Unchained

by Sarah Hawke

  And that, I feared, might be the one thing that never changed.

  Chapter Eight: Rebel Rendezvous

  Two days later, we crossed the Peakway Bridge and entered the Wreath. We passed through the Imperial checkpoint without incident, and Larric steered us into a nearby settlement, Lakewatch, just before nightfall. The sprawling town was coiled around the water’s edge like a serpent. While it lacked a genuine defensive wall, Lakewatch was clearly more than just a simple village. Legion soldiers guarded the road leading into and out of the main square, though there were less of them than I’d expected. Most had probably already been called north to defend Abenhold or otherwise serve on the front lines.

  After tying up our horse and flipping a few coins to the stable hands, Larric led us towards the large fishery dominating the eastern side of the settlement. The stench was nearly overpowering; I suddenly wished Larric hadn’t shackled my hands so that I could pull something over my nose. My mind flashed back to my childhood in Mavarinth with my first master. He had sent me to the local market often, and the scent of blood and cleaned fish still reminded me of the docks and all merchants desperately trying to sell the morning catch…

  Larric led us into a nearby tavern, and we quickly took a seat on the open balcony overlooking the water. To my surprise, I found the rustic view and rural ambiance surprisingly charming. I had spent the vast majority of my life inside large cities, after all, and there was something particularly peaceful about this place.

  Or there would have been, if not for all the sideways glances I was already garnering.

  “Most of these people can’t afford an orc slave, let alone an avenari,” Larric whispered after he’d signaled the barmaid. “And frankly, I’m not sure how often they receive wealthy travelers.” He sighed. “I was worried that you might attract the wrong kind of attention, but there’s nothing for it. Just keep your eyes down and stay quiet.”

  I nodded and did as he instructed. The barmaid approached our table a few seconds later.

  “Greetings, my lord,” she said, bowing. “We are honored by your presence in our humble establishment.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Larric replied, placing just the right amount of haughty disinterest into his voice. “I’ve heard that you prepare several unique dishes. Prepare me one.”

  “Um,” the woman stammered. “I’m…not sure what you mean, my lord. We just serve whatever fish was—”

  “Spiced korlock with a side of fresh lemon,” he interrupted. “If you don’t have any, then I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

  I could feel the woman’s thoughts shift. Her nervous anxiety had swiftly been replaced by calm recognition.

  “I believe we still have a few left from the afternoon catch,” she said. “Would you care for a drink as well?”

  “A bottle of Ember port, white if possible. Scamper down to the winery if you have to.”

  “I will, my lord,” she said, nodding.

  He didn’t have to wait long. She returned with a bottle and a glass barely a minute later, and his dinner arrived just a few minutes after that. The pungent spices caused my mouth to water almost immediately, but it was a welcome change from the stench of ale and raw fish. Larric ate in silence, and he had cleaned half his plate before he reached underneath and retrieved the small scrap of paper the barmaid had left for him.

  “They’re still here, good,” he whispered. “You’ll be safe soon.”

  To stay in character, Larric finished most of his dinner before he ordered the barmaid to dispose of the scraps rather than allow me a bite. He enjoyed another glass of wine, then dropped a few coins on the table and grabbed onto my leash. Most noblemen were proud to show off their avenari to one another, but they were especially proud to lord their privilege over the common folk. He made certain to parade me across the entire establishment, and I kept my eyes lowered in proper deference.

  Night had fallen by the time we stepped back outside, and Larric quickly got us off the streets and into the shadows. I followed dutifully even as my heart began racing inside my chest. I’d spent the last two days trying to convince myself that everything would be all right. The Faedari were my people, after all, and they wouldn’t shun me for my abilities. I might even learn new channeling techniques and become a more powerful sorceress.

  But the arguments still rang hollow no matter how many times I repeated them. As insane as it was, I still wanted to see Master Kristoff again. Soon enough, however, that path would be closed to me forever.

  And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

  Biting down on my lower lip, I followed Larric past the northernmost pier in town. We crossed into the surrounding forest, and a few hundred yards later we approached a small waterfall where the lake was draining out into a river. There was a small boat lodged into the rocks nearby, and I caught a glimmer of movement beneath the running water.

  “There’s someone ahead,” I warned, stifling a gasp.

  “I know,” Larric replied. “They’ve been watching us since we left town.”

  He brought us to a halt near the edge of the river, at which point he unshackled my wrist bindings and removed my leash and slave collar. I hadn’t spotted anyone yet, but that didn’t mean much given that the night’s overcast had effectively blotted out the moon. I couldn’t hear anyone, either, but the waterfall was loud enough that anything short of raised voices would have been impossible to discern. We were effectively blind and deaf…yet Larric didn’t seem concerned.

  “Elu shala, melloneamin,” he said in the faeyn tongue. “Nae saian luume.”

  “You speak as though we have met, stranger,” a male voice said from across the riverbank. My eyes flicked up just in time to spot a shadow itself detach from a larger boulder and step forward. “Your face is unknown to us.”

  “I have never been to this part of the Wreath, but I know many of your allies in Veshar,” Larric explained. “They told me I could find allies here if necessary. Were they wrong?”

