trio of adults charged after them. Tiny volleys of the kids' arrows were met with torrent after torrent of automatic dart fire.Through it all, corpse after corpse collapsed to the floor.Ike hoisted Cindy to her feet as Evelyn and James slammed the door shut. Right before it clicked in place, one last adult was tossed to the ground outside. Her Doublestrike pistol tumbled out of her grasp, slid through the doorway, and halted at Cindy's feet.Cindy blinked hard and cocked her head at the pistol. Was it even real?"Minerva's sealed shut!" Jimmy stormed towards Cindy and hopped on top of a nearby desk. "We've get to get in through the ceiling!"Cindy clambered to one knee and tentatively grasped the pistol; cold plastic pressed into her skin.The doorway buckled against the adults' weight. "What are you waiting for?" Evelyn screamed as she tried to barricade the entryway.Ike hopped up beside James and ripped a ceiling tile loose. Before Cindy could protest, the boys hoisted her up and shoved her into the ceiling. A new flare of pain ignited in her ribs, and she lost her grip on the tile.She crashed to the floor just in time to watch the adults burst in and stab Evelyn through the heart.Cindy landed hard on her side and
Cindy's eyes popped open before slamming shut against the blazing white light. Warmth flowed down her forehead. She touched her aching skull and felt fresh blood.
"Hey," Sheen's surprisingly placid voice pierced her ears. Cindy opened her eyes to find the teenager standing over her. "Need a hand?"
Cindy watched the smiling teen offer Cindy a palm. She glanced around to find nothing but white, then studied her old friend. Gone were his mustache and medieval garbs; Sheen was back in his jeans and Ultralord shirt. Cindy's head was spinning, but she managed to tap her upper lip.
Sheen felt the same bare spot, then smiled back at the blonde. "Yeah...that thing was impressive. But don't you think it's time we got back to who we were?"
Cindy stared down at the floor, though there was no solid structure supporting her. She and Sheen seemed to float in the middle of the ivory void. Once Sheen realized that she wasn't going to take his hand, he knelt on one knee.
Voice brimming with innocence, he squeaked, "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" Cindy scoffed. She tried to push herself off the void; her vision pulsed from the effort. "Everything I built is getting destroyed. And I can barely stand...let alone save it."
Sheen's eyes sparkled with familiar mania as he asked, "Didn't you just shoot like ten people?"
"That's," Cindy hesitated before managing a tiny grin, "a slow day for me."
Sheen smiled back while sitting across from the blonde. As the two friends locked eyes, Cindy felt her worries slip away. She watched the boy tuck his right leg behind his head and settle in his meditative pose. As his eyes twitched in ecstasy, Cindy finally pushed herself up. She sat across from Sheen and waited for him to speak.
"Do you remember The Graveyard?"
"I try not to," Cindy answered.
"Remember how I died there too?"
Cindy's heart sank as Sheen's eyes peacefully closed. "I try not to remember that either."
"Well I did," Sheen went on. "When I saw you guys getting overrun, I knew what I had to do. But I couldn't bring myself to do it until I looked at Libby...until I realized that she'd die if I didn't."
"You were really brave," Cindy commended him.
Sheen's eyes shot open. "You know, I only managed to pull the grenade's pin because I thought of someone I looked up to. Because I knew it was what-"
Cindy offered, "Ultralord would do?"
"What you would do," Sheen finished. Cindy cocked her head in confusion, so Sheen explained, "I knew that you'd spent the whole night protecting Jimmy. That you would keep protecting him."
Sheen swallowed hard and went on, "I know you think I'm annoying. But I think you're the bravest person I know."
Cindy stared at the void, at the incomprehensible emptiness beneath her feet. "I'm...flattered you think that. But the truth is, I'm so tired." Blood flowed down her forehead and spattered onto the floor. Voice cracking in defeat, she moaned, "I don't know if I can do this anymore."
"It's okay," Sheen bent forward and clutched her quivering shoulder. "Cindy...even Ultralord has thought he was beat. But each time got up and fought back with everything he had." Sheen clutched her hand, and Cindy squeezed it tight. "You're a fighter, Cindy. So get up."
Cindy kept staring at the ground as Sheen tugged on her palm. "You need to get up."
Cindy slowly lifted her gaze and looked into Sheen's hellishly morphed face. His eye sockets ruptured and spewed bubbling humor down his cheeks. The skin sizzled and peeled away as the liquid burnt holes through his skull. Hands sharp as talons, they tore into her flesh and spurted blood onto the floor.
"GET UP!"
"Get up!" Jimmy pleaded while firing his crossbow at the adult yanking his sword from Evelyn's chest.Cindy tore out of the void and let Jimmy hoist her up to her feet. She ignored the pain in her ribs and climbed atop the desk. She stared up at Ike, who'd already ascended into the ceiling. He offered her a palm which she readily clasped."Hrgggh!" she moaned as her ribs screamed in protest.Cindy breathed through the pain. She looked down just in time to watch a pair of adults storm James. They ducked beneath his loosed bolt, then ran their swords through his gut.As Ike pulled her into the ceiling, Cindy emptied both rounds from her Doublestrike into their skulls."Come on!" Ike roared while crawling through the tiles.Cindy stared at James' corpse, at the boy she'd always fought to protect. His lifeless eyes started back at her, then a twitch of his pupils urged her to go.Cindy pushed herself forward as a darts bounced off the tile beneath her. She and Ike moved as fast as they could manage without putting both their weight on a single tile. Cindy cringed as she heard an adult hoist himself up, then breathed a sigh of relief as the tile buckled under his weight. He smashed back down to the floor as Ike and Cindy pushed further into the darkness.They halted once the adult's deep voices were replaced by the Velites' worried whispers. Ike shoved the tile ahead of him to the ground and shouted, "It's Ike and Cindy! Let us in!"Betty immediately shouted back, "Drop down!"Ike did as he was told, then Cindy lowered herself down from the ceiling. Libby and Ike helped her land as two dozen Velites crowded around them.A chorus of terrified questions assaulted Cindy and sent her temple throbbing."There are hundreds of them. With guns," Ike bellowed.The Velites gasped in shock as Libby said, "Guess that serves us right for thinking they'd play fair."A sharp thud reverberated off the door. The kids swiveled their weapons to the locked entrance."Darts," Cindy ordered a nearby archer and thrust out her palm. The quivering freshman plucked two spare rounds from his Lightning Bow and gave them to Cindy, who reloaded her Doublestrike."The king?" Betty asked while crouching behind her parma."And Sheen?" Libby asked.Ike shook his head and forestalled the girls' mourning. "They sacrificed themselves for us. We need to make it count."Another thud sent cracks rippling through the doorway.Teeth clenched in fury, Cindy pointed her pistol at the doorway. "Archers! Spread out and take cover throughout the woodshop!" She spun around and gestured at the three bowmen leaning over the railing. "Keep watch on us and kill as many as you can! We'll keep them from the stairs."Ike nodded as he and Cindy accepted parmas from two of the militiamen. He stared at the many dozens of Velites. The frightened warriors lacked the discipline, skill, and equipment of the Spartans. But they were all Minerva had left to throw at the adults. "Ten of you, hold the door with Cindy and myself. We'll keep them pinned here as long as we can while the archers pick them off. The rest of you? Spread out and fight in pairs. If we work together and stay calm, we can still win this."Another thud spewed splinters onto the floor; the door threatened to burst into pieces.The archers and Velites scattered, hiding behind every piece of machinery equipment and furniture they could find. Cindy and Ike raised their shields and tried to get the Velites into a phalanx as one last smash knocked the door to the ground. A few arrows loosed at the adults took out the door's killer. Automatic darts rained back in return. Cindy ducked behind her parma and swiveled away from the doorway's stream of fire. She shouted for Libby to do the same, but she could only watch a dart spiral into her temple. As her sister fell to the ground, a black cylinder landed between them. Cindy blinked in shock, then the world was swallowed by a new sun and a clap from Zeus' thunderbolt.
