Pandora's Box: Land of Strife: Pandora's Box Series, Book 1

by S. Y. Lee

  Meanwhile, Caitlin had become the de facto leader on the top of the wall where she spent most of the day when she wasn’t back at the inn resting or checking in on Sarah and David. The guards of Thelmont weren’t as adept with bows and arrows as she was, and she provided tutelage to them while downing the most enemies, although their stockpiles of arrows and other projectiles were running low.

  After two days, Sarah had recovered enough and she helped by supporting the fighting troops in whichever way she could, whether it was bringing food and water to the frontlines, or directing efforts to whittle more arrows from wooden furniture around the city.

  While they were able to hold their attackers to a stalemate, the siege meant no new supplies were coming into the city of thousands that depended on trade. There were no farm lands within the walls, and their reserves of food, according to Cohl, wouldn’t last much longer. With each setting of the sun, there was a greater urgency to devise a way to seek help or defeat the enemy.

  “How’s it going?” someone behind Caitlin asked, and she removed the cape over her head. It was David with some bread and water.

  “It’s about to start again,” she replied, as she took the food and sat down with her back against the wall. It was the only way to avoid being shot at by enemy arrows while taking a break on the wall. David sat beside her as they ate. He had spent two days by his sister’s side until she was strong enough to get out of bed, and since then, he had taken on the role of serving as a runner between Cohl, Elin, and Caitlin. Each had their own priorities and they relied on him to quickly relay messages to each other to coordinate the city’s defenses. He was glad for the responsibility, as he wouldn’t have been much help otherwise. While he was nimble and fast and could handle himself in a fist fight, the battlefield was no sport. Even without attempting it, he knew he didn’t have the handle for combat and he would have just added to the heap of bodies that piled up on both sides.

  “Shall I go tell Cohl and Elin?”

  “Yes,” Caitlin said solemnly. She glanced at the short stacks of arrows against the wall that had dwindled in the past week. They were firing off more arrows than the citizens could produce, and the arrows that were left would be depleted by midday if the enemy advanced. “We can’t keep this up for much longer.”

  “I know.”

  Chapter 88

  It didn’t feel real anymore. Their senses were numbed from the deprivation of light. It was like walking down a hallway for a few minutes with his eyes closed, which was tough enough, except Leo had completely lost track of how long they had been in the tunnel. They were tired. It felt like they only slept for two to three hours each time before continuing to walk. At one point, he tried to count the seconds silently to himself, until he lost track around five thousand four hundred and seventy-two and had to start again. He never got further than that.

  The tunnel was barren. They were surrounded by rocks and dirt and the passageway was devoid of any lifeforms except for the four travelers. There were no plants or roots burrowing down through the ground above them, or any kind of creatures or insects. For a while, Eva had been fearful of rats or spiders lurking in the darkness that might crawl over her feet or worse, but there were no indications of any living organisms down here. When nobody spoke, it was eerily quiet.

  The worst part was the darkness. No matter how hard he tried to squint his eyes or look around, he couldn’t find any light. Sometimes he wondered if they were walking in the right direction or if they were even on the right side up. He imagined it to be worse than being trapped in the vacuum of space. At least there, someone could still see the light emanating from the sun while they floated away into oblivion.

  Except for his hearing, his other senses were starting to fade. The bread tasted stale, which it probably was, given how long they had been on the journey. He barely felt anything whenever he bumped against the wall of the tunnel and even when he held Eva’s hand, she felt somewhat lukewarm and lifeless. When they slept, he would sometimes hold her close as she rested her head on his chest. The scent of her hair had been stronger at first. Now he could barely smell it, like her existence was slowly fading away. All he could do was keep walking.

  *

  “Vitamin D,” Leo said out of the blue. Nobody responded immediately. They had grown accustomed to not speaking, in part to conserve strength, but it almost felt like they were losing the ability to speak.

  “What?” Jessica mumbled.

  “Vitamin D. We’ve been in the dark for who knows how long. That’s why we’re so weak and tired,” he explained.

  “Yeah…” Eva agreed. She had thought of that too, but there was no remedy to their plight until they reached the end of the tunnel—if they did at all. Their supplies were running low, especially their drinking water and the blue fluid that was meant to shield them from losing their senses once they entered Gormore. So far, none of them had felt any effects that could be attributed to becoming evil, though Eva hoped they were well within the limits of the ruins that housed the Blood Throne.

  “Ow!” Leo exclaimed, and she stopped walking. At his insistence, she usually stayed half a step behind him so that he could feel ahead for any potential bends in the tunnel or obstacles in their way.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Just stubbed my toe. Seems like there’s something in our way. Hold on a second, let me try to feel which way…” She felt him let go of her hand and she waited in the dark for him to grab it again.

  “This is weird.”

  “What is?” she asked.

  “Please don’t tell me it’s a dead end,” Jessica added, to which Themba uttered “oh no.”

  “No, it’s… well, yes. It’s a dead end, but…” Leo sounded frantic and excited at the same time. They could hear his hands knocking on something in front of them and it was metallic. “It’s a door!” he announced, “Like the one back in the castle! Eva, do your thing!”

