Chapter 17 The Rescue
The morning was still fresh, cold and dim.
There were more clouds out than most of the days I was here. No storm clouds though. Hopefully, this is an advantage for Atouk. I walked up the mountain screw path toward the top. I made the walk-in around twenty minutes. The guards at the side door of the main gate recognized me.
"Over here."
One of them called out. He was not quiet. I walked up to him.
"You are expected. This way."
He turned and opened the door with a key. He held the door open for me from the outside. I walked in and another guard was waiting.
"Follow."
I did. We took a long corridor and made a right. If Atouk was around here, he must be practically invisible.
We followed a second long corridor after the turn. We passed by a dark doorway.
As we passed, I looked as far as I could see down the dark hall. I was met with bright yellow eyes about 50 feet back in pure darkness. Even though I knew It was Atouk, my heart still jumped at the sight. It was like a sight out of a horror movie before something attacks.
I continued following the guard who was oblivious to Atouk's presence. We came to a winding stairwell and began to climb. About the time I was starting to get winded, we reached the top. My breathing calmed very quickly. Maybe another effect of immortality.
One final hall. Halfway down this hall, there was an entrance with large double doors. I was sure this was the destination. The guard led me through the doors as I had expected.
I was not sure what to make of this room. The King's room, torture chamber, audience chamber. All three or more? Directly across from where I made my entrance was the King on his royal chair. He had what looked like an advisor on his left.
Between us, was the large hole that falls down in the chasm below the human city. Hanging above the hole were many chains. Some with hooks, others with shackles.
"Welcome to Bastion."
The King boasted. There were ten guards on the right. One had heavy armor and was heavily decorated. On my left was... Butkis?
"De..."
Delicia! I almost blurted her name out loud. All four legs were in shackles. One guard watched over her. She was unmoving. I watched her intently for a moment. I saw her chest rise and fall. I let out a sigh of relief, though I tried to play it off as a normal breath.
"You found the cat! You have no idea what this means to me. To be able to see her."
I began to walk toward her. The King sat up.
"Stay where you are."
I stopped.
"How did you know it was a female?"
Fuck. I did say her, didn't I? I observed my mistake. I could see the top of her head and her back. I could not discern her gender through visible body parts.
"Ahm. I have been trying to study them from afar and can ascertain from the generic body type that it is, in fact, a she!"
"I very much doubt that. You were sent here by the black cats to spy on us. Whether you know it or not, is of no concern. The noble, and loyal Butkis has informed me of your deeds. You backstab human society and aid our enemies. You plot at night and search for information during the day. You were even dumb enough to come directly into my hands. This ends today."
The guard behind me shackled me before I knew what was going on. The King stood up and pointed at Delicia.
"This thing. You were searching for it? I will give it to you. First, we shall drop her down into the chasm of eternity. Then you can go get her, by following the same path."
This man was evil. No compassion for another living being. I was dragged over to Butkis's side. The guard kicked the back of my knees forcing me to the ground.
I looked up at Bitkis. He looked straight out in front of him. Unchanging. Un-phased. Unfeeling. As much as I hated him right now, maybe I could take a lesson from him.
I still felt my irritation at the situation grow. I pray that I have a chance to get something done. I won't get angry.
The King returned to his seat.
"While I want to get this thing out of my room. I have other matters to finish first."
His advisor whispered something into his ear and clapped twice. The two large doors opened again. A woman and another guard stepped through. She was already in shackles.
She had long blonde hair. Her skin was a dark brown and she wore a light blue dress that slightly dragged on the ground. Her eyes were an amazing purple color.
"Let me show you how non-humans are treated here."
He was looking at me when he said that. His eyes moved over to the woman.
"You stand accused of being half-elf. How do you plead?"
The guard behind her pushed her forward. She was less than a step away from the hole.
"I am no elf."
She had a stern but high voice. She tried to struggle with the guard but he hit her on the head. I really don't like this place.
