Clockwork Immortal

by Sam Ryan

  “Well, I would stand in here, but then my feet would start to hurt,” Madilyn replied, shifting slightly trying to eke out some comfort.

  Madilyn look up from where she was sitting and saw Sophia reclining in the far corner of her cell. Madilyn looked around, noting that Max and Clementine were still asleep. Given the fuzzy nature of the world around her, she could only assume that this was a dream. Or some kind of delusion brought on by her impending death.

  Madilyn let out a sigh as she tried to drift off into a different dream. “Of course I would dream of you in the end.”

  “Why is that?” Sophia asked.

  “Because my last thought before drifting off to sleep was that I wished to have watched more sunsets with you.”

  The figment of Sophia tilted her head to the side, seeming to be confused about what that had to do with anything. “I must say, I’m a little disappointed in you,” the figure of Sophia said. “I never took you for a quitter.” She was standing now, twirling her cane in her hand as she walked around the cell. “I figured you would be fighting to the very last second. Maybe even take the ear off the hangman. Yet it looks like you have given up completely, without even so much as trying.”

  “What’s the point of trying when you know you will fail?” Madilyn asked. If this really was a dream, she wished it would be a little less condescending. “I know how good the security is down here. And I know how well trained the guards are. Even if I did somehow manage to escape my bindings and then get out of this cell, I would still have to navigate my way out of the dungeon. Assuming I somehow did that, there is no way that I could escape the Palace. And if I did, than there is no way for me to leave Rouen.”

  “You could have escaped in the Rabbit,” Sophia said, pointing the head of her cane at Madilyn. “It’s fast enough that it could have easily gotten you back to the Iron Rose.”

  “So?” Madilyn frowned. Talking about how fast the Rabbit was did them little good now.

  “That’s how you could have escaped Rouen,” the figment of Sophia said, resting her cane down in front of her. “You said you didn’t know how it would be possible. That’s how.”

  “Fine,” Madilyn rolled her eyes. “That’s one part. Now how about the rest?” Madilyn sneered. She was contemplating banging her head against the cell to try and wake herself up. At this point, she was literally arguing with herself.

  “My point is, that you haven’t even given it any thought,” Sophia stated. “You haven’t even tried. You just gave up as soon as things became hopeless. Because you think it impossible.”

  “Well, sometimes things really are impossible,” Madilyn snapped, frustration growing inside her. Where did she get off telling her what was and what was not impossible? Her of all people. Even if she was merely a delusion.

  “Sometimes,” Madilyn growled in anger. “There is nothing you can do no matter how hard you try. I’m not you. Us lowly mortals can’t do everything. Sometimes when we fail, we can’t try again. We have limits.” Madilyn had gotten herself worked up now and was breathing heavily.

  “What’s wrong with having limits?” Sophia asked, a puzzled look on her face.

  Madilyn frowned at the question. Was she being serious?

  “Limits are the reason for everything you see around you,” Sophia stated. “People can’t stand the cold, so they make warmer clothing and invent heating systems. People can’t fly, so they make machines that fly for them. Humans are not defined by their limits but how they overcome them. Were you not the one who once said that you would rather focus on dealing with your own limits and not wishing you were born with different ones?”

  Madilyn was rendered speechless. That all seemed like a lifetime ago now. Had it really only been a month? When had she lost that determination? She refused to curse life for having her born a girl instead of a boy. Action and determination is what changed things. Not wallowing in self-pity, wishing that things were different.

  “So what if things are impossible?” Sophia asked, holding her hands out to the side. “It was impossible for a fourteen year old girl to beat a fully grown and trained knight. Everyone knew that.” She moved in close glaring down at Madilyn. “Yet did that stop you? It was, by all accounts, impossible. Yet you still won.”

  Madilyn turned her face away, resting her hands on her hips where she sat. “That was a fluke,” she stated.

