Forgotten Embers

Chapter 31: Come with Me

The three of them sat in the office together, the room dark but for some small light from the lamps in the hall and a chamber candle which Dorcus had lit and set on the desk between them. They sat each in a chair, sipping on hot tea as they discussed their plans.

"So, they will arrest you, then?" Benjamin reconfirmed after rehashing some of their previous conversation.

"Yes, I think that's best," Eliezer agreed. "It may cause Adrien some serious problems if they don't find me, and I would hate for them to come here and find the two of you along with me."

"Will they kill you?" Ben asked, his heart unwilling to ask anything less direct.

"No, I don't believe so," his friend assured him. "Although, I think they'd like to."

"Well enough," Ben nodded. "I should like to attend the trial," he told him after some hesitation.

Eliezer looked to Dorcus, then to his tea, then back to Benjamin. "You know I couldn't prevent you, but I will request that you be careful."

"I'd like to see his face," Benjamin confessed as he stood to go. "It's not often that he makes himself publicly accessible."

'Strange... I suppose this is all politics to him, but it means much more to me than that.'

"Anyway, I must be off if I'm to reach Avera in time," he added as he moved to exit the room. He paused, turning back to them with a bow. "Thank you for your great sacrificial service... both to the kingdom and to me. These years have been ungrateful, I know, but I assure you, I am not."

"It has been..." he looked to Dorcus, who nodded, "and is our great honor and privilege, Your Majesty," Eliezer promptly assured him with a gladsome smile. "We would gladly spend and be spent for you, as you know."

"And Ben," Dorcus added softly, "don't forget to wear those gloves that Kypher and Mira made for you. I would like to see you avoid a repeat of the previous week's incident."

'They truly have shown me such great kindness.'

He smiled, taking the gloves from the tiny end table and slipping them on over his fingers, pulling them tight at the wrists with a snap. "Most assuredly, I will take all due caution, and know that I expect the same of each of you," he told them, lifting the hood of his cloak in preparation for his departure.

His attentions turned again to Eliezer, and he offered a passing glance behind him. 'Fair well, old friend, and may you find favor in the eyes of our most generous King.'

"Ben," Eliezer called after him, catching a secondary glance. He stopped, attentive. "Don't fret, dear child. The kingdom is already given to you, and as for me, all is well with me."

Benjamin nodded with a faint smile and went his way. 'Eliezer... thank you.'

***

He slowed his pace as he approached the house on Mayverch Street, moving stealthily towards it from the rear. There was a magical barrier surrounding the structure with the appearance of a translucent purple bubble.

'Hm... a constraining barrier. I should be able to get in all right, but... once I do, I'm trapped in there. And that means that Zephyr's mages have already arrived, as well. Although...' he looked around, 'they seem to be primarily guarding the front.'

He continued forward with caution, crossing effortlessly through the barrier. Once inside, he reached back and placed his hand against it. The boundary was hard and immovable. He took a breath, isolated from the noise of the streets. 'You'll just have to help me, that's all.'

He scaled the wall to a second story balcony and pulled himself up over the railing. 'Hopefully, this isn't locked.' He took hold of one of the curved handles and slowly turned it until he heard the faint click of the latch. He breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank you.'

He pushed the door carefully shut, having slipped silently into the house undetected. Light streamed through the French doors of the balcony and filled the room with the purple tint of fainting moonlight.

He looked around to get his bearings - a desk, a chair, a door, a closet, a bed, a nightstand. He moved quietly around the side of the bed until he caught a glimpse of the sleeper's face in the moonlight.

'Avera.'

He tapped her shoulder twice frantically. "Avera," he whispered. No response. 'Come on, wake up!' He put his hand over his face and exhaled sharply. 'I'll try again.' He tapped her shoulder, this time a little more forcefully, and she began to stir. "Avera!" he whispered to her harshly. "Avera, wake up!"

