Chapter 14

14

-----------------------------

When Casterline became self-aware once more she jumped back out of the way of the zombie's reach. Fiaerna groaned and pulled the syringe full of sedative out from her chest and quickly rose to her feet. Upon seeing the Princess, he thrust his arms into that defensive x formation yet again. His long nails receded into his skin to show dripping needles in their place. Then appeared a new name to replace the three question marks previously shown: Redrik The Lost. He dodged Casterline in favor of hitting his true target, Fiaerna. The needles shot from his fingertips like the quills of a porcupine. Fiaerna flitted and teleported around the room at mach speed. "Kill him already!" she yelled. But Caste had seen him in his human form. She had also seen Fiaerna from The Blonde Woman's perspective and was left feeling conflicted, confused, and disturbed. Redrik had knocked Fiaerna unconscious. He could have killed her right then and there, but he didn't. He instead chose to show Casterline something she wasn't meant to see, but absolutely needed to see. And now that Caste was out of Fiaerna's reach, Redrik was aiming for the kill. The needles protruding from his fingertips were dripping with poison. "Casterline Akahoshi! I order you by Royal Decree to kill this wretched abomination!" "But, Princess--"

"Do it now!" Fiaerna's command was so loud it made Casterline's ears ring. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't focus. Unable to seize her Wand before it was ground to dust under Redrik's rotting bare foot, she rushed to open her equips menu to draw out her favorite instead. She gripped her broadsword tightly and moved toward Redrik with trembling hands. With the hilt of her sword she hit him right between the eyes and pinned him down as he crumpled to the ground. "I'm sorry, Redrik. I must obey the orders of My Lady." Redrik's eyes grew wide with a disturbing realization. Casterline raised her head and screamed as the blade went down. Clink Caste had closed her eyes just before impact. She couldn't bare to see what she had to do. But upon opening them, she saw that her blade had missed entirely and that she'd swung toward the dungeon's floor. "I'm losing my patience!" roared Fiaerna. "I'm so sorry, Redrik." Shaking hands raised the sword high once more, but she hesitated for a moment too long. Redrik had grabbed the blade bare-handed and plunged it deep into his very own heart. His HP Bar drained to zero and Redrik The Lost, who had once proudly dawned the title of Redrik The Royal Physician...was no more.