Official Reckoning

by Mark Albany

  I nodded. Someone that malevolent who could make others do his will without them knowing it was dangerous, indeed. I’d started to see what Norel meant. Sinking his claws into one of the Emperor’s Officials was a terrifying thing, true, but the implication that the way to the Emperor himself was open was even more terrifying.

  Everything that we fought for until this point was to keep the people of the Empire safe. What would happen to them if the people who were supposed to defend them had other priorities?

  I pulled myself closer to the cell’s bars and pressed my cheek against the cool iron. “I need to slip into a trance and project myself, maybe find Lyth. She told us to look for her before she disappeared. I think I can do it.”

  Aliana looked at me. “No offense, but someone who has run away twice when we’ve been in need isn’t exactly what I would call someone to count on.”

  “Well, it’s not like we have that many options,” I growled back. “I’ve tried, and I can’t undo these ropes. These bars will probably be a pain to get through as well, and once we’ve done that, we still have about a hundred Lancers and a powerful Official to deal with. Unless you have any ideas?”

  Aliana shook her head after a moment. I had honestly hoped that she had a better idea at this point.

  “How do you do it?” Aliana asked.

  “Well, the first time I managed it, I had the three of you as familiars,” I said softly.

  “That’s not an option, here,” Aliana said, pointing out the obvious.

  “The other two times, we had just had sex, the three of us, and then fallen asleep,” I continued.

  “There were two times?” Aliana asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “You want to do this now?” I grumbled, exasperated. “We don’t have much time. I need to find a way to project myself.”

  Aliana nodded. “Well, there’s never been much written down about the ability. Some were born with it, others needed to be trained in it for years, and all those who could were in the service of the Elven royal families, who guarded their secrets jealously and didn’t share them even when they were dying out. What little I know about it says that you need to be in some sort of trance, a state of mind that allows your consciousness to escape your body.”

  I nodded. That sounded a lot like what they had trained me to do back in the days when I was still trying to grasp my powers. I narrowed my eyes, leaned back against the wall and settled as comfortably as I could before closing my eyes entirely. I could do this. No familiars, no sex to help me. I could do it.

  I sank into myself. The sensation was similar to sliding into a massive underwater lake as the warmth of it comfortingly enclosed me. I relaxed in the feeling, able to push the pain and discomfort aside for a moment and just bask while trapped in my mind.

  Then I took control and pushed, forcing my consciousness to delve deeper into the pool of my power and reach for it. I had no idea what I was doing. I could kill or injure myself doing this, for all I was aware.

  And suddenly, like a bubble bursting, I was out. I sucked in a deep breath, just like all the other times, as the world closed around me. I looked down and saw myself bound and leaning against the wall, droplets of sweat sliding down my forehead. I couldn’t feel them.

  Weird.

  I turned and drifted through the steel bars. Moving was a lot more tiresome than I remembered. I still felt like I was floating through the air, but I was weighted down somehow. I pushed through the walls and climbed into the air. I felt out of breath once I’d cleared the walls and was looking out into the forest. There was a hint of a tug, as though something—or someone— reached out to find me. It was different from before. Where the last time was a gentle awareness, now it felt like something reached out and grabbed me.

  It wasn’t the direction of the glade, I mused, wondering if that was good or bad news. I needed to find Lyth, of course, and she wouldn’t have returned to the glade after the attack. Then again, this pull could be something else entirely. She had made a point of telling me that it wasn’t safe in this…state of consciousness, even after insisting that there weren’t too many people left alive in the world who could do it.

  I decided to roll the dice. I didn’t know what I was doing, so although there might be consequences for my actions, there certainly would be consequences for my inaction. I pushed myself toward the tug. The movement felt draining—just staying in this state was exhausting—but I pushed myself faster and harder, gliding over the forest in the direction of the tug.

  I pulled myself to a stop when I saw a familiar head of turquoise hair turn to look at me, only a few miles away from the town itself. I smiled, leaned closer, and lightly touched her shoulder.

  She jumped, spun around, and slashed at my neck with what looked like an elegantly carved spear.

  “Fuck!” she exclaimed when she realized that it was only me. “Don’t sneak up on people like that! It’s rude.”

  I wanted to snap back and tell her off, but I realized that we didn’t have time for a debate at the moment. “You’re closer than I expected you to be,” I finally said, keeping it simple.

  “Well, I had to follow you four, didn’t I?” she grumbled while shaking her head. “Those walls around the town are a complication, of course, but not impossible to overcome. I don’t want to spend too much time wandering around the place looking for you, so I expected you to come out and give me some directions. Where are you?”

  “There’s a dungeon building toward the back of the town,” I explained. “Away from the gates, I mean.”

  “Excellent,” she said, grinning. “So, here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll get inside the walls, find you four, release you, and then you four will help me take the town back from Abarat’s control, or that of his minions. How does that sound to you?”

  “Fantastic!” I replied, trying to hide my sarcasm, and failing. “But then, so are fairy tales. How do you expect to accomplish any of that?”

  She smiled and shrugged. “I have my ways. Just be ready when I come for you. We’ll need to move fast and decisively when the time comes. Now, go back. I can sense you lack the energy to do this for much longer. I’ll be there soon, so you should rest in the meantime.”

