The Arisen

Chapter 5

The six teens crouched together on the highest point of the grassy hillside. The wind from the nearby sea was blowing against their faces, refreshing them with the scent of the ocean. Ahead was the large, worn-down outpost, which was the current center of attention. It stood in solitude upon the rocks that formed the seaside and also protected it from the crashing waves. The structure was silent, but the teens knew it wouldn't be silent for long.

The plan Menalarius composed was just simple enough for them to remember. It was easy to tell that their old mentor used his military experience in forming the plan, and he also made sure each of the teens approved of it. The plan was more complex than the six would have preferred, but it was the first task for them as a team, so there was a trace of excitement among the aura of fear. The anticipation of storming the structure, taking it over, and rescuing the captive...who Menalarius kept rather anonymous...was hard to contain. Simply storming the castle wouldn't work, however, so Menalarius assigned a special role to each of the teens. If even one of them failed in one way or another, the possibility of success would be greatly diminished.

Their mentor took special care in preparing each of them for the mission. Leander was equipped with the armor of one of the unconscious guards and also his sword that he found in his room. Hyphesia had her bow, which was durable and precise in design, as she used it for hunting. Pollux was given special leather gloves for the purpose of both climbing and hand-to-hand combat. They exposed his fingers, but protected his palms. Phoebus had a dark-colored cloak and was wearing a pair of sandals that his mentor said "would aid him in evading any enemy." This description confused him greatly, but he was glad to at least have something helpful. Cleo had with her a few potions that Menalarius made with his skills as an enchanter. Quintiles was dressed rather majestically for the occasion with flowing purple robes and a gold-laced cape. He also had a dagger sheathed on his girdle and his signature lyre in hand.

"Three guards in each of the two towers and five on the wall..." Hyphesia observed, squinting her eyes at the structure, "This'll be fun."

"Okay, so here's a recap of our plan," Leander said, turning to face the others while making sure he was still hidden in the grass, "Quin, you're the distraction. Go to the front gate and grab their attention. Sing one of your stupid songs or something."

Quintiles frowned as Leander continued.

"Phoebus and Pollux, you two are going to climb the left tower and take out the guards. According to old man Menalarius, there's a staircase there that will lead directly to the dungeon. Cleo and I will breach the right tower and secure the armory before any other defenders manage to equip themselves. We don't know how many more are within the outpost. Hyphesia, you're going to perch up on that large rock and clear a path for any of us who needs assistance. Make sure that nobody escapes, too. Got it?"

The five others nodded.

"Great," Leander said quietly, "I still have doubts about this plan, but I think we can do it. Let's go kick some rear...even if it kills us."

"Wait!" Cleo whispered as loud as possible, "We need some kind of cheer before we do this."

"Are you kidding me?!" Leander whispered in an even louder tone, "What is this, an Erisian Olympiad?!"

"It's a good idea," Pollux muttered, "We're a team, so we might as well have a team cheer. I did one with my friends back when I practiced sports and it was pretty fun."

"Fine..." Leander said, rolling his eyes.

"What should be our team name?" Phoebus asked, intrigued by the idea.

"Well, the legend said six would rise..." Cleo said, "Maybe something related to that."

"What exactly are you suggesting? The Dough Kids?" Leander asked sarcastically.