Chapter 58: Dauntless (Patreon)

The cell was quiet. Sasha was asleep, and Yolena sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. Elliot leaned against the back wall, looking at the iron bars, thinking.

Ninety-nine percent resonance match. He wasn’t sure if Speaker had actually achieved that by the end, but he’d made progress, so it was at least above ninety-seven. Even if it got harder the higher you climbed, that was too close. Something had to happen, and it had to happen now.

But what did that mean? He could try to smash the glass directly next time Speaker called him down to the cavern, but he had no idea how fast the man was, and there was a decent chance it was fast enough to stop him. Even if he succeeded, it would mean a quick transition to mindless existence as a husk. It also left no way for him to get the devices by the other pillars.

They had to be destroyed without Speaker being present, and that meant an escape.

But he couldn’t make himself move. This, more than anything he’d experienced so far, felt like a hopeless endeavor. Even if everything went his way: getting out of the cell, avoiding the husks and the guards, breaking the barricade, dodging the Fury, and making it to all four pillars before being intercepted; there was no future left for him. The parasites sitting over his heart would make sure of that.

Closing his eyes, he thought of what it would mean for the Titan to become free, and the spear with it. A global catastrophe, threatening everyone he knew and cared for. Yehi, Hadrian, Breka, Grik, Olivia, Hrolf, and Rowan. Rowan.

He let his head rest back against the cold, moist limestone of the wall. There were so many things he wanted to do. Explore, work on his bestiary, maybe truly take up mapmaking. Build a library of grimoires after finding them himself, exploring the dark and dangerous parts of the wilds. Grow closer to the interesting people he’d met. He wanted to push himself, get stronger, find out where his limits lay. Most of all, he wanted to see Rowan again. Talk to her, support her, protect her and watch her grow up.

There wasn’t really a choice, though. It wasn’t like he could have what he wanted if he did nothing. And hey, he’d made it through the end of the world. Maybe everything since then had just been borrowed time.

His eyes found Sasha, curled up into a ball on the floor. It wasn’t just Rowan he had to save. There were countless other kids, other families, that would die if he didn’t act. The Titan had said breaking the devices would create a massive disturbance in the ethera, maybe enough to draw in Breka, or the Greenguard. That, plus the chaos that would unfold, would likely be the best chance for the prisoners to escape or get rescued.

Get up, Elliot. Move.

“Yolena,” he called out softly.

The ranger opened her eyes and turned toward him.

He made a beckoning gesture, eyeing Sasha. She needed to stay asleep.

Yolena unfolded and rose smoothly, crossing over to him with silent steps. “What is it?”

“I think—” He cut off, trying to think of how to describe what he needed. “I think it’s time for me to tell you everything that’s been happening when they take me away.”

Her expression was neutral. “Go ahead.”

And he did. Elliot held nothing back, explaining the Titan, the mark, the spear, and the Talessi Fury. When he finished, at least half a minute passed in silence, the ranger’s expression never changing.

“How did you understand them, if Speaker couldn’t?”

“I can learn any language after hearing a few sentences. It’s a bloodline ability.” No need to get into extraplanar travel.

Her eyebrows rose. “Really.”

“Yes,” he said, sighing. “Do you know any other languages? I can show you.”

“Just Common.” She glanced at the door to the cell. “This is a lot. I’d die to keep the Titan bound, because that’s my job, but you’re hanging everything on these dreams. What if you’re wrong, and the glass has nothing to do with it?”

His lips twisted. “I know it’s implausible. All I can tell you is that I know it’s real. I have the connection, that’s the whole reason Speaker needs me. I’ve gotten power from the Titan before, it’s how I arrived here. I managed to overpower a husk’s mind, briefly. That didn’t come from me.”

“This is all…” She sighed. “Far-fetched. And why do you think I could actually accomplish this? The barricade will be well-guarded, even if all the husks are deployed in the Gerrwood.”

“Well you’re a fourth circle, and I know that’s impressive, so you’re the best—“

“What?” she snapped, shooting a glance at Sasha and lowering her voice. “What makes you say that?”

“That you’re a fourth circle? I inspected you when I first arrived.”

“But that’s—“ She cut herself off. “Your ability is powerful. I have a strong block that should make me look early third circle. It’s why I’m here, and not dead or in special holding.”

“Oh,” Elliot replied awkwardly. “Sorry to pry.”

“Say we do this,” Yolena said, eyes on the door. “You know there’s no way out. We might be able to escape from here. But from the bottom of yet another shaft, heavily guarded, after smashing our way through? No chance.”

“Yes. And I should warn you,” his voice caught for an instant, but he swallowed and forced himself to continue, “I have the Talessi husk-making poison buried in my chest, in a capsule. They can activate it remotely if it’s clear that I’ve gone rogue. I think I’m too useful to do it blindly, since they’re so close to making the resonance cascade work, but it’s a possibility. A certainty, if they figure out I’m smashing the devices.”

Yolena gave him a hard look. “Are you sure you’re up for this? I don’t send new rangers on death runs. If we go, I need to know you won’t break down in the middle of it.”

“I won’t,” he said, trying to project as much firmness as he could. “My sister is out there. I’m going to make this work.”

“What about the rest of the prisoners? Do they feature in your plan?”

“The Titan said breaking the resonance devices will be hard to miss, ethereally. I think it has a good shot at catching the attention of whoever’s searching for us. Especially my mentor.”

“And who is that?”

Elliot took a breath. Cards on the table. “The Fury from Andaluse.”

Yolena’s blank expression never wavered. “Well. I suppose that explains some of your curiosities.”

Her eyes lingered on his, like she was searching for something. He didn’t know what she saw. He just felt resigned, and tired.

