Broken Blades Don't Sing (Tales of Ashkar Book One) (32 page)

"One for the shackles, and one for the cage",
said the white-haired warrior. "It's probably best if I leave now,
or else she might figure out a thing or two. That woman's been on
my case for a while now. She's a bit more perceptive than those
other goons, as I’m sure you’ve noticed."

"Thank you for the help", replied Serraemas.

"I'd say you're good in a couple hours just to
be safe", continued Sevag as he walked out of sight, but not before
giving Raxxil a smirk.

As Raxxil growled his discontent, the whistling
of a happy man's tune once again punctured the still air.

---

Sanjin stood in the kingdom's stables, situated
on the lowest level of the kingdom near the front gate. She placed
her saddle and supplies on the horse, making sure that they were
secure. She then fastened her hammer behind her back, ensuring that
she could reach for it quickly if they were attacked.

Enept-Ihs had been formed by the original group
of Blue Swords more than a half-century ago. Her parents had been
among them, and the values that founded her home was what fueled
her. Years ago, her predecessors had fought for something
more—something better. Her parents had instilled in her those
beliefs, and after traveling to the distant lands of Terra Sur and
training under a prominent earth elementalist, she had returned to
join the Blue Swords herself.

There was more to life than barbarism and
injustice. Inflicting misfortune upon others was not tolerated
here, nor should it be anywhere on Ashkar. Even though life was not
always fair, Sanjin believed—No, she knew—that truth and justice
would always prevail. That was what Enept-Ihs the Exalted One, the
divine entity above, showed the kingdom so that they could lead
others in the path of virtue. It was by the Exalted One that
morality was derived, or rather that's what Sanjin had been taught
growing up. From what she had seen so far, there was an innate
light and dark in everyone. Enept-Ihs simply illuminated the path
so that people could choose the light.

Others, by essence or just from circumstance,
chose the dark. From that darkness emerged all the death and
suffering that was inflicted upon each other. That's why the Blue
Swords existed: to remind Makka that virtue was ascension, and that
meant fighting for what was just.

Sanjin's thoughts shifted once more to the ill
news that she had received minutes ago. Enept-Ihs forbid Illistainn
had already fallen, for if the Veri were defeated then surely her
own kingdom would be sieged by whatever it is that they were being
attacked by. At that point, she wasn’t sure if even her strength
and the strength of her group would be enough.

"Together, our fortitude is a match for even the
strongest opponent", rumbled a deep voice from within her mind,
assuring her that her fears would not come to fruition.

“Bantham, you're always so confident”, she said
to the elemental.

"And why wouldn't I be?" replied Bantham. "Not
only are you a strong warrior, but an even better mother and
friend. Together, we shall preserve through anything."

A good mother...

"Mom?" asked a voice from behind.

"Pann", said Sanjin as she turned around to
regard her only daughter. "Illistainn has come under attack to the
west, and—"

"I already know", interrupted Pann. "Why didn't
you tell me yourself?"

Sanjin walked over to the young girl and
embraced her. "I was going to, dear, but I need you to stay here."
She expected Pann to jerk and push her away again, but instead
found the girl embracing her more tightly. Sanjin sighed
deeply.

"Tevin said he felt he would be more of a
hindrance and wants to stay", said Pann.

"I would be inclined to agree", responded Sanjin
with a laugh. "You should train with him while we're gone. Perhaps
your eagerness will rub off on him."

Pann giggled, still deeply embracing Sanjin. "I
love you, mother."

Sanjin smiled. "I love you too, Pann."

---

"It's been like three hours now!" cried Raxxil
in a hushed voice. The explosive hammer-wielder paced the cold
prison back and forth impatiently, giving Serraemas expectant—then
disappointed—looks every few minutes.

Serraemas stood up and walked over to his
friend. He grabbed Raxxil's arm with both hands tightly and brought
him close. "Imagine that they did not leave, or that some sort of
delay occurred. Imagine that the second we step outside, we are
greeted not only by the Blue Swords, but the entire military force.
Without
our weapons."

