The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*54

I awoke disoriented, strapped to an ornate chair. A gag was in my mouth. The room and everything in it was slathered in royal blue, standing in stark contrast to the rest of the city. A pair of oval windows provided a startling view of the valley below, revealing more of the world than I had ever seen before.

It was all so mesmerizing that I barely noticed the figure sitting between the windows in a hulking azure throne. He wore thick folds of sapphire-festooned silk and a crystalline crown. The imposing man sent a glare through me and I couldn't help but look away. A dozen armored guards were stationed near the walls of the round room, standing solid as statues.

Daun was carried into the room and tied to the chair beside me. A blue rag was stuffed in her mouth. She looked at me with relief and desperation. I gasped, overjoyed to know she was still alive. I stretched my hand out, straining against the shackles on my wrist until my fingertips touched hers.

A moment later, Sheln strode into the room, wearing her own set of white robes. She looked at us, dead-faced, then approached the man on the throne and took a knee in front of him. "High Lord, I am your humble—"

"Shut up and stand, Sheln," grumbled the High Lord. Sheln did as commanded. "So, you thought alerting me to the revenge fantasies of a pair of Thrall children would convince me to end your banishment? The Privus will not so easily forget your subversive remarks of years past."

"Forgive me, High Lord. That was many years ago. I was young and stupid. My banishment has taught me the error of my ways. I have worked hard to regain your trust." said Sheln.

The High Lord sighed. "True. You did reveal the secret vanity projects of my disgraced predecessor, as well as develop a series of impressive biochemical breakthroughs." He paused for a moment. "Still, your actions only served to save your own life. They were not borne from a sense of loyalty to The Walled City."

"I am loyal. When I happened upon these Thrall on the edge of my zone, I risked my own life to gain their trust, sensing they were engaged in an act of subversion. After seeing the girl's blonde hair and blue eyes, I convinced her I was her long-lost mother. Such a fool...no one so plain and meek could ever carry Privus blood."

The High Lord chuckled. "Indeed. The Thrall truly are pathetic creatures...which is why I'm afraid you're just wasting my time. Hurry, Sheln...give me a reason not to throw you back in those woods."

"Although feeble, these particular Thrall are surprisingly mischievous. They were taking advantage of a time when the zones are free from surveillance...an hour span after the airdrones leave. They used this gap before the stilt striders arrive to conspire against the Privus."

"Yes, this has been a regrettable flaw in the Obsidian Tower's automated maintenance system for years. It's a constant challenge just to keep those damn stilt striders operating," said the High Lord with a sigh. "We've always believed the Thrall's fear and stupidity were enough to keep them in check, but I suppose we'll have to address this particular issue more thoroughly." The sinewy man cut his eyes at me again. It was clear his bulk was an illusion aided by his sumptuous robes. "Sheln, please explain the nature of this grand conspiracy again, if you wouldn't mind."

"The book these Thrall were planning to distribute throughout the zones was far more than propaganda." Sheln passed the book to a guard, who brought it to the High Lord. "The final pages of this seemingly innocuous tome contain plans to build bombs using everyday materials. After conducting some research, I concluded these improvised devices are explosive enough to disable airdrones and stilt striders alike."