Faldyn was pacing back and forth, searching for clues to what might have happened during the attack on the outpost. “There are little to no tracks down here,” he muttered to himself, kicking at the underbrush. “They must have attacked from above.”
“Gorewings most likely,” I offered. My observation was met with a scowl. I got the hint. Clearly he knew more about the Shadow than I would ever know and trying to help would only annoy him further.
Since I was not wanted there, I tried to find something useful to do. After I pulled on the rest of my clothes, I started searching the wreckage for any sign of my things, all the while keeping an eye on Faldyn. With Venator’s capture of Hope, Stretch and Ephriam, the few remaining trusted friends who were going to help me were now gone. Instead, the only person left that I could look to for help was neither friendly nor trustworthy. I knew so little about Faldyn, but at the same time, I almost knew too much. Hadn’t I seen him in my first vision?
He was the only one of his battalion to walk away from Venator’s ambush; then Venator entrusted him to deliver a message. He was the only captain missing when Sanctuary was raided; now I knew that Faldyn was using a pouch of Venator’s fire-dust. I still didn’t have an answer as to how Faldyn discovered me in the lake, but that seemed suspect as well.
All my thoughts finally led me to a horrible realization: Faldyn could be working for Venator! He was a double agent, or at least, he was cooperating with them. It was the only explanation that made any sense. He hadn’t just happened to be passing by the lake, he must have followed me there. He rescued me from the lake while sending his men back to the outpost to perform the raid. Now Faldyn was playing it all up to convince me the Shadow had destroyed the outpost and taken the others captive.
Considering how well he seemed to track with the Shadow, I was almost sure he knew about the bounty on my head. The price must be pretty high to have enticed a Codebearer captain to turn me in; either that or Faldyn just plain didn’t like me. I definitely never entertained warm feelings toward him before, but now I downright despised the man. If my hunch was right Faldyn was probably the one who betrayed Sanctuary’s location to Venator so the Shadow could attack.
My theorizing was interrupted when I caught sight of something familiar in the bushes. My backpack! I ran over to examine it and found everything but the book; the Shadow had taken the Author’s Writ from my bag.
Reaching for my sword hilt, I glanced nervously toward Faldyn who was still combing for clues. Did I dare confront him now—it was only a matter of time before I’d have to—maybe this wasn’t the right time. Even if I was able to overcome his superior skill, strength and size to defeat him, where would that leave me? The truth was that I had no knowledge of how to navigate this forest, let alone find Venator’s fortress; I would need Faldyn to lead me...for now.
“We must leave immediately!” I could hear Faldyn bark over at me, his supposed investigation of the crime scene now complete. “Venator is not patient.”
You would know, I thought silently as I put on my pack and started cautiously back toward him.
Faldyn continued, “If we fail to reach them fast enough, he will most likely kill them all, or worse yet, send them to Dolor.”
“Dolor?” I asked cautiously.
“Yes, it’s a horrible place, far away on the Shard of Suffering. Few have gone there and lived to tell about it.” His eyes glazed over with the look of one who was lost in remembrance. “The Shadow reserve their most vicious torture for the souls of those who end up there. And if we don’t hurry that is exactly where your friends will end up.”
He says that like he cares. This pretense of his was making me sick. What were a few more lives to him, compared to the blood he already carried on his hands from Sanctuary?
“Normally it’s a four-day hike upstream from here to Venator’s fortress but I know a shortcut. We can be there in three if you can keep up with my pace.”
Before he could lead us even one step, the familiar low moan of the Uguas reminded me of the beasts we had left tied up near the riverbed just outside of camp. I smiled. “Who said we’d be walking?”
I showed Faldyn where we had left the Uguas. We each had our own ride and I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to talk with Faldyn for a while. I needed space to think. By the time we arrived at the fortress I would have a plan of my own.
Time flew by in a blur of branches as we raced through the treetops. If my mind hadn’t been so distracted, I might have remembered more details from the trip, but it was needless trivia to me now compared to my one, all-consuming mission: save my friends. Save Hope.
When Faldyn finally decided to steer us back to ground level, I was surprised the quality of the trees had drastically changed. No longer were they straight and sturdy with lushly stocked limbs. Instead, they looked pale and sickly, their twisted trunks straining to hold up crooked branches burdened by the weight of their stringy foliage. The diseased appearance spread all the way through the ground cover as well; only the hardiest shrubs survived, barely clinging to life, completely drained of color. The sound of the nearby river offered a bit of cheer to this otherwise dreary landscape. Following Faldyn’s lead, I unclipped and dismounted. He slapped his Ugua on its thigh and encouraged the creature to wander closer to the river and I did the same. Both were eager to wade into the shallow current and drink. I might have been too, if the water had not been a sickening, murky gray. Apparently Uguas didn’t care.
