Eternal Love
The Most Suspicious of Muffins
I'm not good at writing battle scenes but I was pretty proud of this when writing it privately a while ago so here goes.
Once they were ready and in position, the Lindworm wasted little time. He slithered out of the forest, claws ready and fangs bared. He did not make any sound outright but his large form became easily noticed when he neared the light that the torches cast. The startled army snapped to attention and began engaging with the terrifying monster. Vipiris fought well, using his powerful tail to dodge attacks and knock soldiers over. His claws tore through armor rather easily and his fangs were his deadliest weapon. Some soldiers retreated the moment they saw the terrible convulsions his venom caused in their comrades which were followed by a painful death. Not only that, but the hisses and roars the serpentine male let out were enough to paralyze some with fear, especially with how his jaw unhinged to do so. Chaos erupted among the soldiers as fear of the beast they were facing spread among them and arrows from seemingly nowhere began falling down upon them. Disorientation set in next, leading to more soldiers' deaths as they scrambled to reorient themselves. In addition to that, those that managed to harm Vipiris were killed in one horrible way or another. Pain only seemed to enrage the beast more, causing more blood curdling sounds to escape his wicked maw. Meanwhile, Viola, the locksmith and the butcher had made their way inside the tower. The distraction had caused many guards to leave their posts in order to help those fighting the serpent beast. The locksmith was quick at lock picking which allowed them to reach the top of the tower in no time. The ever-observant butcher took care of any guards they came across. He was surprisingly sneaky for a man of his size and knocking out those he snuck up upon was easy given his strength. One guard in particular ended up having the keys to Jorn's cell as well as the key to his shackles. After finding it, Viola turned her attention to her friends and spoke in a hushed whisper.
"You can leave now; I can handle the rest. Go help the others if you can."
"Are you certain, Viola?" the locksmith asked with worry.
"Yes, it is best you make yourselves scarce."
"But—" the butcher began, only to get cut off.
"I do not want you on the receiving end of the prince's wrath. Now go," she insisted.
With great reluctance, the locksmith and the butcher crept away and left Viola alone to find her father's cell. As she climbed more of the stairs leading up to the tower's only cell, Viola listened to the chaos outside. Each time she heard Vipiris roar or cry out in pain, she flinched and prayed that he would be alright. She would never be able to forgive herself if he perished during this. With that in mind, she made haste and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could while remaining quiet. When she eventually arrived at her father's cell it was suspiciously unguarded. However, she proceeded forward anyway, wanting to get her father out of there and bring Vipiris out of his battle. She unlocked the door after finding the proper keys and rushed inside the moment she saw her father, who was chained to the wall and gagged. Jorn noticed her the moment she reached him and began unlocking his chains, making muffled sounds against his gag. Viola had managed to unlock both shackles that bound him before pulling the gag out of his mouth.
"Behind you!" Jorn cried.
Viola froze as the tip of a sword became pressed against her back. With caution and fear, she glanced over her shoulder to find Prince Rasmus standing behind her with a smug look on his face. The malice in his green eyes made her heart sink into the pit of her stomach and a deep chill settled in her bones when he spoke, his voice full of wicked darkness.
"Well, well, it would seem I have caught the beast's bride."
Prince Rasmus towered over Viola as she knelt beside her father, smirking with vicious triumph. Jorn, while freed from the chains and shackles that bound him, did not move. He feared for his daughter's safety and even if he wanted to leave her side, it was hard to say how the wicked prince might react. The prince's attention drifted toward the shepherd and he frowned at him. The man was supposed to be dead, supposed to have died in the fire that had been set upon his home. But the royal supposed that it mattered little now. He had what he wanted regardless.
"Go, get out of here, old man," the prince hissed. "I have no use for you now."
"…please, go, father," Viola added, not wanting her father to suffer more.
With some hesitation, Jorn got to his feet and looked at his daughter with fear and deep remorse in his eyes. He wanted to act, to attempt to save her but doing so would be foolish since the prince had the upper hand. The shepherd mouthed an apology to his daughter before rushing out of the cell, hoping that if he was swift, he could get help for her before the prince did something terrible. Now that her father was gone, Prince Rasmus moved forward with his plan, grabbing hold of Viola's arm and yanking her to her feet. After doing so, he brought his sword to her throat to prevent her from attempting escape.
