Intervention Upon a String

Chapter Twelve

So long a journey and what a humiliating way to end it but with an arrow pointed at your heart; ready to fire. Of course, this wasn't the case anymore with Sysleis's impeccable timing. "Vesta, no!"

The female's expression went from icy to a face full of hope as she forgot about Marcus and looked up.

"Do not kill him!" Sysleis cried and ran towards them.

Marcus didn't dare look behind him at Sysleis until Vesta dropped her bow and trotted to the other centaur's side. He then relaxed and dropped his arms. "What took you so fucking long?"

Sysleis was breathless and did not honor Marcus with a response but instead locked eyes worriedly with the female's. "Vesta, what are you doing out here? Do you want to be killed or worse: banished?"

Vesta took his hands in her delicate ones. "Oh, Sysleis! Why did you do it you fool! You sacrifice me and your family for the sake of a stupid human? They are all looking for you! Why did you betray us?"

Sysleis gazed at her apologetically. He hung his head in despair and gave a heavy sigh. "You must believe me when I tell you they saved me! If you truly love me, Vesta, you will let me repay my debt to them."

"You have gone too far with your noble intentions, Sysleis," Vesta scorned. "Your father has sent the other centaurs for you. They are on your trail and can sense your fear. Go home and forget this foolish quest. I will vouch for you and they will spare your life."

Suddenly, Marcus decided to step in. Not that this wasn't all fascinating, but there was a rescue to do. "Um, hi." He gave a feeble little wave. "Look, this would be all very nice if I gave a shit but if you don't mind, I have to save my woman."

He pointed a finger westward and they all saw that the sun would soon be setting. Time was running out. Sysleis stepped forward and once again took Vesta's pale hands. "I am sorry," he said. "This has gone too far; this quest for pride which has turned us to murderers."

Vesta shook her head and took her hands back, stepping away from him. "How could you? You are so young, Sysleis. How can you so easily betray your kind when your life has barely begun? You're throwing away everything!"

Sysleis approached her. "Because my life will never begin; not like this, Vesta. Not on the basis of death. You saw how easily they harmed Firenze. Who's next? Will they kill me because I return the favor bestowed upon me by these unique humans; because I so desperately avoid becoming a blood-thirsty carnivore that tears our kind apart with the consumption of hatred? Is that not the image we look down upon? Why can a human, the most uncompassionate of creatures, show us mercy but we cannot return the favor? Don't you see where aimlessly killing will take us? One by one we will all be consumed. I may be young, Vesta, but I am true to myself and I know what is right in my heart."

Marcus rolled his eyes. All this over one lame trap a dumb student set. He made a mental note to hex his whole house if he made it out of this alive. This was ridiculous. Even Harvey would be more enjoyable right now.

"You are but one centaur," Vesta said gently. "How will you destroy generations of pride? I long for an end to these wars too, Sysleis, but how could I betray my family?"

Just as Marcus was about to storm off to save Angelina alone (even though he knew he was a dead man), an idea hit him sparked by Vesta's inquiry. He stopped dead in his tracks and spun around. "Wait! How can you betray your family? Shit, this might be easier than I thought! All we need to do is tell a little lie."

Vesta recoiled in disgust. "Stoop so low as to lie like a human?"

Marcus began to inspect his nails arrogantly and pointed at Sysleis. "Well, you want to save his ass and I want to save Johnson's. It's a mutual strategy. Don't look at it as lying. Look at it as really good tactics. Believe me, it works. I'm a professional."

Vesta and Sysleis exchanged tentative glances. Reluctantly, the female nodded at Marcus. If his 'tactics' could save them all, there was no harm in listening.

"Oh, Sysleis," she sighed. "What have you gotten us into?"

In what would be Angelina's last hour, she hung by her wrists in shame; her body limp with exhaustion. Her clothes were stained in small patches of blood and torn. She panted to hold back her tears not because she was afraid to die but because she simply didn't want to; and she was dying alone. For once, heartlessness sounded like a good plan. If she had left Sysleis to bleed to death she wouldn't be hanging from a tree and Marcus wouldn't be dead in a ditch. Even the hope that the centaur would return with her friend dwindled as the sun began to set. Hours ago, before they stumbled upon Sysleis, she was playing the future out in her head; the way they would look back and laugh at their adventure in the woods. Angelina shook her head and chuckled under her breath. Even moments away from murder and she kept her spirits as high as she could.

For hours, she pleaded with the centaurs to hear her story but the prideful monsters wouldn't even give her the time of day and so eventually, she returned the favor. Sure it earned her a few extra insults and lashes but as far as Angelina was concerned, she wasn't going anywhere so she might as well enjoy the stay. She found it most amusing when she told a passing centaur that there was a spot of bird poop on his head and he reared up on his hind legs; clearly offended.

