The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 68: Execution

Original Post Date: Jun 14, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Woolly Rhino, next chapter in Unicorn.

~

Many hours before the attack on the Book Club Camp:

“What do you mean he was accidentally KILLED?!” June snarled from her throne. Patricia, Lizzy, and Layla all knelt down to her at the base of the red carpet and near her feet. None dared to raise their heads. General Wyvern was noticeably absent from the scene.

“Your majesty, I know it sounds bad, but PLEASE! He tried running away, and-” Lizzy was cut off by the sound of a fire blazing. Her eyes darted up to see red flames dancing along June’s body and hands. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she looked at her subjects.

“I should have you all burnt alive at a stake. Then you’ll understand my pain. And what you’ve done to me.”

Patricia sat there with her head hung low, accepting her fate. Lizzy began to weep and sob, and Layla looked at her two accomplices with a mixture of fear and confliction.

The flames inside the throne room began to grow brighter and brighter, until eventually the heat became too unbearable. Layla felt herself growing dizzier and dizzier, and she could feel sweat pour from her face. She looked at her friends one last time.

“I don’t want to die,” Layla muttered to the two. Patricia didn’t respond, and Lizzy briefly looked up and locked eyes with Layla. Tears still ran down her cheeks.

“Me neither, Layla… I don’t want to die. As long as we’re together, though, right?”

“Yeah.”

Layla blinked her eyes, and as she stared at Lizzy a little longer, she suddenly felt a burning feeling in her heart. One of hatred and malice. She clenched her fists, her eyes widened, and she pointed a finger at Lizzy with a glare.

“Your majesty, it was her! She was the one responsible for killing Ben!” Layla snarled with gritted teeth. Lizzy’s eyes widened. Patricia seemed just as shocked, but didn’t want to show it. The flames died down a little.

“What do you mean?” June silently asked.

“SHE was the one who slit his throat with the damn spear! Me and Patricia were doing as you asked. We even had him captured too! And when he ran, Lizzy was stupid enough to run after him and use her spear. Now tell me how do you mess up like that?!”

“Layla, what are you saying-”

“ZIP IT! You’re responsible for killing Ben! In fact, you probably did it on purpose, huh? Just to hurt June this way. You sicko,” Layla spat. June was absolutely stunned by this information. She clenched her fists, and walked up to Lizzy. Layla’s words seemed so emotional and honest, that there had to be no way she was lying.

“You did WHAT to him?! I was not told this information of his throat being cut.”

“Your majesty please-”

June grabbed Lizzy by the throat, and pulled her up into the air with one hand. Lizzy began to choke and kick her feet. June let out a scream of rage, and then she was shrouded in flames. Lizzy let out a howl of anguish, until eventually her body hung loose. June threw the corpse full force at the wall.

BAM!

Patricia kept staring at the floor, while Layla looked on in terror. Then, a smile grew on her face.

“That’s what she gets… that’s what she gets,” Layla muttered, “For disobeying the Crimson Crusader.”

Without any forewarning, Queen June stomped out of the throne room. Layla let out a confused mutter, and turned her head to see her step out of the throne room with her pike. For the next few minutes, there was silence. The only thing they could hear was the flames that ate the corpse, which were already diminish.

Layla collapsed to the floor. She stared at the bloodied red carpet, and began to claw at it with her nails.

“No, no no no no, what have I done? No, no NO NO!”

Soft footsteps echoed throughout the throne hall. Then, they halted randomly. Rustling of leaves filled the air.

“You two. The Crimson Crusader has left on her own personal mission. You have been assigned to your tasks while she is gone. Her departure is of no serious concern, I will be in charge until she is back.”

It was General Wyvern. Neither woman dared to look back.

“Patricia, you will be watching over the prisoners, and Layla, you will be going on the mission to raid the Book Club Camp. There, you will round up everyone there for the Crimson Crusader and bring them back here. Those are the Crimson Crusader’s strict orders, so I hope you do not disobey them. Do we have an understanding, ladies?”

“Yes sir,” Patricia blankly replied.

“Great. I expect you to follow your tasks immediately.”

General Wyvern exited the throne room, leaving the two to their own devices. Layla quickly got up from the ground, drew her club, and hugged it tight to her chest. She scurried out of the throne room without a word to Patricia.

~

“And here we are now,” Layla thought, looking up at her best friend Paige, who had her club drawn and ready to strike her head.

