Chapter 192: The Pack That Would Not Surrender 1

Prison Courtyard

Tanaka stood facing Lynessa, watching the battle ensue. The Tigers and Lions battled against the Wolf Crown guards, and smoke rose from the damaged entrance. Lynessa was holding onto his coat tightly, her ears pinned to her head. He had vowed to get her to safety, yet the battle had spread to all the exits, and trying to push through them would only cause more casualties. He just needed to keep everyone around him alive for now.

A Tiger warrior pushed through the battle, rushing towards them with his strengthened sword poised to strike Tanaka in the neck. Tanaka moved. The sword sliced through the air and Tanaka grabbed hold of the warrior’s wrist, twisting around and causing the sword to fall to the ground several paces away. The warrior was pinned against the wall, with Tanaka holding his wrist. It all happened so quickly that Lynessa struggled to follow, and the guards realised what had happened.

"Stay down." The Tiger growled and tried to reach for his dagger, but Tanaka shoved him, causing him to fall into the arms of two Wolf Crown guards. Whilst he could easily break the warrior’s arm or hit him with enough force to throw him through the wall, it would give them another reason to attack. Looking back at the courtyard, he heard a loud bang above him. A magical projectile shot from the broken window. However, Tanaka was quick to move out of the way, causing the projectile to smash against the stone pillar behind him.

The attacker peaked out of the window, magic swirling between his hands. Tanaka was already there. The attacker’s eyes widened and Tanaka grabbed hold of his wrist, slamming it into the wall. This caused the magic to go out of alignment. He gave the man a quick punch to the chest, causing him to lose his breath. Grabbing hold of him, Tanaka pulled him back from falling out of the broken window. He gently laid the unconscious attacker on the ground, glancing across the courtyard to see the guards struggling to move an injured soldier.

The damaged archway began to collapse. "Move!" A huge stone lintel broke free from above, taking a chunk of the iron-reinforced gateframe with it. The guards scattered, however one of the injured soldiers was stuck below the debris, unable to move his legs. Rushing to the archway, Tanaka managed to reach the man in time. Sliding his hands underneath the lintel, he pushed against it, causing a loud bang as it stopped falling.

The weight was pressing against his arms. The lintel was tall enough to block the area, and wide enough to cover multiple people standing shoulder to shoulder. It was attached to the broken gateframe. He crouched his knees and pushed upwards, lifting the broken piece enough for them to pull the injured soldier free. As soon as they had moved the injured man away, Tanaka shoved the debris into a gap in the courtyard. The huge piece crashed down, smashing into pieces.

A few warriors paused from fighting. Tanaka barely glanced at them. "Get your injured out of here! If you continue to attack the guards, you will have to deal with me!" His voice echoed through the courtyard. Whilst they were confused by the destruction, the Tigers had brought enough warriors to overwhelm the prison guards. However, the slime had just lifted the large piece of stone that had almost crushed one of their own. They knew he meant business. A horn blew from outside. Three long notes, then a fourth. This was the signal from the Wolf Crown for an instant truce.

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King Aldren Greymane, Garrath Goldmane and Queen Elowen Whiteburrow arrived, along with a group of royal guards. They moved through the battle, but did not draw their weapons. The King’s face was set in a frown as he looked at the damaged entrance, injured soldiers and the two groups of warriors surrounding the bodies of those killed.

He ordered all of the Wolf Crown soldiers to retreat into a defensive position. Turning to the other warriors he ordered them to drop their weapons. The Lions dropped their weapons, having been told to do so by Garrath. A few of the smaller clans also dropped their weapons after their leaders confirmed the royal guards were not attacking them.

The Foxfolk were slower. They had lost their previous Matriarch, and seeing the destroyed wards of the prison had convinced many that they had been deliberately opened to kill her. A few demanded to search the district themselves. However, others claimed the Tigers were using Veyra’s death as an excuse to ruin what little reputation they had left in Bravelm. The Wolf Crown guards created a barrier, and Aldren stepped forward.

"Veyra Vossari and Tavren’s right-hand man, was murdered inside a secure prison. The attacker managed to enter without setting off any of the usual alarms and escaped whilst the guards were distracted by the fighting. We have evidence to show the magical residue left at the scene of the previous murders was deliberately replicated. These murders could be part of the same plot."

"Could be?" a Tiger warrior shouted. "The Foxes have already been caught plotting against the gathering!" "It was the previous Matriarch who was locked up and had someone enter her cell and kill her! If you want justice for those you’ve lost, stop giving the real murderer more chances to escape!"

Tavren turned to face his King, but saw the look on Garrath’s face and decided against continuing. The Foxfolk began to lower their weapons, however none looked happy about the suggestion that their previous Matriarch’s death could be part of a bigger plot. They had been blamed for the previous attack, lost their power and had to watch their leader’s life being taken.

Aldren spoke to the crowd. "While no-one will be forced to believe anything without evidence, no clan will attack another whilst under the authority of the Wolf Crown. Anyone who disobeys this order will be seen as a threat to the peace of Bravelm." This helped to bring some order to the courtyard. The Lions moved back to Garrath’s side. The Foxfolk reluctantly moved away from the Tigers.

The smaller clans began to gather their injured. Although a few still demanded Lynessa’s death, their leaders agreed to listen to the Wolf Crown’s idea. The guards opened up a section of the courtyard for the medical teams to work. The royal investigators began to secure the two bodies and investigate the damaged wards for any clues left by the assassin.