. . .
Brock woke to darkness. His head pounded with a throbbing headache. He was lying on his side, and his shoulders were sore. Trying to move his arms, he found them shackled together behind his back. He rolled over and fell off the bed, hitting the floor hard and driving the breath from his lungs. Wincing in pain, he gasped for air. When his lungs refilled, he lifted his head to look at his surroundings. The soft light of a glowlamp emitted from the small window in the door to the room. Having been in the cell before, Brock recognized where he was and knew that the infirmary doubled as the Academy jail.
He was in trouble. They knew that he had entered the Academy under false pretenses. Worse, Varius had determined that his rune was fake, which was a penalty punishable by death. He needed to escape.
Rolling onto his stomach, he pulled his knees beneath him and stood. Sharp pain shot up his arms when he pulled hard on the iron shackles, trying to free them. The attempt left deep gouges, yielding nothing other than bloodied wrists. Without having his hands free to draw a rune, Chaos wasn’t going to be of use to him.
Closing his eyes, he took another approach. Ashland! He paused before trying again. Ashland! I need help!
He waited for a response, hopeful that she was awake. Her voice sounded within his head. Brock? What is it? What’s wrong?
A spark of hope flamed. It’s bad. Varius discovered that I’m Unchosen. Eldarro has me locked up in the infirmary. Hurry and get help to come free me.
He waited for her response. After a moment, he heard her voice again. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Let me know if anything changes.
Brock breathed a sigh of relief. Help was coming. He just hoped it would come soon enough.
. . .
Noises outside the door disturbed the silence. Excited by the thought of Ashland coming to free him, Brock crossed the small cell to peer through the window. His heart sank when he realized it was Eldarro and Varius.
“The carriage is ready, and the driver is on his way.” Eldarro said.
“Good,” she replied. “Let’s get him loaded and sent on his way before anyone wakes. I’ll let those at the mine know to expect him in a few days.”
He heard Eldarro respond. “That sounds good. I’ll pull the carriage up to the back door so he will be in it when the driver arrives.”
Footsteps sounded, followed by a door opening and closing.
A shadow fell over the window as Varius stepped close, looking in at Brock.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be out of there soon,” she said to him.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked.
“Somewhere you can’t cause trouble. You can still be an asset to the Empire but on our terms. The Hand will see to it.” She smiled.
Hearing her mention a mine made Brock think back to when he had rescued Tipper from the kidnapping attempt in Kantar. Minister Samson had mentioned a mine as well.
“I can’t tell you how disappointed I am in you,” Varius said to him. As she spoke, Brock saw movement behind her. “Since you were able to fool me, there may be others. Once you’re gone, I’ll have to take a closer look at some other students, starting with your girlfr....”
A clang sounded, and the woman crumpled to the floor in mid-sentence. Cameron stood behind her, holding his father’s sword in one hand. Ashland stepped past him, looking in the window.
“Brock! We’ll get you out. Where are the keys?” she asked frantically.
Brock shouted through the glass. “Eldarro probably has them. He stepped out the back door and should be back any moment.”
Cam nodded and disappeared in the direction Eldarro had gone. Moments later, Brock heard Eldarro enter, followed by a brief scuffle. Not long after, Cam entered his line of vision and handed the keys to Ashland. After a few attempts, the lock clicked open. Brock stepped back as the door swung inward and Ashland darted in to wrap her arms around him.
“I was so scared. I’m glad you’re safe,” she said as she squeezed him.
“Um…can you please unlock my wrists? They’re killing me.” Brock replied through the curled hair covering his face.
She released him. “Sorry.”
Stepping behind him, she removed the metal shackles.
Brock rubbed at his raw wrists as he exited the small cell, stepping over the form of the unconscious Varius.
“Thanks, Cam. That was close,” Brock said.
Cam shrugged. “No problem.”
Brock smiled. Cam was as calm and understated as usual.