“I deserve this,” Layla decided to herself. She looked up at Paige. A tear rolled down her cheek.

“I’m just gonna get more people killed in the end, aren’t I? And for what… for my own fear that the Crimson Crusader will kill me?”

Layla closed her eyes gently.

“At least I’ll die here to someone I care about rather than some ruthless tyrant.”

Layla let out a soft chuckle, and spoke aloud to Paige,

“I knew it’d have something to do with art. Now what are you waiting for, bestie? Kill me.”

Paige reached her club back.

~

Patricia stumbled into the prison module of the castle, her head down. Traumatic memories of Lizzy’s burning corpse, Ben’s idle body within the jungle, and the screams filled her ears. Her heart began to beat against her chest badly.

As she reached the end of the hallway, she found herself leaning on the wall. She clenched her fist, and slammed it onto the stone walls, over and over again. She felt tears flood her eyes, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

“Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy,” Patricia mumbled under her breath, “Lizzy.”

Patricia began to heave up and down, leaning her head against the wall and letting out all her raw emotions.

“Why me?! WHY ME?!” Patricia cried, “Why couldn’t we have just graduated together and stayed friends?! All four of us, why why WHY WHY?! Why did we have to be brought here?! Why can’t this just be some… bad dream?”

“Why couldn’t things have just stayed the way they were?”

Patricia could hear a prison bed rustling and shaking. She didn’t bother turning to look who it was. Someone groggily walked up to the bars and gripped them tightly.

“Hey,” a voice said.

“Are you okay?”

Patricia clenched her fists tighter.

“What does it matter to you? I’m your captor.”

“Not really though. You’re just following orders,” he said. Melancholic piano music echoed in the background, and Patricia’s ears perked up.

“I heard what happened out there,” he added on, “I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Patricia muttered, “It’s not your business.”

“But it kind of is.”

Patricia turned her head to look at the man. He had a worried look on his face, one covered in scars and bruises, from battles of the far past and recent. Patricia wiped her face with the back of her hand.

“How could that be?”

He reached his arm back to scratch the back of his head.

“Well. I am his friend. So I do hold responsibility.”

“Right. I know.”

“Of course you know,” the man replied with a grin, “You’re smart. Really smart. You managed to break through my charm and capture me while all those other buffoons danced their butts off to my music.”

“It wasn’t that hard, dumbie,” Patricia whispered softly, looking away.

“Yeah yeah whatever. You know Ben isn’t really the lover type? So that ugly Crimson Crusader doesn’t even stand a chance, heh.”

“I don’t think she’d stand a chance even if he was,” Patricia said. She took a pause, before finally saying, “She’s an ogre!’

The man gasped.

“Ooooh, she is NOT gonna like that!”

Patricia slyly smiled, and she grabbed her left tricep softly.

“She’s not here at the moment. I can talk as much crap about her as I want.”

The man let out a loud laugh and collapsed back onto his bed.

“Then why don’t we make a plan? To overthrow her.”

Patricia’s eyes sparkled.

“Huh?”

“You heard me right. Let’s plan a revolt. You were forced to work for her, right? So let’s do it! Let’s kick her ass!”

The shriek of Raptors rang out from outside. Patricia’s head jolted to the entrance of the prison. After a minute or so, Patricia let out a sigh of relief and turned back.

“But why me? I could go to the Crimson Crusader and tell her right now what you’re planning, and she’ll have you killed.”

“Because… I WANT to work with you!” he declared, “And because… you are-”

The man paused. Then, a few seconds later continued his sentence.

“Because you are the only person who has defeated me in a fight. Ever.”

Patricia nodded her head. She let out a hiccup, and then wiped the tears off her face.

“Okay. Let’s do it then… uh-”

“Ian. My name is Ian Falcon.”

“And I’m Patricia. Patricia Monroe.”

Ian gave a soft smile, giving her a soft wink.

“Cute name. Okay then. I’ll make up a game plan. For now, just pretend you’re still loyal to the queen. I’ll tell you every time you come back here. Alright… Get back to guarding me. And wipe that smile off your face. You need to look like a real guard, or they’re gonna catch us. Now don’t mind me as I sit back and take a nap.”

Patricia nodded in affirmation, and as she wiped her hand over her lips, her smile faded from her face. The nonchalant expression she used to returned to her body, the one she wore everywhere she went.

But to be honest, Patricia just wanted to keep smiling and laughing with Ian.