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~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Whatever.” Rivera turned and ran, leaving it to Krystal to catch up. They jogged down the hall, back past the intersection of hallways, and down the other end to a small wooden door with iron bands around it. “This is the dungeon,” she said breathlessly, and pulled open the door. Inside was a spiral staircase, made out of the typical gray stone that composed the rest of the castle.
Krystal’s head turned, poking back out of the doorway, and sniffed anxiously. “Smoke. We have to hurry.”
“Then let’s go!” Rivera grabbed her arm and dragged her down into the dungeon.

14-Jul-2009 21:50:41

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
***
Arwing staggered from side to side down the hallway as Lil lurched awkwardly forward. The other woman was barely conscious and leaned heavily on Arwing for support. Arwing, barely better off, could barely walk on her own, let alone holding someone else. Together they meandered back and forth as though they were drunk. Arwing at least was aware of the need to hurry, but couldn’t push her aching muscles any faster. She wanted to turn and run back to Maston, to try and save him, but she knew there was nothing more she could do. Her last view of him had been fearsome: he was framed by the fire, the light gleaming wildly off his sweat-drenched, bloodstained skin, his mace held up like a challenge, facing down the flood of soldiers from the main doors. It was similar to the stand Adrian had taken when they ran before, and she prayed Maston would make it out alive.
A door loomed up out of the darkness. They’d reached the bedroom. Arwing dragged Lil inside, avoiding looking down the small hallway where she knew the body of the young boy lay, and they collapsed on the bed, gasping for breath.
She was close to passing out, but her instincts wouldn’t let her, told her she had to keep moving. She had to get Lil out, had to escape this death-trap of a castle, and see daylight again. In the moments that had passed, her breathing had calmed, and she sat up slowly. The room swam around her, and she nearly fell backwards again. She gripped at the bedposts and tried to steady herself.
“Come on,” she called to Lil, and her voice sounded strange and far away. “We have to keep going.” Lil groaned. Arwing grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her upright. “Come on, move.” They tumbled into the hallway, where Arwing tripped over the body and fell over it, shrieking in surprise.

14-Jul-2009 21:51:01

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
When her head hit the floor, pain exploded through her body, and she did*’t have the strength or willpower to force herself to her feet. It was too far. Where was she going, anyway? She did*’t know how to get out of the castle. It was over. Issavan had escaped, the castle was burning down, and they had lost.
Burning down – she lifted her head and flashed it wildly from side to side. Oh, no! *Smoke,” she muttered dumbly. “Fire!”
It was coming from further down the hall, and when she lifted her head, she could see the flash of flames. But she couldn’t go back to Maston; there was fire there too, and at the other end of the corridor. She was frozen with fear. Where could they go? All of her exits were blocked. She began to cry, silently, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She was just so drained and helpless. She let her head fall back to the floor, and the carpet felt so smooth and soft against her cheek. She would just lay here, and hopefully, it would be over quickly.
The world flickered, and began to fade. Good, she thought sadly. She would be unconscious when it happened.
Black shapes loomed out of the darkness, suddenly filling her blurry vision. She heard voices, but could only comprehend scattered words. “Here – two of the warriors – out of here – Rivera –“
Rivera? Her people must be here. These were her soldiers! Arwing’s tired mind wrapped around this thought as she was lifted upright. “Maston,” she forced out. They did*’t seem to hear her. “Hey!” She blinked furiously and tried to focus. One of the soldiers was kneeling by the body of the boy. She was being carried back toward the tunnel. “No!* She beat feebly at the soldier’s chest. “Fire!”
“It’s back that way,” he assured her.
“No ** she took a deep, heaving breath. “That tunnel – to the throne room – there’s fire – Maston, he’s there, fighting, there’s fire, can’t get out –“ she broke off in a fit of coughing.

