by Ajax Lygan
“How much of that do you have?” Tempest asked as Ella poured another vial of the acid into the keyhole.
“Oh, plenty,” she said, sliding the vial back into her bandolier. “I’ve got enough for every door in this godforsaken place.” Once the acid had finished the job, they entered into the dungeon’s cell area. The ten rooms were all empty until they reached the last room.
“Gods…” Tempest let out as he saw the sight before him. The body hung from the ceiling, as blood completely covered and dripped from their body. Their neck, wrists, and feet clasped with chains that rose toward the roof of the room. Their body hung like a clock’s pendulum, ticking as their life faded away. Tempest was unsure of who this was until the bruised face looked up at him.
“Temp…” It was Sophia’s voice. Tempest wasted no time by using his force magic to crush the lock and swing open the door. He knelt down, holding her face in the palms of his hands.
“It’s me, Sophia, it’s Tempest. We’re here to save you.” A cracked and bloodied smile managed to form onto Sophia’s face as she hung there. Tempest turned toward the guard and shouted at Ella. “Go check if he has the key to these clasps while I heal her.”
“Right,” Ella responded as she began searching the corpse in the hallway.
“Saïgra, help me lift her. I need to concentrate on healing her quickly.” The pair took opposite sides of Sophia, rotating and lifting her to provide some relief. At the perfect time, Ella sprinted into the room and began fumbling with the shackles.
“It doesn’t work. This isn’t the right key.”
“The patri…” Sophia struggled to whisper.
“Don’t talk, Sophia, save your strength,” Tempest said. “Ella, use your acid, I’ll just heal through it.”
Ella nodded and pulled off another vial as Tempest concentrated. He empathized with the entire torment she suffered. Bloodied holes peppered her skin where her feathers had once lain. She had internal bleeding, a punctured lung, and lacerations all over her body. Her shoulders were dislocated from hanging in the position for so long.
A tear fell onto his cheek as he thought about the immense pain she must have been in. His sadness turned into a firestorm as he healed each of Sophia’s wounds. When he heard the final clank of the iron bindings, Tempest opened his eyes.
He had completely restored Sophia’s body and feathers. Saïgra and Tempest let her feet down as she looked over her body. She turned with tear-filled eyes as she jumped into Tempest’s arms. All of her pain came through at once as she cried.
Tempest wrapped his arms around her as she dug her face into his chest, completely soaking the neck of his tunic. Saïgra and Ella wrapped their arms around Sophia, trying to create a safe space of comfort. After finishing her much-needed release, she leaned back, gasping as she wiped the tears and snot from her face.
“They ambushed me at my house. I don’t know how they found me, but they did. How did you find me, and where are we?”
“We’re at a fortress in an island chain off the coasts of Halairim and Aerlanthir,” Tempest said, taking off his cloak and wrapping it around her. We got your message and made our way to your home. We were attacked there by more Cessation members.”
“Good, you know who they are. Did you know the patriarch of the Bank of Bothnan is one of them?”
“Actually, that’s how we found you. We found your clue to follow the money, so we went to the Bank of Bothnan. There, we met with Father Habernackle who, after trying to kill us, led us to the patriarch’s chambers where we found the information that led us here.”
“Did you bring the Queen’s army with you?”
Tempest looked at his other companions before turning back to Sophia. “No, should we have?”
“It wouldn’t have hurt. This place is the training camp and headquarters for the Cessation. The organization isn’t huge, but they are fanatical. Every one of them will die for the cause.”
“Good, because that’s what we plan on doing to them. We have a crew of reinforcements waiting for a signal to assault the fortress.”
“No!” Sophia said, reaching her hand out. “This is our only chance.”
“What are you talking about?”
“All the leading members of the Cessation have been here for several days. They’ve been coming and going using teleportation, portals, or some other means. If we don’t get the jump on them, they’ll likely escape.”