But now the fun was over. The sun was dipping beneath the horizon and the centaurs were gathering to witness the execution that would liberate them from humans once and for all (or so their deluded minds thought.) Ares stood at the head of the crowd. "Have Pan and Vesta returned with Sysleis?"

"No, Ares," a centaur reported. "Pan has returned but we have sent Vesta out again. Sysleis is weak and his affection for her will bring him back."

Angelina shook her head in amazement. She was wrong about centaurs. Sure they were snobs obsessed with themselves and their all-mighty connection with nature but they were crazy liars as well. Their obsession with pride and territory had clouded their sanity and now they were even deceiving each other.

"You are pathetic," Angelina sneered.

"Silence!" Ares boomed. "The time is now. When I give the word, our arrows will pierce your poisonous heart and end your suffering and ours."

"Rot in hell!" Angelina spat. "You're mad! All of you! I hope Sysleis gives you all what you deserve you back-stabbing freaks!"

Sarcasm and pleasantries were all dispensed from her voice. To hell with respect; they could all fall into a pit of snakes as far as she was concerned. The centaurs all surrounded her with their bows raised. Their faces showed no signs of guilt but instead focused on Angelina as they readied themselves.

"Take aim," Ares commanded.

The air tightened like the strings upon their bows. Angelina's heart raced and the blood rushed from her head. This was it. After everything she'd been through she was going to die a mile from safety. She closed her eyes and swallowed.

"Ready," Ares continued and watched the sun dip below the horizon.

"Wait!"

The centaurs all turned their befuddled faces every which way to pinpoint the voice. Their bows lowered and Angelina forced herself to open an eye and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. Am I dreaming? She blinked slowly and shook the cloudiness from her brain and gawked before grinning so wide that she couldn't possibly move any more muscles in her face.

"MARCUS!"

He was walking next to Sysleis looking quite shaken and with good reason. Marcus had an arrow jabbed against the centaur's neck and was approaching the herd cautiously and threateningly. "Move a single muscle and I kill him," Flint growled.

The centaurs obeyed and watched Ares warily. This was a most unexpected predicament. "Where is Vesta?" Ares asked.

"I don't know," Sysleis replied weakly. "I was unaware that you have sent her for me."

"Where did the male get that arrow?"

"I stole it from your mum's dead carcass," Marcus said. "Let Angelina go."

Ares's face went grim. "Have you killed Vesta?"

"Maybe. It doesn't really matter because sonny will be next, here, if you don't let Angelina go. You have the wrong person you sodding horse."

The centaurs began to whisper amongst themselves. Angelina's heart was beating out of her chest. She could hardly believe Marcus was alive and standing there against a dozen centaurs.

"I assure you any human is the right choice," Ares said. His voice remained firm even though his heart ached. The human had killed Vesta.

"No," Marcus said. "She's innocent. I set that trap for Sysleis."

Angelina's eyes went wide. "No! Don't listen to him! He's lying!" She knew exactly what he was up to. The centaurs began to mutter more loudly to each other. Ares narrowed his eyes.

"Monster," he hissed at Marcus. "How many lives will you take before the sun returns?"

"As many as I fucking need for you to shut the hell up and untie Angelina. I'm the one you want. If you want to kill with dignity, kill the right person. Let her down."

"Marcus, shut up!" Angelina cried. "I'm not going to let them kill you too! Neither of us set that trap!"

She was mere background noise. Everyone's attention was upon Sysleis and Marcus in such rapt suspense that no one noticed the presence of another centaur stealthily sneaking through the trees. As Angelina shouted on, a hand clamped over her mouth and she went rigid.

"Do not yell out," Vesta whispered. "They are merely distracting them. When I cut you down, you have to run." Her hand unclamped itself from Angelina's mouth.

"Run? Are you crazy?" she whispered back. "I'm not leaving Marcus here! He's mad!"

"I assure you no one will be harmed. But we cannot be seen so we must hurry," Vesta said. Her heart raced as she cut Angelina's wrists free and she fell to her feet; rubbing her raw arms.

"What is going on?" Angelina asked.

"Run! Before they turn and see you! They will sense my presence at any moment! You have to run! You will ruin everything if you do not!"

Angelina hesitated and glanced around worriedly. The centaurs had not even noticed her silence or the goings-on behind them for they were too focused on Marcus and Sysleis. She looked at Vesta's pleading expression. "I'm not going to run far," Angelina said firmly.