14-Jul-2009 21:51:19

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The soldiers swore and gathered together. She could see now there were more than she had thought, at least a dozen. Arwing had found a new energy as they were rescued, and was now mostly lucid. “We have to get them out of here.”
“Well we can’t go that way, she said herself there’s fire.”
“We have to get the other guy – Maston, she said?”
“The fire back there – we made it in, we can make it out,” the man holding Arwing asserted. “Here, Keyne, you come with me, and take the other one. Toren, come in case we meet trouble. We’ll get them out of here. The rest of you go help out Maston, all right?”
“You’re crazy, Nathan!” another one of them accused.
“Shut up, Derrick. We don’t have time to argue.” Nathan turned and began to run, carrying Arwing cradled in his arms. She could just make out another man jogging behind him, carrying Lil, and one more after that. Down the hall they went, toward the fire. They had navigated another bedroom, which must have belonged to the boy Maston had killed, when they heard a scream. All three soldiers lurched to a stop.
“That sounded like a kid,” Keyne observed.
“It came from there.” Nathan swung around to face another doorway. The room beyond was filled with fire. There was a crash as the bed inside caved in, and boards collapsed down. The voice shrieked shrilly once again. “Toren, you gotta get it.”
Toren advanced slowly, despite Nathan’s urging, trying to find a route into the room. He was wearing armor, but it could only protect him so much. He squinted through the smoke, trying to spot the screaming kid. Then, suddenly, he lunged inside, blindly moving toward the voice. “Hey!” he yelled. “I’m here, talk to me! I can’t find you!”
“Help me!” the kid whined.
Arwing and the soldiers watched helplessly, listening to the voices as they tried to find each other, unable to see anything for the smoke that filled the doorway. Finally, they heard Toren’s triumphant voice. “Got him!”
“What about my brother?”

14-Jul-2009 21:51:31

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Come on!” Moments later, Toren emerged from the fire, carrying a young boy who looked to be about six. They burst out in a shower of flames and barreled across the room, stopping when Toren crashed into the opposite wall. He turned and set the kid gently on the ground.
“What about my brother?” the kid exclaimed again, the words choked as he coughed loudly. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he scrubbed at them, rubbing hard at his eyes. “My little brother is in there!”
Toren looked up at the other soldiers, his face stricken with grief. “He’s gone,” he whispered hoarsely. “Don’t make me go back there, Nathan. The other one’s gone. Got taken by the fire.”
Arwing buried her face in Nathan’s chest. Issavan’s youngest. The child before them was the middle child, the good one they were supposed to save. But the youngest child was gone, that was what they were saying. Even as tears welled in her eyes again, she couldn’t stop the flood of relief that they wouldn’t be forced to kill another child; the fire had claimed him for them. She hated herself for it, but there was nothing that could be done.
“Let’s go,” Nathan said harshly. *Toren, take the kid.”
“Wait! My brother!” he wailed.
“We’ll send someone back for him,” Toren rasped, and swung the kid back into his arms. They sprinted through the fiery hallways, searching for a viable exit. Arwing lay her head on the soldier’s shoulder and closed her eyes. His steps were even and rhythmic, and in moments she dozed off to sleep.

14-Jul-2009 21:51:49

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
When she awoke again, there was bright light all around her. She blinked, and her eyes slowly focused on blue sky. She squinted. She was…outside? Surprised, Arwing struggled to sit up, but felt hands on her shoulders, and a bearded face came into view. “Hey, stay down,” the man urged. “You need to rest.”
She turned her head, looking for the castle. It loomed to her left, with smoke spiraling out of the great monstrosity. Soldiers swarmed around outside, but there was very little fighting. It appeared as though Issavan’s guard had finally been put down. She tried to sit up again. “Maston!” she cried.
“My people will find him,” the man – Nathan, her tired mind provided belatedly – promised her. “Just rest, miss.”
Arwing nodded, taking his word for it. She was so sleepy, maybe she should just rest…she closed her eyes, and lost any sense of the world around her.

