Private Tales The Sound of Steel

[Arwyl Minras]

"Coule have picked a better time to get us thrown in a cell?"

It was, Arwyl reflected, a fair question. Even Ridnak, one of his orcish followers, could be insightful from time to time. The horns sounded again. Even the mighty horn mounted to the northern gate managed to carry a note of panic through the air.

Arwyl had his hands chained just inches from the stone floor. He shouldn't have revealed his magic. It meant he couldn't even get to the slit in the stone wall for a look.

The timing was not ideal. The cold anger was in his veins again, not half as bad as it had been yesterday. Twenty years since his own home had fallen. Which meant he had done the same thing he did every anniversary, much to the disappointment of those around him.

He found a bar and picked a fight with the toughest looking humans. These ones had been town guards. Now instead of fleeing ahead of this army, they were trapped in its path.

A monumental fuck up standing tall on the mountain of bad decisions he had made before it.

"Hey, cheer up!" called a drunk from the next cell. "If they take the city who is gonna hang us. We could be free."

Arwyl turned slowly, lofting a slender eyebrow and fixing the man with a stare.

"You, you little round eared mayfly, might get to escape if this place doesn't burn to the ground. Those soldiers about to scale the pitiful wall around this town are from a vassal state of Vel Anir. Which means me and my friends, who are not humans, will receive nothing better than the noose. Does that make sense? Which means we need a fucking plan. "

 

[Kaius]

Kaius had taken a considerably hard knock to the head several hours ago. The last thing he'd seen was Arwyl's feet being dragged off before his eyes closed and he fell into a blissful oblivion and forgot all about the cluster fuck of a predicament they'd currently found themselves in. All good things had to come to an end, and Kaius stirred with a low, guttural groan in his chest as he tried to force his eyes open.

He was slumped forward against a cold, wet wall, irritated by the constant periodical drip that landed on his head. Half of his face was painted with the crimson that continued to trickle from the wound on his brow, the blow that had been the last he’d felt before he’d blacked out, and oh how it ached.

“Have a plan, do you, Your Highness?..” Kaius rumbled out, his voice gritty from sleep and strained as much as his face was from the pain of a good beating. The tone of the title was spoken with obvious bitterness and blame over their current predicament. It was of course, entirely his fault for not listening to him, as per usual, and so Kiaus would be, as per usual, taking the fucking high ground.

“Of course you do... You’ve got it handled..” he spit blood. “Forgive me for even bothering to question you, I should be sent to the noose for being so insolent. Oh... wait...” he lifted his eyes and glowered..

 

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl sighed, his rant had been thoroughly derailed by his guardian and mentor. He often wished that Kaius had taken the opportunity to leave. On the very first day after leaving the burning ruins of their home behind, Arwyl had tried to absolve him of his responsibilities.

Kaius took the word of their queen as gospel. However, he felt free to interpret those wishes how he wanted. That interpretation did not, for example. include holding back his complaints at any time.

Arwyl couldn't blame him. They were supposed to have rebuilt a new kingdom. Instead their destructive path had involved lashing out at Vel Anir when they could and generally having little impact on the world. They had got through quite a lot of wine though.

"Well...as it happens...right now...I'm open to suggestions..."

The fiery redhead turned his gaze towards Kaius and dared him to spin into an even greater rant.

 

[Kaius]

Kaius let his head fall back against the wall he was currently chained to and he tried to lift his arms to rub at his face but the chains clattered against the strain and his jaw clenched with frustration. He turned his glare back to the fiery haired elf and sneered. "Oh now you're open to suggestions? Forgive me my prince but it seems a bit late to be listening to me now." he huffed irritably.

Kaius had served his King and Queen well, he'd held an unshakable love for Arwyl's mother, to whom he'd owed his soul and so gave it freely countless years ago. Now she was gone, and he was bound by duty to guide and protect Arwyl with his life, which was proving to be a draining and thankless task. The lad had a death wish and an apparently incurable recklessness in his desire to rebel against Vel Anir. As much as he tried, Kaius was sure he'd see his own death before seeing the young elf set back on the path his parents had intended for him.

