Elemental Ascension, page 19
“I'm here to relieve you of duty.”
The guard scowled and tilted his head around the leader's frame to look Ash up and down, then nodded and gathered his things. Once he had left the room and the door latched behind him, the leader threw Ash the keys.
“Am I going to regret this?”
Ash replied, “Your gut instinct says I'm telling you the truth. That should be enough.”
Kite and Reverie were nearest the door, so he unlocked their cell first. He let Deerbolt and Sarronious out next, then retrieved his book. Hanging on the wall beside the guard's seat was Ash's satchel (in which he crammed the book) and their other belongings.
“Why are you helping us?” Reverie asked.
The guard chewed his thumbnail as he mumbled, “Curiosity.”
“What about Zarro's orders?” Ash asked, handing Deerbolt back her longsword and Kite his bow and arrows. “Are you saying you trust us?”
“Captain Deerbolt brought me to this island,” he said, making eye contact with her and smiling. “You were kind, and you wished me luck. Since then, life here hasn't been what I expected it to be. I know Cage and Crane. They are good men. If they'll vouch for you, so will I.”
“What is your name?” she asked, returning the smile.
“Riley,” the guard said.
He sat, waiting for them to gather their things and re-dress in confiscated clothing. Their hats, coats and boots had been taken alongside their holsters, any baggage and even belts to prevent suicides and attacks not only on the guards, but each other.
“Zarro ruled this place. To tell you the truth,” Riley said, now speaking to Ash, “I'm glad he's dead.” He lowered his head, ashamed. “Never have I wished death on any soul before, but Zarro could be merciless, and he was secretive.”
“You have no other leaders he confided in,” Sarronious said.
He shook his head. “The Oracle is the only man he associated with in private. Hours were spent locked away in Zarro's quarters, and the Oracle would emerge exhausted, rubbing his temple or yawning; signs, we recognised, of exhausting his Alchemy as a Seer. He never said what they spoke of or what Zarro's plans for Dragonborn's future were.”
Reverie helped Kite with the last of his possessions. “You never asked?” she said.
Riley frowned. “I like my head.”
“Zarro was using the Oracle,” Kite said as he fastened his cloak around his shoulders with Reverie's help, concealing his bow and arrows. “Did the Oracle ever speak to you directly?”
“Rarely. We avoided contact.”
Ash backfilled. “Oracles employed here use Psychometry,” he explained. “Most of the men are terrified of physical touch. It's how the Oracle used to keep us in line years ago.”
“Still the case,” Riley confirmed.
“What's the Oracle's name? I wonder if it's the same man that once terrorised us.”
Riley shrugged.
“You don't know his name?”
“You can't ask questions of an Oracle here, and he never volunteered that information. We just call him the Oracle, and he answers to it.”
“Why can't you ask him questions?” Reverie raised an eyebrow, puzzled as most Oracles made their living answering questions.
“He's a difficult man,” Riley told her.
“Mean?”
“Aye,” he replied.
Reverie hummed. “Sounds charming. Can't wait to meet him.”
Ash sniggered at her sarcasm. “All being well, you won't have to.”
“Stay out of his way,” Deerbolt instructed her.
“I'll deal with him, Reverie,” he said. “Now I'm sure it's the same Oracle, and Riley has a point. He's a horrible being, and quick to delivery what he thinks is justice.”
“He's the one that got Ash banished,” Deerbolt revealed.
Kite and Reverie nodded, now understanding Ash's predicament. But Ash would have to wait to get his revenge, because the Oracle was most likely still in contact with the God of Universal Energy, if not re-possessed already. Killing him now? Unwise. Insight into that dilemma and how he'd escaped Akasha was valuable, and something they were currently in short supply of. If the Oracle could answer a few questions first, under torture if necessary, Ash might then take his life knowing he'd done everything possible beforehand to help the Land's chances.
Riley spent the next half hour telling Ash and his companions about the Oracle's quarters, and his daily habits. He admitted after hearing Ash's story from the night of his banishment the Oracle was seen acting strangely—sometimes, he argued with himself when he thought nobody was around to hear, or he'd stand facing the mirror and study his reflection. Oracles were not usually vain, and few of the men on Dragonborn even owned a comb, so it wasn't down to improving his image.
