Naem cursed. “I’m not sure I can take out that many. Especially if any of them have Grace or Telekinesis.”
“I’ll see if I can come in and distract them. You can sneak around and take out the most powerful, hopefully before anyone sees you.”
“And what about me?” Jak asked. She was not about to let these two rescue her mother without her.
Marek hesitated. “Ah, well we’ll probably need someone on the lookout while I’m inside. Someone might notice I’m not at my post.”
Jak didn’t like that idea. She wanted to be inside to make sure her mother and Vander were okay.
Naem rubbed his neck. “It’s not a very good plan. If even one of them sees me, it’s all over.”
“Do you have any better ideas?”
“No, but I…” Naem broke off. Jak turned and saw what had caught his eye. A Watcher was running as fast as he could towards the tower. The other Watchers stiffened as he approached, but after a few moments of conversation that Jak couldn’t overhear, they let him into the well-lit room on the first floor of the tower.
“Oh no,” Naem said, and Jak had a sinking feeling that she knew what Naem was thinking. Had their escape been compromised?
Moments later, and the Watcher returned, running again in the direction he came. He was followed by several figures. Jak and Naem hid themselves in the shadows as they drew near. Among the figures were Kuldain and Skellig, and they ran following the messenger.
In the direction of the wine cellar.
Jak groaned. The cellar had to be their destination.
Someone had found the two men they had tied up. Someone had found the hole in the wall.
Their only escape was now gone.
21
The three of them looked at each other. “What is it?” Marek asked, seeing the looks on Jak and Naem’s faces.
“I think they just found the way we came in, and our only way out,” Naem said, his face numb.
Jak didn’t want to think about it. It was one stressful event too many. She needed to focus on something she could do. “Regardless,” she began, “Now is our best chance to rescue my mother with Kuldain and the others gone.”
“There will still be guards in the dungeons,” Marek clarified.
“Yes, but now we don’t have to worry about them alerting Kuldain. The plan hasn’t changed.”
Naem nodded, “If we’re going to do this, we’d best get started.”
Marek returned the nod. “Very well, give me a moment.”
He left them to march up to the guard standing at the door to the lower levels of the tower. After a moment’s exchange, the guard left and began walking towards the barracks. Probably on his way to enjoy a night’s rest. Though Jak wasn’t sure anyone in this place would get much rest tonight, not if someone noticed what they were doing.
Once the guard had crossed the courtyard and disappeared, they walked up to Marek.
“Okay, Naem, I’ll go in first and try to distract the guards inside. You come in behind me and pretend you’re just another guard.”
“Will any of them recognize me?” Naem asked.
“Probably, but maybe not in the dark.”
“I’m going with you,” said Jak.
Marek paused. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“You’re not going to stop me on this one, Marek. I’ll stay just out of sight and join in once the fighting starts. You’ll have a better advantage that way.”
Marek still didn’t look like he liked the idea, but at a nod from Naem he finally consented. “Okay, but just stay far enough away that they won’t see you.”
Jak agreed and the three of them entered the archway to the lower levels. It didn’t take long before they couldn’t see in the darkness. They had no torch, so they simply felt along the walls until a light began to be visible ahead of them, torch light.
The light grew as they neared, and Jak knew they must be approaching the holding cells. It was cold, and the hard stone walls and floor were damp with moisture. And something smelled.
“Ho there,” Marek called out as they approached.
Someone greeted him and Jak could hear a soft conversation. She stayed far enough back, as they had agreed, so she couldn’t overhear the echoes of what they were saying.
Suddenly, someone call out, boots scraped across the floor and metal clanged. The fight had started!
She rushed forward and around a corner to see Naem and Marek trying to fight the guards. One was already on the ground, but there were at least five more, and they were highly skilled. Naem seemed to be fighting another Watcher with Grace, and while Naem now had Toughness and Healing, that didn’t help much in combat. They were evenly matched. Marek couldn’t get close to the man he was fighting, a Flamedancer. It was all he could do to stay out of the path of the guard’s flames.
Jak almost forgot about the fight as she noticed the cell doors behind them. In it were two dark forms, lying on the ground. They did not look good.
Rushing into the battle, Jak took a torch off the wall and jabbed it into the face and hair of the Flamedancer before he even noticed she was there. He yelled in shock, having been too focused on Marek to notice her. That was just enough distraction for Marek to hit the man in the head with the butt of his spear. Jak moved on to the next guard, a woman. This one was not unprepared, as she took a stance facing both Marek and Jak. Jak glanced at her left hand to see the Brand there. Strength. Well, not as bad as Flamedancing, Grace, or Telekinesis, but still a challenge.
Just then, the guard covered her eyes. “What’s going on? Don’t put out the torches!”
Jak glanced at Marek. The torches were just fine, still hanging on the wall. At that moment, Naem connected a blow to the head of the guard he fought. The soldier crumpled at his feet. That left three more, but all three of them were not making any moves. They each had their hands out, trying to feel their surroundings as if they couldn’t see. One had his fists up in a protective gesture, but he wasn’t looking at them. He looked one way, then another.
