by Rowan Bree
Eli struggles to talk as the three of you hurry out of the castle.
“Where’s Jasper?”
You can hear the faint tolling of bells. The alarm has been sounded and the guards will be looking for you. That is, if they’re not all drunk and sluggish from the feast.
Sybil replies, “If Jasper’s heard the bells he should be headed to our rendezvous point. I prepared a getaway for a worst-case scenario. Which this definitely is.”
You somehow make it out of the castle without running into any guards or wandering guests. The city streets are quiet, but the Sybil keeps to the shadows nevertheless. After a while she cuts on to the main thoroughfare and leads you to a cart parked there. It’s packed to the top with crates and barrels. Jasper stands beside it.
“What’s he doing here?” Jasper asks, nodding towards Eli.
Eli hiccups. “I wasn’t about to be left at the hideout all alone.”
“So it’s done?” Jasper asks.
“Vale is dead, if that’s what you mean,” Sybil replies. A dark look crosses Jasper’s face. “I took care of things in the chaos after Eli made a mess of our plans. Maybe next time he’ll follow our orders and stay home.”
Sybil climbs up to take the reigns of the cart with Eli. Jasper joins you in the back. There is barely room for the two of you among all the supplies and you wonder how long of a journey Sybil has planned for.
When you look at Jasper you can see that his eyes have lost their spark. He should be happy. Vale is dead and Tyven is saved.
Ask him what he's thinking.
Kiss him.
You decide to create a diversion so Eli has a chance to escape. While everyone’s eyes are on the mage you sneak over to one of the candles and wrench it from its sconce, ignoring the hot wax dripping over your fingers. You lift the flame to one of the black curtains and it goes up a lot quicker than you expected. You hurl the burning candle across the room hitting more of the billowy fabric.
Chaos erupts as the room fills with flame. Vale stops chanting and Eli takes the opportunity to snatch the dagger.
“This way!” You shout at the elf and he follows you into the hallway where the smoke is already making things hazy.
“It’s a good thing you were there,” Eli chokes. “I thought I was dead.”
“You should have been.” Sybil appears behind you. She looks mildly annoyed, but far too composed for having just left a burning room.
Eli struggles to talk as the three of you hurry out of the castle.
“Where’s Jasper?”
You can hear the faint tolling of bells. The alarm has been sounded and the guards will be looking for you. That is, if they’re not all drunk and sluggish from the feast.
Sybil replies, “If Jasper’s heard the bells he should be headed to our rendezvous point. I prepared a getaway for a worst-case scenario. Which this definitely is.”
You somehow make it out of the castle without running into any guards or wandering guests. The city streets are quiet, but the Sybil keeps to the shadows nevertheless. After a while she cuts on to the main thoroughfare and leads you to a cart parked there. It’s packed to the top with crates and barrels. Jasper stands beside it.
“What’s he doing here?” Jasper asks, nodding towards Eli.
Eli hiccups. “I wasn’t about to be left at the hideout all alone.”
“So it’s done?” Jasper asks.
“Vale is dead, if that’s what you mean,” Sybil replies. A dark look crosses Jasper’s face. “I took care of things in the chaos after Eli made a mess of our plans. Maybe next time he’ll follow our orders and stay home.”
Sybil climbs up to take the reigns of the cart with Eli. Jasper joins you in the back. There is barely room for the two of you among all the supplies and you wonder how long of a journey Sybil has planned for.
When you look at Jasper you can see that his eyes have lost their spark. He should be happy. Vale is dead and Tyven is saved.
Ask him what he's thinking.
Kiss him.
You decide to create a diversion so Eli has a chance to escape. While everyone’s eyes are on the mage you sneak over to one of the candles and wrench it from its sconce, ignoring the hot wax dripping over your fingers. You lift the flame to one of the black curtains and it goes up a lot quicker than you expected. You hurl the burning candle across the room hitting more of the billowy fabric.
Chaos erupts as the room fills with flame. Vale stops chanting and Eli takes the opportunity to snatch the dagger.
“This way!” You shout at the elf and he follows you into the hallway where the smoke is already making things hazy.
“It’s a good thing you were there,” Eli chokes. “I thought I was dead.”
“You should have been.” Sybil appears behind you. She looks mildly annoyed, but far too composed for having just left a burning room.
Eli struggles to talk as the three of you hurry out of the castle.
“Where’s Jasper?”
You can hear the faint tolling of bells. The alarm has been sounded and the guards will be looking for you. That is, if they’re not all drunk and sluggish from the feast.
Sybil replies, “If Jasper’s heard the bells he should be headed to our rendezvous point. I prepared a getaway for a worst-case scenario. Which this definitely is.”
You somehow make it out of the castle without running into any guards or wandering guests. The city streets are quiet, but the Sybil keeps to the shadows nevertheless. After a while she cuts on to the main thoroughfare and leads you to a cart parked there. It’s packed to the top with crates and barrels. Jasper stands beside it.
“What’s he doing here?” Jasper asks, nodding towards Eli.
