Delver Magic: Book 05 - Chain of Bargains (10 page)

Ryson, while comprehending the
meaning of her statement, questioned Holli's intention.

"I thought you wanted to
speak with someone in charge?"

"I do, but I no longer wish
to do so on their terms."

"What changed your
mind?"

"Many things... one of which
you pointed out. They
are
incompetent. They put us in cells, but then leave us unguarded and unwatched?
It is idiocy. That means I cannot count on them to act in any rational
manner."

The delver sensed Holli's
annoyance with the guards, but her frustration billowed beyond dealing with
their incompetence.

"What else is bothering
you?" Ryson asked.

"They know exactly who we
are," Holli fumed. With each step, she faced another riddle, found another
puzzle. Irritation assaulted her as she realized the incompetent guards of
Huntston knew more than she did. Worse, she couldn't understand why.

Ryson agreed. The mystery
surrounding the valleys grew with every step of their exploration and it
suddenly appeared as if they were expected by those they came in secret to
question.

"Yeah, they seemed to be very
careful about my sword."

"Exactly. That fact bothers
me greatly. I understand you and your sword are becoming somewhat legendary,
but not many people know about all the sword's enchantments. Many know the
blade magnifies light when unsheathed, but how do these guards know about the
gift of insight the blade bestows on the holder? The station commander was very
clear on his order not to touch the handle. That means they know you are Ryson
Acumen, that you carry the Sword of Decree, and that the sword holds many
enchantments."

She shook her head in disgust.

"They were also aware that I
am an elf," she continued. "They are not wise enough to disarm
prisoners before traipsing through the town, and yet they are aware of things
they should not know."

"So we're leaving?"

"Immediately."

The elf placed her hands together
at her chest and focused on her connection with the magical energy. The power
within her rushed around her wrists and a crackling green octagon formed at her
hands. She whispered words meant to direct the magic, to give the power at her
fingertips focus and purpose. As she did, the green light burst forward and
struck at the keyholes of three cell doors; hers, Ryson's, and the cell that
held their belongings. All three doors swung open.

"That was fast," Ryson
noted.

"They are simple locks. I
believe that these guards have very little experience with magic. That will
work to our favor in more than one regard."

The elf raced down the
corridor—ignoring the other prisoners—to the iron doors that separated the
front lobby from the jail. She concentrated on the handles and cast another
spell. Again, the green magic shot into the keyhole, but this time the door did
not swing open.

She returned quickly to Ryson, who
was gathering their belongings but had watched Holli's actions from a distance.

"What did you do?"

"A small magical barrier. It
will serve as a lock jam. Their keys will not turn the tumblers."

"They're going to have a hard
time getting in here. They're not going to be able to smash through those
doors." Ryson then looked at those humans still in their cells. "What
about the other prisoners?"

"Do not fear for them. They
will ignore us and they will not be isolated in here for long. The spell will
dissolve long before morning, but my guess is the guards will remove the doors
at the hinges when they realize they cannot enter. Still, it was a necessary
precaution. I want to ensure we had time to escape."

"Good idea, but now how do we
get out?"

"I intend on using that vent
shaft," Holli nodded upwards to a metal cylinder that cut through the
stone roof of the building. "I believe we both can fit through the
passage, though I will ask for your assistance in reaching the opening."

Ryson looked into the dark passage
that led through the ceiling.

"It's going to be a tight
fit, but we can make it." He then looked back to the elf. "Are you
going to be alright with that?"

"I will be fine. Why do you
ask?"

"Back in the hills, when we
were talking to the dwarf commander, you said you felt uncomfortable in
enclosed places. This is going to be about as enclosed as it gets."

"Do not worry. I said that to
ensure we were kept near the entrance. I did not wish to be taken too far down
the tunnels. I have been living in human cities for quite some time now. I am
used to enclosures."

"Ah, so that's it. I was wondering
about it when you said it. Well, we can fit, but I just need to get my sword
first. Can you help me with that lock, too?"

"That was my intention."

Holli moved swiftly to the cabinet
that held the Sword of Decree. She cast another emerald spell and Ryson heard
the lock snap open. He pulled on the handle and swung the cabinet door silently
to one side. After securing the sword to his back, he returned with the elf to
the space directly under the air shaft.

As he peered upward, he realized
they faced one small dilemma.

"There's a cap at the top of
the vent. I think I can pry it open, but you can never be sure."

"Stand clear, please."

Focusing her gaze upwards, Holli
raised a single arm above her head. She pointed her index finger at the shaft
just as emerald energy surged up her arm. A streak of green power shot from her
finger and rose up through the shoot. When it reached the cap, a large pop was
followed by a metal clang.

Ryson looked up through the shaft
again and this time he could see the night sky without obstruction.

"It's clear. We can both fit
without any problem." He then heard a clamor at the iron doors.
"Seems as if we gained their attention."

"Let us not waste any more
time. Once you have secured yourself in the shaft, drop me your rope."

"No problem"

Ryson positioned himself directly
under the vent pipe, and with one great leap, he effortlessly propelled himself
into the opening. The tubular path was dark, dirty, and cramped, but a delver
cared little about such minor discomforts. He saw a handful of spiders
scurrying further up the vent and simply dismissed them. After dealing with
bloat spiders that could trap a full grown shag, a few average cellar variety
spiders smaller than his thumbnail were hardly a concern. Pressing his hands, feet
and back against the vent walls, he climbed further up to allow Holli a clear
section of pipe for her entry.

The vent was narrow enough to
allow him to jam his knees against opposing sides of the circular wall. He also
twisted his upper body so that it lodged at an angle within the pipe. His hands
became free to go through his pouch and retrieve the short rope that he always
carried. He dropped it down toward the ground. It was long enough to hit the
floor. He braced himself within the metal shaft as he served as an anchor for
the line down to Holli.

