Elydes-Chapter 301: Perfect Timing

Chapter 301 - Perfect Timing

The cold voice echoed off the underground tunnels, making it hard to discern its origin. Kai lay motionless on the icy stone floor. He cradled Kea’s head in an attempt to wake her, but she seemed to have sunk back into unconsciousness.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

He had just freed himself from those damned shackles. Given a handful more minutes, he could have woken his sister and vacated the cell. Instead, he might not have seconds.

Why now?

Biting the inside of his cheek, Kai closed his eyes and channeled Body Augmentation to enhance his hearing. Drops of moisture dripped from the ceiling with a crisp patter. Multi-legged creatures skittered in the dark corners. The voice he’d heard earlier had been barely a whisper. Was it possible he had imagined it? His mind was still muddled from his capture and imprisonment.

“Uh, are you sure?” A man with a husky tone rumbled in the distance. His words severed the silence and Kai’s hopes. “Could be a gust. These tunnels are full of drafts.”

“I know what I heard.” The cultist snapped. “There was a distinct tapping and blabbering.”

“Could be a cavern spider. Or a stoneworm. The mana of the lake keeps eating at the wards.”

“Perhaps…” The cultist growled. “Either way, we must check. The praetor doesn’t like to lose resources. Do you know what happened to the last fella who let the critters devour specimens?”

“No…”

“My point exactly.”

“Well… where is it?” The husky voice inquired with a gulp.

“It came from over there…”

Kai’s heartbeat deafened their words.

Please, don’t point in my direction. Am I not supposed to be lucky?

He tightened his lips, wishing he could strangle whatever rotten deity made Favor so unreliable. Heavy steps replaced the echoes of the conversation. The sounds were still faint but moving closer. Soon, they‘d reach the cell and notice the prisoners weren’t shackled.

A crash of rocks reverberated in the tunnels. Before Kai could wonder about its origin, he noticed the silver furball was missing. His suspicions were confirmed by the smug satisfaction flowing through his familiar bond.

“That came from the opposite direction…” the husky guard pointed out, sneer obvious in his tone.

“Yes. Obviously,” The other snapped, clearly irked. “We’ll check this way first, then loop back.”

“If you think that’s better…”

Fuck!

Righteous irritation rang through the bond. Hobbes watched the dull humans, weighing a bigger rock to roll with his paw.

No, don’t. It won’t work.

The cultist was determined to look over here out of pride. If Hobbes made the distraction any more obvious, they might raise the alarm without even checking. Then their chances of escape would truly be none.

Dammit.

They must solve this quietly.

Plans flashed into his mind and got discarded. They couldn’t run. Opening the cell door would alert the cultists of their position, and he couldn't carry three unconscious people by himself. Feigning being still imprisoned was out of the question too. There wasn’t time to chain everyone—not silently, at least. Not to mention, it’d leave them powerless if the guards noticed something off.

If running or hiding are out, that leaves only fighting.

His mind throbbed from having been drained of mana, his body was sore from the beating, and his limbs numb from the shackles. Those weren’t even the main issues: his sword had been seized during capture. The spare knives in his ring couldn’t replace his main weapon.

I should have bought a substitute.

Regret was worth a fistful of sand now. He had fought in more desperate conditions in the Hidden Sanctuary, though not with three unconscious people at his feet. Kea, Mari and Rain gave no sign of stirring. If he was overwhelmed, retreat wouldn’t be an option.

Should I try to wake them?

The noise risked alerting the guards, and it might still not work. Rain's bruised body appeared too battered even to stand. Mari or Kea looked better, though they’d likely be too dazed and weak to help. Anyway he put it, he was alone, with no proper weapon and half-empty mana reserves.

Just how I like it.

Outside the cell bars, a blue light flickered in the rough stone. The thuds of boots punctuated the impending arrival of the guards. Time was running out.

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Moving quickly, Kai stored the keyring in his spatial artifact and lifted Kea to move her beside Rain and Mari in the darkest corner of the cell, away from the metal door. Scraping together his Shadow mana, he cast a cloak over them. The rushed spell wouldn’t pass an attentive examination, but it’d hopefully trick the guards long enough for its purpose.

“So where did you think you heard that noise?” The husky cultist rumbled, his voice echoed by the ringing of metal on metal. “These cells were emptied last week.”

“Not all.”

