Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  Serenity knew she could not just simply walk by. One look at her and the guards would know she was up to no good. Her all-black attire was already a red-flag, indicative of malicious intent and a desire to pass unseen. Not all the guards were loitering, socializing, or eating; some of them were posted up in front of the building, by the steps leading to the entrance, their rifles in hand. They looked like statues, not moving a muscle and facing forward. They reminded her of the Queen’s Guard in London.

  Just as she was ruminating about her next move, her heart skipped a beat. She unmistakably spotted Cackle walking down the steps, trailed incontrovertibly by Garen and Agno. She held her breath, confirming what direction they were heading. She crouched down upon realizing they were approaching her direction. Any second now and she would see them walking down the path, right next to her. She considered popping out of the tree and greeting them, but she held herself back. This wasn’t the place or the time.

  As they passed by, she failed to eavesdrop on their conversation as they were speaking in low voices. Cackle was leading the way, but it was obvious Garen was calling the shots. She noticed the other two looking at Garen as his mouth moved, listening to him quietly. All three of them were in guard uniforms. She knew Cackle had killed a guard to take his uniform. However, it was unknown how the other two acquired their disguises.

  When they were a far enough distance away, she stepped out from behind the tree, tailing them surreptitiously. Every few seconds, she glanced back to confirm that nobody was tailing her.

  Serenity followed them for at least fifteen minutes, keeping an extensive space between them. Just far enough for them to be in her field of vision. The brothers rounded a corner, veering off to the left, into the training grounds. When she arrived at the turn they made, she was startled to find that they were no longer in her vision. They must’ve walked on deeper into the grounds, past the firing range. She searched the target practice area, the hand-to-hand combat area with the punching bags and mannequins, and an obstacle course. The bleachers were just yonder from the obstacle course, used by bystanders to spectate the course being attempted and the other training sessions ensuing beyond that. She swore under her breath, annoyed that she had lost them. Absentmindedly, she wandered off into the dark under the bleachers, thinking of how effective of a hiding spot it was. The training grounds did not have any lights, hindering her searching skills. She could not see where she was going properly, having to stick her hands out in front of her to prevent herself from colliding face-first with anything. But under the bleachers, strips of moonlight penetrated and illuminated the ground. Just patches of them.

  Suddenly, three figures loomed out of the darkness, one of them grabbing ahold of her and slamming her onto the dirt. She spluttered, the impact sucking all the oxygen out of her lungs and disorientating her. A gun was clearly held an inch from her face. Then, a flashlight was turned on, blinding her eyes. She squinted, attempting to see who was ambushing her.

  “Goddammit, AGAIN?!” Cackle’s voice snarled.

  To her fortune, it was the brothers.

  “Serenity!” Agno’s voice said delightfully, a tone that was rare whenever the brothers addressed her. “I never thought I’d be happy to see you!”

  “She saved us the trouble of finding her ourselves,” Cackle’s voice said.

  “Let go of me!” Serenity snapped, attempting to push Cackle off of her.

  Cackle released her, retracting the gun from her face. She scrambled to her feet, taking two steps back. Conveniently, the brothers were standing under the moonlight which allowed her to see their faces. Cackle’s face was not new to her. Garen and Agno looked no different than they did when she last saw them, for the most part. Agno still had his winsome toothy smile, blonde bangs, and the handsome physiognomy of his baby face that entranced all the girls he went after. And Garen still possessed his massive, burly body. But his flinty face lacked something she had usually detected before; there wasn’t any of the usual haughtiness or arrogance. The shadows suffusing his face gave it the expression of responsibility and leadership, something that Desmos possessed. Strangely, he didn’t seem like the same person. In fact, he really did resemble Desmos more, with the aura he exuded.

  “Why are you here?” Garen asked tonelessly.

  “I was looking for you guys,” she said. “Where you guys going?”

  “Well, you found us,” said Cackle curtly. “What now?”

  “Have you guys really infiltrated their military? Do they suspect anything?” she asked in wonder.

  “What do you think?” Agno said smugly. “Did you see us walk all nonchalantly out of the chow hall without anybody stopping us?”

  “It’s just seems too easy,” she said dubiously. “Let me guess, you’re the ‘new guys’? What about the guards you killed? Won’t they notice they’re gone? All they need to do is count three missing and find the three newbies!”

  “The only who killed a guard was Cackle,” said Garen, shooting Cackle an acrid glower. “We told the idiot not to the kill anybody. He didn’t listen.”

  “How was I supposed to know there were spare uniforms in some storage room that you guys easily found?!” Cackle defended himself. “And their security is pretty trash. These people don’t even wear name tags or IDs!”

  “How did you guys get in?” Serenity asked earnestly.

  “We hopped onto the back of a supply truck,” Agno said simply. “It’s more complicated than that, but the premise of the plan was simple. We only got detected by the guards on the walls because we got off at the wrong spot.”

  “We can’t stay here forever, Serenity; get on with it,” Garen pressed.

  “I have the key to the cells,” Serenity told them, pulling out the jailhouse key out of her pocket. “It may be of some use.”

  “Cackle told us about it,” Agno said, impressed. “We didn’t believe him. Or rather, we didn’t believe you.”