"You got us into this mess lad. You can get us out of it.. Best think fast. As soon as this place falls, they'll have our heads on pikes." he flashed a manic grin and laughed as he settled his head back against the wall to close his eyes.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl's anger always burned hot, but burned out quickly. He didn't like the way his mentor slumped back in defeat. Kaius was going to follow his orders to the very end and perhaps that end was no so far away.

His duties were followed out to the letter. Within those letters Kaius had certainly found some room for interpretation over the years. Complaining bitterly was fine, as was dragging the young Prince to training in the morning no matter the strength of the hangover.

He knew this was his fault. That was the case most of them time when his little band of trouble makers were in trouble. Plenty of that band hadn't been marched or dragged out by the town guard. They might have tried to effect a rescue, if the small city wasn't now surrounded by a hostile army.

Arwyl didn't know how long the siege would last. Not months, days at most. The force was led by General Irving, a man not know for his patience. Even worse, it was rumoured that Jasper Vance was leading their foot knights. Vel Anir were not on the field today, but many of their people were said to be marching in secret under banners of their vassal state.

He looked around the cells for options. If Kaius had a plan and was testing him then he would...probably cry out in impotent frustration later..

There were no guards. That was in their favour. Every able bodied man was on the walls or behind the gates. The walls were only eight feet high. They wouldn't stop an army.

The bars were quite solid looking iron.

"Well shit on all of this."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius' energy was waning. He'd overspent, and now, here there was nothing or nobody within reach to replenish it with. His head pounded, and his lips curled into a mildly amused grin at Arwyl's frustration. He sighed deeply, as though pleasantly relaxed and enjoying his stay in the dank cell and in no rush what-so-ever to leave it, and he fucking hoped it annoyed the prince.

"Oh I have faith in you, lad.. I'm sure you can get us out of here in a flash." he opened an eye on him with a small smirk. "If not, well at least you know that when we die, your skills and training were put to great use, making the world a better place. Making a difference..." he nodded slowly. But of course this wasn't the case, he'd only risked both of their lives countless times for nothing and Kaius resented the fact that he'd lived as long as he had, fought the battles he'd fought, defended the royal family... all to wind up being executed for Arwyl's foolish notions.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Should have walked away when you weren't chained to a rock," Arwyl hissed back. He knew he was acting the spoiled child now. "This was never going to end in the glorious restoration of my people Kaius."

Riznak, the orc who had been chained up with them had fallen silent. He knew when to stay out of a conversation. Though that was usually when the words got too long for him and not because of the tension.

Ice shards were back in his veins. His anger was always a streak of cold up his spine. This one wouldn't go as quickly.

"Faith wasn't enough. Your training wasn't enough. It took four thousand years for that city to become what it was."

There was defiance in his gaze as he looked across at his mentor. It slowly softened along with his expression until Arwyl looked down at the floor. There was a crash in the distance. Perhaps the gate being brought down.

"What was I ever going to do?" he asked no one in particular. His voice was barely a hoarse whisper now. "It wouldn't have mattered if I had just failed the dead."

 

[Kaius]

His jaw clenched but he'd been at this end of the Prince's scorn countless times and did not easily rise to the bait. He could feel the anger in him, and he sighed again.. "And where do you think they started?.. If they'd spent their time rebelling against everyone else they'd never have built the city in the first place. You're meant for more than this. You have gifts, one of which being a long life. And you're handing it to them on a plate along with mine." he opened his eyes to look at him again.

"Stop being so fucking selfish." he frowned, knowing his choice of language would never have been accepted by the boy's mother, but his patience had long since run out.

The elf audibly growled and he raised his voice with a deep rumble at the Prince's whisperings.. "Enough of the self pity. The dead are dead, Arwyl, and it's not just you who has people to mourn. Let us not fucking join them and do Vel Anir a favour. You're of far more value to your remaining people alive.. Be smart, boy, and sort this mess out."

