“What do you mean? Hasn’t Jeremiah ever dated anyone?” She looked over at Jeremiah who’s face was flushed with color as he shook his head.
“Hey! We don’t have time for this,” Ben told them in exasperation. “Save it for later.”
But they weren’t listening. Chalice thought it was odd that Jeremiah wasn’t meeting her eyes. Instead, he turned his head to glance around at the others who were coming out of the cell.
“Toby, where’s Aemis?” he asked.
“They took him.”
“What?! Why?”
“They wanted him to show them how to make his powder.”
“His invention you mean? The skyfire?” Jeremiah asked and Tobias nodded. “Why?”
“Because of what it does. It explodes into super hot, multi-colored fire. Aemis originally made it for festivals, but with it, the Draaquans want to make—”
“A weapon,” Ben interrupted soberly, nodding his head. “Of course!”
“So, it actually works?” Jeremiah asked, surprised.
“Yeah, you bet it does! He was showing us when the Draaquans invaded the village and they saw it. So, they’ve been trying to get him to make it for them ever since. Either he can’t recreate it or he’s pretending that he can’t. In any case, they finally became angry and threatened him. I’m afraid they may have taken him away for the last time.”
“Where?”
“Those who are chosen to be ‘disciplined’ are taken to something they call the chamber. They don’t come back. I overheard the guard say it’s in the watchtower. He has the key in his pocket.”
Ben groaned. “The watchtower is all the way on the other side of the fortress, Jeremiah. We don’t have time!”
“But Ben, he’s my best friend!” Jeremiah pleaded. “Also, if they succeed in forcing it out of him, we could be giving them a potentially powerful weapon. That’s not a good idea.”
Ben paused and nodded. “You’re right. Alright, we’ll stay here and guide everyone out while you go get your friend.”
“He’s not going alone!” Chalice protested. “I’m going with him.”
“No,” Ben responded. “You’re staying here.”
“No, I’m not. You don’t understand, Ben. I’m not going to let him go by himself. If Aemis is alive, he may be hurt and Jeremiah will need my help.”
“I’ll watch out for her, Ben,” Jeremiah promised. “Don’t worry.”
Ben scowled when he realized that Chalice was not going to obey. “Stubborn girl,” he growled, but conceded all the same. “Alright, Kirna and I will stay. We’ll try to free as many as we can, but we may not be able to get everybody. There are more prisoners here than just your villagers.”
Chalice looked anxiously at Ben and he knew that she was worried about her grandparents.
“I will try to get everybody, Chalice,” he said and turned back to Jeremiah. “To find your friend, this is where you will need to go.” Ben pulled out the diagram of Chainbridge that he had in his pocket and handed it to Jeremiah. Then, he showed them the direction to the watchtower. “You are less likely to be seen if you go this way. These halls are rarely used … at least, they were. They may still be. Take the lantern with you, it will be very dark.”
“There are Draaquans who man the walls at night, Jer,” Tobias warned. “So, be on the lookout.”
“Yes, be extremely careful,” Ben said and was already moving down the corridor, opening the locked cells and giving instructions. Kirna, who was holding the other lantern, was directing the slow stream of people to the hidden door.
“Jer,” Tobias added. “The rounds of the night watchmen are predictable. If you time it just right, they won’t see you.”
“Okay, thanks, Toby!” Jeremiah replied, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Chalice and I can handle it. You and Seychelle just get yourselves out as soon as possible!”
Tobias nodded and placed his arm around his fiancee as they joined the line of escaping prisoners. Jeremiah walked over to the fallen guard and rifled through his pockets. Removing a large, wrought iron key, he turned to Chalice, the light of the lamp illuminating the right side of his face.
“You ready to go into the lion’s den?” he asked.
She looked into his eyes and saw no fear. “I’m ready if you are,” she said bravely.
“Okay, stay behind me.”
“No, I’m going first,” she said.
“No, you stay behind me!” he said sternly and she didn’t argue. She knew if she pushed it, he would make her stay in the dungeon with Ben and Kirna.