She turned slightly, her eyes blinking open. "Mm... Ben?" she squinted. "Ben, what are you doing here?" She stretched.

"Avera, we have to get out of here. Now. There's not much time," he whispered emphatically.

"What?" she asked him, beginning to collect herself.

"Avera, I need you to get dressed and come with me now. We don't have a lot of time," he quickly reiterated.

"Ben, what is going on?" she demanded loudly.

"Shhhhhh!" he whispered emphatically, putting a finger to his lips. "Please, keep your voice down!"

"What is going on?" she whispered back.

"Thank you," he smiled at her. "Now, listen to me. Zahaynei is outside with a military squadron and a regiment of mages just waiting for a signal from Kallida saying that his men are in place so that they can come in here and arrest you, because they know you've been talking to Webber."

"Oh, you shouldn't be here, then," she yawned.

The comment had taken him off guard. "What?"

"It's too dangerous, Ben. These people would contract with Hell to find you, and probably have. They've killed thousands of people all because they wanted you dead. I don't know if you realize this, Ben, but the people who run this government are a bunch of bloodthirsty lunatics! And the blood they want is yours! You know it's a trap, but you came anyway," she asserted. "That's why you're crazy!" she added with a yawn.

"The glory of a king is his people," he told her, "and being as I'm here now, would you come with me, please?"

'Come on, Avera. There's no time for this now, and if your worry is for my safety, the best thing to do is cooperate.'

"Yes, alright," she conceded. "I'll get dressed. Just wait in the hall," she told him, pointing to the door. "I'll come out."

It wasn't long before Avera emerged from the room in one of her skysuits. Benjamin looked over at her with a frown. 'No, that won't do. She's far too vulnerable to attack.'

He unlatched his cloak and offered it to her, having removed it from his own shoulders. "Here," he said, "take this and put it on. I don't know what time we have, and if we get ourselves into a fix, I don't want you harmed."

The fabric sparkled in the moonlight as she held it in her hands. "Is this pyrite?" she asked, donning the cloak.

"Indeed, it is."

"Then it's impervious to maurium," she mused.

"Precisely," he said, impressed by her knowledge of the substance. "Maurium is no more than corrupted planetyroid. When properly refined, you get this," he said, putting a gloved hand before his face.

She smiled, then frowned. "Ben, I'm sorry I ran away before."

He shook his head. "Forget that and come with me."

"No, but-" she began to protest only to be drowned out by the sound of a loud bang and a crashing from the lower level. "What was that!"

Benjamin darted down the hall and peered over the railing of the loft. There was a scene of chaotic destruction below.

"Stay there!" he told Avera as she began to follow him.

Broken glass was sprinkled around the room on singed carpets with the soil of broken flowerpots and houseplants strewn about the increasing mess of what was formerly an entrance hall. There was another loud bang with a flash of light and a tiny explosion. The room began to fill with thick smoke. He heard a pounding at the door accompanied by the sound of the bending of wood.

'Smoke blasts! They've shattered the windows, and they're breaking down the door!'

"They're coming!" he called back to her. "We have to go! Is there an upstairs?"

"Yes. Back this way. There's a stairwell that leads to the roof," she told him.

"Right. Start running!" he told her, dashing down the hall. She hesitated, overwhelmed. "Come on!" he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along. "Avera, you have to run!"

There was another loud bang, and the house began to fill with the sound of soldiers and shouting. "How are we going to get out of here?" Avera asked as they maneuvered up the winding stairwell.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"What do you mean you don't know? Ben, we have the army after us!"

"I may not know how, but I assure you that we will," he said, lifting his head. "You'll have to trust me this time!"

'You'll have to help us. That's all. I've run all the options. There is no other way.'

He threw open a door at the top of the stairs, and they lunged through it, the sky opening above them. The roof was flat with thick cut blocks of maurium that peaked over the edge lining the perimeter.

"What now?" she asked him.

