“I know I’m just a ‘child’, but like I said before, we should get out of here.”
“We won’t get far with you fingering yourself, you’re going to need both hands for us to make our escape.” Dominic shook his head at her.
“Don’t worry about me, get your stuff together so we can get out of here.” Chyla leaned back against the bed again.
Dominic shook his head and stepped to the two bodies next to the bed and grabbed a large brown pack that sat against the wall. Stretching back over the corpses in hopes to not to squeak the floorboards, Dominic pulled on a small pile of assorted nick knacks that tumbled down to the floor.
Chyla made a surprised whimpering noise which made him look over his shoulder quickly. Finally bringing herself to climax with a full body shake, he shook his head at her again before turning back to the small collection strewn in front of the closet. Chyla held back her excitement as much as she could with minimal noises. The movement of her fingers slowed enough for her fluids to collect and string down from between her legs, connecting to her exposed skin on her leg and into her boot. With another full body shudder, she pushed herself from the bed.
“That was a long time coming, have to try and go longer next time. Damn raiders getting in the way of a little fun.” Chyla shook her head and smiled as she pulled her hand out from under her skirt, wiping off what liquids remained on her finger on the bedsheets.
“Can you focus please, you should get something else to wear. It’s cold out there.”
“I am ready to go, the cold never bothered me. The fire of passion burns within me, keeps me warm.” With a large grin on her face, Chyla stretched her arms up tall, cracking her spine in a couple places.
Finishing his rummaging in the closet, Dominic grabbed a small pan and a small wrap of rations, quickly stuffing them into the pack. Staying on his haunches, he waddled back and forth grabbing at things he deemed worthy taking for their escape and stuffing them into his bag. Finally getting some footwear, a short pair of boots with thick laces were snagged before he stood tall.
Stepping backwards with them, he sat on the edge of the bed and placed his pack on the legs of his dead lover. With a quick tug, both boots were pulled on and the laces knotted around the back and wrapped to the front before tying them for their final knot. Shaking his feet back and forth to shuffle things around inside for more comfort, he stood with a sigh.
“Are you quite ready?” Chyla dropped a hip with her hand on it and gave him an annoyed look.
“Just need my jacket and we can go. Don’t you need anything, who knows how long we will be out for?”
“For the love of Freyolin Dom, I will be ok. I’ve gone three years without parents, I think I can handle a little night escape through the snowy plains past a bunch of water-logged raiders.” She tip toed her way toward the open door and stuck her head into the darkness beyond.
The stair leading down into the lane was dark, the torch was out, as were many others leading from one side of the lane. She could see the odd group of civilians trying to get from door to door in hopes of not being seen. In the light well down into the city, raiders could be seen kicking over barrels or dropping a torch at the base of a building, starting a new fire to add to the blaze.
A group of four could be seen across the street through a window of the inn. The innkeeper could also be seen, resting against the glass with a knife to his throat while random arms or legs popped up from the bottom of the pane, likely from his wife trying to escape while the other raider had their way with her.
“How’s it looking?” Dominic slid his arms through the sleeves of a fur lined jacket that had a large hood lined with the same fur, and small hoop buckles on either side to clasp it closed around the chin and lower face.
“We have maybe a minute or two before there is an opening. They seem busy with the innkeeper’s wife.” Chyla slipped back into the room
“Take this.” Dominic tossed her a similar fur lined jacket as he wore. Smaller, but looked very close to the same as he was wearing.
She caught it before it could hit her face. “You still have this?”
“Can’t throw away good tailoring, just put it on and get ready.”
Chyla slid her arms through the sleeves and clipped the buckles together tight against her body without another complaint.
Dominic slung a strap of his backpack over his shoulder, keeping a hand on it to minimize the noise it made. Sliding across the floor and around the corpse at the door, he popped his head out slowly to get an eye on the street for himself. As she said, the group across the street in the inn was busy but otherwise quiet enough for their escape. For such a force to get this far into the city, surprisingly there was not a lot of commotion happening.
“With the torches out, we will have enough cover, but we have to be fast and quiet as we head for the east side of town.” Dominic put a hand on her shoulder to make sure she was listening. “Stop at the market clearing before we move out of the protection of the building shadows. Once we are out into the snow, the moon will light our way but will also show others where we are. Once we get to that point be ready to pick up the pace and you need to keep up. Hopefully we can get clear and to the gate before anyone notices us.” Dominic whispered to Chyla who kept her eyes on the rape scene across the street.
“Roger that Captain.”
With a count of his fingers, Dominic started out the doorway on the third strike and got to the bottom of the stairs quicker than she expected. Chyla was able to meet his speed and his movements, as if she were truly his shadow. Stopping at the edge of the building, she waited a moment for him to make sure the group in the inn did not catch their movement down the stairs and then peered around the corner, into the street.
Chyla could see that Dominic was confused at the lack of presence the army had for their raid. There was no one around beyond the odd small cluster of soldiers here and there. Rounding the corner into another tight street, the two slithered through broken cascaded light from torches and tried to keep their tracks out of fresh snow. Stopping from time to time at edges of buildings to scout, the lack of threats could be seen in his demeanor, it was unsettling.