  Eva quickly grabbed one of the waterskins out of her bag and with Leo’s help, doused the door in front of them with water. She closed her eyes, mostly out of habit since it was pitch black, and reached out her hand. It took longer than it had back at the castle, but eventually she felt the magic coursing through her body and channeling towards the door. She could feel the moisture dripping down the metal surface and it spread slowly until it encompassed the door before them. When she heard the unmistakable sound of the door cracking under the intense coldness, she nearly lost concentration out of jubilation, but held steady until it was completely frozen over.

  “Go ahead,” she said to Leo, who knocked on the door once again. This time it crumbled apart, revealing a dark, poorly lit stairwell. Fresh air flooded their lungs as they all turned to each other and smiled. It was still dark, but they could make out each other’s features for the first time in days. They had reached their destination.

  Chapter 89

  Fighting had resumed and the city was currently facing a fresh barrage of bombardments as the enemy catapults launched explosives at the wall. This happened as more attackers swamped the gate with no regard for their own safety, as if they were determined to take the city at all costs today.

  Sarah finished applying the bandages to the injured guard, who instead of heading into the city to rest and recuperate, insisted on returning to the frontlines to take up arms again. She tried to persuade him against it, but he just thanked her, picked up his sword and left. She watched him leave and felt comforted in the image of the guard clasping his weapon tightly and walking away with the sun shining on his back. He exemplified the spirit of all who stood and fought for Thelmont to protect their beloved city and families. In the past few days, she had witnessed acts of bravery and heroism over and over again.

  “These people are resilient,” she noted.

  “Yes, they are.”

  It was Alister. Since being reunited with Sarah, he hadn’t left her side for a moment and now he followed her like a shadow and only made himself known when spoken
to or was required to act. It was his presence that allowed Sarah to roam the streets with ease and relative confidence. Even when attackers somehow made it into the city, she knew that she could count on Alister to protect her, and he had, using his throwing knives to put a lethal end to any that posed a threat to her. She didn’t like the killing, but she understood it was necessary under the circumstances. There was no room for kindness or mercy for the savage enemies they faced.

  She tended to a few more injured guards before heading back to the gates to look for Elin. She found the wizard resting on a stool while David handed her some water. The normally radiant wizard looked pale and exhausted.

  “Elin, when was the last time you slept?” Sarah asked.

  “There’s no time for that. We cannot hold them for much longer. Their numbers have grown by the day while our supplies run low.” Sarah had never seen the wizard so dejected before. Elin always had a trick up her sleeve or some information she had been withholding from everyone else, but she appeared to be at her wit’s end now. It didn’t bode well for their chances of survival.

  “Maybe help will come? Thelmont is such a major hub, I’m sure other cities would have noticed that it has been cut off from the outside world, right?”

  Elin shook her head sadly and sighed. “No. We’ve tried sending messengers out, but they’ve all been captured or killed. Even if we could, the nearest city with men capable of fighting is Thermine, and I just saw Rylance arriving earlier with his troops. That wretched man has aligned himself with the Blood Throne.”

  She paused as a loud boom went off nearby and they all looked up to see part of the top of the wall collapse and several guards falling to their deaths. Sarah was glad that she didn’t see Caitlin among the casualties as she scanned the wall for their new Australian friend. It was easy to spot the tall woman, even from the ground, and she was shouting at other guards while pointing outside. Sarah braced herself for another impact but it never came. Instead, she heard the guards and Caitlin cheering at the top of the wall and she wondered if Cohl had led his men out the gates for another raid on the enemy in an attempt to push them back.

  Elin was about to ask David to go find out what was going on, when Karine came running up to them. She also looked tired, though there was spring in her step as she approached.

  “What news do you bear, mistress?” Elin asked.

  “Friends. Reinforcements. Not a large force, but they make up for skill what they don’t have in numbers.”

  “Who is it?”

  The elf actually managed a wry smile. “You’ll never guess,” she said.

  Chapter 90

  The air was fresh. From the way they described this place, Themba had expected to it to be polluted with smog and toxins, but the air he was breathing now was normal. In fact, it was a little crisp, like they were on high ground. He let Jessica go in front of him as they ascended the stairs, which wasn’t a long climb. The entrance of the tunnel on this side wasn’t as deep down into the ground as its counterpart had been in Thelmont, and they soon reached the surface.

  The sky was dark, although behind all the gloom and thick clouds, a hint of the sun could be detected. The stairwell went up into a small stone building that had fallen apart around them. The entrance to the stairwell wasn’t hidden, but it would have been difficult to spot if one were not looking for the hole in the ground. They could see beyond the walls, where remnants of buildings much like the one they were in stood, buildings that had seen better days before succumbing to time. There were a few larger structures that were mostly intact, if not for a missing wall or spire.

  There was nobody in sight. Themba noticed that while the air was fresh and a light breeze blew through the ruins, there was no ambient sound. There were no birds flying over their heads or leaves rustling along the ground as the wind swept them up in its path. Everywhere they looked, it was stone, dirt, and more stone.