"Can you prove you are not an elf?"
The King asked. She said nothing in response. The guard behind her pulled her hair back from her ears. They were pointy like an elf, but not as long as the ears I am familiar with.
"Those look like elf ears to me. Why do you lie?"
"I never lied. Elves and dark elves are two different races. Either way, I am half-human. Why would you reject someone who is half your kind?"
The King scoffed in amusement before giving her a face of pure despise.
"Because of the half that isn't."
He stared at her for a few moments before reeling back to his amused face. He motioned at the guard behind me. I was dragged to the edge of the hole. My face hung over the edge. If I was afraid of heights, I would be half dead from fear. Luckily, heights never bothered me.
"An elf is an elf. I do not care about dark or light or green. You are not human. Die."
The guard pushed her. I was nowhere near close enough to catch her. That didn't stop me from trying to reach out. The shackles stopped me though. She went wide-eyed and I swear her eyes were locked onto me the entire time. I wanted to look away. I couldn't. I think I felt that I was to be the final person to acknowledge her existence. If I really do live till the end of time, I will take the memory of her with me as a tribute for her life. I watched till the end. Only then did I look away. The guard pulled me back to my spot next to Butkis. I looked at his face again. Butkis still had the same face as before. It helped me keep calm to see that. If that supposed King had laughed, I don't know if I could have kept my cool.
"One more before we can get to business."
The King's voice was the most annoying one in Eyse at the moment. I heard two more claps. The doors opened again. Jezzy. Fuck it all. She was scared. As soon as she saw me, she couldn't look away from me and tears were ready to well up.
"You know this one, Do you not?"
I tried to keep my face as plain as possible.
"No."
I looked up at Butkis. He hasn't moved an inch.
"You, girl, stand accused of conspiring with this traitor to humankind. How do you plead?"
The guard pushed her close to the edge. She let out a yelp as she got close to the ledge
"I don't know him. Please. He was a guest where I work, I know nothing more. We never met."
Good, she is on the same page. Still, it may not be enough to save her.
"Can you prove your innocence?"
Butkis took a step forward.
"I, Sir Butkis the Third, can vouch for my employee. She has an incessant habit of talking with her coworkers non-stop about the people that she meets. If she had met him once, I would have heard about it."
The King was not happy about this answer.
"Bring her over by the others then."
Butkis stepped back into his spot next to me. She was dragged and sat down by Delicia on the opposite side of me.
I glanced down through the hole. Atouk was hiding in a dark crevasse on a cliffside.
I prayed that none of the guards would see him.
I needed to get free. Maybe if I can get Delicia close to the edge, he can come to get her. He said he could probably carry me and she is much lighter.
The King began yelling orders at the guards on the other side of the room. Butkis bent down close to me.
"Do you still want my services?"
He whispered.
"If it can get me out of here, sure."
I was not sure what to think of him. If he had a way out, why not take it. He reached into my right pocket. I saw him pull out the rest of my gold pieces and hide them in his own pocket.
"Your majesty, I have other business to attend to. If you do not mind, I need to leave. I trust that if you find my employee innocent, she will be returned to me promptly?"
That fucking snake.
"Don't talk to me like that, Butkis. The King does whatever he pleases. I don't need you here, go."
He glared at Butkis.
"Very well."
Butkis was gone with my gold. I need to think of another way out. I can't pull my hands out of the shackles. I don't have enough strength to rip a hand off either. Delicia was showing signs of life. I saw her looking at me. She could do for me what I can't do myself.
"I need you to bite my wrist. Break the bone if you can."
I whispered to her as quietly as I could. I just hope that her cat ears could hear better than a human. She stared at me. Did she not understand? Is she refusing to hurt someone she does not know? Some of the guards were leaving. I need this done now. I looked at her with the most cereal killer face I felt I could attempt and whispered.
"I killed your sister."
