I Wish To Die Peacefully

Chapter 11: The Gods of Destruction

AVA

When I left the duchy and crossed the capital's borders, I couldn't have felt more liberated. Finally, I was out of the place that kept me prisoner for seven years... For the first time in my life, I felt like I have truly been given a chance to live for myself. It was bittersweet.

I'm still scared of the unknown. But I'll pull through somehow... I can do it; I'm not alone.

The rain was still pouring when the carriage entered the forest road leading out of the capital and towards the many axillary roads leading to the many provinces of the Gouveia Kingdom.

One of the knights told me to take a nap since the trip would be long and exhausting. I fell asleep easily due to the lack of sleep the night before.

However, the peace did not last long. I was awakened to the sounds of grunts and metal clashing against metal amidst the strengthening thuds of the rain on the ground. Then there were screams of pain, yells of cheers, more metallic sounds, mixing in together in a sickening manner, making me sick to my stomach.

I was terrified to look out of the window and just as I was about to peek outside, there was no need to. The door of the carriage was pulled open and one of the escort knights addressed me with urgency.

"Run away, milady! Run away now!" he shouted and practically pulled me out of the carriage.

The scene that greeted me was horrifying. There was blood everywhere. The knights were fighting off several men with great body sizes that moved nimbly even in the rain and the slippery ground. They were outnumbered. Two of the knights had fallen, the rain washing out their blood from open wounds and spreading it all over the ground.

"Milady please! Run away!" the knight said as he shook my frozen body. He placed something onto my shaking hands and made me hold the item tightly. I looked down. It was a small dagger. The knight stared at me directly in the eyes. He looked determined.

"Live. Please, Lady Ava... Run away and live," he said before one of the bandits lunged at us and he shielded me from the attack.

I ran away like I was told. I didn't know where I was running to or whether someone is following me. The rain clouded my sight; I tripped on the muddy ground many times. But I got up and ran, the dagger clasped tightly in my wet hand.

Before I knew it, I was climbing the rocky mountainside.

"There she is!" a man's booming voice broke through the sound of the rain.

I looked over my shoulder, terrified. Some of the men had come after me!

Suppressing my cries, I continued to climb higher and higher but it was a mistake. What waited for me was the edge of the rocky cliff.

The men had cornered me, my back was turned to a death dive behind. The danger was closing in from all directions. I couldn't see a possibility of escape.

When one of the bandits took a step closer, I pulled out the dagger that the knight gave me and pointed it at him.

"Stay back!" I shouted. My voice was shaking but I willed my hands to stay steady.

The men laughed. "You ain't gonna hurt anybody with those puny wrists and puny weapon Missy... Don't make things hard for yourself and just come with us," the nearest one told me with a grin.

"What will you do with me?" I asked, still holding the dagger in front of me.

"Need you ask Missy? We're bandits. We pillage, we kill, we sell..." another man answered, brandishing a huge knife and the others laughed maniacally.