They rushed past the crowd and into the corridor that led to an ascending stairwell. The stairs were steep and broken into sections, each section divided by a long, flat step that allowed some respite from the grueling climb. At the top, they took a sharp right, into a corridor that led to the path that Ben had shown them. It took forever to cross to the other side of the fortress, but they finally reached the last ascending staircase that led out into the courtyard of the watchtower. Before they reached the last step, Jeremiah set down the lantern, pushing it aside, and slowly opened the wooden door. Silently, they crept along a small hallway until they reached the corner, around which Jeremiah peeked.
He turned back to her and whispered: “Ghost in the graveyard. Three o’clock.”
She knew what he meant. It was from a game they had played as children. The person who was the ghost hid from the others as they left the base to search. As soon as the ghost was spotted, everyone yelled: “Ghost in the graveyard!” and had to scramble back to the base without being tagged. If you were tagged, you became the ghost.
A fitting analogy! she thought. If we were tagged here, we would truly become ghosts.
She waited as Jeremiah watched. After a few minutes, he turned to her and whispered again: “The guard walks the wall back and forth and then disappears behind the tower. After a few minutes, he reappears. We can make it to the tower door after his next round. I’ll let you know when.”
She nodded and they waited. Finally, he motioned for her to follow and they silently sneaked out of the corridor. Stealing down the length of the courtyard, Chalice could see metal weapons of every kind and size hanging on hooks along the walls. Light from the torches glinted off the sharp metal and she shivered.
What do they do with those? she wondered, but did not want to think about it. Finally, they made it to the tower door and Jeremiah quickly removed the key from his pocket. He unlocked it and turned the handle slowly.
They jumped in and hurriedly shut the door behind them. Chalice could feel it immediately. It was a darkness that sunk deep into her soul and sucked the life out of her, filling her with dread and despair.
“You feel that, Jeremiah?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I do,” he replied.
It was same feeling she had had when she had touched the red falcon at Cedarwood. What in the world was this? she wondered as they turned around and saw it. It must have been what Tobias had called the chamber. It sat in the middle of the enormous round room like a plague. It was huge, black, and wrought iron with a circular door in the front. A wrought iron staircase behind it spiraled up to the floors above, where they could hear footsteps of men enjoying drink and entertainment. A large wooden table topped with strange instruments sat to its left. As they studied the room, a faint groan from the right caught their attention and they looked over. It was Aemis, in a broken, crumpled heap on the floor. He was dirty and his hands and feet were bound with rope.
They scurried over quietly and bent down. Chalice removed her obsidian dagger from its sheath on the belt that Ardenne had given her, and cut his bonds, freeing his hands and feet. Then, they rolled him over. He looked very much like Jeremiah had in the forest clearing that day when they were saved by the Quaie’Miren. Chalice almost growled in anger, but restrained herself. After all, he was still alive. He was in bad shape, but he was still alive.
“Jeremiah?” he whispered. “Is it really you? Or i
s this a dream?”
“Shhh, no, it’s me, Aemis. We’ve come to get you,” Jeremiah said as Aemis’s face lit up with hope.
“Hi, I’m Chalice,” she introduced herself. “Can you walk?”
He shook his head. “My left leg is broken.”
Jeremiah looked at her. “We’ll have to carry him,” he said and she nodded. They stood, pulling him from the floor and propping him up under both their shoulders.
“Okay, Aemis, just like the three-legged race at home. With your right leg, step in tandem with my left.”
“I’ll try,” he said and they fumbled to the door. They opened it, peeked out, and found the guard. The cloud covered moon glowed behind him as he strode behind the tower wall and disappeared.
“Now!” Jeremiah whispered.
Shutting the door behind them, they scrambled for the corridor from which they had just come. After they turned the corner into the hallway, Aemis groaned.
“My firestick!” he said. “I forgot it! It’s on that table in there.”
“You mean, you made one for them?”
“They were going to put me in that chamber, Jer. I’m sorry! I finally gave in. I didn’t want to go in there. When they put you in there, you don’t come back out.”