  “Is this it?” he asked. He felt his head spinning and put a hand out to lean against a wall. It must be his body adapting to being out of the darkness, he thought. His vision was blurry and his eyes hurt.

  “I guess it is. I mean, these are ruins alright,” Eva responded. She had stepped out of the building, through a fallen wall instead of the door, and was exploring the immediate vicinity. “This is so…”

  “Strange,” Jessica finished Eva’s observation. “It’s like everything organic here withered away and people just left this city to time.”

  “Take a sip, guys,” Leo said, pulling out his own waterskin. He felt uneasy standing on the ground here. His supply of water mixed with the drop of the king’s blood was running low and he was starting to fear what would happen if they had no more. So far, none of them had exhibited any symptoms of madness or the taint of darkness, as Elin had described it, and he was starting to wonder if it was just a placebo effect where they were tricked into thinking they were immune as long as they sipped the blue liquid. He would soon find out, as he realized that his waterskin was almost empty and he had to squeeze the last drops of its contents out with both hands. The group followed his lead and took a few sips of the blue liquid as they strolled through the long-deserted streets.

  Leo was walking next to Themba when he noticed the South African hadn’t taken out his waterskin. “Themba, you should take a sip,” he said, putting a hand on Themba’s shoulder as he did. He was surprised when the mild-mannered man slapped his hand away and glared at him. Themba’s eyes were red and Leo had never seen him so angry before.

  “Themba? Are you okay?” Jessica and Eva had stopped to see what the commotion was about.

  “Here, have some of my water,” Eva offered her waterskin to Themba as she approached him, not expecting him to lunge at her. Luckily, Leo and Jessica had observed the signs of his strange behavior and they tackled Themba to the ground before he got to Eva. Even with their combined strength, they found it difficult to keep the skinny man pinned down as he thcrashed around violently on the ground.

  “Quick, give him some of the concoction!” Jessica yelled at Eva, who knelt down beside Themba and tried to pour what remained in her waterskin into his mouth. Leo had to grip Themba’s jaw and squeeze his mouth open as Eva poured the fluid directly down Themba’s throat. He continued struggling against them for a while, until he gradually stopped and just lay there.

  The color in Themba’s eyes had returned to normal as he looked up at the sky with Leo still holding him down. He was breathing heavily, like he just gone for a run.

  “Themba?” Leo asked.

  “… I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes… I… the water, it helped. I could feel the effect immediately. I couldn’t think straight just now. All I could think of… was anger and rage.”

  Leo studied Themba for a few more moments until he was sure that the man was back to normal again, before he let go of him. He looked at his other companions. “I guess we had better hurry,” he said.

  *

  There were three buildings clustered together some distance away that looked in the best condition, and that was where they were heading. There had been no discussion or suggestions by anyone. They just knew where they needed to go.

  It took a while to get there, and in their weakened states, it felt like a longer walk that it should have. Themba was still a little lightheaded and with each step forward, he tried to make sure he was following one of his companions, placing his foot where theirs had been. He almost didn’t feel like he was in control of his body, until he jolted awake when he walked into Leo. They had stopped in front of a large round building, and apart from the color and material, it reminded Themba of the Marble Keep in Thermine. The architecture was visually familiar.

  There was no door and Leo just walked in while everyone else paused. They watched him for a few seconds, as if waiting for enemies to jump out from the side to ambush him, before following. The inside of the building was indeed similar to the Marble Keep and where the ceiling still re
mained, there was skylights that kept the interior from being enveloped by darkness. Their steps echoed through the halls but they were too tired to be mindful of the sounds they were making. It didn’t appear that anyone was here.

  Eventually, they reached an empty chamber that resembled the throne room in Thermine where Themba, Leo, and Sarah had been captured, but there was no elevated seat here. There were no seats at all and the room was bare, though Themba could see some carvings in the stone wall that were hard to make out, except for some depictions of people who wore crowns and carried swords and spears. He leaned in to touch one of the walls where the carvings had faded, and it felt smooth to his fingers as he traced the outline.

  “There’s nothing here,” Jessica said dejectedly. It was a fact that was apparent and understated.

  Themba nodded to himself in agreement. He turned around and sat on the ground, staring up at the overcast sky. He was almost about to close his eyes when he heard the flapping of wings. Then, he saw a crow fly over the building.

  Chapter 91

  They joined Caitlin on the top of the wall, who was too busy to greet or talk to them just yet. Outside, there were two groups of forces engaged in battle. The one closer to the city belonged to the attackers, and about half of them donned the scarlet uniforms that Caitlin had once been forced to wear.

  The curious turn of events, was that the attackers weren’t facing the city. Instead, they were trying to fend off the advances of the new arrivers. It was difficult to accurately describe this new group because they came in all shapes and sizes. The most prominent of them were two giants who swung enormous polearms that tossed their enemies aside and sent them flying many feet away, often to great injury or death. There were also dwarves, elves, humans, and goblins in the mix, and they were all fearsome fighters who were viciously cutting down those that stood in their way to the city.