“It’s gone,” she said.
“That was different than the last time,” Brian whispered, anxious to continue moving. “Your eyes turned black.”
“And blackness was all I saw,” she said, pointing for him to continue moving, “and I heard a voice this time.”
“What did it say?” Brian asked before reluctantly continuing to the house.
“It spoke of a Shroud of Alikon and Sages of Arborough.”
“Shrouds and Sages?” His voice tried to hide his incredulity. Had it been anyone else, he would’ve thought them mad. Brian shook his head as they moved. “I worry for you, sister,” he uttered.
“I worry, too, brother. I have no control over it.”
Neither of them spoke after that, passing through the narrow streets and abandoned alleys. There wasn’t anything else to be said, though both of them feared the same. But it wasn’t the time to worry about it; they had their objective: find the princes, and that’s all that mattered.
They finally reached the safe house, the buildings around it with dark interiors and closed doors. As they climbed the steps, Adriana noticed the building across the street with one of the windows open. She stared at it for a while but diverted her attention back to the door of Aroden’s home.
She rhythmically knocked; the moment she completed the last knock, it swung open to reveal a single Arracian, the man Rachel had sent back from the Crilover District, with his bow raised, an arrow readied, and a crazed look in his eyes.
“Where’s Rachel?” Adriana asked, surprised to see the man’s face. A few of the Arraci began passing into the house while they spoke. “Only she’s permitted to open this door.”
“Gone,” he answered in a panic, “some time ago. We went to the fountain to make a record of the crest and then visited Zed, but upon our return, we were attacked in the courtyard with the fountain…”
“Attacked? So William and Max aren’t here?” Brian hastily interjected, and the Arraci ceased entering the house, leaving only a few remaining outside.
“No.”
“But we saw no bodies in the courtyard,” Adriana said.
The man shook his head in astonishment. “I was told to return here shortly after we passed into the Crilover District with the woman that saved them.”
“A woman?” she shot back.
“Someone saved them in the courtyard. She led us into the Crilover District for their safety with Rachel and me, but I was sent back to await your return.”
Brian stared back in shock. “They must be somewhere in this city then, the fighting we heard in the Crilover District,” he angrily exclaimed. “We must…”
Adriana firmly grabbed her brother’s shoulder and pushed him back, hard, just as an arrow whizzed past him and embedded into the wooden doorframe.
“Cover!” she ordered to the rest, catching a glimpse of movement in the building across the road.
The remaining Arraci lunged into the house as a barrage of arrows started hailing towards them. Two more arrows barely missed Brian and plunged into the back of the room as he managed to slam the door closed behind everyone. The two glass windows shattered around them, the cloth over each being torn to shreds by the incoming missiles, while arrows continuously struck the exterior of the house, the noise unbearable.
The twins and the rest of them ducked for cover, with their backs against the wall, watching the projectiles fly through the open window into the back wall and feeling the strong thuds against their backs as the wooden exterior wall of the house took the brunt of the volley. All they could do was regain their bearings and wait for the volley to cease – but the arrows kept coming.
“We’re trapped!” one of the Arraci shouted out.
Brian shook his head. “We cannot stand,” he called out, redirecting his attention to his sister. “Adriana,” he said to gain her attention. “How did you hear that arrow out there?”
“I don’t know,” she answered quickly.
He didn’t respond.
“What do we do?” she asked her brother. “We need to find William and Max. And Aroden must leave the city immediately!”
“We have no choice,” Brian said as he removed a conical horn from beneath his garbs. “We must alert Aroden of our situation, let him know this city truly has been compromised and that he must leave.”
“But that will alert everyone in this whole city. If this is just a small group of attackers, then all of the other groups will converge on this position.”
“Perhaps that will help William and Max escape, then,” Brian said while putting the horn to his lips.
Adriana sighed but nodded, placing a hand on her brother’s arm. “You are right. It must be done.”
He blew through the horn, releasing a deafening blare that vibrated along the house’s walls. Even the arrows ceased coming momentarily as the ringing ran through the streets. Surely the whole city would hear it. The call for aide, a battle, rallying call from the heads of the great Arracian Order; most would never hear it in their lifetime. But the sounds rung loudly through the city for all to hear; Orwell was compromised.
Stealth no longer mattered here.
Chapter XVI
“The battle call of the Arraci,” Rachel said as they hovered at the courtyard’s entrance, listening to the scattered movement ahead. “They must be back at the safe house and under attack. The entire city must be compromised and they are alerting us all. They wouldn’t use it otherwise.”
“We must hurry to them,” Max whispered to the others. “Our father must be in danger.”
Elizabeth peeked into the courtyard after hearing the shuffling of armour and footsteps. “Many of the creatures are leaving because of it,” she called back to the others. “They must be answering the call, too.”
“How many remain?”