"Do not worry for your father, he will be dead once the guards find him."
Viola said nothing in response but her heart sunk deeper in her stomach. She did in fact worry for her father as well as her groom who was still battling the small army of soldiers outside. A gasp of pain left her as the prince twisted her arm some and pushed her forward to get her to move. When she began to do so, he ushered her out of the cell and down the several flights of stairs within the tower, not letting his grip on her loosen for a moment.
"Let us see how well your monster fights when his little whore is in danger."
Again, Viola did not respond, not wanting to give the prince any satisfaction by doing so. Instead, she bit her tongue to stifle any sound escaping from her. Even when the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, she kept silent. The prince was displeased by her silence but tried not to let it get to him and continued to speak of his plan to finally slay the monstrous Lindworm.
"The army of guards were simply a distraction, expendable pawns to weaken your monster so that I may finally get the upper hand. However, having you as insurance makes this even better. He will give his own disgusting life to protect yours and I will finally be rid of him. My mother will be able to rest in peace with that horror destroyed. But you shall not want for him long. Once I am finished with him, you will join him swiftly. It is what the bride of a beast deserves."
Soon enough, the prince and the shepherd's daughter reached the bottom of the stairs. Viola was ushered out of the tower and forced to stand beside it in the light. Vipiris was still battling the soldiers, few of which were still alive or had not fled from him. Despite that, it was clear that the Lindworm was growing exhausted. His white skin and scales were stained with blood from various wounds that had been inflicted upon him during the battle. The furs that he had been given to keep him warm had been stripped away, leaving him vulnerable to the cold and snow around him. The sight of the Lindworm weakening made the prince smile with vile delight.
"Go on, call for him to save you," the prince commanded, twisting Viola's arm again.
"V-Vipiris!" she cried out in pain.
The Lindworm's attention snapped over to the source of Viola's voice almost immediately. His icy eyes widened when he saw her held hostage by the prince. An enraged roar left his throat and he bared his fangs as he slithered toward them at a great speed. However, he stopped short when Viola gasped, a small trickle of blood rolling down her neck. The prince had pressed his sword against her skin just enough to draw blood, to prove to the serpentine male that he was willing to kill his bride right then and there.
"Not another movement, beast."
The Lindworm did not move, the fear for his bride hidden behind the fiery rage in his eyes. He breathed heavily as he kept his body tensed and prepared for a fight that would not come. The prince simply continued to smirk as he stared at Vipiris. The serpentine male may have defeated the small army Rasmus had put together but at a great cost. Wounds littered his body, caused by sword and arrow, and sluggishly oozed blood which colored his white skin and scales a worrisome crimson. The coldness of the blood-stained blanket of formerly white snow was seeping into his body, slowing him down and making him even weaker. Prince Rasmus knew this and knew he only had to wait in order to finally gain the upper hand over the terrible beast. The monster continued to seethe, his slowing mind working hard to try figure out a way to save Viola without either of them getting hurt. But it was a fruitless effort. As his body grew weaker and began to shut down, the Lindworm collapsed into a heap among the bloody snow.
"Vipiris!" Viola cried, knowing that was exactly what the prince wanted.
A gasp of pain left her as the prince twisted her arm once more to silence her. He then tossed her onto the ground, leaving her in the snow as he strode toward the fallen beast. The prince's grip tightened on his sword as he raised it high over his head with the intention of bringing it down upon Vipiris to decapitate him. The sight struck horror and fear into Viola's heart but she gathered her courage, refusing to let the real monster prevail.
"Finally! I finally have the upper hand!" Rasmus cried with malicious glee. "Now you will pay for all the trouble you have caused and be put down as a monster should!"