  I nodded, unable to disagree. My limbs went from feeling heavy to downright leaden, and it was almost with relief when I released myself to reenter my body.

  I gasped for breath and almost fell forward when I realized that my hands were still bound.

  “How did it go?” Aliana asked. “Any success?”

  I nodded and leaned back against the wooden back wall of my cell. “I found her. Lyth is coming for us, and she told us to be ready when she arrived.”

  20

  I wasn’t sure how quickly the night passed. Most of it was spent dozing off and then waking up when any movement caused the ropes to dig into my wrists. It wasn’t the best rest I’d ever had, and I was almost at my snapping point by the time I heard a key turn in the doorlock for our dungeon.

  My head snapped up as I quickly scanned the darkened room. I didn’t see any Lancers about, which was decent enough news, I supposed, but if the person entering intended to stand personal guard over us, it would make Lyth’s work that much more difficult.

  Not impossible, I assumed. The woman had broached the task of breaking into a walled town and finding a dungeon that was guarded by well-armed and magically armored soldiers with the same kind of annoyance as one might address having to walk through a light drizzle. Less than ideal, but by no means impossible. A few guards wouldn’t add to the difficulty of her mission. Not by much, anyway.

  I scowled, trying to bring my hands in front of me but stopped by the damned ropes again. I tried to reach into my power for what felt like the tenth time, but it was more stubborn than usual. The more I reached for it, the harder it was to grasp.

  It had to be the ropes. Or maybe the gag that still hung from my neck.

  The door opened to allow in a hint of torchlight from outside. I
leaned forward, trying to see who it was. The lack of heavy armor hanging from the tall, lean, shadowy figure was promising, as was the figure’s lithe and soundless movements. Whoever it was turned just enough for me to to see the dim silhouette of a bow and quiver hung from one shoulder, which sealed my suspicions even before the person moved to my cell and unlocked it.

  “Hello again, human,” Lyth murmured as she moved closer and crouched in front of me. “Did you miss me?”

  “You have no idea,” I whispered in response. “My name is Grant, by the way.”

  “I’ve gotten used to calling you ‘human’ in my head,” Lyth responded. She pulled a dagger from her belt and waited for me to turn far enough for her to cut the ropes.

  “Well, I suggest that you get un-used to it,” I growled back, rubbing some feeling into my hands as she stood and offered a hand to help me up as well.

  “I’ll try,” she replied with a grin. “But I shan’t make any promises.”

  I nodded. “That’s all a man can ask for.”

  She chuckled and turned to leave my cell, but paused and turned back. “I found this in the guardhouse outside.” She pulled my sheathed sword from where it hung at her hip. “You should be more careful with where you leave that blade. It isn’t something to be left behind or lost. Or let fall into the wrong hands.”

  I smiled. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” I said, keeping my voice low as I attached the sheath to my belt before moving out of the cell. Lyth opened the door to Aliana’s cell first and let me in to deal with the djinn’s bonds while she moved over to Norel’s. Aliana grinned up at me and smirked when I used my sword to cut her loose.

  “It’s a real shame that you don’t have a pair of knives. Easier to use in tighter situations, aren’t they?” She grinned and kissed my cheek after I cut her ropes.

  “A true shame,” I agreed with a smirk and watched as she flicked her wrists and a pair of blades appeared in her hands. She took a moment to flourish both of them, a bit stiffly thanks to the time she had spent tied up.

  We moved into Braire’s cell last. The woman was fuming.

  “Why the fuck did you leave me for last?” she grumbled. “It can’t be because I’m the least useful of the group, since that clearly isn’t true.”

  “It’s not like we planned it,” Lyth said, looking at the beastmistress with a scowl as she cut the woman free of her bonds. “You’re welcome for saving you lot, by the way. No, no need to thank me, just doing what I can for my fellow elves.”

  Braire scowled at the elf. I knew her well enough to realize that she was contemplating violence, even if it wasn’t seriously. I squeezed her shoulder. Her features softened a little at my touch and she reached up to gently squeeze my hand in response.

  “Thanks,” she whispered, although I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or Lyth. Either way, it seemed like we’d moved past the thanks and into the actual escape part of the rescue mission.

  “So, not to rush anyone, but do we have any plans to get out of this town?” I asked and looked at the four elves standing near me. Lyth looked at me and narrowed her eyes, tilting her head.

  “I thought I made it clear that we would first liberate this town from the control of Abarat’s minions,” Lyth said, looking at all of us. “That was why I decided to release you lot in the first place. I can’t do it alone.”

  “Not to be ungracious or anything, since I am very grateful that you released us from prison and everything,” Norel cut in, “but I’m not sure how much good we can do, even the four of us. The Lancers out there wear armor that cancels out most of what makes us capable of handling that many enemies.”

  “Didn’t Grant tell you?” Lyth asked and looked around. “I have my ways. Besides, not all of them are under Abarat’s control. All we have to do is get rid of the Official, and most of them will be able to bring themselves out of her control and surrender. Or at least have enough good sense to start running.”

