Unspoken

Chapter Thirteen

Is this really happening? Are we going to be freed from this place?
Those questions repeated in my mind as Caedes and I darted throughout the dozens of hallways making up Avartia’s maze-like castle. Yes, I was free at last, all thanks to Caedes.
If I had to guess, I’d say he’s spent several months planning our escape.
This morning, I had awoken to a particular sound: the click of my cell’s lock as it loosened. Through drowsy eyes I’d watched Caedes’ form briskly leave prison walkway, and it was obvious he’d been the one to free me. That action had answered the question brewing in my mind all week, which was simply: “why did he give me this key?” Yes, the ‘present’ Caedes left me the day I’d been moved had been a small key, but until today I’d no idea what to do with it. That was when I’d realized its purpose was to unlock the enchanted bands that restricted my mageia. I winced as I recalled that moment, when I’d at last set my flames free.
I never imagined it would go that way…
One might say the backfire should have been expected, since my flames had been locked away for eight years now. Also, it didn’t help that I’d never had proper training in how to control them in the first place. So, upon first attempt to let my mageia flow freely, it ended up burning me. Thankfully after years of being knocked around and beaten up by Avartians, my body had adapted a quick healing response. I could still feel the burns sting my hands, but they’d faded significantly.
This plan is otherwise going well, though… And I can only assume that means trouble is just around the corner.
I glanced at Caedes as we turned another corner, then continued my review of how we’d come to this moment. After leaving my cell, I’d snuck up to the throne room’s platform. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any guards to spot me, since they were all inside, where the tyrant himself had been. In fact, I’d overheard Diron unleashing a tangent… Something about being angry because of Rusc leaving, which was apparently something that had happened (I’m a little out of the loop, I suppose.) Diron’s outburst had only made it easier for me to cause the distraction I’d planned.
I wonder what Caedes thinks of my trick with the barrels? I hope I did well.
Seeing as they’d just had them laying around for my convenience, I’d spotted a pile of barrels filled with what I’d assumed to be coal, considering Avartia’s smithing proficiency. I had then carefully dragged two of them to the bridge and pushed them off the edge, creating a flurry of chaos below. When soldiers from the forge came to investigate the noise, I’d sprinted across the bridge to meet up with Caedes. He had been—and still was—carrying a travel bag which I assumed held his personal items, or perhaps supplies. And thus, our trek throughout the nightmarish castle of Avartia had begun, though so far, we’d managed to avoid anyone’s notice. According to Caedes, this was because we were taking secret routes only used by servants, but...
I still smell something fishy.
Aside from my suspicion, I knew conflict was inevitable. Walk right out and escape the city unharmed? Ha, that was a joke even Diron would laugh at, but… Battle was the last thing I was prepared for, physically or mentally. There were two swords strapped to Caedes’ belt, and I knew one was for me. I felt nauseated, though, to even think of lifting that thing.
Who would want to enter battle after seeing all I have?
“What’s… that look all about?” Caedes asked between puffs of breath as we ran down a narrow corridor. “You know we are going to be free soon… Right?”
“I know that,” I insisted, finding it both soothing yet odd to speak to him so freely. Was this the first time I’d ever been able to in my years of knowing him?
“Good.”
He gave my hand a squeeze, but as we entered a new area of the castle, his attempt to assure me felt wasted. This was one of the many kitchens no doubt, and there were four members of cooking staff currently on hand. Each of them had turned to us with alarmed, suspicious expressions.
Oh no…
“Pardon us, please,” Caedes hastily said, waving to them as if this were something casual. “Don’t mind if we pass through.”
If only because they were afraid of him, the workers who’d previously been tending the kitchen quickly moved out of our way. I was genuinely surprised they hadn’t tried to stop or attack us, because it seemed like something Avartia would try to do… Train their servants and workers to secretly be hidden soldiers just in case one of their prisoners dared escape?
Well, that was a stupid notion... I don’t think even they would go to that much of an extreme. I do know those cooks will spread the word of our current location, though...
I supposed the only choice we had was to leave before they could spread the word, then, but… Why did I feel such little confidence in our survival? Caedes certainly seemed sure of that fact, but me?
“Almost out...”
Caedes’ utterance caught my attention, and I looked up from my previously averted gaze. Immediately, I noticed that the next area of the castle we were headed for was far more open than I would have liked. Wait, was this the…?
No… No, no—
We’d run up a small flight of stairs, only to find ourselves stood upon a large and open balcony braced above the front doors, signifying the exit we so desperately needed to reach. Seeing this should have filled me with relief, but instead I felt only dread. Yes, I was right… I’d known there was no way we could get out of this without a fight.
And so lies before us either freedom or our shared death.
I stared right into the wine-colored eyes of the man who quite possibly stood to be our executioner. He stood right in front of the doors, and he looked as if he’d been waiting there for quite some time. His posture screamed: ‘I don’t care’… Shoulders lazily slouched, arms casually crossed, he even had one leg resting on the other.
Just how long has he been there for? And only two men at his side...?
The thought of this man assuming he only needed three soldiers in total to take us down was enough to make my blood turn ice-cold. But that wasn’t my only reason for feeling that way, it was also because Caedes had carefully passed one of his swords into my hand. I almost dropped it, considering my stomach felt like a thousand lead weights.
How can I possibly swing a sword when my body doesn’t even want to move?
Feeling like I’d rather hurl what little dinner I’d eaten last night, I looked to Caedes in hopes that he might provide some encouragement. But no, his gaze was far from mine, and seeing the amount of anger behind Caedes’ now sharpened crimson red eyes made me realize something. I recognized each of these men, especially their leader.
That confrontation we had when he was moving me to my new cell… This man was the one who stopped Conall from tearing Caedes to pieces then, but clearly things have changed.
“Donovan,” Caedes said—no, rather, growled—as he stared daggers into the raven-haired man below us. “Don’t just stand there with that cocky look on your face...”
He paused for what felt like ages, holding Donovan’s cold, unamused stare, before he finally spoke again.
“You’ve never been able to win a match against me, not even Rusc could… So, I take it that’s why you’ve brought your lackeys along? Do you think I’m going to hold back, Donovan? This isn’t a sparring match with wooden swords, and the round won’t end once one of us falls to the ground... I hope you’re ready to bring everything you’ve got.”
Hearing Caedes scared me a little, I had to admit. I’d certainly never heard him sound that way, so bitter and rageful. Every word he’d spoken seemed to cut his adversary like a blade, though I supposed that was the point.
His current behavior is a product of war, pure and simple.