Kingdoms #13 - Flames

Ruby was in the tunnels, standing in front of the rebellion plans.

“It’s not good enough”, she said in a grave tone.

“By doing this raid we will kill more than 100 believers”, Millard said, one of her lieutenants.

Ruby chuckled and shook her head, “believers”, she said in a mocking tone, “Zyrah steps on them without blinking an eye, you think she cares?” She asked in anger, then looked at everyone around the table, “does anyone here think that Zyrah gives a damn about her followers?”

There was silence.

“What do you want us to do? We can’t kill a goddess queen”, Millard said in frustration.

“We don’t need to kill them, we only need to put fear in their hearts, just like they do to us”, Ruby said.

“So tell me how”, he demanded.

“Burn the food supplies”, she said in a harsh tone.

“T-The food supplies?” Another lieutenant asked.

“Children will die”, another said.

“Children are already dying”, Ruby replied, then she paused and looked at Millard, he started sweating.

Ruby closed her eyes and sighed, “Henry, my sword”, she said, it was a young squire who mainly served the high ranks, he quickly brought her her sword.

She held its point to Millard's neck.

“W-What is the meaning of it?!” He stuttered.

“Zyrah’s bug”, she said.

Millard gulp, his face turned pale, he stepped back and shrieked in fear, Ruby just exposed him.

*SWOOSH* *SPLASH*

She decapitated him with one swing, then handed over the sword back to Henry, he quickly went to clean it.

Everyone was silent, Millard’s head rolled over the floor, Ruby had a talent to expose them, but it was the first time a lieutenant was revealed to be one of Zyrah’s spies.

Ruby paused and looked at all the faces around her, narrowing her eyes, probably trying to spot another spy.

“We will burn the food supplies, tomorrow”, she stated, “we will not win this rebellion without making sacrifices”.

“We have enough explosives made in the lab, we can make an opening and use the ants”, one of the lieutenants stood up and saluted Ruby.

Suddenly all the other lieutenants joined him.

“Overthrow the goddess queens”, they all said together, Ruby nodded.

————————-

“Who did it?” Zyrah asked in a terrifying tone, “someone tell me now!”

Ruby watched from afar and smiled, “see that look?” She asked her lieutenant, John, “she starts to understand”.

John nodded, “you were right Ruby, without sacrifices, we won’t win this rebellion”.

“We won’t win either way”, Ruby replied, John gulped in surprise, “we don’t need to win, we only need them to lose”, she said with a smile, John nodded again, his eyes opened wide in fear.

“Let’s go back to the tunnel, we need to plan our next move”, Ruby said and they started walking back, black smoke from the burning barns filled the sky.

“Rebels, you wanted my attention? You have it.

People of my kingdom - extradite and hand over every rebel you know or suspect”, Zyrah paused, “any family that will fail to deliver a rebel - will be squashed”

John shrieked in fear and held his head, “m-my son!” He shouted and looked back.

Ruby held his shoulder, she had a victorious smile, “no, this is it, we did it”

“D-Did what! Ruby! She is going to kill everyone!” He screamed.

“Yes, but we are not going down alone”, she said with a fearsome smile, “to the tunnels”.

———————

“T-This is madness!” John slammed the round table, standing up, shaking, he peed his pants just a moment ago, he didn’t even notice.

“R-Ruby, this is suicide, w-we can’t do this, thousands will die!” Someone else said and immediately started to sob.

Ruby placed her hands on the table and looked at them, “what is our goal?” She whispered.

Almost all of the lieutenants looked forward aimlessly, some cried, some were shocked, some had tears but their faces were indifferent.

“It’s to overthrow the goddess queens, did you expect to achieve that with flowers and songs?” She kept talking, looking at them.

“It’s our people”, one of them said, looking at her with tears.

“A harsh and devastating sacrifice, to achieve a much larger goal”, she said louder.

One of the lieutenants stood up, “I.. I will not be a part of this”, he was shaking.

“Then go, die like a coward underneath their feet, because after we do this - they won’t spare anyone”, she said and looked at him straight in his eyes.

He held the chair tightly with a shaking hand, falling to his knees, “w-we were w-wrong”, he said with a shaking voice, “we had better lives before that sick rebellion, better than burning our own children”.

—————

Ruby’s plan was executed just as she said, rebels extradited themselves with explosives and tinder tied to them, they were all ready to die for the cause.

And just as Ruby said - Zyrah was too arrogant and underestimating the rebellion, she didn’t even check them, they were just placed in different places of the castle. Again - just as Ruby predicted.

Ruby’s plan was sick, cruel and suicidal. The kind of plan that only a woman with nothing to lose could come up with, and it worked.

The palace was on fire, Ruby, together with the rest of the rebellion, less than 100 tiny rebels, stood on rooftops far from there, watching the scenery, the ashes of Zyrah’s palace together with their comrades and innocent townsfolk.

Zyrah was on the ground, crying, Ruby’s heart pounded in disbelief, she never expected to achieve that.

Zyrah kneels.

And crying.

It surpassed her wildest hopes and dreams.

“We won”, Ruby said, emotionally, tears started flowing from her eyes, “Henry, the bell”, she reached her hand forward.

No one offered to escape.

No one said anything.

No one cheered and no one smiled.

The price they paid to get here was far too high, and they knew what comes next, so far everything went according to Ruby’s plan, so will the last part, dying for the cause together with her.

Henry, with shaking hands, handed over the bell to Ruby, kneeling next to her.

She grabbed the bell, heavily breathing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“ZYRAHHHHH!!!”

—————

While waiting for the next part, I recommend listening to this.