Tragedy (Forsaken Lands)

by Cooper, Sydney M.

  Getting to the stairs was simple enough. They proceeded more slowly once they turned a winding corner, Aia's voice whispering, Three at the bottom.

  Weapons were drawn throughout the group. Les felt out of place as the least-skilled member and the only one with a bow. His hand shook where he gripped the wood. Part of using a bow meant standing back, so while the others might rush, he would have to stay removed.

  The sound of the first death, courtesy of Teveres, started the encounter. He took out one of them before the people were in view.

  "What-" a female's voice called from below, dispatched quickly with the swing of Garren's sword. It gave Teveres enough time to take out the last one.

  Les let out his breath, his bow lowered. Garren and Teveres shouldered the major burden of their scorched earth campaign to the prison. Garren's assurance that it was the only viable option did little to assuage Les's guilt. They waited, silent, expecting more guards to leak from the walls and find them.

  Only the dull rumble of sounds from far beyond the steps met them. They had taken the guards out quickly enough that no one had noticed. As they passed the dead bodies, Les couldn't help but notice that their arms were clean. These weren't Justices; they were just people, probably followers.

  The lower level of the tunnels was much darker. Very little kelspar was used to light the interior, giving only enough illumination to see a handful of meters out. The tunnel was wider than Aia's cottage, rounded at the ceiling. A few sounds echoed down the halls where Justices talked, ate and slept; the garrison housed most of the unmarried Justices in their own little underground city. The tunnel they entered should, in theory, lead straight to the prison, with a few gates in between.

  Les dimmed the light closest to them, giving them an extra layer of concealment. It seemed that no one found the few noises that the dead guards made of any particular concern.

  Garren began tugging the clothes from the fallen guards, inspecting them closely. Teveres watched him, realization clicking in his features.

  "That's not a bad idea," Teveres murmured.

  "When you consider that it's our only idea," said Les.

  "It's easy enough to explain," Teveres whispered, "They're already taking healers. We could be escorting her."

  "What are you people talking about?" Aia replied, keeping her voice low.

  "Disguise," Garren answered simply, stripping off his shirt to trade it for the uniform of one of their dead.

  The Kaldari warrior's naked chest was a sight Les had somehow managed to avoid seeing even in their weeks of traveling together. Garren's wide shoulders and large muscles were even more impressive than he expected. The burn scars, which traversed the base of his neck and both hands, also mottled the center of Garren's chest. Even with the disfigurement accounted for, Garren's physique put Les to shame.

  Swallowing his disdain for touching bodies, Les followed suit, picking one of the female Justices to steal clothes from.

  "Won't they think it's odd that you have... well, a bow, and knives?" Aia spoke, her back to the quickly-changing men in her party.

  "Confidence," Les said with an obligatory smirk. "I don't claim to know much about fighting and killing, but I do know persuasion. With the right general appearance and a little swagger, people will believe anything you want them to believe."

  "You speak as if you've done this before," said Teveres.

  "Politics is all about looking like you know things you aren't yet sure of." Les shrugged into the gray tunic, wrapping his belt around his waist. "No one wants their leader to show consideration. Surety is necessary to quiet unrest."

  Garren looked at Les expectantly. The clothes that Garren chose were the largest of those available, but they still had an ill-fitting bulge to them. Garren was too much beast for mere Justices. "If you are so smart, then you talk."

  "Whatever you like, boss."

  "Don't call me that."

  "Right."

  Teveres held a small coil of rope out to Les. "She should have this around her wrists."

  Les took the rope with a raised eyebrow. It quickly lowered at the harsh look that Teveres gave him. Teveres couldn't touch her, and the matter was not one that a person was allowed to laugh at. Nodding, Les motioned for Aia to turn around so he could loosely tie her hands behind her back. Lavender eyes peered back at him.

  "This is what I get for being the healer," she joked.

  "Just don't let anyone see your hands." Les indicated the dorsum of his left hand.

  "Don't worry," Aia's words darkened, "I never forget about that."

