Chapter 21

  Breaking In and Out

  Two sketches were placed on a flat stone for everyone to inspect. At first glance they were identical, but Sebastian tapped between them. "Look at these plans."

  “They’re both the fortress.” Aeroth said. “Why did you do two of them?”

  “Look closer.” Mien said. “They are different.” He pointed at the left drawing. “This one is the fortress. There are more walls than the other one, so what is this other one Sebastian?”

  “Quite simple, really. This fortress is prefabricated. A Level Five spell created during the Broken Times, designed to be cast by eight casters. It creates a large fortress in a matter of minutes, using the surrounding terrain as material.” He pointed out the fortress below. “This one has been customized with some additions, but it's that same spell.”

  “What does that mean for us?” Mien asked.

  Sebastian produced another drawing, a blueprint. “It means, I already know the general layout of the place. The barracks, the kitchen, the storage, all of it. Including the Dungeon.”

  Yan took the blueprint, eyes darting across it to memorize it. “How certain are you?” She asked Sebastian.

  “90%” Sebastian said. “They customized it, but I don’t see any layout changes up here.”

  A creepy, violent smile crossed Yan’s face. “Good.”

  “Wh-what’s that look for?” Pierre asked, taking a step back.

  “Oh my.” Nayo said, stifling a giggle. “Are you going to kill them?” She asked.

  “Only the ones that try to stop me.” Yan said.

  “Very well. So, the plan.” Sebastian said. “Rather simple one. Yan will sneak inside to the dungeon and find Michael. The rest of us will storm the walls and start trouble, causing fires and battles to serve as a distraction. Pierre and I will post up on the walls to coordinate whilst the rest of you go to battle. I know Hyato, Mien, and Kris are quite capable of controlling their own battles,” Sebastian said, and looked to Aeroth and Nayo, “so I will leave you two to determine whether you want to make distractions with battle or chaos.”

  “Sounds good.” Yan said. Hyato nodded, and Mien seemed to agree.

  “So why do we have to go with your plan?” Aeroth asked.

  “What’s the escape route?” Kris asked.

  “We escape the way we came in, over the walls and scatter. We can reconvene here.” Sebastian said.

  “Hey, answer my question.” Aeroth said. “What makes your plan better than one I come up with?”

  “He is very good at what he does.” Mien said.

  “You say that.” Kris said, rubbing her arm. “But I’d like another reason myself as well.”

  “We shouldn’t argue...” Pierre said, looking between everyone.

  “No.” Aeroth said, “Give me a good reason.”

  “Geez Aeroth. Lay off it.” Yan chided.

  Sebastian raised his hands for quiet, and withdrew something from his bag, slipping it on. He donned the coat, and stood wearing a tactical jacket in a deep crimson, fashioned to be light and visible. Along the lining of the jacket and around the cuffs was elegant black trim that popped out. Aeroth snapped his mouth shut, and Kris’s dropped open. “Is that...?” Kris said.

  “It is.” Mien said, putting his own jacket on that matched, though his was in green with no trim. “A Tactician’s Vestment from Maw. Awarded only to those that have completed the Myrrhmidon Academy of War’s tactical mastery courses.”

  “I’ve never seen black trim before.” Pierre said.

  “I’ve... heard of that.” Aeroth said. Yan and Hyato both wore expressions of shock as well. “What does the black trim mean?”

  “Well,” Pierre said. “You get trim in one of the other colors if you complete mastery in a second or third course. You get the royal vestment if you complete all four... But Black trim is reserved for those that expand the limits of knowledge in their course, adding to it in a significant and revolutionary way.”

  “Looks like I don’t need to explain myself.” Sebastian said, “That enough for you two?” Kris and Aeroth nodded.

  “Good.” Mien said. “Let’s carry out this mission so I can take Michael into custody.”

  Yan clicked her tongue. “Now hold on.” She said, “We need Michael to chase down the Revenant.”

