Tranquility

by David Gay-Perret

  Chapter 6

  DESPITE his dramatic entrance, the clients in the establishment barely seemed to take any note of him at all. A few faces turned towards him and the two on the floor with deadpan expressions, but everyone lost interest in the newcomer almost immediately.

  “The elf wasn’t wrong: they’re completely indifferent to what goes on around them,” Glaide thought to himself. “All the better for me. That will make things easier.” Nonchalantly, he approached the proprietor who, after briefly noting that his door was in ruins and that the wood that it had been made up of had been launched into the room, had returned to drying a glass with a cloth of questionable cleanliness. Glaide decided he was the one he’d be most likely to learn something from.

  “I’m looking for information,” began the young man.

  “What are you drinking?” came the reply.

  “Tell me what orders Baras has given.”

  The man set the glass he’d been holding down on the bar, then glared at the young man. “What are you drinking,” he growled out.

  Glaide sighed. Nothing here would be free, of course.

  “Give me whatever you have that’s strongest.” He had no intention of taking even a sip of alcohol in his current situation, but at least that seemed to make the tavern keeper a bit more disposed to respond to his questions. The young man threw a handful of dras on the bar without asking the price of his beverage.

  “Again I say, what orders has Baras given?”

  “The dark elves have said nothing for a while. Our master has nothing planned for the moment.” Glaide felt relieved: his friends were safe, and besides that, it seemed his enemy hadn’t discovered where he was headed. The short response had also informed him that the dark elves were the only ones to communicate directly with Baras. It was through them that the rest of the population received their orders. The man seemed to remember something then, suddenly.

  “Oh, right. There was one communication: the troops sent to the east against the temple were destroyed. But our master had expected that. He knew, too, that what they were searching for was no longer there.”

  “Does he know where it can be found now?” The tavern keeper shook his head in reply. For the second time, the young man felt like a weight that had been on his shoulders for weeks was suddenly lifted: Ralon and Koeris were safe. However, what had been the goal of the attack? The katana? Perhaps, since it had been taken away by one of Novak’s descendants. That was one more individual—besides Emily, Gwenn, and Jeremy—that the adolescent would have to find. However, it was clear he would learn nothing about that here. The man continued, more slowly now.

  “The elves informed us, however, that our master isn’t concerned. He declared that it would be pointless to look for it, because it would soon be brought here.”

  “Here?” exclaimed the adolescent. “But why?”

  “We don’t know, but what difference does it make?”

  “Who would bring the katana here?” wondered Glaide. “That would be crazy!” “But then,” he added out loud, “why attack the temple, if what Baras wanted wasn’t there anymore?”

  “Because,” the man replied with disdain, “our master believes that since the Destroyer has disappeared, he must be looking for ways to gain strength. And besides, it is certain that anyone who taught him to fight, once he learned of his status, would take him to the temple.” Glaide gripped the edge of the bar so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white. He tried to control the tremble that invaded his body, but the man he was speaking to seemed to be oblivious anyway, as he was far too busy letting loose a flurry of expletives about this Destroyer that he seemed to hate so much. The young man, on the other hand, used the time to get control of himself.

  “And?”

  “It seems logical that he’d go there, but we know nothing for sure.” Glaide felt like cheering at the words, but he held in his joy; besides, he still had questions. However, the other man shot a strange look at him suddenly.

  “But actually,” he began, his voice suspicious, “Why are you asking so many questions, anyway? Who are you, for that matter? Why haven’t I seen you around before?”

  Without losing his cool, the adolescent replied in a glacial tone, meant to check the other man. “I’ve been away for a while, and I know nothing of recent events. So tell me this: what about the three that accompanied the Destroyer when he arrived. Does Baras know where they are?” The tavern keeper plastered such a disturbing sneer on his face that Glaide couldn’t prevent a shiver from running down his spine. The man carefully collected the coins that the adolescent had thrown on the bar earlier.

  “What are you drinking?” he asked weaselly. This time, the boy lost his patience. He needed this information. He grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him closer.

  “Answer. The. Question,” he growled. The man’s sneer remained on his face, despite the apparent danger of his situation. Glaide realized then that complete silenced reigned in the room. Slowly, he turned his head. All of the clients of the establishment were silent, and they had their deadly glares fixed firmly on him. Though no one had yet drawn, hands were on the hilts and handles of the collection of swords, axes, and other weapons in the room. The young man gently released his grip on the tavern keeper who, with a galling calm, and without ever dropping his sneer, moved to smooth out his shirt. For a moment, Glaide pondered whether it would be possible to make up for his mistake, since he still had questions. Unfortunately, though, the opportunity seemed to have been completely and utterly compromised. The elves, dwarves, barbarians, and humans present didn’t return to their conversations; within those few seconds, all of the occupants of the place had suddenly become hostile. Mistreating the proprietor hadn’t been his greatest idea...