“No more than ten or so,” she answered, “though we don’t know how many might be inside the far building. At least three or four archers stand on the rooftops.”
Rachel’s expression darkened as she glanced to Max. “We should leave the city,” she said. “You know the meaning of that call. For the Arraci it’s a call to aid. For the royal family it’s a call to flee.”
“We continue to our father,” Max asserted.
Rachel understood. “We can take care of these enemies,” she said to Elizabeth before turning to Orthol and Gringal in the back. She pointed to the rooftops and motioned towards them. “Quickly, take to a higher vantage point. The archers on the rooftops are your responsibility.”
“We will await your signal,” Orthol said before turning with Gringal.
They carefully ascended the side of the building beside them, quietly climbing each level while the others stood below. It impressed William how quickly they climbed, each of them using either window ledges or a rogue metal bar. They all waited at the base of the building until the two reached the top and hovered on the rooftop out of sight. Rachel looked to Elizabeth, who held her fine wooden bow readied with a white arrow on the string.
“When we entered this district,” Rachel started, “I saw another alleyway leading into this courtyard. It stood directly in front of the stairs.”
“Yes.”
“How do we reach it?” she asked, looking to the right where the alley would be. “We will use that to flank the enemy. The moment the two of them release their arrows,” she said while pointing up, “the enemy will be focused on the front. They won’t expect a side attack from their left.”
Elizabeth nodded in agreement and provided the directions. “If you go with William and Max, I’ll remain here. If we can time this correctly, we won’t need to use our blades at all.”
Max held onto his sword tightly. “But just in case,” he said, “we’ll be ready.”
“Orthol and Gringal will take out the archers on the rooftops,” Rachel declared. “They won’t miss.”
“Four Fortari stand watch at the front of the far building,” Elizabeth said. “I can take out two, maybe three,
before the others are alerted to the attack.”
“Then we’ll take care of the rest,” Max called out from behind.
Rachel gave Max a stern expression before focusing on Elizabeth again. “I’ll take care of the rest with my own bow.”
“Very well,” Elizabeth said while side-glancing the brothers.
“Wait for my signal,” Rachel advised as she started to walk with the brothers. “It’ll be a high pitch sound. Orthol and Gringal will understand it.”
“And we must hurry,” Max added. “We don’t know how long they can wait.”
*************************************************************
“The call,” Aroden muttered to himself in disbelief as he stood next to Zed, the blaring horn vibrating through the buildings, “the battle call of the Arraci.”
“We must leave,” one of the Arraci said to him as they waited in Zed’s living quarters, a small fire burning in the fireplace. “The call means we must make way for Brymar.”
Aroden didn’t respond.
“My king, please,” the same Arracian called. “We must leave for your safety.”
Aroden mumbled quietly. “No.”
“My king…”
“No!” he shouted and threw his hands in the air.
The room fell silent.
“Aroden,” Zed started quietly. He approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Aroden, we should…”
“No, Zed,” he interrupted and walked away from his hand. He paced briefly in front of the fireplace, his brow lowered as his exhausted, bloodshot eyes focused on the elaborate rug beneath him. “I came to Orwell with three sons. I refuse to leave with none.”
Zed nodded and mumbled an understanding under his breath.
“We must answer the call,” Aroden ordered. He turned to the few Arraci around him. “Go,” he said and pointed to the door. “We will answer the call of battle, aide your comrades of the order.”
“But my king,” the man said quietly, “we know nothing about what goes on behind that door, nor do we know anything about your sons.”
“Am I not the king?” Aroden shot back and the Arracian fell silent. He pointed to the door, “go!” The Arraci jumped into action, preparing an arrow in their bows and checking their securely fastened blades. Aroden withdrew his sword as he moved towards the door. All of this involved his sons. What else mattered?
“I will lead.”
*************************************************************
Victoria and Richard stood perfectly still against the cavern wall.
“I still hear movement in the distance,” Victoria said, but she paused again, looking above them, “and a call, one that I recognise. The Arracian call for aid.” Richard didn’t respond, but she could see his worry. “We must continue. The sooner we leave this place the better.”
Richard stood with his horse up against him, trying to reassure and keep him quiet. “I’m sure they’ll be alright,” he said to himself. “The Arraci have always protected my family. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
Victoria gently patted his shoulder. “Yes,” she said, “they will not fail.”
Another sound echoed in the caverns, one that even Richard detected. “I heard the clanking of metal that time,” he said. “Have you ever heard movement in these caverns before?”
“No.”
A clap of thunder startled the horse, though both the horse and Richard whimpered a bit. “I definitely heard that one…what was that?” he asked as he embraced the neck of his horse. Another growl followed. “And that sounded alive!”
Victoria raised a finger to her lips to silence him and nodded. “Yes it did.” After a few moments, she left the side of the wall and motioned for them to continue, though Richard couldn’t see anything. “Let’s go while the sounds have stopped.”
