The Wielder and the Source

Chapter 39

This is it.

Aldeheid piled the last of the ether stones on the threadbare sheet. He refused to stay in the wretched hole a moment longer. The only way he wasn't getting out of here, was if they killed him. The compass Mellidius gave him winked from the corner of his cell. In the back of his mind, he still debated trusting his old mentor or not.

He tied up the stone before tearing the edges into makeshift straps. With a prayer to the gods it won't fall apart, he secured it to his back. The compass glinted in the corner again, and he stared at it for a long moment before scooping it up. It would either lead him to salvation or death.

As he waited in the corner of his cell, Aldeheid whispered an incantation. The magic built in his hands, sending tingles across his skin and raising the hairs on his arms. The thumping of boots against stone came down the hall outside his cell as his escorts approached his cell.

A few tumbling locks and jingle keys later, the door swung open with a metallic wail. The Vidaldi didn't have time to reach for their chains before his spell slammed into them, throwing them out of his cell and into the corridor. They slammed into the wall and fell in a limp pile of tangled limbs.

He ran from his prison and gave the compass a cursory glance to ensure he stayed on the right bearing. South, Mellidius had said, and Aldeheid couldn't believe he was trusting him. He could be running to his death.

The slapping of his feet on the stone echoed through the halls as he careened around corners and curves like a runaway horse. The ether stones clicked and rattled on his back and he sent up a silent prayer that his makeshift sack wouldn't fall apart.

He came to a junction and turned east before taking another corridor that put him on the southern bearing again.

He whispered a spell as he climbed them two at a time, keeping his steps light. Electricity materialized on his arm, bright, white and hot. He waited with his hand on the door and listened for any signs of life on the other side.

Shuffling feet and ruffling clothing were like whispers beyond the door. Aldeheid ground his teeth together. No quiet way to do this, and he was bound to get caught anyway, may as well leave some chaos in his wake. He threw the door open and it bang against the wall, before losing one rusted hinge.

Several masked faces swiveled his way as he flooded the hall with electricity. Magic buzzed loud in his ears, drowning out their scream. No doubt he'd alerted the entire facility with this stunt. He need to hurry.

As the light and noise cleared, he caught a billowing black hem disappearing around the corner. "Damn." He checked the compass and sprinted past the unconscious Vidaldi. It wouldn't be long before they alerted the others, and everyone in the labyrinth was hunting for the escaped prisoner. He continued through the maze of halls, stopping every so often to check the compass.

Aldeheid banked another corner and an invisible force slammed into him. He careened down the corridor, arms flailing as he tried to get his feet back under him. His back hit a wall, and the air fled from his lungs.

"You insolent dog."

He slid down the wall and braced a hand again the ground, wheezing in a breath. A whistle reached his ears, and he lunged forward as a flail slammed into the wall, sending bits of stone flying.

A stampede of footfalls echoed through the passageway as the Vidaldi stormed in, swathed in their black robes with chains at the ready.

Tafari raised a hand to stop their advance. "Secure the exit. I need to teach this mutt who his master is."

Aldeheid scrambled to his feet and faced Tafari as the Vidaldi disappeared down the hall. Despite his unsteady feet, he smiled inwardly. Tafari made getting out of here so much easier, how sweet that she didn't even know it. She yanked her flail from the wall and paced forward, the hem of her jacket billowing behind her despite there being no wind in the corridor. His earring winked in her ear as it caught the torchlight.