“Don’t worry about it, Aemis,” Jeremiah reassured him. “What does it look like?”
“It’s a tubular object with a string at the end.”
“I’ll get it,” Chalice said.
“Chalice, no!” Jeremiah whispered frantically, but before he could stop her, she had released Aemis and was speeding back to the door, re-entering the round room.
She ran swiftly to the table and found it immediately. It was the only object fitting the description. It was made of a coarse, strong paper material, topped with a cone. At the other end was, just as Aemis had said, a long string that dangled from a small hole. A wooden stick was glued to the side and stretched out longer than the string, creating a kind of handle. Interesting! she thought and tucked it behind her belt. Then, she made for the door and peered out.
The guard was gone. She darted out and made for the corner where Jeremiah and Aemis were waiting, but before she could make it, suddenly, five dark shapes appeared all around her. They had silently dropped down from the floor above like phantoms in the moonlight and landed on the ground, caging her in. She froze as she realized where she was and what was happening. She turned her head slightly and out of the corner of her eye, she could see who they were, but she had already known. Draaquans.
Three of them, she knew. The other two she didn’t recognize, but their eyes still gleamed sinisterly with only one intention. Her heart beat uncontrollably and sweat beaded her brow. She didn’t know what would happen to her, but she did know one thing. She would die first before she let them take her.
I will not be caught again! she swore silently to herself.
Then, suddenly, blessedly, she felt it. She couldn’t believe it. After all this time, after all the training, after all the pain, sweat and tears, it had finally come to her. The Na’Veda. Time stood still and she became aware of the world as if her whole being enveloped her surroundings. She could sense everything, from the fly buzzing on the east wall, to the sharp dagger hanging from a hook on the west wall, to the Draaquan manning the north wall, who had just reappeared from behind the tower, nocked an arrow, and loosed it in her direction. It hung in midair while she held time in her hands. She could feel the fabric of time and space as it moved through her. She could control it, slowing it and sensing events before they happened. Strangely, in the back of her mind, she could faintly see a blue, pulsating gem, like the one from her dreams. Then, she moved through the forms she had been taught and timed her motions accordingly.
The men had no idea what they were facing. Rhaene stood directly opposite her, a few paces away and Nerrick stood to his left, unsheathing a belt knife. The arrow in the air was aimed directly at her heart and she could feel the invisible shield that Rhaene was intending to form around her. She knew exactly where it would be.
She bolted for him and sprang toward the shield. The arrow flew right past her, ricocheted off her shoulder, and changed direction. Instead of piercing her heart, it pierced the heart of the unknown Draaquan to her left. She bounded off the shield, backflipped, and came down upon the shoulders of the one behind her. Clutching his neck in between her legs, she squeezed as hard as she could, cutting off his windpipe. While he was choking, the knife that Nerrick had let fly through the air toward her missed and struck the man below her in the chest. As she drove him to the ground, she saw the sword of the third behind her being unsheathed before it was flung at her back. It was Jaden.
She rolled off the Draaquan and fell to the right. Flying end over end, the sword passed through the invisible shield that was no longer there, to plant itself forcefully into Nerrick’s chest. He opened his mouth in a soundless yell as blood spewed out. She could sense the fire building in Rhaene, the fire he wanted to throw at her to force her back into Jaden. She could see it before he kindled it. Faster than thought, she slid into Jaden’s legs, flipped over and drove her right leg into the back of his knees. He buckled and fell forward. Before the fire came, she rolled away at lightning speed and Rhaene’s flame rained down upon Jaden, cooking him and melting his armor. He screamed as he sizzled and smoked and Rhaene looked on in horror as his brother died.
Then, Chalice stood and glared at him. He held a calculating look, wary and suspicious. He couldn’t understand how she could move that fast. He didn’t even see her. How could she be in one place at one time and then the next moment, be in another, paces away? He was perplexed, but still enraged. To his surprise, after having just witnessed three of his comrades and his brother die within a matter of seconds, he was not about to go near her. Instead, he circled her cautiously, like a wolf.
