“I’m sorry. Did you say you’re going to break me out of here?”
I blinked in surprise at the two young adults squatting before my cage. A few moments later, my vision adjusted to the darkness. Their vaguely purple figures hunched beside each other and they appeared neither experienced, nor prepared. As best I could make out in the murk, they carried nothing with them, and were hardly dressed for the occasion. Both wore grey silk pyjamas emblazoned with red dragons. Cautiously, I peeked at their feet and swung my head back despondently. Two pairs of fluffy red slippers peeked out from the gloom of the room.
“May I know why exactly you’d go so far for myself?” I asked apprehensively.
My disquiet went undetected.
“Why because your treatment by that spiteful, foolish Lieutenant and her treacherous lot of cronies is completely undeserving for such a fierce and worthy warrior such as yourself.” Proclaimed the young woman.
Her resentment of this place and the Commander - no, Lieutenant General Valerie, was stunning, and it reeked of untempered arrogance. I peered around the pair and confirmed that there was no one else lurking in the background. It was only us three.
The thought occurred to me that this clandestine meeting was altogether suspect. Perhaps others were involved. It may be a test of loyalty. But that too, was dubious. The pair’s shimmering eyes beamed towards me with sincerity. They were either very excellent performers, or they really did want to help me for some reason.
My silence had sat for too long, and the young man, Erik, spoke up.
“Listen carefully Shale, we want you away from this place,” his voice conveyed urgency and impatience.
“What we’ve managed to gather the past couple of days we’ve been here, is that these backwater criminals are in total disarray. This stronghold is limping along towards its grave, and if we’re not careful, it will swallow us, you and everyone in the vicinity up along with it.”
He leant forward, held his hand up to his mouth and whispered conspicuously towards me, “We will be leaving two nights from now, at dawn. We’re protecting the merchant caravan that delivers the Bastion its goods, you see.”
I nodded, just to keep Erik talking.
“Before then, tomorrow night, myself and Seraphina should be able to acquire the material needed to short out the repulsive field running across these pillars here. That would give you the opportunity to free yourself just before sunrise. That is the limit of our assistance however, it would be up to you to successfully find a way to reach our caravan before we leave the Blight. We can’t risk discovery, or the Lieutenant may contact the Academy, you understand?”
I smiled despite my ignorance. “Of course. And I thank you both for being willing to put yourself on the line for a stranger.”
They deflated a little at that comment and I hastily added, “I commend you both for your bravery and courage. And your commitment to that which is just.”
“Naturally.” Erik perked up again.
I stared hard at the couple. Whilst the opportunity to escape certainly appealed to me, these particular individuals whom I sat across from, did not. I needed to know more before I decided anything.
“I must ask you both, however. Before we proceed. What is it that repels you so much? I mean, I’m certainly not thrilled with the treatment I’ve been given. And this land is certainly bleak, its populace terrifying, but these are extreme circumstances aren’t they? And they are your people, are they not?”
The woman, Seraphina, scoffed, whilst the man rolled his eyes.
“They,” Seraphina put every ounce of disgust into that word, “are most certainly not our people.”
Erik jumped in. “We’re here strictly for a school assignment. Well, to be more accurate, we’re attached to the Miller-Tawny Trading company as temporary security, and we’ve had the misfortune to be sent here, to Illyrith’s Final Bastion, of all places.”
“And our treatment here, by these outsiders has been abhorrent!” Snarled Seraphina. “As soon as we arrived, that nasty woman refused to see us or pay her respects. We were sent off with some ancient servant and provided disgraceful rooms to stay in for those of our station! The food was scarcely edible, then we were harassed by oafish criminals. This entire place is full of human vermin! You excepted, of course Mr. Kadran.” She smiled sweetly. “Of course, then that horrible creature came and the Bastion was totally unprepared! We were nearly killed atop the wall, and now our return has been delayed as a result of pure incompetence.”
“Lastly, and most importantly,” Erik added. “Their erroneous detainment of a valued, injured individual of their employ is unreasonable. I mean you, Shale. You were the one who crippled that Greybone Stalker - I think that is what they called it. Had you not been present, I doubt that Lieutenant Thornblood’s garrison could have defeated it. We would have all been killed. And for that, I am bound by my family's honour to see you freed. Not to mention you would better serve Palir anywhere else. We aim to allow you that opportunity. Both of our families would be honoured to have you in their service. But that is to discuss later. Now, you have heard our reasons. We must leave this wasteland as soon as possible, and you should be present beside us. Will you accept our help?”
I looked between the pair. They were resolute. Their words were sincere, I was sure of that now. But as to whether they could execute on their plan, I was doubtful. And I had no idea what awaited me outside this stronghold, alongside them. I had no allegiance anywhere else, and I doubted they possessed the authority to actually provide a place for me to stay and work. But I could very much be a fool to outright deny them.
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“And you would have me along, despite my background? Have you not heard from the others? I have forgotten who I am. I have no background to stand on. I know nothing of the world outside of this prison cell.”
The pair blinked in surprise, apparently taken aback by my question.
“Why should that be a problem?” Asked Erik.
“You don’t need to know any Shale Kadran.” Said Seraphina. “So long as you follow us and fight as you did before, we should not have any problems.
