The Greatest Princess of Guardia Part 3
Guardia’s Greatest Night
By The Game God
Storm clouds were looming on the horizon as Princess Nadia slowly climbed
the surface of Mt. Truce. About half way up the mountain, the surface
was covered with Mystics warriors frozen in stone. ‘It’s
an army…’ Nadia thought. When she reached the top of the
mountain, Nadia saw a strange clearing. There were arches of stone
encircling a stone altar where two dark figures were waiting.
The first was a tall, muscular man dressed in the uniform of a Knight of
the Square Table. The second was a slinky woman in a long grey cape.
Nadia recognized the woman as the androgynous magician Flea.
“What have we here…” the man said, “… the last of
the Guardia Line.”
Nadia drew her crossbow, “Who are you?!” she shouted.
He smiled. “Kez Noral, the next King of Guardia.” He grabbed
the hilt of his sword.
Flea put his hand on Noral’s sword. “Wait… I have a
little score to settle with this royal harlot.” Flea rose to his
feet. “I’ve been waiting four hundred years to get even with
you!” Flea unleashed a stream of magic at the young princess.
Nadia held out her crossbow, putting a barrier of magic around her.
“You’ve been practicing!” Flea mused. Flea leapt off
the altar, baring a set of gleaming claws. Nadia used her crossbow
to deflect Flea’s powerful blows. Nadia swung her weapon,
cutting’s Flea’s face with the arrow that was ready to fire.
Flea stumbled back, putting a hand over the cut. Nadia took aim and
fired an arrow, the projectile lodging in Flea’s neck, cutting the spinal
chord.
Flea stumbled back but Nadia was ready, striking Flea across the face and
sending the magician plummeting to the rocky valley below. The rain
began to fall as Kez Noral started clapping slowly. Nadia looked over
at the knight. He smiled, “Good work… saved me the
trouble.”
He drew his sword, a strangely shaped blade with a black razor edge.
“Royalty has changed a lot in 400 years.”
“You killed my mother!” Nadia shouted.
“Indeed, and now your father…” He lowered his sword,
“… and now you!” He brought his sword up quickly, making
a small cut on Nadia’s arm. My Terminus sword is laced with the
same poison I used on your parents. But for you, I used a stronger
version… no seizures, just a quick death. You’ll be dead
in ten minutes… unless…” He stepped aside, showing a
number of tiny bottles, “… you can find the antidote!”
He swung his sword over his head, the blade crashing down on Nadia’s
crossbow. Kez Noral assaulted the princess with a number of sword
attacks. Nadia was nearly as fast as the knight, deflecting all of
his sword blows. Nadia lunged, hitting the knight in the stomach with
the butt of her crossbow.
“Oh… you’re a spunky little…” Nadia swung her crossbow
again, striking Noral across the face. The knight responded by striking
the princess with the back of his fist. Nadia fell to the ground.
Her vision was beginning to blur, the poison was taking effect. Nadia
used her magic to lower her body temperature, hoping it would slow the poison.
Nadia rolled out of the way before the knight drove his sword into the
ground. Another array of deflected sword blows forced Nadia to the
edge of the cliff. She ducked between Noral’s legs and fired at
him. The arrow struck his left arm just below his armor. Noral
pulled the arrow out and moved his Terminus to right hand.
“You’re much more the warrior than you look.” Noral said.
Noral ran toward girl. Nadia ducked under his sword, the blade catching
the end of her ponytail. Nadia swung her crossbow up, hitting the knight
between the legs.
Kez Noral stumbled back. Nadia swung her crossbow, hitting Noral across
the face. “That’s for my mother!” She swung it
the other way, hitting his face on the other side. “That’s
for my father!” She thrust her crossbow forward, breaking his
nose. “That’s for me!” She loaded an arrow in
her crossbow. “And this is for Guardia!” She fired
the arrow, the projectile lodging in Noral’s stomach. As he slipped
off the mountain, Nadia’s channeled her magic.
The dark knight plummeted down freezing in the air. His frozen body
shattered when it hit the rocks below. At that, the stony warriors
that dotted the surface of the mountain began to crumble. Nadia fell
to her knees. She could barely see and her heart was beating wildly.
She turned to toward and moved toward the altar. Suddenly, Nadia saw
a strange figure near the altar. It was a beautiful woman with red
hair and a long, flowing dress. “Momma?” Nadia struggled
to say.
Aliza smiled, “Yes, baby.” She held out her hands, “Look
at what a beautiful young woman you’ve become.”
“I’m scared momma…” Nadia said, “I think I’m
gonna die.”
“Take my hand…” Aliza said.
Nadia reached out for her mother’s hand. That was when Aliza’s
hand vanished and Nadia held one of the small bottles in her hand.
“The antidote…” Nadia said. Nadia popped the lid off
and swallowed some of the fluid.
Slowly but surely, Nadia felt the effects of the poison vanish. Nadia
stood up and watched the storm clouds vanish, bathing Mt. Truce in a golden
sunrise. She looked down at the bottle. “Daddy…”
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Nadia raced to her father’s rooms. Lucca stopped her at the
door. “Don’t go in Nadia…”
“But I have the antidote!”
Lucca shook her head, “It’s too late.”
“No…” She pushed past Lucca and ran to her father’s
side. “It’ll be okay daddy.” She poured the antidote
into the king’s mouth… nothing happened. Nadia put her arms
around her father, “Please don’t leave me…” A tear
escaped Nadia’s eye and fell to her father’s cheek.
The king opened his eyes and put his arm around his daughter,
“Nadia?” Nadia cried tears of joy, as the king’s strength
returned. “What happened?”
“Everything is going to be okay…” Nadia said, “…
everything’s going to be okay!”
.