The Xalinor Chronicles

All out of time

“God darn it!” Jake shrieked in anger.

He pulled out an arrow from the quiver, levelled it against the bowstring and spun around to face the warden. The angry warlock pulled out his steel sword and charged at Jake. The warden was about to let out a cry of alarm when Jake’s iron arrow pierced the warlock’s throat, slicing through his vocal cords.

Zill let out a muffled cry as he watched the warlock gurgle with blood which rippled out of his open mouth. It was all over in a few seconds as the warden died an agonizing death, clutching his own throat.

“You killed him!” exclaimed Yolen in wide-eyed disbelief. A numbing coldness gripped his frail old body as he stared at the bloody corpse in front.

Jake turned around, but avoided looking into their eyes. “I had no choice. He was about to raise an alarm. It was either him or us.”

None of them could fathom the tempestuous surge of emotions which raged inside Jake’s heart. It was the first time he had actually killed a person. No matter how compelling one’s motivations or how vengeful his desires are, killing another person always taints the heart with an overwhelming sense of guilt. Jake knew the warlocks were no better than monsters but he still couldn’t shake that terrible feeling gnawing at his heart. He wanted to kill them all, he knew he had to kill them for the greater good, but killing a person in real life felt so different from killing someone in a videogame. Looking death in the eyes wasn’t the same as taking another person’s life. He had barely felt anything while killing the zolvan or the pack of blood hounds but this time it was different. Perhaps it was because the warlock whom he had killed wasn’t just a ferocious beast fueled by hunger.

“We should get moving. Let’s free the prisoner and get out of here,” he said, stepping over the warlock’s lifeless body. Yolen and Zill followed silently.

The narrow passageway between the rows of lockups was lit by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. Jake started searching the holding cells in the dim light. Most of the lockups only housed the bones of the former prisoners or their tattered clothes while some were overrun with spiders.

While scanning the lockups, Jake’s eyes suddenly fell on a piece of dirty brown linen wrapped around what appeared to be a human leg. He quietly approached the cell and whispered, “Are you alive?”

A slurry female voice uttered a vague reply that was barely audible to them.

“Are you a human?” Jake asked.

“I....am,” replied the faceless voice.

Without wasting another moment Jake pulled out the brass key ring attached to the dead warden’s belt. He kept trying all the different keys until one of them eventually turned in the lock and opened it.

“Zill, give me your dagger,” said Jake, holding out his right hand.

The little gnome took out his sharp weapon and handed it to him without asking any questions. With the weapon in hand, Jake approached the lantern and severed the rope which held it in place.

Walking up to the holding cell, he opened the metal gate with a gentle shove. Raising the lantern to his face, he ambled towards the source of the voice. In the faint glow of the flickering flame, he saw before him a girl covered in dirty brown rags. A frizzy shawl of dirty orange locks covered her face, draping her shoulders in tiny close-lying curls. As the wind blew through the open metal gate, it parted her tresses, revealing her pale blue lips bloodied at the edges.

Jake stooped to her level and lowered the lantern to get a better look at her. A cold shudder passed through his bones as he looked at her youthful face desecrated with fresh scars. Under her left eye was an oval blotch of bloodied black. As his eyes trailed along her fragile frame, he noticed burn marks on her arms and legs. The gruesome sight reduced him to tears and he sat there stupefied. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the brutalities she had been subjected to at the hands of these savages. All sense of guilt and remorse instantly evaporated from his heart.  These warlocks were worst than the beasts he had killed in the forest. They didn’t deserve even an ounce of pity.

“Jake, we need to hurry! The warlocks will be here any minute!” cried Zill from behind.

“What’s your name? Can you move?” asked Jake, offering her his hand.

“I’m Emily.” Her voice quivered with pain which poured out of her chocolate brown eyes.

“I don’t think she can walk. We have to carry her out of here,” said Jake, turning towards Yolen and Zill.

“Please leave me be,” the prisoner exclaimed in anguish. “I just want to die.”

“We will get you out of here. I promise!” Jake tried his best to reassure her but she just kept sobbing silently without lifting her gaze.

Jake realized that it would be impossible to carry her out of the prison while the guards were still around. He was so focused on getting to the prisoner, that hadn’t really thought about an escape plan.

“Is there any secret entrance or trap door that we can use to escape from here?” he asked anxiously.

“This is a warlock prison. Why would there be any trap doors in such a place?” replied Yolen.

“Darn it! We have to find a way to get her out of here!”

“I think I can help with that. I have a skill which might come in handy in this situation,” Yolen paused for a while and examined the floor beneath his feet. “I hope my old bones don’t fail me.”

The old gnome dropped to the ground on all 4 and spoke aloud the following words:

Ancient Claws! Rapid Drill!

Harnessing the power of the ancients, Yolen transformed his fingers into shovel-like projections. He had just used a special skill available only to the expert Diggers. The old gnome thrust his hardened fingers into the ground and began digging. Though he was old, his digging technique was highly systematic and efficient. Within a few seconds he managed to create a large cavity on the ground. Zill stood watch nearby, paying attention to the noises upstairs.

“Emily, just hold on for a few more minutes. It’s going to be alright,” said Jake, gently pressing the captive’s palm.

Emily’s voice became choked with agony as she held back a flood of tears. “I don’t want to live. I don’t want to suffer anymore! Please, just kill me!”

 Her words fell like drops of acids, corroding Jake’s heart with every drop. He had never witnessed such suffering in his world. She had suffered so much that she had lost the will to live. To her, this world seemed like a maze of misery from which there was no escape.

“Yolen is a healer. He can heal your wounds,” Jake replied, knowing full well that Yolen could only heal her physical wounds. There was nothing he could do to relieve her mental agony. It became clear why the warlocks hadn’t put her in chains. Even they knew she wouldn’t try to run away. She had nowhere to go and no one to call her own. Jake realized how lucky he had been to have met Yolen and Zill. If it weren’t for their help and the Goddess’ assistance, he would have ended up dead long ago.

The old healer kept drilling with all his strength till he had created a narrow tunnel under the cell.

“Valroth, go downstairs and fetch the human girl. It’s time for the anatomy lessons,” ordered one of the warlocks standing upstairs.

Zill heard the heavy footsteps descending the first flight of stairs which led to the prison. “Jake, someone is coming this way!” he cried in a panic-stricken voice.

“Zill, I want you to stay with her. I will handle the warlock." Jake put the lantern on the ground and rushed out of the cell with his bow in hand.

He dragged the body of the dead warden back; just enough to make sure that it wasn’t visible from the staircase. His heart raced inside his trembling body as he prepared to confront the warlock descending the steps. He waited behind the wall, hiding in the shadowy darkness. The sound of the warlock’s footsteps gradually became more prominent. He quietly pulled out an arrow from his quiver and levelled it against the bowstring. His fingers glistened with sweat as he pulled the arrow back to its very limit, aiming the bow at the arched entrance which led to the lockups.

As soon as the unsuspecting warlock stepped into the passageway, Jake shot him straight through his temple. The sentry instantly collapsed on the ground with a heavy thud. Just as before, he dragged the body inside, hiding it from view. This time he no longer felt any remorse or pity for killing the warlock. His heart had become twisted with hate after witnessing the sufferings of that poor girl.

Slinging his Ziraelium bow across his shoulder, he walked back inside the cell.

Yolen emerged from the hole in the ground and exclaimed with a sigh of relief, “The tunnel is ready.” He paused for a while to catch his breath, before continuing. “This tunnel opens just behind the mulberry bush outside the village.”

"Excellent work, Yolen!" Jake picked up the lantern and handed it to the old gnome. “You lead the way.”