Chapter Fifty-Three – Cut Through Diamond

Nassandra internally argued with herself, wondering if she had heard Cadere correctly.

She turned as he stood up and faced her. His face was calm, somewhat sorrowful. However, she couldn't find a shred of reluctance in his eyes.

''I wish it hadn't come to this.'' He said quietly. ''I told you we should have stayed in Arsalan. No one else had to die.''

Nassandra's breath hitched. ''What have you done?''

Cadere stared with a firm gaze and walked towards her. ''What needed to be done. Under your family's rule, more lives would have been lost. From commoners left to rot in the Kingdom gutters, to Knights used as pawns in the world leaders' game, like my mother and father before me. New leadership is needed to ensure history is not repeated. Kardas and The White Sword will begin a new reign. One of peace and equality.''

The broadsword strapped to his waist taunted Nassandra with every sway. Her eyes found his hand moving dangerously close to the handle of the weapon. She silently prayed that he wouldn't notice her hand reaching behind her back, unsteady fingers brushing over the timber of her bow. If the tears forming in her eyes weren't enough, a haze of hurt, anger and confusion also began to cloud her vision. 

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Fethawi floated into view, placing himself between them. ''Marshal Cadere, your duty is to protect and serve the greater good...''

''Precisely what I'm doing.''

Before Nassandra could even hear the hiss of Cadere's sword being unsheathed, she watched as the blade slashed across Fethawi's body. Splinters scattered into the air and the Drasa was flung to the side, baring a deep carve along his wooden body.

''Fethawi!'' She screamed. Grabbing her bow, she reached over her shoulder for her quiver. It didn't matter to her which arrow she picked.

Once again, Cadere was too quick. He launched himself at her, grabbing her arm and twisting, forcing her to drop her bow. Her scream was cut short as he slammed his arm into her neck and pinned her to the wall. Her lungs felt like they were on fire as she struggled to free herself from his hold, but she couldn't even make him budge, no matter how much she pushed and kicked.

''Don't struggle,'' he tightened his grip on her for good measure. ''Kardas wants you brought to him. Dead or alive, that's for me to decide. I don't want any more blood on my hands.''

Nassandra heaved. Her struggling weakened. Light and darkness blurred before her as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

''How noble of you.'' A strong, sarcastic voice broke through the veil.

Panicked by the newcomer, Cadere swung his body around, holding Nassandra by keeping his arm locked around her neck. He let out an exasperated huff. ''How did you know?''

Despite feeling faint beneath Cadere's strength, Nassandra's vision eventually recovered enough for her to recognise the figure approaching them.

''I honestly didn't know what your plan was,'' Turrock smirked, rolling up his sleeves. ''But, when you've seen the things I've seen and met the people I've encountered, you learn some new skills along. Including, being able to tell when someone's hiding a secret they don't want to share. Your biggest mistake is that you have a terrible poker face.''

As Cadere ambled to the side with his hostage, Turrock stalked him with observant eyes and steady hands that appeared to be itching for a fight. They circled each other until Cadere's back was facing the waterfall. He lifted his broadsword and the edge of the blade kissed Nassandra's neck. The Princess hissed as she felt a bead of blood roll down her skin.

''I'll drag her corpse back to the Kingdom if I have to,'' Cadere grimaced. ''As I said, Kardas doesn't care what state she's in.''

''Oh, I believe you,'' the gangster admitted bitterly. His grin twitched slightly watching the blood trail down Nassandra's neck. ''Hence why I'm keeping my hands where you can see them.'' He wiggled his fingers for emphasis.

''Then step aside. You have no way to save her.''

Nassandra's frightful eyes locked with Turrock's. Despite the pain she was in, seeing Turrock stand in front of her, poised as ever, kept hope burning in her heart.

Turrock was quiet for a moment. Then, his cocky smile returned. ''That was your second biggest mistake. It never seemed to dawn on you that a simple gangster could hatch a plan that catches you off guard.''

Cadere's eyes narrowed. ''And what is your plan?''

''To distract you for...'' Turrock quickly glanced over Cadere's shoulder. ''Two more seconds.''

There was no time for the realisation within Cadere to settle. The moment he caught a glimpse of bright green out of the corner of his eye, a diamond fist crashed into his cheek.