  Sophia rested her chin on her fist as she continued to stare at Madilyn. She knew Madilyn was lying. Of course she would. She was a conjuring of Madilyn’s own mind after all. But Sophia did not say anything. She simply waited for Madilyn to say what they both already knew.

  “Alright, I cheated!” Madilyn admitted for the first time in her life. Even if it was in a dream and she was only talking to herself. “I sawed away at every single practice sword the night before, except for one. That is how I was able to take advantage of his surprise as soon as his sword broke. You think I was going to let those self-righteous snobs stop me from becoming a knight when I was finally so close?”

  “So you changed the rules,” Sophia finished. “You say you cheated, but all you did was turn an impossible situation into a possible one. You knew your limits. You knew what you were capable of, as well as what you weren’t capable of. And you used that to win.”

  Madilyn was breathing heavy now. Her anger had turned away from life and the circumstances she was in and towards herself. Sophia was right. She had given up. She had always believed that no one would ever be able to stop her from achieving her goals and she would push aside anyone who tried.

  “There is a gap in the lookout at the southern gate of the Palace,” Madilyn stated, forcing her mind to focus. “We would use it in my academy days to sneak off to the brothel.”

  “What about it?” Sophia said.

  “That’s how we could have gotten out of the Palace,” Madilyn said. “From there it would be easy enough to use the cover of darkness to make our way through the city to where they are keeping the Rabbit. Even if we couldn’t find the Rabbit, between Clementine and Max, we could have easily commandeered another airship.”

  “See,” Sophia said. “You’re already halfway there.”

  Madilyn strained her mind as hard as she could. If she did manage to get out of the cell how would they escape the dungeon? It was so dark they could barely see where they were going much less where the guards were.

  “The lights,” Madilyn said suddenly. “We blow out the lamps and the guards will come to refill the oil, thinking they’d run out.”

  “So what?” Sophia shrugged.

  “They would have to be carrying their own lamp with them, otherwise they would be walking in darkness. They would not only be showing us the path out, but also telling us where they were.” Madilyn stood up from where she was sitting, grabbing the bars of the cell so she could look out deeper into the dungeon. “It would be child’s play to slip by them, so long as they were not actually looking for us.”

  Madilyn hastily glanced around the cell. She was so close. It might all be a dream and she might forget it as soon as she woke up- No. She refused to forget. She would work it out in her dream then put it into action in real life.

  “All that’s left is figuring out how to escape this cell.” She continued to look around, searching for anything that might suggest a weakness or opening.

  “Might I suggest?” Sophia walked over to the cell door, reaching out her hand. “Checking to make sure the cell is locked.” With a light push, the door swung open with a loud creek.

  Madilyn stood there for a long time, looking at Sophia. Part of her already knew what was happening but she refused to admit it.

  “This isn’t a dream is it,” Madilyn stated.

  “Never said it was.” Sophia smiled, stepping out of the cell.

  “But Max and Clementine,” Madilyn said, glancing over at the two sleeping women.

  “Sleeping powder,” Jezebel said, stepping out from the shadows. She was holding a small leather bag in
her hand and was shaking it out, though nothing was coming out. “Works on guards and prisoners alike.” She smiled, stuffing the empty bag into her black leather coat. “Of course, it really only works in tight, ventless areas where it can settle. Also, it’s super hard to make,” she added. She looked off to the side deep in thought. “I might actually be the only left who can, now that Stella’s gone.”

  “Then what about me?” Madilyn asked, looking down at herself. That was when she realized that she was no longer shackled. She had been so convinced she had been dreaming or hallucinating she had not even been paying attention. “Why am I awake?”

  “Because I woke you up,” Sophia said like that was the obvious answer. “It puts you to sleep, not in a coma.”

  “Then why?” Madilyn frowned, utterly confused. “Why the questions? Why everything?”

  “I got the feeling you were doubting your place in the world,” Sophia stated. “That learning of the existence of Immortals was making you feel powerless and insignificant. Not realizing that nothing about you or the world had actually changed. So, I thought you could use a good old kick in the tush.”

