Chapter 59:
Necessary Patricide
Schon darted around corners and ran down hallways, hearing the approaching giggling from Bobagem as he pursued her through the castle.
“I will catch you, princess!” the man said, laughing as he gained on her.
At last she found the familiar hallway where her room was, shouldering the door to force it open. She shuddered as the memories came back to her, but turned to face the current threat approaching from the hall. Smoke wafted past the door as Bobagem leaned into the doorframe, looking around curiously.
“Mm?... no secret trap, no hidden weapons?” he teased, stepping into the room. Schon readied her warhammer as she glared at the man.
“Nope. Just me and my hammer,” she responded.
“But why here? Are there not better places for you to see before you, well…” Bobagem said, making stabbing motions at the air next to him.
“Maybe. But this is one of the furthest halls from the throne. Even if you win, you won’t make it back in time,” she grinned, stepping forward and swinging the warhammer for the jester. Bobagem ducked and rolled deeper into the room, frowning at her as if she had cheated in some game.
“No tricks? No surprises… just a girl and her death knell?” the jester squeaked. His frown shifted into a smile again as he ground his blades together, sending sparks across the floor.
“I guess I’ll just have to make my own fun, then,” he said before darting forward. His blades were sent forward, purple splattering across the floor from the tips. Schon raised the warhammer to try and block, but the man twisted unnaturally. His arms seemed to warp and bend as both blades sliced into her armor, each cut breaching the softer fabrics around her elbows. She responded with a downwards swing, the warhammer splintering the wood where Bobagem had once been. She blinked and turned around, searching wildly for the jester as she felt another pierce against the back of her knee. She swung with her momentum, the warhammer careening into the wall with Bobagem standing just outside of its reach, snickering at her.
“You’re strong, but you aren’t skilled,” he remarked, slipping another blade past her guard. She shifted her stance, forcing her armored side to take the hit instead of any of the weak points in her leather armor. The blade dug in, but this time it did not breach her skin. She swung up from her hammer’s position, nearly catching Bobagem by the chin as he stumbled back playfully.
“Oh-ho! Close! That’s some nice leather, but I don’t think it will hold against a proper thrust,” the man said. “So let’s see if you were smart enough to put on chainmail…” Schon flinched, perhaps giving away that she in fact was not. She blinked suddenly, an intense pain swelling within her head. It was enough to distract her from the fight as Bobagem skidded forward, skating past her guard and plunging a blade into the leather around her stomach. Schon stumbled back as she felt the pressure from the blade against her, letting go of the warhammer as she tried to scamper away from the strike. But the jester pushed forward, and eventually Schon found her back slammed into the wall of her room. With the sudden force of the stop, the blade found its way past her leather and sunk deep. Schon gasped as the pain swelled from her middle, the growing pain in her head blurring her vision. Bobagem giggled in her ear as he leaned in close.
“Quite the similar reaction to your traitor lord, Corvidrop. He begged, you know,” the Jester snickered against the side of her head. “What will you do, I wonder?” The blade was pushed in deeper, the jester turning his wrist enough to force the blade to rotate with it. Schon squirmed against the wall, gasping as the air failed to fill her lungs. Whatever poison was on the weapon had long since begun to affect her, and she clawed at the jester’s costume. She could hardly see straight anymore, as the colors of the room began to blur together. She felt his frown press against her, his voice disappointed.
“You won’t even speak? Pity. What a waste of time,” he murmured. Schon’s eyes widened as she realized how alone she was in this moment. Alone in this room, her prison since being taken from her home. Alone, with this monster. Bobagem leaned back, looking down at her with disdain as she blinked back the tears. Anger boiled inside her gut, burning hotter than the pain and beating back any other emotion that would cripple her in that moment. With an anguished yell she reached forward and grabbed Bobagem’s head, pulling it forward as she slammed her forehead against the jester’s nose.
“AH!” the man shouted. She was not finished though, as she positioned her thumbs over the assassin’s eyes. She pressed in with vigor and fury, causing the man to screech loudly enough to crack the only window her room held. He pulled his blade from her stomach, stumbling back and tripping, holding his face.
“I can’t see! I can’t see!! What have you done!” the man yelled, squirming on the ground and rubbing his face. Schon stumbled off the wall, slowly bending down to pick up her warhammer. She dragged the head against the floor until she stood above the jester, pressing her foot against his chest to steady him. The man simply held his eyes, wailing incessantly.
“I am nobody’s toy,” Schon hissed, sending the warhammer down with dedicated aggression. In only a single strike the room grew quiet, the clatter of the jester’s blades against the wood flooring breaking the silence. Schon let go of the handle, limping out into the hallway. She clutched her side as the corridor swirled in her vision. With one hand on the wall, she began slowly limping towards the main entrance.
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