( Mia's P.O.V )
He grinned widely.
"Missed me?" 'So that's Armen huh?' I thought in my head. The Emperor grit his teeth and balled his fists. I smirked.
".....I see..." He trailed off angrily. He slowly turned towards me and grinned.
"You......" The mercenary behind me turned around and faced him. He pointed towards me. The smirk on my face left entirely.
'Oh no.' I thought quickly.
"Hold her down.....and kill her........" My eyes widen and the mercenary behind me grabbed me suddenly and put me in a headlock. His arm pressed tightly against my neck, choking me.
"MIA!" I heard Grayson yell. He held a knife to my neck, cutting into my skin. I kicked and trashed around, but he was too strong.
"Sova." I heard from behind me. The mercenary's knife clanged to the ground and his grip loosened. Seconds later, he fell to the ground. He looked as if he was asleep. I looked behind me and saw Armen. I looked at him for a split second before looking at the dictator. His eyes completely turned red and he had the look of a killer. I started to back away, but not after I slowly picked the knife up first. Armen walked in between me and the Emperor lazily. He looked a bit disturbed by the look of the murderers eyes, but didn't look the least bit scared.

"Sova.'' He said simply, and the Emperor was out like a light.
"...wow...it usually takes awhile for it to be effective..." He stated. Everyone was staring at him wide-eyed. He looked around.
"What?"
"Our...lord...you killed him..." One of the archers said with vengeance in their voice.
'Must be a loyal one...' I thought, disappointingly. Aaron sighed loudly.
"What idiots..." I heard him mumble. I looked at Drake and we made eye contact. I gave him a face that said, "what now?" He shrugged slightly. Everyone seemed to be unsure of what to do. We were all still in place, other than us looking at eachother for a couple of moments. After those moments, Aaron sighed again.
"Something has to happen. I'm getting bored." Everyone looked at him.
"Well then what do we do? Our leader is dead!" The same archer said. Armen, Drake, and Aaron face-palmed, and shook their heads in disappointment. A magenta stake appeared in Armen's hand.

"Isn't it obvious? We fight." He announced as he threw the stake and it landed deeply in an archers thigh. The archer yelled in pain and fell, dropping their weapon. Only a few in the room gasped. After that, all the archers aimed their crossbows at Armen, and fired. All while Grayson elbowed roughly both mercenaries holding him down. They both fell back, and one of them dropped their sword. He grabbed it, and stabbed it through his wooden shackles, and the sword traveled outwards from his feet, until the shackles were split. They came off easily and he cut the link on the chains that were locked on his arms, allowing him to be more mobile. One of the archers came on his back and they both dropped to the floor. Grayson then stabbed him in the stomach. I was slowly backing out of the room.

'If I can get out of here, I can get our stuff and weapons.' I thought. I gripped my knife and sprinted out of the room.
'Our stuff should be in the storage, I need to go back to the room where my clothes are too. I can't stand being in this attire. I can steal some stuff from here aswell.' I thought to myself as I kept running. I felt a pain on my arm. I looked down and saw a cut across it. Suddenly, something grabbed my arm and pulled me back, a knife to my throat again. It cut on my recent wound. I averted my eyes and saw a mercenary. More specifically, an empire assassin.

( Drake's P.O.V )
"Mörk Stäf!" I heard Aaron chant. Before he could hit me with the spell, I jumped out of the way and the dark magical sphere hit the mercenaries behind me, knocking them both against the wall. He turned his staff and a blade stuck out of it. He ran towards me with the staff. I held up my arms and covered my face quickly. It stabbed through the gem and the metal of my chain, causing it to open and fall to the floor. I only had one of the chains wrapped around my arm. My arm was stabbed aswell. I held it tightly and choked back a yelp of pain. He raised his staff above my head and tried another attack. I panicked and grabbed the staff before it stabbed me. We both struggled. I soon grabbed and pushed it back towards him, making him almost fall. He regained his footing and grabbed the staff again.

