I ducked as shattered fragments of stone roof tiles exploded around me, the expected result of the soldier’s fireball.
“God, it’s every time.” I panted as I scampered over the nearest roof peak. “Can I not do anything right the first time?”
The only response was another explosion of shards as a stupidly fast spear of fire tore through the roof just behind me. From the corner of my eye I saw the attack continue far into the cavern before arching back down into the abyss like a moltan tank shell.
“Are they even trying to bring me back alive?!”
I wasn’t the most experienced with magical combat in Elys, but somehow I didn’t think these spells were the most survivable projectiles. In fact, it looked like I had a better chance of living through an AP round than whatever explosive they were using.
As if to punctuate my thought, another fire-spear blew out the closest chimney.
I continued my sprint, err, light jog, jumping from building to building as I sought to lose my pursuers. Thankfully, the roof angles were slight enough to keep my footing, though the chase quickly began to eat away at my stamina. Even now, after all the misadventure I found my body in only a slightly better state than it had been in when I got it.
It hadn’t surprised me that they’d discovered my plot so quickly, though I had hoped for a few more minutes than the two I’d gotten. Their speed in locating me once they’d discovered me missing out slightly peeved me, but the blame with that one mostly laid with myself, as I hadn’t realised how loud even walking across roof tiles would be. After that, the situation had quickly devolved into a chase between me up above and the soldiers on the ground.
It wasn’t all bad, though, because my choice of route turned out to be a good choice. The guards would’ve assuredly overran me if I had been over ground, and the building proved useful at preventing the unexpected firepower being thrown from obliterating me.
My eyes narrowed as I spied a two metre gap between the buildings ahead, one just a little too wide for me to be confident in Saphry clearing. Quickly rerouting, I used the nearest chimney to flip into a ninety degree turn towards a covered bridge crossing the avenue. As I moved, I took in the city that I could see, trying to find somewhere to go next.
The eastern part of the city which I had been forced to flee into was on the opposite side from where I’d been brought in, but was altogether the denser part. Somehow I’d have to find a way to either bridge the ravine again, ascend to one of the higher tiers of the hidden city to get back across, or locate an exit back to the capital on this side. First though, I’d have to hide.
I jumped the peak again and slid down the roof to the top of the bridge, jumping back to my feet at the end. The tiles slid under my feet, and I found myself awkwardly slipping over the thin stone. As I made my way across, I happened to look to my left, only to dive forward as another fire bolt slammed into the roof. Another two came soon afterward, sending sprays of burning rock chips into the air.
“By the Star, this is starting to remind me of that snowball fight with Corto…” I muttered, only to frown at my own memory.
Why did this pull up one of Saphry’s memories first? I had way more comparable fights back in Chicago.
“Not the time, Ryder.” I pushed myself back to my feet and started making my way across the bridge again, this time making sure I was properly hidden from the west by the peak of the roof.
I had almost made it across when another round of explosions shook the building, and I was thrown to the tiles. Behind me, orange-red tongues of flame tore the bridge asunder, a wave of hot air scorching my back. The horrible sounds of scraping stone and raucous rock blasted my ears, deafening me while I began to slide backwards with the rest of the bridge. Huge plumes of dust and smoke clouded the air, and fire lay upon my nostrils.
What the hell had they unleashed? Wasn’t this way overkill? I was supposed to be kept safe!
Reacting on instinct, my hand shot out to grab a particularly stable tile, and I barely stopped my descent as the bridge behind me collapsed into the street. Thankfully, I had gotten close enough to the other side that the tile I grabbed onto didn’t fall in with the rest of the bridge, but soon enough I found myself hanging over open air while chunks of the building fell to the street below. The clattering seemed to go on for a lifetime as I hung there, unable to summon the strength to pull myself up while also being afraid of just dropping to the ground almost two stories below.
“[Christ], these people go hard.” They had fired what had felt like an [RPG] towards me in their attempts to stop me. What had I possibly done to invite such firepower?
After half a minute, I heard three sets of footsteps clamber over the rubble and position themselves below me, and I found the three soldiers on duty staring up at me.
“Hullo, madam.” The captain said, a red-cloaked soldier with a mischievous grin adorning his face. “Do you need some help?”
“No, I think I’m perfectly alright, thank you very much.” I said. “Just hanging, you know.”
It was pretty much over at this point, I knew. Even if I suddenly found the strength to pull myself back up, the fire would be upon me in seconds, and at this point I was slightly terrified that they wouldn’t think twice of charring me with another couple of fire blasts.
“Surely this is something you can do back at the manor?”
“I don’t know, Caldor has never really shown me a proper artillery barrage like that.”
Well, to be honest it felt more like a missile strike than a line of cannon, but the former wasn’t a ‘thing’ in Verol.