Keeping as close as she could to him, Chyla watching him like a mentor. Her eyes carried over from years of the look, from the help he offered her through the years after her parents fell. He had continued her training with blades, martial combat and survival. Being almost twice her height, it made some of the training a little difficult but, forced her learn that much faster. The movement of her eyes gave away her studious gaze; to learn, to know, to perfect.
“We are close.” Dominic whispered over his shoulder and opened his palm in signal to slow.
“Hunter! Set those fires and head over to the North edge, we have to get everything started before we leave.” An authoritative order voice called over the crackling of the burning city.
Sounds of salutes slapping to chests could be heard before the shuffling of feet disappeared, melting into the city. No one could be seen from their vantage on the edge of the stone foundation. The fires that the raiders were setting were getting a lot higher and hotter. There would not be much left once things turned to coals. Buildings were collapsing in on themselves, flaming corpses able to be seen just inside and strewn about the market grounds. The raiders had done their job well.
“Jurcunde villagers. Didn’t even know what hit them. Everything should be burnt to the ground before the city guard gets here. Did we find it?” Another leadership voice yelled from across the market.
“The monks didn’t have it, must be in the next town.” The first voice sounded again.
“Circle South through town and I will head North to meet on the far side of town. Collect the others along the way, let them know we need to be out in an hour, before the sun rises.”
Clattering of troop footsteps could be heard fading off in the opposite direction while a single set headed toward their hiding spot. The footsteps carried a small ex
tension of the burning city, likely a torch in hand that could easily pin point the time they had left in hiding. The pursuing light wrapped around the end of the mortared foundation where they knelt and a lightly armoured boot popped into sight, crunching what little snow was left from the heat of the blaze. The stride which the man kept was small, leisurely and without fear.
Just as the soldier came into view, Dominic sprang into action and wrapped his large muscles around the man’s throat, covering his mouth quickly to not make a sound. With a quick palm to the side of his head, Dominic thrust his skull against the stones of the building. The force he pushed against created a disgusting crunching sound with squishing noises, as if he were stepping on a collection of juicy insects. Blood exploded out of the man’s mouth and across the side of the wall. The raider quickly fell limp and slid down to the ground, lifeless, blood slowly oozing out into the snow, staining it in dark red.
“Was that necessary?” Chyla poked him with a finger.
“Probably not, but one less we might have to deal with later.” Dominic shrugged.
“I should have put on new underwear; these ones are getting cold with how wet they were.” Chyla fidgeted her hips from side to side.
“Would have been smart to change all around like I said.” Dominic shook his head again and looked back out into the market.
“Will be nice to say goodbye to this Jurcunde town, not nearly enough excitement for me.” Chyla chuckled under her breath.
“This wasn’t enough excitement? Tarna is a nice town. You just need to let it grow on you.”
“Not a chance. Maybe if I was content with just sitting around with my thumb up my butt.”
“I thought you enjoyed that?” Dominic quietly laughed.
“Maybe with the mayor’s daughter, that would keep me around.” Chyla put a sinister grin on her face.
Dominic chuckled again and shook his head. “Let’s move, looks like we have a clear shot out of the city and nothing beyond. Should be able to get to the Wind Gate before daybreak”
They both kept close to the ground as they moved along the edge of the market, skirting by the carnage of the burning stalls. The fire in the city had taken over which made it difficult to keep in the shadows or hide themselves against a building. As they were getting close to edge of the market, the edge of the city could be seen fading into a stretch of open snowy plain. The break between moonlight and destruction could be seen in the distance, battling the light from the fire. The shine of silvery white light against the orange yellow haze made a kaleidoscope of colours against the snow, it called to them like a homage of survival.
Before too long, the full view of the town behind them spiraled up like a massive torch. Buildings could be seen collapsing into themselves, the odd scream of death soared over the inferno, or the clattering of steel on steel from villagers attempts at defending their home. Sounds of chaos extended into the countryside, notifying everyone that Bardain was there.
The two trudged through the snow which became deeper and deeper the further from the city they got. With each sweeping hill, the valleys collected blown snow made it even deeper, forcing them to slow and have Dominic rescue her from the depths. With a short rise in the countryside, it was enough to bring them above the plains and get a good vantage of the carnage they escaped.
Tarna was a smaller city in the South of the province, a getaway home for a lot of people trying to escape life of the port or the mountain to the North. Quickly turning to ash, burning the lives of everyone invested in its growth, the home which was their home was no more.
“The town had a garrison stationed but for some reason they had been called back to the port a week earlier.” Dominic sighed. “We didn’t have a chance.”
“Was it really home though?” Chyla asked.
“For me it was, for a long time. You and your father only came for a short stay.”
“And he didn’t even stay for very long.”
“Chyla Redlash. Your parents had to leave, no reason to blame them for you being here or the plight we find ourselves in.”
