Chapter 3:

I can’t say no

WARNING: CONTAINS VIOLENCE, GORE, AND DEATH

A moment later, he heard shallow footsteps from around the door, and Silas jumped up. He then took a deep breath and raised his sword again, this time prepared to attack. The footsteps came closer and closer, his muscles tensed more and more, until he saw a young woman’s head peek through the door.

“O-oh my god… Fredrick!” The woman, seemingly not noticing Silas, ran past him and to the man lying dead on the ground, still warm. “Fredrick!” Her voice became strained as she grabbed his bloodied shirt and cried, sobbing loudly.

Silas was unsure what to do. He stood, still holding his sword up high as the woman noticed the door in plain sight. She gasped and stood up, checking that the door was still locked. With trembling hands, she turned around to see Silas standing and watching her, ready to attack.

The woman screamed and jumped behind a piece of furniture, her legs too shaky to run any farther. Her fragile frame was trembling violently. She would not be able to defend herself in the least.

Silas wiped the back of his mouth with his hand, putting his sword down. “I… I don’t want to hurt you.” He said this unsteadily. “I don’t want to do this…”

Even at seventeen, he was still a child.

The young woman stared at him, holding onto the end table for support. “Why… why did you have to kill Fredrick…? Why?” She accused, sobbing again.

Silas had no good answer to this. “I had to defend myself, he was going to-”

The woman fell down, losing what little feeling was left in her legs. Silas saw this and went to reach out to her, but she cowered away from him, glaring back at him.

He felt so small, so insignificant, so disgusting. He was disgusted with the person he had become. What would the real Silas do? Not the elven soldier Silas… the real one… He thought to himself, biting his lower lip.

He could say it without thinking. He would attempt to save this woman, even if that meant sacrificing his own well being.

The sound of footsteps flooded the hall, and the woman froze, too afraid to move. “Please, please don’t hurt him… please, not Clarence.” She begged, pleading to Silas.

Silas nodded his head, unsure of who Clarence was. Quickly, he pushed the woman under the bed, and quietly told her to hide herself. He would save her life, at least.

...

As soon as he stood, holding his sword up near the corpse once again, two familiar faces walked into the room. Henry and Arnold.

“Silas?” The two muttered in surprise, walking into the bloody scene. “I see you handled yourself quite well. I’m proud of you.” Henry said, patting the man’s shoulder like a proud father.

Arnold looked over the body of the fallen enemy and nodded his head, smiling at Silas in the same fashion. “You did to him what he did to our clan. He died like a dog, as he should have.” He laughed.

Silas hid his shame and disgust and smiled back at the men, holding his sword tightly in his hands.

“I see there’s another room here. Silas, did you investigate this?” Even though Silas had not, he glanced back at the door before resolutely answering. That maid had told him to protect Clarence… was Clarence the owner of this room? Who was he? He could only assume it was her son.

Silas swallowed. “Yes. The guard that attacked me came from that room. I closed the door after thoroughly sweeping it.”

Henry accepted his answer and urged him to find his partner, Jacob. He was told they had not found the royal family yet, but he suspected that they may still be hiding in the western wing of the castle, possibly in the basement.

“Remember,” Arnold said, “We’re looking for the King and the Prince, but we need the Queen too.” Arnold glanced around, “This must have been the Prince’s room, but they must have already moved him.”

Silas’s mouth dried up instantly.

“Wh-What was the Prince’s name again?” Silas forced out with a cough.

Everyone in the room raised an eyebrow at Silas, until Henry laughed, breaking the tension.

“Your first kill must have shaken you, Silas.” Henry placed his large hand on Silas’s shoulder again, “Remember, it’s Cedric.”

The breath Silas had been holding in was released all at once. Of course, Silas thought, she wouldn’t ask me to protect the prince. How silly. She would be signing his death wish.

Henry removed his hand off of Silas’s shoulder and rounded up the others.

“We will go first. Make sure you regroup with Jacob and search the cellars.” Henry commanded, leaving no room for argument.