“We just wanted to show off a little as well. We missed on purpose, of course. Just wanted to scare you a bit.” He said, drawing a couple of chuckles from his compatriots. “Why don’t you drop on down?”
“Might need someone to catch me.” I glanced around, just in case I could see something helpful, but I could only see the same white bird I’d seen earlier flying about. “I’m a little too close to the shield star for my liking, if you know what I mean.”
“Ah, of course. Come on you two.”
They arranged themselves in a circle below me, and I closed my eyes to steel myself before I let go. As I began to loosen my fingers I heard a sudden woosh and cries of alarm below me.
“Wait, what was that?”
I shot my eyes open again just in time to see a small blue vial shatter on the ground between them. Instantly, a black cloud enveloped them in its mists, and I heard them call out in fear from within.
They came flailing out of the gas, clawing at their eyes and coughing like mad-men. Out of the buildings on either side of the street two figures emerged, each clutching swords and clothed in dark blue cloaks that obscured their faces.
Their swords, however, were a better identification than any ID card.
“Breale? Frederick?” I cried, unbelieving.
My astonishment was short lived though, for when they reached the three men only horror could replace it. They were quick in their work, cutting down the defenceless men like grain to the scythe. Blood splattered on the streets as their bodies fell to the ground, or, more accurately, their body chunks.
When they were done, and the cloud was cleared, they stood below me in askance. A small silver bird, or rather a silver dragon, landed on Breale’s shoulder.
Hello Ryder.
“Gi-Silst?” I cried. “How…”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
We don’t have all that much time unfortunately. The other guards will be upon us soon. We’ll explain it all later.
“I…” Glancing at the blood on the street again, I thought better of asking anything and let go, dropping into the twin’s arms.
As they caught me, I found their faces obscured by runed masks of iron and silver, and gauntlets and metal boots covered what wasn’t covered by the cloaks. To me, they looked the very picture of death, and I found any greeting I could think of dead in my throat.
The spell was broken when a girl’s voice came out, and I noticed Breale’s hair tied in a braid over her shoulder. Bizarrely to me, the same cheery voice as always came out.
“It’ll be faster if we carry you.” She said, hoisting me over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“I…”
Shouts of alarm filled the street behind us.
“We must away.” Frederick ordered, his voice quieter than usual. “Silst, you know the plan.”
Gideon nodded, and before he took off again I noticed that he was now wearing some strange harness over his scales. Half a dozen multicoloured potions were fit into slots around him, and one hoister was now empty.
As the drake lifted itself into the air, the twins started off down the road, me carried upon Breale’s shoulder. They were rough and fast over the old stones, somehow managing a quick jog while carrying me, but I found my mind and eyes drawn instead to the fallen corpses of my previous jailors.
I could only hope the Star didn’t judge the captain too harshly.
…
“You must flee the city immediately.” Hans said quietly, his words almost overtaken by the blazing fire behind him.
“What?” said Fredrick.
“Why?” said Breale at the same time.
The room was warm and neatly organised, a marked difference from the whirling maelstrom raging outside. White panelled wood boards crept up the upper walls, taking the place of the glowing stone bricks. Bookcases contained hundreds of well-worn tomes adorned those walls, books of monster-slaying and piety finding equal companionship on their shelves. It was a cosy place, smelling of wood polish and paper, a redoubt against the terrors of the world.
We had emerged in one of the lower levels of the city, close to Father Han’s house in the middle of the night. Along the way they had caught me up on what had happened in my absence, words which still tumbled through my mind.
A massacre? The soldiers guarding me hadn’t seemed so inhuman as to do something like that. How could anyone believing in the kingdom commit such atrocities? Had Caldor known?
The twins glared at each other for a second before Hans spoke up.
“Banish such pettiness, for opportunity sloughs off even as we speak.” He glanced towards the window, where the vague shape of a tower could be seen through the dark snow. “A shadow lies over the senate after today’s deliberations, and I fear Andril’s life now falls in forfeit.”
“For…” Fredrick shook his head. “Isn’t that why we saved Saphry? To speak at the trial tomorrow?”
“Other than the fact that we love you, of course.” I rolled my eyes as Breale pat my shoulder.
“There will be no trial, not after today.” Hans said. “For Taneri took the stand today.”
“Taneri?” Fredrick asked. “I hadn’t heard of this development.”
“It was after you left. Taneri took the closing argument.”
“Isn’t that good though?” Breale asked. “Taneri’s no orator, but he speaks with the authority of the king.”
Hans didn’t respond for a good few seconds, and even I looked up as the room’s tension built.
“Hans?”
“You misunderstand. Captain Taneri spoke against the second… the first prince. He spoke of break-ins and other such subterfuge for well over half an hour. He provided evidence for the prince’s involvement in that library break-in, of Feanin’s death, and he even produced a shard of an Efmorgevenor’s vessel. The most compelling, however, was his description of the motive, of his lust for the heirship of his now passed brother Elendri. I do not lie when I say there will be no trial tomorrow.
