The Shadow of Death

Chapter 12

Uggh. Garret thought as his brain slowly started waking back up. His mind still felt foggy and his limbs were all tingly, but he was awake enough to know that he was moving. And it smelled of horses, so he was most likely in a carriage. He could already feel that his most recent injuries were healed, meaning that they were either very minor, or he had been unconscious for more than a few hours.

Garret cracked open his eyes the tiniest bit, making sure he didn't make any sound. If his captors were in here with him, they couldn't know he was awake. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Garret could make out that he was the only one in the carriage, and that there were multiple barred windows. The one at the front of the carriage seemed to be a viewing window for the two guards driving. That's how they would check up on him, and he could use it to escape. He looked around nervously, feeling his heartbeat in his throat. The carriage was pretty small, with not a whole lot of room to move around. It felt like the walls were pushing in on him. Garret squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control his breathing before his captors realized he was awake. Garret looked around again, focusing on smaller details to keep himself distracted.

Alright, my hands are shackled together and so are my feet. I've been stripped of my armour and I'm just down to my underclothes. Good thing I keep an emergency pin in my shorts. Garret thought as he very slowly reached his hands up to his undershorts, fiddling with the elastic waistband until he could pull out the slim metal pin he kept in them. Years of experience and gruelling training had prepared him for the day he had never thought would come, but now he was thankful for it.

Garret had the pin in his hands within seconds, then he quickly made work of the shackles around his ankles. The ones on his wrists were a bit harder, but he still got them done within a minute or two. That must have been a new record for him. Garret quickly slid the pin back into the waistband of his shorts and adjusted the shackles, so it looked like they were still on his wrists, then he closed his eyes and waited, tuning in to the Soldiers conversation.

"How many did we lose today?"

"Too many. I knew the Larovethians were ruthless, but they killed pretty much every soldier they came in contact with. I bet it was the Demon Generals orders." The second one replied, both of them speaking in Revalian.

Jeez, everyone on this damned continent calls me that. Do they really think Im a demon? Slow your breathing Garret, they are probably looking at you right now, don't open your eyes yet. It's not time.

"Probably. Did you hear about how long it took them to even take him down? Even when they got shackles on them he kept fighting. I almost wish I witnessed it!"

"I heard he got shot with ten arrows without even breaking a stride!"

I wish that were true. They are making me sound like a god! Or maybe a demon I guess.

"I wouldn't be surprised. We've only been travelling for a couple of hours, and we've already had to re-sedate him twice. Usually these things last for hours on their own! And last time we sedated him, all of his wounds were already healed. If that isn't some sort of demon magic, I don't know what is."

"We gotta be careful though, if we use them all up, General Ashford will be pissed."

How many times have they already sedated me? Just the two or more? How long have I been out? Whatever, it doesn't matter, it's time to wake up and get out of this damned carriage and back into open air. Garret let out a soft groan, making it seem like he had just only woken up. "Ugh, where am I?"

"Speak of the devil. Pull over so we can sedate him again, or at least knock him out."

As soon as the soldiers hopped off the wagon and could no longer see through the barred windows, Garret stealthily stood up and crept to the locked door, standing right in front of it, waiting for it to start swinging open. The roof was low, forcing him to crouch, reminding him just how tight the space was. Garret squeezed his eyes shut again and gave his head a small shake, trying to clear the thoughts away. He would make it work. He had to make it work. He had to get back to his army. To Alric. To Dante. To Anika. They needed him.