Wielder's Awakening

by T. B. Christensen

  “That is your name, is it not?” Traven managed to nod his head in the affirmative. “I just wanted to say I am sorry for the things I said last night.” He was surprised at what he was hearing. “I also wanted to thank you for trying to save me yesterday.”

  “You’re welcome,” Traven mumbled back.

  He couldn’t believe the change in the Princess. The night before she had seemed so different. Maybe she was not that bad after all. The Princess stood up while he continued to stare and tried to fix her matted hair. She then turned her attention back to him.

  “We need to figure out how to get out of here before that man returns,” she stated. “If we are still here when he gets back, I am sure he will kill us.”

  Despite the Princess’ calm exterior, Traven could read the fear in her clear blue eyes. He opened his mouth to say that he had a plan, but nothing came out under the intense stare of the Princess’ mesmerizing eyes. He turned away from her and cleared his mind.

  “I have a plan,” he said, surprised by the steadiness of his own voice. He turned back to the Princess to find her intently listening with a spark of hope in her eyes. “I have been thinking about something, but it is pretty risky. I don’t think we have any other choices, though. We could die trying to escape, but at least we’ll have a chance. If we wait around, I’m afraid that we will die for sure.” Traven paused to let what he was saying sink in. When the Princess urged him to continue, he pulled the dagger out of his boot and laid out what he had in mind.

  * * * * *

  Blaize took one last survey of the dry island from his position in the tall reeds. All of the guards were lazing around in the front courtyard. There were only ten guards left in total. Three men had left in the direction of the city a little earlier. Five were posted outside of the only entrance to the ancient tower, while five others milled around on the inside of the adjacent building. He had thought about going in through the front but didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks when other options were available. He could possibly take on all ten at once, but one true arrow could end the rescue attempt. It would be easier to face them with Traven’s help once he and the Princess were free.

  It hadn’t been difficult for Blaize to find them once he had reached the edge of the marsh. He first slipped past the few trackers that were still at the edge. He had then plunged into the marsh and began to cut back and forth through the swamp as he pushed deeper into it. It didn’t take long for him to come across a recently traversed trail that led directly into the center of the marsh. He had followed it swiftly until in the distance he had seen the ancient tower rising out of the mist. Since the path led directly to the tower, Blaize had left the trail and headed slowly out into the perilous marsh. When he was far enough away from the trail that he couldn’t be seen from it, he had headed directly toward the tower once again.

  The closer he had gotten to the tower, more and more ruins of ancient buildings had begun to appear. He was surprised at how large the ancient city must have been. As he neared the tower, Blaize left his horse on a mound of dry ground beside the low remains of an ancient wall. He had continued the rest of the way on foot. He had silently slipped through the marsh to the edge of the large island that supported the still standing ancient tower. Hidden in the reeds, he had seen someone look out the window near the top of the tower. He was almost certain that it was Traven. A man had soon therafter exited the tower and commanded the others to make sure the prisoners in the tower were taken care of. Blaize’s gut instinct had been confirmed.

  He took one last look at the guards and silently made his way around to the back of the tower. He took a deep breath and suddenly burst from the reeds. As he ran across the solid ground to the tower, he whipped out his war crescents in one fluid motion. Upon reaching the base of the tower, he slipped the crescents into the chinks in the ancient stones and began to pull himself, hand over hand, up the back face of the tower. He had no sooner begun to scale the tower when three frantically shrill cries escaped from the room at the top of the tower. He pushed his arms to move faster. If only he was not too late!

  * * * * *

  “Don’t worry, Filner,” Gaul told him. “We have plenty of time to finish before Wraith gets back. Let us finish our game.” Filner rolled his eyes.

  “Fine,” he spat. “You can finish the game. But you had better make sure everything is done before Wraith gets back. If I die, I will take you with me!”

  “Oh please, if you . . .”

  The thief stopped as three frantic cries suddenly pierced the air.

  “What could possibly be happening,” Filner growled as he headed into the tower. “Gaul, come with me.”

  “But the game,” whined Gaul.

  “Now!”

  Filner did not wait for an answer as he started up the stairs. Behind him he could hear Gaul grumbling as he followed. Several more cries sounded from the top of the tower. Filner rushed up the stairs as quickly as he could. If anything happened to the prisoners before Wraith returned, Filner knew that he would pay for it with his life.

  34

  Wraith cursed under his breath. At the edge of the marsh he could see another tracker. He had already spotted two others. He hadn’t expected them to still be out and about, searching for signs of the Princess. He thought of trying to slip by them but knew that it would be impossible to slip back into the marsh with all of the needed supplies. It looked as though he would have to alter his plans slightly. He turned his mount around and headed back towards where they had come from.

  “Hurry up,” he snarled over his shoulder. “We need to pack up and leave now!”

  Wraith urged his steed to move a little faster down the trail that led though the murky marsh. It would be wise to be gone as soon as possible. He didn’t want to have any entanglements with a large band of the City Watch. They needed to get back to the tower and finish the whole business before midday.

