Chapter 7:Royal Death

The rain pounded relentlessly on the castle windows. The door of the royal chamber, the king's resting place was open. The old king lied on his blood-soaked bed, panting, desperate for breath. His bulging eyes stared in horror at the two figures standing over him.

"You...tra...traitors..."

"We just did what we had to do. Sparta needs a new ruler, one with the ability to guide them. The barbarian threat will soon be thrawted no doubt but the Romans, under King Octavius have been trying to expand their territory into Greece, into Sparta. You have decided to send envoys to make peace, but we don't want peace. We will go to war with the Romans and we will defeat them."

"N...No! A war with the Ro...Romans will damn us all!!!"

"Such fine words, coming from the king of Sparta. Maybe that's why I am destined a be a greater ruler than you'll ever be, father."

"You ungrateful son of a mule!I raised you as my own!"

"And what a nice job you did, raising a son who is not yours, my husband."

"Curse you, Demitris! Yours will not be a fate far from mine, this I swear upon the River Styx and Hades be my witness!"

Queen Demitris lowered her head and kissed King Xenahort on the lips and smiled menancingly. She put her hands on his head and with all her strength she twisted his neck to the left and back. King Xenahort lay motionless now, his eyes staring into space, his body lifeless, his soul on its way to the Underworld.

"Goodbye, my love."

Metal pierced her flesh. Queen Demitris looks on in horror as the tip of a sword penetrates her chest and exits on the other side. She turned and faced her son.

"I'm sorry, mother, but the old man is right. I cannot afford any distractions now that I am to be crowned King of Sparta. "

The prince pulled his sword out of Queen Demitris' body and pushed her to the ground. He waited till her breathing stopped. He threw his scabbard at the window, smashing it and alerting the guards. The prince impaled himself in the abdomen with his sword and fell sideways to the ground.

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Back in Laccnia

Raphael ducks just in time as the blade of a dagger misses by inches. He had engaged Heracles' two elite guards. They moved with high agility and speed. Raphael knew at once he was against skilled assasins. They skipped, hopped, jumped and dodged so frequently Raphael could barely see their feet touch the ground. Their daggers allowed them to strike at high speed and allowed them high flexibility on the battlefield.

Raphael was known as a skilled swordsman but now, this was a real test of his skills. A sharp pain on his right thigh forced Raphael to kneel to the ground. Blood gushed out of the wound. The blade of the dagger had cut through his armour as though it was made of cloth. The two assasins walked about in circles, sizing him up, like vultures playing with their prey.

One of them lunged forward with his daggers raised. Raphael just managed to raise his shield to deflect them. He swung his sword wildly and completely missed the barbarian. Raphael was slashed again, this time on his left shin. The voice of Hades was growing louder, Raphael had to think of a way to win or he'll be dead in no time.

The second assasin rushed forward. Raphael raised his shield but the attack came from beneath it, targetted at his lower limbs. Another hit, this time at his ankle. The shield was a liability. The first assasin charged again and this time, instead of using his shield to block the attack, Raphael used it to bash the assasin, hoping to land a lucky strike. It worked. The shield caught the assasin right in the face, dazing him. Raphael capitalised by severing the assasin's arms. Raphael plunged his sword into the assasin's chest, killing him.

The second assasin looked stunned and froze instantly in shock. Raphael dropped his shield and picked up one of the daggers from the dead assasin. It was time to fight fire with fire. The second assasin recovered from his shock and resumed moving around, pondering a plan of attack. He charged forward. Raphael anticipated it. He sidestepped the assasin, allowing him to go past. The assasin attempted a back swing attack but Raphael anticipated that too. He blocked the attack with his sword and using the dagger, punctured the assasin's left lung. Blood burst out from the wound. The assasin dropped his daggers and covered his wound with his hands.

The assasin had his head severed by a long sword. Heracles himself had killed his last assasin.

"Worthless coward!"

Heracles turned to face Raphael. An evil smile spread across his face.

"Perhaps, my blade will reap your soul afterall."

Raphael picked up his shield. Heracles' guards may be dead, but he was not. Despite the injuried, Raphael prepared for his second battle as the barbarians cheered for their commander. The Spartans watched with anxiety, tension rising, the strained silence blooming with dread.