Why couldn’t the guards see them? Oh, of course.
Naem and Marek paused only a moment longer before taking their spears and knocking each of the guards across the head. Each one fell, stone-cold, to the floor.
“What just happened?” Marek asked. His hands were held out to each side, as if ready to catch himself should he too go blind.
“I think I know.” Jak said, and pointed to the cell. Karlona, her mother, was standing. She looked like a void of light, almost so dark that Jak couldn’t tell it was her. But she knew it was.
“Get...us...out of here,” her mother intoned, voice weak and shaking.
Jak didn’t need to be told twice. “Where are the keys?”
They each searched the six guards in the room, but found no keys. “Maybe Kuldain or one of the others keeps them?” Marek offered. They hadn’t thought about this obstacle.
“Okay, we’ll try the other way,” said Jak.
“What other way?”
Jak answered by grasping hold of the metal lock and willing her brand to activate. “Stand back!” she shouted as the block of metal began to glow white hot. But instead of exploding like the stones had done, it simply melted in place, forming a shining pool on the floor. Everyone quickly stepped back from the fiery puddle. But Jak gave a solid tug on the cell door and it came loose.
Marek and Naem helped Karlona and Vander to their feet. Both seemed barely able to move. Upon closer inspection, Jak saw cuts and swollen areas of their faces. They had been beaten, and probably starved.
“We’re going to get you out of here,” she said quietly to her mother.
Her mother’s response was a quick smile and a nod. “I knew you would be back for us.”
“We need to hurry,” Naem said. “If Kuldain found the hole in the wine cellar, he’ll be back here soon to check on them.” He indicated the Shadow Fae.
The rest agreed and they began helping Karlona and Vander exit
the dungeon. It took far longer to get out than it had to get in. Karlona was slow, but Vander was barely even conscious enough to move. Once they were in the open air, Marek led them to one side towards the nearest building away from the tower. In the darkness most people that looked at them wouldn’t be able to tell who it was. But they desperately needed to move faster.
It was Naem who spoke the obvious question. “What do we do now?”
“I have an idea about that,” said Jak. “You’re not going to like it.”
She told them her idea, and just as she predicted, they didn’t like it.
“Can’t these two turn invisible or something? Perhaps they could sneak past the guards at the wine cellar and…”
“We don’t have the strength to walk unaided, much less use our magic so freely,” Karlona said. “I used the last of my strength to darken the eyes of the others. Jak’s plan is the only option that I can see.”
That was enough for Naem. “Very well, though this is your fault if we all die,” he said to Jak.
“I’ll take that chance.”
Naem turned to Marek. “The nearest stairs to the wall are that way, yes?” He pointed into the west side of Foothold.
“Yes, it’s not far.”
They began moving the Shadow Fae in that direction, finally rounding a bend that put them out of sight of the tower courtyard. Jak wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but they weren’t out of this yet. There were still people around, and they wouldn’t be able to walk unseen with two Shadow Fae in tow.
As they entered another side street, they heard the first sounds of a commotion coming from the direction of the tower. A deep voice boomed, and they could hear it even from their distance.
“THE DEMON FAE HAVE ESCAPED!” It was Kuldain’s voice. “BAR ALL THE EXITS! DO NOT LET THEM LEAVE THIS STRONGHOLD.”
Jak, Naem, and the others did their best to move faster. But people were peeking their heads out of windows and doors to hear what all the fuss was about. A few heads turned and saw them limping along.
“Hey!” one woman cried from a two-story window. “I think that’s them right there. Stop them!”
Jak cursed and began moving even faster, all but dragging her mother along with her. Marek was helping Vander, but Naem moved forward to intercept several half-asleep soldiers as they got in their way. Naem danced around them all and soon they were all lying on the ground, still alive, but clutching their heads.
Yet, the damage was done. People were shouting, pointing fingers, and calling for help. Jak thought she could hear Kuldain’s voice growing nearer as he still shouted for the soldiers to mobilize themselves.
Jak could see the stairs leading to the wall up ahead. A few guards were stationed there, but Naem ran forward and took them out before any of them had time to wonder what was going on.
“Come on!” Naem yelled. They hurried up the steps as fast as they could.
Marek turned to Jak as they ran. “I’m assuming it’s fine if I come with you?”
“You think?” Jak shot back. But they said nothing more because now they were climbing the wall. People were gathering below to watch. Once Jak had reached the top of the wall, she looked down to see soldiers pushing through the growing crowd.
And they were led by Kuldain.
Naem was already throwing his armor and weapons to the ground. He did so with a fluidity and speed that outmatched Marek who was trying to do the same. A moment later, and Naem had grabbed Karlona and Vander. “I’ll take them down. They’ll be safe if I take the brunt of the fall.”
Jak nodded in agreement. She would normally be worried for Naem. But he had Toughness now, and that would probably save him from any potential damage.
Without another word, Naem leapt over the side of the wall, back first, carrying the two Shadow Fae in front of him. Down they fell to the water below.