Viola got to her feet and ran toward the prince, who's mind was too focused on vile victory to hear her. She rammed her body into his, causing him to stumble and fall into the snow. As his sword fell from his hand, the shepherd's daughter stood over the fallen prince. Without hesitation, she pulled out her hidden hunting knife and moved closer to point it at Rasmus' throat.
"You will not harm him any further, you monster," she hissed.
"You do not have the stomach to kill me, wench," Rasmus sneered.
"Oh, I do. I would slit your throat right here if it would not cause me to stoop to your level. Besides that, I have more pressing things to attend to so consider this a warning. You will not gain the upper hand over us again. If you continue to pursue us, you will die either by my hand or Vipiris' venom. You best pray the gods for mercy and hope it is my hand they send to end you and not the slow, agonizing death you deserve."
While the shepherd's daughter spoke, Prince Rasmus glared darkly at her, his features twisted with rage and hatred. Her show of courage was not something he had expected but it hardly deterred him from his mission. His gaze drifted from her briefly to locate his sword and soon enough it was in his hand again. However, when he raised it to harm Viola, it was swiftly knocked from his hand by Vipiris' tail causing both of them to look at the serpentine male. Although he was barely conscious, he had managed to put what little energy he had left to protect his bride once more. The sword disappeared in the snow far from the prince's reach and all he could do was look up at Viola. The look of terror in his eyes was immensely satisfying for her and she stepped closer. With a swift flick of her wrist, she slashed the prince's face with her
knife, leaving a long gash over his cheek.
"Let this be a reminder that you lost your only chance to fulfill the wicked plot to harm my groom. Every day you will wake up and see your failure until the day you die, whether you die during another foolish ploy or as an old man," Viola told him, stepping away to let him up. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind about slitting your throat."
The prince wasted no time before getting up. He did not bother to look for his sword, running straight for where his horse was tied up before fleeing the scene.
This is part of my novel (formerly a novella) and it is related to a challenge submission I did a while ago called The Bride's Beast. Prior to this scene, Viola's father is captured by the royal guard and taken to a battle tower outside of the kingdom to be used as bait for her and her monstrous groom. The three of them had been living in the forest to escape the stressful situation at the castle which became dangerous. Also, after creating a plan of rescue, Viola and Vipiris encounter some friends from the kingdom who have also come to save Jorn (Viola's father). I left out their meeting and plan of action as it wasn't part of the battle scene itself necessarily and would have made this way longer than it already is. The gist of it is that some of the friends stayed in the forest to assist Vipiris from a distance while he battles. The rest go with Viola to help her sneak into the tower and release her father. And then this scene ensues.
Once they were ready and in position, the Lindworm wasted little time. He slithered out of the forest, claws ready and fangs bared. He did not make any sound outright but his large form became easily noticed when he neared the light that the torches cast. The startled army snapped to attention and began engaging with the terrifying monster. Vipiris fought well, using his powerful tail to dodge attacks and knock soldiers over. His claws tore through armor rather easily and his fangs were his deadliest weapon. Some soldiers retreated the moment they saw the terrible convulsions his venom caused in their comrades which were followed by a painful death. Not only that, but the hisses and roars the serpentine male let out were enough to paralyze some with fear, especially with how his jaw unhinged to do so. Chaos erupted among the soldiers as fear of the beast they were facing spread among them and arrows from seemingly nowhere began falling down upon them. Disorientation set in next, leading to more soldiers' deaths as they scrambled to reorient themselves. In addition to that, those that managed to harm Vipiris were killed in one horrible way or another. Pain only seemed to enrage the beast more, causing more blood curdling sounds to escape his wicked maw. Meanwhile, Viola, the locksmith and the butcher had made their way inside the tower. The distraction had caused many guards to leave their posts in order to help those fighting the serpent beast. The locksmith was quick at lock picking which allowed them to reach the top of the tower in no time. The ever-observant butcher took care of any guards they came across. He was surprisingly sneaky for a man of his size and knocking out those he snuck up upon was easy given his strength. One guard in particular ended up having the keys to Jorn's cell as well as the key to his shackles. After finding it, Viola turned her attention to her friends and spoke in a hushed whisper.