“We go on foot from here,” Faldyn announced abruptly, not wasting time to turn and walk upstream.
I looked back at the Uguas.
“Leave them!” Faldyn commanded, without looking. “The fortress is just beyond this riverbend. If they come any closer we blow our cover.”
As if on cue, my Ugua let out one of its low signature moans. Faldyn had a point, the Uguas would stay.
I hurried to catch up to the long strides that carried Faldyn so urgently. He was already well out ahead of me and showed no interest in slowing or talking for that matter. I had to play my cards carefully with Faldyn and chose to be silent along the next mile of river. The river seemed willing to take over for our lack of conversation, growing steadily louder and louder as we approached the bend.
Before we reached the corner, Faldyn held out his hand to signal a stop, then motioned me to follow him into the trees. I cautiously followed through the forest. Soon, we edged near enough to the river again that we could see what was hiding around the bend. Towering some three hundred feet above us was an impressive waterfall. No doubt, if Stretch had been with us, he’d have spouted off an educated guess as to how many gallons of water per second it sent careening down the sheer rock face. I can only say it was a lot, and it was loud, but it was far from beautiful.
Camped menacingly atop the falls was an unnatural formation of black rocks that jutted up and over the fall’s breadth, creating an illusion of the waterfall spewing from the mouth of an angry giant rock head. The stonework was rough; it took me a moment to recognize the formation as manmade. Yet the presence of windows and parapets were obvious once I knew how to look at it. Rough-hewn and raw, the whole structure screamed its evil intentions. There was no mistaking it, this was Venator’s fortress.
Faldyn grabbed my arm to move me forcefully away from where I’d stopped, transfixed.
“Ow! Hey, let go!” I griped.
“Fool!” Faldyn hissed. “Get back before you give us both away.” He directed my gaze skyward in time to see a small battalion of Gorewings soaring toward the fortress.
“Well, maybe you could fill me in on your plan now so I don’t screw up something else,” I retorted, earning a disapproving glare for my behavior.
“It will be complicated,” Faldyn explained. “The main door is heavily guarded. Nothing gets in or out without the Shadow knowing.” He pointed to the right side of the fortress where the newly arrived Gorewings were landing. “But my scouts have discovered a secret entrance behind the falls.” Then, taking note of the sun’s position, he concluded, “We must hurry. There is no time to explain.”
Faldyn moved us quickly and silently from tree to tree until we were within two hundred feet of the cliff wall, crouched safely behind a boulder. Catching my breath, I reassessed my situation: I was deep in enemy territory with the enemy as my guide. What on earth was I doing here? The answer wasn’t too hard to find. My friends needed me; their very lives depended on me making it into that fortress one way or another. For now, the “one way” involved following Faldyn as far as I safely could; the “other way” would come soon enough.
I couldn’t see them now, but during our approach I had noticed a patrol of guards posted along the base, barring our progress. For some reason their presence didn’t appear to concern Faldyn at all. He sat, wearing a confident smirk on his face, like one who knew what was coming next. Nervous that Faldyn might have chosen this place as his point of betrayal, I silently reached to put my hand on my Veritas Sword, readying myself for a fight. The gruff voice of a guard shouted an order, invoking the sounds of clanking armor and marching feet in response. Are they coming this way? I tightened my grip, but the footfalls never came close. They were leaving.
I nearly jumped when Faldyn touched my arm, motioning for me to stand and watch what happened next. Above the constant roar of the waterfall, a loud grating noise caught my attention, drawing my eyes to the fortress. The “mouth” of the fortress appeared to be closing; a massive stone slab was being lowered from where the fortress spanned the falls. Chains, gears, and the brutes powering the mechanism could all be heard groaning together as the gate slowly descended.
“The flood gate,” Faldyn explained. “It is closed once every day to reroute the water into the lower dungeons. The diverted flow is used to torture the prisoners. I’ve timed the process—we must move quickly to get past the drain spouts before they block our way. The falls will only be completely stopped for less than one minute. That should be enough time to make it to the door.”
