Blood of the Merciless

Chapter Twenty-Four

24.

Thorin walked up to the young boy, her blade drawn. Her face contorted in rage.

"What are you doing to him?" Thorin yelled.

The boy looked at her, at first emotionless but then something broke as his face burst into emotion. The green liquid that connected the boy's chest to Florian's wound dissipated. The boy did not seem to answer her question, instead opting to just look at her.

Thorin mumbled something before kneeling before Florian's body. Florian had been breathing, albeit slowly. She released a breath she did not know she had been holding. You did well, Florian. You'd better live long enough for us to escape. She took the crimson blade from his grasp and slid it back into the sheath. Savia stepped forward with Florian's other blade. It had been stained with blood. Other than their moving bodies, the room had been quiet. Thorin picked up Florian and flung one of his arms over her shoulder. She, along with Savia, moved toward the exit. A voice halted them in their tracks. It was the same blond boy.

"If he doesn't get treatment he will die." The boy's tone had been proper and he spoke similarly as that of a nobleman.

Deep inside her mind, Thorin knew that his words were the truth. She just turned back to the exit and began walking, making sure Florian did not collapse under her grasp.

"I can save him!" The boy yelled.

Thorin scoffed. "Why should we trust you, little boy?"

"I am the only one who can. His wounds are too severe. He is not going to survive the next floor, never mind outside."

"If you are lying, you are dead," Thorin threatened.

The boy first grabbed the whip that had been in Chapman's clutches and then walked up to them. He gulped as he saw Savia clutch her dagger.

"Can you heal him while we walk?"

He nodded. "It will take longer, as I will have to focus."

Thorin nodded.

They walked through the building in silence. The green liquid from the boy's chest was conjured as the boy cast. They met up with the large group of metalworkers as well as the scaev. Nobody said a word as they headed to the exit. Eventually, they reached the large steel doors.

"What do we do about the soldiers outside?" Thord asked.

"We pray...we pray to whatever gods exist. Once we open these doors, it will be a rush. All metalworkers should follow me and head for the southern exit of Isern." This was the moment Thorin had waited for. She imagined this day for the past five years. It will not fail. It cannot fail. She nodded to her father who reciprocated the act. A metalworker opened the large doors. An older woman dressed in blue robes stood in front, behind her and there had been a force of one hundred soldiers. She wasted no time and drew her sword when she saw the group that stood in the doorway of the factory. Her eyes locked with the young blond boy. The other soldiers withdrew their blades.

"Lord Ever-" The woman could not finish her sentence as her body was forced to the side. Screams could be heard from the soldiers. Thorin did not know what to expect from Alaric but it certainly had not been this.

It had been well past midnight and Alaric had been getting impatient. Ashe had not been much better. She had been reading the same portion of the tome over and over. She bit her bottom lip and tapped her foot.

"Come on, let's get closer." Alaric grabbed Ashe's wrist and that seemed to break her out of her trance. He led her to the middle of the street, just a couple of paces from the squadron. People would probably assume that they are suspicious but that was the least of his worries. He even saw a few soldiers of the squadron watch them. He did not have a clear view of the door but he was waiting for a reaction, any change in the crowd was what he was looking for. He turned to Ashe who still held the tome.