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Writing Challenge 2015-07-10

Begins in a Crypt and has a Buffalo in it.

Relena & Cale

“Well done, princess,” called a voice out in the night.

Relena tried to calm her breathing, but there was nothing she could do about the pounding of her heart. She leaned against the wall near the door. If it swung open she would be hidden from view until he came inside. Taking deep breaths she struggled to control herself. All she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sob her heart out.

This morning she had breakfast with her family, now they were dead and she was trapped with their killer.

Moonlight filtered in through the windows placed high along the wall. They illuminated the casket in the center of the room and cast shadows on the plaques lining the wall. Hysterical laughter bubbled in her chest. She was once again surrounded by corpses.

“You should really be thanking me, Princess.” Relena’s kidnapper said. “I was supposed to kill you as well.”

She pressed tighter to the wall as his voice passed by her hiding place.

“They all fell so easily, like sheep before my sword.”

Relena suppressed a sob at the memory of the pools of blood spreading from beneath her friends and family.

“You are the only one who fought back.”

She wished she still had the sword she’d picked up off the dead bodyguard. If only she could bring back the rage she felt at that moment. The shock on Cale’s face when she sliced his cheek open had been satisfying. For a moment he had feared her. She’d been aiming for his throat and he knew it.

Unfortunately, that moment had ended and she was quickly disarmed and bound.

“Give up this idea of running away. We are far from your Kingdom now.”

He had used some kind of magic and she found herself in this graveyard city. Cale wandered off to do something and she had used the edge of a gravestone to cut her bonds. Now, she was hidden in a crypt, lost, alone, and being hunted by a murderer.

“You can never go home.” he taunted.  “I was hired by your own people. Your only hope is to stay with me.”

It couldn’t be true. The people loved her father, they would never do such a thing. “I would rather die,” Relena muttered to herself. As long as she breathed, this wasn’t over. Nor was she going to wait around for him, she was getting out of here. His voice had come from farther away, this was her chance to move.

Carefully, staying low to the floor, she peered out into the night. There was nothing to see, but she could not hear her enemy either. Taking a deep breath she dashed into the night.

Whatever city for the living that might have existed nearby was gone. All that remained was a couple miles of graves. This was his favorite place to stop before moving farther into the abandoned land, where he called home. Even this place had not seen any human life, except Cale, in many years. Buffalo, gazelle, and tigers roamed the barren plains.

Cale stood atop one of the crypts. He gazed out over his domain watching for movement. His princess wasn’t a rabbit, she wouldn’t stay huddled away. No, she would seek escape and he would pounce.

When you wanted to be sure your enemy died, you called The Jackal. He always caught his prey.

In recent months he had become bored with his work. They all died so easily. He reached up to touch the cut below his eye and smiled. A city full of pacifists, biddable sheep and he found a tiger. So, quiet and obedient; she barely registered except that she had to die. Such a close little family, it was easy to work out their schedule, especially when they made a point to lunch together each day. He simply killed each one as they entered the small dining area. Not until the Princess screamed did the guards outside the door even know what happened.

The guards fell easily as well, but while he was finishing off the second, he turned his back to the princess. When turned around he was greeted by the sword in his face. She stood there her blue eyes on fire. She would kill him if she could.

A horrible grin split across his face. He had wanted to take her right then, among the blood and the death. She would scream and fight, there would be fear and pain. He was hardening just thinking of it.

No matter how much you paid a whore, they never really fought back. His princess, she would fight till the last moment.

He was pulled from his imagining by the sound of the buffalo herd outside the city. He could see them stirring, something was disturbing them. He shook his head, “Not a smart move princess.”

Hopping along the rooftops, Cale quickly made his way to the edge of the herd closest to the disturbance. Taking a flash bomb from his belt he tossed it in the air. A bright flash lit the night. The herd stampeded, running from the light. There was a scream that was drowned out by the thunder of hooves. As the dust settled, Cale walked out into the plain. Lying on the ground, with a foot twisted at a wrong angle, was Princess Relena. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but her eyes were defiant.

Cale smiled down at her. “Hello, Princess.”

Relena cried in pain as Cale picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“Time to take you home,” he said, heading back toward camp.

She began to struggle and he grabbed her broken ankle. A cry of pain ripped out of her.

“Well,” he said conversationally, “now I don’t have to worry about tying you to the bed.”

Relena screamed.