Should? I didn’t like how uncertain that sounded. My only comfort was the thought that Faldyn most likely had used this entrance before and was just pretending innocence to keep me from suspecting him of treason.
A spray of water shot out from the waterfall as the gate tightened the flow. It was our signal.
“Now!” Faldyn sprinted out, fully expecting me to follow. I raced after him, trying to watch my footing on the rocky ground while keeping my eye on what was happening above me. I could tell the waterfall was beginning to thin out. At the same time, a series of trickling streams began to flow out of the fortress, down the rock face high above us, like someone had just punched holes in it. What I had previously thought were lower windows now proved to be the drain spouts Faldyn had described. Reaching the cliff base, we were forced to splash through the raining drain water and fight our way over to the dying waterfall. We were wet, the rocks were wet. Footing was hard to maintain, especially when you added in the factor about me running for my life.
“Hurry, Hunter!” Faldyn yelled from ahead of me. “The falls will not stay closed for long.”
There in front of us, cut inconspicuously into the side of the waterfall’s rock backdrop, was a crude doorway. The metal door was perfectly camouflaged; its dark gray color and lumpy texture allowed it to blend right in with the rock face. And Faldyn wants me to believe he discovered it on his own? Yeah right!
“It’s locked! It’s not supposed to be locked!” Faldyn grunted as he tried ramming his shoulder into it.
Was this part of his show? Or had one of his accomplices forgotten to leave it unlocked?
Regaining his composure, Faldyn fished at a string around his neck. “No matter, this key should work.” He pulled out a heavy iron key from his shirt, and seeing my reaction, added defensively, “My scouts recovered it off a fallen guard.”
Already, the waterfall began to trickle down on us again. Faldyn fumbled with the key, trying to force it into the lock. It was not cooperating.
By now, Faldyn was beginning to show signs of panic. “I don’t understand why it isn’t working!” Water was pelting us in greater force. It would be only a matter of seconds before the full force of the waterfall resumed, battering us against the rocks, washing what was left of us down the river.
I suddenly felt compelled to act. “Stand back!” I hollered, pulling out my Veritas Sword. Faldyn ducked to avoid my unexpected attack. The Veritas blade blazed over his head in a powerful arc and found its mark, cleaving a gash across the door lock and deep into the stone frame. Having lost his balance, Faldyn stumbled awkwardly under the downpour of water. “Get in!” I screamed above the roar. Grabbing hold of his cloak I pulled him hard toward the door. His body rammed against it and the rusted hinges broke free, sending us both tumbling to the ground.
We had barely made it in time. The floodgate had finally released its hold on the flow and the waterfall now reclaimed the rock we had just occupied. Water swirled in around us from the open door. I struggled to my feet but Faldyn lay still, the water pooling around him. Was he dead? Unconscious? I could only hope as much. That would make it a whole lot easier to escape his company. I lit my sword, chasing away the shadows, and bent low to examine him closer. His left eye had a nasty swollen lump over it. Ouch! That must have hurt. It looked like his hard head did the work of ramming the door open.
“Ah!” Faldyn growled suddenly to life, blinking his eyes in pain. “Point that thing somewhere else.” I dropped my sword from the surprise. As it clattered on the stone floor, the shadows flooded back in.
Blindly I tried to relocate my sword in the dark, booting it in the process. I could tell by the way the sliding sound stopped, that Faldyn had found it first. Moaning something about his head, his faint outline rose against the rushing waterfall behind him, filling the cramped doorway with his frame.
“If I didn’t know better,” he groaned sarcastically, while lifting my sword in front of him, “I’d think you were trying to kill me with this thing!”
My sword flashed to life, and behind the glow I could see a wry smile formed on his lips. He was too hard to read—was he amused that I might have tried getting rid of him, or at his dry attempt to be funny?
“I-I...” I stammered, unsure what action he would take next. “I was just trying to...”
“Calm yourself,” Faldyn commanded coolly. “You saved us both with your quick thinking; however, I think I’ll hang on to your blade for now. I find your technique a little too reckless.”
