Chapter 11
Standing on the very outer edge of the crowd, they turned as one to the sound of Alex’s roaring voice, that shattered the silence and concentration of the people and that of those on stage.
At his brother’s unequalled command of rage, Shade’s murderous howl ripped through the stage and courtyard like nothing ever heard before. The air itself vibrated with his primal call to battle. All living creatures could feel unadulterated fear from the threat he unleashed. Everyone was torn from either looking at Alex or trying to locate the source of the howl.
Shade’s massive form began running while he came out of his shadow. He already waited on the stage and was sprinting directly at the axe wielding executioner, committing himself to the strike. I didn’t need to use my teeth to kill him, Shade thought, but I do need to slow myself and what better way than use that head covered person. He dropped his head, slamming his broad skull against the ribs of the man and launched him directly into the crowd. Slowed from the transfer of momentum, he turned to glare at the unpardonable person who hurt Alex’s mate. Then Shade jumped clear over Lily, as she was still wrenched forward, stuck helplessly over the chopping block. He then opened his mouth and effortlessly ripped off the head of the man who jerked her so violently forward. He spat out the disembodied head as he landed back on the stage and all watched it tumble away. Shade had drawn first blood.
Alex felt grateful for what he did because Shade must have seen what happened to Lily. Alex wanted that man’s blood as well, but there wasn’t time to dwell.
The next part of the plan would be the most tedious and gripping.
Shade twisted around and gave another warning growl to re-stun the lined guards and the crowd from advancing upon him. Every Guard’s expression lost all color and couldn’t move under such a murderous presence. He continued turning as he set his sights down upon Lily. Though she smelled worse than anything he’s ever hunted, she needed to be spirited away. His muzzle opened as wide as it could possibly go. He then leaned forward and made sure his sabers cleared her body. Her smaller size made it easier for him. Shade quickly yet gently enclosed his teeth around her, making sure not to crush her in his mouth that easily chews through bone. He effortlessly lifted his head with her in his mouth and there was plenty of space between where he held her and the backs of his razor sharp sabers. She was facing down as he held her in her weakened state. Lily looked lifeless, drooping in his mouth.
Shade then locked eyes with Alex and his older brother nodded.
He had a hard time judging where his prey was compared to his sabers earlier. So the two humans worked with him as willing test subjects. During their planning period these past few days Shade held them in his teeth and the worst accident to occur was where he cut Alex’s arm accidently from the backside of his sabers. Shade had to not only worry about his sabers, but on how much pressure his jaw could exert so as not to crush her. It would be all too easy in her condition.
Shade then turned on stage and suddenly jumped straight down off the platform, and into the screaming crowd.
Erupted and frightened mayhem sprang to life from the crowd, but the tightness of the people aided their plan. Shade landed heavily on the ground and pinned several Guards beneath his weighty paws. He began running in Alex’s direction with haste, once he gained his proper footing. He then jumped over the wall of fleeing bodies and started running through the tightly packed humans. In a matter of moments Shade was by his brother’s side.
Everything had gone according to the plan so far. Shade lowered his head so that Lily could be seen. Alex checked to see that Lily remained alive; she was. He could see her only open eye being shocked beyond all reason, but she wasn’t seeing anything like she normally would. She was alive for the moment, at least, but if they waited much longer in their current position... Alex smacked his younger siblings flank. “Shade! Go! I’ve got the rear covered!”
He immediately pushed forward and up the street.
It was happening again, that same feeling coursed through him. Time seemed to slow, but his heart continued beating rapidly, filling and fueling his body. Heat began to pour out of his skin in rolling waives. He began to perspire in response to the high temperature. As Shade ran at his swiftest Alex found it easy to keep up with the set stride. He felt powerful again and could see and hear everything clearer than ever before. This feeling didn’t factor into the plan, but Alex was going to utilize it. It would benefit everything.
Shade didn’t once look back as he ran down the center of the road.