“They were nobody anyway, I didn’t need their weakness to begin with.” Trying to hold back her tears with a furrowed brow, the fire from Tarna dancing in her eyes.
With a shake of his head, Dominic placed his hand on Chyla’s shoulder in an attempt at condolence. She said nothing as she watched the fires. Shaking her head of the sadness, Chyla turned towards the night and crunched her way through the deep snow.
“She is strong Torin. Stronger than you thought she would be. Steel yourself old friend, that time will come. Her passion will overtake the light you hold so dear.” Dominic spoke to himself while he watched the inferno.
Nodding to himself a final time, he turned and waded through the snow to catch up with the short girl trying to trail blaze. With a final look, over his shoulder to the hellfire engulfing the city, Dominic turned back to the empty snow field in front of them and flipped up his hood. Shambling along through the snow, the two faded into the light of the moon like a mirage to a desert and slipped into the night.
Chapter 7
Glow from the torches made a corona against the massive gate wall. Being a lot smaller than the light should be, it looked like there were a few burnt out as the sun started to creep over the Emerald Mountains to the North. A handful of guards could be seen rustling about doing menial tasks or just standing watch.
The structure for the gate was an obelisk like structure, stretching high enough to compete against the mountain ranges on either side, creating a connection between the two. Made entirely of handmade stone, there was the odd opening for the odd window that a body could be seen stationed in or pacing back and forth by.
Dominic and Chyla made their way up the road to the main gate in a cautious pace without looking like something was wrong. The road widened with each step, mud and stone stretching out wide to take in the full breath of the gate. Within the main entrance was a massive portcullis, made with a thick bar that look like it could hold back even the strongest army. A large cart sat off to the side with nothing within. A few animal hide tarps covered a collection of crates that rested beside. What looked like poles to a tent rested against the back of the cart that had a small sack dangling from the top. No horses could be seen in the area, no merchants or signs of travelers waiting for passage through the gate.
“Something is wrong, be ready.” Dominic whispered down to Chyla as they got close to the first set of guards.
“Morning folks, where we coming from and where we heading to today?” One of the smaller guards stepped forward as they approached.
“Just heading through to Dampth.” Dominic kept his head lowered slightly to hide his some of his face with his hood.
“And coming from?” The guard kept his hand on the hilt of his blade.
“We are residents of Estar, just passing through.” Dominic kept his head lowered.
“We need to log where you are coming from sir, or we ain’t letting you through.” The other two guards closer to the walls overheard the raised voice and started to make their way closer.
“This is the first time we have been stopped at the gate, why is it closed?” Dominic tried to change the conversation.
“Royal business. Been a request from the castle. City is looking for a fugitive.” The other two soldiers had drawn their swords before reaching the conversation.
“Good luck with your search then, come on.” Dominic placed a hand on Chyla’s back and started forward to be stopped by the talkative guard’s sword.
“I told you, no one is to go through without being logged.” His toned was a lot more aggressive.
“You have an odd accent sergeant, are you not originally from Estar?” With Dominic’s words, the aggressive soldier quickly glanced back at his advancing backup to ask for direction.
“Looks like just a man and his daughter, let them through.” One of the back soldiers spoke up while sheathing his sword.
“Let
them through, don’t fit the description anyway.” The other spoke and sheathed his sword as well.
The other soldiers followed suit and relaxed their stance. Tension in the air still hung with the obscurity of the conversation.
With a nod, Dominic and Chyla kept their heads low with their hands in their pockets and started out again through the gate. The could feel the eyes of a dozen guards watching them creep under the portcullis. Voices rang over the quiet morning air to let them through. With the gate being barely high enough for them to walk under, they slowly made their way through the opening. Four more guards rest against the wall on the other side that were chatting amongst each other. As Chyla passed by the closest, he reached out and grabbed the part of her rear end that was showing below her skirt.
“Tight little ass girl, care to give us a piece?”
Before anyone could laugh at his comment, Chyla spun around with a solid straight punch to his crotch, keeling him over. All three others sprang into action, pulling their sword out ready to kill. Chyla backed up slightly, almost bumping into Dominic.
“Ain’t the right thing to do missy.” One of the three spoke behind their helmet guard.
“No man is allowed to grab my ass. I would let us keep moving gentlemen.” Chyla clenched her fists and shifted her stance.
Dominic kept his hands in his pockets and slid his foot to be ready.
The three lunged forwards.
She was too fast for them and slid to the side, punching the first in the gut and sent him to the ground in a heap. The other two tried to keep up and spun around widely with their steel, hoping to connect.
Again, she was too fast. Circling around, she grabbed the hand of the second guard and spun with him, pushing his momentum back and around toward the third. The sword speedily penetrated the stomach of the man, dropping him to his knees coughing up blood. The final guard couldn’t collect his thoughts fast enough to understand what happened, Chyla was already on him, sweeping his feet from under him. As he connected with the ground, his sword and helmet went bouncing across the ground.
Age of Souls Page 11