  Wraith wanted to begin with his prisoners as soon as possible so that he would not be too rushed. When he was done, his band would be ready to leave. They would be gone before anyone found their way to the tower. They could get supplies outside of the city. Wraith smiled at the thought of how the City Watch would respond when they finally reached the ancient tower and found their Princess.

  * * * * *

  “Those were very convincing screams,” Traven said, congratulating the Princess.

  “Thank you,” the Princess responded with a nervous smile. She then grew serious. “I was just thinking about what would happen if this does not work.”

  “Don’t worry,” Traven replied trying to sound at ease. “Just remember to stay right behind me.”

  They quit talking as the sound of pounding feet neared them. Traven tried to keep a calm face as he stepped to the side of the door. Inside, his stomach was in turmoil. He couldn’t believe that he had convinced the Princess to go through with this. He was afraid that the escape attempt would only end with them dying sooner. However, he also knew that this was their only chance. Once the leader of these bandits returned, there would be no more chances.

  Traven took a deep breath and cleared his mind as Blaize had taught him to. He had already made his decision. Out went the fear. Out went the hope. Out went everything. He watched in silence as the Princess took up her position in the middle of the room, directly in front of the door. At his side, Traven held his jeweled dagger. He saw the Princess tense as the locks on the outside of the door clicked. He calmly waited for the door to open. Far away he heard a strange clanking noise, but he did not allow himself to think about it. The door had his undivided attention. The last lock clicked and the door swung inward.

  “What’s going on in-”

  The man’s words were cut off with a loud crack as the door slammed back into his face with shattering force. With blinding speed, Traven swung the door back open and leaped over the thick man’s unconscious body and into the small landing outside their prison. Another thief burst out of the stairwell. Traven
was on top of the wide eyed scoundrel before he had time to get his sword out. Traven left his dagger in the man’s chest and snatched the sword as the man crumpled to the ground.

  With the man’s sword in hand, Traven waited emotionlessly at the top of the stairwell for the rest of the thieves to come, but none came. He let the sword drop slightly to his side and looked back for the Princess. He watched as the Princess made her way around the body of the thick man, the whole time staring at his bloodied face. It looked as though the force of the blow from the door must have broken the man’s nose. The Princess was soon at Traven’s side. He motioned for her to be silent, and they started down the stairs moving swiftly but quietly. He strained his ears for any sound that others were on the way, but the only sound he heard was the strange clinking sound that he had noticed earlier. They continued down the stairs in almost complete silence. The stairs wound downward for what seemed like an eternity until at last they reached the bottom.

  Traven paused at the base of the stairs and peered out into the large bottom room. It was empty except for a few large, old bags that were filled to the brim with all sorts of odds and ends. They left the protection of the stairwell and crept out into the room. He stayed close to the wall with the Princess following at his heels. He listened intently for any signs of danger. In front of the building he could hear the laughter of several of the men. Behind him, the Princess’ breathing was sharp in his ears. He began to creep past the large bags when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. The Princess bumped into him before she could stop.

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered in his ear.

  Traven didn’t answer. The stone around his neck had suddenly grown very warm, and he felt as if something was pulling at him from the direction of the large bags. He tried to shake off the feeling but to no avail. The stone remained almost painfully warm against his chest.

  “There is something in one of those bags,” he murmured under his breath.

  “There are many things in those bags,” the Princess whispered back harshly. “We do not have time to scavenge through the belongings of these thieves. We need to get out of here!”

  Traven recognized the desperation in her voice and realized that he had already begun to rummage through one of the bags without thinking. A large smile spread across his face as his hand closed around a familiar object. He stepped back from the large bag, pulling his sword free.

  “How did you know it was in there?” the Princess asked in a hushed voice as he slipped the old, rusted sword he had been holding into the bag.

  He shrugged in response and began to creep toward the entrance once again. Behind him, Traven heard the Princess mumbling something under her breath, but she quickly was in step behind him and dropped back into silence. He was happy to have his sword back in his hand. It felt so comfortable, almost like it was a part of him. He also happily noted that his amber stone was now only slightly warm, as it was when he practiced his forms. Traven dismissed these thoughts from his mind and once again focused completely on the task at hand. When they reached the entranceway, he peered outside ever so slowly.

  There were only three guards in the courtyard. Two were crouched against the far wall playing cards while the third stood in the center of the courtyard watching. Traven could hear the other guards inside the adjacent building. Maybe things wouldn’t be too bad after all. He figured that if they could get past the three in the courtyard quickly enough, they could lose the others in the swamp. Traven quickly formed a plan and turned to the Princess.

  “There are only three guards in the courtyard,” he whispered. “The others are all in the other building. I think we can get through the three and out into the swamp before the others come to help.”

  “How are we going to get through the three guards?” the Princess asked.

  “You are going to distract them while I come up from behind,” Traven said with a smile.

