by RG Long
Well, how comforting can you really be when being chased from warzone to warzone?
“Everything looks a little off,” Blume replied. “The fires seem to be coming from over there.”
She pointed out a spot that looked to Ealrin like the market towards the entrance to the city. If there really was a fire, it was far from the castle and the dungeons. But then why did the guards leave?
“I don’t think we’ll have a better chance,” Gregory said, pointing down at the courtyard the castle faced. Ealrin knew that on just the other side of that square, there was a hole that Blume had blasted from the dungeon to allow their escape last time. “It looks as deserted as I’ve ever seen it in the castle grounds.”
Ealrin took a deep breath. It was time already. His arms ached, and his feet were tired, but he had already decided not to let those things bother him.
“Alright,” he said, turning to face the group. “I don’t think we should all go. Blume should come. And Gregory and Maccus for sure.”
“I’m coming too, you know?” Tratta said, stepping forward. “Maccus is lost without me there.”
“Ha!” Maccus said, not contradicting her, but pushing her from behind all the same.
“So that leaves Olma, Jurrin, Rivius, and Ferrin to guard the entrance,” Gregory said. “I think that’ll suffice.”
“Two children?” Ferrin said with a smile on his face. Ealrin could see the doubt that lurked behind his eyes.
“One child, Mister Ferrin, sir,” Jurrin piped up. “And I wouldn’t discredit Miss Olma either. I’ve seen her take on her fair share of guards and lizards!”
Olma gave Jurrin a winsome smile, and the little halfling bowed down at her.
Gregory shrugged and made his way down the wall.
“There are some stairs this way. We ought to get going quietly before the guards come back from whatever it is they’re doing.”
And so, as quickly and quietly as they could, the group followed him down the wall and to the first set of stairs they came to. Ealrin felt like they were being watched the whole time, but no matter how often he looked over his shoulder or down at the grounds below, he couldn’t spot any soldiers or guards.
The longer they walked without coming across any other person along the wall, the more it unnerved him. They were heading for the rear of the castle. Surely it should be better guarded than this?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, an arrow skidded off the rock wall beside him.
“Down!” Gregory shouted.
All around them arrows began to fly and hit the stones they ducked behind. Ealrin felt one zip right past his head and bounce off the opposite stone wall.
“The stairs are just a few steps away!” Gregory called.
“And we’ll be pincushions if we try to climb down them!” Miss Rivius called.
“Just give us a sec!” Tratta replied.
Ealrin looked over his shoulder to see her and Maccus taking their bows off of their shoulders and fitting arrows to them.
“I can’t see where they’re shootin’ from!” Maccus said, peeking over the wall quickly. He ducked down as another hail of arrows rained down against the wall.
“There!” Olma pointed. Ealrin looked and saw that a light was in one of the towers of the castle ahead. Several guards moved back and forth in the tower, pulling back their bow strings and letting their arrows fly.
“We’ll keep them hidin’,” Maccus said, letting his arrow fly. It hit near the window and sent some of the guards beyond the open portal. Tratta let hers fly just as soon as one peeked around the corner.
A yell and a delayed crunch let Ealrin know she had hit her mark.
“We’re pretty good shots, ya know?” Tratta said, picking up an arrow they had fired and putting it on her bow. “Plus they’re giving us tons of bolts to give right back!”
Gregory nodded.
“Just try to keep them off of us while we cross the lawn. It’ll be no good dying on the castle grounds.”
And with those grim words, Gregory turned and scurried to the stairs, staying low to avoid being hit with an arrow. Ealrin and the rest followed him in a similar manner.
The stairs were narrow and, unlike the rest of the wall, had no barrier in between the inner grounds of the castle and themselves. Ealrin figured that was normal. The city wouldn’t need to be defended from itself.