"Sova!" He chanted. My eyes widen, but then got droppy. I felt exhaustion overcome me and my legs weaken, as well as my grip.
'NO! NOT THIS TIME!' I shouted in my head, and fought it off, though the urge to sleep was still there. He stabbed me in the shoulder. It hurt, but it helped me stay awake. He held his hand out. I flew back and hit the wall. This only helped, and I felt more and more awake.
'This is going to hurt.' I thought, before I used telekinesis on him in return, sending him flying to the ceiling. The pain came, and I fell to the floor again.
'No....I can't, now's...my chance...." I thought as the pain began. I forced myself to stand up and run. I stumbled a bit and had to dodge a couple of arrows. I felt someone behind me and saw a mercenary's arrow making its way to me. It stopped in mid-air and turned around towards the mercenary. It went straight to his neck, and he fell to the floor. I looked up and saw Armen. A tiny smile spread across my face, aswell as his. A dagger zipped past us. He stopped smiling and flew over to the mercenary where it came from.

I continued to run and the pain started to die down. I reached my hand out and grabbed a staff. The staff was dyed a ruby red, and felt sturdy and strong. It had strong black rope on it where the Mage could place their hands. At the top there was a case that contained a large green gem. Surrounding it, was gold sticking out and in a very decorative design. At the end of it, was a blade of a spear polished in gold. I used the blade and stabbed the remaining gem on my arm, careful not to cut myself. Immediately after I took it off, I felt something lift me in the air, and throw my body at the wall.

The pain took away my urge to sleep. I stood up and held the staff in front of me.
'I haven't used one of these in a very long time.' I thought. I ignored that fact and chanted,
"Stålnålar!"
A teal blue ripple of water appeared and from it, generated tons of small blades, that were teal like the ripple. They soon traveled in the air faster, and turned into actual blades. A couple of them hit Aaron, before he set up a barrier blocking the rest. I turned the blades and aimed them towards the other mercenaries.

( Grayson's P.O.V ) (I like writing his P.O.V the most, but I don't write it that much :/ )
I stabbed the mercenary in the stomach, but the wound wouldn't kill him. I pushed him off me and he fell cold on the floor. The mercenary that I elbowed got back up and we were in a bladelock. I kicked him in the left shin and he staggered back and lunged at me once again. Another bladelock. We broke out of it and he aimed his sword at my throat. I dodged it and stabbed the side of his shoulder. I then stabbed his stomach. He fell beside the other mercenary, and I saw an arrow zip past me, cutting the fabric of my jacket. I turned around and saw a blade cutting through the archers stomach. He fell on his knees and then the floor. I looked to see who it was and my eyes widen in pure shock. It was Luke's. My emotions quickly changed and I felt angry. I pointed my sword towards him.
"Why did you help me?!" I shouted at him. He averted his eyes, but still he held onto his katana.
"I know you may not forgive me, but, I at least want to help you and the others escape."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Wha-" I was cut off with an arrow flying past me and hitting Luke on his shoulder blade. He groaned in pain and ran past me. He elbowed him on the side of his head and he fainted. I continued.
"As I was saying," he looked at me.
"What's the catch?" I questioned. He shook his head.
"There is no catch." I raised my eyebrows.
"No favor? No help? No money?" I asked him suspiciously. He shook his head again. "There's no catch."

( Mia's P.O.V )
I held onto my knife tighter. As he continued to cut into my flesh, I slowly and gently raised my leg, and pointed my knife towards him. He seemed to not notice I had a weapon. He didn't look like a mercenary, but an Empire Assassin. He had white hair and violet eyes, a scarf around half of his face. The same as the purple-haired assassin in the throne room. I then kicked him as hard as I could, and he stumbled back, his blade, making another cut on my neck. I turned around and before I had time to react he pinned me to the floor. He raised his sword above my chest. I moved away just barely and kicked his stomach. He raised his sword again, and I caught it with my hands, and it cut into my palms, drawing blood.