  “She’s optimistic,” Braire said with a small smile. “I think I like her. She’s crazy too, but let’s be honest, that’ll just make me like her more.”

  Lyth grinned and nodded. “Anyway, shall we get moving? We have some preparations to finish before we can do anything like take this place back, so if the four of you would follow me? Oh, Braire, I think you need this?” She handed a pouch to the beastmistress.

  Braire snatched the leather pouch out of the woman’s hand and held onto it tightly. It was the pouch which contained all of the runed stones she used to summon her beasties from wherever they happened to be. I still didn’t understand the magic that went into that, in spite of her earlier explanation, but I wasn’t going to press her for it. It was something that I saw as unique to her. I would never be able to pull it off. I smiled, watching how relieved she was to have the pouch back. I squeezed her shoulder again.

  “Well, then,” I said, keeping my voice down, “what do you think we need to do before we’re ready to take this town back? Just the five of us… against scores of Lancers?”

  Lyth grinned. “Well, we want our Lancers as divided as possible should we engage them. I thought we could kill two proverbial birds with one proverbial stone by setting fire to their stock room, where they keep all of their weapons, arrows, and anything else they might need in case of a fight.”

  I looked at the three other elves, who all wore expressions of and probably felt the same surprise that I did. I had anticipated some sort of magical blast or something, but this plan was starting out a good deal more tactical and grounded. I wasn’t sure if I was impressed or disappointed.

  “Let’s move,” Lyth whispered, and without any further questions from any of us, we moved out of the dungeon. It had been a short stay, but I was convinced that I would never set foot inside the place again unless I was forced to. I gripped the hilt of my sword as I stepped out of the room, following Lyth as she guided us through the quiet halls of the building.

  In a few minutes, we were outside and breathing the crisp, clean, pre-dawn air.

  “The sun will rise soon,” Lyth whispered. She pulled her bow off her shoulder and drew an arrow from her quiver while moving through the town. I wondered just how she knew this place so well, but quickly recalled that she was the one who met us here, and had probably been here before. Chances were that she knew the layout better than we did.

  The deeper into town we moved, the more nervous I felt. Lancers were the type to patrol almost constantly—even at night—and aside from the handful that we’d seen circling around the edges of the wall, I couldn’t understand why there weren’t more of them around.

  Besides, it was already morning. Why weren’t they calling up everyone else? Hadn’t Faye told the commander that she wanted him out hunting monsters before sunrise? Either the man didn’t fear her enough to take her orders seriously, or something was up.

  “Something’s wrong,” Lyth agreed. I looked at her and narrowed my eyes, certain for the most part that I hadn’t said what I was thinking aloud.

  I didn’t have the opportunity to question her about it, though, as she looked up at the wall that we were approaching. One of the Lancers looked down at us, trying to make us out in the shadows.

  “Intruders!” the man suddenly called and turned toward one of the towers, some fifteen paces away from where he stood. “Raise the al…”

  His words cut off as a green-shafted arrow materialized in his eye socket and sent him stumbling back to land hard against the wall behind him.

  Lyth quickly grabbed and nocked another arrow and turned in my direction. I had the presence of mind to duck as she fired. The arrow cut through the air with a soft whistle. I glanced around in time to see it sink into the back of a Lancer’s neck as he turned to strike an alarm bell.

  The arrow punched through his neck and came out the other side. He fell forward, and his head struck the bell hard enough to send a single peal out into the town.

  All five of us looked around, trying to hear if the singl
e strike was enough to raise the alarm across the entire town. For one hopeful second, we thought that we might just get away with it.

  But then another bell started ringing. And another. And another.

  “Fuck,” I hissed. I looked at the rest of them and pulled my sword clear of the scabbard. “Are we still attacking the supply room, or trying to escape?”

  “Well, we had to assume that we would be discovered eventually,” Lyth said as she pulled three arrows from her quiver and put two of them in her left hand, neatly tucked against the bow as she nocked the last. “It just happened a little earlier than we anticipated. No reason to change the plan.”

  I looked around at the other three, trying to get a grasp of what they thought. Aliana could open a portal that would get all of us out of town. We could attack it at another, more opportune time. There had to be all kinds of opportunities for five admittedly powerful mages to attack a fortified town, right?

  Well, I assumed that Lyth was a mage as well, although aside from the astral projection, I hadn’t actually seen her use any magic.

  The three sisters looked like they were in the mood for a fight. Honestly, I was, too. A whole night of plotting my revenge needed to be unleashed sometime, and it might as well be now, right?

  I grinned wolfishly. “Let’s do it.”

  We moved between the buildings as the cacophony of bells kept ringing amid shouts to raise the alarm. We drew closer to where Lyth claimed the storage building was. She guided us into an open courtyard that led toward a building where a group of five armed and armored Lancers already waited outside, weapons drawn.

  Lyth led the way again, sprinting across the whole of the courtyard. She was light on her feet and outpaced all four of us by about fifteen strides before she came to a screeching halt. Fifteen more Lancers erupted from inside the building, ready for battle as the group circled around us. By the time we reached where Lyth stood, her bow pointed at the men in front of her, I realized that we were almost completely surrounded.