Raxxil pondered Serraemas's words briefly before
looking down at the floor and taking a deep breath.

Serraemas gently released his grip and stepped
back, examining the fiery soul before him. Even though the larger
man yearned to make something explode, Raxxil wasn't a fool despite
his direct and often reckless approach. At least, that's what he
would have liked to think. "Soon, Raxxil."

The hothead looked up at him and nodded. "I
know, I know."

Serraemas then focused his attention on Erendil.
He walked to the towrth's darkened corner and gazed at the sitting
figure. "Are you with us?"

No answer.

"Whoever you are", began Serraemas, "I'm sure
you wish to continue existing. So I ask again, are you with
us."

"Lead the way", replied the towrth coolly,
though the words did not seem to come from Erendil. Rather, the
words were not said in a way that Erendil ever would.

"All we can do is hope that Erendil doesn't
completely lose control", echoed Zaranet from within.

Serraemas nodded in agreement, and he made eye
contact with Raxxil. The icy elementalist jerked his head in subtle
fashion at the two guards nearby, and received a grin of approval
at his intent. Careful not to alert the armored soldiers, Serraemas
unlocked his shackles with the key, but kept them on. He walked
over to Raxxil and handed it to him. "I've got the right."

"Finally", gushed Raxxil with a grin.

In unison, they threw off the chains and
immediately attacked the unsuspecting guards. Hearing the
commotion, the soldiers turned in the direction of the now unbound
captives, and their eyes widened in shock as they were struck by a
barrage of fire and ice. Both guards fell simultaneously, one
incinerated by a fireball and the other impaled in the chest.

"More of them will be here soon", said Serraemas
as they exchanged keys. He hurried to remove Erendil's shackles
while Raxxil unlocked the gate. If the display of elemental magic
wasn't enough to alert the other guards, then the rising cacophony
generated by the other prisoners was sure to. Serraemas ripped off
the towrth's shackles and threw them aside. He then grabbed
Erendil's arm, yanking him up without paying any heed to his
status.

"A couple more coming in hot!" shouted Raxxil
without looking back. Even in the clamor his voice was clear. The
fiery elementalist stepped out of the prison and quickly loosed
more fireballs at an unseen foe, smiling in satisfaction from
either their freedom or simply reveling in battle. Probably
both.

Serraemas rushed past the cold, iron bars and
turned to the left. All that stood between them and the exit of the
dungeon was a long hallway and several guards, a few of which
already littered the stone floor. Indistinct chatter filled the air
as they rushed to their freedom.

As the elementalists passed the other prisons,
dirty hands shot out and even fouler words were directed at them in
desperate attempts of garnering the attention of the escapees.
Serraemas made sure that Erendil was accounted for, then sprinted
down the hall and led the way to the exit with the other two
behind. More guards charged at them, but the soldiers were easy
prey to the combined assault of ice and fire. In mere moments, the
trio had bounded all the way to the stairs before the exit of the
prison.

The sun's rays poured in from the open hole that
was the entrance to the prison. Serraemas made his way up the
stairs swiftly and out into open grounds, his gaze immediately met
by another set of surprised guards.

"Alert the others!" shouted one of the soldiers
to his ally. The second guard quickly turned around and staggered
slightly before speeding to the west. The first guard stepped in
front of Serraemas and lunged at him in an effort to buy time, but
the latter side-stepped, pushing the guard behind him with one
hand—right into Raxxil's eager fist.

Serraemas did not bother to look behind him as
the shattering of bone filled the air. The body flew past his right
side and collided with the ground. Instead, he focused his
attention on the escaping messenger. By now, the second guard was
nearly fifty feet away and making his way across the open courtyard
that led to the kingdom's palace. Serraemas conjured a single ice
sliver, took a moment to aim, and released it. The spike caught the
unsuspecting guard in the back, and he fell face first.