  Madilyn was not sure how to respond. Sophia was right of course. She had felt so engulfed in the shadow that was Sophia it made her feel small. Not realizing that Madilyn’s height had not changed. She was still just as capable and incapable as she had been before. Sophia’s existence had not change what she herself could do.

  “One other thing,” Sophia said, walking back towards the entrance. She returned moments later with a saber in her hand and a sack over her shoulder that rattled with every step. “Thought you might want these back.”

  “You retrieved my gear first?” Madilyn asked, taking the saber into her hand. Sure enough, it was her saber. It should have been locked up in a room somewhere, likely on the other side of the Palace.

  “Well yeah,” Jezebel said, sliding the key into Clementine’s cell door and giving it a twist. “Not like we were going to waste time getting them after we rescued you.” She walked over where Clementine was sleeping, bending over and undoing her shackles. “Hey,” she said, gently kicking her shoulder with her boot, tossing the shackles to the side of the cell. “Wake up. Time to leave.”

  Clementine stirred from her slumber, seeming to be annoyed by whom-ever was trying to wake her. Jezebel turned and tossed Sophia the keys, who caught them with one hand cradling them to her body. She turned towards the cell and started searching through the various keys until she found the one that would unlock Max’s cell.

  “Grandma?” Clementine asked feebly, rolling over onto her back.

  “That’s me.” Jezebel smiled, resting her hands on her hips and giving a triumphal pose.

  “Grandma!” Clementine cried out, jumping to her feet. She pressed her back to the wall of the cell, her eyes wide with fear and terror like a child caught doing what they knew they were not supposed to. “What are you doing here? Did you come looking for me? I mean us?”

  “Now, before you say anything,” Jezebel said, sticking out her finger to silence any protest. “I didn’t come here looking for you. I came to help Sophie get some things from her house.”

  Madilyn had to wonder who was supposed to be scolding who here. Clementine for getting arrested, or Jezebel for apparently being too over protective.

  “And to my surprise, there was a contingent of soldiers rummaging through all my stuff,” Sophia said, helping a groggy Max to her feet.

  “So,” Jezebel continued, dragging out the word. “We went to see if we could find you at the pier where we found the Rabbit also being ransacked by a bunch of incompetent, military grease monkeys.” She clinched her fist in frustration at the memory. “I was not kind to them.” She spoke in a deep menacing tone.

  “They were nice enough to give us the general rundown of the situation,” Sophia said, stepping out of the cell with Max flung over her shoulder.

  “What’s going on?” Max said, still half asleep. Her hair was a mess, wads of it falling in front of her face. “Are we dead yet?”

  “Not yet,” Sophia assured, brushing Max’s hair with her hand. “But our knight here is going to lead us to safety. Right?”

  “Can’t we just use however you got in?” Clementine asked.

  Jezebel and Sophia glanced over at each other.

  “Our way,” Sophia started.

  “Is not for you mere mortals,” Jezebel finished. She shot Madilyn a smug smile. Looked like someone had been listening to her conversation with Sophia.

  “And how many of the guards were you able to put to sleep?” Madilyn asked, formulating her plan of escape.

  There was a loud clanging sound of an alarm bell ringing off in the distance.

  “None now, I would imagine,” Sophia said, crossing her arms as she stared off in the direction of the distant ringing.

  “Someone probably found the guards all asleep and sounded the alarm.” Jezebel sighed. “You know what?” She pursed out her lips, resting her hands on her hips. “I’m down for a good fight. I need to work out some frustration.” She reached over and drew her cutlass from her hip.

  “Please don’t,” Madilyn asked. “While most of them may have always despised me, I know that they’re good people.”

  “Really?” Jezebel looked over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at Madilyn. “Your ‘good people’ want to execute you for treason.”

  “All the same,” Madilyn pleaded. It might not have made much sense but it did not change the fact that Madilyn did not want to kill the people she had been serving with only a day ago. It was not their fault that Madilyn and the others had been screwed over.