Cindy waited by the river, lit only by the light of the moon. Mounds of dirt rolled along the riverbank, each hill birthing dozens of exquisite ebony lilies. Cindy breathed in a deep lungful of the bewitching scent, then felt the cold plastic in her palm. She opened her eyes and stared at the Doublestrike in her grasp. The sound of gently flowing water stole her attention, so she glanced at the river flowing past her.
The lazy current sliced through Lindbergh Elementary's basement, flowing between two classrooms. Cindy watched the blue water carry away the corpses of those she'd once known.
There went Ethan, peacefully clutching his motionless sister's hand.
Sheen bobbed up and down in the water, immune to the struggle of staying afloat.
Roderick came next. His two compatriots followed, all serenely accepting their fate.
There went Aïda, Evelyn, Damien, Zachary, Tom, Gregor, Isabel...
Cindy watched them all flow past. The lantern-bathers came next, then the demonic kindergartners, Brittany, and Yentl. The current picked up and carried them all past.
"What the heck are you up to?"
Cindy smiled and craned her neck. Libby Folfax, still clad in her blue surcoat, crossed her arms and stared down at her friend.
Cindy's smile faded away as she turned back to the water and watched Emily drift by. "You're not really here. I saw you die."
"That's true," Libby admitted while taking a seat beside her closest friend. "But then again, you're not really here either."
"I want to be," Cindy whispered.
Libby scoffed. "You want to sit and watch a river of the dead? Girl, that's pretty dark."
Cindy's voice didn't lighten. "It's better than going back there." She lifted her head at the ceiling and listened to the sound of chaos up above.
Libby scooted closer, so Cindy rested her throbbing temple on her shoulder. Cindy stayed silent and watched the morbid water until Libby whispered, "Is that really want you want? To stay down here?"
Cindy closed her eyes as Angie's form drifted by, clutching her note to Carl. "I want to protect what I built. What we all built," she whispered. She swallowed hard, then felt everything she'd buried down inside claw its way to the surface. Voice crumbling, she struggled to admit, "But I don't know if I'm strong enough."
"Hey," Libby wrapped her arm around Cindy's waist and squeezed her sister tight. "You know that I am always in your corner. There's no battle I don't think you can win. You've faced aliens, the government, even us when we were hypnotized zombies. You've fought your mother and Jimmy. You're a fighter, Cindy Vortex."
Cindy dug her weeping eyes into Libby's soft surcoat and struggled to breath through her sobs.
"But," Libby strummed her sister's soft hair, "everyone has to let go eventually. So if you're really done, if you've got nothing left to give, you can stay down here."
Cindy swallowed in shock and pulled her head back. She stared into Libby's gentle eyes and stammered, "I...I can really stay?"
"There's always a choice, Cindy," Libby told her. "And come on. How many times have you been hit in the head in these games? How many times have you teetered on your breaking point? Does it always have to be you who suffers?"
Cindy considered the question and glanced up at the ceiling. "But the others-"
"The others will be fine," Libby answered. "Or," she added with a shrug, "they won't. But you can let them go and leave it to them. You can stay down here with me."
"With us," Carl offered as the waves carried him by.
Cindy took stock of the offer. She had done more than enough to deserve a rest.
But could she really leave whoever was left up there to fight on without her?
"Just stay down here," Libby pleaded while wrapping her palms around Cindy's gun.
Cindy didn't know what to do. Clouds parted in the sky beyond Lindbergh's wall's; the moonlight streaming through the windows grew brighter and brighter.
"Stay down," Libby begged while tugging the gun.
"Libby," Cindy as her friend yanked on the pistol with all her might.
A river of spiders crawled from Libby's eyes as she roared, "STAY
DOWN!"
"Stay down!" Betty's frantic cry streamed through the woodshop. Cindy's ears seemed plugged with cotton; Betty sounded miles away. A whirring machine gun resonated like a light rain while spewing darts through the woodshop. The stream of fire mowed down any blinded kids stumbling to their feet.Cindy felt another tug on her Doublestrike. She craned her neck and blinked her eyes. Black spots clouded her vision; she could barely make out an unarmed woman kneeling over her. Cindy looked down and watched the adult try one last time to wrench the pistol from Cindy's tight grasp.
Go or stay.