As Henry and Arnold were preparing to leave, Jacob entered the room swiftly, covered in blood. “Silas, it’s good to see you!” Jacob looked as if he was sparkling. His eyes lit up, and a large, wide smile spread across his face. “A ha! Seems like you didn’t need me to get your hands dirty! You’re already doing a great job on your own!”

“Thank you.” Silas said, neither smiling nor frowning, trying to keep a straight face. His voice was hoarse.

“Were you able to clear the floor?” Henry asked Jacob.

Jacob was quick to answer his question. “I slaughtered the guards on this floor, and Silas and I already cleared the barracks.”

They all laughed together.

Jacob seemed to notice something by the bed and called out to Henry. “Hey Henry, come over here and take a look at this.” The three men walked over to the back side of the bed and looked down to the floor, where Jacob’s eyes were fixed on a spot on the floor. Jacob bent down and sniffed the puddle. Silas noticed the yellow liquid and immediately froze.

“Ah, isn’t this familiar…” Jacob trailed off, standing straight back up.

Arnold looked sideways at Jacob. “Well, what is it?”

Jacob grinned, “The fresh scent of piss.” He walked around the other side of the bed and got down on his hands and knees, he looked at Silas and said flatly, “I think there’s someone under the bed. Can you check the other side for me?”

Silas wanted to protest, but all he could do was agree. If he did not, they would not let him leave the room alive, believing he was a traitor.

He walked to the urine side of the bed and bent down at the knees, avoiding wetting his shoes in the liquid. He and Jacob lifted the bed skirt at the same time, but Jacob quickly shot his hand out into the dark and yanked back hard. The woman screamed as she was pulled out from under the bed by her hair.

Henry smiled, “Very perceptive, Jacob.” He congratulated him.

Jacob didn’t seem to notice. He was too pleased with himself for catching another prey. “Look at this little thing, she’s trembling… just like my little sister.” He paused. “Don’t worry, I’ll only do to you what they did to her.”

The young woman looked at the men with terrified eyes, full of tears. Her skin could not pale any farther, but she fiercely resisted as she was dragged out. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she howled and begged.

Jacob held her up by her hair, holding her in the air perfectly still. He closed his eyes and kept the same smile on his face, almost like he was praying to a loved one. He lifted his sword and then… Slice. The young woman’s body dropped to the ground with a sickening thud, and her head was still suspended in the air by her hair. Her eyes did not open, but the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

Silas couldn’t restrain himself and he vomited on the ground next to the puddle of urine.

The three men laughed at Silas’ reaction, mentioning that it will get better with time, and that he would just have to get used to it. As much as he wished, that scene would never leave his memory. He knew it would be permanently ingrained into his mind.

Jacob held the young woman’s head up like a trophy, swinging blood around with him. “I wish I could keep all the heads I’ve cut here! My collection just keeps growing!” Jacob then looked at the woman’s body and bent over, inspecting something on her chest.

He reached out his fingers and grabbed a small silver locket off her neck, unclasping it with his nail. The picture inside showed the young woman and the man lying near her on the ground, Fredrick. The two wore light colored, simple clothes. Around the young woman’s head was a flower crown. They were beaming…

Arnold looked over Jacob’s shoulder and chuckled, “It seems like we got a two for one! “ The three laughed as if one of them had told a very funny joke. Silas was still trying to catch his breath, but it felt like his throat was clogged, making it difficult for him to breathe.

He wanted to cry for them. For what he did and what he allowed to happen.

Because he was weak.

Jacob noticed Silas’ poor pallor and looked to Henry, “Henry, I think he needs to catch his breath. It’s only natural, it’s his first day on the job.” Jacob said this as if it were a mild inconvenience. Henry nodded his head.

“Silas, I want you to head back to the cart and keep watch until we return. I think you’ve done enough for today.” He said this coolly, preparing to leave with Arnold and Jacob.

