Invading Will Chapter 15
#25 of Invading Will
Invading Will
Chapter 15
By: D. C. Henry ("Ahndeleck")
Matthew sat in the small table that he and Thomas had he day before in the Roaming Gryphon. The sun wasn't really up yet, but the pub never seemed to close. There wasn't a thing about the place he liked, and he hoped that Thomas would arrive quickly so he could get out of the oppressive place.
Thomas had requested that they meet this morning and discuss the last of the details before they actually tried the impossible. He really couldn't see himself doing what he was about to do. A druid in a city, helping a fugitive break someone out of the dungeon. If anyone from his circle knew what he was doing they would mark his face and run him off forever.
Despite what it seemed though, it felt like it was the right thing. Sometimes, just following a little of what you felt was the way to help in any situation. There wasn't much proof to go on that Thomas told the truth, but the look of determination in his face said enough for him.
He felt the same sort of determination. As he traveled, many of the other circles nearby had appeared to be the same. Not all of the individuals in the circles felt the growl of war, but all of the arch-druids did. Just as it seemed to be with Thomas, he was in a dangerous land that held few friends he could trust. He hoped that maybe trusting an outsider might lead to a way to help the other druid circles.
Matthew drank from a mug of water the owner's apprentice had given him as he wondered how he had escaped corruption. Nearly all of the upper circles had fallen to the madness of war, but the lower circles, youngest, and inexperienced seemed unaffected. The horrible vision he had might have been a part of the madness, but he couldn't tell for certain.
Thomas walked through the door, and sat down at the other side of the table. The clothes he wore were covered in dust and dirt. The knees of his trousers were torn as well.
"What happened?"
"I found a way out of the city I think." Thomas brushed some of the dust off of his clothes, "And then I slept in an alley. The guards are looking for me, so I can't just sleep anywhere."
"Ah, that's true I suppose. Would you like some water?"
"No, we don't have a lot of time. I hope you've eaten light. Anyway, did you find the way to the dungeon?"
"Yes, but I couldn't tell anymore after that because there were a lot of guards in the court house. They seem to be preparing for a trial."
"Any idea which one?"
"I couldn't tell."
"Well, I'm thinking that they'll start with Deanna. She's a real threat to them. While her trial is on in the court house, we'll get the dragon down. The guards in the city will be headed to the main square thinking they can pin us down. We'll go inside the the Mayor's court house and get Deanna once she's on trial. Then we can escape onto the roof from the second floor. From there we can get into a side street that goes almost all the way to the east gate. With Deanna and Raogothcar, we can find a way to get the rest of the way out. What do you think?"
"I don't know, but since you haven't mentioned killing anyone yet I can do this."
"Don't rule out the possibility Matthew. I hope we can avoid it myself, but we'll see what happens."
"Now, I'm hoping that you could do some druid like things to make some distractions as we're getting inside the court house."
"What sort of distraction?"
"Oh, lightning from the sky, or turn the stones to quicksand. I've heard you can do that right?"
"I can't believe people think that just any druid can draw lightning from the sky." Matthew jerked a finger towards the sky, "Arch-druids can do that, and only the good ones. I'm the outer most circle, lightning and quicksand aren't going to happen."
"Alright, make a tree grow from-"
"No, inner circle."
"Pack of rabid dogs?"
"Middle circle."
"Then what? A wild flower blooms from the stones of the court house?"
"I might be able to pull that off if you give me a week."
"That'll work great. Alright, so we'll need a distraction, so be thinking about that. Otherwise, I think we're ready. You ready to do this?"
"No, I still can't believe that I am. Let's get your friends Thomas."
They left the pub and went out into the morning sun. When they turned into the main street through the town, a crowd of people were shuffling into the court house. Thomas glanced at Matthew, there was worry and grim determination in his face. Matthew hoped he would be able to help this man. There were more holes than a city of moles.
Within a few moments, they stood before the stables near the square. Matthew assumed that this would be where the dragon, Raogothcar would be. Thomas cupped his hands over his face as he looked inside.
"It's time to change the plan." Thomas stepped back from the window and started for the court house. "He's not there anymore."
"Not there anymore?" Matthew caught up to him, "Where could he have gone?"