 

[Arwyl Minras]

He despised being called boy. Within the iron clamped around him, he balled his hands into fists. The magic is his family line - of which he was the last - allowed him to draw cracks in reality. Spirit Glass, they usually called it. He needed his hands free.

There were no guards which was more of a hindrance than a help. Sober, he could cut through guards with ease. They had found Riznak on a bare knuckle boxing scene, being used for sport by humans. If the two elves weren't enough then he would be. With no guards there was no way to trick anyone into releasing him.

Arwyl might have fallen so far from the path he would never find his way back, but he still had plenty of the gifts of his family line. A keen mind was among them. He might have always hated the way Kaius could make him seem like a burden whilst still making his training living hell, but he was now focused on the task at hand.

He gave the chains a gentle tug. The metal entirely encased his hands from the wrist down. Not enough slack in the chains to get more than a few inches from the floor. He chewed on the corner of his bottom lip. The sound of fighting was clear now. Men screaming, men dying, steel on steel. Their time running out.

"I have a plan," he announced suddenly, nodding his head slowly.

 

[Riley]

Those inside the jail would suddenly hear a sound like rushing water. Shouts getting closer. The walls would shake before splintering apart in a wet explosion of debris, rocks, and a human young woman who landed among the pile of rubble. Charcoal-brown hair fanned across olive skin. A crackle of energy seemed to disappear along her body as she began stirring from the pile.

A groan left her throat. But there were other limbs mixed in on top of hers. Around her. Warm bodies. Pointed ears. Hand went to push down as she tried to wriggle her way to a stand. Palm didn't press down on dirt or rock though.

Felt more like a butt.

The dreadlord that had been chasing her, stood outside in the dusty air. Streams of water covered along his body like, shifting, moving armor. Must've been a level five or six. Else, Riley imagined she'd be dead by now. He called as if bored.

"You had so much potential, Riley. A shame I have to bring your crushed bones back to the Academy."

"Oy, Nigel. Got you on runway recovery now. Such a goddam muppet!"

Riley wasn't known for being smart with her tongue

 

[Kaius]

He could feel Arwyl's anger stirring in his mind at being called boy and his brow rose, almost daring the young prince to argue, his temper was already at breaking point. He listened to the men dying outside and his jaw clenched, but he didn't take his eyes from Arwyl, he hoped the sounds would trigger some sort of sense in him, that they would most undoubtedly meet the same end if he did not wise up.

"By all means, please, share it with the group..." he muttered in a condescending tone and leaned as far forward as he could whilst chained to the wall. "I'm sure w---" he cut himself off and his brow furrowed as he listened to the sound that seemed to be fast approaching.

Kaius tensed, and used what little energy he had left to cast a shield around Arwyl, he'd have to hope for the best for himself, but something was coming. "Arwyl I--" Kaius started, but was cut off on the account of the wall he'd been chained to coming crashing in on top of him and he was lost amongst the rubble..

 

[Arwyl Minras]

Arwyl was more than ready to match that condescending tone with a deliberately slow explanation. Though he was aware that his plan was paper thin.

The wall was not paper thing and yet it still came down. Whilst Kaius was showered in rocks, Arwyl was covered in dust. Dust and a woman. If the fighting was already here they were done for. If there was carnage and chaos they stood a chance, but not if the siege was nearly over.

Arwyl coughed and spluttered, heaving himself from the ground against the weight.

"You had so much potential, Riley. A shame I have to bring your crushed bones back to the Academy."

"Oy, Nigel. Got you on runway recovery now. Such a goddam muppet!"

There were times when Arwyl pretended he couldn't speak the common trade tongue of the humans, but in fact he was fully fluent. Still, he was not quite sure what insults were being traded.

"Kaius!" he cried out. He had seen the glimmer of the shield for a half second. Now he couldn't see his mentor. For all the bickering he cared very deeply for the man. There was no time for planning now.

