Flash Fictione # 355 -- Connor of Northgate/39

Galen shouted a curse as he drew his sword.  However, he didn't attack Connor, who had anticipated his move.  Instead, he leapt at the king.

Connor threw himself between them.  He had no weapon, and though he did have magic, he had no training to use it. He tried to fend off the sword and took a bad cut across his arm, but he threw the man off.

Ordin leapt and attacked him -- with magic.

"You won't win!"

As though they played some game.  Connor fended off Galen and felt a painful brush of power from Ordin. He fell to the floor.

Connor rolled over and saw that a guard had a sword at Lord Galen's throat.  Liam had attacked Ordin, knocking him down with a blast of power.

The King and Queen both stood calmly by, and the look they gave Galen was not one of an ally.

"I am not a fool," the king said.  "You put on a fine show for those poor people out there, but I knew the power of Northgate hadn't returned to the stone.  That meant there was something untrue in your tale, Galen."

"I -- I didn't kill Lord Northgate," Connor said with a hand on his bleeding arm as he sat up.  "I didn't kill Antisha."

"I know. Neither did Ordin, though he tried hard enough. Ah, there you are, daughter."

Antisha entered the room with Nylia, Erlis, and Druce.  She looked pale and bruised, which proved how serious her injuries must have been since magic had not completely healed her.
"We've freed all the others, father," she said with a bow of her head and then a glare at Galen.  "You'll not be taking power from them anymore."

Ordin panicked, but Galen didn't, and that worried Connor as he struggled to his feet.

Galen turned and leapt at the king, but when everyone shifted to stop him, he grabbed the queen instead.  A knife went to her throat.

"Not a complete loss," Galen said, as though mumbling to himself.  He smiled, and the knife nicked the queen's neck.  "One bit of magic or movement, and I'll kill her."

Connor didn't doubt him -- but then he didn't doubt that he'd kill the queen anyway.  They would need to move, but carefully.

"Ordin, come here," Galen said. 

The guard let go of Ordin.  Antisha twitched as though to grab him, but she must have known he really couldn't be that important to his father.  Which made Connor wonder why the man bothered.

They soon found out.  Ordin came to stand by his father and flashed a smug smile at the others.  He should have been watching Galen instead.  His father used a tendril of magic to hold the queen while he reached over and slapped Ordin on the side of the neck.  A seal went into place, and with barely a whisper, Galen drew magic from his son.

Three heartbeats, perhaps.  Not fast enough for anyone to move.  Ordin fell dead on the floor beside Connor.  He still looked smug.

Galen's hand glowed; he had all the power he needed.  He swept the room with a wall of fire that might have engulfed everyone if the king hadn't acted as quickly.

Galen hadn't expected it, and for a moment he was distracted -- barely a moment, but the queen used it to break the magic rope and shove his arm aside so that the blade was no longer at her neck.

At the same time, Connor surged forward and attacked the man.  He was in no shape to take him on, but Connor did provide another moment of distraction before Galen sent him flying across the room.  He expected to hit the wall with enough force to break bones.

Instead, Antisha's magic caught Connor and dropped him to the floor with a thump.  She went to her knees beside him, clearly too worn from even that little bit of magic.

"Thanks," he whispered.  His arm still bled.  He was not going to be conscious much longer.

Liam knelt beside Connor and did quick work with the wound, healing it enough that he no longer feared to close his eyes and never waking again.  He nodded his thanks, but by then Galen was fending off the others with little trouble. Galen had gained considerable power from his son. The best the rest of them could hope to do was to wear him down --

"He's trying to get to the window!" Connor shouted, struggling to get to his feet once more.

Galen was close -- too close for anyone to stop him.  Something appeared at the window outside the window.  The enormous ugly face of a troll peered in, having obviously climbed up the outer wall.  Connor could hear arrows hitting against the building, but nothing struck the troll.  Magic obviously kept him safe.

Galen through himself at the troll, who grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out.  It could not have been comfortable, but it was effective.  Magic from the king splattered against the window frame and shot bright light out into the world.  People yelled more, but the two were already out of sight.

"Damn!" the king shouted.

"Language," the queen said with a shake of her head.

"Language be damned!  I want that traitor caught and stopped!"

"Then you had better go talk to people.  I'll take care of things here."

The king stalked across the room, heading for the door with his guards at his back.  At least two had fallen, and Connor thought they must be dead.  He hated to see the waste.

The king, unexpectedly, stopped beside Connor, who belatedly bowed his head while Antisha caught his arm before he fell over.

The king put a hand on Connor's shoulder.  He looked up out of shock more than anything.

"Well done, boy," he said with a nod.  Then his look changed.  "Well done, Lord Northgate."

The king walked out of the room.