Behind the metal bars, the jailers’ shadows wavered on the tunnel walls. Kai slipped his hands into the shackles, leaving the cuffs wide enough to easily slip out—the enchantment only blocked his mana when tightened to his wrists. If his Favor wasn’t totally worthless, the cultists wouldn't notice the wide loops in the dark.

“I didn’t imagine it. It came from around here,” the cold voice said.

Kai crossed his legs so his freed ankles wouldn’t be noticeable and hung his body limply from his arms. Pain shot through his wrists when the metal dug into his wounded skin. He clenched his teeth to suppress a wince. The light from the guards shone on his closed eyelids.

“This one then?” The husky guard said, rapping his knuckles on the metal bars. “Hmm, there is a boy here.”

“I told you.” The smugness was obvious in the annoyed cultist’s tone.

Kai felt their heavy breath mix in the stale air of the cell. Their words sounded dangerously close.

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“Well, he must have blabbered in his sleep,” the guard said dismissively. “He looks half dead. Won’t last another round. We should check the other disturbances. Some critter might have snuck in.”

Thank the spirits—

“Wait.” The cold cultist halted him. Kai fought against the impulse to squirm under the eyes watching him. “The Warden siblings brought this one in today.”

“You mean those snooty highbloods?” the man snorted. “They were helpful to lure adventurers in Limgrell, but I don’t understand what the praetor sees in them. They couldn’t even capture a couple of brats and made a mess.”

“Either way, unconscious people don’t blabber or move,” the cold voice cut the rambles of his comrade.

“Uhh… What?”

“People knocked out by the life-siphoning array don’t make sounds in their sleep,” the man sneered, making the light source flicker. “He should be unconscious for half a day. And there should be three others with him.”

Shit!

Kai fought the impulse to jolt and attack. He gathered mana in his arms, ready to unleash his elemental spells. His survival hinged on picking the right moment to act. Too soon, he would waste his surprise; too late, the guards might recognize his deceit.

“Are you sure?” The bars of the cells rang under the touch of the guards. “Maybe they were put in a different cell… Or one of the… researchers could have taken them.”

“They would have told us if more materials were needed. There was nothing in the registry.”

“Yeah, because those flesh knitters always bother to inform—” the husky voice sneered.

“How else are three prisoners missing? Did they get eaten? There is no blood.”

“Not all beasts leave trails of blood behind…” The guards continued to argue to have the last word.

Just leave. There is nothing to see.

His back had started itching on top of the pain from his wounds. If the cultists decided whether to leave or look closer, he could at least move in response.

Wounded and chained in an underground cell without his skills, they never suspected he could have freed himself. Who could even conceive the intervention of a majestic spatial cat? When faced with an unexplainable situation, most would sooner resort to simple explanations.

Caeli knew about the existence of the royal furball, but not of the extent of Hobbes’ abilities or his peerless intellect—and Kai wasn’t only saying that because his familiar was listening in to his thoughts.

Stay hidden. I can handle it.

Hobbes lingered in the adjacent tunnel. Frontal assaults had never been his specialty. Getting past the jailers was just their first step to escape; his familiar’s help would be needed later, and his energies weren’t infinite.

“…check and look at the registry.”

“Fine…” the guard with the husky voice huffed.

Without watching, Kai missed the gestures and context of their conversation. The clink and rattle of a key sliding into the cell lock were followed by three sharp clacks and the quiet creaking of an old oiled door swinging open.

Why couldn’t they just leave?

The heavy steps of the guard scraped against the broken floor of the cell, edging close. The light source waved over his closed eyes, threatening the effectiveness of his Shadow spell.

It should still hold up…

From the number of footsteps, only one guard had entered. Kai maintained a slow and even breathing, though his heart drummed loud enough that the cultists might hear it. Not being able to see and gauge the guard’s reactions was maddening. Did they already suspect him? Were they about to strike him down?

He’d get one chance to take them by surprise.

C’mon, a little bit closer.

Kai grasped the streams of blue mana to visualize a Water spell. What usually came naturally felt sluggish and clumsy in his current state. Picking the right moment to act was a game of chance and honed instincts.

A bead of sweat formed on his brow; it tickled his forehead, about to fall. Kai could feel the guard‘s presence looming over him, just a breath away.

Is it—

A soft whisper brushed his mind.

