Attacking the Fortress: Part 3

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Regardless of the trouble Algernon had gotten himself into, she needed to escape and assist with her part of the plan.

As she tried forcing her hands through the manacles, the joint at the base of her thumb began to ache. Her hand was too big. Perhaps if she broke her thumb, it'd slide through. But with her hands separated, pinned to the wall on either side of her head, she didn't have a way of doing that.

As she scanned the cell to assess her options, a crash sounded from up the stairs.

The Reapers' gazes swiveled to the commotion, and one asked, "Should we go—"

"No," the other answered. "We were ordered to remain here."

Carissa leaned back against the cell wall and felt the objects of her pack jab her back. The Reapers hadn't thought to confiscate it. If she could just reach the lock picks within, escape would be hers.

Carissa scooted, giving her left hand access to the top of the pack. She began to fumble with the knot keeping it closed.

Boots thudded against stone, and the yellow-orange light of a torch illuminated the cells. The Reapers withdrew their weapons as someone approached.

Elon? Perhaps he'd come for her sooner than expected. She glanced up, heart surging.

The man came to a halt at the entrance of the dungeons, and his thick beard identified him well enough. Algernon.

Carissa blinked. When his image didn't waver, she concluded this wasn't a hallucination. But what was he doing here?

One of the Reapers' eyes narrowed. "What do you here? Aren't you supposed to be leaving the fortress with your servant by now?"

Algernon grinned, his skin gleaming with perspiration beneath the torchlight. "First of all, she's my sister—though if you called her my servant to her face, I'd love to see her reaction. Secondly, I've changed my mind."

The Reaper grunted. "We've made the deal, agreed to your terms, now leave the fortress."

"It's funny... you said you agreed to my terms, yet there were armed Reapers shadowing us as we walked through the corridors."

"To ensure you left safely. There's been a rebellion, and—"

Algernon wagged his finger. "Ah-ah-ah. No lying, boys. I'm a bit smarter than I look, you know."

The Reaper leaned towards the other. "We can't allow him to just freely roam the fortress. What if he discovers—"

"But we can't abandon our post," the other replied.

"You go after him, and I'll remain with the prisoner."

As they'd spoken, Algernon had set his torch on the ground, withdrawn an arrow, and held it above the fire until flame licked the wood.

One of the Reapers withdrew his Scythe and approached him. "Cease what you're doing or—"

Algernon whipped out his bow, aimed, and fired the flaming arrow. The arrow thudded into the Reaper, and the Reaper jerked back with a shriek that threatened to bleed her ears.

The second Reaper charged Algernon, his Scythe raised high.

Algernon had provided a distraction; she'd best take advantage of it. Carissa strained her left hand until her wrist ached from the awkward angle and plucked at the knot sealing her pack. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her tremble—which most definitely was not helping.

The knot finally came loose, and though she heard sounds of fighting and pain, she didn't dare look up lest she become distracted. She gripped the top of her pack and pulled it higher, so she could access the contents pooled in the bottom. Her hand brushed rope, steel, then slim metal rods. Lock picks. She pulled one out and held it with the edge of her fingers tips, so she could position it into the manacle beneath her hand.

The lock pick slipped from her grip and clinked to the floor.

She fumbled for another, her palms clammy. Anxiety knotted in her chest as she plucked another one out and tried to ignore a cry of pain from outside her cell. She hoped it wasn't Algernon.

The pick nearly slipped through her damp fingers until she tightened her grip. She edged the pick into the lock, twisted it until she heard a click. The manacle parted, releasing her wrist.

The second manacle took her less than two seconds. She glanced up as she raced to her cell door. Algernon was waving a torch back and forth to ward them off, his sister hovering somewhere behind him. He was limping.

Both of the Reapers were on their feet, cornering him at a leisurely pace.

There wasn't much time left until the battle was over.

Carissa picked the lock on her cell door and shoved it open. Aside from a lock pick, she didn't have much in the way of weapons. But Algernon was out of time, so that'd have to do.

Carissa yelled as she darted towards the Reapers, drawing their attention away from Algernon.  She ducked beneath the swing of the Reaper's Scythe and plunged the lock pick into his chest.

The Reaper glanced down, shock absorbing his features. Carissa yanked his Scythe from his loosened grip and turned in time to block the other Reaper's blow. While their Scythes were locked, she drew up her leg and kicked him. He stumbled backwards, and Carissa slashed the Scythe across his chest. He clasped a hand across his wound. When he withdrew, his palm was slicked in liquid black.

"Carissa, watch out!"

Someone barreled into her side, and they both crashed to the floor. Carissa prepared to sever her assaulter's head from his body but stopped short when she realized it was Algernon. And he was bleeding heavily.

