by KT Webb
“We need a plan, Lonzo,” I insisted. The further we travelled, the more anxious I became.
“Do you have any ideas?”
“I think you need to let me go first. I’m smaller and quieter than you, no offense. Plus, you’ve got that giant hammer. You’re instantly going to look like a threat.”
“No.”
“Okay then, do you have a plan?”
“I go first and cause a distraction. You two slip through the throne room to the dungeon. I’ll join you when I can.”
“No,” I told him, mostly because I wanted to be contrary.
Paula interrupted us before we could argue further. “Alright you two, here’s the plan; Delia will head for the dungeons while Lonzo and I try to find this Lady Carmella. If we can get to her without being intercepted by guards, we may be able to end this without fighting at all.”
Neither Lonzo, nor myself had any arguments to that plan. We’d reached the end of the tunnel and would soon be to the point where we would need to move the tapestry. I stopped them both and gave them fierce hugs.
“No matter what happens, I am thankful for the support and protection you’ve both provided to me. Yes, even you, Lonzo.” I offered him an innocent grin.
“Okay ladies, one more thing before we go, we’re going to have to get a signal to the others to let them know we’ve accomplished our mission. Or at least let them know we’re in the castle.” Lonzo waited for questions before continuing, “As soon as you have Chancellor Tilda, you both need to make your way to the tower that overlooks the Western Wood. Hopefully there are still flares up there. If you’re safe, use them in this order; pink, pink, purple. It will tell them the enemy has been neutralized and we’re ready for them. If you are in trouble, shoot off purple, orange, purple. They will know what to expect when they arrive.”
I nodded and repeated the color combinations back to him. When he was confident I had them down, I took a deep, steadying breath. Paula pulled the tapestry aside and let Lonzo lead the way. I counted to five before following in their footsteps.
Walking into that room hit me like a ton of bricks; I had so many memories of perching on the oversized throne beside my mother, listening to her talk to people who had come for an audience. Surprisingly, the room was deserted. It stood just as it always had, though the thrones and décor now had the addition of thick dust and encroaching spider webs. I had expected to see that pinched-nosed, stuck-up woman seated on the throne. I had expected to be bombarded with guards as soon as we emerged from behind the tapestry. When neither of those came to pass, Lonzo and I looked at each other. We were suspicious; did they truly not expect us or were they lying in wait somewhere just beyond the large doors?
Lonzo gestured for me to stick to the plan. I nodded before turning toward the jade statue of the Great Alchemist. It stood in the corner as a reminder that she would always be watching out for us. Of course, what I’d learned told me she hadn’t been there for us at all. Around her neck was a carved imitation of the Bloodstone. To anyone else, it may have seemed like a boring statue, but to the little girl who’d spent years exploring the ins and outs of the intricately designed castle, it was the portal to another world. I laughed to myself at the memory. It was one of the first passageways I’d found and I used it to sneak up on my parents every chance I could.
I reached up and pressed the center of the amulet carved into the stone. My body was on high-alert as stone slid against stone. The echo reverberated around the cavernous room as the statue moved to reveal an archway that led out of the throne room. The small landing on the other side sat between a stairway that led up to the western tower on the right and a stairway that descended to the dungeon on the left. I quickly stepped inside as the monument moved back into place.
I didn’t dare wait too long, just in case someone else knew the secret behind the statue. I took the stairs two at a time hoping I wouldn’t encounter anyone on the way. I made it to the bottom of the stairs much sooner than I’d remembered—we rarely had anyone in the dungeon, so I used it as a place for make-believe adventures. I remembered it taking much longer to get down there, or maybe I was just bigger now. At the foot of the stairs, a staggered wall flooded into a perpetually abandoned cell. From the outside, the cell appeared to have no door. From the inside, shackles that hung on the wall were the trigger to releasing the hidden exit. I took a deep breath before I pulled on the shackles; I knew the cell door would groan as the mechanism was released.
I was right. I cringed at the metallic clang of the door as it swung open. I slid through just before it slammed shut once more. Years of neglect and lack of use had left the cell door rusty and in desperate need of oil. I’d reached the hallway lined with cells, and hadn’t alerted anyone to my presence, despite the clamoring racket I’d made. I took cautious steps forward. If Tilda was down there, there was no telling who else had been locked away in my absence.
I inched along the hall, careful to keep my footfalls quiet. Something moved in the darkness up ahead, causing my breathing to speed up as I fought to keep myself calm. I didn’t dare move other than to cover the Bloodstone with my hand. Its faint glow would be a dead giveaway for not only my location, but also my identity. If it was a guard stalking toward me, I wasn’t sure how I’d defend myself. I had no weapon and couldn’t see much in the dim light.
A hoarse male voice called out, “Who’s there?”
I held my breath. It didn’t work. Strong hands seized my shoulders and pulled me away from the wall. I struggled to free myself without making too much noise. He lost his grip momentarily but quickly grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back. I cried out in pain as the muscles pulled and the bones fought against the pressure.
“Where did you come from, little girl?”