  Garen took the key from Serenity, inspecting it closely.

  “This can open the cell Kyler’s in?”

  “Yep,” she nodded, putting her hood back on; it had fallen off her head when Cackle had attacked her, for the second time in two nights. “Well, supposedly, it can. I haven’t tried it yet.”

  “We’re going to need a little bit better than ‘supposedly,’” Garen said irritably. “Are you on your way there tonight?”

  “No, I wasn’t planning on it,” said Serenity. “Before I visit him again, I need to get food. Food and water for him.”

  “He’s not dying, they’re keeping him alive until his execution,” Cackle said unconcernedly. “Now we need to decide which day is the best to do it.”

  “Tomorrow night?” Agno suggested. “It’s siege night.”

  “‘Siege night’?” Serenity repeated in alarm. “What’s happening tomorrow? Cackle kept saying you’re ‘going to war.’”

  “He’s not wrong,” said Garen. “It’ll be more convenient if we retrieve Kyler before the attack though. Then again, with a prisoner out of his cell, it may triple the security. But we already messed up in getting detected.”

  “Let’s just do it now,” Agno resolved. “Since she’s here.”

  “Fine,” Garen nodded. “Cackle, you go with her. Agno and I will continue the search for Desmos. Once we have both of them retrieved, we can join the battle and end this once and for all.”

  “Why ME?” Cackle protested angrily.

  Serenity agreed wholeheartedly, feeling just as indignant. Cackle was the last one she’d want accompanying her down the tunnels.

  “Because I don’t need you,” Garen said coolly. “Agno’s got bigger brains than I do, he’s an essential for me.”

  “Have fun with her,” Agno grinned humorously.

  Cackle turned to Serenity violently, pointing a threatening finger.

  “You better not be a pain in my ass!” he hissed.

  “That’s my line,” she muttered, wishing she had the courage to stand up to him. His gro
undless threats irked her tremendously.

  “What did you say?” Cackle snapped.

  “I said ‘that’s my line’!” Serenity exclaimed. “Just follow me and shut up. For once in your life, be quiet and leave me alone.”

  “Listen to her,” said Garen, surprisingly taking her side. “We can’t afford to be childish anymore. This is a pivotal situation we’re in. If we fail, everything we’ve sacrificed in coming here will be worth nothing.”

  “And if we succeed, we get rich,” Cackle added, placated by the prospect of looting the Aurelian residence.

  “And we get our leader and little bro back,” Agno finished. “We came here mostly for them. If they die or we die, we’re all useless pieces of trash.”

  “On the contrary, I think they’re the peripheral priority,” Garen refuted. “If we get them back, great. The main thing is we kill all these demons. And Serenity, you’re the reason Desmos and Kyler were here in the first place. Therefore, you have no choice but to cooperate with us. Or else.”

  “I thought so,” she said, resigned. “I always get dragged into bullshit I don’t want to. I’ll help you guys escape, but I don’t plan on leaving here.”

  “You don’t seem to get it, dumbass,” Cackle said, grabbing the front of her jacket, pulling her closer to him until they were literally eye-to-eye. “Once we’re done here, there’s gonna be nothing left to stay for. All these little friends you’ve made, they’ll all be drowning in their own blood.”

  His tone was so icy, murderous, and sadistic that it sent shivers down her spine. This was the fiendish side of Cackle that occasionally manifested; a side of him she feared and revolted. It was a different kind of intimidation than the conventional terror she felt with Gunther, or even an angry Desmos.

  “You’re not going to kill all of them,” she said forcefully, looking him in the eye when she spoke.

  She realized she couldn’t prevent the deaths of everyone. But when it came to Sixto, Lily, Destiny, even Lyla? Not them. She wasn’t going to allow these innocent cousins of hers to perish.

  “Watch us,” Agno interposed. “It’s gonna be a bloodbath, and we don’t expect you to watch or participate.”

  “You guys are gonna need an army,” Serenity shook her head. “You’re crazy if you think you can massacre them by yourselves!”

  “We’ve already got one,” said Garen. “Now go.”

  “But they’re not our enemies! Father hates them, but that doesn’t mean we have to! Just listen to reason!”

  “They want us dead, so we want them dead,” Garen said simply. “Doesn’t matter that we don’t know why he’s enemies with them.”

  “It really does,” she challenged.

  Cackle shoved Serenity forward, prompting her to lead the way. But she wasn’t finished with them. This “army” of theirs was questionable. Where could they have possibly amassed an army? Were they mercenaries they bought? Furthermore, she’d rather go down to the tunnels without Cackle to nag her. But at the same time, she knew she needed him since Cackle was the one with the flashlight. All Aurelian soldiers carried flashlights strapped to their belts. Nonetheless, she would rather partner with Agno if it was her choice. But it seemed choices from here on out wouldn’t be hers to make.

  “Where’s Father?” Serenity asked out-of-the-blue.

