Veil of Shadows

Chapter 56. Spur of The Moment

Salia dodged around Knights and guards alike, locked in combat and fighting for their lives. A group of a dozen soldiers followed her, and her eyes lit up with triumph as she saw the gate slowly began to crank open.

She drew her dagger from its sheath and leapt into the battle, slashing and stabbing at every enemy she could reach. "Abandon the guards and get through the gates!" She shouted. "Our greatest priorities are Shadow and Notch!"

There was a pause, then every rebel who had heard her order sprinted for the gates, leaving behind their perplexed enemies.

Turning to the dozen Knights behind her, she said "I'm taking a hidden passage to notify Shadow of the attack and fight a path through the guards from the inside out. All of you get through the front gates and find me."

The Knights saluted and ran off, and Salia watched them for only a few seconds before slamming the button that would open a hidden servant's passage into the castle. The stone wall split open, revealing a tunnel - but this one was shorter.

Reaching the end of the tunnel within a matter of minutes, Salia navigated the castle by memory from her time as a double agent. It was an impossible labyrinth of hallways and rooms, so it took all her concentration to not end up lost.

Then she ran into a small group of three guards. The first was down before they knew what hit him - the second managed to grab a sword, and the third drew back an already nocked arrow.

Salia jumped to the side, and the arrow went long. Throwing her dagger, by some insane stroke of luck, the sharp blade snapped the bowstring and rendered the weapon useless.

There was a flash of steel, and Salia whirled in time to see the second guard's sword swinging for her neck-

Then a flash of golden light erupted from the darkness, blasting the second and third guards backward. Salia knew who it was the moment she saw two eyes: one the color of gold, the other pure black.

"Equinox." She said, not really sure how to acknowledge him.

"Open attack on Notch's castle. Slightly reckless, but brave." He said. Then he studied her for a moment, falling silent. "You...I know you."

"How? I don't think we've been introduced."

"You were the one who opened the doors to my room and my cell. I'd thought it was Patch before, but I recognize you now."

After a brief pause, Salia replied "Yes. That was me."

Equinox nodded, then pointed down the hallway. "I assume you're here for Shadow. Go and find him."

Salia nodded in return, then took off once again at a sprint down the hallway he'd indicated. When she went around a turn at full-speed, she crashed into a small table that held a lamp, tripping over it and barely managing to stay on her feet.

Somehow she ended up holding onto the lamp as she ran, for whatever reason.

Then she rounded another corner, and she froze.

She watched Shadow crumple to the ground, a sword sticking out of his side and an awful-looking gash in his arm, just below the elbow. Then she saw Notch pull a dagger from his pocket. She couldn't hear what he said, but the message was clear.

Shadow was about to die.

She didn't really understand just how bad of a spur of the moment decision it was until the lamp was flying through the air, then slamming directly into Notch's face, sending him stumbling backward.

Contemplating her life decisions, Salia ran for them.

~

Shadow looked down the hallway in a haze of pain, and saw Salia. Dimly, he wondered why she had thrown a lamp, of all things. Then he shoved that thought away - she'd just saved his life. He was in no position to complain.

Then she was next to him, yanking the sword out of his side and speaking to him. He could barely hear - but he made out the words. "Your Knights are here."

Everything seemed clearer the moment he heard that. Suddenly, there was hope. Assistance had come, and not a moment too soon. But there was still the problem of Notch, who was scrambling to regain possession of his dropped dagger.

"Shadow. I'm going to lure Notch away." Salia said, standing up. "Just get to the main hallway, and your Knights will help you out."

Then she was gone. From Notch's roar of fury, Shadow knew that she had done something to tick him off - besides throwing a lamp at his head. Looking over, he saw Notch bolting after Salia's quickly fading figure.

He should run - should leave this castle as fast as he could. But he had made a promise, and he intended to keep his word. If he did not tell them, then there was the possibility that he would have to live with their deaths on his conscience.

And so he stood up, then nearly collapsed again from the searing pain that struck him. His right hand covered the wound in his side - which was still bleeding at an unhealthy rate - and his left arm hung uselessly.

He walked to the wall and nudged the button that opened the door that would lead to the room where the Hero Squad was hidden.

Summoning all the strength he had left, Shadow teleported to the entrance of that room. He saw their shocked stares, and as blackness crept into the edges of his vision, threatening to pull him under, he uttered the words they had been waiting to hear.

"Help has arrived."

~

Wraith blinked. "Well. That was unexpected."

The Ender Lord grinned disarmingly. "No bowing? No formalities? I'm disappointed."

"I don't bow to anyone."

"What a shame," the Ender Lord mused. "Though I probably should have expected it, considering you nearly killed me once - which, by the way, could be taken as an act of war."

Wraith's jaw ticked, but she didn't reply.

"Oh, is the assassin stunned into silence? I never thought I'd see the day."

"I'm silent because I'm trying extra hard not to burn your arm off."

"How flattering."

"Just because you're a King doesn't mean you get special treatment. Don't expect me to start calling you 'sir' or 'my Lord,' because I've had enough experience with royalty that my patience with them is already stretched thin."

The Ender Lord smirked. "I doubt you ever have full patience over anything. You don't seem the calm and collected type. Now I wonder who trained you, and if they're responsible for your hotheadedness. They must have been a joy to work with."

"If you annoy or insult me further, there's a good chance I'll throw you out a window into the nearest moat."

Raising his hands in a submissive gesture, the Ender Lord said "Point taken. I'll stay quiet from now on."