Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles

by Courtney Beals

  “You knew about the water and said nothing?” Before he could answer Thomas pulled his hand back into a fist ready to drive it into his face, but Lyla had interfered. She stepped in between them and shot Thomas a hard look. He lowered his fist, looking insanely annoyed.

  “We are on the same team here. We are supposed to be fighting them, not each other. I suggest you boys put aside your differences, at least until this is all over. After that you can kill each other all you want, but until then, you need to focus. Hundreds of lives are on the line including my sister’s and grandfather’s and I will not have you jeopardize that. Understood?”

  The boys both nodded. “Coward,” Thomas whispered as he passed Ryan.

  They all walked down a narrow path along the riverside until they reached a bridge that could actually lead them across. This one was fully intact and had metal beams forming triangular shapes with crisscross patterns down the length of the entire bridge. Pavement was along the bottom where they walked, though it was cracking in most places. Lyla wondered if all the bridges were this beautiful back in the day.

  The entrance to the subway wasn’t far from the other side of the bridge. They followed one another down a set of stairs. On their way down, they noticed graffiti that covered the walls with different names and words. Lyla’s eyes caught on one that had bright red lettering with a black outline.

  Turn back! Death Ahead!!!

  This put Lyla on edge, but they had no choice but to continue forward. She knew they only had a few hours left until midnight, and they had no other plan, and no other way to infiltrate the castle. Any other way would only waste time. She slipped her hand into Thomas’s and tried to forget the creepy message.

  They made their way to the platform, and Ryan led them in the direction of the castle. He knew which direction it was in, but he had no idea how far they would have to go before they reached it.

  They had only been walking for fifteen minutes, but to Lyla it felt like hours. It was completely dark, and her nerves were getting the best of her. She wasn’t afraid of the dark; she was afraid of the unknown.

  Ryan held up a hand in order for them to stop, so they all froze. Whatever he was seeing they did not, but they did not want to attract any unwanted attention.

  Noises began to surround them. Shuffling and scurrying, then multiple footsteps all around them. Were they Demorites? Had they been discovered? Whatever it was, it was coming closer and closer and…

  “It’s a dog,” Giselle whispered.

  “Not just a dog, but a whole pack of them. And they don’t look happy that we are here,” Thomas said.

  He was right. The pack of dogs had surrounded them. Lyla had always wanted a dog. Another companion for her and Lilly, but her grandmother wouldn’t allow it. She knew the reason was because they were hardly capable of feeding themselves, let alone a dog. These dogs made her question ever wanting one in the first place. They were growling and barking at them, showing their teeth. Although they had short hair, they had dirt all over them and they smelled terrible. What really terrified them was how muscular these dogs were. These dogs looked capable of tearing their meal into bits in seconds, and right now they were their meal.

  “Back, get back, you mongrels,” said an old man coming out of the shadows. “Can’t you tell the difference between a guest and an enemy?” The man had gray hair and tattered clothing. For as old as he looked, he moved around as if he were twenty years old. The dogs were no longer barking and growling as they broke the circle that surrounded them. Some had gone down the tracks and disappeared into the darkness, while the others remained where they were to protect their master. “I’m sorry about that,” he continued. “They are quite harmless.”

  “Harmless? They were about to rip our faces off and eat them for dinner,” Ryan said.

  “I don’t think your choice of attire helped the matter.” He gestured toward the cloaks they were wearing. “I thought you were those creatures as well until I saw her.” He was pointing at Lyla, who was the only one without one of the Demorite’s cloaks on. “These are my pets, my family, and they only live to protect me, and in return, I love them unconditionally. Pit bulls, if you didn’t realize.”

  “They are said to be ravenous creatures,” Ryan said.

  “They are a misunderstood breed,” the man said with prying eyes. “Did you know they were bred to be nanny dogs? It was their job to watch over children. They are the most loving dogs you will ever encounter. They will protect their master at any cost, especially against the ones that reside above.”

  “You mean the Demorites?” Lyla asked.

  “If that is what people are calling them these days, then yes. Please, come into my home. I have a fresh pot of tea brewing.”

  The old man had already turned and started walking into the shadows before they could refuse his offer. They followed him down a tunnel that veered off from the tracks. They came to what almost seemed like a tent. Sheets were draped all along an open area and light was illuminating from inside. They stepped into the man’s so called house and noticed it was much larger than they had first thought. A fire was built in the center, which was where the light was coming from, and a boiling pot of water was just above it. He had an area with a large bin set up, which they could only assume was for bathing, and another area with blankets that resided on the floor.

  The man finished the tea and passed various cups around to everyone as they all sat around the fire.

  “What is your name, if you don’t mind me asking?” said Lyla.

  “The name is Bill. Pleased to meet you all. I don’t get visitors down here apart from the demotodes…demtoroes…”

  “Demorites,” Giselle politely corrected.

  “Yes,” he continued. “They are the only ones that come down here, but when they do, they get more than what they bargained for with my pets running around. I have only encountered about a dozen in the Aftermath.”