“Okay,” she said, finally. “I believe you. What do you already have planned out?”

Elliot felt a sudden flood of anxiety. Now it was real. “I have the enchanted piece of metal that’s deformable. I can use that to pick the lock. It’s not something I’m great at, but I’ve seen the key they use, it’s a pretty simple shape and I think I can figure it out.” God, do I remember anything about lockpicking? Not much. I watched a few YouTube videos. Hopefully the enchantment can do the heavy lifting. “Then it’s a straight shot to the main cavern. There’s not usually any guards in the passageways, but whether or not they’re in the cavern will depend on luck. Then it gets harder. We have to run all the way across, probably about a thousand feet, to get to the lift down to the Titan’s cave. The top is barricaded, there’s always at least five Talessi there, and I don’t know how strong they are.” He frowned. Should have inspected them.

“I can handle the guards,” Yolena replied. “We just have to hope there’s no husks, and no Fury. I can maybe hold one husk, briefly, but the Fury would be the end.” She rose to her feet and slowly rolled up her left sleeve. As her bicep emerged, thick and solid, so did a tattoo. Elliot didn’t get a great look at it from where he sat on the floor, but his impression was of an anatomically accurate heart with a wide, leafy branch sprouting from its center.

She touched the tattoo, and closed her eyes. There was a soft cracking sound, like breaking bark, then something began to emerge from her skin.

Elliot’s mouth opened slightly.

A long, slim, golden-brown shaft of wood grew slowly into the air, not stopping until it was several feet long. Yolena grasped it, and with a sharp yank removed it from her flesh. In her hand it looked like a javelin, or a very short spear. “Start working on the lock.”

“Is that…what is that?”

“It’s a weapon.”

“Yes,” he flushed, “I figured. I meant, is it an ability? An item?”

She eyed him for a moment. “It’s an enchanted item. It’s heartwood, which lets it hide within me, as you can see.”

“I can make it stronger.”

“What?”

“Let me show you.” He activated [Golden Touch], focusing on the tapered wood, and channeled the ability until he felt it reaching near its maximum effect.

Yolena cocked her head. “What ability is that?”

“It’s called [Golden Touch], but it’s an unusual use of it. The effect will last as long as I’m focused on it, and for a few minutes after. Is it enough of an improvement to be worth doing in combat? I’ve never tried working with a fourth-circle’s weapon, just my own.”

“It’s worth it,” she said, examining the weapon with curiosity. “It felt like a channeled ability, yes?”

“That’s right. What you saw was about as fast as I can make it work.”

“Then I’ll call for it by name when it’s time,” she said, lowering the spear. “The door.”

He rose as quietly as possible, pulling the chunk of metal from his spatial pocket. Its dull silver surface took on a brighter shine as soon as he focused his will on the enchantment, and with a small shiver the material came alive, melting like it had become liquid in his palm.

Reaching through the bars, he pressed the metal to the keyhole, and closed his eyes. What did he know about locks? The key had been simple, just a small rod of metal with three teeth at the end, only about two inches long. Each tooth would press on a pin, and raise them the correct degree to free the mechanism to turn.

The iron was cold under his hand. He tried to visualize the inside of the lock, imagined the pins, and then activated [Golden Touch] again. While practicing with the metal, he’d found that enhancing it with his ability increased its responsiveness to his will, and let it take on more detailed shapes than using it un-augmented. He thought of it growing into the empty slot, taking up the available room, and then the core of it firming. He twisted the base that still stuck out into the air as he willed the internal piece to start fluctuating.

Yolena watched quietly from over his shoulder as he worked. Elliot kept a steady pressure on the metal in his hand, while cycling the tip between different, approximately-correct shapes as quickly as possible.

A minute later the lock clicked, the metal base twisted under his hand, and the door eased open.

Yolena patted him on the shoulder once, then eased around to step into the corridor.

Elliot looked back at Sasha. She was still asleep on the floor, snoring lightly. He felt an aching in his chest. She would feel afraid, and likely abandoned, if she woke up to find them gone. But even from their brief acquaintance, he knew she would want to come along if they roused her now. Better to let her stay asleep and give her a chance to survive the chaos to come.

“We need to open the other doors,” Yolena said softly, watching him.

He straightened his shoulders, took a breath, and stepped out of the cell. No turning back. Forward.

When they moved to the adjacent cell Elliot saw five prisoners huddled at the back, silent and scared.

“Calm,” Yolena said softly, offering a small smile as she held up her hands. “I’m a ranger. We’re opening this door so you have options, but it’s not time for you to leave yet. We’re going to set off an alarm that can’t be missed. Rescue will come.”

Ignoring the soft muttering that began at that pronouncement, Elliot began repeating the same process he’d used on their own cell door, trying to work fast.

It took even less than a minute this time, and he was already moving on as Yolena finished her reassurances.

“What’s going on?” a man said hoarsely as Elliot came into view of the next cell.

“I’m working with a Greenguard ranger,” Elliot replied softly, “we’re opening the doors. You shouldn’t come out yet, there’ll be fighting, but we’re going to trigger a signal that should call down a rescue.”

“Rescue?” This time the voice was a woman’s. “When?”

“As soon as we can manage,” he replied, mustering up a smile that he hoped looked more confident than terrified.

Yolena soon came up behind him and repeated a version of her own speech, and like this they worked their way down the four cells beyond their own, ending at the opening to the greater corridor.

“Alright,” Elliot said, staring off into the blackness. “I think I know the way. It’s convoluted, but I’ve been trying to keep track.”

“I can, if you can't,” Yolena replied. “Follow.” She strode away.

Elliot took another deep breath, clenched and unclenched his right hand, and followed.