Something sounded off suddenly and Alex turned to see an arrow approaching his head. Without slowing his run, he jumped forward slightly and spun around. While rotating effortlessly in the air he brought the Xeal staff around to intercept. The arrow itself was an item because the barbed tip raised itself up to follow the movements of his head. A satisfying, shattering sound came as the shaft of the arrow broke from the knot at the end of the staff. He landed forward again and continued running as the first counterattack was thwarted. His running placement didn’t deviate an inch from the instantaneous spin.
When the brothers made it halfway up the road they were surprised as two guards on horseback appeared right in front of Shade’s immediate course.
Pumping his legs even harder Alex rounded his hasty partner, to remove the new obstacles from his path. As the increasing swiftness of his legs pumped he moved around Shade’s left side, he needed to remain focused on only running. Anything else could harm the valuable cargo. Alex had quickly managed to run in front of Shade and even pulled on ahead.
The two guards ran directly at them, horses snoring angrily at being spurred. One of their enemies was the man they met when they first arrived in Central City. His spiked baton started growing into a large spiked club. The other man had a large net as his item. The two men were still running down the main road, intent on thwarting the escape attempt. Torches that lined the main road were both an asset and a detriment. They helped to shine a path to freedom, but aided their enemies because they were now visible.
When the two opponents were close enough, Alex’s legs crouched lower and pushed up. His explosive momentum launched him right at the spiked club wielder. He brought his staff around and slammed it into the center of the guard’s chest before he could even react. The man was immediately ejected off the saddle and crashed onto the solid ground. Using the ribs of the same horse as a platform, Alex pushed off the gelding’s side and sprang at the net wielder. His head connected with the knot of the staff and slammed into the side of a nearby building, lifeless.
Landing back on the ground, after vaulting over the back of the horse, Shade had just then ran past his acrobatic brother. Alex launched forward once again, rapidly catching up to cover Shade’s rear.
Then they both saw the torch lit gate getting larger as they continued heading for it with another burst of extra effort, knowing their victory lay in sight.
Movement near the gate revealed it was Marlin getting ready. As they arrived at the gate Alex noticed the one guard that was ordered to stay at this post, was unconscious and laying in the road. Marlin had taken care of that job personally and efficiently.
At the gate, Shade continued running, without slowing, as Alex veered off to his right. He pulled out Marlin’s fillet knife from the belt and grinned. Before the next job was completed he chanced a glance down the road. There were hundreds of torches eagerly approaching their position. Some had commandeered steeds and were rapidly approaching, compared to the others who ran on foot. Alex turned back to the weighted string and tightened his grip on the knife’s handle. Three swift cuts on the already tampered rope, the portcullis’s weight dropped.
As the weight plunged to the ground, the lines that were laid throughout the street began screaming as the rope tightened. The lines across the road tightened into trip ropes and the extra lines broke the refuse dams that he stopped up earlier. As the crowd ran, they couldn’t see the lines that were in front of them until they we
re flat on the ground. Alex couldn’t stop himself from laughing as so many were instantly tripped. Most of the group fell as one because not only did the line trip the first runners, but so too did the peoples bodies whom were forcibly grounded. The trip-lines tangled up the cavalry and even threw off some of the riders.
Then came the rolling sounds of the incoming waterlines and the sludge. The road almost immediately flooded. The city just received their justice.
He ran right back to the gate, before the smell could hit. He continued to run until the spiked gate was behind him. Shade was standing in the very center of the bridge and he had laid Lily down on the wood. Beside him sat a small barrel. Marlin must have found the oil. Alex thought quickly. Shade stood over her flat form while glaring down the road, ready to challenge any who dared approach. Alex looked to his left and yelled “Marlin! Now!” and then he ran over to check on Shade and Lily.