Tempest scratched at his facial hair and nodded. “If now’s our only chance, we have to take it. But we need to get you to safety first.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have no weapons or armor.”
“I don’t care. I’m not letting these bastards get away with what they did to me.” Sophia took a step forward, tears masking the rage behind her eyes. “Don’t take this from me.”
Tempest let out a groan and handed her his swordstaff. “Okay, but you’re staying in the rear.”
Sophia spun and thrust the swordstaff before turning back to Tempest and smiling. “I’ll think about it.”
The group smiled as Sophia settled back into her normal self. It would be a long time of recovery, but for now it was good enough. Tempest led the group back toward the stairwell, taking a moment to pull the dagger from his fallen foe. After briefly wiping it off, he slid it into his bandolier, and ascended the stairs. Once they reached the level that they had come from, Tempest raised his fist, halting the group. Voices echoed in the hallway, signaling approaching foes.
“Paun better not be asleep again, otherwise, I am going to tear him a new one.”
“Gru said he heard the doors opening down here, and to check it out. He better not be doing what I think he’s doing.”
“I swear if he spoils her with that rat fickle cock of his, I don’t care how long he’s been in the brotherhood, they’ll find him at the bottom of the ocean.”
Tempest’s anger grew at the implications they spoke of. He looked back at his crew behind him locking eyes with Sophia whose face was still puffy from her exclamation of sorrow, moments earlier. He held up his hand, signaling to wait, and took a deep breath. When he was certain, from their echoing footsteps, that they were less than ten feet away, he acted.
He side-stepped into the hallway, sliding two daggers into his hands. With his force magic behind them, he targeted their throats. The two bearin were large enough to take up the entire width of the hallway, making targeting their throats easy. They dropped their spears as they clasped at their throats, blood spilling through their fingers and mouths.
Tempest took two large strides as he gripped the handles of the two blades secured to his lower back. With one overhead swing, the serrated edges of his new weapons wedged into the bearins’ skulls. With a meaty thump, Tempest used his feet as leverage to pull the blades from the dead bodies, clasping the blades in place on his back.
He jogged back to his companions, who were standing in the hallway waiting for him.
“We need to hurry,” Sophia whispered. “The more bodies we leave, the higher chance there is that someone is bound to find something.”
“Do you know where the leaders are?” Tempest asked.
Sophia closed her eyes, her face scrunching like she’d tasted something sour. After a few moments, her eyes shot opened, and she backpedaled toward the stairs. “I think I remember. Follow me.”
Tempest’s loud whisper to wait went unheard as Sophia sprinted up the stairs. By the time they caught up with her, Sophia was pulling Tempest’s swordstaff from the back of the skull of one of the cultists. Sophia looked both ways around the hallway before heading up one more level.
Tempest was sure they were now in the main complex, out from the underground passage. The white stone floor was reflective, showing the immaculate care taken on the smooth cut stone. The walls were ladened with gold panel molding with gold paisley painted on the wood walls.
Crescent moon stone pillars lined the walls every few feet, creating an extravagant acce
nt. Candle holders and crystal chandeliers provided enough candlelight that could almost be confused as sunrise. The stone carved stairs and railing was a dramatic shift from the slabs of cobblestone that composed the basement and dungeon levels. The large open hallways seemed to exaggerate every step that Tempest and his companions took.
He was glad he asked Riika to stay back, otherwise, they would be engulfed in enemies by this point. When he reached the top of the next level, he looked up to see Sophia crouched, holding out her hand. Tempest took the last few steps slowly as he crept toward his companion.
“There’s a door down the hall with two heavily armed guards standing at attention,” she said. The two peaked around the corner and watched as the guards opened two massive wood doors, funneling several servants carrying trays of food into the room.
“Looks like it’s dinnertime,” Tempest said with a half-smile. “That’s going to keep them busy for a bit. Is there any way of getting into that room besides those two doors?”