After the group had left, Silas shakily stood up, refusing to look at the corpses. He shuffled his heavy feet to the door, but then turned back, looking at the small door he had yet to explore. His desire to find and protect the boy named Clarence, the child the dead woman asked him to protect, overcame his fear and desire to run away, and he stepped forward and walked to the small door, holding the small door knob in his clammy hand.

Could her child be here? Silas thought to himself, tightening his grip on the knob. When he tried to turn the knob in his hand, it only moved slightly, clicking loudly.

It’s locked… Normally, Silas would have given up here, thinking whatever was in there must not have been important, but he had a feeling that there was something important behind the door. It was something he had to save.

Silas quickly searched the room without finding the key. Then, after checking the side tables, he looked at the two corpses on the ground. The blood was still warm and flowing, and the vomit Silas had coughed up earlier came climbing back up. Carefully, he bent at the knees and reached down to the maid. The smell of blood made him gag.

Her apron was stained with blood. Silas’s hand recoiled once, but then he forced himself to reach further and stick his hand into her apron pocket. The first pocket was empty except for a small book, possibly a religious text. Silas checked the other pocket and felt a small object through his gloves. Reaching out, it was a small, round, black key.

He looked over his shoulder at the locked door, and then walked towards it with shaking legs.

After he placed the key in the lock, he unlocked the door. Then, he twisted it with his wrist and pushed the door open. His shadow took up the majority of the light in the doorway, leaving him to fumble forward into the spacious room.

There were toys scattered everywhere, as if someone had dumped a large toy box onto the floor of the room and spread the pieces like parts of a jigsaw puzzle. Silas had to walk carefully to avoid tripping.

As he walked further into the room, he saw something move behind the doll house near the back wall of the room. Silas retrieved his sword from his back and moved forward, slowly stepping closer and closer to the moving object. Just as he was about to swing his sword, a voice called out to him.

“Esther, is that you?” A soft voice called out to him and Silas immediately sheathed his sword.

He took another step closer and saw a boy hiding on the back side of the doll house. It was hard to see in the dark room, but he looked to be six or seven years old. His bangs were long and spiky, hiding part of his face. His eyes were large and innocent, like a kitten’s after it had just opened its eyes for the first time. The blue in his eyes sparkled lightly.

Silas stopped and the boy made eye contact with him. “Who are you?” He asked directly, as if he was only slightly daunted.

“Silas... “ He muttered without thinking, feeling foolish for answering.

“I’m Clarence, but my family calls me Clare.” He nodded his head. “Why are you here? Where’s Esther?”

So this is Clarence.

Silas looked sideways, towards the door behind him and then he saw a glimpse of the bloody scene ahead of him. He quickly moved and shut the door most of the way, still leaving a crack for him to escape.

Clarence looked at him strangely and then stood up. His pajamas were adorned by a starry sky and three jumping sheep.

“Did your mom send you here?”

“No, Esther told me to hide here until the bad men are gone, just like my dreams.”

Silas asked, “Like your dreams?”

“The tall, scary men chase me at night. I run and hide in my bed under the covers until morning. They’re scared of sunlight.” Clarence said this with a hint of fear in his eyes. His eyes looked down, darkly.

Silas smiled and bent down at the knees, now face to face with the boy. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Clarence. I promise.” He felt his heart lighten.

Clarence lifted his pinky, “Pinky promise then.”

Silas smiled warmly at him, remembering the time he and Emmeline had made a similar promise in the past. Clarence saw this warm smile and smiled back, feeling warm in his chest.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from outside the room, coming from the floor beneath them. The ground began shaking violently, and Clarence lost his footing and fell backwards. Acting quickly, Silas reached out his hand and grabbed the child’s thin wrist, wrapping his own long, slender fingers around it tightly.

He pulled the child’s small body towards his torso and wrapped his arms around him protectively. More bangs rang out from beneath them, making it difficult to stand.

“We need to get out of here!” Silas yelled, grasping the child tighter.