The Sleeping City

Chapter Twelve: Sides

The walls of the city were more massive than I imagined. They were stone, and at first, I wondered why no one was able to get in until in the distance I saw the wall flash as something hit against it. So this was the magic protecting the wall it didn't seem strong yet no one has entered the place since it went up.

"Finished." Rhyno joined me in hiding in some bushes at the edge of the forest. We watched Silas' guards walking back and forth and Silas himself standing still looking up over the city gates as if he were frozen there. His gloved hands were the only things moving slightly in the act of impatience.

I looked back at the now complete explosive Rhyno had just completed. Small metal beams ran between glowing spheres as cables wrapped around it, it seemed magical yet mechanical. Rhyno said it wouldn't explode until he pushed the button on the device in his hand I wasn't so sure.

"You ready?" He asked.

"About the plan-" Before I could finish, he pushed me out of the hiding spot, and I was spotted immediately.

The guards drew their swords and Silas turned slowly towards me, he looked dazed, as if he had just woken up. He gazed from the amulet around my neck to my face.

"And here I thought I was going to have to hunt you down. Good timing too we were just about to open these gates." His eyes flickered to some crates near the gate I hadn't noticed before. "We'll have to take care of you first, of course."

He was about to command his guards to attack when I interrupted.

"I'll join you, we have the same goal. I'll even forgive you for the injury you gave me." I said, and his face stretched into a smile. Anger rose in me, I could feel my heart beating up to my brain all I wanted to do was take my sword out and try to tear into him. He's the reason my father was dead, why my village went down in flames, why I am now alone. I knew he could sense this but as long as I played along this plan could still succeed.

"We may have similar goals, but I don't think our endgames match up, you want to go in there and wake the city and after the parades they throw you for saving them you'll go back to the remains of your village as some great hero correct?" He took a step towards, and I took a step back.

"I'm not much of a hero, I just want to wake them up so I can go." Another step towards me and another step back.

"You don't sound very excited. Tell me, why did you do all this? Journey here, risk your life? What do you get out of it? Is it so you can go back to daddy's grave and tell him you did it? Yay, you did it. You awoke people you don't know with power you don't understand on your father's whim. Can't you think for yourself? Only the free can join us, and you are far from it." A few steps forward and a few steps back.

Why was I doing this? Did I question once what all this was about? I made it all the way here without once considering if I should do this. I looked down at an amulet which always hung around my neck, but I never once question the nature of its power. It began to glow a bit, and I snapped out my daze. I need to focus, the point they saw me it doesn't matter if I got into the city or not, they'll try to kill me either way. Going with the plan was the only way out of this.

"Why are you doing this? You question my motives but what do you get out of this?" I said.

"Most of everyone here wants the money and power that comes with this job and want to get this over with as soon as possible, but that's not how this should go, and luckily those above me realize this. There are some twisted people in there, and they deserve to die for what they've done." As he talked his voice began to sound more and more bitter and he stepped closer much faster.

"No one deserves to be slaughtered in their sleep. If you want to kill them so badly why don't you wake those people up and take them up? What are you scared off?" I said.