I stomped in a backward motion, making contact with a foot. “I…”
He let go of my arm, giving me the momentum I needed to swing around and punch him with the other fist. “-am…”
The glow from the amulet distracted him from the right hook he’d taken to the jaw, giving me enough time to drive my knee into his groin. “-not…”
I saw the glint of metal in the pale light and lunged for the sword he had sheathed at his waist. I pulled it out, hitting him soundly with the hilt. “-a little girl.”
“Hello?” Someone questioned the darkness. “Is someone out there?”
I recognized Tilda’s voice, even though she sounded weak. “Chancellor? Where are you? Can you stick your hand out of the cell?”
“Who are you?” Her voice shook.
“It’s me, Delia.”
I heard the clanging of chains and a scuffling sound. “Can you see me? I’ve got my hand out.”
The guard didn’t have any keys on him, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I found them hanging on the wall just feet away from Tilda’s cell. As though it wasn’t enough to keep her locked up, they had to put the possibility of freedom within view.
I unlocked the cell and removed the chains that bound her to the wall. Tilda collapsed into my arms. “You’ve come home. You’re alive.”
I couldn’t check to see if she was hurt in any way, we had to make our exit before we attracted any more attention. My thoughts turned to Lonzo and Paula as I flung Tilda’s arm over my shoulder. I hoped they were able to get to Carmella without too much bloodshed. I made sure to grab the sword I’d confiscated from the guard before we made our way back to the cell I’d used to get to her.
When we reached the brick I had to press in to reopen the door, it was missing. I leaned Tilda against the wall and bent down to look into the hole. I thrust my hand inside, trying to find the lever to release it. Nothing happened.
I cursed under my breath. The only other way out of the dungeon was up to the guard room at the base of the Eastern Tower. We would be on the opposite side of where we needed to be to send the message to Taeren and the others. If I couldn’t use the hidden stairway, we ran the risk of being caught on our way. There was no
other option, I helped Tilda to stand and lean against me, and we retraced our steps toward the Eastern Tower.
“Wait, I’m not alone.” Tilda pulled me back toward the cells.
“What do you mean you’re not alone?”
“There are others down here…Andromeda-” Her voice caught.
“Andromeda is down here?” I strode back towards the cell I’d freed her from.
“No. She’s…they killed her.” Tilda pulled in a rasping breath. “The other alchemists. They’re in the second dungeon. The dark one.”
My heart nearly stopped. As a child, I’d heard of the place she referred to. It was rarely used, reserved only for the darkest criminals. The thought of going down there sent panic soaring through my body. I had no choice.
“Help me get him into that cell. We can’t have him waking up and coming after us. Or telling the others where we are.”
Tilda was weak, but she found the strength to hoist one of the guard’s meaty shoulders off the ground and drag him into the cell she’d occupied. She turned and spat on him. It was so unlike her to be vulgar. It was a true testament to the torture she must have endured. I closed and locked the cell then allowed Tilda to lead the way to the second dungeon.
With more men on our side, I felt better about infiltrating the castle. We couldn’t just storm the front doors and expect to take over. According to our new allies, there were at least fifty more men guarding Almandine. They were men from Garneton, Lady Carmella’s personal guards and most trusted servants. There was little chance of convincing them to switch sides. We would have to fight. It made my stomach turn to think about Delia walking into a trap. There was no way to know if they were expecting us or not. If they saw us coming, we would look like a threatening group and may lose the chance to win them over to our side.
We took Philo to the tunnels, instructing the Outliers to care for him until we could return. Unfortunately, the tools Sophronia brought with her weren’t designed for healing; they were designed for destruction. She was able to help set the leg, but little else could be done until we reached the other alchemists. We’d learned they’d been locked away with Tilda. Andromeda, the High Alchemist had been executed for standing against Lady Carmella; the others were enslaved. After visiting the tunnels I’d briefly called home, we added a few more men to our group. They were past their prime, but they were willing to fight to bring Riona back to its former state.
I planned to lead the men to the entrance we’d escaped through years before, but when we reached the outer wall, it was nowhere to be seen. My frustration quickly turned to panic as a resounding boom shook the air around us. A purple flare soared through the air, followed quickly by an orange and another purple. Erasmus and Orin met my gaze, as did a handful of others who had served the royal family. We knew what that meant. There was trouble and they were signaling for help. The only problem was, we didn’t know which side was signaling.
“We can hide the six of you in within our number, but there’s no way we can hide them.” The Outlier leader, Jabez, gestured towards the Sideon.
I knew their presence was still a source of discomfort for the men who’d joined us. If I was being honest with myself, they made me uncomfortable as well. Sophronia and Orin looked at me, waiting for me to tell them what to do. Rafe and Gerrit stood beside me, ready to leap into action. I turned to the Sideon nearest me. They all looked the same and I couldn’t be sure which one had been communicating with me, or if it had been a different one each time. When a clammy gray hand brushed against my shoulder, a plan began to unfold in my mind.
I looked at the creature next to me. “Yes. I agree. That is a brilliant idea.”