I ignored it as much I could, and stabbed him on the shoulder. I kicked him once again with my other leg and he fell. I wiggled out and tried to run. I felt his arm wrap around my waist and pull me towards him. I struggled, but his grip was strong, and his nails dug into my skin. He held the sword up to my neck and started cutting slowly again. Making sure I would have a slow death. I trashed around but it only made it worse, as I made it cut faster. I held onto his arm and tried to pry it off. I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. Inside, I was scared and nervous. Suddenly, his sword dropped and his grip released. He fell on me and I looked behind me. There, I saw Vivian with a sword in her hand, and a strap of a backpack across her back. My eyes widen and I pushed the assassin off of me.

"Vivian!" I said, my eyes brightening. She gave me the sword and the bag. I raised an eyebrow.
"Take it. You'll need it more than I do." She said sleepy. Sudden thoughts hit me.
"Are you helping me escape?" I inquired. She yawned.
"I wish I could do more, but this is all I can do. I'll get caught." I looked at her in wonder.
"But you just..." I trailed off, as I looked at the assassin.
"I know, but there were no witnesses other than you. At least I hope so." She answered yawning again.
"Where are the others? You guys can come with us and escape!" I suggested with hope glistening in my eyes. She looked down and shrugged.
"They're back at the room where we prepared you. And, we appreciate it, but before I left, we agreed with eachother that we wouldn't come with." She explained.
"Why not?" I asked.
"We've lived here our whole lives. You can't just expect us to go with you and be professionals at survival right? Sewing and decorating is pretty much the only skill all of us have." She responded.
"But-" she cut me off.
"We'll be fine. We've put up with it for this long haven't we? Your clothes and all of your belongings are inside. I don't know where your friend's bags are. I apologize." She stated.
"But we ca-" she cut me off again.
"No! We'll be fine! Now go!" She hissed and turned my head around. She shoved me and took off, walking quickly to the others.
I looked at the things she gave me. I gripped my bag tightly and put it on my back. I started to dash to the storage.
'Thanks, Vivian. Really.' I thought. And I meant it.

( Drake's P.O.V )
The remaining of the blades stabbed the other mercenaries. Aaron lowered his barrier and charged at me. I backed up and quickly jabbed his head three times. He missed two, but one cut across the side of his face. He narrowed his eyes and raised his staff again. We were in a bladelock with our staffs. He removed one of his hands and punched me in the gut. I stumbled back in pain and aimed my staff at him again.

"Magiska Korrupta!" I chanted it, and glowing white writing appeared and attached to his arm. He groaned in pain, and I saw my chance. I aimed for his chest, but he raised his staff and raised it above my head. My eyes widen and I jumped out of the way. His breathing staggered. And he lunged at me again. I panicked and backed up, but his blade cut a bit of my shoulder. I made three jabs at his head again and all three hit him, because the spell was making him disoriented. He stabbed my thigh and he coughed up blood. The cut started to bleed, and it hurt. He uppercutted me and I fell back on the floor. He pinned me and raised his staff. I punched directly in his face and his head fell back. I stabbed his heart. He looked at me with emotionless eyes, but he was creepily grinning.

"Heh...you're all m-morons..." He managed to say before he teleported away. I looked around and saw Armen dealing with mercenaries, but looked unharmed. Mia was nowhere to be found. Grayson and Luke were fighting off mercenaries. There were a couple that were conscious or alive left. No one was paying any mind to me and I looked over at the asleep Emperor. I staggered over to him and climbed the stairs up to his throne. I stood over him and went into his cloak's pockets. I smiled a tiny smile and picked up the two maps. I folded them cautiously and put them in my pocket. I raised the blade of my staff above him. Before I stabbed him, I looked over at Grayson. He was still fighting with Luke and had cuts over him. He was fighting about three of them. I thought about how he wanted to be the one to kill him. I then looked at the tyrant.
'If I kill him, then what are we gonna do about the people...?' I thought. I convinced myself and lowered my staff. Armen was no longer fighting mercenaries and was on one of the steps. Luke and Grayson took care of the last mercenary.

