THE NORTHERN KING

Ivo's heart was pounding? Why? What was happening? Ivo thought, he would have been on his feet, but he would rather not expose himself.

He had made up his mind to become king, he had to be ruthless, he had planned his way through everybody was disposable regardless of who, but all that changed when Melisa fell from that tower.

He couldn't breathe, no he held his breath and wanted to scream, but she caught on to the rope again—all of this in a vain attempt to save a boy she never knew. Furthermore, he had to watch her struggle for his cause, that caused him even greater pain than anything else.

Ivo swallowed hard and jerked as she almost fell again but was saved by the rope, she had managed to resume her climb, but she didn't have enough flag or time, he had to kick his second plan in motion.

“Ida, help me” he called out.

Melisa continued her slow painful climb to the top, she had managed to throw in a couple of questions to her new climbing partner, “what is your name? Where are you from? Why are you still helping me?” The greened eyed boy, whose name was Ethan, bore the sir standoff flag, said he was selected because his master didn't want to lose any of his good men.

Melisa didn't have an opportunity to think about how unreasonable that was or the fact that the young boy was lying to her.

Even if she was practically half dead, she could still smell a lie from a yard away, a skill she had horned here in the capital, especially in the iron castle.

But she would rather not ask, not because she couldn't even hold a conversation if she wanted to, but the fact that she might prick a nerve, and she could find herself hurdling off the tower walls.

She had no strength to collect flags, neither did Ethan who was scared witless and simply opted to help her as much as he could, which wasn't much as Melisa had to save him a thousand times.

Dawn was approaching, and it wasn't a good thing, the moon was not full today, so there will be less light. Meaning it will be harder to target the probing blocks on the tower wall and climb through, just how much bad luck can one person have? She thought.

Ethan has almost slipped a foot but decided to concentrate on climbing. Instead, his soft, delicate hands shook from pain from having to hold him up as he climbed through.

He wished he had fallen to his death, but he didn't want Melisa's heroics to be in vain, so he climbed.

Melisa had already grown quiet, he knew she needed the strength to keep climbing and talking wasn't exactly the best strength saving technique. So he opted to do the same, he climbed to a certain height and held the rope while she climbed after him.

He could see the light from the large fire above them, they were getting close to the top. He wished he was as strong as Melisa or even the king's giant he would have given the brute a punch to the throat, but sadly violence wasn't exactly his suit or the suit of his family.

Ethan gasped for air as he helped Melisa slide to the tower top, his heart pounded, and his mouth was dry, the accepted the cold water that poured down his throat.

His vision was clear again as he rolled over to find Melissa's eyes shut, and her hand still clenched tightly to the rope. She had probably finished the rest of the climb unconscious, he admired her will, but sadly, it was going to end her, and it was because of him.

His eyes scanned skillfully to find if he could find Thag but he was surrounded by a number of injured flag bearers who were being attended to by the healers. “Gods, Damn it!” he called out, but he appreciated the fact that the brute was gone, he wasn't sure he was strong enough to deal with his character, especially with Melisa in that state.

The examiner came over with a box filled with flags, he simply dropped his one flag and helped Melissa drop the two she had with her as the healers patched her up, but he knew it wasn't helping.

“You failed” the examiner called out, but Ethan already knew this, he turned to Melissa, but she was surrounded by healers and then turned to Ethan again, “same with your friend” he added.

He turned to leave, but one of his subordinates ran toward him to whisper something in his ear, he listened for a few seconds before he turned back to them.

“I don't know what your friend did but when she wakes up tell her she passed” he turned to walk away, but Ethan was already on his feet.

“How?” He asked in a tone that was loud enough to travel the night sky.

The examiner turned back to him, stared him down and laughed.

“Do you know why they play these games in the first place? It is to welcome the harsh winter, it is far important”.

“How does this relate to my question?” Ethan asked.

“It doesn't, but there are far more wolves than the sheep knows and one of them is showing it fangs” he added as he walked away, leaving Ethan even more confused, but his confusion was soon pushed away as Melissa's body began to shake vigorously.

She was going into shock, Ethan had experienced this before, he ran over, shoving the healers away as he tore a piece of his shirt, tore it around her mouth. He pulled off her armor to ease her breathing as he rolled her to her side.

“We have to get her down” he called out to the healers who had frozen surprised from his experience.

He would worry about his identity later, Melisa was the one who saved his life. He wasn't going to let her die, he was going to save her no matter what.