A Tale of Time: The Malice of Men

Chapter 30: Flight

Flee from fire, foes and scum.

Run away from whence they come.

No truth nor justice shall come to pass

Whilst men of vices tread the grass.

Teylin ran. Maybe it wasn't his best choice. Hazzad would probably have stood up for him. There would be a trial, but he would have a chance to legitimately prove his innocence. He could have been caught and killed if he tried to run away, but that was his first instinct and he was the fastest to react. Halfway down the hall, he could faintly hear Asteryn screaming to the guards, Teylin's own men, who just stood their ground, confused. Teylin made quick work of those who barred the door. Everything he had learnt over the past few weeks regarding swordsmanship was forgotten. Besides, he carried a spear. A couple of blows left the guards stunned and disoriented. Teylin barged out and bolted for the place they were least likely to search for him: the King's chambers.

All the time he spent as a boy at the marketplace came back to him. Of Teylin and Joe, Teylin was always the quicker and more agile. Joe would only distract and bemuse willing audiences and provide Teylin with escape routes. Teylin could faintly hear footsteps behind him. They were growing distant, but every time they were nearly out of earshot, a fresh set of feet appeared. The guards in the passageways did not know what was going on till it was too late. The cries of "Stop that man!" never produced the desired effect. That was Teylin's greatest advantage. He only had to keep this up till he reached the top of the third highest tower in Ëra. Luckily, he didn't lack for stamina. He clambered up the stairs, taking them three at a time. This time, the guards did react fast enough. Teylin was forced to push and parry, although he vaguely remembered maiming as well. More than once, a cry of anguish told him he had injured a palace guard quite seriously. He broke into the King's chamber, which was at the time blissfully unguarded, with just enough time to find the secret door that led him to the King's chamber the day Teylin found out the truth about him. Only when he closed the door behind him did he realize that he had no torch. Teylin was in the dark!

Cursing himself for this stupidity, he began to feel for the walls and stairs. This was going to be slow work. He might have to fight his way out of Ërastir after all. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the bottom of the great tower. Was it the blood pounding in his ears or was that the sound of footsteps behind him? Quick as he could, he got out of the passage, much to the astonishment of the guards at the courtyard. They knew they had to catch him though, and they were quickly after him. Luckily for Teylin, he was lightly armored and managed to outrun them. The gate was within sight now, but so were the guards pursuing him. His best option was to distract them, keep them confused, so he ran full speed to the gate. "Stop him!" and "Close the gate!" were the cries from behind him, but Teylin ordered the guards "Stop them immediately! The prisoner has escaped!" The two seconds of chaos was all he needed. Miraculously, some idiot had managed to close the gate, preventing the others from getting him. That meant a few moments of respite, or a head start, depending on how long he wanted to live.

The sun was setting on Geldavar, which meant that stalls were shutting down and people returning home. The sun cast a dull, golden glow over the city. There was a sense of tranquility in the city that was in stark contrast to what Teylin was experiencing right now.

In truth, Teylin had no plan. He just hoped to escape the King's madness. Asteryn needed help, although the King gave no indication of such. Just as he was about to continue on his mad dash from justice, a man on a horse rode up to him. All Teylin could ascertain was that he was quite tall and had a beard. Other than that, he had managed to conceal himself excellently in rags and a hat drawn low over his head.

"Get on the horse, quickly!" He spoke in a hoarse voice. Teylin obeyed. Quick as lightning, the horse raced across the streets of Geldavar. In ten minutes, they were out of the city gates. Teylin thanked his stars. Without the horse, there was no way he could make it out of the city before the city guard knew. Still, it felt wrong for him to sneak past his own men as if he were one of the crooks they were on the lookout for. He took one last look at the mess he left behind. The city was covered in a dull, golden mist, oblivious to all that happened. Ërastir towered above all this, as it towered above all else; a symbol of power and mad desire. In an hour's time, they were far away from the city, and Teylin thought it prudent to thank his savior. "Thank you, sir." He said. In reply, the stranger only grunted. "May I know who you are?"

"Soon, not yet."

It was another hour before the stranger finally stopped. The sun had set and dusk was soon to come. It appeared as though they had travelled north. They were soft, rolling hills and plenty of shady trees. A perfect place to live in. Teylin alighted. His savior followed suit. Before Teylin could turn and thank him and ask him who he was again, the stranger cast aside his rags. There, standing before him, was Asteryn Greatsbane, King of Ëra. Teylin was astonished, but he quickly recovered. So Asteryn was following him in the passage.

"Asteryn, I know. It's alright, you can trust me. I am here. Everything will be alright." How Asteryn must have suffered! "You are right, Teylin." Asteryn said dreamily. "Everything will be alright." It was only then that Teylin noticed the dagger in his hand. The spear was of no use in such short range. The dagger buried itself in Teylin's gut. He pain was excruciating. All compassion was forgotten. Teylin lunged at Asteryn, who skilfully avoided the jab. Teylin was dimly aware of the blood he was losing, but his immediate concern was Asteryn. 

They circled round each other, Teylin with the spear and Asteryn with the dagger, waiting for the other to strike to take advantage of. The ground was wet and red with blood. Teylin was bleeding profusely. He couldn't keep this dance up much longer. His head was beginning to hurt. For a moment, he was distracted. Asteryn saw this and took advantage, charging at him to finish the job he started. Teylin turned his spear just in time to block him and then they grappled. Both of them were equally matched in physical strength, but Teylin was severely wounded. Asteryn began to bear down upon him. Teylin's stomach just couldn't take the pain. He fell back hard onto the ground, but before Asteryn could finish him, he kicked him, sending him backward onto the ground. Teylin was the first to recover, but his spear was clumsy and his hand slick with blood. By the time he positioned himself to strike, Asteryn was up as well, and they were level as they had been before, or nearly so, as Teylin kept losing blood all the time. 

The pain in his head had now reached unbearable levels and his vision began to dim. A few more moments and he would be incapable of defending himself. Asteryn knew that as well. All he had to do was wait. He let Teylin strike once, twice, thrice, parrying each time. Each blow was slower and sloppier than the previous. Asteryn kept moving, always a footstep out of Teylin's range, watching. Teylin slouched, barely able to stay on his feet. His breath was short and shallow. Every bit of flesh in his body was begging to give up and embrace the earth, but Teylin was not ready to let Asteryn get away with this. If he couldn't save his own life, he would take Asteryn's. Asteryn knew what was going through his mind. "You thought you were a special friend, Teylin? Guess again! There are dozens like you, all looking at me, filled with false hope. You are a nobody! Your story ends here." Teylin looked up. Asteryn hurt him in a way cold steel never could. He rested his weight on his spear. "I should never have saved your life." 

Then they clashed. Once, twice. Asteryn parried. The third time, he made it past his guard and nearly finished the job, but Teylin, with a last effort, pushed him back. His vision was now very dim, and he was not able to hear a thing. He tried to attack again, took two steps and fell face first. A blackness engulfed him.

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A.N: Make of that what you will.