Cindy stared up into the woman's frantic eyes, then kicked her hard in the shin. As the adult tumbled on top of her, Cindy aimed the Doublestrike up and fired a dart into her chin.The woman crashed hard on Cindy's ribs, sending the void pulsing back. Sheer will fought the blinding white away. Cindy used all of her strength to shove the corpse off of her. Once the automatic fire ceased, she jumped to her feet and spotted Betty crouching down on the opposite end of the woodshop, near the armory. Cindy dashed towards the queen, then slid slid backwards as a flurry of enemy soldiers raced between them.Cindy tossed the Doublestrike to her left hand and unsheathed her Vendetta blade with her right. Her eyes widened to take in the chaotic scene; the throng of adults began shooting and stabbing every child they could find. The archers up high couldn't make a dent in the throng; the forward defenders were easily overwhelmed. Cindy raised her pistol and shot a grey-haired men in the forehead before a flurry of automatic fire swiveled her way.Cindy fell prone and rolled backwards towards the kitchen. She slammed into one of the picnic table's legs and watched as two adults aimed their Maverick revolvers at her. Cindy tried to jump to her feet, but her ribs refused to move. She raised one arm in a desperate bid to ward off the darts; her gamble paid off.Two darts spiraled from her right and buried into the lead man's neck. The man's wife swiveled her revolver towards her husband's killer; Cindy managed to dive forward and grab onto her ankle. The woman tumbled to the ground as Cindy scooped up the man's revolver. The woman's head bounced off the woodshop's floor as Cindy loosed a dart point-blank into her temple."Cindy!" Ike roared while tossing her a rifle.Cindy rose to one knee, tossed the Maverick aside, and caught the Stratohawk mid-air. She ensured its twenty-five round drum was in place, then started taking out targets. As the drum's magazine circled around, Ike kicked the picnic table over. He and Cindy ducked behind the cover as streams of enemy fire swiveled their way. Cindy spooled her rifle's flywheel and watched Ike rack his Roughcut shotgun. Both kids shared a steely nod, then popped out of cover and let loose at the adults all around.Well-aimed shots from Cindy nailed a rifleman shooting back at her, a swordsman preparing to slice through a Velite's shield, and sniper setting up shop near the armory. As Ike rained semi-automatic twin shots at targets nearby, Cindy unleashed her last ten rounds at Minerva's entrance. She spewed foam death straight towards a half dozen adults storming through, barricading the doorway with their fresh corpses."Out!" Cindy roared while tossing her rifle aside."Me too," Ike growled. "Let's get more."Both kids placed palms on the rickety table, then vaulted over. As Ike ripped darts from the nearby Mavericks and loaded them into his shotgun, Cindy unsheathed her blade. Adrenaline ravaged her veins and sent red pulsing against white.Cindy and Ike stormed low and fast towards their last stronghold at the stairwell. Two adults clutching bullpen RayvenFires revved their guns' motors while dashing towards them. Ike shot one of the adults down as Cindy somersaulted forward. She held her breath against the pain, slashed the second man's legs, then jumped up at the end of the roll. She twisted her body in midair and arced her blade down into the crippled man's neck.Cindy loosed the RayvenFire from her victim's hands and spooled its flywheels. She spotted an enemy drop to one knee and aim his Accustrike at the archers above. Cindy fired three darts at his chest, then turned to see a Vilete get ambushed two feet away.The snarling woman slashed her Combat dagger across the boy's throat, then arced the blade Cindy's way. Cindy ducked beneath the slice and crouched underneath the tumbling Minervian. Cindy caught the falling corpse, wrapped her arm around its neck, and positioned the dead body between her and the woman. Cindy fired a dart into the adult's skull and watched her crumple to the floor.Cindy marched through the madness and came across a trio of women aiming guns at her; the darts bounced off her human shield. A spray of semi-automatic fire from her RayvenFire took two down and sent the final adult ducking to the floor. Cindy threw her the dead child at him and then flanked the shocked soldier as he dodged the corpse. Cindy unloaded her final two rounds into his neck, then turned to Ike."Here!" Ike tossed her a scavenged magazine as they crossed through the hydroponics farm. Cindy hit the magazine release, flicked her wrist, and sent the empty clip flying through the air. Her free hand caught Ike's new mag, slammed it in, and pulled the trigger at an approaching knight. The dart bounced off his plate armor as he swung his Marauder longsword at her neck.Cindy ducked beneath the swing and rolled forward between the giant's legs. Ike distracted the knight by firing into his helmet; Cindy grabbed onto his heavy calf and pulled hard as she rolled past him. The enormous foe crumpled to the ground as Ike lurched forward. Cindy swiveled her gun towards the back of the man's head as Ike ripped off his helmet.Cindy pulled her trigger, and the RayvenFire's battery abruptly died.Cindy stared in disbelief as the knight elbowed Ike hard in the gut. The breath wheezed from Ike's lungs as he crumpled to the floor; Cindy sent a sharp kick aimed at his temple. The knight grasped onto her ankle and pulled hard; Cindy fell straight onto the ground.She wheezed in agony and watched the knight launch himself on top of her. Muscular hands wrapped around her neck and sent her eyes bulging. As Cindy wondered if the man truly aimed to kill her, a dart from the archers above bounced off the man's temple. Cindy kicked his heavy corpse away. It smashed through the bench of hydroponics jars, sending shards of oak and glass all over her and Ike.Cindy and Ike scrambled to their feet. She clutched her side while glancing up at the terrified archers. "Keep shooting!" Cindy instructed while ripping her sword free. She pointed the blade back at the entrance, where a new stream of adults poured through."This is it. We can hold here.""Let's find some shields," Ike agreed, but a trio of crisp pops foiled their plans. Three darts spiraled over their heads and took out the archers. Cindy watched in horror as the bodies disappeared beyond the wall, then swiveled her gaze back to the battlefield. The throng of newly approaching soldiers engaged the scattered Velites. The dozen remaining children struggled to ward off blow after blow from the charging soldiers. A few scattered archers loosed bolts; Cindy saw only one bury into an adult's neck."We're not holding here," Ike growled."No," Cindy agreed while storming towards the last surge of adults. The thirty men and women streaming through the doors seemed to be the last of the opposing army's forces; no more reinforcements were spotted behind them. It was now Cindy, Ike, and the few remaining Velites against what seemed sixty adults."It's been a good fight," Ike's tired eyes locked onto Cindy's wild pupils. "Glad we were on the same side this time.""Let's give them hell," Cindy gripped her sword with both palms as Ike racked his shotgun. They