"Because I could kill you if I sneezed, and it's awfully dusty in here," Lara said.
"I guess that is a risk, but if anything happens to me, you're as good as dead. I'm your only hope."
"You're right about that. But you're going to help me whether you like it or not.” Lara threw a glass vial on the ground with her free hand and it shattered instantly. Smoke started to spew from the ground and Lara shoved Wilhelm into it.
"Get them!" he shouted, choking on the smoke.
"Follow me," Celes said, heading for the nearest exit from the hall. She kept low, trying to break line of sight. The diversion with the smoke worked well, splitting up the guards nicely. There were two posted at each door, but they didn't see Celes coming. By the time they noticed, the first guard was already on the floor and the second was taken down by Lara as he tried to attack Celes.
"Just run!" Celes shouted once they were through the door. They retraced their steps, not worrying about being silent anymore. Speed was of the essence. They initially had no problems, the guards rushing around not aware of their presence or too slow to react. But there were three guards waiting where they had left Certan.
"Doesn't look good," Celes said. However, she noticed another guard walking up to them. He glided between them, quickly knocking all three down.
"Nice!" Lara said. Certan waved at them, and disappeared into the nearby dining room. Celes and Lara rushed to join him.
"I'm not sure where your exit is, but we should have a relatively clear run," he said. True to his word, they didn't see anyone else.
Alrion was waiting for them at the exit.
"What's going on? I heard a commotion," Alrion said.
"Complications. Don't worry, let's just head out," Celes said.
"Certan?" Alrion said as he noticed the monk.
"Plenty of time for explanations later," he said.
"Sure, well nothing happened here let's go." Alrion led the way out into the tunnel.
"Can you see that light in the distance?" Alrion said.
"Yes, what do you think it is?" Celes said.
"Not sure, but there's no way that is coming in from the street." Alrion created a miniature ball of fire and threw it along the tunnel.
Celes watched its progress, and heard a cry of pain.
"We're not alone," Lara said.
"Slow down, let's not rush in," Celes said. The group slowed their advance, and continued at a more measured pace. As they closed the distance, it became obvious what the light was. There was a force of twenty armed guards standing in formation at the end of the tunnel and blocking the exit.
"Those are city guards," Celes said.
"Waiting for us," Alrion said.
"That Wilhelm, he was well-prepared," Celes said.
"Not prepared enough. Otherwise they would have known that such a small force is not going to cut it. It's a shame I couldn't use your stealth lessons Lara, but this will be more fun. Leave it to me," Alrion said with a smile.
"Who is this young man, and what did he do with my son?" Celes thought. At least she had an opportunity to see for herself just what he could do.
9
Setting Out
Alrion took two steps forward. He had an idea he wanted to try. Clearing his throat, he weaved a wave of force in front of him, but instead of sending it out he let it hover and vibrate. Then he spoke into it.
"Leave now and you will not be harmed," Alrion said. His voice sounded lower than in pitch than normal and boomed around the tunnel.
"How did you do that?" Lara said.
"I just had an idea, and it worked," Alrion whispered back at her. The soldiers looked a little rattled, but had not moved.
"As you wish!" Alrion shouted, then let the spell dissipate. It had worked surprisingly well. He wasn't sure if he had melded ideas he already had, or drawn upon some knowledge hidden in his mind. But it didn't matter.
Alrion started walking forward with purpose, preparing his next move. He could see the soldiers take a defensive stance. Alrion drew upon his spark and ignited flames above his hands. Then he combined them with a wave of force. Rolling spirals of flame tumbled along the ground, arcing up before they hit the soldiers. They dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding the flames. Alrion kept walking. He threw another wave of force, this time adding no fire. The dust swirled around as it travelled along the ground, but this one didn't suddenly jump up. It stayed low and knocked around all the soldiers who had ducked the previous attack.
"They have a wizard!" one of the soldiers said.
Another replied "We're sitting ducks in here."
Alrion noticed that they had retreated a few metres. A bit further and he would have access to the ladder. He drew upon his spark one more time, concentrating on the ground in front of the soldiers. A low wall of flame rose up, stopping at chest height. The front row of soldiers scrambled back. Alrion advanced, and moved the wall of fire forward as well. The soldiers continued to retreat.
"Just a little bit further." Alrion pushed the wall forward, the soldiers bunching up as they ran out of the tunnel.
"That should do," Alrion said, maintaining the wall of fire in its current location.
"And that will work. Nice work!" Lara said, noticing that the path to the tunnel stairs was now clear.
"Let's be quick, I can't do this all day and I don't want them to try anything," Alrion said.
"Agreed. Time to leave," Celes said. Alrion continued his steady pace while he concentrated on the spell. The rest ran ahead, climbing out of the tunnel.
"You won't get away with this. We know who you are!" one of the soldiers shouted. But Alrion didn't take any notice. Once the rest were out he climbed out himself.
"Is the spell still active?" Celes said.
"Yes, what's our next move?" Alrion said.
"Just hold it long enough for us to block this exit. That will buy us enough time," she said. Lara noticed a nearby box full of scrapped metal items.
"Help me with this," she said to Certan. The two of them dragged the box over the top of the tunnel exit.