"Just get out of site," Vesta replied. "Now."

Angelina paused for one more second before promptly doing what she was told. Marcus's plan had better be damn good. Meanwhile, the centaurs watched Ares tensely for his decision. He remained silent and glared at Marcus; trying to read his expression and check for any obvious lies. His eyes fell upon the bandage across his shoulder.

"Who has healed you?"

"I did," Sysleis said before Marcus could answer. "He placed the arrow to my flesh and threatened to spill Vesta's blood if I did not heal him. In the end, he murdered her anyway. I was fooled once more."

"Foolish Sysleis!" another centaur cried. "You have betrayed us all again! Vesta was pure of heart! You have killed her with your nativity!"

"I have," Sysleis said in shame. "But I was tricked by the male, not the female. She is innocent. She has fallen to his lies as well."

"Right," Marcus continued. "So release Angelina and take me. You don't want to kill an innocent person and you have the culprit right here. Let Johnson down and I'll let your little horse go." He kept talking to distract them. "You stupid ugly fat fucking cows! You smell like sod and have the brains the size of peanuts! You couldn't even rule a pile of shit let alone a forest!"

The centaurs were like living tea-kettles. As Marcus went on with the insults, the blood boiled in their faces and the only thing keeping them from shooting Marcus into oblivion was scared little Sysleis at the tip of his arrow. Finally, Ares held up his hand. "Enough!" he screamed. "Your actions have dire consequences! You will not get away with such insults and crimes against our kind! To prevent another innocent death, I offer the female's freedom in place of Sysleis's safety. You are a pathetic being, male, and your murder will serve a greater good. Cut down the female."

A centaur turned to do as instructed and then gasped. "Ares! The female! She has disappeared!"

Ares spun around and frantically scanned the forest as the other centaurs whispered excitedly amongst themselves. How could a mere human disappear from their bindings? The centaur narrowed his eyes and scowled before turning his head towards Marcus. "You pitiful parasite! Lying filth! Humans are a plague! Where has she gone?"

Marcus smirked. "Doesn't matter. You have me now." He dropped the arrow and roughly pushed Sysleis out of the way.

Ares didn't even bother with a formal execution. He raised his bow once more and quickly, the other centaurs mimicked him and all took aim at Marcus who merely crossed his arms calmly.

"No!" Sysleis said and promptly threw himself between Marcus and the others; just as they had planned.

Ares could hardly believe what was happening. His mind was overflowing with confusion. Was Sysleis brainwashed so severely that he was giving his life for the filthy human? The others kept their bows raised but locked their eyes upon Ares who was to give the final orders. "Sysleis," a centaur said. "What is this?"

Sysleis swallowed. "I am sorry, my family. I was not deceived but instead have deceived you. This has gone too far. I cannot let you kill the male."

"He is an arrogant creature!" another centaur cried. "He has lied to us and nearly killed you! We seek justice so you repay us by putting Vesta in danger, who is also now dead!"

"Vesta is not dead," Sysleis said.

The others glanced between him and Marcus. Ares stepped forward. "Are you that foolish, Sysleis? He has already admitted to slaying her."

Flint merely grinned and shrugged innocently. "I lied. How ironic."

"And you?" Ares asked Sysleis.

The young centaur nodded. "I, too, have lied. I lied to save their lives. They are innocent but you would not listen to me. They did not set that trap and what a silly and small contraption it was; hardly something to kill over. Benevolence was extended to me by that female and even though it pains me to shame my kind like this, I could not live with the stain of their blood upon my hands. How could any of us?"

"He has set that trap!" Ares shouted. "He set it to snare your leg in pain and laugh as you struggle! It may have been miniscule but to let one indignity pass is to let them all pass! First a snare and then what next, Sysleis? Hunting us for our skins like mere game? Can't you see the just-cause behind their assassination?"

Sysleis nodded. "I could see it, if they were the ones who set such a foolish trap. But they weren't. I have been exploring the forest farther and farther than you have limited me to and have never seen these humans within these trees. They were tired and starved and clearly lost and even though I, too, assumed they were wicked, they saved my leg nonetheless. I even warned them to keep away but the female was tenacious."

"So you associate with them to spite your own kind? Sysleis, you are young and foolish. I am ashamed of you," Ares said. "Look how easily you betray your family. What benefit do you receive from this? Death or banishment? Do you wish to be purposeless like Firenze? Your actions have saved the lives of insolent humans but have killed the very ones who share your blood. You are no longer my son."

Sysleis swallowed. This wasn't going exactly as planned but he had laid out all the possible consequences of his actions within his head and had to remain strong. He had hoped to finally make his family listen if their attention was focused on saving him. Now it seemed they wanted to kill him right next to Marcus and he was all too right.