Their intentions for me became a little more clear to me then. I was strictly an asset, and they expected me to perform as I did last night. They did not know I could not control my abilities.
Before I could respond, a fast paced slapping echoed from a distance.
Erik and Seraphina froze like deers before headlights. I stared into the gloom and awaited the incoming individual.
Before the mage students had regained their senses and thought to run, a young woman’s gasping breath joined the footfalls, and soon after, a tall, tired woman pulled up alongside the lamplight. Her chestnut hair appeared red in the purple glow, and it streamed messily over her face as she stood shakily before Erik and Seraphina with a frown on her face.
“You… Stupid… Idiots… What are you doing here?” Her raspy whisper carried a surprising degree of dismay.
“Lyra?” The pair both said the name simultaneously. That name carried with it great relief, but also annoyance.
“Yes, it's me!” She snapped. “What are you two doing here?”
She strode forward to the pair and caught sight of me, sat upright in my bed in all my bloodied metal glory. Lyra stopped in surprise.
“You’re here to see him? Are you trying to get us imprisoned alongside him? Let’s go, you two, we need to get out of here now!” And she grabbed them by their arms and began dragging them away from the detention cell.
Erik glared at her, but stood up and slowly retreated by her side whilst Seraphina quietly thrashed in Lyra’s arms.
“Sorry to bother you Mister.” Lyra bowed apologetically as she dragged the pair away.
I nodded in return, rather, confounded by the series of events of the night.
Seraphina’s squirming face caught my eye. She met my eyes and raised her eyebrows and asked a question with her face. Would I be going with them?
“I will be there.” I nodded and mouthed the words back to her.
She smiled, gave me a wave and then hurried alongside her fellow students, batting Lyra on the shoulder in frustration along the way.
The trio continued their hushed squabbling in the darkness on their way back to their rooms. Several thuds and groans joined the babble as their voices grew more quiet.
Eventually, I was alone once more. And I had agreed to receive their help.
I hoped that wouldn’t come to endanger me down the line. I figured I still had a little wiggle room. I need not travel with them if circumstances change, but at the moment, making a break for it seemed better than remaining here, whilst the soldiers debated amongst themselves over my right to exist. Marginally better.
I let out a deep, long sigh and ran my hands through my hair. A soft, feathery tuft of something brushed past my face and dropped onto the tan blanket in my lap. I squinted at the small dark clump gathered beneath me, and brought it up to my face with between two grey, cold fingers.
It was hair. My burnt, frayed, filthy hair. I tossed the clump away and probed the top of my head. More matted chunks fell out and I threw my hands away from myself in revulsion. What was I doing!
Hot tears streamed down my face as I scrunched up my face. My face burned brightly as broken, peeling skin pressed together. I shouted into my arm and sat back up straight. In an effort to dull the pain, I attempted to assume a neutral, blank expression on my face. Perhaps that way the skin could heal without interference.
I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I had never been one to mediate, but at the very least I understood breathing in and out with intention. I lingered on the cool air hitting the poultice smeared across my wounds. The heat on my face ebbed away. I continued breathing in deeply, and breathing out slowly. The needling itch from my scalp reduced to a bubbly effervescence. I visualised the heat drifting away from the top of my head.
My heartbeat joined the slow, calming inhalations and exhalations in my mind. The fuzzy darkness behind my closed eyes burnt away into nothing and once again I saw nothing, as though I had returned to the aether. But this time, it was welcome. I was in control. I shut off the murmuring whine from my ears with a thought. I followed it up by cleansing my mouth from the bitter taste of ash and soon the sour scent of myself and the room followed its lead.
Only dulled sensation remained. The gentle pulse of my blood through my veins. The fizzling chatter of my synapses and the vast expansion and contraction of my lungs. There was something else present too. Something circulating my body with a different rhythm. An unfamiliar form of energy radiated through my nerves and cells.
I wished the other sensations away. They obeyed. I spared a raised eyebrow to that, and refocused upon the unknown energy fluctuations. Despite my eyes remaining closed, I saw a quivering blue light. It bent, split and streamed in circuitous patterns across a wide network of translucent red channels.
Scattered through the wispy tides were microscopic lustrous prisms. They ambled down the stream and warped the current with their presence. In turn the blue light looped and bounced between the crystalline buoys.
I breathed out steadily, slowly, and watched in delight as the trailing strands of energy flew past more quickly. Cautiously, I stretched my arm out before me and breathed inwards, deeply. More deeply than ever before. The stream slowed. The river broke apart into smaller, disparate filaments of varying shades of blue.
I exhaled, and the stream swelled. A torrent of light erupted through my body and surged towards my extended arm. Forking arcs of power passed through the metal plating down my arm and gathered by my outstretched fingers. I held the current there. My lungs remained empty. The metal began to grow hotter. As it increased in temperature, an orange warmth surfaced that coalesced with the blue electric charge in my hand. Violet light flickered in my palm.
“Stop that right now, Shale.” I froze. The electric arcs waned and collapsed in turn.
“Do not discharge that energy here, in this room. The consequences may be fatal.”
Lieutenant Commander Valerie spoke quietly, but her voice exuded grave seriousness.