  “I should have known better,” he thought to himself. “They’re indifferent to everything but one thing: beer. And I just laid hands on the one who provides them with it...” Still no one had moved, but the tension in the room was thickening with every second that passed. The young man decided to forget about his questions; his new priority was to simply make it out of here alive. He took a step back, cautiously, then froze in place. If no one had moved since last he looked, that would mean no one stood between him and the entrance. However, he preferred not to turn tail and run, because he was sure any sudden moves would set off a fight. Instead, he chose to say nothing, and to leave the silence complete. His enemies seemed to be asking themselves whether or not they needed to react, since their tavern keeper, precious as he was, was now safe behind his bar. The boy didn’t want to give them too much time to think, however. In this village, violence reigned, and no one was likely to pass up an opportunity like the one he’d just provided them with...

  Glancing from side to side so that he could keep an eye on everyone in the room, Glaide carefully began to move backwards. There was no longer a door, since he’d destroyed it on his way in, and he was thankful that his exit had been so providentially helped. And he had no other option but to flee: there was no way he could face so many adversaries at once, and that was besides the fact that there were far more formidable enemies here than mere orks. However, as the young man began to move, blades began to slide out of their sheaths. Glaide’s gaze encompassed the entire space, and he spotted every movement—and he noticed more and more adversaries taking out weapons.

  “I need to surprise them. I need a distraction to buy me a few seconds: just enough time for me to get out of here, so that I don’t wind up with an arrow in my back...” By now, the adolescent was very close to the entrance. Several of his enemies had stood up by now, and although they remained as silent as ever, wicked smiles had slipped onto their faces. They knew, too, that their enemy wasn’t going to give them an opening by turning his back to them, so they were taking their time. Glaide began to sweat, but he kept his face as expressionless as if it were carved from marble, while he forced his brain to work at its top speed, and with the precision of a well-oiled machine.

&
nbsp; Suddenly, he saw what would be his saving grace: a piece of the iron hinges lay nearby. Thinking fast, he gave the piece a great kick. The chunk of metal flew through the room, headed towards the tavern keeper who still stood behind the bar. As he’d hoped, his enemies, never ones to work together, all headed to protect the man that was so important to them instead of divvying up their tasks.

  It was enough. The adolescent spun and threw himself through the doorway. If Skelf and the others had done what he’d asked, the gate of the village would be wide open. Glaide could just make it out in the distance, straight ahead. The main road led directly to it, broad and empty of even the smallest of obstacles. He took to his heels and ran, well aware that he had no way to protect himself from his assailants and that, any minute now, they’d come surging out of the tavern—his enemies and their arrows.

  He had only run a few yards when a form suddenly came shooting out of a lane to his right. He didn’t have time to avoid it, and he knocked right into it. He managed to keep his balance however—unlike the newcomer, who fell to the ground.

  Glaide drew his sword and took up a combat position only to find that his adversary was a young woman. The brunette was about the same age as Glaide, and she raised a frightened and imploring face up to him. Glaide was immediately struck by her almond-shaped eyes and dainty features.

  “Where on earth did you come from?” he exclaimed. At almost the same moment, however, he heard the din of weapons and angry voices coming from behind him. He spun and saw that his adversaries were just reaching the doorway of the tavern. However, with a strange lack of logic, they all tried to step through at once, resulting in a very solid blockade forming in the doorway.

  “Nevermind,” he continued towards the stranger. There was no time to ask questions, so he grabbed her arm and jerked her onto her feet. “We’ll worry about details later,” he added, more for himself than for the girl. Then, he took hold of her hand and took off towards the gate once again.

  At first, she had trouble keeping up and stumbled often. She seemed to be in shock, and could barely keep herself on her feet. Soon, though, she began to run almost as fast as the adolescent, so that he didn’t even really need to help her.

  “Fear has given her wings,” he thought with a smile. He, too, felt more excited than frightened. From behind him, he heard a cry of triumph. Either the wall of the tavern had given way, or they’d managed to work together to pass through one by one, but whatever the case, the chase had begun. Unfortunately, the two fugitives were running out of time and options. The adolescent’s throat was burning from his rapid breathing, and the village gate didn’t seem to be getting any closer. This road was endless! The boy risked a glance over his shoulder and noted that their enemies were gaining ground. They were nimbler, faster, and stronger than he. If he didn’t reach the gate soon, it would be a short fight. An arrow struck the door of a house just a few inches from the head of the young woman, though she didn’t seem to notice.

  “They’re well-within shooting distance now,” Glaide thought. Strangely, the realization brought a smile to his lips. With the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the chase didn’t seem real, and he was sure that somehow, something would happen to get him and the girl out of this situation. But that saving grace could be long in coming, and now that he was charged with one more life, he needed to concentrate and decide what to do.

  More and more arrows were coming now, and they were getting closer and closer to their targets. When a sharp icicle barely passed him by, he realized that the situation was getting serious indeed. He noted, however, that the gate was still open.

  “Just a bit farther. We’re almost there!” Their pursuers were nearly there, too, however. They weren’t going to make it! A crazy idea came to the adolescent’s mind then, though. Perhaps Skelf and the other ex-slaves were still there, contrary to the directive he’d given...

