Knight's Gambit

“Ah, ex-prisoner!” Guerilla greeted Kaiwi with a smile and a thump on the back, “You’re just in time.” Kaiwi felt a pit of nerves in his gut.

“Just in time for what?” he asked, eyes darting around to make sure Brunhilda wasn’t following him.

“The end of the banquet of course! Where you and all your fellow outsiders get to be recognised for your service by our queen.” Kaiwi wanted to scream, he was so sick and tired of this place and now there was even more ceremony to get through before he could go home.

“Will it take long?” he asked. Guerilla frowned at him.

“It will, it’ll take however long it takes to save Atlantis,” he said gravely. Kaiwi’s eyes widened and he laid a claw on the Iggy guard’s forearm.

“What do you mean? You said I could go home,” he protested.

“I thought you could!” the Iggy interjected, “The queen had a change of plan. Please Kaiwi, Atlantis needs all the help she can find.” Stunned by his guard using his name for the first time, the raptor didn’t hear the approaching duo until it was too late.

“There you are!” Brunhilda squawked triumphantly before shrinking back when she realised Guerilla was also there. She held awkwardly to the end of Kaiwi’s tail while Celena waddled to him and flopped over at his feet.

“There has been a minor change to proceedings, Brunhilda,” the Iggy said and the Oviraptor’s face dropped.

“Wh- what do you mean? I won’t get my war paint?” she asked. Kaiwi had no idea what that signified but judging by the tremble in his chaperone’s voice it was clearly upsetting to her.

“You will,” Guerilla assured her softly, “But the outsiders are being sworn in alongside you.”

Brunhilda was stunned but also so relieved, she hadn’t lost her chance yet! She was, however, gravely worried about what trouble lay in store for Atlantis. Celena had little care for Atlantis, and just followed the brown oviraptor’s lead, doing what she told her to. If Brunhilda would fight for Atlantis, so would she.
“What’s the matter then, Guerilla? Must be something big if the Queen will consider outsiders..” Brunhilda reluctantly asked. She didn’t want to know what was up, but she had to, in order to help.
“The dome’s integrity is at risk, we must proceed with our plans sooner than expected. Your services so far will be awarded and you three will be knighted, we must hurry to the ceremony.” the iguanodon explained as he nodded for them to move forward.
Celena, being the obedient little atopo she was, was first to move and she quickly waddled off towards the ceremony location. Kaiwi seemed to show little interest in playing along with their games, but a stern look and a push from brunhilda made him move along. Brunhilda exchanged a worried gaze with Guerilla as she passed him by. Her chest felt tight. She was nervous and scared, but serving the queen was her duty. She would not fail her.

The court was packed from side to side with lines of Atlantis’ inhabitants, as well as the long line of outsiders. Some looked nervous, others looked resigned and some seemed positively ecstatic about receiving this honour. There was still a clear divide between them and the waiting Atlanteans, their faces grim as they faced what may be the greatest honour and deadliest duty of their lives. Kaiwi was shaking, unsure of how helping out around the dome had led to him being conscripted in a war. And a war against his own home? Including his beloved Dead City? He had to figure out a way out of this before things got too messy. Brunhilda stood behind him while he had offered the place ahead of him. She was still suspicious of him, he could tell, and possibly still smarting about having her thunder stolen by a bunch of outsiders. Celena had taken the space when offered, happily sliding on her belly across the grass.

The stage where they would receive their honours was coming into view the more they shuffled along the queue. It was a flat stone stage, a large wooden throne at its centre and the queen Iguanodon standing in front of it. Not much point to a chair if you’re not going to sit in it, Kaiwi thought to himself. The guards he had grown familiar with were beside her, changing out every few knightings. He had seen Mantell to the queen’s left at one point, though he had no chance of catching his attention in the crowd. Even if he had, was he expecting the prison guard to just defy the queen and help him escape? Perhaps Kaiwi was just desperate for a friendly face at this point as he was metaphorically frog marched towards his doom. 

The queen herself was intimidating too, a golden bracer gleamed on one of her front legs and her monkey servants stared unblinking at any that passed before them. Kaiwi had never seen monkeys like them before on the surface, they were quick, agile and clever, handling small weapons with an ease that seemed to even surpass the craftmaster. They dangled from the trees that hung their branches over the waiting line, gleaming black eyes watching every movement for signs of rebellion. The one closest to him, a larger one with golden fur and a blue face, spun a sharp shard of flint around between its fingers, never stopping even as he swung through the trees to spy on other sections of the queue.

Brunhilda’s heart was beating fast at this point. She knew that she was already guaranteed a spot, that she would be rewarded her war paint thanks to her duties so far, but actual war.. It didn’t feel real. Celena was unbothered, she wasn’t fully grasping how truly dire the situation was, but she happily tagged along. Blissfully unaware.. What a relief that must be, Brunhilda thought to herself.
Kaiwi got up on stage before her and Celena, as she wanted to keep an eye on her. Everything seemed to go smoothly so far, the nocturnal utah probably knew better than to defy the queen right in front of her army. Brunhilda was next, she could barely hear the queen’s voice over her own heart beats, and before she knew it she was on the other side of the stage with Kaiwi yet again, awaiting Celena. Celena was looking up at the queen and her knights as they anointed her, just tilting her head side to side as they spoke to her. They probably realised she was not much of a fighter, but she was knighted regardless and waddled off towards Brunhilda and Kaiwi, determined to fulfill whatever destiny had in store for her.
In Brunhilda’s hand she had a slip of paper, looking at it it was what she had been fighting for, an approval to get warpaint in her desired colour. Right now, however, she was too scared to truly be able to feel joy over making it. She hoped that her girlfriends wouldn’t get in trouble, that they, too, would be on her side. Anxiety was starting to eat her up from the inside before a soft rub against her leg grounded her back to reality. It was Celena, snuggling up against her leg and promptly laying down across her feet. The light brown atopo looked up at the distressed Brunhilda, who let out a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know what I would do without you..” she managed to squeeze out with a shaky voice, despite her chest feeling so tight she could barely breathe.

“Good luck out there, Kaiwi..” Brunhilda shakily said as she finally was willing to let him out of her sight. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid.”