"I'm guessing he's on trial right now. So we'll have to get Deanna out first. We'll have to see if we can sneak into the dungeon, which won't be easy with so many people at a trial. But you know, now that the plan isn't the same, I'm just going to do whatever seems best."
"So we have no plan?"
"Right. No plan."
Matthew shook his head to himself as they walked towards the court house. Thomas sounded so casual about things changing. Matthew felt his heart hammer in his chest, the plan was worthless, there were guards everywhere, and he was doing something growing in the realm of insanity.
Thomas slowed down as he came up behind a well dressed couple. He looked over his shoulder and held a finger to his lips. Matthew stepped behind Thomas and silently followed. Around them excited conversation mingled into a crowded buzz. Matthew thought he even heard morsels of conversation that sounded amused about the trial.
They arrived at the doorways to the courthouse, large imposing wooden doors. They looked like fortified boards on hinges rather than any sort of luxury, a fitting choice for what doubled as a dungeon. On either side of the doors Matthew saw a pair of guards. The other day there had only been two guards, but now four of them. Matthew eyed their searching faces before looking back to the ground before him. He could nearly feel the cold metal swords in their hands.
Thomas shuffled far too slowly for him. When Thomas started past the guards, Matthew held his breath. First one foot, then a second, and Thomas was past the man. Matthew clenched his fists as he set his first foot down. Then closed his eyes as he stepped to his other foot, he hoped that he wouldn't hear the man's voice. Matthew opened his eyes as his next step remained uninterrupted. None of the guards had stopped them, and Matthew felt he could breathe again finally.
The crowd walked through a short entryway and then into a cavernous central hall. In the center of the room was a large stone stage, and standing in the center of it, stood a young red dragon. A heavy steel muzzle had been clamped onto his head, which made him bow his head low. His wings had been bound with a thick iron bar that clamped each wing in a loop of chain. Each foot was bound to the stage with thick iron chains. He looked around him with wide eyed terror, Matthew's fear sank slightly as an ember of anger grew in him.
A hand took Matthew's shoulder, and he started in surprise. Matthew turned quickly and found Thomas smiling back at him. With a quick shake of his head, Thomas rolled his eyes upward to look at something behind him.
"What is it?" Matthew whispered irritably.
"Don't act too strange. There are a couple guards on the balconies, and several more down here. We don't want to draw too much attention yet."
"Fine, then don't be scaring me out of my wits."
"They don't know you, to them you're completely harmless Matthew. Relax."
"How do you relax when you're in the middle of a court house about to do something-"
"Not now." Thomas pulled Matthew to the back of the room, "Come on, we need to look around."
"What are we looking for?"
"I don't really know. But while we work our way to the back, look for anything that might be useful. Weapons, a way out that's not guarded, some handy lightning to use as a distraction."
"No lightning."
"Well keep looking, there might be something."
They were now walking underneath the large circular balcony that outlined the huge circular room. Spaced evenly around the balcony were pillars larger than most of the trees that he had ever seen. The light in the room floated around the top of the room where the windows let the sun shine through. Underneath the balconies, the shadows grew dark and the air smelt of sweat.
At the back of the room was a hallway that lead to the dungeons. Matthew had found that when he was there the day before. Thomas stopped at the edge of the hallway, glanced down the hall, then quickly turned back to the stone stage. Matthew stopped beside him, and followed Thomas's example in watching the stage.
"What are waiting for Thomas"
"For the mayor to walk down the hall, he's about ten paces from here."
"Alright, then what?"
"We'll see."
Matthew sighed, Thomas didn't seem to even think about what they were doing. There might be some wisdom in leaving the man where he stood and mingling back into the crowd. By night fall he could be a fair distance away from the city and from this insane plot to break fugitives from the dungeons.
The mayor walked into view. He was dressed in a black robe trimmed with dark blue edges and golden thread designs. Guards armed with spears flanked him, and finally with a guard carrying an arm length metal rod. The small procession climbed the stairs of the stage, as Raogothcar turned as far as the chains would allow him. The mayor turned, took the rod, and began walking around the edge of the stage.
"Noble men, citizens, and slaves." Mayor Heming waited until the murmuring died, "You have come to witness the trial of this beast. An escaped beast of burden from nobleman Henzer. A month ago he escaped his bonds during the night and has evaded capture for far too long."