"Keep talking!" Marcus whispered to Sysleis. "You have to make them trade me for you! Where the hell is Vagina?"

"VESTA."

"Whatever."

"And I don't know why she is delayed. I am trying to stall them! They still believe that you are a plague upon the forest and now they firmly assume that I am siding with you to spite them. They will kill me for treason!"

"Silence!" Ares roared. "For both of your crimes against our kind, you will die."

"No," a firm but calm voice said from the trees. Vesta slowly emerged from the forest. The other centaurs gasped for joy.

"Vesta!" Ares exclaimed. "You are alive! The male was lying as usual! Where have you been?"

Vesta now took her place between Sysleis and the other centaurs. "That does not matter. I have witnessed this entire strife from beginning to end and I have made my choice. I will not let you harm Sysleis."

Ares sighed. "Your affection for him has clouded your judgment. I apologize for his actions but he has committed such a monstrous level of treason and must face the penalty."

"Then I face mine as well," Vesta said. "I will not let you harm Sysleis; I choose him."

"You are innocent," a centaur said. "We will not harm you. Quickly move aside."

Vesta glared. "I am not as innocent as I look. I have been convinced to lie to you to save the one I love. If Sysleis's crime is treason; I, too, have committed this act by defying you and forbidding you to shoot him. You will have to kill me first."

"Why, Vesta?" they whispered.

She looked at Ares calmly. "Sysleis is right. This has gone too far. If he says the humans are innocent, then I believe him. Wouldn't not believing him be treason as well? We are all a family."

"He only says they are innocent because they have fooled him! And now he has fooled you!" another female centaur pleaded.

Vesta shook her head. "I do not believe that. Not anymore. Sysleis is my mate. I will be faithful to him through and through. If you must kill him, you'll have to kill me first."

"And I wont allow that to happen," Sysleis said and planted his hands on Vesta's shoulder, pulling her back. He took his place in front of her. "As she said, she is my mate and so I offer her my full dedication and protection. I will not let you harm her."

Several seconds passed that seemed like an eternity. The centaurs tensely watched Ares as he glared at the three before him with his jaw set tightly. The air was silent and heavy until he finally spoke. "Very well."

For a split second, Marcus, Sysleis, and Vesta all sighed in relief until Ares continued.

"You will all die, then. The male: for crimes against the centaurs. For Vesta and Sysleis: treason. Prepare yourselves. Centaurs, raise your weapons!"

For the first time in his life, Sysleis saw the others hesitate against their orders. Ares was the eldest and the leader of the herd and the others never second-guessed his demands. Sysleis and Vesta were determined to prove the human's innocence by risking their lives and it was something to be reckoned with. Centaurs were so prideful; it was hard to believe that they would toss away their future for the sake of a lie. Perhaps he was right; the humans were not the culprits of these petty crimes. "Ares," one female said softly. "What if they all speak the truth? We can let the human go and forget all of this and carry on without any more loss of life."

Ares's face contorted in rage. "Let him go? The leech upon nature who has brainwashed my son and his mate and has us at war! The human who takes pleasure in breaking us apart and threatening our kind! I will not let him go! I will kill him and I will find the female and kill her as well!"

Marcus shoved his way forward and narrowed his eyes with malice. "You touch her over my dead body."

Ares raised his bow. "Very well." He took aim and was ready to fire but a war cry from behind him had him looking back for only a second before something collided with him and jumped on his back. Marcus's jaw hit the floor.

"Johnson!" he shouted over her rants. "You are supposed to be fucking running!"

"I was running!" she screamed and beat on Ares's head as he tried to buck her off. "I ran into this asshole!"

Ares roared and kicked and spun; anything to get Angelina off of his back. She pulled at his mane and slapped his head and did whatever she could to keep him from aiming his bow at Marcus. However, in the chaos, he had flung the arrow mere inches from Vesta's leg. The other centaurs watched in shock at the brave human who dared challenge Ares. The centaur dropped his bow and swiftly reached behind him to grab Angelina's arm. She yelped and was flung off of him and landed hard on her back. In the split second it took Ares to steal the bow of the closest centaur, Angelina got to her feet and spun around with her arms outstretched to become a shield before Vesta, Sysleis, and Marcus who were all staring at her in bewilderment.