Nassandra felt Cadere's grasp on her disappear as Ailith's punch carried him several metres through the air. He hit the ground, cracking the rocks on impact. His sword landed further away, out of reach.

Buckling under her knees, Nassandra would have collapsed if not for Ailith catching her in her arms and carefully setting her down on her knees to rest. The Princess felt a hand rub her back. She whipped her head around, gazing upon Ailith's face and seeing a comforting smile flash across it before it was replaced with horror. Nassandra followed her friend's stare and gasped. ''Fethawi?''

Chipped slivers of wood rained off the Drasa as he slowly picked himself up. His expression was as static and emotionless as ever. If Cadere's strike had cut any deeper, Nassandra's wooden companion would have been split in two. ''I may be in need of some repair, Your Highness.''

Ailith's eyes swung in Cadere's direction. He struggled onto his elbows, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. Something inside Ailith snapped. Rage was set aflame in her stomach. It burned brighter until it threatened to consume her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

Rising to her feet, Ailith coated both her arms fully in diamond and marched forward with blood in her eyes.

''Ailith, don't!'' Nassandra protested, reaching out to grab Ailith's arm...only for the warrior to pull away and continue her advance towards the traitor.

Approaching her, Turrock rolled his neck until he heard a faint crack. ''I was beginning to wonder if you would make it in time. I dared to think I would have to handle this myself...''

''He's mine!'' Ailith growled at the gangster, walking right past him.

Turrock's smirk disappeared. However, he did nothing to stop her. Instead, he observed her, noticing her hands shaking. ''Look into the eyes of the purest soul corrupted...and you shall see hell.'' He muttered under his breath.

Soon, she was standing over him, and the instant Cadere's head turned in her direction, she lashed out with a powerful punch to his face. His body jerked back, leaving him open for Ailith to strike with another punch in his chest, denting his armour. She unleashed a volley of punches against whatever part of Cadere's body she could reach. Unrelenting and erratic, Cadere crumbled onto his back and was spared any further damage only when Ailith remembered to breathe.

''You damn traitor.'' She hissed.

Anyone below a Marshal-ranked Knight would have been spitting out their teeth. But, Cadere was already picking himself up. Groaning with pain and holding his aching jaw with one hand, he began to discard the pieces of armour that protected his arms.

Ailith's mind flashed back to her first encounter with Cadere. Her fists clenched even tighter as a piece of the puzzle clicked into place. ''That's why you were the first in the library after Jozi's attack. You wanted to see if she did her job.''

Cadere said nothing. He continued to remove the metal plates until nothing covered his large, chiselled arms beneath the shoulder plates. The hard skin was littered with hundreds of thin scars. All were the same size and shape. Hardly noticeable at a passing glance, but their numbers made them difficult to ignore once spotted.

Ailith moved closer. ''Your parents were Knights. They fought for truth and justice. What would they say if they saw what you were doing?''

''They would be proud of me.''

Ailith froze and her eyes widened. ''What did you say?''

Shifting his body so that he was facing her, bowing before her on one knee, Cadere stared at her with a grim expression. ''You're right; Knights do fight for truth and justice. But, answer me this...what is truth? What is justice?''

Ailith looked at Cadere defiantly. ''It's doing what's right and fair for the people.''

''In a better world, perhaps,'' he shook his head. ''Now, answer me this...who defines what is true and what is just?''

She flinched. Her mind was already too rattled to comprehend the sudden question. ''What are you trying to say?''

''The first lie the world heard was that everyone is born equal. Those who sit on top can rule through hatred and oppression but proclaim it justice because they have the power to make it so. Kardas realised that the Knights were just pawns used by a King with a subjective view of right and wrong. He dared to stand against the tyranny and was slandered and made a defector. Without Kardas, the cycle will continue.''

''You're wrong!'' Ailith shouted. ''Nassandra isn't like that. And her father-,''

''Her father has ruled for years and has made no effort to change anything. The roots of deception and totalitarianism have been left to thrive for too long. History has been altered to make the viewpoint of the triumphant truth and their actions just.'' He paused, letting out a long sigh. ''Don't pretend that you're blameless in this story. You must have seen the signs. No matter how loudly the people cried out, you considered their word inferior to that of the Knights. After all, they fight for truth and justice, right?''

