Day Five Continued...

Einkidi!" Thepa called, rushing to the locked door. They embraced through the iron bars, and though the frame made it awkward, neither seemed to mind.

"It must be a cold day in Shol if I'm the responsible one," Einkidi teased. "I thought I'd have a few extra days of sleep while Draco handled the baby. Didn't expect to walk straight into a revolt. But, seriously, I love the little one to pieces. It's just..." She sighed, her shoulders rising and falling. "A big adjustment."

Oh, the pregnant woman we rescued from the goblins, Wilran thought, watching with curiosity.

"Still, he's super adorable—"

"Einkidi?" Thepa attempted to interject.

"—and obviously takes after me—"

"Einkidi."

"—and he does this cute little thing when he—"

"Einkidi!" Thepa finally shouted.

Einkidi stopped, momentarily taken aback by Thepa's urgent tone. "Sorry, love. I'm just...a bit anxious. This was supposed to be quick in and out. I'm only here because I'm the only one who could brew the potion, and it's time sensitive. I can't risk leaving my baby like so many orphans in this world. He's going to need his mommy."

Gamma 'awed' from across the room and Wilran felt her heart melt and her throat choke up. Einkidi might not have known it, but for her, the halfling's words hit pretty close to home.

Thepa smiled, reaching through the bars to squeeze her friend's hand. "We'll get you back to him. But first, do you have a plan to unlock this door? And how did you even find us?"

As if on cue, Tash's large frame came rushing into the room brandishing a key. "I've got it. Keep it down; people are starting to gather at the docks."

"Gamma messaged me this morning," Einkidi explained. "She told me to find Tash and come get you out. You're lucky no one suspects halflings. Though..." She glanced at Gamma. "It's a dangerous time to be human. They've been rounding up every one of them."

Thepa nodded. "We'd already guessed as much from what Saan told us. Quite the leader you've got there, Tash."

Tash shrugged. "Sometimes you work with the cards you're dealt. Can't help it if my hand's missing a king and has an extra jester. Anyway, we have a bigger problem: Saan's sending people this way. We might have to fight our way out."

"Is that wise?" Wilran objected as Tash unlocked the door. "There's only five of us. We need an escape plan that doesn't get us killed."

"No," Thepa said, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "We need a distraction. Something to make them look the other way. Tash, how many boats are in the port?"

Tash considered. "Maybe a dozen?"

"Perfect. Here's the plan," Thepa said. "We blow up the arsenal. I'll go set a fuse to ignite the nitrate. The rest of you head to the anchor hold. I'll give you a five-minute head start to climb down the side, then swim to the closest boats for cover. Once people start running, no one will be looking in the water. From there we should be able to hide in the city."

Tash nodded approvingly. "That should work. But move fast. You don't want to be in that room when it blows. It might not sink the ship, but it'll take out the arsenal for sure."

Gamma stepped forward, frowning. "I'll go instead. I've already caused enough trouble."

"No. It has to be me," Thepa replied firmly. "I'm the fastest, and if anything goes wrong, I can handle it. But thank you—you're a great sister."

Wilran furrowed her brow. "But how will you ignite the powder? Shouldn't a spellcaster do it?"

Thepa grinned and pulled a small wooden box from her pocket, giving it a shake so it rattled. "That part's easy. I keep a few of these on hand. Best thing Wildehaven's ever given Sainta—besides you all, of course."

"Are those firesticks?" Einkidi asked, her eyes widening. "Haven't seen those since training."

As if to demonstrate, Thepa pulled out a small stick with a red head. Wilran had never seen one before, but the scent of it was familiar having grown to know the different ingredients stocked by th Teacher's personal apothecary

"Sulfur and brimstone," Thepa explained. "One strike on pretty much any surface ignites the wood. Used to think these things were magic. It won't start a big fire on its own, but it should have no problem kindling the nitrate. I'll make a trail to the door, ignite it, and meet you guys near the water. Tash? Take care of my family. I'm counting on you."

Tash nodded as the rest headed for the anchor hold. Wilran stole a final glance back, watching as Thepa veered toward the bow.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Thepa!" she called. Thepa turned, one brow raised. Wilran knew time was running out; footsteps echoed from above, but she wanted to wish her friend well.

"May the Goddess bless you. Please come back to us."

Thepa smiled and lifted the moon-shaped pendant she wore. "She already has. I'm right behind you." With a nod, Wilran turned and hurried to catch up with the others.

When she reached the hold, Tash had already managed to unlock the anchor hatch and was helping Einkidi down the thick chain. Wilran watched as Einkidi clambered down, her small frame slipping almost immediately. With a startled squeal, the halfling plunged into the water below.

Tash looked over with a sigh. "Who's next?"

"Smooth as ever, Tash," Wilran muttered, rolling her eyes. "Like walking the plank."

"She's fine. Let's hurry."

Gamma was next. Unlike Einkidi, Gamma had fared easier against the chain's slippage. Wilran took a deep breath and followed. Quickly she climbed up on top of it hoping she wouldn't fall on to Gamma or Einkidi, but the wetness and moss that clung to its sides made it extremely difficult. As she began to descend, the echo of shouts drifted down from above, making it difficult to discern what was happening.