  One of the dogs came up to Lyla and was sniffing her boot, then her leg. She held out her hand to pet it, and it started licking her fingers. It was a beautiful dog, and had eyes that could melt the heart of anyone that laid eyes upon them.

  “Her name is Kona,” said Bill. “I gave her a bath only yesterday, but unfortunately they run the railway and always come home dirty. She seems to be taking a liking to you. You can keep her if you would like, as long as you take good care of her.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t. We are on our way to invade the castle to free the people of their captivity. That is why we are here. I couldn’t possibly take her with me.”

  “An uprising you say? Why didn’t you say so? It is about time someone stood against them. I can take you there if you like. I know this place upside down and backwards.”

  “We would be very grateful,” Lyla said with a smile. We are in a bit of a hurry and do not know the way.”

  Ryan scowled.

  They all finished their tea and Bill led them further down the railway with a few of his pets following them, including Kona. At least Ryan was taking them in the right direction before they ran into Bill.

  “You have no other family?” Lyla said.

  “No, just me and my pets. They keep me good company.”

  “How did you find them all?”

  “I rescued most of them in the Aftermath. Others made their way down here on their own. I also have a few mixed breeds running around here somewhere.”

  “They are very lucky to have you.”

  “Yes, but I am more fortunate to have them at my side when I need them most.” He smiled. “Well, here we are.”

  It was only a five-minute walk to the manhole that was closest to the castle. Thomas was the first to go up the ladder and see if anyone was around. He shoved the metal cover to the side and climbed out, followed by William, Giselle, and then Ryan. The man pulled Lyla to the side before she climbed out.

  “My offer still stands with Kona. I know a good owner when I see one and she is already very attached to you. I’m
afraid I’m getting old and won’t be around forever.” Lyla looked down at Kona who was sitting at her side. She felt a smile creep up at the corner of her mouth.

  “I’ll make you a deal. If I survive this, I will come back for her.” The man smiled and nodded in agreement. “Let’s hope you do.” Before Lyla climbed up the ladder she bent down to pet Kona on the head. In return she got a warm wet kiss on her chin.

  Everyone was waiting for Lyla when she reached the top of the ladder and climbed out onto the street. It was very dark. Clouds were rolling in, covering the moon, which was their main light source, and the wind had picked up tremendously.

  A storm must be coming.

  As she looked around, she noticed they were right next to the castle. They couldn’t have come any closer, and it was a lot bigger than she had imagined. It was nothing like the castles she had pictured in her story books. This one was dark and eerie. Broken pieces of concrete were all around. She couldn’t tell if it was from damage during the invasion or from the work Damien was forcing everyone to do.

  When they walked around the corner to the front of the castle they noticed the doors were wide open. A gate was drawn down, but there was no deadly trench residing underneath. Slowly they walked inside, seeing no one in sight.

  “Something is wrong,” said Giselle. “This is too easy.”

  “I do agree that it is weird that no one is around, but Damien was expecting me to be here tonight. Maybe he thought I would be more willing to give him what he wants if I wasn’t worrying about being dragged in by his guards.”

  “Or we could be walking into a trap,” William suggested.

  They considered it a possibility, so they remained cautious as they moved forward. They couldn’t turn back now after coming so far. Lyla had a plan in mind, but she knew no one would like it, or at least Thomas wouldn’t like it.

  “Ryan, I want you to take everyone to wherever it is they are keeping the prisoners and break them out.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m going to meet Damien.”

  “No, you can’t do that,” Thomas protested.

  “I have to. I can buy you guys some time to call in our reinforcements and get as many people out as you can. Once you have done this, I need you to do what we came here for.”

  “You’re going to want to go to the throne room. That is where Damien will be,” Ryan said. Thomas shot him an angered look. Of course he didn’t care she was sacrificing herself.

  “How do I get there?”

  “Go down this hall and take a left. You will come to a set of stairs. Go up the stairs and take a right…or is it left?”

  “You don’t know how to get there?” Thomas yelled in anger through clenched teeth.

  “We were being held captive. It’s not like we could wander the castle halls, and come and go as we pleased. I mapped it out as best as I could.” He returned his gaze back to Lyla. “There will be a large set of doors, unlike any other, that lead into the throne room. Find the doors and you find the throne room.”

  “Lyla, I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Thomas said. His tone had softened. Lyla knew he was worried about her. “How am I supposed to protect you if I’m not there?”

  Lyla stared into his eyes. She understood why he didn’t want her to go, but she had no other choice. This was how it had to be. She had to do this alone, because that was what Damien was expecting. She tried to think of some way he would let her go, but she didn’t have to. William spoke up for her.

  “Thomas, you have to let her go.” Thomas turned to him and stared in amazement. He couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. “She is strong and smart and skilled beyond all belief, just like her mother.” His eyes landed on Lyla and he smiled. Lyla felt honored to be compared to her mother. “It is as hard for me as it is for you to let her go, but she will be all right as long as we do our part. She will need us, and we can’t fail her.”

