Chapter Text
Megii nearly dropped the dagger they held, though they hadn’t paid it any mind. After all the Queen just asked them to execute a rebel traitor.
Only it wasn’t just any rebel, it was Aj.
Aj, who they had known since the beginning of the academy. The one who gave them a nickname before they ever said otherwise. She was the first one Magpie had gone to about their true name. In contrast, they were one of the first ones Aj told about the true nature of her magic.
They really were a pair full of secrets weren’t they? Look where it led them.
Megii didn’t have any more time to stew, the Queen had beckoned Vivia to bring Aj back to them. Vivia struggled to haul Aj back over, as the latter began thrashing wildly upon being touched once again.
“You’re the first one on my list if I get loose, just watc-“ Aj was cut off as she was thrown in front of Megii. The cryptid wore a wide eyed look and kept a loose grip on the dagger, which seemed to taunt them every second it was in sight.
The Queen leveled Aj with a self satisfied smirk, almost daring her to say something. “I was just telling my loyal guard here, you are to be executed for treason and your crimes against the throne.”
From the floor, Aj near cawed with the absurdity of the Queen. The rebel settled into a seated position with an equally smug smirk. “Aren’t I entitled to a trial, your oh so great Majesty? You can’t just have your lackeys strike down whoever you please.” Aj drawled out the title long enough to see the Queen’s face turn bright red.
Megii’s heart near stopped beating as the Queen quickly stepped into Aj’s space. The rebel didn’t have enough time to process the sudden proximity whilst the Queen grabbed Aj’s jaw and wretched it upwards. She grunted as the Queen brought her own face to meet the rebel’s, who now was perched harshly on her feet.
“A filthy traitor like you deserves no chance at redemption.” The Queen reared her head back to fully look at Aj, seething as she glared into the rebel’s eyes. “If all of your scoundrel accomplices are as naive as you…well, the rebels never stood a chance against me.”
Aj was released from the Queen’s hold, not without dropping back to the floor, landing uncomfortably on her shackled ankles. A glance toward her right ankle, currently bent, told Megii that there was no chance of fleeing for her.
“You admitted to poisoning the dragon academy’s students. You’ve neglected your village and its townsfolk, not to mention your pathetic excuse for a dragon. One could dare to assume you also had a hand in kidnapping those two students, maybe even going as far as to ruin the shield tower’s defenses.” Even Vivia was taken aback as she considered the Queen’s words.
Megii stepped in front of Aj, imploring the Queen to rethink her decision. “Your Majesty, Aj might have gone in with the rebels, but everyone deserves a right to a fair trial!” Megii made sure to emphasize the importance of a just trial. The academy, nor they, needed another repeat of Pyro’s trial. “Besides, wouldn’t you think an execution is a little…cruel?”
The Queen rounded on Megii, glaring eyes comparable to the harshness of molten lava. The squad member felt themselves shrink back unwillingly, wanting to be anywhere else than under the sole scrutiny of the hierarchal ruler.
“As a loyal dragon rider to the kingdom and its inhabitants, you should be their first one to eradicate any signs of danger.”
Her finger pointed toward the shackled mage, still glaring at the Queen, “This woman, is responsible for wreaking havoc across the academy, let alone the entire kingdom. Besides, I can’t have traitors coming after the throne, now can I?”
“The only thing you’ll be ruling is the dirt around your grave once I’m done burying you.” Aj spat at the offending monarch, unwilling to let the Queen know how her hands shook slightly. The shackles were retrofitted with iron, rendering Aj unable to use her magic to bury the Queen, or even call for Flick.
“You see that, a direct threat to the throne. Nothing less to be expected from rebel scum, the lowest of the kingdom.”
Megii looked in disbelief toward the Queen, how could they have been this blindsided by the monarchy? To be affiliated with such a leader made Megii’s stomach churn. They looked in Aj’s direction to see her already looking at them. She seemed to stare right through Megii lost in thought, before both their attention was stolen by the Queen.
“Now, are you willing to kill for this kingdom? Or do your affections extend to this, waste, of a rebel.” The Queen looked upon the cryptid with a harsh glare, her eyes flitting in the direction of the felled woman.
Megii was rendered frozen in place, now grappling with the harsh reality of their situation. It wouldn’t be easy to break Aj out, if that were possible at all; her ankle was mangled and they couldn’t tell how much of her energy was lost during ‘interrogation.’ Just the thought of Aj being subjected to less than legal methods of questioning sent a shiver through their spine.
