Enigma: Awakening

by Damien Taylor

  “Where were you when we were cracking down on the houses, eh? Got something valuable you don’t want us to find?” said a gangly blond-haired kid. The boys beside him were taller and larger.

  Sphinx grumbled. “Alviss, can’t you just leave me alone. I don’t feel like dealing with you today. You see I have guests, come back some other time.”

  Alviss’ dark eyes found us with disdain. “You do have guests, don’t you,” he hissed. “Since they’re on Arkhadian grounds, we should search them too, eh, boys?”

  “Alviss, come on, they’re nobodies.”

  Sergio smirked and clenched his fist, “Ready when you are, kiddo’.”

  The boy placed his hand under his chin and shifted his eyes slyly. “I guess I’ll let you go this time. But I’ll be sure to collect eventually. Taxes to the Legion are due daily, remember that, runt. Let’s go, boys. Next time you won’t be so lucky.” They vanished into the village.

  Sphinx grimaced and kicked the dirt. “I hate bullies—all because he wants to join the Legion. He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. He’s an orphan like the rest of us—had parents once, though—died of a bad sickness. I feel sorry for ‘im. It’s the only reason I let him off easy. Sorry for calling you nobodies.”

  “You did what you had to,” I said. “Just don’t tell anyone of what you saw in the wetlands—of the magic.” Sphinx jerked as if something struck him. Mauve air rippled and dispersed around his head.

  “Magic?” he asked, biting his bottom lip. The Amethyst pilfered his memories.

  The orphanage wafted with the balm of hazelnut and incense. Lit candles and lanterns sat on windowsills and protruding ledges of splayed, rotted columns. The first level was a room of platforms with ladders substituting stairs, making unreachable floors accessible. Holes riddled the floorboard.

  Right of the entrance, a young girl no older than four started from her sleep. She wrapped an old worn cover around her, startled and afraid as she found us strangers. “It’s all right, Zyla,” said Sphinx. “Go back to sleep. They’re friendlies.” The girl nodded and returned to her pillow. The higher floors creaked.

  Two boys—eight and nine—climbed from the second floor and met us. “Sphinx!”

  “Hey, guys, I want you to meet my orphan brothers, Trevor and Kendall.” Sphinx plopped down on a linen cover in the middle of the room, and the other boys sat at either side of him. “So, what’s the gossip around the slums? Anyone hear anything about the girl from Lucreris?”

  The boys scratched themselves. “They’ve got their best men guarding her at the east tower,” said Trevor. “A mix of Legion goons and Arkhadian soldiers.”

  “She’s isolated too,” Kendall added. “Whatever she’s done, it must be serious—haven’t heard anything, though.”

  A murky, blond-haired girl older than all the others came down. “You boys don’t dig deep enough. She destroyed an entire district of Lucreris with magic. Kaboom. Just like that.”

  Sphinx grimaced. “Meet Zyla’s older sister.” She found us with a half-smile and a wave and sat beside Sergio. “You always catch the thrilling rumors, Eva.”

  We all sat in a circle around a stack of ashes from burned paper where their flame had died. Eva told us that she’d overheard two guards conversing upon a parapet. Sphinx asked many questions concerning Nova. I neither confirmed nor denied the truth of what happened in Lucreris. Our part in the incident was none of their business. As I knelt on a knee, I steered the topic of the conversation to a way into the inner city.

  “There’s a dried trench on the furthest western point of the slums. But there’ll be guards waiting for you on the other side—might cause too much commotion. Earlier you mentioned that you didn't want to cause a ruckus. But there is another way inside,” said Sphinx. The orphans looked at him with concern. “There’s a vent in Lord Sergei’s basement. It leads into the jails. Eva and I almost got caught down there by Arkhadian soldiers.”

  Eva became pale. “It was the scariest moment of my life.”

  I winced. “Your steward lives in the slums with the poor?”

  Sphinx shook his head. “Permanently? Of course not! It’s only one of his abodes. He stays there whenever he comes to address the slums, but it’s mainly for his politicians.” The orphan laughed at the absurdity. “There is one problem, though,” he began. “The Shadow Legion controls it now—guarding the place like hounds.”