Soldiers had reached the wall, and Kuldain was growing closer. In that moment, multiple thoughts raced through Jak’s mind. Chief among them: Kuldain couldn’t be allowed to see where Naem and her mother had gone. Anyone looking down the side of the wall would see them, and would see where they got out of the moat. Any archer could take them down from there.
She was going to need a distraction.
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed Marek who had just removed his breastplate, and shoved him as hard as she could to the edge of the wall. Marek, taken by surprise, only had a moment to protest before he too was tumbling down the wall into the moat.
Now for the hard part. As soldiers crested the side of the wall, she bent down to pick up some stone fragments. Summoning the magic of her brand was coming instinctively to her now, and she threw the stones at the feet of the approaching men. The stones exploded in mid-air, spraying dust and shards of stone into the soldiers. They covered their eyes and stepped back a few steps.
“Kuldain!” she shouted. “I’m the one you want. Come and get me!”
Then, she ran.
If there was one thing she had excelled at on the farm, it was speed. Running across the fields, playing a similar role as their sheep dog, had built her small body into that of a toned runner. And right now, she was full of motivation and energy. She ran for all she was worth.
Further along the wall, she found another stairwell to the wall. But she knew that if she took the time to go down the steps, those on the ground would catch up with her. Kuldain would intercept. Instead, she spotted some ropes and a pulley system to the side of the stairs, probably for easily hoisting food and supplies to the top of the wall.
Jak didn’t stop to wonder if the rope would hold her weight. She simply leapt and let the pulley system take her down. She landed hard and tumbled to the ground.
Getting up, a moment’s glance told her that Kuldain and some of the others were almost on her. Frantic, she kept running. She knew of only one way out of this place now. She prayed that no one had covered it up.
People were now covering the streets, and Jak had to dodge and weave through the small crowd of villagers and soldiers alike. A few reached out trying to grab her, but she was too quick. She ducked underneath their outstretched arms and kept running.
Within seconds, she was already back at the building that housed the wine cellar. Putting her arms in front of her, she burst through the door.
She was surprised to see Major Skellig inside, who turned and looked at Jak with shock.
“You?” was all she said, but Jak was already running past her down the stairs that led to the cellar. She liked Skellig, and perhaps the Major would help her, but Jak couldn’t spare any time to find out.
She briefly heard a deep voice behind her say, “Stay out! I will deal with her myself.”
It was Kuldain, he was right on her heels.
Jak kept running down the stairs as fast as she could. Were there this many stairs when they had gone up?
Suddenly, a snarl nearly caused her to come up short. What kind of a noise was that?
But she didn’t stop, and yet, she could hear someone, or something, coming up behind her. Fast!
At last she saw the door to the wine cellar in front of her. Gasping for air to save her aching lungs, she pulled open the door and slid it shut behind her.
Three armed men stood inside. They each regarded her silently for a moment. Then all three of them moved to grab her. She was about to try and duck under their reach and somehow reach the hole further on, when something smashed into the door, blowing it completely off its hinges.
“What the…?” was all the lead soldier could say before a huge form barrelled into him. The man screamed as whatever it was tore into his flesh.
Jak stood, horrified at what she was seeing. A huge form feasted on the man, blood shot in all directions. Jak had seen death before, but this was on a level that absolutely petrified her. Yet she managed to retain the good sense to hide behind one of the walls of wine barrels.
This new monster stood hunched over, its face dark, its limbs far longer than a normal human. I
ts monstrous hands held massive clawed fingers, which right now were tearing into the three guards. Its disproportionately small head held large fangs that gleamed in the firelight. They shone red. This definitely wasn’t any kind of demon she’d seen before. Where had it come from? Kuldain had been right behind her. Could it be him somehow? But…how?
Within seconds, all three of the guards were dead, and their screams cut off abruptly. The creature stood silent, making a soft sound. Jak realized with horror that it was sniffing. And it was growing closer. It could smell her!
Trying not to make a sound, she tiptoed to the other end of the wall of wine barrels and moved to the other side, just as the monster crawled around the bend and sniffed the place where she had been standing.
Jak felt herself almost paralyzed with fear. But somehow, miraculously, her brain continued to function. She knew she couldn’t go for the exit. That thing would cut her off within seconds, and even if she did make it out, it would follow and overtake her.
She had only one idea, and it would probably get her killed.
Reaching out, she touched a wooden beam that was one of several that held up the roof. Swallowing, she activated her power and infused the beam with her faulty Flamedancer brand. Light burst in the room as the beam caught fire.
The monster turned, the firelight glinting in its beady black eyes. There was something almost familiar about that face, grotesque as it was. Somehow, that monstrous form had to be Kuldain.
But Jak didn’t have time to worry about that. She leapt to the other side of the room where another beam stood. Another second, and it too was consumed in flame, a magical flame that turned the wooden beams to ash far faster than a normal fire could.
The beast was snarling and it leapt around the beams to catch her. But she was already running, faster even than before, towards the hole in the side of the wall. Without her armor and weapons, she slid much faster into its opening. But the monster was nearly on her.
Jak heard a crack as the two beams collapsed. The monster must have heard it too, for he paused and looked behind. There was a moment of silence in which Jak held her breath.
Out of Shadow: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 1) Page 18