  He'd brushed another nerve, running out of friends to offend. Les sighed. "Sorry."

  "Not your fault."

  Garren's grunt signaled an end to not-so-pleasantries. They stepped lightly down the empty hall, Aia in the middle of them with Les bringing up the back. Les listened closely to the sounds which passed them by, people talking or snoring from the rooms jutting off from the main tunnel. It was a bizarre place, Nivenea's undercity - an expanse of halls known only to Justices and the prisoners they brought there.brohe ro

  Les caught himself mid-stumble when two Justices, perhaps two friends, casually strolled out of one of the doors connecting to the tunnel. Les slowed his heartbeat forcibly, the way he learned to when speaking in public. The Justices didn't give them a second look before slipping inside one of the other unmarked doors.

  And so it went for some time - the occasional Justice threaded in beside them, gave a cursory glance or nod, and disappeared into one of the other doors. Les grew tired of carrying on quietly through what seemed to be a tunnel without end. Aia's hands began to fidget behind her back.

  They stopped when a commotion could be heard further ahead in the tunnel. There was an initial booming sound the likes of which Les had never heard before, like the crash of waves against metal compressed into a short crack, followed by shouting. Even Garren was stunned into stopping, a hand outstretched to keep the others from coming closer. The crack came again, and again, four more times. They waited for a reaction from the other Justices inside, but none came. A door, barely visible at the end of the tunnel, opened and slammed shut.

  "PRI-" the words shouted from the man who came from the doorway were cut off abruptly. Les shot Teveres a glance, who gave a subtle nod. Teveres was the one who took out the screamer.

  The bellowing of the man caused a group of Justices from a nearby door to peer out. A woman looked down towards the prison door, then back at them.

  "Did you hear someone down there?" the woman asked them as if they were one of her own.

  "We were just about to investigate," Les replied smoothly.

  "We'll come with you," the woman announced, motioning for the other woman and three additional men beside her.

  "Of course," said Les. Les could see Garren prickle at the idea

  "You're escorting a prisoner?" the woman let the real group of Justices to go ahead of them, taking off towards the prison entry at the end of the hall at a quick pace.

  "A healer, yes."

  Aia kept her eyes fixed on the floor, shoulders hunched. Teveres's held a predatory fixation on the Justices. Les reminded himself to keep breathing. The Justices who walked in front of them would soon be dead, one way or another. He rode the edge of anticipation.

  "Stay back with her, then," the lead Justice said, one finger pointed at Garren. Her keys jangled as she sorted through them to find the right fit for the door.

  Aia gave Garren a sharp, fixed look. Her silent words, Adreth is in there, I can hear his people.

  Then I wonder what we're walking into, Les thought to himself.

  Aia replied to his stream of consciousness; They're fighting y'rt>

  Les and Teveres followed the Justices beyond the doorway into a small, pitch black room. The door closed behind them. Les was about to raise the lights when he heard a soft click next to his ear. Something about the sound made him freeze.

  "Don't move," a woman's husky voice ordered, "No
t a single one of you."

  "I am Lieutenant Nara," the woman from the hallway called into the darkness. "Who are you? Reveal yourself!"

  The lights lifted around them just slightly. The room they found themselves in was small and bare, a chamber which held empty weapon racks on the walls. To their backs was the door to the tunnel, and ahead was another door. Les carefully looked to his right without moving, where a long, hollow, handheld device stared him in the face. Though he'd never seen one before, he got a most foreboding feeling from it. The man holding it was dressed in dull, brown clothing, likely a prisoner. Les swallowed.

  The door at the far side of the room unlatched, revealing the prison beyond. In the doorway was another prisoner. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a build that rivaled Garren for size. His skin was much darker, his strong features prominent against close-cropped black hair. One of the hollow devices was clutched at his side and a sword rested on the opposite hip. He brought a heaviness of purpose into the room with him, the kind that Les had felt around governors of the larger cities. The large man embodied presence itself.