Faldyn swapped my sword for his own off his belt. This was not good—without my weapon, making an escape from Faldyn would be much more difficult. His Veritas Sword held in front, Faldyn pushed roughly past me, taking the lead again. The light revealed that we were at the bottom of a steep, cramped flight of stairs carved deep into the mountainside. Whatever poor souls had spent their lifetime chiseling this hidden passageway hadn’t spared any effort to make it larger than it had to be. The ceiling was barely tall enough for me to stand, but Faldyn’s taller frame required him to duck to avoid adding another bump on his head. Faldyn led the way, cautiously taking the first few steps, brushing aside thick, dusty cobwebs hanging from the corners before setting a quicker pace up the steep darkened staircase. At least I had one good reason to still be following Faldyn—he got to clean out the majority of the cobwebs. The countless steps carried us upward on a winding route, much like a vein, coursing through the cold stone heart of the fortress.
With Faldyn filling most of the tunnel in front of me, my view ahead was severely limited. We hiked up the monotonous trail for what seemed to be an hour, but most likely was only twenty minutes. I knew we must be near the top when Faldyn slowed to a halt. I could see the faint glow of a doorway over his shoulder. He motioned me to stay back as he silently crept up to have a look around.
A tense moment passed before his whispered voice relayed what he saw. “The passageway leads directly to a chamber!” I could hear the excitement in his voice. This is probably where he’s planning to turn me in and collect his reward, I thought. I tried desperately to think of some way to stop Faldyn before he could complete his plan, but there was no stopping him now. “Come with me, Hunter!” he called back greedily. “It’s safe! The door is unguarded and the room is...”
Smack!
An unnatural flash of something invisible collided with Faldyn at the doorway, sending him tumbling back at me. I slid down as many steps as I could to avoid being crushed by his oncoming weight. His body ricocheted off the walls like a pinball before he fell still in a sprawled heap only a few steps above me. What had just happened? I pressed myself low against the stairs, trying to hide behind his motionless body. My heart was running wild with fear as I stared at the wide-open doorway. No sign of movement.
Waiting until I was confident no enemy was lurking in the room above me, I inched closer to the fallen captain. “Faldyn,” I kept my voice to a whisper, just in case, “are you alright?” No answer. I quickly unhooked my Veritas Sword from his belt. Holding it as light over his contorted body, I felt his pulse. He wasn’t dead, but the new bump on his head guaranteed he was going to have one nasty headache when he finally came to. Lucky for me, I would not be sticking around.
Ever since we set out together I was hoping to lose Faldyn after he snuck me safely into the fortress. While I had planned out numerous, more daring methods for getting him out of the picture, this accidental fall did the trick.
Actually, now that I was replaying it in my mind, Faldyn’s unexpected collision made me laugh. It reminded me of Stubbs’s dog, Goober, and how we used to trick him by standing outside on the deck, throwing a squeaky toy for him to chase—only we intentionally left the sliding glass door closed. He’d invariably dash off his bed on the couch and, well…you can imagine the rest. He was never the brightest of dogs although I did kind of regret hurting him like that.
Looking back at the unconscious Faldyn, the only thing I regretted for him was that I didn’t have any rope or handcuffs to ensure he wouldn’t escape the justice he deserved. If I had my way, Faldyn would be captured and punished for what he had done to harm so many Codebearers.
Quickly grabbing the stolen key and the pouch of fire-dust off Faldyn, I stepped carefully over his body to examine this mysterious door. Whatever force had blocked the doorway was completely invisible. I could see much of the torch-lit room and would have easily believed I could step right into it, if not for what I had just seen happen to Faldyn.
Holding my hand out in front of me, I carefully touched the unseen barrier. When my fingers reached the threshold I could feel a slight resistance meet them. Ringlets of silver light pulsated from where I touched, accompanied by a faint tingling sensation, like I was brushing against a pool of water. I tested the surface further, feeling it give under the pressure. Then suddenly it seemed to snap back, leaving my hand to protrude through to the other side. Instinctively, I yanked back my hand. What was going on? Why did the surface not remain solid as it had when it knocked Faldyn out cold? Maybe it only let you pass if you were slow? I tested my theory by punching at the invisible wall with light, then heavy jabs. Each time, my fist passed through with little resistance. Whatever was creating this phenomenon, it apparently liked me better than Faldyn. Good. That means that Faldyn won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Emboldened by my discovery, I leaned my whole body into the mysterious door and stepped out into the chamber.
My first impression of the room, while I was still in the passageway, was that it needed some serious help. Now that I stood inside, my opinion was even worse. Despite the adequate light that should have been provided by four pairs of wall-mounted torches flanking key furniture, and the randomly placed candle, the room felt dark and cold. Most everything was a somber gray. The only splash of color came from a couple of deep burgundy tapestries emblazoned with a black, backwards S and haphazardly thrown articles of clothing that added the finishing touches to the depressing decor.