"That should do," Celes said. Alrion let the spell go and they ran from the alley as quickly as possible. Once they re-joined the market streets Celes slowed and the rest matched her pace.
"Quickly and quietly, let's get back to the house," she said. Alrion looked back, but couldn't see any pursuers. He was happy at what he had done. The spells had taken more Spark that he had expected, but it all worked out fine. And he didn't need to let on just how much power he had expended. Each step away helped him relax a bit more, but he couldn't calm down until they reached the safety of the house.
Celes was inside first, with Certan ushering the others in ahead of himself. They found Vincent standing inside, arms crossed.
"How'd you go?" he said. He didn't seem impressed, as if he knew something had gone wrong.
"We had a small hiccup. Wilhelm was waiting for us. But we escaped, due to some ingenuity from Lara and some pyrotechnics from Alrion," Celes said.
"Sounds like a disaster," Vincent said.
"Well, a partial disaster. But we all made it out, and Lara and Certan passed the test," Celes said.
"I may have gotten a job and cleaned up, but I have not retrieved my scarf," Certan said.
"That is not an issue. You can get another, if the monks find you worthy," Vincent said.
"This is true, I agree with your plan. I will join you," Certan said, bowing to Vincent.
"It wasn't a total loss," Lara said, retrieving something from her jacket. It was a massive, pristine diamond.
"Is that the replica?" Celes said.
"No, it's the real deal. I swapped them in the confusion. Wilhelm won't realise until it is too late," Lara said.
"Give me that," Celes said, snatching it from Lara's hands. She looked it over carefully.
"You really did it. I underestimated you," Celes said. Alrion could see the begrudging look of admiration on his mother's face.
"Mission
accomplished then," Lara said with a laugh. "Although on a more serious note it was my honour to accompany the fabled Shadow Fox."
"Thankfully we kept my record intact." Celes handed the diamond to Vincent. "Incorporate this into Alrion's sword. He will need it the most,"
"Good idea, I could lodge it into the pommel without too much effort. And it won't draw attention that way, people will just think it is an ornament," Vincent said, turning it over.
"Does that stone really work? Will it react to the Blight?" Alrion said.
"I'm sure you will have a chance to test it soon enough," Vincent said, putting the stone away.
"Those soldiers said they knew who you were," Lara said to Celes.
"They know my alias, not who I am. As long as we leave soon, there won't be a problem," Celes said.
"They will eventually track us here if we stay. But I agree we should be safe to sleep here tonight," Vincent said.
"Then let's make our preparations. Do they have rules against using the forges at night?" Celes said.
"No, I'll get to work," Vincent said with a sigh. He walked over to the door and disappeared into the night.
"The rest of you, get some rest. We leave tomorrow," Celes said.
"You're coming too?" Alrion said.
"Of course, I'm wanted remember?" Celes said. Alrion just shook his head.
"Who is she?" he wondered to himself.
The next morning Alrion awoke to find everyone else ready and waiting.
"Sorry, were you all waiting for me?" Alrion said.
"Yes, but don't feel bad. A wizard needs rest to replenish his energy," Vincent said.
"How would you know that?"
"I may not be one, but I was the son of one. Now go ready yourself, we need to leave as soon as possible," Vincent said. Alrion gathered his things, and did a final check of the house. He noticed something sitting on a table near the front door and walked closer. "That's for you," Vincent said, pride in his voice.
Alrion saw that it was a sword in a leather scabbard with an ornate leather strap. The diamond was expertly attached to the pommel of the sword, and looked like it was always meant to be there. Alrion slowly drew the sword out, the pale metal gently shining in the sunlight. He touched the edge and instantly recoiled his finger. "That's sharp," Alrion said.
"What did you expect?" Vincent said, chuckling. Alrion shook his hand, feeling foolish.
"It looks great. How did you finish it in time?" he said, returning the sword.
"Finish them in time." Vincent turned to show Alrion the sword strapped to his back. "I have a matching one, although with no giant diamond. I was a lot closer to completing them than I was letting on. I had originally wanted to take more time with the finishing. But I'm happy with the result," he said.
"What about me?" Lara said, sticking her empty hands out in front of her.
"I didn't forget. Lucky for you there was some leftover metal. Use it wisely." Vincent tossed over a dagger within a plain leather scabbard.
Lara pulled the dagger out and examined the edge. "Looks really sharp. Is this the real deal?"
"Of course. You'll be able to take down a Shade with that," Vincent said.
"Good, that makes a girl feel more comfortable."
"Glad I could help."
"I just have to say, this is a crazy gift," Lara said.
"I know. Forget about that and just use it well. You've proved yourself."
"If we're all ready, we need to leave immediately." Celes tapped her foot impatiently.
"After you," Vincent said and Celes stepped through the front door without hesitation. The rest followed close behind. Alrion paused to look back at the house. It already had a lot of memories for him, let alone his parents. He decided to return here one day, when things were simpler.
They walked with purpose towards the main gates.
"Can't we pass through the city and exit from the other end?" Alrion said.
"Yes, but it's a smaller gate and it will be closely watched by the guards. This one may be as well, but we have a better chance of slipping through," Vincent said.