Eli hiccups. “I wasn’t about to be left at the hideout all alone.”
“So it’s done?” Jasper asks.
“Vale is dead, if that’s what you mean,” Sybil replies. A dark look crosses Jasper’s face. “I took care of things in the chaos after Eli made a mess of our plans. Maybe next time he’ll follow our orders and stay home.”
She climbs up to take the cart’s reigns.
Sit in the back with Jasper.
Sit in the back with Eli.
“Penny for your thoughts,” you say to Jasper.
He stares out at the darkened countryside. You think he might not say anything, but he does.
“My family never had money,” he says, “but I learned at a young age that it could be earned with very little effort on my part.”
You wonder what this has to do with what happened tonight.
“There was a time when Vale used to offer me money to do small jobs for the Order. Then he started to offer more until eventually I belonged to him. I think he cared for me, in his own twisted way, because even after I escaped he never tried to kill me. He could have, but he didn’t.”
Jasper’s hand closes into a fist as tears form in his eyes.
“Vale was using women in his dark rituals, trying to open a portal between this world and that of his ‘gods’. As far as I know he never succeeded, but the women didn’t survive his trying. I was the one who was supposed to bring these women to him. At first I didn’t know what he was doing with them, but after I found out I knew I had to leave. When I finally escaped, I vowed to destroy the Order and everything they stood for.”
You squeeze his hand. “I was actually sad that Vale died. Even knowing how evil he is, I didn’t want this fight to end with more death. I only wanted to expose the Order for the danger they are and force them to retreat back to Doria. Sybil always says I’m a hopeless optimist.”
His eyes shine as he laughs at himself. You’re glad to see a bit of the old Jasper coming back. You miss his cheesy lines and easy charm.
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” he says, his face sobering. “I know who you are. I knew all along, but Vale made me promise not to tell you. You are from Doria before all of this, and you fled your
home to come warn the capital of the Order. But you were captured by Dorian guards before you could arrive. You were transferred to a prison convoy to be tried for treason back home.”
He pauses to let the words sink in. Could this really be true?
“We had heard about you and knew you were a valuable ally to our cause. We tried to rescue you from the prison convoy, but the Dorian guards were prepared and put up a good fight. I saw you fall off the back of the cart and hit your head. But I couldn’t save you. I had to flee for my life. I went back later to look for you, but you were already gone.
“That’s when I met Vale. He had heard rumors that you had lost your memory, and made me promise not to tell you who you really were. We were to let fate decide which side you would choose. In exchange he would keep my past a secret and not tell you the role I had in helping the Order. I did what I could to steer you towards us without breaking my promise. But now that Vale’s dead, the promise doesn’t matter. We’ve won.”
The stars seem too bright, scattered across the heavens without a cloud to darken them. Should you be mad at Jasper? Forgive him? He did what he could to keep you safe, to make sure you ended up where you were meant to be. You know in your heart that he would never do anything to hurt you.
“It’s okay,” you say, kissing him on the cheek.
The past is behind you. What matters now is the road ahead. The fight is not nearly over.
Epilogue.
“Penny for your thoughts,” you say to Jasper.
He stares out at the darkened countryside. You think he might not say anything, but he does.
“You’re not the only one that was taken advantage of by Vale,” he says. “There was a time when Vale used to offer me money to do small jobs for the Order. Then he started to offer more until eventually I belonged to him. I think he cared for me, in his own twisted way, because even after I escaped he never tried to kill me. He could have, but he didn’t.”
Jasper’s hand closes into a fist as tears form in his eyes.
“Vale was using women in his dark rituals, the one he finally completed with you. The other women didn’t survive his trying. I don’t know what made you so different, but only you survived. Only you succeeded.
“Anyway, I was the one who was supposed to bring these women to him. At first I didn’t know what he was doing with them, but after I found out I knew I had to leave. When I finally escaped, I vowed to destroy the Order and everything they stood for.”
You squeeze his hand.
“I was actually sad that Vale died. Even knowing how evil he is, I didn’t want this fight to end with more death. I only wanted to expose the Order for the danger they are and force them to retreat back to Doria. Sybil always says I’m a hopeless optimist.”
His eyes shine as he laughs at himself. You’re glad to see a bit of the old Jasper coming back. You miss his cheesy lines and easy charm.
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” he says, his face sobering. “I know who you are. I knew all along, but Vale made me promise not to tell you. You are from Doria before all of this, and you fled your home to come warn the capital of the Order. But you were captured by Dorian guards before you could arrive. You were transferred to a prison convoy to be tried for treason back home.”
He pauses to let the words sink in. Could this really be true?
“We had heard about you and knew you were a valuable ally to our cause. We tried to rescue you from the prison convoy, but the Dorian guards were prepared and put up a good fight. I saw you fall off the back of the cart and hit your head. But I couldn’t save you. I had to flee for my life. I went back later to look for you, but you were already gone.