He looked down at Varius and realized that they needed to do something with her and Eldarro. Thinking that they needed to buy some time, inspiration struck and he grabbed the shackles from Ashland. He knelt and removed Varius’ purple cloak, handing it to Cam. He then pulled Varius’ hands behind her back, locking them into the shackles.
“Cam, please cut me a couple long strips from the cloak.” Brock then looked at Ashland. “Find another set of shackles for Eldarro.”
He glanced down at Varius lying on her side. Something she had said bothered him. Curious, he began parting the hair along the back of her neck. In the pale blue light of the glowlamp, he could just make out a dark mark hidden among the brown roots. The mark was in the shape of a hand.
“Here you go.” Cam handed Brock the two strips of cloth.
Brock lifted Varius’ head, wrapping the cloth around it so it gagged her open mouth. He tied it tight behind her head and then stood as Ashland approached with another set of shackles.
“Good. Let’s get them on Eldarro,” he said.
Two minutes later, they had Eldarro shackled and gagged just as they had done to Varius. Brock removed Eldarro’s purple cloak and handed it to Cameron.
“Put this on,” Brock said to Cam. He nodded when Cam donned the cloak. “Good. Now put the hood up and drag Eldarro outside to put him in the carriage.”
Cam shrugged, pulling the hood up and then reaching under the enforcer’s arms to drag him outside. Brock ran back, lifted Varius over his shoulder, and carried her to the door.
Cam opened the door and whispered. “The driver just arrived.”
Brock handed unconscious form of the Master Ecclesiast to his large roommate. “Good. When you get her in the carriage, tell the driver to be on his way. Try to sound like Eldarro.”
Cam nodded, letting the door close behind him.
Brock turned to Ashland, who stepped close to hug him. As he stood with his arm around her, he realized that everything had just changed. His stay at the Academy was over.
CHAPTER 17
Cameron glanced about the room, noting tired looks upon the familiar faces. Benny rubbed his weary eyes while Lars leaned back and yawned. The yawn became contagious as it passed on to Parker. Cam resisted the pull of an oncoming yawn, attempting to remain alert for whatever was about to come. He turned toward Brock and Ashland, who sat together atop the desk in their crowded room. The darkness beyond the window behind them showed that night lingered, though dawn would be breaking soon.
Brock cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming. Since you are my closest friends. I want you to know that I value your friendship and I would never intentionally deceive you. However, I thought that I had no other option.”
He glanced down and gathered himself. “I’ve been portraying myself under false pretenses.” He pointed at the Order rune on his forehead. “This isn’t real.”
Confusion clouded the faces in the room.
“What do you mean, Brock? I’m pretty sure I’m not imagining it,” Benny noted.
Brock sighed. “What I’m trying to say is that I am Unchosen. This rune is fake, created by an artist in Kantar.”
The room was quiet, nobody speaking for a long moment until Benny whistled. “That’s a pretty big secret you’ve been carrying, Brock.”
Brock nodded. “Trust me, I know.” He looked around the room. “If you’ve never lived as an Unchosen, it may be difficult to understand the empty existence we’re expected to accept
. The Empire puts you on a path devoid of personal hopes or dreams. It’s almost impossible to find an honest means to earn a living. Unchosen often are forced to thievery, whoring, begging, and other unsavory or illegal means to earn the coin needed to survive.”
All eyes around the room were downcast, feeling uncomfortable.
Brock continued. “Rather than being stuck in a dead-end life with little hope, I paid to be marked with the rune of Order and found a way into the Academy. You see, my mother and aunt both died from a common disease. I came here to learn to heal so I could save the next person who was in need, even if that person was Unchosen.”
They all knew it was illegal to heal Unchosen. That particular law had always seemed odd to Cam, but now he found it ridiculous and cold-hearted.
“As we became friends, I wanted to tell you the truth, but I couldn’t find a way to do it without exposing you to the risk of repercussions should I get caught.” Brock let out another sigh. “I’m telling you now because I’ve realized that your mere association with me puts you at risk. Unfortunately, that risk is very real after what happened tonight.”