  “Skelf!” Glaide cried. “Help!” The adolescent saw something then that he could hardly believe: several of those he’d freed were already there in position on top of the roofs of the nearby houses. Each carried a bow and arrow, which they’d evidently collected from their ex-jailers, and at the barbarians command, they sent a flurry of arrows towards their enemies. Seeing the armed men, the young woman panicked. She froze in place, and tried to flee down one of the side streets. Glaide held her back by an arm, however.

  “They’re with us; you have nothing to fear. We have to get out of here.” Her gaze darted from side to side, and she made no reply. The boy decided not to waste words, and grabbed her by the hand, racing towards the gate. Behind him, the battle raged. The humans, elves, and dwarves had, under Skelf’s command, built up quite an ambush, and as their adversaries tried to avoid the arrows by ducking into side streets, the found themselves facing the remaining fighters, who were armed with swords and lances.

  Glaide watched the scene for a moment, hoping against hope that everyone he’d freed would make it out alive. Two had already paid the ultimate price for their freedom, and he couldn’t bear the thought that others might die simply because they’d chosen to stay back and help him instead of fleeing as quickly as possible. Strangely, in all of the chaos and noise, one thought came to his mind with startling clarity: when the time came, would he, as the Destroyer, be able to accept the losses that his battle would cause?

  Almost as quickly as the clarity had come, the thought passed into the recesses of his mind, and he was plunged back into the moment. With a few more steps, the two young people made it out of the gate, and they could finally try to catch their breath. In just a few moments, the young man had set off a veritable war! He motioned to the barbarian that they were safe, and Skelf called for a retreat. As they ran, the three men of the group, all excellent archers, turned back regularly to shoot off a few more arrows, successfully keeping their enemies at a reasonable distance, while the elves launched curses behind them. The makeshift soldiers all made it to the exit without problem. They took off with rapid steps, carrying the girl with them.

  Glaide then looked for their commander, Skelf. He hadn’t seen him make it out. As he prepared to reenter the village to help the barbarian, the portcullis came slamming down, barring the entrance. The young man looked up to the top of the city wall, seeing there the smiling face of the barbarian. He raised something towards the air in victory, and the adolescent immediately recognized it as the mechanism for opening and closing the portcullis. He’d broken it clean off!

  “But, how will you get out now?” cried the boy.

  “Like this!” came the reply. And with that, and as naturally as could be, he jumped over the wall. His legs bent under him as he landed, absorbing the shock, and then straightened to support him, as if nothing had happened at all. “We’d best not tarry here, though,” the barbarian crowed cheerfully, aiming another “friendly” shoulder slap at the adolescent, who dodged it, afraid of broken bones. “I have a feeling our friends back there,” Skelf added, pointing towards the road where dark elves, corrupt dwarves, and plenty of other unfriendlies were arriving, “might not be in the best mood when they get here!”

  Glaide returned his smile, then added, “But in a few minutes when they do arrive, we’ll be far from here! Let’s go!” With that, the two companions took off at a trot, while at their back, the angry cries of the defeated rang out.

  Chapter 7

  GLAIDE took a quick detour to collect his bag, which still lay camouflaged under a blanket of foliage. He checked that nothing was missing—especially the map and the food he had left—then he and Skelf caught up to their allies, who had gone on a bit farther without them. Fortunately, the adolescent and the barbarian managed to find their chance companions easily enough. Unfortunately, they couldn’t stop there, though. Zakorth was much too close, and it wouldn’t be long before the portcullis fell under their enemies’ attack, so Glaide got everyone on their feet and moving again straightaway. In their current situation—unlike earlier when he’d first freed them—Glaid
e had no interest in sending them off alone, and instead chose to join their group. Besides, he found the young woman he’d saved very intriguing. Though she seemed at ease now, she still had yet to speak, and simply stared at her feet as she walked. The young man decided to save his questions for later, when they could all relax a bit more.

  The group moved at a good pace, despite their exhaustion. Glaide looked at his map for a bit and concluded that it would take at least a day for them to make it out of Zakorth’s territory, and that would only be true if they headed towards the north, as the dangerous territory didn’t seem to extend as far that way as it did in other directions. However, the day was almost over already, and they would have to stop for the night, since none of them were in any condition to continue without rest.

  The elves volunteered to scout the area around them to look for someplace more or less safe, and they returned within a quarter of an hour to report having seen some ruins a mile or two away. The ruins were situated at the top of a hill, with plenty of space around them, and the remains included a square tower. The place would be easy to defend, and if they set up a guard, they would even be able to light a fire. Hearing that, Glaide thought back on the men he’d left that morning, who had just barely escaped becoming slaves themselves. He hoped that they hadn’t been caught again, and that they’d manage to make it to Kalhem-Rackk without any problems.

  The group reached the ruins in less than an hour, and after a chorus of sighs of relief and grumbles about their fatigue, everyone settled in in a circle within the walls of the ruins. Glaide took a moment to look at his surroundings. The old tower seemed to have been cut in half; it had lost its top half, but it still offered four walls that were tall enough to dissuade anyone from climbing them. The only entrance into their shelter was through one collapsed section of the wall. Thanks to the height of the ruins, from the entrance, they had a clear view for miles.