Vidia

Tricked

Dain peered through the wood in the window. Kalen had boarded them up by ripping the wood off he ground and using them for the windows.

Dain saw about fifteen guards in the street outside. They were checking houses, and Dain had a bad feeling that they were next.

"Kalen, it's either we let the guards come to us, or we go to them." Dain said and turned towards Kalen. He and Dain had put on chest pieces and chain link armor. They found no helmets but Dain put wrap around his stitches to reduce the bleeding.

"I have an idea." Kalen said as he looked around the room. Dain followed his gaze up to the ceiling and looked for a way to get on the roof.

"We must go up that." Dain pointed to a chimney used for the winter. This bar must not have been remodeled since the 1800s.

"No. Way. I cannot go up that. There has to be another way." Kalen searched frantically around the room.

Dain walked over to Kalen in three steps and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Kalen, I know you're claustrophobic. However, it's the only way."

"Dain," Kalen began but he had no words to say.

"I'll be right behind you. Or... below you." Dain said.

Kalen gave out a loud sigh and walked to the chimney. He looked up into it and the walls were filled with dirt.

"After you." Dain said and with one more sigh, began to climb up the chimney.

The climb was slow because we didn't want to slip. We both had our hands and feet pressed on walls opposite each other. It was hard not to slip.

"Kalen, you good?" Dain asked.

"Sure. I'm trying to only look up." He replied.

"Kalen if you fall on me I will kill you." Dain replied and Kalen could tell he was serious.

Dain was already sweating. The chimney left barely any room to breath. There was no circulation and barely any room to move. So the climb was slow. Very slow.

Kalen was lucky, he had fresh air coming in from the top while Dain had the air that passed him, which wasn't a lot. However, Dain knew that Kalen needed it since he was claustrophobic. The fresh air Kalen got was probably the only thing keeping him sane.

As Dain lifted his his foot to climb higher when he slipped on the blackened stone.

Dain desperately gripped onto the stone his hands were in. They barely stuck out but Dain dug his fingers into them.

"Kalen, you at the top yet?" Dain asked. He knew if Kalen found out Dain was slipping, he would freak out.

"Yeah." Kalen said. He reached up and pulled himself onto the roof. Just as he did, Dain felt the stone he was gripping give way and crumble beneath his fingers.

Kalen grabbed Dain's hand with both hands. He pulled Dain up and they both collapsed onto the roof.

"Thanks." Dain could only think of that to say.

"My job is to protect the king. It's what I do." Kalen said it like he's done it a thousand times. Which he might have because Dain tends to always walk straight into danger, instead of walking away from it.

Dain and Kalen couldn't wipe their faces because there hands were filthy. It would only spread the dirt. So, they decided to roof jump.

Dain went first, jumping from the bar to another one story house. Kalen followed behind.

Their chain link rattled but the soldiers were making too much of their own noise to notice.

The kingdom wall came back into view.

Dain abruptly stopped on the roof he was on and Kalen jumped into him.

"What? Were we noticed?" Kalen asked as he looked around. He followed Dain's gaze to the palace.

"I met a girl who lives in the kingdom." Dain began. Kalen looked confused as he stared at the palace.

"I found out she was the queen. She saved my life, and I just don't think I can leave her without saying thanks."

"Dain, that's a death sentence. They will locked us up and kill us." Kalen replied. Dain remembered when he was in the dungeons. Vidia's dad had locked him in there and nearly starved him to death. Dain and Kalen were lucky to find food in the chest.

"Kalen, if you come with me, they won't. I have an idea." Dain replied and Kalen stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"We can make a trade."

"What kind of trade?" Kalen asked.

"If I told you, you would never let me go." Kalen didn't respond but knew what Dain and meant.

Kalen understood why Dain wanted to go so badly. Vidia was the only other person he has talked to. Plus, Dain needed answers. Kalen knew Dain wanted to know why they hated him. He wanted to know everything about elves, so he could move past Hudson's death. However, Dain couldn't move past Hudson if he never knew why he was killed.

Kalen finally gave up. "Fine, but I'm going first." He said and he pulled out his bow and led the way. Dain rolled his eyes but followed closely behind, watching for soldiers.

Strangely, no soldiers were around. The streets seemed eerily quiet. Too quiet.

Kalen and Dain had easily reached the palace doors, but no guards had greeted them.

Kalen opened the large doors to the palace and pointed an arrow, but he had no one to shoot.

What was going on? Dain was confused. Where was everyone?

"Vidia!" Dain yelled and it echoed through the halls.

Kalen led the way and they reached Vidia's office.

"Vidia, what happened?" Dain ran over to Vidia who was tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth. Dain wished he could save her, but she was on the other side of the glass.

The glass wall separated them from each other. Why would anyone hurt the queen? Where were the guards?

Vidia was trying to say something. She seemed to keep looking behind Dain and Kalen.

Dain turned around and his heart sank.

"Dain," Kalen said as he stepped closer to him. "This is a trap."