  Sergio smashed his palm with his fist. “No problem. Just show us where the house is, and we’ll take it from there.”

  “We won’t fight them,” I reminded him. Sergio smacked his lips. No matter how dishonorable the Legionnaires were, some of them were once comrades we knew well. I couldn’t bring myself to kill another one of them, especially since I had an impulsive orb trapped in my palm. Their faces would haunt my dreams.

  “It’ll be difficult even to get near it,” said Trevor. “The Legion blocks many streets heading in that direction. They’ll rough you up even for getting too close to ’em.”

  I took it into consideration. We’ll send a scout, I thought. “We’re gonna’ need some more of your help, Sphinx—you and your companions here.” They grew excited. “We need to know the roads with the least Legion men as possible. And should we run into them, we’ll need distractions. Once we get to the manor, we can take it from there.”

  “Great,” the boys said, in unison. Eva’s lips curled into a full smile this time. We discussed the plan. The orphans would need a day to scout and construct a path that avoided confrontation. I agreed with their decisions. The others and I would need to case the slums for ourselves. When settled on a plan, Eva took the three of us to the rooftop of the highest tier.

  “You can see the eastern tower where they keep her.” She pointed.

  It was a black cylinder in the distance set apart from the rest of the inner city. Ortiz was industrial and scattered with broad flattop buildings with smoke belching from pipe chimneys. It was full of noise and shouting voices. I peered at the tower, gauging the distance speculatively. It was a good seven miles from where I stood, a long way beyond the heart of the city. An idea struck me. I’ll need Sergio for this. Whispering over my shoulder, I said, “Sergio? Remember when you were going to turn into a bird? Think you could do it for real?”

  He contemplated it. “Shouldn’t be a problem, why?”

  I looked at the tower. Sergio traced my line of sight, gaining understanding when his eyes landed where mine had. “Might take me a bit to get the flying up to par, but I don’t see that being a problem either.”

  “Go in the morning. We need to be sure.”

  “Aye,” he agreed. “Ya’ know... You bark orders like a captain,” he teased.

  Irvina came beside me. “There’s an eerie air stirring about this land,” she said. “And powerful. It won’t be easy.”

  “I feel it too,” I admitted, “ever since we arrived at Surklen. I think we’ll come across it soon. Best to remain optimistic until then.”

  Sergio left with Eva. Irvina and I watched the tower until the sun went down.

  Two Arkhadian guards trembled before Blitzkrieg, looking at the ground through the visors of their helms. “General, the second invasion of the northern capital, was a success and it is ready for reconstruction. We spared only the women and children. We made them slaves as you instructed. The commander awaits the next order.”

  No one around Blitzkrieg could see where he held his sight, but he was eyeing an eagle perched upon the beam of a neighboring tower under construction. It watched him. “The convoy is already prepared to deploy. Give the order. And pass the message along to the commander to begin immediately upon its arrival. I will see him soon,” said Blitzkrieg.

  “Yes, general.” They left him eagerly.

  The eagle leaped and flapped its wings with a caw, flying toward the eastern tower where he held his most valued prisoner. “What bird is native to this land?” He was talking to the two Arkhadian soldiers at either side of hi
m.

  “The brown pelican, my lord,” one answered quickly.

  “What of eagles?”

  “None too many of those around here.”

  Blitzkrieg eyed it until it landed. “Peculiar. I want more sentinels placed around the eastern tower at once.”

  The men looked at each other curiously. They knew not to question him. “Aye, my lord.”

  Irvina and I trailed Trevor and Sphinx through an alley and around a couple of turns, stopping between two neighboring buildings before the next street.

  “This is it. This is where it gets interesting,” said Sphinx. A group of three Legionnaires equipped with swords and daggers patrolled the length of the street. They stood blocking a narrow passage, harassing pedestrians as they went by.

  “Hey, watch it, you old piss pot! Three feet. Keep your distance from us at all times.” A haggard disciple pushed a frail, poor man for no reason. The other two cackled.

  “Next time we’re going to take all your things,” mocked a woman in a bandana. But the man had no belongings. They laughed harder.