  “That remains to be seen,” a second voice, female, added from off to my right. I whipped my head around and gasped in surprise—

  And then a small ball of magical light materialized in front of the waterfall. The soft glow illuminated the speakers as well as if they’d been carrying a lantern. They were both faeyn, and they were both clad in dark leather armor. They were also both clutching loaded crossbows.

  “Who are you?” the woman asked. “Speak quickly—we cannot afford to linger.”

  “I am Larric Aresi,” he told them. “But names are meaningless. I’m sure you’d rather have this.”

  He reached into his pocket and withdrew a ring—the same ring he’d been wearing since the first day I’d met him. I had never understood its significance, but when he held it up in the light both faeyn seemed to visibly relax.

  “Mellonamin,” the woman whispered. “I apologize for our suspicion, but—”

  “You don’t need to explain,” Larric said, smiling. “I know your time is short, so I’ll skip right to the point. We need your help. Specifically, she needs your help. Her name is Elara, and she’s been the personal avenari of Grand Duke Kristoff for several years.”

  The faeyn woman’s eyes widened. “And you rescued her?”

  “More or less,” he whispered. “I’ll spare you the details, but suffice to say I want to leave her here under your care. This may be the only chance she’ll ever get to escape her master’s yoke. She needs your protection.”

  The two faeyn shared a glance before the male’s eyes flicked back to me. “She is being pursued by the Covenant?”

  “Not yet,” Larric said. “The Duke is expecting us by the end of the week, but that should give you plenty of time to move her if that’s what you wish. She isn’t branded—they have no means of tracking her.”

  “Still, sheltering the avenari of a Grand Duke is a great risk,” the female pointed out. “Many eyes will turn upon us.”

  The corner of Larric’s mouth twitc
hed. He obviously hadn’t expected to face any resistance. “You would deny her refuge, then?”

  The male faeyn sighed and lowered his weapon. “No, of course not. It’s just, with the war…” He sighed. “Hiding has become more and more difficult. The Hierophant’s Inquisitors have been scouring the countryside for vaeyn spies, and we’ve been forced to move many times. You’re fortunate we kept one of our agents in town.”

  Larric nodded and glanced back over his shoulder into the darkness. “I’m afraid the problem will get worse before it becomes better. There’s a civil war brewing in Sanctum, and the Covenant’s authority will be tested.”

  “Civil war?” the woman asked. “What do you know?”

  “A great deal, but this isn’t the time or place. I’ll inform my contacts in Veshar when I return.” He placed his hand on my back. “Just please, get her somewhere safe.”

  The faeyn shared another glance before the female smiled and stepped close enough to offer me a hand. “We’ll do what we can. I just hope—”

  I had absolutely no time to react. In one second the faeyn woman was speaking to me, and in the next an arrow whistled past my ear and struck her in the throat. Blood sprayed across my face and into my eyes, blinding me, and I shrieked in terror as I reflexively dropped to the ground.

  The next few moments were an indistinct blur of motion. Battle raged around me as I frantically attempted to wipe the splatter from my eyes. Another volley of arrows spewed out from the darkness, and I was vaguely aware of the male vaeyn shouting a warning before his body collapsed face-first into the river. I heard the ringing of steel as Larric drew his blade, then several indistinct dull thuds followed by grunts of pain. By the time I could finally see, he was slumped over on the dirt in the front of me, three separate arrows protruding from his armor. He wasn’t moving.

  I screamed. We were close enough to Lakewatch that everyone in town surely heard me, but I wasn’t calling for aid. I was right and truly terrified, even more than when we had been besieged by bandits near the Aetherium. I had no idea what was happening, but I was absolutely convinced that an arrow would pierce my heart any instant.

  “Quiet,” a male voice ordered from the darkness. I was too scared to obey, but fortunately I ran out of breath and fell over instead. A heartbeat later three men strode into view just as the glimmering light by the waterfall began to fade. Two of them were clad in dark leather and carrying nocked bows, while the third was encased in crimson plate mail and gripping an unsheathed blade. I would have recognized his armor anywhere; the mere sight of it froze my breath inside my throat.

  This man wasn’t a soldier or a bandit. He was a Covenant Inquisitor.

  “Are there any others with you?” he asked. His voice was so deep I could have sworn the earth trembled beneath me.

  I raised my hands and shook my head. Larric still hadn’t moved, and as far as I could tell he wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t sense his thoughts, either, but I was so terrified I doubted I could channel if my life depended on it.

  “You’re lucky that you aren’t carrying a weapon or you’d be dead too,” the man sneered. “I’m guessing you must have run away from your master and fled into the arms of these murderers.”

  One of the archers knelt down next to me and retrieved my fallen leash. He snorted, then quickly grabbed me by the throat with one hand and tore open my blouse with the other. “She’s not branded. She could be—”

  “Wait a moment,” the Inquisitor warned as his eyes fastened upon Larric. “I know this man…” He shook his head and hissed between his teeth. “Oh, shit. Get one of the healing salves. We need to try and keep him alive.”

  “Sir?”

  “He’s one of ours, or used to be,” the Inquisitor said. “Now he’s Grand Duke Kristoff’s personal bodyguard.”