The others were eagerly awaiting an explanation. Another volley of shots exploded from the Western Tower. A repeat of the previous message. We had to act fast. One way or another, my friends were in trouble and they needed our help.
“The Sideon will cover the outer perimeter of the castle. They can fly so it’s easy for them to get up there without being noticed. They will not attack anyone without our say-so. Erasmus, Jabez, you will lead us to the drawbridge. My people will hide within yours. Our main objective is to get to the princess and protect her. No matter what.”
The words echoed in my mind. It was surreal that after failing to protect the castle from invaders, I was about to be the unwanted guest. I hadn’t managed to protect her last time, but it was now or never and I would fight until my dying breath to make sure she became the next queen of Riona.
We rushed around the sloping hill of the castle until we’d skirted the Eastern Tower, and approached the outer wall. The destruction Almandine had suffered at the hands of the Gorum had left a gaping hole where there had once been solid stone. I silently thanked them for being so damaging to our world—if they hadn’t, we would have had much further to go before we could hope to enter the courtyard. We poured through the opening, careful to keep those of us hidden that shouldn’t be recognized.
“Are you ready, Commander?” Jabez asked, addressing me by my formal title as a sign of respect.
“I am if you are.” I brandished my sledgehammer and he shook his head at the strange implement.
“Remember the plan men, once we’re through the drawbridge, we do not break rank until Erasmus gives the signal.”
“And we try to shed as little blood as possible unless absolutely necessary. We’ve lost enough in recent years,” Erasmus instructed.
We marched forward, ready to face whatever was on the other side of the drawbridge. It lowered as we approached. Shouts echoed off the walls, warning us there were invaders in the castle. I heard a woman shouting orders and expressing her frustration when they weren’t executed to her liking. It was Lady Carmella. I couldn’t help but cringe at the shrill sound of her voice. They said there were invaders, but a number hadn’t been specified. I wondered if that meant they hadn’t captured my friends.
We walked right into the inner courtyard. The last time I’d made this journey, I’d had to leap over dead bodies on my way. This time, there seemed to be a lot of panic over nothing. There were no bodies, no prisoners on display, no real indication that anyone was in the castle that shouldn’t be.
“You there, why were we called? What’s going on? Are we under attack?” Erasmus asked a passing guard.
“No one has been caught yet, a small party approached the castle from the Rionian Forest. We rained down arrows as a warning, but they kept coming. Somehow, they got in and shot off flares. I’m not sure who they were signaling, but we’re preparing for attack.”
“How did they come to enter the castle?” Jabez inquired.
“We don’t know how they managed to enter the castle, all entrances are covered by our men.”
The guard kept moving, but he’d served his purpose. We knew they’d made it in, and we knew they’d freed Tilda. I itched to do something, anything to put an end to the incessant shouting coming from Lady Carmella. I stayed where I was and allowed Erasmus and Jabez to take the lead. I could hardly see from my current position, but I caught a glimpse of the two men approaching their temporary leader. Her voice lowered, giving the rest of us a break from the auditory assault.
“What’s the plan, Commander?” Rafe whispered next to me.
“We need to find Delia, but it’s important that we keep our new allies. Without them, we’ll be taken down in moments.”
“And if they’re up there selling us out?” Gerrit intoned from the other side.
I shook my head. “Then we’re in a lot of trouble.”
“You boys are forgetting who I am. I still have a few tricks in this belt,” Sophronia hissed behind us. “If things go south, I’ve got a plan.”
I nodded in response. Erasmus and Jabez had returned to our small army. They exchanged a few words amongst themselves before addressing us.
“Men, we are to spread out and search the castle. When we find the invaders, we are to bring them to the courtyard for execution.” Erasmus met my e
yes through the crowd.
I could tell from his expression that we had not been betrayed. The plan remained. We would neutralize the men from Garneton and take control of the castle. I offered him a small nod so he knew I understood. Within moments we were splitting off into groups. Sophronia quickly tucked her hair into a hat offered to her by the man behind her. It wasn’t common for women to be in battle, someone would notice her in a heartbeat. She stuck close to Orin, but I made sure the rest of us ended up in different groups. We knew who we were looking for—the others did not.
Each group headed in different directions to cover the castle. I followed Erasmus, ready to break away and use the hidden passages Delia had shown me years ago. If I knew her, she would be using them to make her way around the castle unseen. We passed the throne room and I nearly panicked. The door was slightly ajar; inside I caught a glimpse of the disheveled state of the room that had once been the focal point of the palace. It was abandoned. A feeling of relief flooded through me at the sight of the untouched throne. That relief quickly turned to stress as I thought about all we had to accomplish to get Delia seated on that throne. Just past the throne room was the entrance to a hidden passageway. If I remembered correctly, this passage had multiple offshoots that lead throughout the castle. I cleared my throat to get the other Knights’ attention. Erasmus glanced my way and gestured for the men to surround me. I slipped behind the third pillar from the left side of the throne room. The back of the pillar was so close to the wall that only a well-trained eye would recognize the narrow gap between the two. This column was hollow inside, save for a ladder that led to a passage below.