The three pronged hook of Marlin’s item, that held the metal gate’s full weight, became straight. With the hook no longer holding up the tremendous weight of metal, the solid spiked gate slammed onto the ground with a metallic crash for the next foreseeable future. Marlin pulled out from behind the wall, carrying his item and a burning torch. The translucent line continued retracting inside the tip of the cane. Then he began running up to Alex while the pole began collapsing, once the line fully reabsorbed.
Marlin stopped and looked down at Lily for the first time, securing the shortened pole in the belt loops of his pants. “She doesn’t look too well.”
“I know. Now get on.” His eyes widened at his friend’s sudden order. Alex spoke so quickly that Marlin was almost uncertain what he said. “I’ll run. You have to ride Shade and hold her until we make our escape. He already knows.”
Marlin wasn’t moving nearly fast enough so Alex picked him up and easily tossed him over Shade’s back. He laid across Shade’s spine and soon took the hint. He managed to twist his body so his legs could straddle the sides and handed his friend the burning torch. Shade then slowly moved over as Alex knelt by Lily’s unconscious side. She was still breathing.
Alex jabbed the end of the torch in the crack of the wooden bridge. They couldn’t stay here much longer so he slid his arms under her legs and back. Soon she was cradled protectively in his arms. The way his body felt made hers feel weightless. Shade moved closer to his brother’s side to hasten their escape. Lifting higher, Marlin helped guide her down on Shade’s back; side saddle. Marlin tucked her into his chest and positioned himself so she wouldn’t easily fall. He reached forward and grabbed Shade’s shoulder fur in his left hand.
Marlin ordered “Shade! Go!” Shade understood his name, but surmised the easily readable situation and began running at a measured speed. Shade couldn’t understand the human speech, but he began to understand only his name in the human language.
Once he began leaving Alex picked the torch up again, kicked over the barrel of oil and threw the torch down. Flames erupted from the spill and quickly consumed the drawbridge. Before long none would be able to cross the rapidly deteriorating bridge, even if the crowd managed to open the gate.
As they made it off the bridge they all heard the people screaming and pounding on the sealed gate. People were cursing not only from the escape, but from the increasing unsanitary conditions of their own city. They still needed to run because the Guard were making their way to the upper wall to spot them and would undoubtedly fire long range weapons.
Then there was a stroke of even more luck once they ran for over a league. It had begun to rain, obscuring their enemies view even further. They used the completely dark main road as they continued running in the rain. Any tracks they’d make would soon be washed away. And their scents would be diluted if they brought dogs to track the escapees down.
They watched as the trees became larger and the rain had all but stopped. The four of them had run five leagues without another problem or further altercations. They continued running down the road and turned into the trees just as soon as they could. They sprinted through the trees for another hour, making many false trails should the trackers somehow follow, and since Shade’s weight had increased with his riders and large size, Alex was forced to cover the tracks being left behind. Not even the king’s best trackers could follow them by conventional means. They would be safe for a short time.
That raised their hope even more.
The four of them had made it safely to camp and it was remarkably dry from the rain they were just in. Shade slowly trotted to a stop, panting heavily. Alex’s heavy breathing was almost as strident. Bile lapped on Alex’s tongue and his muscles were screaming in agony. Shade then made it to the very center of the camp and slowly lowered himself and his passengers to the soft grass.
The slam of reality that happened was weaker and not as sudden like in the past. Things began to slowly pick up speed as Alex’s heartbeat had slowed during the long run. He tired from the strenuous exercise, but remained fully alert. It wasn’t as disorientating either and there weren’t any violent spasms, but his fingertips shook mildly.
With Marlin’s help, they carefully scooped Lily off Shade’s back and laid her on the ground. She was still unconscious, probably from being carried in his sibling’s mouth, Alex assumed. She looked so frail and helpless compared to the last time they met. Before they could do anything else about the situation Alex needed to see the extent of her condition.