Top side, people were fighting. Steel clashed with steel while grunts and cries called out by an unseen male figure towards an intruder. She could only hope Thepa was safe and that the plan was still on track. Just as she began to doubt, the ship shook.

A deafening BOOM tore through the ship's midsection, the blast ripping wood and fire through the air in a chaotic storm. Wilran felt herself lifted, then hurled backward, tumbling like a ragdoll before crashing into the icy water below. The cold bit into her skin, the shock of it stealing her breath before she could fully react. Instinct kicked in, and she fought to hold what little air she had, her lungs burning as the shock settled.

Submerged in darkness, her limbs flailed, searching for any direction. The cold made her muscles stiff and her movements sluggish. Splintered wood drifted around her, and the faint glimmer of the fire's reflection wavered above, pulling her toward the surface. With a final push, she broke through, gulping in air as if it were her last.

Gasping, she blinked, struggling to take in the chaos around her. Bits of flaming wood floated against the dark water, casting an eerie light across the splintered remains of the ship. The shouts that had filled the air just moments before were eerily absent, replaced by the frantic splashes of Tash and Gamma as they too resurfaced, their voices barely cutting through a high-pitched ringing in Wilran's ears.

Every sound felt muffled, her senses dulled by the blast, but her gaze sharpened as she spotted a familiar figure. Einkidi—small, soaked, and clinging desperately to the edge of the dock nearby. The halfling's face was a mask of panic, her fingers clenching the wood with a white-knuckled grip as she looked around, disoriented.

'What just happened?' she thought making the trip over. Gamma's cries could still be heard and the closer she got to Einkidi, she could hear her making squeaking sounds, but neither of them made any sense. The mission had been accomplished. They were ruining it by abandoning stealth. However, that all changed when she got to Einkidi to find the halfling was sobbing.

"Einkidi, what..." Wilran's voice trailed off as she turned to look at the burning ship. The bow was decimated, jagged timbers jutting from the wreckage like broken bones. Fire crawled along the mast, licking the sails, setting the ship ablaze from end to end.

But most terrifying of all, Thepa was nowhere to be seen.

A lump caught in Wilran's throat, her body trembling with a surge of grief and panic. She clenched her fists, forcing the emotion down.

A lump started to form in the back of Wilran's throat. She could feel herself shake with loss and grief, but it would have to come later.

Now's not the time, she told herself. Thepa wouldn't have wanted it. Get to safety, grieve later.

She pulled herself up onto the dock and grabbed Einkidi up out the frigid waters. By then, Tash and Gamma had managed to join them, but Gamma was in a similar sorry state.

"Girls!" Wilran pleaded. It was harsher than she intended to, but she was doing everything she could to keep her own emotions in check. "Sisters? We need to go. Let's find somewhere safe.. Tash, you have somewhere we can go?"

The Galak nodded and started to move down the dock leaving a trail of water behind them. The four of them followed in quick fashion as Wilran heard the silent sobs of her new found, but now broken family.

Chandeidra, she thought bitterly, why must loss follow me like a curse?

AThey approached the pier, where faint cries echoed in the distance. Tash ducked behind a barrel near a nearby sloop, but his broad frame was far from concealed. Peering around the corner, he gestured back to them, signaling that around twenty enemies were up ahead. With the path forward blocked, Wilran realized they had only one choice: to take shelter on the sloop.

She scrambled up the plank, motioning the others to follow. As she reached the deck, she was met by a tall Galak woman with striking features—midnight skin, sharp cheekbones, and blue eyes so piercing they almost glowed. Her long black braid fell down her back, and she wore a light blue frock adorned with gold buttons that caught the faint moonlight.

While Wilran would have found the sight of the Sloop's captain's beauty to be the work of an artist, none of that mattered. What she saw transcended the physical characteristics of the female: a bright shining white light at the heart of the Galak's aura. At their sight of their sudden arrival, her brilliant blue eyes widened in surprise, but quickly replaced with a scowl and the drawing of her sword.

Tash drew his own, but as he moved to intercept in clashes of steal, Wilran forced herself in between them barely grazing the blade of Tash's sword with her back. Wilran winced, its stealy edge catching her skin. A small amount of blood made its way down her damp clothing, but she soon locked eyes with the female Galak and hoped that what she was about to do wouldn't get them all killed.

"We request sanctuary!"

The Galak raised a suspicious eye in her direction but kept her cutlass trained on Wilran. The light of her aura turned a light blue as she shifted her foot back in a defensive stance. For the moment, she said nothing, but from the sounds that were echoing around them, Wilran could tell they had little time.

Thepa, I hope you're right about this...oh Thepa.

"Wilran, are you sure about this?" Gamma asked. "We don't know her."

"I'm sure,' she said and directed her attention once more to the female Galak. ""By the Goddess we both serve, we request sanctuary."

For a tense moment, the Galak stared at Wilran, suspicion mingling with an unreadable emotion. Finally, she sheathed her cutlass and beckoned them to follow her below deck. Wilran exhaled in relief, guiding her companions down into the dim belly of the ship, with Tash securing the door behind them. Yet, as the Galak moved to the far side of the room and opened a chest, a chill washed over Wilran.

The woman turned, pulling out two small, gleaming metal objects and aimed them squarely at Wilran's head.

"Time to let the cat out," the Galak sneered, her fingers poised to around a trigger.