  “Alright,” Jezebel said with a reluctant sigh. She glided her blade back into her sheath with a clank. “Then what’s the plan? We have maybe two minutes before they come charging in here. Depending how fast they find the spare keys.”

  Madilyn quickly glanced around. All the cells in their little section were empty. Not surprising as only military prisoners would be kept in this dungeon and even then, this area was reserved for those awaiting execution.

  “They don’t know that we’ve escaped,” Madilyn stated. “Nor are they aware who it was that put the guards to sleep, or what they came for.” Madilyn moved back into her cell, closing the door behind her. “You mind locking me in?” she asked, looking over at Sophia who still held the keys.

  “I don’t like this plan,” Clementine groaned.

  “But it could work,” Sophia said, stepping forward and sliding the key into the lock. “I assume you mean for Jezebel and I to hide ourselves.”

  “Just like you did for us in New Dentin.” Madilyn nodded as Sophia moved and opened the cell for Max. “Considering how dark it is in here, I would think the illusion would be easy enough to make. And now I know I don’t have to worry about you overtaxing yourself and dying.”

  “Jezebel can also help with the illusion,” Sophia said, tossing Jezebel the keys after she had finished locking Max inside.

  “Be sure to take my armor,” Madilyn said, sticking her saber through the bars and handing it to Sophia.

  Sophia grabbed the saber and the bag holding her armor then moved to the far back area of the cells, Jezebel a few steps behind her. They both stepped into the dark shadows and vanished.

  Madilyn reached down and picked up the iron shackles on the ground and placed them back over her wrist, hoping no one would notice that they were no longer clasped. Then she moved to the back wall and sat down while she waited. Only a few seconds passed before she heard the clanking sound of the dungeon gate opening and several soldiers storming in.

  “They’re still here,” one of them reported, looking into each of their cells.

  “Something wrong?” Madilyn asked, staring up at the man peering into her cell.

  “Yeah,” Clementine said, pressing herself close to the bars. “We being attacked or something? ‘Cause I’m trying to sleep here.”

  It was then that Benjamin moved to the front o
f the group, pushing his way past the other soldiers. He was in his armor but his helmet was down so his face was easy to see. Not that Madilyn needed it to be in order to tell that it was him. He was trying to act mature, but he was still a good half a foot shorter than everyone else.

  “What are you scheming?” he asked, glaring at her through the bars.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Madilyn looked up at her little brother, shooting him a cold glare.

  Benjamin locked eyes with Madilyn, his cold exterior not as convincing as it had been earlier that day. “Don’t play innocent. Several of the guards were found unconscious.”

  “Maybe they just fell asleep,” Madilyn suggested. “Wouldn’t be the first time a guard fell asleep at their post.”

  “Whatever you are trying to do, it won’t work,” Benjamin stated, though the nervousness on his face was obvious, even in the dim lighting of the cell. He then turned away from the cell, making ready to leave.

  “How does it feel?” Madilyn called after him.

  “How does what feel?” he asked, turning back around.

  “Knowing that you did not earn that shinny new armor that you’re wearing?” Madilyn smirked at him. “That the only reason they made you a knight was not for your valor, or skill, but because you sold out not only your knight but your own sister.”

  “You were the one who always told me to take advantage of every situation I was given,” Benjamin said. “That no strategy was too underhanded.”

  “Glad to see you were listening,” Madilyn said, never taking her glare off him. “But that does not change the fact that you did not earn your knighthood. You think they hated me for bringing the knighthood dishonor? At least I proved myself by facing every challenge they threw at me. What challenge did you face? How many squires do you think are going to wish to serve under the knight who didn’t even finish his own training?”

  Benjamin took a labored breath. “You think I wanted this?” he asked. His eyes melting with sorrow and regret. “Do you have any idea what they would have done to me if I hadn’t agreed? Would you rather see me dead defending you, even though you will die anyway?”