Sophia scratched her cheek before she continued. “When they first brought me here, they took me into that room. They kept me blindfolded, but the person who wrapped it around my head didn’t do a great job. I could see up and down, just not forward. What I remember is that the room had bookshelves lining the walls. However, above from where I was sitting was a second level with a railing and more bookshelves. I couldn’t see a door, but it may have an opening we could get through?”
Tempest turned back toward Ella and Saïgra, who just shrugged. “Well, it’s worth a shot. If we don’t find an entrance, we may need to fight our way in.” The group acknowledged and headed up the stairs toward the next level. This was the last ascended floor, as the stairs opened up into an area for relaxation full of lounge chairs, chests, and tables. Tempest looked at the opposite wall and frowned. The doors did not line up one for one like they did on the below floor, making it a crapshoot on which to pick. He tiptoed up into the lounge area, looking down both hallways. An armored guard was walking away down the left hallway, giving some time for them to cross.
“Follow me, and be fast,” he whispered as he crouch-shuffled across the hallway into a door catty-cornered from the stairwell. He opened the door quickly and ushered his companions in before he quietly closed the door behind him. When he turned around, he froze.
Everyone in front of him was still, including the vulpine servant who had just finished making the bed. Her eyes were enormous as they quickly darted between the four unexpected guests standing in front of the doorway. Tempest couldn’t stop what happened next. As if he was watching everything in slow motion, he saw the vulpine begin to take in a large breath, getting ready to scream. However, his swordstaff pierced the center of her chest before she had the opportunity to. Her body slumped back dead onto the bed, the weapon sticking straight up into the air.
“Sophia, what the fuck,” Ella whispered.
“What?” Sophia shrugged, walking toward the servant. She pulled the weapon from the body without hesitation.
“You didn’t need to kill her; we don’t know if she was involved.”
“Think, Ella,” Sophia said, tapping her finger repeatedly to her temple. “It’s a fucking cult. Everyone is involved, and I won’t hesitate to kill each and every one of these pieces of shit.”
“She’s right, Ella,” Tempest said. “It’s not time for a lecture on morality.”
Ella opened her mouth and turned toward Saïgra, who immediately looked away in an effort not to get involved. Ella just shook her head as they fell back behind Tempest. He pointed to a door that was in the back right corner of the room, then went and crouched behind it.
Learning from his previous mistake, he cracked it open and saw that it opened up toward a railing that circled the room. The sounds of silverware scraping upon porcelain plates echoed from the room below. He slid the door open further, far enough for him to peer around both corners.
He saw only rug lined walkways, a few doors, and walls lined with bookshelves. After pushing the door completely opened, Tempest waved his hand downward, signaling for the group to go prone. They began crawling on their elbows, maintaining a low profile as they pried their heads in between each of the railing’s columns.
A group of leather chairs and small wooden tables lined the room in an unorganized pattern. Three men and one woman sat in the chairs while Patriarch Markov paced around the room. Tempest felt a lump in his chest as he recognized someone else he knew. Ella tapped Tempest on the shoulder and wrapped her arm around Tempest, bringing her mouth close to his ear. She began pointing at each of the figures, starting with a wulven man wearing a doublet and a puffy coat.
“Tempest, that’s the fucking baron!” Ella whispered, shaking.
“Of Meadow’s Crest?” he asked.
She nodded her head quickly. “The woman, I know you recognize, is Lady Kalynna. The elven man I don’t know, but the katzen with black short fur and gold makeup is King Mido Yikhas, King of Obovna.”
As Ella finished the introductions, the pair watched as a large mirror along the far wall shimmered into a portal the pair had become all too familiar with from the events at The Academy and Honeybrooke. A hooded figure appeared before the group, who all turned at the sound of the magical ripple as the portal formed. Tempest felt a trickling feeling of dread coming from the newly formed portal.
“You’re late,” Patriarch Markov said, tapping his foot. “We expected you over an hour ago.” The hooded figure’s voice grated like someone who smoked too much ravenweed but still spoke eloquently.