Whoever made their home here was clearly not suffering from the “neat freak” syndrome my sister contracted as a child. Something on the desk piqued my interest, and as I turned to step toward it, I caught sight of movement in the passageway behind me. I pulled out my sword in defense and spun around to face the threat. I had expected to see Faldyn standing in the doorway; instead, there I was confronting a boy, his Veritas Sword drawn, wearing a frightened expression to match my own. What I faced was not a doorway or an attacker. I had been fooled by a mirror, scared by my own reflection.
My reflection may have scared me first, but it was what hung from the twisted black frame of the mirror that commanded my fear now. Four, white skull masks stared back at me. I knew those hollow-eyed faces could only mean one thing—this was not just any chamber I had entered. This was Venator’s!
As soon as I realized where I was, I wanted out! Trouble was, the door I had stepped through only moments ago was nowhere to be seen. Only the menacing mirror provided a break to the otherwise solid stone wall. “I wonder,” I thought aloud as I reached slowly for my reflection. The glass surface received my touch, then began to ripple until I pressed harder; the mirror gave way, swallowing my hand. Fascinating! Venator had hidden his secret escape behind an illusionary mirror.
Looking back up at the masks, I marveled at the power this boy possessed. He commanded an army and the elements, bending reality in ways I could only imagine. What must it feel like? I reached out to touch one of the skulls, half expecting it to zap me. I flinched, but it hung harmlessly by its band. Taking it down to examine it closer, I noted how cold it felt. Curious to know what it was made of I tapped it gently against the wall. Ting, ting. Metal. Fitting.
With the mirror standing in front of me, it seemed only natural to try on the mask. I slipped the ghoulish, form-fitting face onto mine, adjusting the band before looking up. The face of Venator peered back at me in the mirror. The effect was eerie. Disturbed by the result I quickly took it off. My hands were shaking as I lifted it back to its hook, which explained why it fell. I was horrified as I watched it slip right out of my fingers and spin end over end until it hit the stone floor. In case you didn’t know, metal bowls falling off the kitchen counter can make a very loud noise. Metal masks falling on stone floors are even louder. Clang-ilang-ilang!
“Ah!” I gasped aloud. I fumbled around to stop it before someone heard the racket. Pounding on the chamber door told me someone had.
The low gurgly voice of a Shadow guard growled from the other side, “Master Venator? Is everything alright?”
My head raced with possible actions to take: hide, attack, beg for mercy, or...“Everything is fine!” I answered in a voice I hoped would sound like Venator. My heart beat loudly as I waited for his response, leaving me to wonder if my impersonation had worked.
“You do not sound well. I was told you were to be in the Lair,” the guard pressed. He sounded suspicious. “Are you sure...?”
“It’s none of your concern where I am. Leave me be if you value your head, fool!” This time I think I nailed it. After mumbling his apologies, the guard returned to his post. He had fallen for it!
Breathing a sigh of relief, I retrieved the dropped mask to hang it back up when a thought hit me; my ticket to moving about the fortress undiscovered was right here in my hand. All I needed were a few more items to complete my disguise. Kicking at the piles of dirty clothes on the floor, I found a suitable shirt and one of Venator’s black hooded cloaks. They both smelled like sweaty gym socks, but I figured that would only help keep others at a distance. After I pulled them over my clothes, I took the mask and placed it on my head once more. I braved one last look in the mirror as I drew up the hood. The disturbing transformation caused me to shudder. This disguise was enough to fool me. I only hoped it would fool the guards as well.
Taking a deep breath to bolster my courage, I marched to the door and flung it open. “Out of my way, imbecile,” I spat. I was really starting to get into character. The guard stumbled to one side as I pushed past him and headed down a flight of stairs. At the bottom, a long torch-lit hallway greeted me with the question: where to now? Seeing a group of guards gathered down a ways to the right, I opted for the path of least resistance and took a left.
The corridor led to another just like it. I took a right this time. Stairs. What I needed to find was stairs leading down. From every story I had ever read about castles, they always had a dungeon deep underground. Counting on the Shadow to have adopted these traditional floor plans, I figured this would be the first place I should look for my friends.
