Tales of the Vangen: The Siege of Middengard (Book 2)

Chapter 34: Inopportunity

"What?"

The world rang in Libro's ears. He blinked away the dust and grime caked into his eyes, coughed up a mouthful of mud churned by rushing spit. A hollow booming sound flowed out of the hole that had once been Lady Denbar's eastern wall, fresh sunlight spilling over the rubble.

Elba stooped over him, eyes wide and wet, face caked with dust, her words muffled until his hearing slowly returned. "Libro, are you okay? She picked him up, tossing aside the shredded rope that had once bound his arms. Despite every muscle in his body screaming to be put down, he gritted his teeth and forced himself back up. Outside, the sea of shanties burned crimson bright by the morning sun. It took him a second later to realize they were actually on fire.

"What's going on?" Elba asked, her words finally understandable. "What the hell is happening?"

"A bombardment," Libro coughed out, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Stones and cannonballs rained down over the city like flaming meteors, shredding through homes and watchtowers before ripping apart the land in a multitude of explosions that belched smoke and fire into the sky. "They must be getting desperate."

"Did you do this?" Varis demanded. He charged past Rhune, caked white in masonry dust, though the murder in his eyes was clear as day. "Did you order the Vangen to blow up our damn city?"

Libro held up his hands, heart racing at the sight of the blade pointed in his direction. "I did no such thing! The new Captain must have done so!"

"Fething shit!" Varis threw his sword on the ground, the weapon clattering as it spun away across the broken tiles. "What the hell do we do now?"

"We stick to the plan!" Rhune shouted as they pushed past the rest. "We'll split up, release the prisoners from both wings and book it back to base before we get pulverized." They cast a wary glance towards Libro. "We'll discuss this later."

Varis frowned but ultimately relented. "Fine, how should we do this?"

"Zeek, you, Elba, and Libro take the south wing. The rest of us will go north. Close off the choke gates to buy yourselves more time."

"On it!" Zeek flashed a wild grin as he ran over to Libro. "No time to waste! Follow me! Carry him again if you have to!" He directed that last part towards Elba before the Chainbreaker turned and broke into a sprint down the winding metal stairs.

"I suppose I'll have to suffer the humiliation just one more time," Libro said with a shrug of his aching shoulders. At the very least, he wouldn't be putting his leg into any further disarray.

"Oh please, I could tell you liked it." Elba socked him hard across the arm before she scooped him up and bounded down the stairs after Zeek. Down below, chaos had already begun to spread throughout the building. Rubble and debris littered the halls, more of it raining down from the crumbling rooftops. A shriek of cannon fire shook the grounds, and Elba staggered, nearly falling to her feet before Libro caught hold of a sconce bolted into the wall.

"Thanks!" They pressed on, Zeek and a few other rebels cutting down any wayward guards stupid enough to try and stop them. Most, however, were too busy running for their lives, the chain of command all but shattered apart.

"Through here!" Zeek pointed further down the hall. A set of thick wooden doors lay before them, reinforced with heavy bands of Star Steel, iron chains rattling as the guards behind them were pulling with all their might to close them. The Chainbreaker threw himself forward with a burst of speed, faster than Libro could comprehend, and he fell, sliding to his knees as the doors clapped shut behind him. There was a cry, metal scraping metal before it grew deathly still. For a moment, Libro wondered if Zeek had been killed, their route sealed off before there came a heavy clank and one door slid smoothly open.