“Some of us must attend to more important matters rather than filling our bellies with fine Iðnan delicacies,” the hooded figure quipped.
“So, you expect us to starve?”
“No, I expect you to do what you claimed to be capable of. My master is displeased. Since you all have seemed to be incapable of the task, we’ve had to take…other measures.”
“How dare you insult us like this! The Cessation has stood for generations. We’ve killed and imprisoned a substantial number of heretics, keeping Iðna free for hundreds of years.”
“Your ancestors, yes, but you…” The hooded figure shrugged.
“You insolent little worm. You and your master can go back to wherever you came from. If you have nothing for us, then go. We require no more of your services.”
The hooded man let out an exaggerated sigh. “So be it, Patriarch, but I imagine you will meet the Aspect very soon.”
The Patriarch’s stance and tone shifted as he straightened upright. “What do you mean, seer? If you have information about the heretic, then you must tell us.”
“All I can say is you’ve gotten sloppy in your old age. I imagine you’ve been wondering why you haven’t heard from your teams in Halairim. The Aspect is hot on your trail.”
The Patriarch grabbed his trunk and paced around the room, catching glances from his peers.
“What is he talking about?” the baron asked.
“He’s obviously lying, you fool. Trying to play some kind of sick game.”
“Believe what you wish, Patriarch,” the hooded figure said, crossing its arms. “It’s your funeral.”
“Be out with it, fiend, what are you implying, that the heretic is coming here? There’s no way he could find out about this place, and even if he did, it would be suicide.”
“Don’t underestimate the Aspect’s devotion to his friends and loved ones. Those roots run deep.” Tempest felt Sophia’s fingers tighten around his own as the events continued to unfold.
“You mean the lead investigator? There was no connection there.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Lady Kalynna said. “Lead Investigator Windcatcher was sent from Halairim into Ashwreath when Queen Alyndra solicited a rebellion in the city. While there, the heretic and his companions were arrested and forced into a situation to find the Queen and bring her to justice, and I think we all know how that played out.”
The Patriarch spoke slowly; his t
one slowly increasing in volume. “Why is this the FIRST TIME I AM HEARING ABOUT THIS?!”
Lady Kalynna just shrugged. “I don’t know why you are getting so upset. She was their retainer, and they left her tied up in the forest. It’s hardly something to write home about.”
“It doesn’t matter. The reason all of you are on this council is for the value you bring. Information is one of those things!” Everyone’s attention turned as the hooded man’s chuckle turned into roaring laughter. The patriarch stomped his way toward the portal, completely concealing it because of his size.
“What’s so funny seer?”
“Oh nothing, just the irony of the situation. I really should be going. It seems like you all have everything under control.”
“Seer, wait,” the baron called out, running up to the mirror. “You’ve always left us with advice. Please share your word.”
“Run.”
Tempest heard the same shimmer sound before the room got silent. Patriarch Markov gripped the large mirror, picked it up over his head and smashed it on the floor. Guards rushed into the room at the sound of the disturbance.
“What have you done, Patriarch!” the elven man said, jumping from his chair and picking up the broken pieces of the mirror.
“It’s fine brothers, you can resume your posts,” the patriarch said, waving the two guards off. “Actually,” he said, holding up his finger, “bring us the lead investigator for additional questioning. Let’s see if we can…open her up for some more questions.”
The guards sprinted out of the room and Tempest felt Sophia’s hand squeeze. He looked over and saw tears streaming down her grimacing face as she looked on at her assaulter.
The patriarch walked over toward the elven man and helped him up to his feet. “This was something we should have done a long time ago. We should never have accepted the seer’s help, nor relied on him. He’s nothing but a bubbling fool speaking in riddles.”
“I could give two shits about the seer; you’ve broken an infinity mirror. There’s only a handful in existence.”
“I’m sure you can repair it, Master Zelphar. Your hammer has never let us down.”