Brock dropped off the desk to stand. “Varius sent me a note earlier tonight, requesting that I meet her in her classroom. However, Eldarro was also there. He snuck behind me and held me so Varius could divine me. When she did, she discovered the truth.”
Cameron nodded, understanding. Now he knew what had happened and why Ashland had sought him out to help free Brock.
“Varius and Eldarro locked me up with a plan to send me away forever. Luckily, I was able to contact Ashland so she and Cam could come save me. Bound and gagged, Varius and Eldarro are now riding in the same carriage they had intended for me. I don’t know where they’re heading, but it will buy us some time. Best-case scenario, it buys us a few days. You see, Ashland and I must leave the Academy.”
Benny nodded. “You definitely need to leave, but does Ashland have to leave too?”
Ashland responded. “I belong with Brock. Where he goes, I go.” She smiled at Brock before continuing. “But there is more. Like Brock, I’m also Unchosen and am here under a false identity and a fake rune.”
Benny looked at her, his eyes narrowing. “And you two can both use Chaos.”
Brock nodded. “It’s something I determined a few months ago. The reason people go Unchosen is because the Ministry is weeding out those who can channel Chaos. When divining, if the symbol for Chaos is seen, the child is left Unchosen.”
Benny’s face lit up as he stood. “You mean that all those Unchosen out there might have the ability to channel Chaos?”
Brock shrugged. “I’m not sure, Benny, but that’s my guess.”
Benny whistled again as he plopped back onto the bed, shaking his head.
Brock looked about the room, meeting each of their eyes for a moment. “You are my close friends, so I wanted you to know the truth. I’m sorry that my mere existence here has put you at risk. Now that you know what’s at stake, I’m inviting you to come with us.”
Lars spoke. “Leave the Academy? Where would we go? What’s your plan, Brock?”
Brock sighed. “I’m not totally sure yet, Lars. At this point, survival is the first step. I’ll figure out what comes next after we’re away from here.”
“Are you sure it’s necessary to leave? What will happen if we stay?” Lars asked.
“I don’t know, Lars. Perhaps it won’t be an issue, and you’ll be allowed to continue on your path to becoming a Master Paladin.”
Benny spoke again. “If the Ministry has been hiding this secret for so long, they must feel strongly about it. I believe that they’ll do anything to keep it a secret. The risk to any of us who remain here is real.” Benny paused and looked about the room. “Regardless, I don’t want to be part of the Ministry any longer. I’ve always hated how they’ve treated Unchosen. Knowing that their motivation is simply to prevent the use of something as amazing and useful as Chaos, I want no part of them.” Benny stood and placed his hand on Brock’s shoulder. “I’ll follow you, Brock. You’re the best person I’ve ever known. I don’t know where we’re going, but it’ll be better than remaining here.”
Brock smiled, gripping Benny’s shoulder.
Cam looked at his friends as he thought through these new revelations. If he left, he’d never be a Master Paladin. Would that be so bad? It was his father’s dream, forced upon him. He’d never felt like he controlled his own destiny. Perhaps it was time to be his own man.
Rising to his feet, he gripped Brock’s other shoulder. “I’m with you, Brock.”
Lars laughed. “Okay. I’m in. I never liked it here anyway.”
Parker nodded. “My father’s going to hate this. I love it.” He smiled. “I’m in.”
Brock nodded, still serious. “Thank you all, but we have a long road ahead. We need to pack up and leave before dawn.” Turning, he glanced out the window. The first inkling of pale light was showing over the mountains. He turned back to face the group. “That leaves us with maybe a half hour. Lars, do you have a key to the armory?
Lars nodded. “Yeah. All Paladin assistants get one.”
Brock nodded. “Good. You, Parker, and I are heading to the armory to get a few weapons. The rest of you, get your things packed and meet me outside the main entrance.”
. . .