  He quickly explained to her his plan. She would sneak around the edge of the courtyard and head for a missing section in the short wall that led out into the swamp. When the guards saw her, Traven would attack from behind as she slipped away. He would then rejoin her in the swamp, and they would head into its concealing foliage and mist. She agreed with his plan, and offering him a weak smile, she slipped outside into the open. He watched her graceful figure as she silently circled around the courtyard. Traven readied himself for action. As soon as the guards’ saw the Princess, he had to act fast. He turned his attention from the Princess to the guards. Grasping his sword with both hands, he waited for the turn of the guards’ heads that would signal him into action.

  The guard in the center of the courtyard finally turned his head in the direction of the Princess, and Traven leapt into action immediately. He throttled himself though the doorway and into the courtyard. The one guard had only taken a single step in the direction of the escaping Princess when he fell to the ground, knocked unconscious by the flat of Traven’s sword. The other two guards were on their feet, baring their swords as Traven rushed them. They began yelling for help as he bore down on them, but their pleas were to no avail. They had been drinking heavily, and Traven dispatched of them quickly.

  He turned from them and raced back across the courtyard, his job done. When he reached the break in the wall, he yelped as a sharp pain shot up his leg. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a bowman fitting another arrow from the entrance of the other building. Traven quickly jumped though the break and out of sight of the bowman. He glanced down quickly at his left leg and was relieved to find that the arrow had only skimmed the outside of his thigh. It didn’t hurt that bad but was bleeding profusely. He had no time to patch it up, however. The bowman was sure to come after him with the remaining four guards. Traven quickly picked out the Princess’ fleeting form and headed into the swampy marsh after her. She glanced back as he splashed into the knee deep water and waited for him.

  “You are bleeding,” the Princess exclaimed when he reached her.

  “It’s nothing,” he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. “We have to find a place to hide fast. The other guards will be after us in no time!”

  The Princess shrugged free of his hand and kept alongside him as he trotted quickly away from the tower. When they reached an ancient tree, Traven swung behind it and glanced back from the shelter of its trunk. He let out a groan at what he saw.

  “What is it?” the Princess asked as she peered around him.

  “They are right behind us,” Traven almost shouted. “I am leaving them an easy trail to follow.” He watched for one more second as the five thieves trotted easily through the marsh following the crimson trail of his bleeding leg. “We’re going to have to outrun them,” he announced bitterly. “We don’t have time to bandage my leg up. If we wait any longer they’ll catch us.”

  Traven turned in what he hoped was the direction of Calyn and began running faster than before. He could tell that the Princess was struggling to keep up with him, but they had to move as fast as they could. Behind them, he could hear the excited yells of the thieves as they spotted the fleeing prisoners. He grabbed the Princess’ hand and started running as fast as he could.

  * * * * *

  Blaize was almost to the window when he heard a loud commotion down below in the courtyard. He took a deep breath and continued hand over hand. The ground was now very far below. Once he reached Traven and the Princess he would have plenty of time to worry about what the guards were up to. Right now he only needed to worry about reaching the window. He covered the last few spans to the edge of the window and smiled with relief. He had finally made it! After carefully grabbing a hold of its edge, he swung his body up and through its frame.

  Blaize’s smile turned to a frown as he found the room deserted. He was too late! He hurried to the door and stopped. After a split second of confusion, he let out a sigh of relief and chuckled to himself. He now knew the source of the commotion that he had heard down in the courtyard. Two men lay de
ad in the outer room, one with Traven’s jeweled dagger in his chest. If Traven had waited a little longer to make his escape, Blaize would have been at his side. Oh well, Blaize thought as he recovered Traven’s dagger and quickly wiped it off. He should be able to catch up with them soon enough.

  Blaize straightened from the dead cutthroat’s body and hurried down the spiraling stairs, listening for any signs of danger. All was silent except for the fall of his boots on the hard stone steps. When he reached the bottom, he quickly crept to the entrance and peered into the courtyard. Three bodies lay motionless. There was no sign of Traven or the Princess and no sign of the other five guards. He knew that if there were still five guards left, he needed to get to Traven as soon as possible. Stepping out into the courtyard, he stopped as the three men who had left on horses earlier came through the courtyard entrance. He grumbled to himself. Nothing ever worked out as you planned. Blaize sighed and waited calmly as two of the thieves dismounted from their horses and rushed at him.

  * * * * *

  Wraith watched curiously as his two men rushed the large Balthan who was standing calmly at the entrance of the tower. Three of his men already lay motionless in the courtyard. Wraith wondered what had happened in the short time that he had been absent. He turned his full attention back to the Balthan as his men closed in. His fellow Balthan stood calmly without a weapon in either hand. At the last possible moment, the Balthan ripped out his swords and put an end to the lives of his two assailants. Wraith smiled at his countryman with respect. The man had not wasted any more energy than was needed. He was very skilled.

  The large man even appeared familiar, and after several moments Wraith’s eyes gleamed with recognition. He had seen him many years ago in Balthus. In fact, he had killed the man’s lover while the man had sloppily held at bay more than ten others. It had just been another job with a heavy reward upon completion. He wouldn’t have even remembered the man but for his extraordinary size. The man had definitely improved his skills since then. Wraith slid off his horse with a wide grin. This would be fun!