Me and Armen looked at eachother. I felt tears slide down on my face, burning my cuts.
"So that's what you meant that I would found out..." I trailed off, looking at him. He nodded and grinned, giving me a thumbs up. I smiled.
"You're pale. You used too much magic." He said, as he put down his hand. I shook my head.
"Didn't really have a choice." I said chuckling. I took out the maps to the Draco Hatchery and walked over to Grayson. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but was standing. I handed him the maps. His eyes glistened as he looked at them.
"So, what now?" Luke asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"What do I mean? Have you not realized yet that I'm helping you all escape?" He declared. I saw a tiny smile that was covered by his scarf. My eyes widen.
"Just a quick question." Everyone looked over at Grayson.
"Where's Mia?" At that instant all our eyes widen. We all looked around. None of us noticed her leaving the room. Then an object hit the side of my face. Grayson's aswell, knocking both of us to the floor.
"Hey idiots!" A voice that I knew said playfully.
"You think we're not leaving without our things?!" It was Mia's.
"Mia!" Me and Grayson said in unison.

"I'm aware that's my name." She joked. I stood up and put my bag around my back.
Grayson ran up to her and hugged her. After a couple of seconds, their faces turned crimson red. They broke apart and Mia looked down as Grayson turned to us. Luke's eyes were widen. I was standing next to Armen and we both snickered silently.
Armen then started,"So you're Mia huh?" She looked up and the color left her face. Same for Grayson.
"And you're Armen?" She asked.
"Yup!" Armen answered and grinned.
"Nice to actually finally meet you!" Armen exclaimed.
"You too!"
----- ( Time skip cuz I can )

( Luke's P.O.V ) ( A/N Weren't expecting this were ya?! )
We navigated our way around the castle and only confronted a few mercenaries. Armen guided us underground, something that I never even knew about. When we got back up to the surface, we were all in the forest, far away from the Empire. It had been hours. Mia immediately went away from the area, still in the clothes that the Emperor ordered her to be put in.
"Don't any of you follow me! I'm changing." She announced before walking away from the area. She brought a sword with her just incase.
"We should set up camp." Grayson suggested.
"And get of our wounds cleaned. Like jeez." Armen added. Armen was right. Grayson had lots of gashes, cuts, wounds, all over. It we didn't treat them soon, they would surely get infected. The same for Drake. Armen was unharmed, and Mia and I weren't wounded that much at all.
"I'll go get firewood." Grayson suggested.
"But you're hurt," Armen protested. "I'll do it." He said as he grabbed the axe out of Grayson's hands and headed towards the woods.
"I'll get the things set up and cook the food." Drake said and started preparing things. He kept the staff that he got from the Empire.
Grayson groaned.
"I'm going with Armen." He said trudging off.
Drake and I sighed.
"He's too stubborn..." We grumbled in unison. We stayed in silence.
"You still care about Grayson right?" Drake blurted. I looked at him. I debated on if I should tell him. I let out a sigh and shrugged.
"I guess."
"And thanks for helping us." He added. I scoffed.
"I barely did anything."
"I wouldn't exactly say that. Why don't you come with us?" He asked. My eyes widen.
"What?" I blurted.
"Exactly what I said." I sulked and looked at the sky. There were stars and the moon was shining brightly. 'Its that late?' I thought.
I shrugged.
"I feel horrible for what I did to Grayson back then. If I could change it I would. But, that's not possible, and I was the reason why his wife and son got killed. He may never forgive me. I at least have to try to get it back."
"So that's it?" I looked from the sky and looked at him.
"Yeah." I confirmed and looked down.
"He's a good person. He's kind and he's always there to help. I'm sure he'll forgive you one day." Drake remarked, not looking up. I shrugged.
"I doubt it."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3373 words not including the authors note. JEEZ! O.o