“If you are sympathetic to this rebel, who’s to say your loyalty shouldn’t be in question as well, dragon rider?” Megii’s eyes widened for what could’ve been the 14th time today, the Queen personally selected them to be in her squadron. It took no less than a week to be accused of affiliating with mutinous organizations. “After all, I take treasonous actions very seriously in this kingdom. Who’s to say you aren’t in communication with the rebels as well, is that right?”
Megii took a step back as the Queen’s words were drilled into their head. The Queen crossed her arms impatiently waiting for their response. Vivia was just beyond her looking quite uncomfortable at this whole debacle. The cryptid shot her a pleading look, silently begging to intervene. Unfortunately it was to no avail, the squadron leader broke eye contact following a pitying look.
Chancing a look back at the Queen, Megii spoke earnestly, “No-No Your Majesty! I could never work with a group like the rebels!” Megii winced at their own words, partially forgetting the immediate rebel participant shackled on the floor next to her. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Aj level her with a flat look, nowhere close to impressed at Megii’s attempt at redemption.
“I already swore to protect the kingdom and its people…”
The crypid’s sentence petered off as they dissected their own words. The rebels, along with the spies, were inhabitants of the kingdom. The only reason for them to even think of revolting was to change the system, change the governing forces. By the looks of it, they were right about the urgency for immediate change.
The Queen was more than willing to kill execute one rebel for the sake of her power. One downed heartbeat despite the many others she was fully aware of, only for some twisted show of force. Megii didn’t want to be apart of any ‘trusted service’ that ruled from fear as opposed to respect.
But they already were. They watched with Amber, the execution of a person who was framed to be someone they weren’t.
This is nothing but a repeat.
Megii had ended up in the exact same spot.
Having no time for the other two’s conversation, Aj thought to herself. It was painfully clear that Magpie was failing their one attempt to save face, it was evident to the both of them. She thought about her status as a rebel, and the risks she knowingly took up after joining.
It was one thing to go down for the cause, she was ready to go down by her own hand after all. It was another thing to let someone else go down with her, let alone that someone being Magpie. She wouldn’t let her friend go down for some shit she got herself into.
She couldn’t let Drift lose two people in one slaughter, if at least one of them could walk free.
Settling herself upright, Aj began jingling the restraints against one another, creating an egregiously grating noise. Both the Queen and Megii gandered downward to meet the clattering noise. Now satisfied, Aj stretched her hands as far upwards as they could go, while simultaneously letting out the most exaggerated yawn she could muster.
“Just gotta say, the service here is terrible. What’s a guy gotta do to get his executioner’s attention ‘round here?” Aj made a sour face directed at Megii. “Usually I’d have you all flustered and rambling by now. But hey, guess you aren’t into the rebellious type eh?” Megii pointedly refused to glance in Aj’s direction, refusing to believe she’d even UTTER something like this at the current moment.
Aj side eyed the monarch, now ready to put her plan into motion. Crashing her cuffs together once more, she made no effort to hide the animosity in her glare. No one’s going to put Aj down without being read to filth. After all, turning words into violence is her speciality.
“What a mighty Queen you are, huh? Resorting to executing one rebel to send a message to an entire organization? All this time I thought the monarch of this whole place was damn near untouchable. Look at yourself, all worked up over me. Not in the good way either.” Aj leaned back with a devilish grin, leaning back lazily on one elbow. Despite her lack of mobility, she could see her demeanor offending the monarch.
Megii snapped her head to glare at the rebel, but Aj had beat her to the next response. “Besides, do you really think Megii could be a rebel? Don’t make me laugh. Ever since day one, they’ve been nothing but a goody-goody trying to get me to help the kingdom and whatever people live here. I’ve done nothing but stole from them, trick them, and tell them meaningless secrets about me.”
Aj lifted her chin up and took a glance at Megii, she could see confusion brewing in the taller one’s eyes, but she couldn’t halt the performance now. “I couldn’t care less about Megii. Our previous camaraderie was touching and all, a real ‘will they fight or kiss’ situation if anyone’s ever seen.”
The rebel leaned forward with tangible levels of disdain and all but spat at her executioner-to-be, “They stand for everything I hate.”
