Chapter 19: Imperial son

There were murmurs from the crowd and cheers. I glanced into the crowd as I saw others moving and shifting people aside. One look screamed soldiers but they wore regular clothes. I looked around and frowned as I saw nobles that should not have been here. I shifted and moved Kendra behind me as I reached out for the Emperor’s voice, “Move behind me.”

He turned but moved back as I told him. The king turned and straightened as the soldiers began drawing weapons, “What is the meaning of this!”

I reached for his shoulder and pulled him back as he drew a sword, “They are here for me.”

A noble laughed, “conceited Peacemaker. We are here for all of you.”

I smiled and my hand flicked towards him and he choked as suddenly there was a spike buried in his throat. I moved forward as the crowd backed away to leave the nobles and soldiers. I threw another spike that took another noble in his groin and pulled both swords as the soldiers rushed. I blocked a lunging sword as my other sword stabbed the man’s wrist.

I twisted as he screamed and ripped the arm apart. I blocked another lunging sword and used the bloody sword to take a man’s hand. I moved to the side to block a soldier trying to get around me and fainted before slicing his belly open with the other sword. I shifted back as two men rushed and blocked both. The king’s long sword stabbed over my left shoulder and past my arm to tear out a nobles throat.

I parried the other man’s sword and then stabbed him in the throat. I turned and stepped back as a noble lunged with a long sword. Before I could take him the king’s sword swept down to take the arm off. I slid into the group of soldiers following him and stabbed one in the groin while slicing another’s throat. I blocked a sword and stabbed under the man’s arm with my other sword.

I shifted back and to the side to stop a noble and a soldier as they tried to move around me. The king’s long sword stabbed past me again and into the nobles arm as he swung his sword. I cut his throat as I blocked the soldier’s descending blade. A slim throwing spike appeared in his throat and he fell back. I moved forward towards the other soldiers and nobles as they hesitated.

I swept a noble’s sword aside and slashed a soldier’s arm open. That made them jerk back and I followed to block the noble’s blade as I moved to the other side and into the soldiers. The king shifted sideways to lunge and stab past me and into the nobles throat. Before I could say anything he moved back and I was blocking two soldiers swords.

I ripped one man’s arm open before blocking another sword. He staggered back with another slim spike in his throat. Two more men took their place but I had moved forward and they were not ready. I sliced open ones inner thigh and stabbed the other in the groin before moving sideways. The king stepped up to block a pike with his long sword before taking the soldiers hand.

I blocked a soldier’s lunging blade and cut his throat with my other sword before pushing the king back. One sword swept up and knocked a bolt away as my other blocked a soldier’s lunging spear, “The crossbowman Kendra!”

A second later the flicker of another slim throwing spike flashing out was followed by a scream. The king slipped up beside me and blocked a sword while I sliced the noble’s stomach open. I stabbed another noble that tried to crowd past the screaming man and cut a soldier’s throat with a back hand slice.