  “But that’s…” The archer shook his head and dropped me back on the ground. “What in the void is he doing here?”

  “Helping the rebels, obviously.” The Inquisitor’s face twisted in disgust as one of his underlings reached into a pouch and retrieved a salve. “The Hierophant excommunicated him for cooperating with a vaeyn. I always knew he was a traitorous aeynshok…”

  “Then why do you want him alive?” the second archer asked. He remained behind the others, his eyes narrowed as they searched the horizon for movement. “The rebels obviously have an encampment around here somewhere. We should spread out and—”

  “The Hierophant will want to make an example of him, and there’s a good chance he can lead us to other camps,” the Inquisitor interrupted. “Besides, do you have any idea how much the other dukes will reward us if we can prove that Kristoff’s right-hand is a traitor?”

  The first archer chuckled. “Good point. Someone’s going to want his castle once the Legion drives back the gray-ears.”

  I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. Everything had fallen apart in a matter of a seconds. When I closed my eyes, I could envision the Covenant torturing and beheading Larric in front of thousands of cheering supplicants. I could see them implicating Master Kristoff and stripping him of his land and titles.

  And then I could see them learning the truth about my powers and burning me in a pyre at the center of Sanctum.

  “These wounds are deep—I guess I shouldn’t have aimed for his heart,” the first archer snickered. “We need to get him back to the priests before he bleeds out. Salves won’t be enough.”

  “Fine,” the Inquisitor said, standing. He stepped over to the dead faeyn woman and kicked her corpse into the river. Her lifeless eyes seemed to stare straight at me as she floated past. I had to clasp my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming.

  “We should warn the other groups to fan out and look for stragglers,” the second archer said.

  “We will in a few minutes.” The Inquisitor shifted his eyes back to me and lifted his blade. He smiled as the tip neared my belly. “As for you, my dear….associating with the Faedari is punishable by death.”

  “She might know more about Kristoff and his lapdog,” the first archer said. “The prelates will want to question her.”

  The Inquisitor’s grin widened. “By the time this over, you’ll wish we’d have just killed you right here.”

  I stared down at the sword pricking my belly, and all I could see in the polished steel was the faces of the bandits who had ambushed us outside the Aetherium. We had barely survived the attack. Larric had feigned an injury to gain an advantage over them, but that wasn’t going to happen this time—a veritable river of blood was already trickling out from beneath his armor. He might very well die in the next few minutes. And then I would be alone.

  Alone...and doomed.

  “Pick him up and get him back to town,” the Inquisitor said, stepping back and sheathing his sword. “And give me her leash so I can—”

  “No!” I shrieked.

  All three men turned to look at me. Gritting my teeth, I reached out to the Aether and allowed its warmth to flow through me. My hands flicked up from the dirt, and fire crackled inside my palms.

  “Unbound,” the Inquisitor breathed.

  It was the last word he ever spoke.

  A cone of fire sprayed outwards from my hands and engulfed all three Covenant soldiers. I could barely even hear their shrieks of agony above the roar and crackle of the ravenous flames. The forest lit up like the sun had just descended on top of the waterfall, and for a single perfect moment I was a living conduit of the Aether. It empowered me. It sustained me.

  And then I let out a breath, and it was gone. My hands dropped back down to my sides, and darkness once again consumed the forest. The only sources of light were the three smoldering bodies flickering like scattered campfires across the water’s edge.

  I don’t know how long I sat there trembling in silence, my breaths deep and unsteady despite the ash and smoke flooding my nostrils. But eventually I willed myself to crawl forward towards Larric. The flames had missed his body, mercifully, but his breaths were s
taggered and his heartbeat was weak. Swallowing heavily, I touched his wounds and reached out to the Aether once more.

  The warmth passed from my hands to his flesh, and the rejuvenating energies slowly sealed the wounds around the arrows in his chest. I was no priest, obviously, but Master had taught me several basic healing techniques. All I could do was stop the bleeding and pray that Larric was strong enough to survive.

  Once I’d finished, I leaned back on my haunches and forced myself to take several long, calming breaths. I didn’t even want to look upon the charred corpses of the men I’d just killed, but the lingering flames had now begun to spread across the dry ground towards the nearby tree line. I resisted the impulse to stomp them out; whatever else happened, I was going to need the distraction. When I listened carefully, my elven ears could make out the sounds of commotion from Lakewatch. It probably wouldn’t take long for the townsfolk to send guards up the hill to investigate, which meant that we couldn’t afford to stay here any longer. If Larric and I were going to survive, we needed to move.

  Swallowing heavily, I wrapped my hand around his waist and tried to pick him up…and immediately recognized the futility of a one-hundred ten pound elf trying to lift an armored man nearly twice her size. I settled on dragging him instead, and somehow I managed to move him away from the growing flames and further up the hill.

  Not that it would make a difference in the long-term. Our horse was all the way back in town, and without him there was no way we could escape. The Inquisitor’s reinforcements were probably on their way already. They would find us eventually, and even if they didn’t know exactly what had happened they would almost certainly interrogate me. Sooner or later they would figure out the truth.