After taking one last look around
the jail, Holli grasped the rope and shimmied herself up into the narrow
opening. Once fully inside, she used her body against the passage just as Ryson
had done.

"I am in," she stated as
she released the rope to allow Ryson to recoil it and return it to his pouch.

"I'm going up to the
roof," Ryson whispered, and then the delver thrust himself upward like a
red hot ember released from a fire.

He paused just below the top of the
shaft. He raised an ear to the night air and listened intently for any signs of
a guard on the roof. He heard nothing, not a breath, not even a heartbeat.
Certain the roof was clear, he bolted over the edge of the pipe and on to the
roof.

Holli followed. Immediately after
exiting the vent, she took the bow from her shoulder, ducked low and stalked to
the front of the building. The roof was nearly flat, only slightly pitched to
allow the rain to run off. The walls stood high and the lanterns below shined
mostly on the surrounding streets and not the building itself. She crouched in
the cover of darkness as she waited for guards to exit the front entrance and
surround the building. It never happened.

As Holli kept watch on the only
door, Ryson scouted the perimeter of the roof and looked over the surrounding
grounds. He scampered over the edges like a squirrel dancing across thin
branches until he reached Holli's position.

"No one's out here. There are
guards in the distance—walking the streets—but they seem to be on normal
patrol. There are others on the rooftops where we first spotted them, but
they're watching the outskirts of town. I don't think anyone knows we're up
here yet."

Holli sighed.

"They truly are fools."

"Well, they're not very good
at guarding prisoners," Ryson agreed. "Where do we go now?"

Holli scanned the area. Her gaze
fell upon the closest building across the alley to her right.

"Can you make the leap to
that building?"

Ryson estimated the distance.
"It's a jump for me, but I can make it. Can you?"

"Not by jumping, but I can
levitate myself that short distance."

"Now?" the delver asked.

Holli nodded. She took long
moments to gather the energy needed for the spell of levitation. Levitation
differed from teleportation in that Holli would have to ride the waves of magic
in the air as opposed to shifting and compacting space to make a conduit for
travel. If she tried to teleport such a short distance, she might overshoot her
destination. Levitation allowed for more precise movement during the actual
trip. She could not fly like Enin—that took far too much magic and control for
her—but she could float over small barriers and obstacles.

Ryson left her to concentrate as
he lined up his path. He did not break into an all out sprint. Instead, he extended
his stride into long flowing leaps off one foot and then the other. When he
reached the roof ledge, he swung both arms forward to accelerate his
 
momentum. Angling slightly upward, his body
soared across the open space. He landed smoothly on the neighboring rooftop and
kept his legs moving under him. Utilizing his forward motion, he glided about
in a half-circle before coming to a quiet stop, allowing him to face the guard
station.

Just as the delver leapt, Holli
unleashed her own spell. The emerald energy circled her at the waist and then
lifted her only slightly above the slate roof. Floating in the air, she willed
herself forward across the open space of the alleyway and over toward Ryson.
She appeared slightly unsteady, riding the waves of magic as if she was trying
to navigate a river while standing on a rolling log. Still, she cleared the gap
without faltering and floated over the rooftop next to Ryson. When she forcibly
stepped downward, the green magic around her body disappeared with a light snap.

She scanned her immediate
surroundings and then looked down to the streets below.

"Now where?" Ryson
asked.

"We wait right here."

"What are we waiting
for?"

"Him," Holli noted, as
she pointed to a man in a red cloak entering the guard station with three
guards following behind.

"Captain of the guard?"
Ryson asked.

Holli nodded, as she pointed out
the obvious signs.

"Arriving late at night with
escorts. Wearing an officer's cloak despite the warm temperatures. It is the
best explanation."

Holli and Ryson remained in the
shadows of the neighboring rooftop and their angle of perspective gave them
only a limited view of the door to the guard station. They both watched as the
man in the red cloak entered the building and all three guards followed him
inside like obedient dogs following their master. Holli waited a few moments,
watching for activity at the front of the guard house, before explaining
further.

"He was coming to see
us," the elf guard continued. "He is the only one who walks with any
semblance of authority. Let us see if he is any smarter than the others."

Long moments passed. Holli
continued to gaze at the door intently. It remained shut. Eventually, she
heaved a sigh.

"Even he is inept."

"I know," Ryson agreed.
"No one has come outside to search the grounds. I wonder what they'll do
when they finally get into the jail and see we're gone. Do you think they'll
notice the vent shaft is missing the cap?"

"In all honesty, no. Based on
what I have seen thus far, they will most likely assume we simply vanished into
thin air."

From within the building, they
heard a large crash and the echoing clang of metal against rock.

"Sounds like they knocked the
door over," Ryson whispered. "Maybe the hinges were rusted in
place."

"Maybe they are bungling
imbeciles," Holli offered with more than a hint of disgust.

Ryson wouldn't argue. He marveled
at how poorly the guards had handled each situation. He wondered if the
soldiers of Huntston had any training, or if they were even truly soldiers at
all. He began to believe that they were nothing more than local hooligans
dressed in uniform.

"I'm guessing they take a
long time in searching the cells," the delver added. "They'll think
we're hiding under a mattress."

"I would not be
surprised."

They waited patiently in the night.
Holli scanned the surrounding streets of the town and gauged the passage of
time. It was getting late, perhaps even well past
midnight
.
The roads were silent, the number of townspeople outside dwindled to nothing.
Many of the street lamps burned out, leaving much of the town bathed in gloom.

Finally, the front door of the
guard station swung open as if shoved angrily. The man in the red cloak walked
with clear agitation through the doorway and down the brick path. Again, he was
followed by three guards.