14-Jul-2009 21:52:00

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
***
There were a lot of things Maston did*’t know. He did*’t know how many men he had killed, or how long he had held his ground in the burning room, or how wounded he was, or how many more guards remained. The only thing he knew for sure was that he couldn’t last much longer. His body was completely drained. He had lost the ability to block, or avoid, and merely took every hit instead, and tried to give as good as he got. He wavered on unsteady feet, certain that if he fell, he wouldn’t be able to get back up.
Blood ran down his mace onto his forearms. He swung it into another guard, crushing a helmet and the head within. At the same time, he was hit from behind, and the blow took him to his knees.
“Maston!” an unfamiliar voice yelled.
He turned, seeing another set of soldiers fill in the room from the other end. Horrified, he surged back to his feet. They must have come from the tunnel – had they seen Arwing? He hoped she’d had the good sense to hide. What if they had killed her? He stumbled toward them, surrounded on both sides, and emitted a hoarse battle cry.
“Maston, stop!” the voice yelled. The soldiers on one side flooded around him, and clashed with the remaining guards he had been fighting. He attacked one of the new enemies, and he was shaken off. “Grab him!” The soldier who appeared to be in command shouted orders. He was grabbed from behind, and writhed wildly in response.
“We’re here to help you!” whoever held him whispered in his ear. “Stop fighting us and get out of the way.” His arms were quickly released, and he spun about, realizing that these new soldiers were in fact fighting his attackers. He collapsed on the stairs, staring dumbly. Rivera’s army had finally arrived and come to his rescue. Within moments, the remnants of Issavan’s tired guard was dispatched. Maston could only watch in surprise.

15-Jul-2009 04:05:18

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Gods, it was really over now. They’d been saved. Hell, they had won. A smile worked its way across his features. The castle was theirs. And burning down*
*Come on.” The commander grabbed him under the arm. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“Arwing and Lil–“
“We found two women, and they should have made it out by now.”
He grinned. “Thank the Gods. Let’s go.”
“The rooms beyond the tunnel are on fire. We’re going out the front way.” The commander helped him toward the doorway, but then they saw that the great double doors had caught fire. The wood twisted in the flames and spat sparks in all directions. “Make a run for it!” the commander yelled.
Maston wasn’t sure he could run anywhere. His legs were wobbly and he felt incredibly dizzy, but there was no other way out. This is the last time, he told himself. They’ve got everything under control, you can crash outside, once you find Arwing. The commander had already made it through to the other side and was shouting to him from the hallway. There was a wall of flame blocking his path, and it grew with every second as it raced down the long carpet toward him. He’d have to move soon, or be burned alive.
He broke into a run, jumping onto the marble to avoid being burned, and raced the final steps to the doorway. At the last second he vaulted into the air and tucked his knees up to his chest. The heat seared his feet and back as he crashed into the floor on the other side and rolled. His pants had caught fire and he yelled in pain, thrashing to put out the flames. Then he lay trembling, trying to catch his breath. He had cut it too close, and had feared he wouldn’t make it. His muscles had officially deserted him now.
The commander helped him to his feet, and he saw the other man was shaking as well. Other soldiers emerged through the fire as they leaned against the wall. One did*’t make it and skidded into the flames, breaking through the other side shrieking.

15-Jul-2009 04:05:44

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Quickly, they rushed to his aid, beating where his clothes burned, then carried him out. The commander nodded to Maston. “Go with them. They’ll show you to an exit.” So Maston staggered after them, and soon they escaped through a side door and out into the daylight. He fell to his knees and bent his head, sobbing. He’d made it out alive. He had never thought this moment was possible.
Arwing. The thought lanced through his mind, and he struggled back to his feet. Where was she? He noted another huddled group of soldiers and hastened toward them, breaking through their ranks with a shout. Lil and Arwing lay on the cobblestones of the castle yard, both unconscious. One bearded soldier touched Maston’s arm.
“She’s fine. She woke up and asked for you, then passed out again. But she’ll be all right.” Maston nodded wordlessly and sat down beside her, then reached out to stroke her hair away from her face. His fingers were blackened by soot and stained with blood, and they trembled as they touched her smooth skin. They were all filthy, all three of these warriors, but at least they were alive. At least they had survived this terrible ordeal. As he sobbed over her body with relief, he knew that was all that really mattered.

15-Jul-2009 04:05:58

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