While Marlin began preparing a small fire, making it as smokeless as possible with only the driest tender, Alex began her examination. With Marlin’s knife, he cut the burlap she was clothed in, from her neck and all the way down to the end of the sack. He carefully removed it because some parts of the sack were stained with dried blood and other fluids. There wasn’t any proof to see that it wasn’t her blood so to rip it off could cause further harm. Opening the sack was one of the most embarrassing things a man could do to an unconscious woman, but her health was a larger priority than his own embarrassment.
Her long arms were thinner and less toned, but the scars were the same as he remembered them in their first encounter. Her long legs were soft and only a single scar marred her leg’s flesh and was isolated on her left thigh. The tops of her feet had been scraped raw and bloodied because of how they dragged her around. Alex couldn’t even articulate the rancid odor that came off of her, after being exposed to them for so long had permeated themselves on her. And as he looked at her torso, he saw her third item in its bare entirety.
This item is unlike one that he has ever seen. Her chest was covered with what looked like a living, liquid metal. It covered most of her breast, abdomen and all the way down to cover her groin. It was shaped like a V with the silver edges covering her breasts and cleavage. It helped ease his embarrassment because he couldn’t see her feminine parts and risk her anger at him. The armor reflected light like highly polished silver. It formed over the contours of her body like a perfectly revealing glove. Her breasts were small, and since she was starved like a caged animal, her ribcage was her most dominant torso feature. The item only covered her front, but her sides and back showed how starving she was. Her frail body looked as weak and bony as his had once been, before they’d met. The entire left side of her torso was bruised from where she was repeatedly kicked over and over. She had a small laceration under her left arm and another on her inner thigh; close to her groin. On the tip of her toes and fingers were bite marks from rats.
Further examinations required touch as he began feeling lightly. After a quick assessment, it revealed that she only had a single broken rib and one broken toe. Other than that, he was confident that she would heal in time.
About this time Marlin finally started the fire and Shade had finally caught his breath. Alex took off his tunic and draped it over her exposed body, for some modesty. “Marlin, I need an extra set of hands. We need to clean her up, but first we need to get these restraints off her.”
“Shackles like those aren’t a problem for me,” With his
item in the belt loops, Marlin grabbed the three pronged hook and pulled out some line; the cane stayed retracted in his belt loops. He knelt on her other side and Alex watched as the hooks began moving oddly, like they had a mind of their own. Marlin could alter their shape more than he first explained. He went for her locked ankles first and stuck the hook inside the keyhole. His hands jiggled and then twisted. The lock clicked, opened and fell off her chafed and blistered ankles. He did the same for the other three locks and dropped the chain’s down on the ripped sack.
Where the restraints were on her ankles and wrists, left purple bruises and had rubbed her skin raw. Then his grey eyes locked onto Shade’s not long after she was freed. “I will need for you to properly dispose of the sack and restraints. We don’t need another incident like we had at Trade City.” Shade nodded in understanding of the meaning. The last thing they needed was for the shackles to be used in locating their immediate position.
With the soap retrieved from Alex’s bag, his arms easily slipped under her body again. He walked over to the stream and Marlin was right behind him; also bare chest. Making it into the water was refreshingly cool and helped ease the pain in their aching muscles. Once they walked into the water they stopped, until Alex’s abdominals were submerged. Marlin held his hands out as Lily was slowly transferred over. Marlin slowly eased her into the water and they watched as her limp body began to react positively to the rejuvenating liquid. After so many months of imprisonment, she was feeling comfort even if she wasn’t conscious of it.
She moaned in relief and they thought she was going to wake, but were disappointed. Alex then moved closer and started gently scrubbing her arms.
While bathing her, Alex’s voice became soothing. “Lily, you are out of prison. You no longer need to worry. You’re safe now…” She really didn’t respond to his voice, but once, her cracked lips had touched into a slight smile for a moment. He then began scrubbing her head last. All the blood and grime that clung to her washed slowly downstream. There were two small cuts in her scalp, but they had already begun to heal. Alex’s smile grew as her hair started becoming pure white once again and her hair had lengthened slightly to touch her shoulders.