"I hadn't thought of that." Alrion felt a little silly for even asking.
"I was thinking we head straight to Vainbly," Celes said.
"Excellent idea," Vincent said.
"Is it close?" Alrion said.
"Yes, we can get there on foot within a few hours, then plan our next move. Hopefully there's also horses available to speed up our journey."
"It's a long walk, I wouldn't recommend it," Certan said. Alrion gave him a smile. As they approached the main gates, Alrion could see that the guard had been doubled. People were being stopped too and interrogated.
"Follow my lead." Celes quickly grabbed Lara and shoved her a few steps ahead. "Stop! Thief!" she shouted, pointing at Lara.
The young thief was initially stunned, then quickly cottoned on. She took off, swiftly weaving into the crowd. The ruse worked, the patrolling guards quickly set off after Lara.
"Don't worry they won't catch her," Celes said to Alrion. After a quick look around, she started walking forward once more. Alrion tried to keep an eye out for Lara, to see how she fared. His mother was completely right.
The guards were hampered by their armour and the crowds. Lara was nimble and crafty, changing direction and weaving through gaps in the crowd that were impossible for them to follow. But she didn't speed too far ahead, always pausing just enough for the guards to feel as if they were gaining.
"She's something else," Alrion said under his breath.
"Take care of that one," Vincent said, slapping his son on the shoulder. Alrion didn't realise his father had heard his comment, and decided to focus on Lara's progress rather than continue that potentially awkward conversation.
Lara laughed as she ran, it was good fun. She hadn't been chased like this in a while, in an open street during the middle of the day. As she glanced back she could see her group advancing carefully through the crowd, not garnering a second glance from any of the guards.
"Too easy," Lara thought. She looked ahead, to plan out her escape from the city. She spotted a group of guards blocking the path. They must have heard the commotion and formed a mini blockade.
"No time to think, just react," Lara told herself. She spied one of the city banners hanging from the gates and instantly decided to go for it. Adjusting her direction, she instead headed for the walls of the gates. There were studs in the wall that were quite large, so she grabbed the first one within reach and started clambering up. The guards started to catch up as she ascended, and she could hear their shouts from below. Lara paused long enough to look back down and smirk at them, and decided that she was out of harm's way. Now she just had to exit.
After a quick tug of the banner, she observed its strength and how it hung. It wasn't ideal, but she had no time.
"Here we go," she whispered, steadying herself then leaping forward. She grabbed the cloth banner, using it to slow her descent. The force of her fall caused the banner to start detaching from the wall, and this gave her a nice arc through the air. Just before the banner was about to fall completely she let go, and toppled straight into one of the guards.
Before they could react, she scrambled to her feet and darted away and into the crowd of onlookers beyond the city walls. The guard line crumbled and they took off after her, two of them staying behind and watching the pursuit.
Now that she was beyond the walls, Lara increased her speed. There was less reason to keep them close, as her party would also be out soon. She needed to finish this chase, so she could disappear and rejoin the gang.
One guard was particularly swift, and Lara noticed that he had ditched some of his armour to run faster. She wasn't worried about being caught, but if he was fit he could keep within range for a long distance, which would be a problem. So, she slowed a little and dropped a few glass balls onto the ground. The guard didn't notice, and when he stepped on one completely lost his balance and toppled over.
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Lara laughed and increased her speed. She had to disappear quickly to make the most of the opening.
10
In the Shade of a Blaze
Streams of travellers looked on in amusement as Lara ducked and weaved through them. She stayed low and fast, looking for a way to escape from the road and into cover. There was a small bunch of trees to her left but she ignored them. It was too obvious. She needed something a bit better.
A partially-covered wagon caught her eye and Lara headed straight for it. It was being pulled by a horse with a weary man urging the plodding horse onwards. Lara stayed low to avoid the man's line of sight and quietly vaulted into the wagon, ducking under the cloth covering. An overpowering smell of animal hides assaulted her nose, but it was worth it.
She heard the rhythmic clank of the guard's remaining armour as he ran past, he didn't even pause for a moment.
"Gotcha!" Lara whispered, a big smile on her face. As he ran in the wrong direction she was slowly being taken back to the rest of the group. She waited a few minutes for safety, then peeked out of the wagon. There was no sign of the pursuing guard. Lara leapt out of the wagon and joined the stream of travellers, trying to blend in. She spotted Alrion in the distance, and slowly worked her way through to join him.
"Nice moves," Alrion said.
"They never had a chance.” Lara flashed Alrion her biggest smile.
"We can take this path, it diverts around the city and passes through a few farming communities," Vincent said, and the rest followed his lead.
"You did well. Nice improvisation too," Celes said to Lara once they were off the main road.
"Thanks, although you didn't give me much warning."
"You didn't need it, and the stunned look on your face was perfect!"
"I think you enjoyed that way too much," Lara said and Celes could not contain her laughter.
"It was certainly entertaining, but we've lost time. Let's push on. No breaks until we reach Vainbly," Vincent said.
Nobody said another word.
Vault of Silence (The Hidden Wizard Book 2) Page 7