"JOHNSON, MOVE!" Marcus shouted and went to push her out of the way but froze; his body jolting with the sound of a flying arrow. His eyes widened in horror and the world seemed to stop and go silent. Everyone stared at Angelina as she stood shocked; an arrow planted neatly in her heart. She began to collapse and Marcus couldn't get his legs to move faster. When she fell into his arms and sank with him to the ground, the centaurs and the trees and the sky just seemed to disappear. All Marcus could do was hold Angelina's upper body in his arms as she slowly died. "Johnson," he said firmly and tried not to sound panicked. He gave her a slight jerk to wake her up. Angelina gasped and weakly opened her eyes but the arrow was proving too much for her. Blood oozed from the wound and began to trickle out of her mouth. "Don't you fucking die," Marcus choked; a hint of desperation in his voice.

Angelina couldn't speak. Her eyes began to droop with the rest of her body and it seemed she couldn't even see him anymore as she stared ahead at nothing at all. "Marcus," she whimpered, barely audible, and then closed her eyes. Her head lolled limply against his chest.

Marcus gently laid her flat onto the ground. He knelt next to her and gazed at her placid face; once bright and full of never-ending annoyance to him. It was a frightening and stark contrast now. He began to shake with rage; fists clenched in the dirt and then he snapped his head up to Ares with bared teeth. The centaur raised an eyebrow and aimed another arrow at him.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Marcus screamed. "I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF!"

He scrambled to his feet, blinded by rage and paying no regards to the arrow aimed at his heart as well. But before Marcus or Ares could strike, another centaur swiftly stepped in and grabbed Ares's bow and jerked it upwards so that the arrow shot towards the sky. Ares growled at him. "You fool! You wasted my arrow!"

The centaur, however, indicated that this was no accident. He firmly grabbed Ares's wrist. "No, Ares. You have wasted your arrow. It is in the female's heart."

"Let go of me at once! Or join the traitors!"

The other centaurs began to step in as well. The female human had just given her life to save the others in a blind act of heroism. Ares had gone too far with his rage. A male also grabbed his wrist to plead with him. "Ares, you are clouded by rage. Stop this at once!"

Ares pulled his arms away violently and thrashed against the surrounding centaurs who were weighing him down with their grip. They were all pleading with him at once to end this foolish debacle. He had shot an innocent human.

Sysleis stood before Angelina's body and stared at her with regret. He shook his head in sadness as the other centaurs tried their best to control Ares. Vesta was at his side. "Is she dead?" she asked meakly.

Sysleis began to answer when a sharp roar ahead caught his attention. The centaurs were engaging in an all out brawl with Ares now. He kicked at them and spat obscenities and struck his bow at any who dared get in his range. One by one the centaurs attacked and fell to his lust for violence. "Traitors!" he screamed. "All of you! I will kill you all before I let you shame the centaurs! And I will finish where I left off; with the human male!"

Ares pushed the remainder of the centaurs away far enough for him to ready his bow and spin around to take aim at Marcus. He pulled the trigger and the arrow swiftly punctured Flint's stomach. However, the only thing Marcus felt was his own anger and warm blood now flowing around his fingers. Ares gasped. Looking down, he saw Flint right before him with hatred so fierce in his eyes that all signs of freewill were gone. And within the human's hands was the very arrow he had first fired at Vesta; now planted deep into his heart and dripping with blood. The centaur dropped his bow in shock and went to gently cup the arrow but Marcus showed no mercy and violently ripped it from his chest; tearing his flesh and sending blood everywhere.

The other centaurs could only watch in horror. They gingerly got to their feet and dared not move any further. Marcus's rage was beyond controllable. When Ares fell to his front knees, he still had a look of utter amazement on his chest; that he just couldn't believe he was defeated by a human. Marcus leered down at Ares now and showed utterly no emotion as the centaur slowly died. He tossed down the crimson arrow in his hands and finally his body caught up with his mind. He began to slowly collapse but a centaur hurriedly caught him under the arms.

"Let go," Marcus said weakly and tried to struggle over to where Angelina lay.

"Be still," the centaur said. "We will save her."

Marcus closed his eyes and sighed. He felt helpless for he knew in his mind she must surely be dead. His vision went in and out of focus and he watched as Sysleis bent to scoop Angelina into his arms. "Can you walk?" he asked Marcus

"Yeah." Marcus took one drunken step and collapsed; his exhaustion too great.

The centaur that once supported caught him again and lifted him effortlessly in his arms. "Come," he said to the others. "We are in debt to these humans. They have saved us from Ares's corruption. We will heal them and spare their lives. Let us hurry."

The others were still in shock. First Ares was slain by a human and now his own family carried the killer in their arms. But he was right. Ares was turning dark and threatened to plague them all and the human girl gave her life to protect them when they had shunned her in the first place. It was decided now. The humans would live.