Raogothcar stood taller and Matthew could see his surprise at what the mayor said. He growled and strained against the chains. The mayor turned to Raogothcar and stepped closer.
"During your trial you will remain silent, beast."
The mayor swung the bar like a club and struck Raogothcar's shoulder. The blow was lost to the muffled yelp of the dragon. He stood again and strained against the chains a second time. The mayor stuck at his chained foreleg, and the yelp returned and echoed through the building for a painful second.
"Now," The mayor turned back to the crowd, "in this time while this beast was loose, we have managed to find a number of crimes that he has done against Torland."
"Matthew" Thomas whispered in his ear, "come this way while they're all distracted. We won't have much time."
"You're going to leave him?" Matthew turned and followed Thomas down the hall, "To be beaten like that? That's your other friend isn't it?"
"I don't want to, but what can we do right now?"
"You know they kill dragons in trials right?"
"I know, now help me get this door open."
They had managed to jog down the entire hall to the large unguarded doors. Thomas pulled out a small piece of metal and handed one to Matthew. He carefully slipped the metal inside the lock of the door.
"I hope you've used one of these Matthew."
"No, but I have a better idea."
Crouching next to the wooden door, Matthew thrust a hand in his vest. A tiny portion of the wood rot remained and he pulled it out. Matthew rubbed the rot around the metal door locks.
"We won't have enough time to watch the doors rot you know. I'll die of old age before that happens."
"Just catch the locks when they fall."
"Fine, if I'm not senile by then."
Matthew closed his eyes and reached his mind out to the remains of the rot around the door. Carefully he prodded it and slipped some of his own determination and urgency into its very life. A soft crackling noise sparkled followed by Thomas's grunt from hoisting two large pieces of metal. Matthew opened his eyes and grinned.
"No lightning, but I can get in just about any door I want."
"Braggart. Now come on, we don't want to be seen here."
Matthew pulled one door wide enough for them to slip inside. Gingerly, Thomas set the metal locks on the ground and closed the door behind them. In moments they both started down a wide staircase that lead underneath the city.
******
When the guard returned, Deanna decided she would reach through the bars and brain the man on them. Then she could take the keys and free herself. Once free she would take the man's weapon, run him through, then run back the way they brought her. Every creature she encountered she would stab, cut, or crush. She wanted as much blood as she could get from every wretched living thing in the city. Nothing would be free from her grasp once she was free.
Deanna stood and took the four paces to cross her cell. She wasn't free, and she couldn't find a way to get free. Slowly she turned and started to cross the room again. If the guards had been foolish enough to store her sword in the room, she'd already be free. She could kill the guards by returning her sword to her, she had used the trick before. Once again she turned to pace. There weren't any weapons, nothing sharp anywhere she could see. Even the bowls with rotten food were far too light and brittle to work as any sort of weapon.
Disgusted once again, Deanna sat on the narrow wooden bench that served as a bed. There was no escape from this prison. No way she could escape on her own. There were no keys she could get to, no way to trick the guards that she could see, and nothing she could do would get herself out. She would have to wait on Thomas or Richard to release her. Once they did, she would rain fury on these people, bloody vicious fury.
She wondered then if the dragon would be the same. She sat against the cold natural stone of her cell as she tried to imagine the dragon in the streets above. Then she grunted with annoyance when all she could see was the dragon fleeing for his life. That dragon wouldn't ever be a vicious warrior, she almost felt sorry for his famous parents. They were great warriors in the Dominance War, and their son was nothing but a scared little whelp.
For a week she knew that Torland was to blame for everything. She had time she could have tried to work with the dragon. She didn't know what to do to teach him how to be a fierce fighter, but she should have tried. Then if he got free he would be able to free the rest of them. It was her own fault that the dragon couldn't fight, at least to some extent. He looked to her as a leader, and she had failed him, and herself. Deanna kicked at the floor and smashed the bench with a fist.
She sat letting her breaths come heavy and fast. The pressure of her anger choked nearly all thoughts from her mind, the red images of her bloody massacre of the town returned to her mind.
As the anger subsided again, she began to hear the distant shouts echoing through the caves. Through the night, all she heard were the echoes. These were different, they seemed to more like cheering. Deanna sat forward on her bench, hoping to catch phrases that might tell her what was going on. Then one voice rebounded from the walls, much closer and clearer.