“There will only be an execution.” He finished.
All of us stared at the paladin in shock, not believing what we were hearing. Andril, a murderer? How could Taneri possibly believe that? Even I, who had only worked with the prince for a couple weeks, was aware of his convictions. Andril only wanted what was best for the country, or at least that’s what I got from him.
“That’s…That’s insane!” Breale cried. “How could Taneri do something like that? You don’t believe it, right?”
“Of course not!” Hans looked affronted, as if Breale had just insulted his mother. “I’ve known the good prince for nigh on two decades, it would take more than one night to break that trust.”
“Taneri knew of our rescue tonight as well…” Fredrick rested his chin on his fist in contemplation. “Could he have wanted to pre-empt our manoeuvre?”
“A pitching traitor!” Breale added. “Why, he should be cast off the mountain for such a betrayal! May Balefron pierce him!”
I looked between the three in bewilderment. So much was happening so quickly, I didn’t know what to think of anything.
“Why would Taneri betray us?” I asked. “What does he have to gain from something like that?”
“Money, estates?” Fredrick shrugged. “Corruption is an unfalliable trait among humanity.”
“I shouldn’t think so, Master Maverick. I have seen Captain Taneri speak before, and no cause has driven him to such passion as this one has,” said Hans. “From my reckoning, he truly believed in the prince’s guilt, or at least he believed in the cause that led him to speak.”
“But Andril didn't do anything like that.” I argued. “We’ve been with him all this time, there was no time for it.”
“Not necessarily.” Fredrick said. “Andril has the power to enact such situations. Theoretically he could’ve ordered the placement of the sealing stone, the orthungs, or the raid on the library.”
“That’s…” I faltered. Fredrick was right. There was nothing stopping the whole operation from being orchestrated by the prince, other than the reasoning why. Andril wouldn’t stoop to something like that, would he?
“Brother!” Breale shot up from her chair by the fireplace. “You’ve spoken with that man for years now, how could you lose faith so easily?”
“I never said I did. I simply stated that it was possible.”
“That’s what losing faith sounds like!”
I tend to agree with Breale here. Gideon finally spoke up while the twins argued. I believe we would’ve seen some sign if this was all an elaborate plot to assassinate his own brother. And it was elaborate, because it sure put himself in quite a bit of danger.
“Perha-” My whisper died in my throat.
What real danger had Andril really been in, actually? The orthungs had been savage, but had they really been a credible threat to the mage-prince? After all, none of the other incidents had seriously endangered him. He didn’t enter the haunted house with us, nor was he there at the library. And if they truly were his own men, he wasn’t even in danger of exposure at the warehouse.
Actually, hadn’t the warehouse conversation been a little too convenient? What were the chances that himself and a witness would really be in the room when the Lord Agos just so happened to make a late night visit to one of his warehouses?
“I don’t know, actually.” I whispered to the drake. “Taneri’s theory doesn’t have obvious holes.”
And yet I cannot believe it.
That was fair. I couldn’t quite bring myself to either.
“We wander from my original point.” Hans silenced the twins. “The city is no longer safe for you three to reside in, not with Lord Agos’s faction on the verge of victory. Your names have already come up as collaborators. You must leave, and as soon as possible.”
I shuddered at the thought. They wouldn’t execute us as well, would they? Or was that why Lord Agos had specifically wanted me to be hidden away before?
“In this weather? We’d freeze.” said Fredrick. “And where would we even go?”
“Minua, or Summark.” Hans said. “Auro’s family would shelter you, as would your own.”
Fredrick shook his head.
“The roads to both Cice and Andorlin will be blocked with snow this time of year, and the Arguin would be frozen over. And the road to Minua might not even be clear if this storm is larger than previously thought.”
“Frozen over! I’d hope we don’t suffer such an ill omen.” Hans said.
“And yet, this storm persists.”
“You might be able to cross the High Road over into Fangpeak and cross into the duchy from there.” Hans said. “It is said to remain open throughout the season.”
Fredrick rapped his fingers on his chair as he thought about it.
“It’s possible. We will want to leave before the storm lifts, in that case.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Breale cried. “All this talk of fleeing… but what about Saphry? How do we know that her testimony wouldn’t sway any hearts?”
“Yeah!” I nodded furiously behind her. “Why not try it?”
Ryder…
What? Shouldn’t we try everything first before leaving? Leaving would just convict us in the public’s eye more after all, and was liable to make us criminals if we weren’t already.
“You don’t understand.” Hans said. “They voted after Taneri’s speech today, and Andril and Auro have already slipped out of the city for Minua, determined to make the prince’s case to the duchies.”