“That’s when I met Vale. He had heard rumors that you had lost your memory, and made me promise not to tell you who you really were. We were to let fate decide which side you would choose. In exchange he would keep my past a secret and not tell you the role I had in helping the Order. I did what I could to steer you towards us without breaking my promise. But now that Vale’s dead, the promise doesn’t matter. We’ve won.”
The stars seem too bright, scattered across the heavens without a cloud to darken them. Should you be mad at Jasper? Forgive him? He did what he could to keep you safe, to make sure you ended up where you were meant to be. You know in your heart that he would never do anything to hurt you.
“It’s okay,” you say, kissing him on the cheek.
The past is finally behind you. What matters now is the road ahead. The fight is not nearly over.
Epilogue.
“Penny for your thoughts,” you say to Jasper.
He stares out at the darkened countryside. You think he might not say anything, but he does.
“My family never had money,” he says, “but I learned at a young age that it could be earned with very little effort on my part.”
You wonder what this has to do with what happened tonight.
“There was a time when Vale used to offer me money to do small jobs for the Order. Then he started to offer more until eventually I belonged to him. I think he cared for me, in his own twisted way, because even after I escaped he never tried to kill me. He could have, but he didn’t.”
Jasper’s hand closes into a fist as tears form in his eyes.
“Vale was using women in his dark rituals, trying to open a portal between this world and that of his ‘gods’. As far as I know he never succeeded, but the women didn’t survive his trying. I was the one who was supposed to bring these women to him. At first I didn’t know what he was doing with them, but after I found out I knew I had to leave. When I finally escaped, I vowed to destroy the Order and everything they stood for.”
You squeeze his hand.
“I was actually sad that Vale died. Even knowing how evil he is, I didn’t want this fight to end with more death. I only wanted to expose the Order for the danger they are and force them to retreat back to Doria. Sybil always says I’m a hopeless optimist.”
His eyes shine as he laughs at himself. You’re glad to see a bit of the old Jasper coming back. You miss his cheesy lines and easy charm.
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” he says, his face sobering. “I know who you are. I knew all along, but Vale made me promise not to tell you. You are from Doria before all of this, and you fled your home to come warn the capital of the Order. But you were captured by Dorian guards before you could arrive. You were transferred to a prison convoy to be tried for treason back home.”
He pauses to let the words sink in. Could this really be true?
“We had heard about you and knew you were a valuable ally to our cause. We tried to rescue you from the prison convoy, but the Dorian guards were prepared and put up a good fight. I saw you fall off the back of the cart and hit your head. But I couldn’t save you. I had to flee for my life. I went back later to look for you, but you were already gone.
“That’s when I met Vale. He had heard rumors that you had lost your memory, and made me promise not to tell you who you really were. We were to let fate decide which side you would choose. In exchange he would keep my past a secret and not tell you the role I had in helping the Order. I did what I could to steer you towards us without breaking my promise. But now that Vale’s dead, the promise doesn’t matter. We’ve won.”
The stars seem too bright, scattered across the heavens without a cloud to darken them. Should you be mad at Jasper? Forgive him? He did what he could to keep you safe, to make sure you ended up where you were meant to be.
“It’s okay,” you tell him.
The past is behind you. What matters now is the road ahead. The fight is not nearly over.
Epilogue.
You do as Vale says and slip your dress down off your shoulders.
Jasper tells you to stop, that you don’t have to give in to the mage’s demands. But you know it will only be worse for you if you resist.
The fabric falls down past the swell of you
r breasts, exposing you to Vale and the others. The mage slides his leather-clad fingers across your nipple. You step out of your dress, your movements automatic. The humiliation grows as you feel all the greedy eyes roaming over your body. You stand there exposed in front of everyone. As you look at the crowd you notice Sybil amongst them. She avoids your gaze, her face a mask.
Jasper threatens Vale and the mage’s eyes flash red again. Jasper falls to his knees beside you.
“I guess you can strip too, then,” Vale says.
Jasper pulls his fine tunic up over his head and tosses it to the floor. You can see his face screwed up in concentration even as his hands move to undo his trousers.
“You’re falling behind,” Vale says. He kicks Jasper to the ground and yanks off his trousers, before kicking him again in the ribs. The sudden brutality shocks you.
“On your hands and knees,” Vale instructs.
Jasper does as he’s told. An angry red bruise has blossomed across his side.
“You too,” Vale tells you. You follow his command.
Once you are both where he wants you, Vale removes something from within his robe. It is a smooth glass rod with a round bulb at one end. The mage’s eyes glint evilly in the candlelight. “So who’s first?”
Avoid eye contact.
Volunteer.
You do as Vale says and slip your dress down off your shoulders.
Jasper tells you to stop, that you don’t have to give in to the mage’s demands. But you know it will only be worse for you if you resist.
The fabric falls down past the swell of your breasts, exposing you to Vale and the others. The mage slides his leather-clad fingers across your nipple. You step out of your dress, your movements automatic. The humiliation grows as you feel all the greedy eyes roaming over your body. You stand there exposed in front of everyone. As you look at the crowd you notice Sybil amongst them. She avoids your gaze, her face a mask.