  The question caused silence, as the brothers exchanged uncertain looks with each other. Cackle had mentioned that they had defied Gunther’s order not to pursue them, just as Desmos and Kyler had. He never specified how exactly this was done and how they managed to sneak away without Gunther noticing. She had a hazy notion that something happened back with their father. She knew this was irrevocable; there would be no forgiveness for their actions. If they were to somehow reunite with Gunther, it wouldn’t be a friendly reunion.

  For a while, none of the brothers spoke. She waited patiently for a response, wondering if the question was really that difficult. Or if it was “none of her business” again.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Garen ultimately said, his tone infused with utmost discretion “Now, you two get the hell on with it!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Despite her role as the guide, Cackle led the way. He walked ahead of her, flashlight pointed forward, listening to her directions with fortunate compliance. They had departed from the training grounds bleachers and were heading to the gardens. With Cackle in the guard uniform, she knew she probably wouldn’t be stopped by the other guards that were patrolling. Yet they chose to travel stealthily, taking shortcuts or alternate routes that allowed them to slip past oncoming patrols. Cackle hadn’t been here a full day yet, though it seemed he memorized the layout of the estate well enough. She told him their destination was the Aurelian gardens, and he already knew the general direction. It diminished her importance as a guide substantially.

  Serenity felt regretful that she hadn’t brought food and water with her. She imagined a gaunt and malnourished Kyler, decomposing on the ground of his decrepit, filthy cell. His constitution was getting worse by each day that passed, and it sent pangs of guilt throughout her conscience. She remembered promising Kyler that she’d return with food again, along with water this time. But the brothers weren’t too concerned.

  They arrived at the gardens smoothly, sneaking along the scenic flowers, hedges, and ponds of fish. It pained her to visualize the gardens engulfed in flames, after the cessation of this imminent “battle” that would supposedly ensue tomorrow night.

  She slid down the slope, stumbling under the bridge and locating the pile of grass, twigs, and leaves that obscured the manhole. She found it in no time, bending down and shoveling it away. Cackle didn’t wait for her, opening the manhole with ease and shining his light straight down.

  “Is it a high drop?” he asked her.

  “No, but I recommend you use the ladd—”

  Too late. Cackle hopped down without hesitation.

  A second later, she heard his feet land on the tunnel floor, the sound reverberating underground. Serenity wasn’t inclined on imitating him. She used the ladder like the other times she had been here. This time around, the odious odor wasn’t so alarming. She assumed she had adapted to it efficiently. Though, it was Cackle’s first time in the tunnels; he commented on the smell casually but didn’t seem to regard it as a problem. Cackle’s disposition to exploration must’ve acclimated him to horrid, putrid smells. She remembered all the dumpster-diving bouts he had undergone in the past.

  “I’m guessing this place is like a maze,” said Cackle. “You sure you know the way?”

  “I’ll find it,” she said confidently. “Just follow me. And give me the flashlight, there’s no need for you to lead!”

  “No, start walking,” Cackle refused.

  She held her breath in frustration, advancing. Her aversion to Cackle didn’t inhibit her from staying close to him, as his flashlight only illuminated a limited area as they walked. If she was to take just three or four steps back she’d be shrouded in darkness. Though, she had to admit—now that she was actually down here, it was better roaming the dark tunnels with company; even if Cackle was her unfortunate companion.

  The tunnels’ semblance of a maze still prevailed, disorienting her memory as they made turn after turn. She was still unfamiliar with the layout; the path was unclear to her as if she was here the first time around. Cackle began berating her upon realizing she was uncertain of where they were going, labeling her as “a brainless tour-guide.” She ignored him, her focus solely fixated on finding the way. The skull, she thought frantically. Sixto’s spray-painted work of art was vividly imprinted in her memory. Every diminutive, infinitesimal detail of it was present in her recollection. From the faded paint marks to the substandard quality of the sketch itself.

  “Wait,” Serenity hollered, tapping Cackle on the shoulder. “Stop. Shine the light to your left—no, higher than that.”

  She smiled to herself, recognizing the green moss coated on the wall that
wasn’t found anywhere else in the tunnels. The directions were manifesting in her head. Her map was her memories.

  “Okay, make a left,” she directed confidently.

  “You better be right about this,” he said, obeying her command.

  Even Cackle understood that he had to be compliant.

  Piece-by-piece she began constructing the map in her mind, increasingly recognizing the many nuances of the tunnels that would help her find the skull. Every seemingly inconsequential detail assisted her in her task. Although she hadn’t realized it, she had latently learned the layout of the tunnels; enough of it to find her way again and again. Cackle desisted from making any insults or retorts for a while, silently listening to her directions and awaiting further instructions without delay. She knew she was getting close and Cackle caught notice of it as well.

  Inevitably, her mind went blank intermittently at some points. It was disconcerting how identical the tunnel turns were, rendering it virtually a maze. She figured this was the price one had to pay in using such a convenient, clandestine hidden passageway. Albeit, it was still annoying.

  “You’re lost again, aren’t you?” Cackle groaned.

  “Shut up,” she said, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of admitting to him that she was. “I’ll find it. Just wait.”

  “You better,” Cackle muttered under his breath. “Remind me; how many times have you been down here before?”

  “Two or three times only,” she replied. “And the first time, I had a guide with me. But even he struggled, too.”