  “You can do that, after I make sure he is innocent.” Mien said, looking down at Yan.

  “He is innocent.” Yan said. “We need him to complete our quest.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” Mien said, “After I take him back to the Mystic Citadel and check him.”

  “We can’t wait that long!” Yan said.

  “We cannot afford to, our foe is too dangerous.” Hyato said. “One of the bandits is possessed by a being of great danger to the world.”

  “You four were in Liniva.” Mien said. “I’ll find out what happened there.”

  “It can wait!” Yan said.

  “No!” Kris said. “Many of my friends and family were in Liniva. If Michael is responsible-”

  “Michael didn’t kill all of those people!” Yan said. “It was the Revenant!”

  "I need proof.” Mien said, “The only significant tracks I could discern were from Michael’s blade, and I have already proven my tracking ability. What proof do you have that this wayward spirit you are chasing is even real?”

  “That guard captain Roland.” Hyato said, “The people of Nita said he had a sudden change of personality. It was because the Revenant possessed him!”

  “Spirits like that feed on mana, there were drained Nodules.” Yan said.

  Mien shook his head. “We can check these back in Nita, but not here. I’m not changing my mind. After we rescue him, I am taking Michael.”

  Yan stepped forth, drawing her dagger. “I won’t let you.”

  Aeroth stepped in front of Yan and shook his head. “Leaving that aside.” He said. “After this little rescue mission I am going to take you back to the village with me, Yan.”

  Yan turned her glare to Aeroth, “Not a chance.”

  “I’ll make you come back.” Aeroth said. “By force, if I have to.”

  Yan’s grip on her dagger tightened. Mien looked towards the fortress, disinterest in his gaze. Yan bared her teeth, “I’m not going back with you, Aeroth. And I’m not letting Mien take Michael either.”

  “You think you can stop me?” Aeroth said.

  “Maybe.” Hyato said, drawing his sword and stepping up beside Yan, “She won’t be alone.” Aeroth’s fingers cracked in preparation for an attack, and Kris rooted her stance along with her spear.

  “Umm.” Pierre said, looking between everyone. “Guys, shouldn’t we...”

  “There’s no use in trying to stop me from taking him.” Mien said. “I was trained as a Myrrhmidon.”

  “Like I care.” Yan said, rolling her shoulders.

  “Silence!” Sebastian said, his voice raised. “We’re all adults, let us remember that.” He chided, “There will be time to discuss this, after we rescue Michael. While we tarry here, he may be in serious harm. If he dies, you won’t get your answers, Mien.” Mien looked away, “And Aeroth, I doubt you want to be the one Yan’s fury is taken out on should we be unable to rescue our friend.” Aeroth’s face looked stern, but paled a shade.

  “There will be plenty of time for this conversation after the mission.” Sebastian re-iterated. “Everyone get ready, we leave shortly.” After a still moment, weapons that had been drawn were put away, and everyone moved to stand in their own groups.

  Sebastian approached Yan, putting a hand on her shoulder. She was shivering a bit. “We’ll save him, right?” Yan asked.

  Hyato nodded, and Sebastian smiled, “We will.” He said. Then Sebastian reached into his bag, “Now, Yan, I have something to make your infiltration go better.”

  Muscles tensing and bursting with energy felt like chilled flames, tingling with heat that broke cold sweat. Michael focused all his efforts onto his right wrist, enclosing a surge of energy around it as he tried to change his body. Energy Form, he just needed to do that and he could slip out of the chains. These weren’t designed to hold Valon, were they? Michael kept trying, he had to!

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  Vitality surged through Michael's body and spirit. Though his body was still sore, the small nap he took had made him feel much better. Wolf kept cheering Michael on with whoops and encouraging remarks. “You got this! You can do it! Go Energy Form!” And the like.

  Several more attempts against the shackles had no effect, then Michael paused. “I think I have an idea.”

  “Oh yeah?” Wolf said, “Great! Try it.”