Mana Observer expanded through the cell and surrounding tunnels. A flood of information filled his mind—only the guards mattered. Opening his eyes, a man with a grizzled goatee and dark yellow eyes stood before him with a lantern in hand. The spark of realization flickered in his gaze, his mouth ajar, about to shout.

Got you.

Kai removed a slick, curved dagger from his ring and released his spell. Icicles flew at the heads, hearts and guts of the guards. He had to finish them before they could raise the alarm or it would be all for nothing.

The icicles shot ahead of him. He slipped his hands out of the manacles and pushed his crossed legs on the stone to lunge at the guard. Despite channeling mana into his limbs, the movements lacked precision after the forced stillness.

Blue light flashed in the cell where the lantern hit the floor. The guard was about to get impaled by the ice when he twisted at an unnatural angle, his body covered with the dark glow of a skill. The icicles aimed at his head and heart flew past him, while the last shot opened a gush in his side before it also shattered against the metal bars behind him.

Kai flared Body Augmentation to adjust the trajectory of his lunge. Despite the guard’s swift dodge, less than a meter separated them in the cramped cell. A dark flame engulfed the man’s right hand while he tried to unsheathe a knife with the other. Blood flowed from the wound in his side; his face twisted in pain and shock. ”You—”

Too slow.

He was already upon him. Aiming his dagger low for a sure hit, Kai followed the man’s attempt to dodge and plunged the blade into his stomach, pushing with his whole body weight.

In his Perception, the icicles aimed at the second guard shattered against the stone with a crystal note—missing. Both the men had fully stepped into Yellow, while he was tired and without a proper weapon.

Damn, I was too greedy. I should have focused on one.

The cultist staggered back but managed to keep his feet. Kai twisted the dagger to finish him when a searing heat neared his head. Trusting his instincts, he abandoned his blade and spun his momentum to carry him past the man.

A fist shrouded in black fire swung above his ear.

Pyromaniacs. Who sets fire to their own hand?

The flames crackling over his arm didn’t seem to bother the man.

Kai landed in a roll in the corner adjacent to the door, taking out a serrated knife from his ring to press the attack. The cultist at the entrance seemed ready to engage, a saber in hand. Kai shot a wave of ice shards to slow him and summoned two icicles to finish off the injured cultist.

“You vermin!” The man held the dagger in his stomach with a hand to slow the profuse bleeding. His face contorted in rage and pain. He blocked the icicles with his flame-shrouded arm, the ice melting without harm. “Your magic tricks are useless. Just die—”

Kai wasted no breath talking and sprung toward him, feigning another desperate lunge. Before entering the man’s striking range, he planted his foot to pivot his attack into an upward slash. The man raised his arm to defend his head, but the flames weren’t effective at stopping the enchanted blade from cutting into his forearm.

Another wound. Blood hissed within the black flames. Kai circled his injured side for an opening. He took out another dagger from his ring, striking with quick jabs.

“What are you waitin—” The guard’s yells were cut short as he evaded deeper into the cell. He hung onto his life with irritating efficiency, taking gashes to avoid fatal wounds. When his back hit the cell wall, the black flames swelled to cover him. “Raise the alarm, you dimwit!“ he shouted at his comrade.

Fuck!

Kai encased his leg in ice to deliver a kick to his stomach. His time was running out. He turned to the cell entrance, mana pumping into his legs to dash. The three strides separated him from the door.

In the tunnel outside, a wiry guard raised a saber at him, though it was the other hand that sent Kai into despair. He held a blue bead no bigger than a marble. The intricate runic pattern engraved on it left little doubt of its purpose.

Why?

The cultist gave him a vicious grin. “I’ll enjoy watching you pray for death—” A wet cough interrupted his words, followed by another and red blood dripped down his chin.

Click. Click. Click.

The bead rattled on the stone floor; four severed fingers dropped around it.

”Uhmrg…” The guard watched his hand, uncomprehending. His black robe was tinged a darker shade where the tip of a blade poked from his chest. He tried to raise his saber, but his body flopped to the ground.

“W—what…” The pyromaniac cultist leaned against the wall of the cell to keep upright. He tried to staunch the blood gushing from his stomach, eyes wide at his dead comrade.

Not wasting the opening, Kai spun to shoot an icicle. The spell pierced the man‘s heart before he could react. He slumped to the ground, leaving a trail of red on the wall.

It’s done.

Kai released the mana empowering his body and turned to the cell entrance.

Two shadows stood over the guard’s body, one very tall and one very short.