Ailith was trembling, but not out of anger. She couldn't swallow the lump in her throat as the weight of a hundred memories pressed down on her shoulders. The claws of a shadowed hand entrapped the light in her heart. She was at a loss for words. Unfocused, her eyes wandered until she saw one of Cadere's abandoned arm places with the Knight's symbol half-covered in dirt. Now, she knew the truth. Everything she believed in was a lie.

''Don't listen to him!''

Brought out of her daze, Ailith turned towards the voice. ''Nassandra?''

The Princess kneeled beside Fethawi. Even with tears in her eyes, she had a fiery look of determination that Ailith had never seen in her friend before. ''It doesn't matter what state the Knights are in. I know you. You fight for truth and justice. You don't need their symbol or their armour to prove that. I know it's what you want more than anything, but if you put your mind to it, you can become better than them.''

Seeing such an unexpected fierceness in Nassandra's eyes caused a small flicker to light up inside the warrior. It burned brighter until the shadows that were tearing her soul apart faded away and she could muster enough strength to smile and nod.

Standing next to Nassandra, Turrock grinned. ''Spoken like a Queen.''

Ailith faced Cadere and balled her fist. ''You're right about one thing. I'm not blameless. I blinded myself to what the Knights are. But, now I see their true colours. We're going to reach Fylian, save the King and stop Kardas. After that, we'll break the cycle ourselves.''

She reeled her arm back before swinging her fist at Cadere with all her might.

Cadere leapt forward at the same time. He raised his right arm to meet Ailith's. At first, she thought he was preparing a block. In that fleeting moment, she watched sharp quills jut out from the scars that speckled along his arm, extending until they were long enough to capture her arm between them. A garish screech pierced her eardrums as the spikes scrapped against the diamond layer.

Just like the quills, an unseen aura exploded out from his body, dominating Ailith's.

She tried to yank her arm away and then saw Cadere's left fist veer into view. More barbs spiked out from his skin, spreading over his knuckles. Ailith raised her other hand and blocked the strike with her palm. The force of the punch was enough to knock her back a step. Off balance, it was easy for Cadere to whirl his body and lift Ailith off her feet before slamming her into one of the rocks nearby.

Ailith's body throbbed with pain as she fell to the ground. She couldn't afford to falter for even a second. Once she was up, Cadere was advancing once again and directed a spiked fist towards her face. Ailith shielded her face with her arms, failing to notice Cadere's body shift into a new stance. Pain shot through her as his foot crashed against her thigh, knocking her down and leaving her open for another attack. Rearing her head back, one of Cadere's spikes streaked across her face, leaving a small cut below her eye.

Rolling back onto her feet, Ailith opted for an offensive strategy and charged. Her fists thrust with power and speed, yet, she couldn't land a solid hit. Cadere deflected each blow with his spiked arms. In her frustration, she got sloppy and was unable to pull her arm away before Cadere caught it. He swung his arm into her stomach. The spikes shredded her clothing, but only grazed her stomach, now coated in diamond as well.

Cadere scoffed. ''I recall you saying you could only keep your magic going for short bursts. You can't protect yourself forever.''

Ailith had no chance to counter. He crashed into her, knocking the breath out of her. Lifting her up, he threw her into the ground. Her back impacted heavily with the ground, leaving her embedded in the rock. Cadere's knee dug into her stomach. Even with her protection, every strike left their mark. Heaving, Ailith tried to push him off, placing more power in her arms and causing the diamond along her stomach to slowly vanish.

''It doesn't matter what you say,'' Cadere said. ''You're still too weak to change anything.''

Then, Ailith felt his weight disappear.

Cadere was launched into the air. The armour protecting his ribcage had become heavily dented, leaving a large imprint in its wake. His body came to a hard stop against the wall.

Ailith rolled to her side, breathing heavily and giving herself some time to gather her bearings. The shadow of a figure standing next to her caught her eye and she glanced up at her saviour.

''Sorry, diamond-rough,'' Turrock half-heartedly apologised through a smile and held out his hand to her. ''I grew bored waiting, and it seems like you could use some assistance.''

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. What did you think of it? It was supposed to have Ailith and Turrock teaming-up to fight Cadere, but the chapter was already starting to get long so I thought I'd leave a teasing cliffhanger and save the fight for the next one. Will the two prevail against the Marshal? Or will there be another twist to the tale? Let me know what you think. Thank you all and take care.