"Maybe she's down that way, come on."
"Matthew, you're going to get us lost down here."
Deanna recognized Thomas's voice. Hope flared within her, and a deep and controlled rage rekindled itself.
"Thomas!" she leapt from the bench, "This way."
"Which way?"
"Come on," the stranger's voice said, "She's down here."
A tall man jogged into the small cavern and waved a small club in her direction. Thomas rounded the corner, sword in one hand and keys in the other. He stopped at the bars and started fumbling with the ring of keys.
"We don't have a lot of time Deanna. Raogothcar's on trial right now and we need to find a way to get him out before the beat him to death."
"How many are there, and how many did you kill on the way down?"
"Lots, I lost count. And we killed none. Matthew here is a druid and doesn't believe in killing."
"What?"
"Wanton killing is wrong," the tall man said then hefted his club, "but I don't mind hitting them hard enough to crack stone."
"Matthew?"
"Yes madam, I'm Matthew. And you-"
"Deanna. Thomas do you have any other weapons?"
"No," Thomas held out the sword, "but you can have mine."
Deanna took the blade and frowned. Poorly weighted and the blade was nicked in several places. Her own blade displayed true craftsmanship, but this sword displayed nothing to boast about.
"It'll do. Let's get out of here."
"Good, but there are-"
"Look out!"
A guard had leaped from the tunnel and lunged towards Thomas. Deanna pushed Thomas down and with her other arm poured her rage into her blade and threw. The sword tumbled towards the man and Deanna realized she had no control where the sword would go.
The guard flinched as the blade passed by his right ear. The weapon bounced on the stone wall harmlessly behind the man. He grinned and lifted his sword.
Matthew twisted in place and brought his club up as the guard began his charge out of the doorway. The crunch sounded as painful as watching the man tumble backwards to the unforgiving stone floor. Matthew bent down next to the unconscious man and put a hand on his forehead for a moment.
"I think I can handle not killing them Matthew." Deanna nodded. "Good swing."
"What happened Deanna?" Thomas jumped to his feet, "You never miss."
"I'll tell you later, let's go."
She led the two other men through the doorway. She gathered the sword from the floor and ran down the hallways. The shouts and cheers were thick through the rooms and followed her to the stairway up to the city.
Deanna put her back to the wall and crept up the stairway. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, determined not to throw it a second time. A small burning hope crept in her, she wanted a fight, she wanted the doorways to be guarded, she wanted blood.
Matthew and Thomas ran up to the stairs and then followed Deanna's lead. Matthew crept up the opposite side of the stairs with his club held above his head. Thomas had found a small knife from somewhere and held it before him beside Matthew. Deanna leaned to her side to see the doorway.
"Its unguarded." Deanna lowered her sword and walked up the stairs, "Come on."
"Wait, Deanna." Thomas jogged to the doorway to stop her, "There are at least a hundred people in there. Most of them don't have anything to do with what's going on. We don't need to wade through them. There isn't enough of us."
"Then what do you want? We could ask them to surrender."
Through the doors she heard a cry that wavered pitifully.
"Let's kill them."
"No," Thomas put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back, "That's suicide Deanna. We can't rush in there and hope to leave alive."
"I've got an idea." Matthew stepped up to them.
"What? Negotiations?"
"Let's free the prisoners. There's hundreds down here it sounds like. I don't think that there are enough guards outside to stop the whole dungeon escaping all at once."
"Deanna, I think that could work. In the confusion we could free Raogothcar and then sneak out the roof. From there we can take back streets to the west gate and hide in the woods."
She glared at them both. Thomas might be right. If she could find her own blade, a whole army wouldn't stop her. She'd tear through anything. With a piece of trash kitchen knife she couldn't fight off an entire guard of a city. The chaos of prisoners running free through the city would give them all a chance.
"Do it, and do it fast." Both men ran down the stairs, "The longer you take the weaker the dragon will be. Go!"
Deanna crouched at the door and peeked through a hole in the wood where the lock should have been. Outside she could see the crowd of people. On the stage was the mayor, a large rod in his hand that had been stained red with blood. The dragon laid on his side gashes all over his body, and blood making darker red trails over his hide. Deanna ground her teeth together.
"As Baguru as my witness, I'll kill you all."