"Riznak, rip that bench off what's left of the wall and get over here!" he shouted to the orc.

 

[Riley]

She stumbled up to her feet as one of the elves pushed a stand himself. Most Anirians would sneer and look haughtily down upon the knife ears. Riley was not one of those. She stood in front of the red-haired one, facing the gaping hole she'd just made and the slightly obscured figure of the dreadlord just outside.

"Might wanna play dead or get your shit together and run," a harsh whisper to flaming hair and the one half buried in the rubble. That orc too. The orc eyed her like she was nothing more than an ant.

Just trying to help, mate.

"Surrender now and I'll make your death painless," Nigel the level 5-6 called.

She took a staggering step forward, toward that hole in the wall.

"Fuk you, you wet MOLDY cabbage!" Her hands snapped forward, as she mentally grabbed some of that rubble behind her and flung it forward toward the dreadlord. She felt the cost of magic. More energy drained into her telekinesis attack.

Gorrammitfukinrabbitnails.

 

[Kaius]

Kaius fell into darkness for a moment under the crushing rock, unable to move or breathe as the air was forced from his lungs. His eyes flickered open, gritty with dust and he managed to cough, picking up the muffled voice of Arwyl and relief washed over him, bringing him back to his senses. But that only made him realise the pain he was in as boulders pressed down on his chest and legs, and he groaned as he tried to move to no avail.

A moment later and a weight lifted, one eye closing as he squinted in the light, seeing the woman yelling something about cabbages. He frowned in confusion and lifted an arm up out of the pile of rubble with a pained cough "Riz.." cough "Here.." he growled out..

"Arwyl... Y'good?.." he mumbled weakly.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"It crossed my mind," Arwyl replied in elven. He didn't feel like speaking common now. He did not know what this fight was but he wanted nothing to do with it.

"Kaius!" he shouted again. His voice was threaded with both relief and fear. For all his talk of wanting to be free of his mentor he was now overcome with fear for him.

Riznak had pulled the bench from the wall and look confused about doing anything with it.

"Lie it on that rock, wedge it under there stones and free him!" Arwyl shouted. Unfortunately Riznak didn't know elven so he was back to human.

Arwyl's hands were still bound together and covered in iron but no longer chained to the ground. He staggered towards Kaius and swung the chains towards his hands.

"Can you hold these?"

 

[Riley]

Riley understood elvish.

But she didn't let it show.

Skin was slick with a sheen of sweat. Dark, brown hair stuck across her face and neck. Fingers clenched and unclenched as she kept them from trembling. Those rocks hammered into the dreadlord outside.

Hazels flickered to the orc, making sure he wouldn't use that bench on her. Didn't seem like it. She turned back to the hole in the jail and grimaced as the dreadlord pushed his own hands forward. Streams of water like missiles sailed through the air.

Setting her legs wide and far apart, both of her hands pushed forward, fingers playing the air as if she were playing an invisible keyboard. The water slammed into something invisible and spread along the edges. Riley groaned as her teeth ground in her mouth. Funnily enough the shield wasn't just in front of her. She'd made it big enough to protect the other three.

But how long could she hold it?

 

[Kaius]

Manacles decorated his wrists but the link and chain were broken, and so he was as free as he had to be to grip hold of Arwyl’s chains. He let out a pained growl as rocks shifted around him when he tried to move, but the orc was having some success in lifting the pressure from his legs and he let himself be pulled out of the rubble with a grimace and gritted teeth. His body was grazed and bruised, and he had a few fractured bones here and there, but as soon as he could he reached for Arwyl to grip at his shoulders, looking him over and patting him on the side of his face when he was sure the Prince was unharmed.

Kaius wrapped an arm around his ribs and with further aid from Riznak he staggered out of the heap, his gaze lifting to the human woman, and past her to the dreadlord opposing her.. "Fuck..." he growled, and his eyes fell on the human prisoner who was still chained to the floor..