“I thought these caverns were safer than the city.”
“So did I,” Victoria admitted. “Come, we must find the exit.”
“I can’t see anything,” Richard complained. “Can you?”
“Enough to navigate through this place,” she answered. “But not well.”
The damp, musky air cocooned around them. His horse angrily objected to moving any further without light, but Richard’s gentle pat on his wet neck provided a slight comfort. His horse reciprocated the comfort, the two of them staying close together. This was all just as new to the horse as it was to Richard, and they both were equally scared. The blackness provided some comfort for Richard; at least he couldn’t see the dried blood along his horse’s side – his blood. Both of them had experienced the first taste of battle today, and he could feel his horse’s tension as a result of it.
“Stop,” Victoria said after only a few steps. “I hear something again.”
“More of them ahead?” he asked.
“Yes, but they don’t travel towards us.” The darkness of the caverns slowly started to lighten up, a flicker of fire light appearing to the left. “They approach from the side,” she whispered and pointed towards the yellow light, “look in the distance.”
Richard had no idea of the vast opening in front of him. As the torches approached the cavity from the side, he could see some of the rough, rock walls in the far distance and the treacherous black drops between the narrow uneven pathways. The two of them and the horse ducked behind one of the walls to the left and peaked around it. At the far end, bright yellow burning torches emerged from one of the openings in the wall, all wielded by a cohort of the foul Fortari equipped with their long, jagged black swords and long, wood-planked shields.
“The same crest is on the front of their shields,” Victoria commented.
“How can you see that?” Richard asked. His vision was good, no doubt, but he couldn’t detect that kind of detail from across the huge cavern.
“Heightened sight, as well,” Victoria reminded him. “All of my senses are heightened, not just hearing.”
Richard nodded. “Of course,” he mumbled. “That’s why you’re leading us out of the caverns.”
“They don’t come for us,” she said, patting the bulge in her dress where the precious stone resided. She could feel the subtle curves of the smooth gem, and she thought of Elizabeth. “They travel somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Richard thought to himself. “Which way is the market district from here?”
“To the right of us…in the direction they travel.”
Richard inhaled sharply. “Then they travel to the part of the caverns where my brothers, father, and the Arraci will be leaving the city through.”
She didn’t answer.
“We must stop them from reaching them.”
“We can’t. There are too many of them.”
Richard sighed. “But they will meet my family in the caverns.”
Victoria shook her head. “They will have to fight through them,” she asserted. “We cannot risk losing this stone, and there are only two of us.”
“Use your magic.”
“It has limits, Richard. I am not a powerful wielder, so I must use it sparingly.”
Richard grunted to himself. “So there’s nothing we can do?”
“No, Richard,” she muttered quietly. “They have all of the Arraci with them and Elizabeth. They will be fine.”
Richard nodded, unconvinced as he watched the warriors trudge through the caverns, their torches in the front and rear with their swords raised high.
I hope so.”
*************************************************************
“We’re ready,” Max nodded as he and his brother hovered behind Rachel. They stood around the corner to the courtyard, surrounded by older stone buildings and a worn-down wooden staircase leading up the sides of the building. Max looked at Rachel. “Make the call.”
Rachel pulled back her arrow and made a high pitch whistle while turning around the corner. Within a second, her arrow whizzed from her bowstring to
wards the closest creature in the courtyard, the glorious orange feathers soaring through the air. Another three small cracks to the air as the others released their arrows in tandem followed with a decisive thud shortly after. Max and William stayed around the corner with their swords drawn; Rachel insisted they stay back. But Max peaked around the corner nonetheless to see how the plan progressed.
The first volley of arrows dispatched two of the standing guards and two archers on the rooftops. Within moments after the first, a second round of arrows hit their marks before the creatures could make a sound. Rachel’s orange-feathered arrow struck her target in the head. Max noticed Elizabeth’s white-feathered white-shafted arrows striking the other two in the courtyard with tangible force, one through the head and the other through the throat, propelling their victims backwards. Above flew more orange-feathered arrows as Orthol and Gringal completed their objective, efficiently dispatching the remaining archers.
Silence followed.
“Is that all of them?” Max whispered.
“I see an archer on the rooftop still,” Rachel said as she aimed.
But another arrow struck the archer first through the chest, one of Elizabeth’s arrows, followed by another orange one through the head from Rachel’s bow. Rachel lowered her bow but continued to stare at the creature, amazed how Elizabeth’s arrow could have reached the mark before hers, even though she released her arrow before Elizabeth. But after stumbling around towards the edge of the rooftop, the archer’s body went limp, sending it tumbling through the air to the ground below. It struck the grey, stone slabs with palpable force. All of them remained still and waited for the quiet to return. But the sound alerted more inside and a figure charged out.
The Secrets of Brymar (The Elitherian Fragments Book 1) Page 17