"Sevag said the armory was to the south",
reminded Serraemas as he turned and ran toward a structure that was
in that direction. They made their way across the wide space that
was the top level of the kingdom, past the occasional clipped
shrubbery and establishment. In the highest level, it was more
difficult to cover themselves on their way toward their goal. A
large space was reserved for training grounds, and the wooden
dummies would not provide much protection as they slipped across.
Unlike the lower levels, there were little houses or other
structures that could conceal their movement.

On the other hand, there was certainly an
abundance of guards. In the few moments that they escaped the
prison, their presence had alerted a host of soldiers. Some of them
rushed to attack the trio, while the others went to alert the rest
of the kingdom. Taking down the first set of guards had only bought
the escapees a few seconds, but Serraemas was hoping that those
fleeting moments were enough.

They made short work of the guards that vainly
sought to defend the armory, and the trio barged through the front
door. Once inside, they were met by a wealthy collection of weapons
and armor. The building was split into two rooms, one larger and
one smaller that was locked behind a door. The larger room spanned
about a hundred feet in length, seventy feet in width, and rose
nearly thirty feet. Swords, axes, and shields of all sizes lined
the walls, while stores of finely made plate and other weapons were
organized neatly in the wide space.

Despite the large collection, they were not here
for ordinary weapons. Serraemas scanned the larger room quickly,
yet found no trace of their own weapons. The shouts of guards and
the clanging of armor increasingly grew from outside the armory as
Serraemas then bolted for the locked iron door. He placed both
hands on the cold surface and concentrated. Heat began to transfer
from surface-to-surface. Serraemas could feel his own body heat
rising, and if he was not careful, could become overwhelmed by the
transfer of energy. It wasn’t long before the sound of groaning
metal filled his ears, and a few moments later, the hinges of the
door broke off. The door crashed onto the ground as it fell
forward.

Behind Serraemas, Raxxil loosed a triumphant
cheer as they rushed in. The smaller room contained dozens of
confiscated items, including the cache that Sevag had mentioned.
Luckily, their garments were also stored here. Within seconds, they
were out of the prison garbs and back into their familiar
attire—including their formidable weapons.

At least, Serraemas and Erendil were.

Raxxil scrambled to fit his plate on frantically
as a score of armored guards dashed into the room with weapons
drawn. Serraemas waved his hand, generating a slew of ice shards
and unleashing them upon the soldiers. They easily fell prey to his
attack, nearly a half-dozen collapsing on the floor from mortal
wounds. Serraemas shot a glance at his clumsy partner.

"What?!" exclaimed Raxxil in protest, who was
now fully armored. "It's easy to strap in your blasted leather. One
day, you’ll understand the benefit of heavy armor. Probably when
there’s a sword stuck in your gut. You’ll be thinking ‘I really
wish I was Raxxil right now’."

"Ready?" asked Serraemas, ignoring the
hammer-wielder's comment. Receiving two nods, Serraemas gripped his
staff tightly in one hand and moved toward the doorframe. With
their items restored, it was time to escape—

A hand shot up and gripped his ankle, tethering
Serraemas to the ground. He looked down to find that one of the
soldiers still clung dearly for both life and him. A shard of ice
protruded from the man's bleeding chest. The dying man tried to
mutter a word, but only managed a gurgling noise as blood came out
of his mouth. Serraemas waved his hand again with the intent of
ending the guard's misery—

An arrow pierced cleanly through the dying man's
skull. Serraemas looked up to Erendil, who smiled at him
darkly.

"Lead the way", said the towrth casually, in a
way that Erendil never would.

---

"You're just going to hide?" yelled Pann.

Tevin was quivering behind a desk in the meeting
room, weapon half-raised in futile defense. News of the escaped
prisoners had reached their ears, and it seemed that Tevin was not
going to represent the Blue Swords.

"What are we supposed to do?" asked the shaking
boy. "They'll kill us too!"

"Coward", snapped Pann. She played with her
blade for a few moments, pondering what course of action to
take.

Mother, what would you do?

"Fine, stay here then", scolded the young girl.
She sheathed her weapon and headed for the door, leaving Tevin to
mewl in fear. The Blue Swords were all that was righteous,
defending Makka from the unjust. She would not be worthy of the
title if she stood by idly.