"You can leave now; I can handle the rest. Go help the others if you can."
"Are you certain, Viola?" the locksmith asked with worry.
"Yes, it is best you make yourselves scarce."
"But—" the butcher began, only to get cut off.
"I do not want you on the receiving end of the prince's wrath. Now go," she insisted.
With great reluctance, the locksmith and the butcher crept away and left Viola alone to find her father's cell. As she climbed more of the stairs leading up to the tower's only cell, Viola listened to the chaos outside. Each time she heard Vipiris roar or cry out in pain, she flinched and prayed that he would be alright. She would never be able to forgive herself if he perished during this. With that in mind, she made haste and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could while remaining quiet. When she eventually arrived at her father's cell it was suspiciously unguarded. However, she proceeded forward anyway, wanting to get her father out of there and bring Vipiris out of his battle. She unlocked the door after finding the proper keys and rushed inside the moment she saw her father, who was chained to the wall and gagged. Jorn noticed her the moment she reached him and began unlocking his chains, making muffled sounds against his gag. Viola had managed to unlock both shackles that bound him before pulling the gag out of his mouth.
"Behind you!" Jorn cried.
Viola froze as the tip of a sword became pressed against her back. With caution and fear, she glanced over her shoulder to find Prince Rasmus standing behind her with a smug look on his face. The malice in his green eyes made her heart sink into the pit of her stomach and a deep chill settled in her bones when he spoke, his voice full of wicked darkness.
"Well, well, it would seem I have caught the beast's bride."
Prince Rasmus towered over Viola as she knelt beside her father, smirking with vicious triumph. Jorn, while freed from the chains and shackles that bound him, did not move. He feared for his daughter's safety and even if he wanted to leave her side, it was hard to say how the wicked prince might react. The prince's attention drifted toward the shepherd and he frowned at him. The man was supposed to be dead, supposed to have died in the fire that had been set upon his home. But the royal supposed that it mattered little now. He had what he wanted regardless.
"Go, get out of here, old man," the prince hissed. "I have no use for you now."
"…please, go, father," Viola added, not wanting her father to suffer more.
With some hesitation, Jorn got to his feet and looked at his daughter with fear and deep remorse in his eyes. He wanted to act, to attempt to save her but doing so would be foolish since the prince had the upper hand. The shepherd mouthed an apology to his daughter before rushing out of the cell, hoping that if he was swift, he could get help for her before the prince did something terrible. Now that her father was gone, Prince Rasmus moved forward with his plan, grabbing hold of Viola's arm and yanking her to her feet. After doing so, he brought his sword to her throat to prevent her from attempting escape.
"Do not worry for your father, he will be dead once the guards find him."
Viola said nothing in response but her heart sunk deeper in her stomach. She did in fact worry for her father as well as her groom who was still battling the small army of soldiers outside. A gasp of pain left her as the prince twisted her arm some and pushed her forward to get her to move. When she began to do so, he ushered her out of the cell and down the several flights of stairs within the tower, not letting his grip on her loosen for a moment.
"Let us see how well your monster fights when his little whore is in danger."
Again, Viola did not respond, not wanting to give the prince any satisfaction by doing so. Instead, she bit her tongue to stifle any sound escaping from her. Even when the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, she kept silent. The prince was displeased by her silence but tried not to let it get to him and continued to speak of his plan to finally slay the monstrous Lindworm.
"The army of guards were simply a distraction, expendable pawns to weaken your monster so that I may finally get the upper hand. However, having you as insurance makes this even better. He will give his own disgusting life to protect yours and I will finally be rid of him. My mother will be able to rest in peace with that horror destroyed. But you shall not want for him long. Once I am finished with him, you will join him swiftly. It is what the bride of a beast deserves."
Soon enough, the prince and the shepherd's daughter reached the bottom of the stairs. Viola was ushered out of the tower and forced to stand beside it in the light. Vipiris was still battling the soldiers, few of which were still alive or had not fled from him. Despite that, it was clear that the Lindworm was growing exhausted. His white skin and scales were stained with blood from various wounds that had been inflicted upon him during the battle. The furs that he had been given to keep him warm had been stripped away, leaving him vulnerable to the cold and snow around him. The sight of the Lindworm weakening made the prince smile with vile delight.