The last Reaper stood above them, a dagger clenched between his skeletal fingers. As he plunged the dagger towards her, she swiped at his legs with her Scythe. The Reaper landed on his side, a black pool of blood gathering beneath him.

With a final jab, Carissa ended him and turned towards Algernon. "I told you the Reapers wouldn't uphold their end of the bargain."

He rolled his eyes, though the rest of his expression was contorted in agony. "You think I didn't know that?"

She knelt next to him. "Then why did you so willingly step into their trap?"

He shrugged, only to gasp in pain. "It was better than the trap they had initially laid for us. I'd run into the servants' quarters to fetch my sister. When I saw the Reaper there and he said he'd been expecting you, I knew that we couldn't fight past whatever trap he'd laid. So I offered to trade you for my sister, knowing that if they thought I viewed them as an ally, it'd be easier to escape."

Footsteps pattered down the stairs as his sister rushed to him, her eyes widening in horror. "He needs medical assistance. Surely, you must belief he's telling the truth."

Carissa shrugged. "When it comes to the truth, your brother tends to be a rather slippery fellow."

The woman lifted her chin. "No, he's an honorable man."

Carissa couldn't suppress a snort. Perhaps he'd be considered honorable for a pig but a man?

"He planned to rescue you," his sister continued. "After he'd taken down the Reaper guarding the entrance to the dungeons, he gave me the keys and said that while he fought your guards below, I was to run to your cell and release you." The woman held up a ring of keys. "Unfortunately, I couldn't make it past the Reapers and he couldn't fight both at once."

So perhaps he was smarter than he looked. "How kind of him." Carissa glanced down at Algernon and noted with alarm how ashen his face had become. He'd lost too much blood, and traitor or not, she couldn't let him bleed out here.

Algernon shook his head, swaying slightly with the movement. "Not kind, practical. I knew we couldn't... escape Reapers without..." His eyelids flickered as he began to fade.

Carissa set her pack on the dungeon floor and pulled out the strips of cloth. She glanced at his sister. "If Algernon left the Reaper he killed in plain sight, we'll need to hide the body, so no one becomes suspicious and comes down here to investigate."

His sister shook her head. "He hasn't killed the Reaper, just wounded him and bound him with the rope. Afterwards, Algernon left the Reaper in an empty storage room."

That's right; normal people couldn't kill Reapers. Sometimes she forgot. Carissa nodded. "Good. Then help me stop the bleeding."

She sliced Algernon's shirt open with the edge of the Scythe. Most of his torso was covered in black-scabbed gashes, obviously from Esmerian steel. The only wound that bled was the slash from his shoulder—of which a good chunk was missing—to his lower back.

Carissa wrapped his torso tightly before searching the Reaper for the dagger he'd used. Perhaps the Reaper had used her dagger—the one Elon had given her with the emerald in its pommel. She'd lost it sometime during her imprisonment.

She found the dagger, glistening with blood, but it was a crude thing, its blade slightly bent, its handle made of wood. She sheathed it at her waist and returned to Algernon.

His eyelids were barely lifted, revealing a slit of his brown eyes.

Carissa knelt next to him. "Algernon?"

His gaze flicked to hers.

"Do you think you can walk?"

He gritted his teeth before forcing himself to his feet. When he began to sway, Carissa slung his arm over her shoulder. By shoving her out of the way, he'd likely saved her life. The least she could do was help him limp up the stairs.

Once they'd reached the top, they slowed. A Reaper ran towards them, and Carissa guided Algernon to the floor before whipping out the dagger.

But the Reaper never got close enough for her to use it. Instead, he just darted past them.

Carissa lowered her dagger. Strange. What was the Reaper running from?

A stampede of footsteps made her look back the way the Reaper had come. A crowd of servants was yelling, all of them armed with cutlery. They passed her without giving her a second glance, intent on pursuing the Reaper.

A man and a boy jogged down the hallway, significantly behind the crowd. As they neared, she began to note their features: the boy's golden hair, the man's brown eyes.

Carissa sprinted toward Elon and Lyron, meeting them halfway.

Elon grabbed Carissa's hand as they met, tugging her so she kept pace with them. They slowed by Algernon and his sister.

Elon knelt and scooped Algernon into his arms, who muttered a protest, before nodding at his sister. "I'm Elon. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl's face went slack with shock. "E–E—"

He nodded. "Yes, the King of Nysia. That one. I would explain, but we'd best get your brother out of here."

***

Author's Note: Yes, there's a sneak peek--you can look at my profile bio to find it. Consider it a late Christmas gift :)

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