took two steps forward before two more pops filled the air. Cindy stared down and watched twin darts spiral into hers and Ike's left legs.For just a moment, Cindy failed to comprehend what had transpired. Then she felt her leg buckling and collapsed to one knee. She watched in horror as the reinforcements sprinted straight towards her. Cindy waited until the nearest guard was two strides away. As he lifted his left foot, Cindy kicked off the ground with her right. She threw herself at the startled warrior, then slashed his calves with her sword. He crumpled towards her as she arced her sword up and into his temple.She was crushed by the corpse until the other guards yanked him off of her. As soon as she could see anything but the dead body, she thrust her blade blindly up and caught another woman in the chin."Enough!" A stern female voice rang over the sounds of Ike's own fight. Cindy tried to push herself up and stab at least one more attacker, but a pair of powerful hands wrapped around her wrist. They squeezed hard and drew bruises; she couldn't help but drop the blade.A brown-haired man approached to her left. She tried to jab him with her elbow, but another woman gripped her arm.As twenty adults circled around her, Cindy only had one leg left to fight with. She kicked hard at the nearest brunette, but she sidestepped the blow. Cindy collapsed to the ground as her arms were pinned behind her. Cindy groaned in agony as she was forced to her knees. She shot her terrified eyes to the side and found Ike shoved in the same position.The two friends swallowed hard before turning straight ahead, towards the sound of a clearing throat."As I said," the steely woman all-but growled, "that is most certainly enough."Cindy studied the adults' leader. She was early fifties, prim and proper, with a simple hazel ponytail tucked behind her neck. Cindy guessed that when she wasn't clad in a leather brigandine, she preferred a no-nonsense pantsuit. The woman ignored Ike and asked Cindy, "You're the girl who sent the raven? Ms. Vortex?"Cindy stayed silent and studied the adults around her. Four were holding her and Ike's arms. There was the leader herself. Then there were the fifteen glowering men and woman surrounding her. Two on twenty. Not good odds."Ms. Vortex?" the woman's tone suggested she wasn't one for patience.Cindy figured that answering might buy enough time for the terrified survivors on the landing to grab the archers' bows. "Yeah, that's me. Who's asking?""Superintendent Clarke," the woman replied. Her voice softened as she glanced around the woodshop. Her eyes flitted over the hydroponics farm, barnyard, kitchen, and throne room. As her gaze moved past each of Minerva's wonders, the fire in her eyes was progressively doused. She turned back to Cindy and said, "You know, I really do admire what you kids built here. But it has to end."One of the men beside her lifted his Vantage sword, but Clarke held out her palm. She lowered her hand to the ground, and the man's weapon followed in kind. "No, Arthur. She who proclaims the sentence should lift her blade."Clarke unsheathed the Stonewall dagger on her hip and pointed it at Cindy's throat. Cindy struggled with one last feral burst of energy, but the adults held her taut. Cindy's vision was eclipsed by the knife; the instrument of her demise was all she could see."For what it's worth?" Clarke asked. Voice dropping with sincerity, she admitted, "This is a pity."One of the men behind Cindy tugged on her arm. A flash of pain shot up her side, and Cindy welcomed the void.
There was no white, only dark red blood. It filled Cindy's vision, and when she opened her mouth to scream it slid down her throat. Warm sticky death poured into her lungs until two familiar hands wrapped around her arms.
"I got you," Jimmy Neutron promised while yanking her out of the abyss.
Cindy collapsed on all fours and coughed the liquid from her lungs. She closed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the painful white light. Yet the sound of a gentle ocean and chirping birds told her that this wasn't the void or even The River. There was the feel of sand on her palms, scent of salt water, the screeching of birds, and the welcome warmth of an overhead sun.
Voice gentle, Jimmy told her, "You can open your eyes, you know."
Cindy swallowed away the taste of iron and whispered, "I don't want to see that it's not really there."
"It doesn't take a genius to know you're not really here," Jimmy teased. His tone morphed into a familiar pedantic drawl as he pondered, "But then again, can you consider anything real? After all, everything we see, think, and hear is really just electrical impulses catapulted through-"
"Alright, Big Brain." Cindy couldn't keep her lips from twitching into an exhausted smile. "If I open my eyes, can you save the philosophizing for another day?"
"I suppose so. If you promise to indulge me during our next date at the Candy Bar."
Cindy gulped hard, mustered her courage, and opened her eyes.
She stared over the ocean where she and James had once tumbled into. The water was no longer blood red; only a perfectly serene blue.
"You should sit down," James offered while sitting on the log where he'd given her the pearl. "You've had a long day."
"More than a day," Cindy all but collapsed beside her boyfriend. She shimmied closer and turned towards him. For just a moment he gazed over the water; then their eyes met.
Cerulean and emerald studied each other, though Cindy knew she was really peering deep into herself.
"I don't know what to do, Jimmy," she admitted. "Sheen told me to fight. Libby told me to give up. And me?" She laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm too tired to figure it out. So can you just be the tiebreaker?"
"I know you think that's why I'm here," Jimmy looked back out over the water. "To tell you how to finish this. But our relationship isn't about telling each other what to do. It's about respecting who we are. You let me work in my lab and I let you do t'ai chi. When we falter, we prop each other up. And when we succeed, we celebrate together."
Cindy whispered, "Well I appreciate the wise words, Neutron. I really do. But right now, just this once, I need you to take the driver's seat and just tell me who to be." She pointed her gaze up and studied her boyfriend's pensive features. "Please, just tell me what to do."
"You know it would just be you making the decision," Jimmy answered. "I'm not really here."
Cindy blinked and saw the beach go fuzzy. "Please," she begged. "I don't want to go back. I choose to stay. I choose that."
"Cindy," Jimmy snapped her gaze onto him, "you also know you can't stay here."
The world grew more obscure with each blink of her eyes. She glued her lids together and shook her head. "Eyes closed. You and me on this island. Forever."
"I'm flattered," James teased. "I felt the same way when we were last here. But you can't stay here, Cindy. You never could. There's a whole world past that ocean. And even though it will knock you down sometimes, it can be indescribably beautiful at others. So you have to go back."
Cindy felt warm hands gently clutch her cheeks. Jimmy's thumbs smoothed away her brimming tears, and she kept her eyes shut. "I don't think I can fight anymore."