"Go on, call for him to save you," the prince commanded, twisting Viola's arm again.
"V-Vipiris!" she cried out in pain.
The Lindworm's attention snapped over to the source of Viola's voice almost immediately. His icy eyes widened when he saw her held hostage by the prince. An enraged roar left his throat and he bared his fangs as he slithered toward them at a great speed. However, he stopped short when Viola gasped, a small trickle of blood rolling down her neck. The prince had pressed his sword against her skin just enough to draw blood, to prove to the serpentine male that he was willing to kill his bride right then and there.
"Not another movement, beast."
The Lindworm did not move, the fear for his bride hidden behind the fiery rage in his eyes. He breathed heavily as he kept his body tensed and prepared for a fight that would not come. The prince simply continued to smirk as he stared at Vipiris. The serpentine male may have defeated the small army Rasmus had put together but at a great cost. Wounds littered his body, caused by sword and arrow, and sluggishly oozed blood which colored his white skin and scales a worrisome crimson. The coldness of the blood-stained blanket of formerly white snow was seeping into his body, slowing him down and making him even weaker. Prince Rasmus knew this and knew he only had to wait in order to finally gain the upper hand over the terrible beast. The monster continued to seethe, his slowing mind working hard to try figure out a way to save Viola without either of them getting hurt. But it was a fruitless effort. As his body grew weaker and began to shut down, the Lindworm collapsed into a heap among the bloody snow.
"Vipiris!" Viola cried, knowing that was exactly what the prince wanted.
A gasp of pain left her as the prince twisted her arm once more to silence her. He then tossed her onto the ground, leaving her in the snow as he strode toward the fallen beast. The prince's grip tightened on his sword as he raised it high over his head with the intention of bringing it down upon Vipiris to decapitate him. The sight struck horror and fear into Viola's heart but she gathered her courage, refusing to let the real monster prevail.
"Finally! I finally have the upper hand!" Rasmus cried with malicious glee. "Now you will pay for all the trouble you have caused and be put down as a monster should!"
Viola got to her feet and ran toward the prince, who's mind was too focused on vile victory to hear her. She rammed her body into his, causing him to stumble and fall into the snow. As his sword fell from his hand, the shepherd's daughter stood over the fallen prince. Without hesitation, she pulled out her hidden hunting knife and moved closer to point it at Rasmus' throat.
"You will not harm him any further, you monster," she hissed.
"You do not have the stomach to kill me, wench," Rasmus sneered.
"Oh, I do. I would slit your throat right here if it would not cause me to stoop to your level. Besides that, I have more pressing things to attend to so consider this a warning. You will not gain the upper hand over us again. If you continue to pursue us, you will die either by my hand or Vipiris' venom. You best pray the gods for mercy and hope it is my hand they send to end you and not the slow, agonizing death you deserve."
While the shepherd's daughter spoke, Prince Rasmus glared darkly at her, his features twisted with rage and hatred. Her show of courage was not something he had expected but it hardly deterred him from his mission. His gaze drifted from her briefly to locate his sword and soon enough it was in his hand again. However, when he raised it to harm Viola, it was swiftly knocked from his hand by Vipiris' tail causing both of them to look at the serpentine male. Although he was barely conscious, he had managed to put what little energy he had left to protect his bride once more. The sword disappeared in the snow far from the prince's reach and all he could do was look up at Viola. The look of terror in his eyes was immensely satisfying for her and she stepped closer. With a swift flick of her wrist, she slashed the prince's face with her
knife, leaving a long gash over his cheek.
"Let this be a reminder that you lost your only chance to fulfill the wicked plot to harm my groom. Every day you will wake up and see your failure until the day you die, whether you die during another foolish ploy or as an old man," Viola told him, stepping away to let him up. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind about slitting your throat."
The prince wasted no time before getting up. He did not bother to look for his sword, running straight for where his horse was tied up before fleeing the scene.