After another left turn I saw a heavy iron door at the end of the corridor, flanked by two of the larger Shadow guards. That must be the dungeon, I speculated. Even though I still wore my disguise, I didn’t have the confidence to immediately engage with the massive guardians. I needed time to formulate my approach, so I casually turned to slip back to the hallway I had just come from. Leaning against the wall, I started to rehearse what I might say to the Shadow brutes to get past them into the dungeon without raising suspicion.
“Open up! I wish to see the prisoners!”
No. Not mean enough.
“Step aside! I have business with the Codebearer vermin.”
Now I was trying too hard. Maybe I would just keep it simple and demand them to...
“Open up!” a muffled voice rasped. I peeked around the corner to see one of the guards grab hold of a heavy steel bar that secured the door. The primitive lock complained noisily as he slid it back, allowing the door to creak open.
The pad-click, pad-click of irregular footsteps announced the approach of a hobbling goblin from the dungeon staircase. Hopping onto the top step, he revealed his handicap: a stubby wooden leg. This was unmistakably Venator’s right hand guy, Zeeb.
“Step to it!” Zeeb barked down the staircase. “The master wants the new prisoners taken to their cells.” He tapped his wooden toe impatiently. “Do not make him wait.”
Three pale, abnormally thin Disprits, emerged slowly from the shadowed flight of stairs. Each of the creatures wore a scowl and a belt of keys that jangled noisily from their waists. One of them looked especially worse than the others, with scars covering his body, the most notable one being a thick, jagged scar that appeared to have sewn his left eye shut. They were the keepers of the prison. My thoughts focused on the new prisoners Zeeb had just mentioned. He must be referring to Hope and the others! If I wanted to find them, I figured my best option would be to follow the Dispirits.
As Zeeb rushed them into the corridor I tucked myself into one of the hallway’s thickest shadows and let them pass by. Zeeb’s distinctive footsteps made it easy for me to follow from a safe distance, always keeping to the shadows.
Up two flights of stairs and another two passage turns later, I found myself ducking for cover while a troop of goblins passed in the opposite direction of Zeeb and the guards. When at last it was safe to come out, I had lost sight of my unsuspecting guides. Racing down the hall I listened intently for the sound of Zeeb’s pegged foot.
Nothing.
I began to worry I had lost them for good when I caught a faint echo of Zeeb’s raspy voice dead ahead. Running to catch up, I discovered I was approaching a wider, vaulted hallway. Pinning myself against the wall I inched my way to the corner of the hallway and peeked around. Zeeb and the three pale Dispirits were disappearing behind an ominous set of black metal doors. I sprinted up to the slightly opened door, hoping to slip in before it shut.
Boom!
The hall resonated with the sound of an opportunity lost. In my frustration, I wanted to punch the door but thought better of it before I struck, partly because it would have given away my presence needlessly; but mostly because I was unnerved by the snakehead that glared at me from the face of the door. Actually, it was only one of many overlaid metal snakes that writhed their way across both doors in a single interlocking, knotted design. Breaking up this slithering game of Twister, in the center of the design, was the Shadow’s signature § spanning the height of the doorway. Every snake had its mouth open, flaring its fangs at me as if to communicate the message “Keep Out.”
Careful to stay away from any part of the door that looked like it was poised to strike at me I held my ear to the center crack, hoping to catch a hint of what was happening on the other side. I pressed my ear tightly against the small gap between the doors and was pleased to find I could hear every word.
“I’m through with these four. I tire of their stubborn resistance. Take them to the dungeon to await deportation to Dolor.” That voice must have been Venator.
“As you wishhhh, Master,” came the reply. It was clearly a Dispirit. “But what of the otherssss?”
“They will stay here with me. The boy intrigues me. He does not appear to be as foolish as the rest of them and the girl...” The voice changed to drip uncharacteristically sweet, “How could I let a flower of such rare beauty be locked away to wither?”
Slap!
“Save your illusions for someone else!” Hope’s wit was still as sharp as ever under pressure.
“How dare you!” Venator raged at her defiance.
There was another slap and I heard Hope cry out.
“Take your hands off her!” Another voice shouted. It sounded like Ephriam, though I wasn’t entirely sure.
A tussle ensued. Grunting. Chains rattling. Something fell—hard.
“Inssssolent foolsssss!”
Thwapp!
“Ah!” A Dispirit tongue had found a victim.
“Weak! Hopelessssss! Pathetic!”
Thwapp! Thwapp! Thwapp!
“Stop it! Leave them alone!” Hope begged.