Gregory held up a hand and looked back at Maccus and Tratta. The two were both lifting their bows and looking down towards him. He put his hand down, and they begin firing arrows as quickly as they could towards the tower above. Gregory stood up and ran down the stairs. Ealrin saw Jurrin, Blume, and Olma follow him before he took off.
A sudden panic hit Ealrin.
What if they were shot and killed here in Meris? What if they met their demise in such an unforgiving city? What if, because of his need to rescue Holve, they lost another member of their party? They had lost many since this adventure had begun. How many could have been prevented? How many might have been saved if he had been a better thinker?
He shook himself as his feet hit the path below.
There was no time to rethink this plan now. They were here.
It was either rescue Holve or die in the attempt. That was all there was.
Ealrin’s feet pounded against the stones that made a path from the wall to the castle grounds. They only had a few more paces before they could round the corner of the castle and they would be able to see the large hole Blume had made for them to escape last time. Just as they were about to come upon it, a group of guards came bursting out from a side door. Ealrin spun to face them and drew his sword. There were no less than five, though it was hard to tell in the half-light of the moon.
“Go!” Ealrin shouted to the ones in front. He couldn’t stand the idea of them being hurt because of his foolish idea to rescue Holve. He would make sure they made it. “I’ll hold them off!”
“Not by yourself, lad,” Ferrin said, taking a large ax from his back and hefting it onto his shoulder.
Ealrin nodded and stood ready as the first guard came rushing towards him. The man let out a yell and swung his sword. Ealrin was ready. He threw own blade out and defended the blow. Ferrin put his shoulder into the man’s ribs just as soon as the guard’s sword was up in the air.
A second guard was ready to take his fallen comrade’s place. Ealrin swung up and made sure he never got a blow in. The guard fell with a horrible gash across his chest and face. Ferrin felled another guard with his large ax, the poor man’s head separated from his body.
The last two took weary steps towards them. The loss of three companions in such a short time certainly must have cooled their fire. One seemed to take a step backward. Ealrin lunged at him, his sword coming down in a smooth arc. Then, just as he was about to make contact with the guard’s sword, an arrow slashed his left arm.
He cried out in pain as the bolt tore through his flesh. It passed through his shirt and coat. Ferrin was right beside him, using his blade to knock aside the sword that was coming for Ealrin. Another swing felled the guard who had tried to cut off Ealrin’s other arm.
The last guard turned to run, but an arrow caught him in the neck, and he dropped.
Maccus and Tratta were standing on the wall now Through the pain, Ealrin could see them with bows drawn, and arrows pulled back. They were waiting. The threat from the tower must be over.
Ealrin looked down at his arm and saw his blood staining his coat. No time to make adjustments. He nodded at the two and turned to head for the hole Blume had made and the one, he hoped, his friends had gotten down into without further trouble.
So far, this rescue plan was not going well.
7: Tunnels
Blume scrambled over the dirt and debris and began the descent down into the dungeon. She didn't remember making the tunnel quite this large, but that didn’t matter at this point.
They were trying to save Holve.
Rocks and dirt were loosely shifting
under her feet as she followed Gregory down the tunnel. They had only recently gotten out of this place. It was surreal to be going back down into it. But that was the plan. Get Gorplin and Holve out.
They had done a similar service for her before. It was the least she could do for them.
Ealrin and Ferrin had stopped to give them time. They needed to rush as quickly as they could to make good use of it. Blume felt her feet give way as she stepped on a loose stone and she fell hard on her bottom. A small burst of blue light escaped her ring as she hit the ground. A sound like “opmh” escaped her mouth as she landed.
An arm was pulling at her in an instant.
“Come on Miss Blume. We can’t be tripping along the way!” Jurrin said as he struggled to help her up.
Blume shook herself as she tried to put her other hand down to get herself up and walking again. Another hand held her as she made her way up. She looked back, thinking to see Olma there, but it was Miss Rivius.
Olma had continued down with Gregory.
“Such a mess of a place,” Miss Rivius said. “And bringing children no less.”
