Revolt of Blood and Stone: A Stone War Chronicles Novella

Chapter 6 - Revolt

Sebastian stared at the bend in the tunnel as the sword hovered in front of his nose. A mixture of noises flowed around the corner. The wailing of the child increased with every breath it took. A soldier appeared, carrying the child in his arms. Black Death Setra was not far behind with the rest of his men. After a few moments, Mette came into sight.

"No, please. Don't take her. I beg you, please."

The woman had trouble walking. She leaned heavily against the tunnel wall, hands sliding along it as she staggered after the high general and his soldiers. The long shirt she wore was stained with blood. She stumbled and fell, whimpering in pain as she tried to get up again. Jarod and Svetka rushed after her and Sebastian saw Black Death Setra look at them like they were stray dogs following him.

"Mette, stop," urged Jarod. "They'll kill you."

But Mette pushed him away, using Svetka to get back to her feet. The leader of the kitchen girls supported Mette, knowing full well there was nothing they could do to prevent Mette from following her child. Sebastian—still with his back against the wall and a sword in his face—saw the pain on Shaun's sister's face as she desperately tried to reclaim her child.

High General Setra strode past, completely ignoring him. Even without the general recognizing his existence his body shivered in unpleasant anticipation. Sebastian heard the man speak as they moved toward the main hall.

"Get it done quickly and add the scroll to the shipment awaiting departure near the guardhouse."

The soldier's sword finally disappeared from Sebastian's face as the man sheathed it and followed the other guards to the main hall. Sebastian let out a sigh that made his lips tremble.

Jarod made another attempt to calm Mette down, but only received hysterical shouting in return. Discouraged from further attempts, the man stood awkwardly until he spotted Sebastian against the wall.

As both women made their way after the soldiers, Jarod pulled Sebastian to his feet. Tears streamed down Sebastian's cheeks and Jarod pulled him into an embrace. Weakly, Sebastian pushed him away and followed the women to the hall.

"It's not your fault," tried Jarod behind him, but he had little else to give.

In the main cavern, the murmur of voices and sounds of chiseling died off as Mette's cries for help echoed around the hall. But none dared offer help. The high general turned and struck Mette across her face.

"Better keep her quiet, or she'll get the whip next," he said as he strode off toward the large tunnel leading to the underground guardhouse.

Svetka pulled Mette close, trying to cover the woman's face with her embrace. She spoke soothing words, though she must have known nothing could make the situation even remotely bearable.

The entire cavern had fallen silent, except for mother and daughter crying for each other's touch. Under hundreds of watchful eyes, the soldier crossed the hall and climbed the stairs. The Door of Wails closed behind him with a bang. Still nobody moved, not even when the blue light and chanting oozed from the edges of the door. The only other sounds were Mette's sobs and the soft-spoken words of Svetka trying to offer some form of support.

Sebastian wandered between the large, black statues waiting to be finished. He stumbled aimlessly, not knowing what to do. Those workers he passed looked at the door halfway up the stairs, where the chanting increased. Sebastian himself glanced at it every few steps, wishing he had the courage to charge up there and ram the door in.

A crackle ran through the air. The blue light intensified around the door—and then it was gone. Silence replaced the cries of the stolen infant. Mette let out a scream of agony and fainted.