I took no pleasure in saying that but, it worked. She made an angry face, growled and lunged at my neck as best she could. I bent down fast. I hit my head on the floor and raised my arms up high, She hit the target. My wrist was broken. The pain was there but, It seems to get duller and duller every injury. The guards pulled us apart. She was looking at me and only me now. I tried to whisper
"I'm sorry, I had to say that. She is fine."
She either ignored it or was too angry to hear it. While the guard was dragging me away I pulled at the loose flesh and separated the broken bone. If my plan goes well, The guards will think I'm just a bloody mess and ignore the new hand re-growing, hidden below the old one.
"What happened?"
The King snapped.
"The black cat woke up and attacked the traitor."
The King wailed in laugher.
"Serves you right. You picked the wrong race to serve and you were literally bitten for it."
He continued his laugher. There were only two guards on each side of the King's room now including the decorated one. Delicia's guard went to guard the door and mine stood between the two of us. The decorated guard began asking the King a question. I took the opportunity to feel my pocket to see if there was anything left. My pen, and... A key? Oh... My... God... This is the second time someone literally handed me a key to get out and I didn't notice. It was of no use to me. I had a plan. If it works on Delicia's locks, I can unlock her shackles and call Atouk to get her out. If not, I will try to carry her to the ledge as fast as I can and try to hold off the guards with my pen sword. The King is still distracted. Plan A is a go! First I threw my old severed hand away from the guard next to me. He walked behind me toward the object leaving me a clear path to Delicia. I had the key already in my newly grown hand. I lunged at the keyhole. Her intent was to bite my hand so I gave her my empty one.
The key did not work.
Plan A failed, time for Plan B.
I looked up. The guard from the door was faster than I thought.
Plan C!
Delicia had a firm grip on my hand. I grasped the shackles with my other and swung her over to the edge of the hole in the middle of the floor. She let go and went flying. She was lighter than I anticipated. She will fall. My eyes grew wide. There was only one thing left I could do.
"ATOUK!"
She reached the ledge and began to topple over.
"HELP ME!"
She screamed. I saw black paws climbing sideways along the edge of the hole nearest to the door. Atouk was here. He ran his head between her shackles and caught her like a backpack. He continued climbing sideways along the hole making a full 270-degree circle before He disappeared back toward the side of the mountain. The guard before me brought his sword to my neck. Not so much a threat to me, but I let him think it was.
"Did they fall?"
The King asked his advisor. The golden-robed old man walked over to the edge. He stared for a moment moving his head about as if trying to get a different perspective.
"I do not see their bodies, my liege."
The King was furious.
"Guards! Don't let them get away! Send reinforcements to go after them."
A single guard left the room in a hurry. His face calmed down but he still shook with anger.
"Traitor. You will suffer this day. Guard, bring the woman to the hole and throw her in."
There were three guards left in the room now. One had Jezzy, one had his sword to my neck and the other was the decorated guard. She was getting closer to the edge.
"No! Stop!"
"Stop"
The King and I said to stop at the same time.
"Oh? So she is an acquaintance. You were not so keen to stop the dark elf from falling. This one is different. I'll tell you what. Fight my guard captain and win. Then, she will live. If you die? She dies. If you try to save her, you still die."
I looked at the heavily armed guard captain. I think the only way to loose is to fall in the pit. That will be my only objective. Don't fall in.
"I understand. I will fight him."
I stood up looking defeated already just to give him some hope before I destroy him. The guard in front of me went and stood by the King. The one who had Jezzy stayed near the edge. I was approached by the guard captain.
"Ready to die, peasant?"
I stayed quiet. The King made a gesture to me.
"You may choose a sword or a spear. What do you choose traitor?"
There were a couple of spears and swords on the wall behind him.
"Sword."
I felt confidant in one-handed sword combat since I practiced on the trip here and sometimes when Atouk was searching the city at night."
The King himself stood up and pulled a sword off the wall.
He wouldn't be so stupid as to hand it to me himself, would he?