“I’m fine,” Blume said defiantly as she stood and began walking again. The footing was no more stable than it had been, but she continued on all the same. She didn’t need another person telling her she was little.
She was nearly a grown woman now. Seventeen or sixteen, depending on the days. She had lost track somewhere along the way.
“Can you make a little more light?” Gregory asked from below. “I want to see something.”
It took Blume a minute to realize he was speaking to her. His grim voice had not directly addressed her since they had begun this adventure.
She nodded and focused on her ring, muttering under her breath.
A gentle blue light began to fill the tunnel as her ring glowed more brightly. Roots and rocks on the tunnel’s ceiling came into focus as she made its glow increase. But so did something else.
“Tunnels,” Gregory said, looking at them with his eyebrows furrowed.
Indeed, there were small tunnels leading off the sides every few paces. Blume was almost sure those had not been there the last time they had been inside this hallway of earth. Then again, she really wasn’t paying attention the last time. She was running.
“Oh I hope there aren't any more of those giant bugs,” Jurrin said. “Remember the bugs, Miss Blume?”
“I do,” she said, remembering another time when they were underground. She shuddered at the terrible thought.
“Let’s keep moving,” Gregory ordered. “I see some faint torchlight down below. Go ahead and put that light out.”
Blume nodded and concentrated again, waiting for the light to dim down.
But it didn’t.
The light glowed just as brightly as it had when she had ignited it. If anything, it was shining brighter. Gregory took a few more steps forward and then turned around to turn up an eyebrow at Blume.
“I...” she began, confused as the ring’s lack of submission. “It’s supposed to go out.”
“Cover it up then,” Gregory said, turning and again making his way down the tunnel towards the place where Blume and the Prince of Merris fought.
Curious and frustrated, Blume put her hand over the ring, dimming its light slightly and awkwardly made her way behind him. Why wouldn’t the rimstone respond to her command? It always had before. Well, it had sometimes reacted when she was angry or upset. Magic had come out of her without her express permission, but it had never disobeyed her directly.
Pondering this, Blume stumbled down the path until the torchlight from below became bright enough to see by. Gregory held up a hand, asking them to stop. He took a few more steps forward before poking his head into the hall. It was evidently clear because he waved them on down.
Olma, Jurrin, Rivius, and Blume all followed his lead, making their way down to where earth gave way to formed and shaped stones. The dungeon looked as dreary as it had the first time. Small torches lit the chamber but allowed large dark patches of the hall to remain.
“We’ll need to split up,” Gregory said. “As soon as Ealrin and Ferrin get back we’ll search both ways.”
Blume looked to see that the dungeon hall went for a long way in two directions. Cells lined each hall. Not a single guard could be seen patrolling the corridor. That was either because of the lack of guards due to whatever was going on in the city, or the Prince’s confidence that his locks held fast. Even with the hole in his dungeon, he must have thought highly of the cell doors.
“No need to wait,” came a voice from behind them. Blume spun around to see Ealrin and Ferrin clumsily making their way down the tunnel. Ealrin was wrapping a cloth around his arm. She took her hand off of her ring so that she could illuminate the area and saw red dripping from him.
“You’re hurt!” she exclaimed, before Gregory clamped down on her ring, shutting out the light.
“Keep that dark,” he commanded. “Let’s not draw any more attention to ourselves.”
“I’m fine,” Ealrin said.
Blume didn’t believe him. He looked pale in the blue light of her ring. Was it from loss of blood or the adrenaline of the fight? Either way, she knew she could attend to him when they had a moment. She had healed him before. She would do it again.
Gregory split them up. Ferrin, Rivius, and Jurrin were to go one way, while the rest were to follow him. Search the cells, find Holve, Gorplin, and Donald, then get out as quickly as they could.
“Easy enough,” Blume said once the plan was laid out. Gregory gave her a look that she couldn’t discern, then shook his head. He made his way down one path the tunnel offered them, while the others went in the opposite direction.