  “Trevor, you’re up,” said Sphinx.

  “Piece o’ cake.” Trevor sauntered into the crowd and came in front of the Legion disciple. With a hop, he smacked the haggard one in the face and took the woman’s saber, spluttering his lips at them before darting off.

  “Hey, come back here!”

  “Those—blasted—orphans!”

  The three left their post and started after him, clearing the way. We advanced. The clutter thinned as we neared our destination. “We’re almost there,” said Sphinx. All the other orphans had drawn off the various goons. I could only hope they made it to their hiding places.

  A staircase led to the elevated estate where the manor sat. The only concealment we had to close the distance were the broad trees that kept us from the sight of the two fully armored Arkhadian guards. Six trees brought us as close as we could get—twenty yards from the perimeter gate. “Looks like it’s my turn.” Sphinx stretched. “Wait for my signal.” He went behind a tree ahead, one that could hide only his smaller frame. As he was about to make his approach, someone spotted him.

  “I’ve been waiting to catch you in the act.” It was the boy Alviss and the same two boys he had with him before. They hurried toward Sphinx. He shook with panic. “You’re on my turf now,” said Alviss, pounding his fist. “Give me all you got, orphan.”

  “I don’t have anything.”

  Alviss snapped his finger at the boy to his left. “You know the drill.”

  The heavy male stuck a hand in Sphinx’s pocket. “What are you doing here, rat? Better be lucky I found you and not the guards.” Sphinx stiffened as the boy dug in his tunic and he lifted his arms when he went for the other one.

  “Sorry, guys,” he blared to Irvina and me, never looking in our direction. Then he threw his head forward into one boy’s jaw and punched the other in the mouth. The attack gave Sphinx enough space to bolt away.

  “After him! Don’t let him get away this time!” Alviss yelled. They chased him.

  One of the guards shuffled and groaned. “I think I heard something.” I leaned over and saw them approaching.

  Irvina was squatting with her back against the bark. “What?” she said, peeking over.

  “We need another plan.”

  The guards came and stood at the tree that Sphinx previously hid behind. “I think the opportunity’s presented itself,” said Irvina.

  “What do you mean?”

  She sprinted for them and knocked them both unconscious.

  The manor was the largest building in the slums. It was two stories, made of wood and brick, with a shingled, triangular rooftop. It stood abreast with a large building four times its size, the wall of the city proper wedged between them. Inside was an empty, spacious main room of dark wood with a staircase curved along the right wall, leading to a double tiered balcony that spanned the entire width of the chamber. Above the top balcony was a row of three bay windows, through which shone the only light source. A giant, chandelier of rusted iron and cold candles hung from the ceiling. Massive cobwebbed portraits of long deceased royals hung from the walls with unnerving stares. The place was eerily empty.

  I searched around. “Don’t see any doors, do you?"

  Irvina shook her head. We walked cautiously, keeping eyes on either side of both balconies where someone could have approached. A bird’s caw startled us, and an eagle came fluttering through one of the open bay windows and landed on the ground clumsily. Sergio.

  He regained his ordinary form. Irvina beamed. “Welcome back.”

  He stretched and rotated his left arm in wide circles. “Good to be back,” he said. He gave us the news of the other side. “She is indeed in the east tower,” he confirmed. “She was afraid until I showed her who I was. Boy, was she glad. I reassured her we’d come.”

  Relief surged through me. Good. Now we’ve got to hurry, I thought. “So how hard is this going to be then?”

  “Ever seen a man swim across the sea with his hands tied behind his back?” Sergio illustrated. “I saw that Blitzkrieg bloke Sphinx and the others were talking about—couldn’t see his face, though. He wears a hood, and his face is made of a shadow. I’ve never seen his make of armor before. Looks like a walking frightmare, that one. There was some strange aura around him. I can’t explain it. You’d have to experience it yourself, but know that it’s far from good. When he looked at me, it felt like my soul flew off the other way.”

  “He spotted you?” I snapped.

  “Relax, Winn. I flew away—toward the tower. The guy almost reminds me... his weapons, they...”

  “What?”