I could just grab the handle and...
Nope. He walked over to the hole and dropped the sword. A true asshole move.
"There is your sword, traitor. If you wish to use it, you should go fetch it."
Jezzy began to cry. She thought I would lose. Thanks for the confidence. I turned to her.
"Hey, Jezzy."
She opened her eyes and looked at me holding up a thumb.
"I got this."
She tried to smile but her terror was overwhelming. The guard captain looked at the King.
"You got this? Hah! Maybe you should keep this traitor in a cage for a jester, your majesty."
He was overconfident. I still had two tricks up my sleeve. Before he even looked back at me, he began to swing.
I jumped back in time. Or so I thought.
My tunic was slashed open and some blood began to stain it. I stared at him.
"Huh. Usually, that does the trick. Maybe you got lucky and dodged just in time."
It was deep enough to kill a normal man. I'm sure of it. He doesn't need to know that.
He ran towards me and swung three more times. I tried to dodge but I still had three more slashes in my tunic.
"You must be the luckiest man alive. I've never had to swing at an unarmed man more than twice."
He's killed, unarmed people? This man is as bad as the King. I reached into my pocket. He swung again. He 'missed' again.
"What is with you? I'm going to finish it here."
I saw my opportunity when he began to lunge instead of swing. I pulled my pen out and placed it between both open palms. It began to grow longer. I grasped it with my right hand.
I heard Jezzy gasp and begin to cry again behind me.
The guard captain's sword went through my chest with little resistance. My sword went up and into his neck until I hit bone. Blood began to dribble from his mouth as he began to attempt talking. His knees buckled and his eyes rolled back into his head before he hit the ground.
He was dead.
"Oh my! Though the guard captain was one of my favorites, a double loss is oh so rare!"
I let him stare at me for a moment while I transformed my sword back into a pen-shaped object and put it away.
He was expecting me to fall.
"I only count one loss, your majesty."
I made myself sound as sarcastic as possible. I began to walk toward him.
"Really, You have already lost and you don't even realize it yet. Any moment now, you will fall and never wake."
His eyes grew wider as I took ever more steps in his direction.
I was not falling.
The guard next to him stepped in between us. I removed the sword from my chest and parried an attack. The exchange ended with the captain's sword being pulled out of the guard's stomach.
I was standing directly before the King now.
"GUAR...GUH!"
I grabbed his neck and lifted him up off the ground. I could barely hold him up but I mustered enough strength to do so.
I awkwardly walked him over to the hole and dangled him over it. He was starting to turn unnatural colors in the face.
"What's with this face, your majesty? You don't look human anymore. I guess that means I have to drop you."
"Throw the girl off!"
I forgot about the advisor!
I let go of the King in time to see the guard fighting to get her to fall into the hole. I threw the guard captain's sword. It was a bullseye! Right in the head. But, it was too late.
Jezzy was falling. The hole was large. She was too far away to simply catch.
I couldn't think.
I jumped out toward her. I used my experience from falling into this world to close the gap between us. I caught her with ease.
How do I save her?
Our momentum brought us closer to the slope going down into the ravine. I held her up in my arms as best I could. She grabbed onto me, so very tight.
I braced my legs.
This will hurt.
I hit a gradient slope. My shins shattered immediately on impact and my feet were instantly severed. I held what was left of my shins as straight as possible. As I continued to slide down the ravine my shins were being grated away at incredible speed. I almost lost my balance when I got down to my knees.
My slide began to slow. I was near the bottom. I leaned back a bit and hit the bottom.
There was still too much forward momentum.
Jezzy fell forward, out of my hands. I saw a flash of black. Atouk was there and broke her fall.
I fell forward myself and landed face-first into a rock. I couldn't see anything. All I could hear was Jezzy screaming.
"OH NO! LAKE! THIS IS HORRIBLE! His legs are... Oh no."
I heard her begin to cry again.
The sound faded away.