Blume glanced into each cell. Some were empty. Others held feeble prisoners who just barely turned their heads to glance at the strangers walking by. Some moaned out calls for help, while other just lay still.
She tried to ignore the smell that came from those cells and what that might mean.
“I don’t see them,” Ealrin said once they reached the end of their row. A solid wall greeted them, with no doorway or stair leading in any direction. There were no more cells to check.
A low whistle came from the other end of the hall, and Blume turned. By the torchlight at the furthest point in the other direction, Ferrin was waving at them.
Hopefully, that meant they had found Holve and the others.
By the time they reached them, Blume could tell something was wrong. Jurrin was kneeling down and talking in a low voice, and Miss Rivius had her arms folded and was shaking her head.
“Are you sure, Mister Gorplin?” Jurrin was saying.
Olma knelt beside Jurrin and put a hand out to the dwarf.
“Oh Gorplin!” she said, reaching into the cell. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
“Aye, lass,” he replied. “They can’t break me so easily.”
Blume felt a mixture of joy and annoyance. She was glad the dwarf was okay as well. Their little band wouldn’t be the same without his constant presence, however ornery he got. But Olma hadn’t been that friendly towards her since they had escaped Merris the first time.
She felt... lonely.
“Where’s Holve?” Ealrin asked.
Blume moved over so that Ealrin could wedge himself past her and get a better view of Gorplin.
“Bah. They took him up for questioning,” Gorplin answered. Blume could hear in his voice he was trying to sound strong, but that his body was quite weak. “Maybe three hours ago.”
“I’ve never enjoyed those sessions,” came a voice from deeper inside the barred room.
Blume tried to get a glance at who said it, but she couldn’t see in the darkness.
“Light,” Gregory said.
That was an easy thing to make. She took her hand off her ring, and the blue glow penetrated the darkness. Blume gasped when she looked inside. She was taken by surprise at how beat up Gorplin looked. His face was covered in scrat
ches, and one of his eyes was swollen shut.
But the reason she had lost her breath was that his cellmate was a Skrilx. It was hard to tell if he was naturally that dark brown color, or if the dirt and grime of a very long imprisonment had taken its toll.
“Galp,” he said, nodding his snout at them. “I take it you are the friends Gorplin has said travels with a distant relation of mine? I’d be most interested in meeting the fellow. But, as you can see, we’re rather locked up tight.”
Blume blinked, absolutely stunned. That was more words than she had heard Urt say in a year. She had long since operated under the assumption that the entire Skrilx race was of the strong, quiet variety.
But, to be fair, this was only the second one she had ever met. Whereas Urt, the stoic sailing sidekick of their previous captain, was a strong creature who towered over them all and barely spoke, Galp was lean and thin. Blume felt terrible looking at him with her jaw open. She tried to shake herself and adjust her face to a look more suitable for the moment.
“Where did they take him?” Gregory asked, cutting in across the chatter of the poor looking creature.
Gorplin looked back at Galp who shook his head.
“The Temple,” he said sadly. “Usually they question us just out in the main chamber and chain us up for the other prisoners to see. The priest himself came and got him just a bit ago. Not many come back from his interrogations, I’m sad to say.”
8: Fortunes Vary
Ealrin shook his head at the inevitability of the situation going from bad to worse.
“What do you mean the temple is on the other side of the city?” he said, gesturing wildly with his hands. “We barely got into the dungeon in one piece, and we’re going to have to carry out Gorplin and Galp if they’re going to make it!’
“Bah!” Gorplin protested as he stumbled from the jail cell. “Try to carry me, and I’ll make you regret it!”
Blume had managed to make short work of the lock in the door, which now was swinging freely open. Olma and Jurrin were inside helping Galp to his feet. He claimed that he hadn’t been free of shackles in more than a year, which helped explain his pitiful state. Gorplin may not need to be carried, but the Skrilx certainly would need assistance.