  Thomas turned to Lyla. His mind, his heart, every part of his being did not want to let her go, but he knew William was right. If they did not gather as many people to fight back as they could they would all die and this would be for nothing. He grabbed her hands and stared at her mother’s wedding ring that was on her finger. He hoped this was not the last time he would see her. He hoped this would all be over soon and they could continue to build their relationship.

  He pulled her close and embraced her tightly as she whispered in his ear. “I will see you again.” He then leaned in and kissed her lips, holding it for as long as he could. He wanted to memorize the curves of her lips, the taste of her mouth, and her sweet, sweet scent. She pulled away from him with her eyes still closed.

  “I love you, Thomas.”

  “And I love you, Lyla. For all eternity.”

  She felt like they were saying their final goodbyes, but she hoped it wouldn’t end in such a way.

  Lyla looked at the others and could tell they were getting anxious but did not want to say anything to ruin their moment. Lyla smiled at them, and then turned away in search of the throne room.

  Chapter 25

  Lyla followed the directions Ryan had given her. She made her way up the stairs, and looked both ways, not sure which way to go. She went with Ryan’s first guess and took a left. Torches lit up the hallways, casting shadows as she walked.

  She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She had no plan other than to stall Damien as long as she could while trying not to give him what he wanted. She took off her mother’s ring and shoved it in her back pocket and tucked her necklace in the pocket of her jacket. She knew Damien already had Lilly’s necklace. He had taken it from her while they were communicating with each other.

  So many negative thoughts were running through her brain, but she tried to tell herself that they could do this. Too many years had they suffered because of the Demorite. Too many years had they longed for a better life. If it weren’t for them, her mother and grandmother would still be alive. They wouldn’t have had to portion their meals growing up, or live in fear that the Demorites would come for them. This was it. They could defeat them once and for all. After tonight, this would all be over.

  As Lyla thought this to herself, her courage began to grow, and the fire inside of her started to burn in full force. She was ready to do this; she was ready to show Damien what she was really made of.

  Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.

  Up ahead she saw the large doors to her left. She knew this was the room, because they were the same doors that were in her dream. She cringed at the thought of her dream. She stood in front of the doors and waited. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking. She took a deep breath and lifted her hands to the metal rings of the door. She grabbed hold of them and pulled them with force, opening the doors to the throne room.

  Ryan led everyone through the castle. He was going down so many different hallways, turning left and right, that no one knew where they were going or how they would get back to where they came from without him. They came to a stairway that led down to another hallway, and then went down another set of stairs. They finally made it to a hall that was lined with cell doors.

  Ryan explained that it was one large room full of cells in and around it. It would be like going through a maze, and by the look of it, this was the only exit. They all looked down and noticed he was right. The ground had to be a mile below them. There were cells underneath cells.

  “How are we going to have enough time to free all these people and make it back to Lyla on time?” William asked.

  “The more people we let out, the more people that can help. These cells unlock from the outside just by removing a metal bar, so no key is required. The bars at the top of the door are too close together for anyone to reach through, so they didn’t think a key was necessary. If we split up it will be quicker. William and I will go this way. The two of you can go the other way.”

  “Someone is going to have to signal the Alliance,” Giselle
said.

  “Make someone do it for you. Preferably the first person you release that looks strong enough to complete the task.”

  Everyone agreed to the plan Ryan made. Thomas was surprised to agree with everything he said. If they wanted to make this quick, they would have to split up. Hopefully, they would not run into any Demorites, but they would deal with it when the time came.

  Thomas and Giselle took off to the right, letting out everyone that they could.

  “Thank you so much,” said a younger man as they let him out of his cell.

  “Listen,” said Thomas. “I need you to get to the roof to signal the Alliance. When you get there, shoot this into the air and then get back down here and help us.” Thomas handed the man a flare gun. He took it without question and left. Thomas assumed the man knew how to use it, or he would have said something, at least he hoped.

  They found themselves following a large group of people that they had let out. They were all letting people out of their cells in excitement and yelling, “We are the Alliance.” It was going a lot quicker than they had thought. With all the people contributing, they were already on the lower levels of the enormous room. They had hundreds of people ready to fight with them against the Demorites.

  Thomas and Giselle opened the next cell as the rest continued on. Inside were two boys. One had dark hair and brown eyes with a slightly bigger build. The other had blond hair and blue eyes with a slim build. Their clothes were dirty and sweaty. They had scrapes and bruises all over them. Giselle’s eyes grew wide.

  “Joseph?” She ran to him and threw her arms around him, ignoring the sweat and grime that covered him.

  “Charles?” said Thomas. The boy beamed and looked relieved to see them.

  “Thomas, I can’t believe you are here. What are you doing? Where is Lilly?”

  “Lilly?”

  “Yeah, Lilly. Lyla’s sister. Where is she?”

  “You mean you don’t know?” Charles’s smile faded and his expression grew dim.

  “Know what? Has something happened to her?” Apparently, Thomas didn’t answer quickly enough, because Charles grabbed the collar of his shirt and backed him up against the wall. “What happened?” His voice was low yet angry. If this was anyone else doing this, under different circumstances, Thomas would not have hesitated to end that person’s life.