"I'm sorry friend.." he winced as he dropped to a knee in front of him, and reached his hands to press them firmly against the man's chest, ignoring his protests and futile struggling. A subtle glow washed over the man's skin and into Kaius' hands as he leeched energy, a thing he didn't do often, but it was a case of getting Arwyl out of here alive and so there was no choice in the matter. The man was in no pain, but he slowly gave up the struggle and his eyes drooped heavily as he slumped. Without killing the man, Kaius stole what strength he could, and his wounds healed, and a shield was cast around the young prince once more.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Riznak, door!" hissed Arwyl. Relief flooded through him to see Kaius mostly in one piece.

He didn't want a part of this woman's fight. He didn't want anything to do with human magic. It was, by its very nature, a chaotic, destructive force.

With plenty of rocks to hand, the orc made quick work of the door. Several strikes bent the bars of the lock beyond repair and it swing open with a pained creak.

Arwyl didn't wait for the others, slipping through quickly. Both his hands were enclosed in iron. They would actually form a makeshift weapon, but he rushed to the guards room for a key.

The sweary sorceress was offered another escape route through the small jail. Arwyl was more focused on shouting at Riznak to try keys on his restraints.

"Oh fuck it, just grab them all and we'll try on the way!" Arwyl snapped, as magic coloured the air behind them.

 

[Riley]

Hazels mixed with yellow, green, and blue. They widened as she caught what Kaius did out of the corner of them.

"Fuk me," she muttered.

Her shield flickered. A slash of water met the flesh of her cheek, drawing a bloody welt. She stumbled backward, seeing the opened jail cell. Riley saluted two fingers to Riznak. Back hit against the bars. She pried herself off and ran. A guard ran up toward the fiery-haired elf.

The uppity one.

At least he wasn't as karking scary as the other one.

Riley ran forward and threw a fist at the man, catching him across the nose with a sharp craaaaaack-snaaaaaap-OOOMPH.

 

[Kaius]

"If you insist.." Kaius muttered under his breath at the woman's foul mouthed comments, a sideward glance up at her with a hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't help but be curious as to why she seemed to be fighting against her own side, but it wasn't the time to ask or exchange pleasantries. He turned to follow after the two men, but he paused to growl a "Let's go, lass!" to the woman with an impatient gesture toward the door and let her go ahead of him.

"Fuck me.." Kaius echoed as the guard crumpled to the ground, and he gave the man a hard kick to the face for good measure before ridding him of his blade and dagger.

Another guard appeared in the corridor and Kaius rushed him to run him through before he had time to realise what was happening. Two more were approaching fast, and Kaius blocked their way between the others and the door out, readying his blade. "Arwyl Go!!"

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Riznak just grab all the fucking keys!" Arwyl shouted at the mutton-fisted orc. The hand clamps he could live with for the moment, but if they had to try and remove them by hand he was going to lose one of his.

Another guard ran with sword drawn. He swung it and Arwyl blocked with his restraints. It sent a shock of pain through his knuckles and wrists but it was better than death. Or wasting the magic of Kaius' protective shield.

The confused guard got the iron restraint under the chin. A clattering of broken teeth of the flagstones followed.

The four of them burst out of the door and into the light. Arwyl could hear fighting. The attacking troops must have breached the wall.

"Who is the mage chasing you?" Arwyl asked as he turned to run. He held out his arms for Riznak to try one of the keys he was carrying in his arms.

 

[Riley]

"Glad to see we don't have a bunch of ninny-willy fists," Riley spat beneath her breath, shaking out her own hand. Head swiveled. What was the dynamic here?

Beardie seemed hell-bent on protecting the Arwyl one. And she had to admit, though she hated to admit it, he was quick on his feet. Even took the weapons she had her eye on.

Two elves and an orc, hell, she needed a gorram DRINK. Palm pressed flat against her cheek as she took a moment to catch her breath. Blood was smeared away.