“I give the commands around here!” Venator threatened. “Zeeb, bind her! She will be too much trouble left on her own.”
“Let...go...errgh!” Hope was not going easily.
Whatever man’s voice spoke next was too weak to understand, but I figured it must have been Ephriam, from Venator’s response.
“Enough! Take the captain and his men down to the dungeon with the rest of the prisoners. I want them on the next transport to Dolor so they can learn the penalty for speaking when they should stay silent.”
“Of coursssse,” came the eager reply.
The sound of footsteps approached the door. Realizing my need to find cover, I pressed myself into the corner of the doorframe. The door swung outward and I sucked in my stomach in an effort to become as much a part of the wall as possible.
A train of four chained prisoners held captive by the Dispirits streamed out from the doorway into the hall. The prison guards were not sympathetic to the difficulty the Codebearers had walking with tied ankles.
“Move faster, sssssslave!”
Thwapp!
By now the scarred, one-eyed Dispirit bringing up the rear had exited and the door began to slowly close. The procession was still too close to make a run for it, but at the rate they were moving, the door would slam shut again before they were far enough away for me to make any move. I had to stop the door from shutting. Taking my Veritas Sword handle from under my cloak, I shoved it into the door jam. The hinges creaked slightly as it pinched against my temporary stopper. Now I just had to wait for the prison “train” to pull a little further away.
The distant sound of Ephriam’s voice spoke softly to the others, “Do not lose heart, men.”
Another responded in kind, “Yes. Remember who we serve…”
“Ssssilence!”
Thwapp!
It pained me to see the abuse these Codebearers were enduring, but now was my opportunity to slip inside unnoticed while the Dispirits were distracted with dishing out another round of tongue lashings. I tugged at the Veritas Sword handle so I would be able to let the door close after I entered, but the makeshift doorstop was stuck tight. As I attempted to work it free, Ephriam’s voice called out over the torture, “The Author will make a way for us even here amidst...”
Thwapp!
“There will be no waaaay here but Venator’sssss.” The tongue-lashings continued in greater numbers.
At that moment the sword wiggled free. The door began to close and with it my second chance to enter the room undetected. But something stopped me. I could not escape the feeling that I’d been given an undeniable opportunity to save these men. My choice was clear; I let the door slam shut.
“Okay, Hunter, it’s now or never,” I whispered to myself. Leaping out from my hiding place I shouted as loudly as I dared, “Hold your tongues!”
The Dispirits snapped to attention when they saw me appear as Venator before them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded. The three Dispirits exchanged confused looks before one attempted to answer.
“We just assssumed…”
“Silence!” I interrupted. “You assumed wrong. These prisoners are special to me. Leave them unharmed until I come to deal with them myself.”
“But, Masssster, their spiritssss are still strong,” the thinnest one objected.
“Not once I’m finished with them,” I retorted.
“But…thisss is so unfair…” whined one of the disappointed Dispirits.
“No! If I was being fair then I’d be ringing your little necks right now for challenging my authority.” I squeezed a tightened fist in front of me for added effect.
The Dispirits only looked at each other blankly with their bulging eyes, unsure of how to respond to my threat. I got the impression that the “ringing your little necks” line was not quite in character for Venator. I should have gone with something a little more evil like “torturing your souls.” You’re losing them, Hunter.
“Go! Now!” I commanded with even more ferocity.
That seemed to do the trick. The three Dispirits jumped back in fright and began to scurry about to fulfill my demands. Amazing. This disguise sure carried a lot of power. I pressed my luck adding, “But I don’t want to deprive you of exercising your poisonous skill, so…I order you to inflict thirty, no fifty tongue lashings on each other for your defiance.”
The Dispirits looked back in shock, but none dared to challenge me this time. Instead, I watched as they pulled the fallen prisoners to their feet. As Ephriam stood back up, he turned his swollen face toward me. Something about the way his eyes met mine told me that he knew.
I watched long enough to make certain the Dispirits didn’t harm the men further, and then stole my way quickly back to the door. How was I going to get in now without being noticed? As I pressed my ear back up against the door to listen, the ringing memory of Ephriam’s words was the only thing I could hear: The Author will make a way for us…will make a way…a way…
Pad-click, pad-click, pad-click.
The sound of approaching footsteps told me that a new way had already been made. I darted back into my corner hideout just seconds before the door opened and Zeeb hobbled out. Timing my entrance with the closing door, I slipped inside just before the door slammed shut.