Vashti sliced into Tashil's coat and clothing underneath, exposing his chest. Tashil in turn cut across Vashti's shoulder. They continued their exchange of blows. Herbert Cortez, the slave, went to assist Tashil, but was met with resistance by Wyatt, Vashti's follower. Wyatt pushed him to a table that was placed in that bunker, breaking it. Herbert was in great pain. Liz stood in front of him to defend him, while helping come to his feet and making sure he was alright at the same time.
It would only be a matter of time before the roof collapsed altogether. The other soldiers and also Master Harrison, fled from the scene to avoid disaster. The Banker and his associate were harassed by Izan out of the building. Yolanda tried making a run for the stairway at that point, but slipped on a broken rock that had fallen. Her shackles limiting her movement.
Just moments before the entire ceiling collapsed, Izan saw Yolanda and, sticking to his religious principles, sought to save her and thus dove protecting her from the falling debris even though they had been enemies. And with that the ceiling fell.
Herbert moved Liz out of the way and said that he would fight for the king, and thus he shoved his fist into Wyatt's stomach, unexpectedly. Wyatt didn't want to consider hurting them, for they were defenseless, and he only wanted to stop them from getting to Vashti. Wyatt began throwing blows himself, and the two began punching each other. While they were occupied with that, Liz decided she'd make a run for it toward Vashti and Tashil. Liz was slow in running because of her shackles. Wyatt at that point did everything in his power and so he pulled out his dagger. Herbert saw it and acted within a moment's time.
He shielded the blow from Wyatt's dagger to save Liz, and he was stabbed.
The knife wound stung deep into Herbert's lower abdomen, and was bleeding heavily. Liz screamed. Tashil and Vashti diverted their eyes to it. Wyatt looked at his own blade which she was still holding, and saw in horror what he had done. It wasn't his intention to hurt any of them, but he realized what he had done and fell on his knees.
A loud crackled and shutter vibrated the entire room. The roof had fallen, and smashed against the bunker, but it stayed in tact for now.
Herbert fell down. Liz ran to his side.
"Why? Why would you do that for me, Herbert?" Liz sobbed, feeling as though it were her fault and showed so much sorrow for him to sacrifice himself for her. Herbert looked at her.
"You were the light for all of us out here, Liz. You made an impossibly gloom mission and horrid lifestyle seem so enjoyable. You gave us hope," Herbert said, starting to bleed from his mouth.
Liz pulled out first aid bandages from her bag, ones that she could have used for herself but saved them for any such occasion, and in a hurry, wrapped Herbert's wounds up tight and gave him medicine to numb it. Tashil cursed the ground.
"Stupid slaves, I knew they were worthless. Dying yet for other slaves and not me," Tashil hissed. Vashti looked at the king before him in disgust at his neglect for human life. Wyatt lost his own will to fight. The rubble from the collapsed roof trapped them inside the bunker area, with clay and metal and cement and all sorts blocking the stairs and latched door, keeping the exit out of their reach. Shut in.
The outside of the facility seemed completely desolate now, as the collapse had been complete and all was left destroyed and broken along the ground. Izan and Yolanda managed to climb out of the debris safely, Izan feeling some pain however. Yolanda looked at him and marveled.
"You..you protected me, an enemy...and not only that, a slave," she remarked, knowing her place and role and yet amazed at a simple act of kindness. Izan breathed heavily, but brought himself to answer.
"My teacher would have done the same for you. He says no matter who you are, you're worth something, and you are valued. Whether an enemy or not, or whether a slave or not. You're the same to him," Izan spoke, and the words just touched Yolanda's heart so much that she hugged Izan and thanked him. The others escaped, and so none died in the collapse. However, the Tashil and the fight continuing below was yet to be determined. From behind, the other guards along with Shakeisha witness all that was happening in astonishment. The building was totally desolate. The horizon could still be seen from over the flattened rubble.
After that, of complete and utter surprise, Master Chaudbury appeared with another man and arrived on the scene. Recognizing the second man, the guards bowed down as they walked. Shakeisha looked at the display, confused.
"Who is this man?" she asked. The man next to Chaudbury replied.
"I am Teremus Oligarde," he said. "I'm the son of the former great emperor and was brought here on account of this young man." He pointed to the Master who stood in reverence and great perpetual yet profound presence over the scene, as if something truly incredible was about to happen in just the next few moments. He gave an aura, a certain sense that neither slave nor soldier no master could explain or express. It was something new in all aspects.
The fight continued underground in the bunker. Clashes between Vashti's knife and Tashil's knife never ceased. They were panting, sweating, yet refusing to give an inch. Both even bled a considerable amount.
Liz continued to treat Herbert who was still hurt, but she rested him against the side of the wall. She promised everything would be alright, as she usually did, and sought a way to get him back atop to normal ground. She motioned Melody toward her and the two of them began removing rocks and debris from the doorway, but much of it was too heavy and they couldn't do it themselves. Also, anything they removed just got replaced by more that caved in. They truly shut in. Trapped from the outside.
Izan noticed how far in they were trapped and began digging rapidly with his hands all the left over rock and destroyed metal away from the filled steps and tried to rescue them, but could only move so much at a time no matter how fast he went.
Teremus Oligarde and Master Chaudbury began to discuss matters among themselves in the background, unnerving the people around them and giving them an astonishing realization.
They had a plan.
YOU ARE READING
Mister Chaudbury
Spiritual"Only a king would do anything For his kingdom" A land ruled by nobles called "masters" all served a single absolute, yet evil king. His reign was clearly only to benefit himself, but there was nothing anyone could do as the nobility and military we...