“Hello, Rhaene,” she said, smiling.
“I thought you might come,” he growled. “It was a mistake.”
“You mean, what Nerrick said was a mistake? Yes, he was wrong. I’m still alive, and this,” she said, motioning to the dead men on the ground, “this is what happens to those who threaten my people. You can tell that to your precious Fierain, that is, if you live and if you walk away now, I might just let you.”
At that, his temper exploded and his stone glowed brightly. The fusillade of fire blasts, sound explosions, and weapons that were flung at her were overwhelming. He was trying to trap her again in a shield, but she managed to dodge each attempt, moving out of the way just in time. The path of a spear, she misjudged, and it nicked her right ear. She reached up to touch the wound and her fingers came away wet with blood. He smiled and continued.
In his rage and through the torrent of weapons flying through the air, he failed to see the dagger that was hanging on the west wall behind her as he flung it in the air. She stepped into its path, blocking it from his view. Remaining calm and peering into his eyes, she ducked to the ground. It flew through the air over her toward him, lodging itself firmly into his neck. He grabbed at his throat with both hands and choked, falling to his knees, blood gushing through his fingers.
Suddenly, the fire and explosions ceased and the weapons that seemed to be hanging in midair, dropped to the stone floor with a loud clang. She rose from her tiger crouch and walked over to him as he was dying. He looked up at her as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. She placed her foot on his chest and pushed him down. He fell backwards, and with a loud thump, hit the ground.
“I told you,” she said. “You didn’t listen.”
He drew in his last rasping breath and was dead, eyes glazed, still staring up at her. Suddenly, she felt very tired and could barely keep herself from swaying. Then, it occurred to her that she had completely forgotten about the Draaquan on the wall. Spinning around, she found him on the ground of the courtyard, slumped over the side of a brandy barrel with an arrow through his gut. She glanced at the corner and saw Jeremiah, holding his bow, and Aemis, al
most on his knees, clutching the side of the wall for support. They were both gaping at her, speechless.
“Good shootin’ Jeremiah!” she said.
He blinked. “Uh … thanks,” he replied as he and Aemis continued to stare at her in disbelief. Jeremiah looked as if he had just met her. His expression brought back the memory that Chalice had of him that night in his father’s study. Who are you? he had asked.
“You … you just took out five Draaquans!” Aemis exclaimed incredulously, and she nodded as she scurried up to help him. “Holy crap! How the heck did you do that?! Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“I learned it growing up in Canton. It’s called, ‘the way of the empty hand.’”
“Empty hand?” Jeremiah asked as he and Chalice threw Aemis’s arms around their shoulders once again and picked him up. Chalice used her left shoulder this time, as her right was sore and wet with blood. In the fight, her wound had re-opened.
“Yeah, we don’t use weapons when we fight,” she said.
“You know, the next time I’m in a tight spot, I want you with me, okay Chalice?” Aemis asked.
She laughed. “Okay, Aemis.”
“Why? You plan on getting into trouble again sometime soon?” Jeremiah asked.
“Well, you know me,” Aemis said.
“Yes, I do!” Jeremiah responded with a wry smile as they raced down the corridor as fast as their legs would carry them. Chalice still felt unusually tired, but she shrugged it off and kept going. She had to. They could hear the warning bells as the castle stirred from its slumber. One of the men had triggered an alarm and in a few moments, Chalice estimated, there would be many more men swarming around the fortress looking for them.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jeremiah said.
“Good idea!” she responded as they opened the door, grabbed the lantern, and sped down the staircase. When they arrived at the bottom, they could hear the tower bells above, resounding in the night as the fortress came alive with shouts and movement. Miraculously, Ben had been right about the pathway he had recommended. They met no one along the way to the other end of the fortress. It wasn’t until the last corridor that led to the stairwell of the prison that they were spotted.
The Raie'Chaelia (Legend of the Raie'Chaelia, Book One 1) Page 32