Marlin traded Lily for the bar of soap and his knife. While he bathed Alex walked out of the water with her. His smile grew as Shade returned and managed to spread out the leather blanket, close to the fire. “Thank you for doing that, Shade.” He smiled as Alex walked onto it and carefully laid her body down.
Shade stayed by her side as his brother ran over to get his pack. He dumped the contents of the pack at the edge of the leather. Inside was a change of old clothes, a metal cup, the former salt sack that now contained the last two soaps and her two white sheathed swords. He grabbed his spare clean pants and unfurled them. It was time to redress the rescued victim. Alex went to her legs and put one leg in each sleeve. She was easy to redress because they were the same height, but his clothes were a little large because of his increased bulk. His other top was difficult to put her in, and his wet tunic was draped over a tree branch soon after she was fully dressed. Alex rolled up the edge of the leather spread to raise her head, like a pillow. She seemed to look more comfortable after being laid down.
We did it, we escaped the largest prison unscathed. Uncle, you gave me the strength and the skills to do the impossible once again. Because of you, we seceded in our mission and saved my first friend.
His mind kept spinning as she finally looked decent enough to sleep comfortably. A hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality. “Alex, let me watch over her for a while. Go clean yourself up. I’d think you’d want to see her looking more like yourself, like she remembers you from your first meeting.” He handed over the knife and the soap.
Shaving was difficult because of how quickly his beard grew out and it was a month’s growth which was more difficult. He eventually managed to finally have a smooth jaw once again and it felt great. Soon he removed all the harsh smelling sweat that clung to his body, to be replaced with being clean and scentless. He wrung out his saturated pants and slid them back on.
While they waited for her to awaken, Marlin broke the silence. “Alex, when we trained these past few nights, were you going easy on me?”
Alex raised his eyes from Lily to meet his blue. “Nay, why do you ask?”
“Because tonight was a realization for me; when we fought I consistently beat you, but you did things tonight that was more impossible than how you can just speak to fiends. You were actually running faster than Shade. I’ve never heard of a Shadow Fang ever being outran before, especially by a human. And what’s more you ran by his side for over five leagues without stopping tonight. No human I’ve ever seen or heard of could have done that and still be awake.”
Marlin needed honesty about what he witnessed from his friend. “Actually this is only the fourth time that it has happened to me like that. I don’t have any clue as to why, but it feels different than how I normally am. When the feeling hits…it’s like everything slows down to a crawl. I can see and hear everything around me even clearer than normal. Then there’s how my body really feels. I feel faster and stronger than I’ve ever felt and my heart beats almost out of my chest.” His grey eyes drifted to Lily’s weakened form. He smiled as a feeling nostalgia surged in his memories. “The very first time that feeling hit, it was in saving her life.”
“You really care for her.” It wasn’t a question, simply an observation. Marlin then asked “What should we do next?”
Blue eyes were calm. Alex’s plan was simple and Marlin liked it.
After another hour, both Shade and Marlin were too exhausted to stay awake. They slept softly and close together. They were just a few feet away as they slept on Lily’s other side.
Then a soft moan alerted Alex to a miracle.
Lily slowly had awakened and he was already on his knees, looking down at her. Her hand slowly came up and touched her head. She whispered “Ouch,” and then tried to sit up, but she was too weak for any physical activity. Malnutrition and no exercise had taken their tolls on her.
Alex’s voice became excited. “Lily! Lily, can you hear me?” Both Marlin and Shade woke and looked at her when his voice broke the silent night with such excitement and glee.
Her voice was weak. “That voice… I know it from somewhere…” She turned her head slowly and her white hair fell across her neck. Her one good eye slowly opened. A smile grew more pronounced as he saw her beautiful amethyst eye looking weakly at him once again. “Alex?” His grinned widened even at her diluted tone. “It looks like we finally meet in the next life after all. My friend, I did as you said…but it wound up being my end.”