"You don't have to. Cindy, at the end of the day, this was never about winning some prize. It wasn't about getting out of summer reading or homework. All of this has been about you figuring out who you are. And you did that the day you stopped ambushing people in the hall. When you brought the communities together. When you promised to build a new world."
Cindy forced her eyes open; James was barely recognizable. Yet in spite of his fading form, his hands still radiated warmth.
James went on, "You chose to be a better person. And you've lived that choice these past two weeks. You did it over and over again today. So it doesn't matter whether you want to keep fighting. You've already won."
Cindy blinked and kept her eyes shut; she knew she couldn't open them again.
"I can't tell you whether to fight or surrender, Cindy. All I can do is let you know that no matter what you choose? I'm proud of you."
Cindy felt new tears bubble up as she opened her eyes. She expected to find James' skin searing off or his eyeballs bursting. Yet the last thing she saw before everything went white was James planting a peaceful kiss on her lips.
Cindy opened her eyes and watched Clarke ready her dagger. Cindy figured that if she juked her head at the last minute, she might be able to dive forward and bite the superintendent's shoulder. Maybe when the soldiers to yank her back, Cindy could drag Clarke on top of her. Ike could use the chaos to tear free and the two could somehow grab some swords. It was that or sit there and do nothing.Cindy chose the latter as Clarke stepped towards her. She straightened her back and stared into the superintendent's eyes. "My name is Cindy Vortex. You killed my family." Clarke halted as Cindy's voice cracked. Her vision blurred from the void and tears; she blinked both away. "I'm ready to die."Clarke's impenetrable features softened, then six darts slammed into her guards' necks.The men's shocked cries sent all gazes to the woodshop's entrance, where two white ponies galloped towards them. Angie was seated on one; Nick and Bennett rode on the other. A half dozen Minervian marksmen knelt in the doorway, clutching Longshot and Centurion sniper rifles. As they chambered new darts, two dozen of Canterbury's warriors joined their Minervian brothers.Clarke's eyes widened in fright as she motioned at the swiftly approaching horses. "Kill them!" Her soldiers readied their weapons and marched forward as three arrows from the landing above spiraled down.One missed, the second nailed Clarke in her leg, and the third slammed into the man restraining Ike's left arm. Ike immediately ripped free and launched himself on top of the other guard.Faced by fire in two directions as well as a ferocious Ike, Clarke's guards were unprepared for the horses dashing through their ranks. Angie focused on slicing her jade blade into one of the men restraining Cindy. Nick loosed his bolt at the other guard as Bennett leaped off the horse and carved a redheaded woman down. Nick hopped off while tossing his crossbow aside. He unsheathed his Marauder blade and set to work as Clark collapsed to one knee.Cindy blinked her eyes in shock as Clarke stumbled away from the melee. The archers among Clarke's guards fired arrows up at the landing, but the first-grade bowmen disappeared behind cover. A new flurry of rounds from Canterbury's distant snipers took out more of Clarke's guard as Nick slashed the man nearest Cindy across the throat."Come on!" Nick roared while hooking an arm under Cindy's. Bennett kicked another adult's chest, thrust his shortsword through another's gut, and then yanked Ike to his feet.Cindy stared in awe as the snipers launched their third volley. The last of Clarke's guard collapsed to the floor. Cindy stared at the rest of the woodshop as the few surviving Velites and Canterbury reinforcements squared off against a roughly equal number of adults. The snipers helped ensure that the kids would win the fight."You can't be real," Cindy mumbled as Nick hoisted her to her feet."In the flesh," Nick assured her while dropping his sword and picking up a dropped Accustrike. He slammed the stock against his shoulder and squeezed the trigger; the dart buried itself into a distant adult's unarmored back. "Canterbury got Arion's note and sent two riders out. They brought the hunting party back just before the adults attacked. It was touch and go, but we won."Cindy hobbled towards Clarke, who scooped up a Firefly pistol. She swung it Cindy's way, but Bennett slammed his sword into the gun. It harmlessly fired into the floor as Ike tackled the superintendent to the ground. Nick chambered a new round in his Accustrike and swung the rifle towards her chest. Bennett once more pulled Ike to his feet and then pointed his sword at her neck.Clarke swallowed hard and glanced around to find more and more of her men getting cut down. "We brought guns and flashbangs. We hired the best LARPers we could find. We brought double your people. " She shook her head in disbelief and mumbled, "You weren't supposed to win.""Well we did," Ike growled. "And this has gone on long enough. We want the prize."Clarke stopped propping herself up and lay her back on the ground. "I was just promoted to superintendent two months ago. I thought I'd be bouncing between meetings and managing budgets. Not waging war with my students and spending all of our discretionary funds on plastic guns.""Well we're sorry the job isn't living up to your expectations," Nick bristled. "But we won fair and square when you played dirty. So just give us what you promised."Clarke pushed herself up and found herself staring down Bennett's blade. "I promised? We are all in this mess because your school's sorry excuse for a principal launched this place into hell. When you sent that raven," she turned to Cindy, "I wanted to parley with you. Explain that this prize would threaten our district's accreditation. If that goes away, teachers could lose their jobs. People won't be able to pay their bills and support their families.""So why didn't you talk to us?" Cindy asked."Because the school board didn't want me negotiating with terrorists," Clarke answered.Bennett scoffed. "Terrorists? All we've done is follow the rules and defend our home.""I agree," Clarke muttered. "Forrester thrust us all in an impossible situation. You handled it the best you could." She glanced once more around the woodshop, at the community the kids created. "Better than anyone could. You deserved at least something."Nick asked, "If you believed that, why didn't you just tell the school board to shove it? Come talk to us anyway?"Clark shook her head. "All they'd do is fire me and get someone to handle it their way. Which is undeniably absurd.""Well you failed," Ike bristled. "So tell them that we are not leaving this school until we get what we're owed. If they're not going to follow the rules then neither are we. Every kid who was shot down today is staying in the game. The only way you're getting us out is with stun guns and riot gear. And we'll see how that plays out in the news."Bennett and Nick nodded in agreement. Before Cindy could open her mouth, Clarke opened hers."Fine," she whispered.The kids pulled back in unison. Nick asked, "Really? That's it?""Really," Clarke