Megii flinched as the last word was all but spat at them. Yet, they saw a glint in Aj’s eyes, one that was always accompanied by mischief and a sense of achievement. It was then it clicked in their mind:
Aj was going to sacrifice herself.
If the situation wasn’t so terrible, Megii would find it ironic. Aj’s the first one to complain about everyone at the academy being self-sacrificial, now look at her. Offering her life to save theirs. God. How did they even end up in a situation like this?
In another timeline, Megii had bested the Queen and by extension Vivia, and fled with Aj alive and well.
However, this is their reality. Megii simply can’t outmatch the Queen, nor can she break Aj from her iron restraints.
The only thing they can do, is give Aj the death she’s tried so desperately not to crave.
The Queen came up behind Megii, casting a shadow that projected onto Aj. “Do it. End her here and now. Prove to us that you’re worthy of this kingdom.” The Queen cast one last seething look toward the captured rebel, pleased she would soon be dead.
Aj threw on a smirk, contented that her plan had worked. If you had looked closer, you would have seen something more intense behind her eyes. Something manic. She stood tall even as the Queen retreated near the throne, the former having gotten onto her knees.
Megii approached the shackled rebel with the dagger, their hand shaking but tried their best to hide it. As they got closer, they noticed Aj shaking herself. Whether from excitement, fear, exhaustion, or some cruel mix of the three, Megii couldn’t help but feel pity; alas they didn’t know which one of them it was toward.
They raised the dagger, seeing Aj’s face in front of them, their own face reflected in the blade…
The dagger skid across the floor soon after Megii tossed it away, electing to do this by their own hand, their own magic. They wouldn’t let the kingdom claim the act was done by a blade of their own.
The Queen looked on with an indecipherable look in her eye, but still held contact with the events transpiring. Vivia on the other hand was reluctant to look, choosing to stand a few paces behind the Queen. She stared at Megii but made no move to halt the murder execution.
Megii, now in immediate proximity, kneeled on both knees, directly mirroring the rebel. They raised their hand and placed it over Aj’s heart, a somber look in their eye, which they had no intention of masking.
Aj’s defiant smirk faltered for an instance before it was restored, but they both knew it had been seen. Megii couldn’t remember if Aj had seen their combat spell before; that made the slight caution in her eyes all the more saddening. Aj imperceptibly nodded, steeling herself against the gazes of the monarchy, granting Megii permission to do what needed to be done.
“Do your worst Smart One, you’ve roughed me up more than this.” Aj snarled, determined to continue the act, “I wasn’t shaking earlier cause I was afraid. You don’t know how badly I wanted you-“
You flick a sharpened leaf into the air…
At long range, Magpie’s leaf stab did a great deal of damage. They didn’t want to imagine the amount of damage it did point blank. Unfortunately they didn’t need to imagine; it was right in front of them. Right through Aj’s heart.
Aj let out a small gasp, though more resembling a wheeze, slightly swaying on her knees. Her face drew into a small grimace, as the leaf pierced straight through her. Unwilling to let the Queen or Vivia garner satisfaction from the action, she turned away. She fell toward Magpie, face landing in the crook of their neck.
Blood spilled out of Aj’s chest, soon spilling from her lips as well. Her blood stained Magpie’s clothes along with the floor. The last time blood was spilled on this floor, was for an execution Magpie made no effort to stop. Now, it was stained with the blood of someone they were directly responsible for executing.
The latter held onto Aj as she leaned on them for support. Now in closer proximity, Magpie could hear the shorter woman’s breathing turn shallow and raspy, fighting to remain on this plane of life. How tragic, the decay mage unwilling to surrender that easily to her own vices.
A lone tear ran from the cryptid’s eye, as they held Aj upright for the little amount of time she had left. Aj might have been a rebel, but they still had a connection to one another. Whether it was through magic, or something more.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Aj…please.” Magpie whispered vehemently, begging Aj to understand how much they regretted it. They didn’t know who they were begging to, how can you stop Death from finding itself?
They felt the decay mage nudge into their neck ever slightly, leaving a bloody mark where her lips met the cryptid’s neck.
Magpie felt the ghost of Aj’s last breath upon their neck, shortly she last rasped out,
“I know Magpie, I’ll see you in a bit.”
The mage’s shallow breaths then ceased, her body going slack against Magpie. With that, the mage vanished, leaving behind nothing but blackened dust and the faint smell of iron.
aimsey was killed by megiibyte using magic