  "Nara," his voice resembled the richness of the lowest notes on a finely crafted string. "I never expected to see you on the wrong side of a fight."

  "Adreth. I never expected you to lose your edge," Nara sniped.

  Adreth. Les could see why Mareth thought that such a man could rally the Justices - with that kind of voice and presence, even Les was ready to pledge his allegiance. The man was a commander, through and through.

  Adreth sneered at Nara.

  "What should we do with them?" The woman with the husky voice stood next to Adreth. Her lighter brown skin was peppered with dark freckles, her hair tall and wild over her head. Though she was much shorter and leaner than the deep-voiced man, their faces were very similar. She held her sword out in front of her body, ready to strike.

  "We'll put them with the rest." Adreth motioned towards the prison, where prisoners milled about freely. In the poor lighting Les could make out a few people, Justices and prisoners alike, with various wounds. Les looked to Teveres for answers, but Teveres was still.

  "Wait!" Les spoke up, careful not to twitch. The man holding the device next to his head tensed. "We're not with them."

  "We?" the large man raised one eyebrow slowly. "We, who? Come forward, carefully."

  Teveres and Les stepped out away from the crowd, Les mindful to keep a distance betw dirk feen him and the weapons drawn around him. The large man's dark eyes studied them both intensely.

  "My name is Teveres, of Ilvan." Teveres held up his hands, palms wide. "This is Baron Les, of Pelle. We were sent here by the High Priest Mareth."

  A spark lit in the large man's eye. "Is that right? And why did he send you to a prison?"

  "We were told you could help us," Les chimed in. "We're on your side."

  He motioned towards them casually with his device. "Prove that what you're saying is true."

  Slowly and deliberately, Teveres raised his shirt over his head and turned his back to the man. The green double circle of clergy gleamed over his right shoulder blade. "Our associates are on the other side of the door - a healer, Aiasjia, and a Kaldari mercenary-"

  "Garren," the man growled.

  Les watched Teveres's cool expression, which did not change. "Yes," Teveres said evenly. "That is his name."

  The man tilted his head to one side. The young woman next to him looked up to him for guidance.

  "We're getting a little short on time," she hissed impatiently.

  The man nodded, still far away in his own mind. "Fine," he said after a long pause. "Take these men to the cells. You two," he indicated Les and Teveres, "you'll stay. Adria, bring in their 'associates.'"

  The freckled woman, Adria, waited for Nara's cohort to be escorted towards the prison. The man with the device to Les's head went with them, leaving only Adreth and Adria in the room with them. Adreth did not take his eyes off of them even for a second. Aia and Garren stepped in behind them.

  A deceptively wide smile spread over the Adreth's face as he approached Garren.

  "What brings you to this place, at this time?" Adreth asked.

  Evenly matched, if not outmatched, Garren bowed his head graciously. "You are Adreth. We are here to warn you that Drei's army draws closer to Nivenea. She plans an attack. The Priest Mareth told us that you would know what was to be done."

  Adreth laughed and narrowed his eyes at Garren. "Dozens of my people have died because of you, and you come here looking for my help?"

  "I do not know you," Garren replied, "and I cannot speak for the dead. I am not looking for your help. We are giving information."

  "And who are you three to this man?" Adreth addressed the Deldri.

  "Garren saved my life," Aia spoke, stepping forward. "He has saved all our lives, and he came with us because he wants peace for his people. The Coalition is leading the Kaldari and the Children of Elseth to aof g forw war that none of us are prepared to fight. That's why we're here."

  Next to Les, Aia swayed unsteadily on her feet. Her skin had blanched white and she reached a hand out to steady herself on his shoulder. Alarmed, Les grabbed her arm.

  "Just... just go back a second," she stammered, intent on Adreth. "How could we not know? How does nobody know?"

  "Know what?" dark suspicion cast over Adreth's face.

  "You don't care about the Kaldari," she said numbly, "you don't care because the threat from the others is too great."

  Adria uncrossed her arms from her place on the wall. "What is she doing?"