  Michael nodded, and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, and focused inwards. Wolf titled his head as he watched, blinking for a moment. “Meditation? How can he focus from that pose?”

  The world around Michael was closed off, and he looked within. He focused on his breathing, on his core, and on meditating. He would find out how to do this, with the insight he had of himself. Michael felt the pain of his body ebb away, and the distant sounds faded. His sense of touch, his itches, vanished as well. And finally, he felt himself drift to some place.

  Awareness came to Michael. He felt he could see something, though at the same time it did not feel as clear as looking with his eyes. The ground appeared below him, and grew. A spacious dark place, a warm solid earth, something pleasant. Off to one side, Michael felt a division within himself, a different place. Here, the ground was ashen and cold, and there was something there, a large stone flecked with old moss and faded violet light, wrapped in black chains. Michael felt a presence there, and started walking near.

  ‘No,’ Michael thought. ‘I am here to find Energy Form.’ He turned away from that grotto and focused on the power he sought. There was a feeling a little ways off, a power just out of reach. Michael moved towards it.

  Closer and closer Michael drew to his goal, but before he reached it a new area appeared. It felt more real, more solid than reality. A large stone room, illuminated by alcoves every few feet in a wide circle. There were ancient letters drawn in some cryptic pattern on the floor and the domed ceiling. But Michael paled as the final detail met his gaze.

  In the middle of the stone room hung a person. His powerful body was scarred without being bloodied, but thick red chains punctured his torso with hooks in four places. Each of the four chains were taut, suspending the man in the middle of the room by linking to the upper corners. The man’s long black hair fell to his waist, wild and unkempt, concealing his appearance.

  Chilling uncertainty crawled down Michael's back as he stepped into the room. The power he sought was beyond it, so Michael crossed past the man. This did not feel like his mind any longer. Michael passed the suspended man, cold sweat on his back, and exited the room. The man did not move, not even a breath, but Michael felt an icy gaze on him, even after departing.

  It took several moments for Michael to control his erratic breathing and continue. He felt that he was within himself once more as he stepped into the inky blackness of the reaches of his mind. A fog of the unknown swirled around him, and only after walking for another few minutes did Michael feel the icy gaze no longer.

  Twinkling like a lone star in the middle of an empty night, Michael found a tiny speck of light. It was no bigger than a mote of dust as he cupped his hands around it, but its significance was clear to him. An idea. This is what drew him here. Michael closed his hands around it.

  A vivid force rushed through him setting his blood ablaze with vigor as the idea broke him free from the silent meditation. Michael gasped for air as he opened his eyes, body shaking. There was a flash of light, and Michael fell forward onto the ground!

  “You did it!” Wolf said from the other cell. “You actually did it!”

  Michael took several breaths while lying on the cold floor, but felt satisfaction renew his vitality. He looked at his arms, amazed. Where there had been flesh, there was now shimmering light. Michael moved them about, examining each side and flexing his hands. It didn’t look like Energy Form. Michael focused on his legs, concentrated, and changed them into light. It took no effort from there to slip free of the bonds. This would work.

  His arms and legs reverted to flesh before Michael could stand. “I did it.” Michael said to himself, smiling and stretching his sore body.

  “So that’s energy form? Looks kind of odd.” Wolf said, “Not that I’m complaining.”

  “I don’t think it is.” Michael said, “This feels different from what I saw.” Michael walked up to the bars of his cell. “It feels nothing like energy.” He focused on his hand, and it became light. It wasn’t glowing, it wasn’t solid. He pushed through the cell, then pushed his arm through as it changed to light. Michael got stuck for a moment, arm flailing, but managed to get through the cell after a minute.

  “Yeah.” Wolf said. “I don’t think that was Energy Form at all. You dropped your shorts in the cell by the way.”

  Michael looked down at himself, and quickly grabbed the shorts and put them on. “Sorry.”