Cam grabbed the heavy cloth-covered book and stuffed it into Brock’s pack. He glanced around the room one last time, now clear of their belongings. Shouldering his pack along with Brock’s, he stepped out into the corridor and locked the door. He rushed down the hallway, hoping he wouldn’t see anyone in fear of them spotting the longsword strapped to his waist.
After running down the stairs, he crossed the main hall without seeing a soul. Hurrying down the hallway, he raced to the stairs beyond the library and he ran up to the third floor. As he reached the top, someone came around the corner. He jumped back in reaction, coming to a fast stop.
“Cam! You startled me,” Ashland said as she held her hand to her chest. “Where are you going? We’re supposed to meet out front.”
Cam nodded, stepping around her. “I need to speak with someone. I’ll be right down.”
Ashland nodded knowingly. “Tegan.”
He flashed a quick smile before turning to rush down the hallway. Stopping at the eighth door on the right, he knocked softly and waited. When there was no response, he knocked harder.
Nervously looking down the hall, he jumped when the door flew open.
Tegan stood in a thin white shift, rubbing her eyes. Her red mane was a mess. She looked glorious.
“Why are you here so early, Cam?” she asked.
“Can I come in?” he asked, anxiously.
She stepped back, allowing him in and closing the door after he slipped by.
“I have to leave,” he said to her. He had never been much for words, finding it easier to get straight to the point. “I want you to come with me.”
Her brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Cam sighed. “I’m leaving the school.” His eyes locked with hers. “Not just me, but a few others as well. I was hoping you might come with me.”
She stared at him as if he were crazy. “You want me to leave the Academy halfway through my last year? I’ll be a Master in six months.”
Cam stepped close, taking her hands. “I know it’s a big decision. You see, I love you. I want to be with you, Tegan.”
She chuckled. “I like you, Cam. We have fun together. However, there’s no way I’m leaving the Academy to go gallivanting off with you to who-knows-where.”
Cam was silent. He had said it, told her that he loved her. She had laughed in response. He swallowed hard and stepped to the door, glancing at her one last time.
“Go back to bed, Tegan. Goodbye.”
Cameron pulled the door closed and released a sigh. Heartbroken, he stared at the floor until he remembered that the others were waiting. He hurried down the hall, now eager to leave
the Academy far behind.
CHAPTER 18
Rays from the sun streamed between the peaks to the east to shine on the front of The Quiet Woman. A layer of frost glistened in the shady areas but was melted in the areas lit by direct sunlight. The frost crunched beneath Brock’s footsteps as he approached the inn. He opened the front door, stepping inside as the others followed.
Brock found the dining room empty and led his party to a table before making his way to the kitchen. As expected, Saul was busy preparing breakfast for the patrons who would soon arrive.
“Hi, Saul,” Brock said as he entered.
“Brock! Is good to see you,” the large man replied. “Been a long time since you been in Saul’s kitchen.”
“Thanks, Saul. I’m not alone, though. When Tipper and Libby join us, we’ll need food for eight. More if you expect other guests.”
The heavy-set cook nodded. “Saul has you covered, my friend. The food will be ready soon.”
Brock nodded, passing through the kitchen and out the back door. He crossed the frost-covered ground toward the apartment behind the stable. His heavy knock on the door echoed in the quiet yard.
Tipper’s tired voice came from inside. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Tip. Let me in,” Brock said through the door.
He waited until the door cracked open, a familiar eye peeking through the opening.
“Brock?” Tipper asked.
“Yes. Let me in. We need to talk,” Brock said seriously.
The door swung open, and Brock stepped inside. Libby was in the bed, the covers pulled up to her neck. Brock turned toward Tipper, who stood in his smallclothes.
“It’s good to see you guys,” Brock said with a smile before he became serious, remembering why he was here. “Tipper, I’m leaving the Academy and I think you and Libby better come with me.”
The Emblem Throne (The Runes of Issalia Book 2) Page 8