  "There was a rumor about a mind reader," Adreth said calmly, placing himself inches away from Aia. His hand nearly touched her face - she stood statuesque, but Les felt her muscles shaking under his hand. "It is you."

  She just nodded.

  Adreth clapped his hands together loudly, fingertips to his lips. "This is perfect."

  "Have you lost your senses?" Adria shouted.

  Adreth held up a staying hand. "They said you're a healer. You have no mark," Adreth continued.

  "Explain this to them," Aia said breathily, ignoring the question in his statement.

  "If you will come with me."

  "Come with you?" her brief puzzlement was replaced by understanding. Les fought the anticipation, wishing he could ask her what was going on between their mind reader and the intimidating Justice. "I will go with you if my friends can come as well."

  "Fine, done." Adreth said decisively. "There are wounded in the prison. My men, the guards. Go."

  "Are you... of course." The hidden dialogue was enough to convince her. She brushed off Les's hold and stumbled from the room, seemingly relieved to get away from the knowledge she obtained.

  Adreth finally took his eyes off of them to pace. Adria made a frustrated noise.

  "We should be gathering together to leave," she said, pointing a finger at the prison. "We have finally succeeded after months of trying to get out of this place, and you want to stop and chat with these fools because of a girl? She could be lying for all we know. What makes you think that anything that comes out of their mouths is truth?"

  "

  I know what I know. If you wish to organize, then go. Organize. Give the healer time to stabilize our people." Adreth's shoulders heaved when he took a deep breath. "They have brought us a gift in this girl, and as for the merc... I'm not ready to let him out of my sight."

  Adria shook her head, muttering curses under her breath as she left the room.

  "You'll have to excuse my sister. She did not inherit the family tact," said Adreth.

  Les couldn't take it anymore. Veering away from pleasantries, he addressed Adreth directly. "Explain, now."

  "What did Mareth tell you of the Celet?"

  Les looked to Teveres and Garren. Both of them shook their heads.

  "What do you mean?" asked Les.

  "I am about to give you a lot of information, very quickly. If you want to work with me and make it out of thi
s place alive, you will do everything I ask, is that clear?"

  Even Garren gave his agreement.

  Chapter 17

  When Aia mentioned the Kaldari forces, information came spilling out of Adreth's mind. What he knew haunted him, drove him.

  Celet. The foreign name brought up no references, no memories of any kind. They were the questionable other, a new variable in a very, very different game. In that moment, everything Aia knew changed. She couldn't get out of that room fast enough.

  The Celet were, very simply, a third nation in the world from far across the oceans. The Kaldari and the Children of Elseth were not alone, and these foreigners had a very malicious plan for dealing with them. Leniq was working with these people to give over Nivenea, or so Adreth concluded. Adreth had been locked up for 6 months because he had a run-in with the Celet while investigating the Kaldari ships. He, along with the other sequestered Justices, was forced to activate powdered kelspar in the workrooms of the prison. What Adreth could not figure out, and what Aia could not fathom, was why.

  Of course, since the idea of a third nation was unspeakable, motivations for working with them were even more a mystery. It was Adreth's plan to break out, find Leniq, and discover the workings behind all of the recent events. He also wanted to kill Leniq with his bare hands, but it was a wish he was willing to suppress in the interest of Elseth's Children. He needed answers, and that was his play; find Leniq, find out what he could, and make an escape into a rally point in the woods near Seldat. The arrival of the Deldri in Nivenea seemed to upset the guards, which gave the prisoners the perfect window to catch them unaware.

  Adreth wanted Leniq to know that he was looking for him. He wanted whatever had been building over the months he spent in the prison to come down. He had let a handful>

  The entire chain of events went together perfectly, between Adreth's prison break and the arrival of the Deldri - like the fate of gods. Aia's grandmother liked to remind her that every person is connected to every other person, and that sometimes those threads come together into a perfect set of circumstances. Was it the will of the gods, or the curse of humanity that brought everything to bear in this prison, on this day?