Damn water-mage.

"Squarejaw, try one of the smaller keys first," Riley tried to be helpful and pointed as the orc gazed at a key clearly meant to open one of the outer doors of the jail. "A dreadlord with a stick up his arse," she sniffed to Arwyl-what's it name.

"Not as worried 'bout him. More worried 'bout them." She pointed as troops wearing the Anirian colors began advancing down the streets. "Chipchopchip fellas! Hope you ain't shy about stealing horses and know how to ride as good as you can punch."

A blast of water was released from the doorway they'd just escaped from.

Whelp, the shit hit the fan and all that.

 

[Kaius]

The two guards didn't give him much trouble, one was met with a dagger in the eye whilst the other managed to parry a few blows before his guts were turned out onto the stone. More shouts echoed, more footsteps and clanking of armour.. "Time to go.." Kaius muttered to himself before skipping back and turning on his heels to follow the other three outside.

He went to Arwyl, barging the orc out of his way and seizing the plethora of keys and shifting through them, his eyes moving quickly between lock and key until he chose and unlocked the elf's restraint, and handed him the bloodied blade.. "We get out of here. Right? No fucking agenda, just survive." he frowned at the man with a firm grip on his shoulder and a look that said he wasn't kidding in the slightest.

He listened to the woman speak and gave her a look of perplexity. What fucking language was she speaking? He looked behind them at the water that gushed from the doorway, and as he did a crossbow bolt cut a deep gash through his bicep, headed straight for Arwyl's chest but it stopped dead before it hit and clattered to the ground. Kaius swore loudly, flipped the dagger in his hand and in a powerful motion, launched it straight between the eyes of the mounted sniper.

"Get his horse. Go!" he shoved at Arwyl and rushed to collect his dagger and the dead man's weapons.. "Riz!" he tossed the crossbow and sheath of bolts, hoping the orc knew how to use them. More bolts flew and deflected, as well as one aimed at the girl. He had no idea who she was or why she was fighting, but they seemed to be on the same side for now, and she had got them free of that cell.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"We get out of here. Right? No fucking agenda, just survive."

"We survive," Arwyl replied firmly. They were both on the same path this time. Surviving was what they had been doing before. Raiding when they could. Yet they weren't even a thorn in the side of the anirians, barely event a splinter in the toe.

Riznak loaded the crossbow with his one arm, despite the fact that it was clearly designed to be loaded using one foot and both hands. He fired at the next mounted soldier heading towards them.

Arwyl yanked the dead soldier's foot clear from the spurs of from the first horse as Kaius took his weapons. Arwyl assumed he had been from the side of the attacking army. The first to break through looking for easy targets. Instead they were going to find their death.

"We won't be able to ride through the gates!" he shouted out. Those areas would be clogged with soldiers. "Ride for the east wall and we climb it."

He was distinctly more concerned by the dreadlord than the soldiers right now.

 

[Riley]

Riley gave Kaius the same look of perplexity he gave her.

The fuk you lookin' at.

These three were her best shot at getting out of the city alive. She'd been on the run and hiding for weeks now. A part of her was tired of doing it alone. How much difference could she make in changing Vel Anir by herself?

Damnit.

And that bolt would've buried itself into her left shoulder if it hadn't been stopped by...

"The hell?" She breathed, hazels flickering to the bearded one. Wasn't one to gawk like a clucking chicken. And with the water coming from that doorway. Legs burned as she sprinted forward. Hand plucked the bolt up from the ground and she launched it forward using a bump of her mind for power and aim. It embedded itself into the throat of another lone soldier. He gurgled in surprise and fell to the ground.

Fingers made a grab for the reigns. She held on, nearly being dragged from her feet as the horse was spooked from the dreadlord exiting onto the street with wave of water. The orc looked like he was going for another horse on the side of the street. With a shake of her head, she managed to mount up and wrangled the horse to stop near Beardy.

Hand was lowered.

"C'mon!"