  Sergio scratched his head. “Nothing. Forget about it.”

  I grimaced, but let it be. We didn’t have time. “Come on, let’s get to the basement.” In the manor, there were many rooms, all of them cluttered with trinkets, stools, and bookshelves. In the sixth room on the opposite side of the house from where we began, we discovered a sliding wooden door set in a brick wall. A spiral staircase led down into a chamber scattered with tables, official papers, and more books. As Irvina passed a tall chest, she stopped. “A cold draft comes from behind this piece.”

  Sergio and I pushed it aside, revealing a rectangular duct on the wall near the floor. With his bare hands, Sergio curled his fingers into the grated door and pried it off. “Well, friends, welcome back to prison.” There was a dank draft, and the echo of distant commotion was faint.

  Irvina was the first to crawl into the filthy space, uninhibited by apprehension. I went behind her, and Sergio last. The passage was dirty and long. The squeaks of mice resounded. Sergio tapped me on the shin. I looked behind me only to find a lascivious grin on the half-satyr’s face. “Looks like you’ve got the grand view, heh, heh.”

  “What?” I stared ahead, finding the ribbed stitching of Irvina’s buttocks directly in front of me; flexing as her knees alternated with movement. I shook my head and sighed. “Sergio, you’re such a... Just be quiet.”

  “Better than my view,” he sulked. And then I sulked. “Ya’ know what? To hell with this.” There was a brief flash of light and then, Sergio the rat, scurried by underneath us. It was the first time I had envied him.

  Our fingers sunk into mucky grime everywhere we went. We went through the vent as fast as we could. As cramps came to all my leg muscles, I heard the naiad whisper.

  “We’ve arrived.”

  The Inevitable

  The guards’ keys jangled nearby. We stooped our heads, hiding our faces. When the pair of shadows had passed, we broke out of the duct and landed onto the soiled floor of the cell. Rust blotted its bars. “We’ve just heard that Lucreris’s been obliterated,” said an unseen guard. I froze.

  “Obliterated? But how? By what?”

  “The Horde. What else? Rumor is, we’re next.”

  “First the capital and now Lucreris.” Heavy metal armor clanked through the prison.

  “Blast.
Lucreris... finished already?” uttered Sergio. A multitude of flaming torches lit the dungeon. Sergio went to the cell gate and snatched the door from its hinges. Outside, there was a gaping trench in the center of the open area, restricted by bars. The blur of lights shined from the unlimited levels down. Arkhadian soldiers marched toward us.

  “Someone’s coming,” Irvina hissed.

  “Quick, back in the cell,” Sergio blurted. We scampered. A guard turned his stark gaze in our direction.

  “What was that?” With a gauntlet on the hilt of his sword, he made his way to the opened cell. “Hey, get over here,” he called to his wingman.

  The second one wheezed as he struggled to catch his breath. “What’s the problem, Arkhadian?”

  “This gate’s open.” Their eyes crept from the floor to the back wall, finding Irvina who pretended to be shackled by broken cuffs dangling from the high wall. Their dirty half faces brightened.

  “Ex-ex-excuse me, miss,” he greeted cordially. “How-how did, um... Do you happen to know how this door...um...came loose?” He talked as if his saliva choked him.

  Irvina yawned, stretching her supple limbs, and revealed the tantalizing swirl of her eyes. “I don’t know, boys, but can’t a girl enjoy her beauty sleep?” She fluttered her lashes until their jaws fell agape.

  “Now there’s a nymph, plain as day if ever I’ve seen one,”

  “How’d a fox like you get mixed up in a place like this? It’s no place for beautiful dames like yourself,” the second one spoke clearly.

  “Well, gentlemen, you know what they say of foxes. They’re sly, cunning, and full of dishonest sport.” Her delicate voice baited them. The men became antsy and excited.

  “Foxes are tricksters, aren’t they? But can they keep secrets?” asked the taller, bulkier guard.

  “Depends. What sort of secret?” They both chuckled lasciviously and closed in upon her. “Coming to search me, are you? You better hurry before it comes,” she said.

  “Oh? Before what comes, my dear?” They were within arm’s reach.