  “Eh, don’t worry about it. I’m Ace.” Wolf said. “So, are there any keys out there?”

  There were many other cells, but one stone wall had a rack for hanging things, and a big old loop of keys. “Yeah.” Michael grabbed the keys and threw them into the cell to Wolf. “Here, try to open your way out. I’m going back to that room where they put my stuff.”

  “Right behind you.” Wolf said, grabbing the keys and trying them on his arm shackles. Michael walked down the hallway to the big wooden door that he was dragged through earlier. The only way in and out of this dungeon, by the looks of it.

  Listening at the door for a few moments didn’t tell Michael anything new, so it was time to be bold. Michael opened the door and strode through. On the other side the overweight jailer dropped his half eaten sandwich, eyes wide. Michael closed the door and closed the distance, hopping over a table, to land in front of the jailer. The man reached for a horn with one hand, “Stay back.”

  Michael didn’t feel obedient. He thrust his palm forth and unleashed a surge into the Jailer, knocking him out of his chair. Then, Michael grabbed the horn from the wall and smashed it into the Jailer’s forehead. The Jailer went limp. He was still breathing, but unconscious. “That works.” Michael rooted around in his pockets, finding another keyring. He looked around the small guard room and spotted the large chest his sword and clothes had been shoved in.

  It only took a few tries to find the right key, and Michael got himself dressed, donning the smooth black pants that were a little baggy and made of some kind of tiny scales. He got his white shirt and green leather cuirass on next, complete with one jutting pauldron over the left shoulder and a mini-cape. This was better. He put the sheath for his sword on his belt and returned to the dungeon.

  A cursory glance confirmed they were the only prisoners, so Michael returned to Wolf’s cell. The man had freed himself from the shackles, and leaned against the cell. “Hey, none of these keys fit the door.” He said. “Did you find more keys?”

  “Yeah, but we don’t need them.” Michael swung his sword against the lock of Wolf’s cell door. It shattered and the door swung open. “Let’s bust out.”

  Wolf gave a wild grin, and exited the cell. He was in excellent shape, a little taller than Michael, and his hair was just a bit longer, but not as spiky. “Sounds like a blast!” Wolf went to the jailer’s room and found the chest of spoils, tossing several items aside as he dug out his own belongings.

  After examining a stray helmet that had been thrown from the chest, Michael checked out the room some more, and then went to a metal cabinet at the wall. He opened it, and found what he was looking for. “Hey Wolf.” Michael said.

  The man turned to look at Michael, half dressed, “Yeah?”

  Michael withdrew two plates from the ice box and set them on the table. Each one contained a sandwich. “Hungry?”

  The route chosen to infiltrate the fortress involved scaling the walls after all. It would have been rather difficult for most people, but Yan and her siblings made the job look easy. Yan reached the overhead without too much trouble, and waited on Aeroth and Nayo.

  “I thought you said her skills got weaker since she left.” Nayo complained, hooking her leg into a good spot to pull herself up.

  “Less talking, more climbing.” Aeroth said, swinging himself to a small ledge that had worn into the side of the wall.

  “Look, you couldn’t beat her before, what if she actually got stronger.” Nayo said. “We might not be enough even together.” She stuck a kunai into the wall to take a breather.

  “I have a plan for that.” Aeroth said. “It’s not a very nice one, I’ll admit.”

  “Will it work?” Nayo asked. Aeroth was silent. “Will it hurt her?” Aeroth’s silence stretched out more. “Dad will kill you if it does.”

  “Everything will work out.” Aeroth said. He climbed up another few feet. The wind blew his hair around.

  “What do we do if she gets away?” Nayo asked, “She is going to run.”

  “If we can’t track her... we regroup at the village for more orders.” Aeroth said.

  “You’re such a baby.” Nayo focused on the climb, and Aeroth followed suit. It only took them another couple minutes to reach where Yan had perched.