He peered over the side at the back of the house to the ground below them.

'This is it then, isn't it? There are three ways out of here, and I only like one of them.'

"Ben?"

"We wait," he told her with a grin.

"Wait? You were just telling me to run. Ben!"

"Look," he said pointing to the barrier. "Do you see that over there?"

She turned her head, her eyes following his hand. "Yeah, it's... some sort of magic all around us. What is it?"

"It's called a constraining barrier. It acts akin to a magical cage that exhibits itself as a one sided, indestructible wall. They use it as a tool to capture people by trapping them inside. That's why the mages are here, that and the clean up after Zahaynei's soldiers are through wrecking the place."

"Are you saying that we can't get out?"

"Not at all. There are three ways out - death, arrest, and translation," he confidently stated.

"Trans-what?" she said, but he continued on as if she hadn't spoken.

"Now, personally, I'd like to avoid the first two, but, like I told you, you'll have to trust me for that." He paused. "Here, give me that cloak back, if you would, please."

"A-a... alright," she said, perplexed by him, and she handed him the cloak.

He took it and put it on, pulling the hood back over his head so the shadows would cover his face. There was a stampede of footsteps coming from the stairwell.

'Alright, then. Time for the show.' He smiled.

"I'd like to attend that trial tomorrow," he told her, "and this should help to clear you for that, as well, supposing you would be so kind as to join me."

"What? Ben, what are you-? Aaaaa!" she screamed as he lunged at her suddenly, grabbing her from behind and pulling her towards the edge. "What are you doing? Stop it! Have you gone mad?" she was still screaming as the army officers began to file out of the narrow doorway.

'Sorry, Avera. This isn't what I had planned, but you need to be exonerated. I trust you'll forgive me for this.'

"There!" one man said. "It's the man from the ambush!"

"Blasted armorial scum!" another man remarked.

"Here," a third called out, "they're on the roof!"

The guardsmen began to fan out, moving quickly into formation around them. Benjamin drew his sword, holding it across Avera's chest and angling it at her neck as he continued to pull her back towards the edge of the landing.

Avera was frantic. "Stop it! What are you doing?" she shouted, beginning to panic.

"Secure the girl!" an officer commanded, and the men began to move in closer.

Benjamin felt his foot hit a brick, and he stopped, pressing the sword against Avera's throat. "Don't worry. Just trust me with this," he whispered to her. "Gentlemen," he announced, "not another step!"

"Hold, men! Stand your ground!" the officer ordered. "Listen," he demanded, beginning to address Benjamin with some great irritation, "I don't know who you think you are trying to kidnap a girl and ordering us around, and I don't know if you've noticed, but we have you surrounded! You're trapped. There's no way out. So, you are in no position to be making demands!"

"Is that so? Well, then. What would you suggest?" Benjamin spoke plainly.

"Here's our terms if you want to live: give up, and release the girl immediately!"

"I'm sorry," he said, extending his arm to the side, and releasing his hold of Avera, "I'm afraid I can't oblige." He held his position for a moment, taking a breath.

'I'm trusting you with this.'

He kept his right arm straight, the sword held steady as an extension of himself, and spanned his left arm likewise, his feet locked together.

'One... Two...' He took a deep breath. 'Three.'

"Get him! Now!" the officer commanded, and a flood of men began to rush towards him.

"My apologies, gentlemen, but I won't be joining you. Not today. You see," he said, leaning backwards, "I am glad to serve a King who is better than I."

"What the...!" the officer shouted in disbelief as he watched Benjamin fall slowly backwards over the edge of the rooftop.

His gaze turned upwards as he fell into the air. 'The stars look nice tonight.' He smiled, closing his eyes as he felt his body lift, and he was caught up in a strange lightness.

Avera spun around frantically. The soldiers rushed to peer over the side of the wall where he fell, fully expecting gravity to have taken its course, but when they looked, he was nowhere in sight.