conceded. "This has gone on long enough. I'll do my best to minimize the consequences."As Bennett, Ike, and Nick shared disbelieving smiles, Cindy studied Clarke's pensive features. The superintendent seemed consumed by the consequences of her decision."Ms. Clarke," Cindy asked, "could people really suffer from this?""I'll try to prevent that," the woman answered. "If we had negotiated early on, this would have been easier. But you've all missed a week of school."Ike spat, "That's not our fault.""I didn't say it was," Ms. Clark replied. "We can try to make things up in the summer, but that will cost even more money that we've spent on Nerf guns. And without catching up on material with homework...losing accreditation is a real threat."Cindy took all of this in and thought of all she'd been through. As she ran it all through her mind, she felt Nick's eyes upon her. "Don't say it," he begged.Cindy gulped and asked Ms. Clarke, "What can you offer us that's close to what we were promised?""NO!" Ike turned on Cindy. "I already gave up a summer without reading for you. I'm not losing three months of no homework too!""I must agree," Bennett calmly chimed in. "We're the good guys, Cindy. It's the adults who've repeatedly broken their word. It wouldn't be fair to surrender the prize.""Life's never fair," Cindy told the three boys. "But I think what counts is how we react to that fact. This was never really about the prize. It was about us proving that we're better than the adults who are always screwing us over. But part of being the better person is showing mercy.""We are showing mercy," Nick countered. "We're not hurting anyone. We just want what we were promised!""It won't be our fault," Cindy agreed, "but we will hurt people. If we lose accreditation the teachers we actually like could lose their jobs. We could lose this school." She turned to Ms. Clarke and asked, "Right?""Possibly," she agreed."I don't want homework either," Cindy assured her friends. "But I don't people to suffer over it."The three boys turned to each other. Bennett spoke first. "I'm not thrilled about this. But I suppose you make a fair point." He turned to Ms. Clarke and said, "As long as we get something for our struggles."Nick closed his eyes and shook his head. "The stupidest thing I ever said was that I'd follow you anywhere." He faced Cindy and said, "But a promise is a promise."The three kids faced Ike, who glowered at them. "I hate this school," he snarled. "But fine. So Ms. Wolf won't lose her job...I'm in."For just a moment, Cindy was overcome with gratitude for her friends, that they would give up such a prize at her behest. She flashed them all a thankful smile, squeezed Nick's arm, and then offered Ms. Clarke a hand. "So," she asked as the superintendent clasped her palm, "what can you give us?"For the first time, Ms. Clarke offered a slim smile as she rose to her feet. "I have a few ideas."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The river's gentle waters cascaded through Retroville Middle School's basement. Cindy listened to its low whooshing, then knelt before the teacher's desk that had once helped save her life. By her foot rested an empty Doublestrike pistol. She briefly wondered how the gun had found its way down to the basement before shrugging the question aside. Cindy scooped up the pistol, studied its plastic frame, and realized how truly harmless the weapon was.Cindy clambered up the desk and stared at the water flowing past her. The once mighty river had already lost half its depth; Cindy surmised that the plumbers had already started their work. She glanced one last time at the pistol in her hand, then tossed it into the depths before her."Ms. Vortex," Superintendent Clarke's voice crested over the water's noise. Cindy hopped off the desk and adjusted her waterfall braid as her old foe approached. Cindy couldn't help but smile at the superintendent's attire: a steel pantsuit. "We didn't need to meet down here, you know. There are offices upstairs.""I wanted to finish things here," Cindy answered. "Did the school board agree to your terms?""For the most part," Clarke flashed a quick grin. She handed Cindy a sheet of paper and let her study it. As Cindy looked it over, Clarke summarized the document. "There will be homework, but for the next three months it will consist of group assignments. This will let us foster both your studies and interpersonal dynamics."Cindy found this compromise reasonable. Her eyes dropped to the next item on the list. "I see they agreed to the extra credit opportunities.""They did," Clarke nodded. "We can't return the Nerf guns and we're sure as hell not using them again. So we'll donate them to needy kids. Whoever wants to help clean and package them can get extra credit for the community service."Cindy's eyes flitted to the document's third section, which was Sheen's idea. "And the ice cream machines?""We can't afford ice cream machines for each school," Ms. Clarke sighed. Cindy narrowed her eyes as Ms. Clarke explained, "But I was able to reach out to some local establishments and secure some used frozen yogurt machines.""Frozen yogurt?" Cindy's face radiated utter disgust."It's a healthy alternative that meets the cafeteria's nutrition requirements," Ms. Clarke gently argued. "I did try to make up for it with the last item." Cindy studied the document's final section as Ms. Clarke explained, "Lindbergh elementary has a school president. And Retroville High has a student council. But the other schools in the district are lacking this representation. That changes now. Starting this quarter, each school will have a student council of five elected members, plus a president."Cindy arched an eyebrow. "Really?""Really," Ms. Clarke assured her. "Their power will obviously be limited, especially in the elementary schools. But even there they'll control things such as the dances' playlists and some books that the library purchases. And if they can eloquently argue their positions, they can bring up any issues to their school's principal." Cindy's face radiated pure skepticism as she studied the document. "You seem confused."Cindy huffed, "Just not used to adults actually keeping their word, let alone going beyond it." After Cindy finished reading, she flashed Ms. Clarke an appreciate grin. "Thank you. Since Forrester's out, who will our council be reporting to?""You might know her," Ms. Clarke offered a solemn smile. "Louisa Clarke."Cindy cocked her head. "But you were superintendent. Isn't that a dem-" Cindy swallowed hard and stopped herself."A demotion?" Louisa asked. "Only in the sense that it carries less salary and prestige.""I'm sorry," Cindy whispered. "I didn't want you to get in trouble.""Truth be told, it's a good thing. Superintendent would never have been a good fit for me. It will be nice to get back in a school with the teachers and you students. And I hope we might be working more together. The elections for president will take place February first."Cindy caught her drift and dropped her eyes. "I have a history of subverting democracy at Lindbergh.""Something tells me you've learned from that mistake," Clarke assured her. "Listen, Cynthia. I've been talking more to the students and even Ms. Wolf, who evidently stayed here all winter break to