  Yan was gazing at the orange twilit skies as her siblings arrived. “Nice of you to join me.” Yan said, offering her arm to Nayo. The sisters clasped at the wrist, and Nayo swung out from the wall, sticking a kunai into the underside of the wide castle wall overhang. Yan let go so Nayo could focus.

  Nayo secured herself, and held out an arm, the other holding the Kunai as she hung there. “Let’s get this over with, Bro.”

  Aeroth nodded and made the jump, catching Nayo's hand and swinging further. He flipped in the air and stomped his feet to the underside of the wall. They stuck fast, and Aeroth stood there, standing upside down.

  “You mastered that?” Yan said, “I’m impressed. I could never do it.” She kicked off the wall and swung with Nayo. The younger sister let go of her Kunai and swung with Yan. Aeroth caught Nayo’s ankles and swung his linked sisters to the very edge of the lip. It was do or die.

  Yan drew her dagger free and infused it with energy, stabbing the wall, clearing the lip. Both sister’s exhaled, relief overtaking them. They were almost there.

  A pebbled bounced off Yan’s shoulder, and a solid crack resounded, making all three pairs of feral ears twitch. The dagger had dug into the stone, but the wall was giving way. Yan could feel the rock about to slip, but her other hand was gripped to Nayo’s wrist. They were gonna fall.

  Nayo bit her lip and took a breath. “Yan, Leaf drop.” Yan looked at her sister, then steeled herself. She nodded. The sisters let go, and Nayo began to fall. The younger sister withdrew a kunai and threw it skywards. Yan snatched it out of the air and slammed energy through it and into the wall a few feet above. The kunai secured itself into the wall, and Yan was safe for the moment. She looked down. It was a few hundred feet from here to the bottom where the others waited. Nayo couldn’t survive that. She saw Nayo sailing towards the ground.

  A rope attached to a kunai shot out towards Nayo, and she caught it. Aeroth let out an exasperated sigh as his younger sister secured herself, wrapping the rope once around her leg. Then he looked at Yan. “Looks like it's all you up there.” He said, tossing the bundle to Yan. She caught it and continued her climb. It was only another few feet to the top, Yan pulled herself over the battlements of the castle wall. To her great relief, no one was up here yet. She undid the bundle that Pierre and Aeroth had put together. She drove the three stakes into the stone floor, and secured them with a couple more bands. Then she tossed the coiled rope ladder over the side.

  Just a few minutes later, Aeroth and Nayo climbed over the side of the wall. Yan peered down, and saw the others from the bottom beginning the ascent. “It’s lucky you had such a long rope ladder.” Yan said.

  “I’m just surprised that Pierre fellow had one too. Interlocking even.” Aeroth said, resting against a battlement.

  “You okay Nayo?” Yan asked. The older siblings looked at their youngest sister, who was rubbing her wrist. A red rope burn had asserted itself.

  “I’ll be fine.” Nayo said. “Go on ahead with your mission, Sis, we’ll wait here for the others.”

  Yan nodded. “I’ll be quick.” She said, “Don’t have too much fun.” Yan stepped over to the wall, scanned the courtyard, and moved into the fortress. Her steps gave no sound.

  “She has gotten better.” Aeroth said. “You know...”

  “What’s that?” Nayo said.

  “I think Dad is in the wrong.” Aeroth said. Nayo giggled, “What’s so funny?”

  “Yan said that to me, before she left, you know.” Nayo said, smiling.

  Aeroth looked out over the peaks of his homeland in the mountains. Night was fast replacing the orange sky with a deep indigo, as the starlight from distant planes winked into existence. “Oh.”

  “Well, there is one thing that Yan is lacking.” Nayo said.

  “What’s that?” Aeroth asked.

  “Decent gear.” Nayo said, holding up one of the daggers Yan had been using. “This knife is a joke.”

  “Tcheheheh.” Aeroth laughed. “We gotta bring her home. At least to get some kunai.”

  Nayo giggled again, “I agree.”