“Lily…” He was so overcome with joy and love that he grasped her shoulders and pulled her up into his chest. His relief was all consuming as she was in his arms. Then her smell made him joyful because it was nearly like the sea breeze once again. She was dry, but her skin still felt a little cool.
He realized his mistake and pulled away to lean her against the ground again. He wiped the tears away from his eyes. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” She shook her head slowly. “I’m so glad.” It wasn’t exactly sensual, but he placed the palm of his hand against her cheek. “Listen, you are still very much alive.”
“I didn’t know the spirits could lie.” She tried to laugh, but it was more of a choking chuckle sound.
“We can dispute my truth later.” Alex removed his hand from her face. “Do you think that you can drink some water?” She nodded hesitantly. His eyes met Marlin’s. “Lily, this is my new friend Marlin. He’s going to help you to sit up.”
She sounded delirious and the way she looked at him with her unfocused eye; she was. “Hello, Marlin. So you’re Alex’s second friend?”
He glanced and had come to the same silent conclusion as Alex. His voice was calm and conciliate. “Aye, Lily, I’m his friend. Now let’s sit you up.”
Marlin shuffled around to Lily’s side. He gently slid his
arm under her shoulders and raised her into a seating position. He then slowly rested her back against his chest. As he did that, they already had filled the metal bowl with water and already had it warmed from the fire. Alex picked up the warm metal and gently brought it up to her dry and cracked lips. Tilting the bowl up, she opened her mouth, by only a small amount. From the healer books he’s read reminded him to give the water slowly and make sure it’s swallowed correctly. So he only poured enough to wet her mouth. She coughed and they waited until she requested for more. This time she drank a few sips without coughing.
After the bowl of water reached her stomach Alex said “You should eat something soft. Wait a moment.”
He stood and walked over to his staff, picked it up and went over to the large apple tree. Finding the perfect apple was easy and he used the staff to knock it down. He caught the large apple with one hand. Then Lily spoke deliriously and it made Alex look. “What a pretty Shadow Fang… Were you the one Alex killed?”
Shade had moved to sit in front of her and he looked at her oddly, with alerted ears and a tilted head. He sat at the very edge of the leather and looked proud. As Alex came back into the fire light he asked “What did she say?” Alex told him and he laughed.
“Why did you just bark?” Lily’s eye shifted to Alex’s. Marlin was trying his best to not laugh as he held her up.
“Don’t think too hard on that right now. Just relax.” She quieted as he sat down by her side to begin making her meal.
The fillet knife helped Alex to cut out most of the meat from the apple. The bowl was perfect for crushing the meat into a sauce. He knew she couldn’t handle anything heavy or too much at the moment. The remaining apple that couldn’t be used went to Shade and he ate it and soon turned his attention returned to Lily. After grinding it down to a wet pulp, Lily practically drank the sweet meal.
Once the contents vanished Marlin laid her back down. “Do you miss these?” Her head turned to Alex as he held out her swords. Her good eye widened and she forced one arm out and grasped them like they were her very soul. With both swords in her hand she brought them closer and clutched them to her breast. She finally smiled as she turned her head on the makeshift pillow.
Before they knew what happened she had fallen fast asleep.
“That was…different.” Marlin admitted with only a mild chuckle. “She was definitely delirious. Who could blame her?”
“When we first met, you were almost the in the same predicament.” Marlin unconsciously reached up and felt his head where he was struck. “You were just as coherent as she.”
Marlin leaned back with an approving smile. “You were correct in making us stay here. Who knows what might have happened if we kept fleeing and she was in this condition.”
“We would have made a mistake and the worst would have befallen us all.”
Before Marlin and Shade told Alex to get some sleep, some color had returned to Lily’s sickly skin. That little bit of food and water seemed to really help her condition. Alex then moved over to sleep on Shade’s ribs, since he had moved over off the clearing. Exhaustion won over his body and sleep took over.
Welcome back to freedom again, Lily.