ensure you kids were safe." Clarke nodded in admiration while adding, "She's a real treasure.""Yeah," Cindy grinned in wry amusement, "she's one of a kind.""Anyway," Clarke went on, "what you all accomplished was nothing short of remarkable. Your school could use a woman like you in charge. And quite honestly, so could the world outside these walls.""It wasn't all me," Cindy protested."Enough of it was," Clarke assured her. "The school will be up and running in a week, Cynthia. I look forward to our time together." She thrust out her palm.Cindy studied her steady hand, then clutched it tight. "Me too. See you then."With that said Ms. Clarke spun around and head back towards the stairs. Cindy watched her go, then turned back to the wall shielding her from the water. She laid a palm against the steel barrier, bowed her head, and then turned away. It was time to leave The River behind.On the main floor, Cindy strolled towards Prudentia. A few random kids milled about, heading towards whatever area of the school held the most meaning to them. As Cindy studied their serious faces, she was filled with gratitude that Ms. Clarke had allowed the students inside the building before their civilization was torn down. She hoped that all of the kids inside the building, whether old friends or foes, found the closure they sought.As Cindy approached Prudentia, she found one such student. Gone was his cuirass and Amaris shirt; in its place were blue jeans and a green V-neck. He ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, then lit up as he spotted Cindy."Ethan," Cindy smiled while picking up her pace. She vaulted over the rear sandbag wall and halted a foot before the teenager. He smiled wide and held out his arms. Cindy nodded and wrapped him in a tight embrace."Good to see ya," Ethan squeezed her hard before letting her go. "Just you here?""For now," Cindy answered. "The gang's meeting me upstairs soon." She pulled out her cellphone and glanced at the time. "They might already be at Canterbury. What about you? Aashna around?""No," Ethan shook his head. "Said she wants to savor every possible minute without me." He huffed in amusement, then let solemnity cloud his eyes. "I think it's different for the people who didn't last as long as we did."Cindy nodded in understanding. "This the first spot you've visited?""Yeah. Not many ghosts are lucky enough to visit their own grave. You?""Started down there," Cindy tapped her foot on the ground. "Working my way up." Cindy pushed open Prudentia's door and stepped into the tiny shack. It rested exactly as she remembered. Drops of blood near the center table, mugs shattered with glass on the floor, and weapons scattered all around."I wasn't sure if I should have helped you," Ethan whispered. Cindy faced him as he explained, "What you went through in here...it didn't seem like a Nerf fight. Seemed like they were really trying to kill you. I should have-""You should have stayed down. And you did," Cindy forced Ethan to meet her gaze. "We played by the rules and won. That's why we're at least getting something out of it." Ethan cocked his head, so Cindy explained. "I met with our new Principal just now. We're pretty much getting what we were supposed to. Plus a frozen yogurt machine.""Not ice cream?" Ethan couldn't hide his reflexive disgust."I tried," Cindy shot back. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, "We're also getting a student council. Five kids and a president. Clarke wants me to run for the latter.""You should," Ethan replied. "Imagine if the kingdoms' leaders still held some power. Ike, Betty, Jimmy, and Angie on the council with you leading it? I'd vote for that.""That would still leave a spot for you," Cindy half-teased."Maybe," Ethan mused. "But for now, I'm happy to take a break from all this. Once I'm done here, I'm settling in for a week of video games and annoying Aashna."Cindy huffed and asked, "Want to postpone those plans for a few hours? We're probably going to go to The Candy Bar after this.""I'd love to, but it was a stretch getting out to say goodbye to this place. My dad wants me home; says he really missed me. Can I take a rain check, though?""You bet," Cindy offered. She spun around to head upstairs, but Ethan's voice yanked her in place."Cindy," he began as she turned back around. He held out his palm and said, "It really was a pleasure to meet you. See you in school?"Cindy effortlessly shook his hand and promised, "First period, first day." With that said, she left Ethan and headed back to the staircase.Cindy climbed the stairs up to the third floor turned onto the main corridor. Her heart fell as she got her first look at the Kingdom she hadn't been able to defend. Stray Nerf guns, crossbows, swords, and darts obscured nearly every inch of the floor leading up to Canterbury's wall. The barricade stood dented and deformed; Cindy spotted the black singed line where the adults must have tried to saw through. Evidently the steel barricade had held up better than Minerva's wooden one.Cindy shook her head in disbelief. The simple act of snatching the fair's smithing equipment seemed to have saved her kingdom.Cindy strode forward and climbed over a section of barricade that had been pushed inwards. She scaled the angled wall, hopped onto the floor, and soon found herself face to face with Arion.For just a moment, pony and girl stared each other in the eyes. Then Arion bellowed an elated neigh while rubbing his face over Cindy's."Okay, boy!" Cindy laughed while wrapping her arms over the pony's neck. He tucked his own leg over Cindy's and hugged her tight. "I thought you would have been taken back to the farm by now!""Not yet!" Carl Wheezer rode up to her on the back of his beige alpaca. "I hid this guy and am taking him home with me. Figured you'd want to say goodbye to your pony."Cindy grinned wide and leaned her forehead between Arion's eyes. "Thanks, Carl." She hopped atop her pony and led the equine towards Carl. "How have you been?""Oh, the usual," Carl shrugged as he and Cindy headed deep into Minerva. "Me and the kids who died just hung out, went to the petting zoo, fought The League of Villains...""What?" Cindy asked as they sauntered through the hall. She spotted Nick inside the armory and pulled Arion to a halt. As she swung her legs down to the floor, Jimmy strolled towards her. The boy genius was back in his jeans and red shirt. His hair was also curled back into its usual swirl thanks to his BarberBot."What did Clarke say?" Jimmy asked while offering Cindy a hand.Cindy accepted his aid and steadied herself on the ground. "She actually kept her word. Did you all just get here?""A few minutes ago," Jimmy answered. He peered into the armory as Nick strolled outside. The two boys stared at Cindy, then locked eyes."Hey, Neutron," Nick flashed a cautious smile. "Visited Minerva already?"Voice steady, Jimmy said, "Yeah. I'll give you two a minute."Voice more serious, Nick answered, "Thanks, dude."Jimmy nodded and led Carl back down the hall. "Meet us in the throne room when you're done."Cindy wasn't sure what to say, so she let James leave and join their other friends deeper inside Minerva. Once he was gone, Nick led her inside the armory. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "How ya been?""Same as everyone else. Tired," Nick half-joked. He crossed his arms before motioning towards Cindy. "What'd the doctor say?""Just a mild concussion and fractured rib. Rest, ice pack, and ibuprofen. Could have been worse.""Always could, I guess."The friends fell silent. Cindy mustered her courage and finally asked the question that had plagued her for weeks. "Nick?" Something in her tone dashed any hint of his mile. "Can I ask you something?""Always.""Why did you do so much for me?"Nick shrugged; the movement sent his gaze tumbling to the floor. "We did a lot for each other. We were partners."Cindy remembered him flashing her that peace sign outside the fair. The memory was fuzzy; it seemed a lifetime ago. "We were, but you always did more. After Damien, when Angie was going to cut me down? You could have died for nothing.""You're not nothing," Nick whispered.Cindy didn't know what to say, so she let her gaze join Nick's on the floor.After a quiet moment, Nick asked, "Do you remember graduation? Not the war after it, but the actual day itself?""Yeah," Cindy nodded. "We had that class party. You and Jimmy shared a malt instead.""We did," Nick agreed. "And it made think about stuff I'd never thought of before. Like who I really am and what friends matter to me. And that got me thinking about how all you girls had a crush on me."Cindy contemplated refuting this and realized it would be a pointless lie."At the time," Nick went on, "I just thought it was kind of funny. I never really actually thought much about girls."Cindy smirked as she said, "That makes you the rare fifth-grader who didn't fall inexplicably deeply in love.""That's kind of my point. After seeing all you guys get together, it made me wonder if..." Nick swallowed hard and lifted his gaze. Cindy stared into his eyes and saw pure despair. "If I might have let someone great slip away.""Nick," Cindy began, though her train of thought was barreling blindly down an unseen track.Nick sucked in a deep breath and stood tall. "It's alright," he assured her. "Any idiot can see you and Jimmy belong together." He forced a sincere smile and asked, "But can we be friends?"A jumble of thoughts swirled through Cindy's head, but the one that stuck out was, Why not say can we stay friends? It didn't take her long to realize that Nick had chosen his words wisely. All she really knew of the boy before her was that he was strong, brave, deeper than she'd known, and incredibly loyal to her. That wasn't enough to build a friendship. But it was a good foundation."I did have a crush on you, yet I never really knew you. But I wouldn't mind amending that. Of course we can be friends."Nick beamed and thrust out his palm. "Well then I suppose we should make proper introductions. Name's Nick Dean. Resident cool kid, pretty good with a bow, and a fan of your new look."Cindy ran a hand through her wavy hair before clasping his palm. "Cindy Vortex. Borderline genius, frighteningly skilled in a fight, and grateful for you."The kids shook hands before heading back out into the hall. "So, what do you think the next Nerf war will be like?" Nick asked. "If it keeps getting bigger, I'm thinking it has to last the whole summer at space camp."Cindy shook her head as they headed towards their friends' voices drifting out of the throne room. "Right. Maybe we fight beside some grizzled marines returning from a trip to the moon.""The aliens they found and brought back would have to break free.""Of course," Cindy agreed. "What else could unite all of us kids and the adults?""Thank god their one weakness is foam.""They've never been exposed to it up on Luna," Cindy agreed. "Haven't developed an immunity.""We're pretty good at this," Nick smiled. "We should write a book.""Like anyone would read it," Cindy rolled her eyes. She stepped into the throne room and spotted her seven assembled friends. Sheen, Libby, Carl, Angie, Jimmy, Ike, and Betty stood before the tablet holding The Rules. They had shed their medieval attire and stood before the tablet in their usual outfits. As she and Nick joined them, Ike glared at her through his shades."Tell me Clarke kept her word."Cindy grinned and said, "She did. The only thing she couldn't get were the ice cream machines. We're getting frozen yogurt instead."Cindy watched everyone swallow dry heaves and glared as Sheen screamed, "I'll kill her!""Settle," Jimmy motioned Sheen back.Libby sighed and turned back to the stone tablet. "I guess that's it, then. We got everything we wanted.""Back to the real world," Betty agreed.Angie stared around her throne room. "I did miss electricity and the internet and my parents. But it's going to be hard giving this up."As the group agreed, Cindy said, "We might not have to. At least not completely. Clarke's setting a student council in place. Elections are next month. Five members and a president."A devilish smile spread over Betty's lips. "Maybe us old monarchs can still run the show?"Jimmy chimed in, "I doubt the adults will let us run this school. But we could at least have a say in it.""Well there's six slots and nine of us," Nick reminded everyone. "What do you say we rocks, paper, scissors over it at The Candy Bar?"The group voiced their agreement, though Jimmy couldn't help but mutter, "Perhaps we can think of a more logical way to figure out who's the most deserving?"Cindy watched her friends march past her and remembered Clarke's words. Your school could use a woman like you in charge. And quite honestly, so could the world outside these walls."I'll come to The Candy Bar," Cindy lifted her voice over the happy chorus and watched her friends halt in place. "But I can't stay long. I was actually planning on volunteering somewhere after coming here."Libby asked, "Volunteering where?"Cindy shrugged and said, "A retirement home nearby.""Old people?!"Sheen shrieked. "All they ever do is sully candy's good name with lint-covered peppermints!"Betty cocked her head and croaked, "What?""I just figured we spent a lot of time trying to make a new world," Cindy shrugged. "But we have to leave it behind. So maybe we can make the real one better instead.""Well," Nick chimed in, "I wasn't planning on having another six hour celebration. They got room for another volunteer?""I'll come too," Jimmy assured his girlfriend. "They always say that society's youth has a lot to learn from our elders, but I aim to reverse that outdated philosophy!""Ugh," Libby groaned. "All those places play is elevator music.""You could share your playlist and help those old fools get down with their bad selves," Carl suggested."And I could spread the Lord's good word," Ike pulled out his pocket bible."You'd all actually come?" Cindy couldn't hide her shock."It'll spice things up, at least," Betty shrugged and offered Cindy a gentle smile."Yeah!" Sheen shrieked. "I feel like we always end our adventures by going to the Candy Bar!"Carl nervously shifted his eyes from side to side as Angie asked, "So, we all ready?""I think so," Cindy said with a smile as she marched ahead of the pack. She stood before her friends and contemplated how it wouldn't be easy to change the world. But as she led her group down the hall, she was comforted by a simple notion.The only way to begin a difficult journey was to take the first step.