“Do you think the God of Universal Energy is controlling him, Ash?” Kite asked.
He gripped Reverie's hand tightly and pulled her in. If the God had returned somehow, trouble was to be expected. Having his sight back before the showdown would allow him to offer Ash some support. With a sword, he was skilled, but with his bow and arrows, he was an expert. From a rooftop or with a clear line of sight, even at a distance, Kite could be Ash's secret reinforcement and strike when the Oracle least expected it, or if he thought he had the upper hand.
“Sounds that way,” Sarronious answered for him.
He rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing his dark tattoos and chunky arms.
Riley swallowed hard. Wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him, he thought.
“How can I help?”
Ash placed a hand on the guard's shoulder. “You already have. We can't ask any more of you. It's too dangerous.”
“Can I at least take you to your friends? They don't live far from here.” Ash thanked him, and Riley added, “Then I'll make up my mind. The men of Dragonborn are still loyal to its cause, and once they know Zarro's intentions were tainted, you'll have an army behind you.”
“Some are not so eager to trust me,” Ash told him. “I saw it back there in the courtyard. Tetrads are never welcome here for obvious reasons.”
Riley grinned. “Sounds to me Zarro was a greater threat to our sacred flame than you will ever be.”
Chapter Eighteen
Dragonborn
Riley led Ash, Sarronious, Kite and Reverie to a small apartment just outside the village. It was above a closed bakery, but they picked up on the lingering smell of warm bread, cakes and yeast. They hadn't realised how hungry they all were until then, and Ash's stomach grumbled loudly.
“Crane and Cage will offer you supper,” said Riley.
“Sorry,” Ash said, blushing. “I forgot how long it had been since we've eaten anything. I hope the Guardsmen have fed the crew, and they are not worrying about us. Reverie, are you feeling alright?”
Reverie smiled. “Aye, but I wouldn't say no to some soup and bread.”
“Zarro will have sent those men only to detain and observe your crew,” Riley explained.
Ash sighed. “Nothing we can do now if not.”
Riley gestured at the staircase leading up to a thick wooden door, engraved with the letters CC. Ash thought back to his Guardsmen days, when personalising an apartment of your own was unheard of. Then, they survived in shared barracks, where it seemed only the lower-level recruits and newbies inhabited now. Those in a higher position and their leaders lived alone, but Ash was pleased this wasn't the case for him. He enjoyed having brothers and friends to socialise with and rely on. They supported one another, complained together, but celebrated together, too. Birthdays were really the only time Ash and his brothers threw parties on the island, because celebrating other holidays was forbidden. Dragonborn was a place of dedication and service, and distractions for religious events or personal circumstances were unnecessary. But, when a Guardsman did reveal it was their birthday, the leaders allowed them an unplanned break. Particularly if the Guardsman had served many years, another birthday meant another year on duty, which the island and the egg appreciated. Allowing birthdays to go ahead as normal was Dragonborn's way to say thank you.
Ash imagined birthdays would be banned too under Zarro's reign, but he decided not to ask Riley. Now wasn't the time for such trivial issues.
“I'll take you up, but then I must go.”
“Are you on watch?” Ash asked Riley.
He shook his head and gave Ash a pat on the back. “Once Crane and Cage give me the thumbs up, I will rally some allies and meet you in the morning.”
“Will we have that long?” Deerbolt asked, fearful word of their escape would have already travelled to the Oracle.
Without a current leader or any other right-hand men to step up in the meantime, the Guard would be at a loss regarding how to deal with a Tetrad's presence on the island. So if Riley could convince as many men as possible to join Ash in the rally against Zarro's wishes (and the Oracle), they'd be in a better position to overthrow him and the God within his psyche.
“Zarro was not a popular man,” Riley said, “but the men here are loyal to their government. The sooner I can spread word of your intentions the better.”
Ash and his friends followed Riley up the stairs and hammered on the door. It was Crane who answered, and when his eyes locked with Ash's, the Guardsman let out a roar of laughter and pulled him into a tight, warm embrace.
“Ash, you scoundrel. It has been too long!”
Deerbolt grinned at the nickname—so it was not only she to refer to Ash as such. It made her smile how others had recognised Ash's darker, cheekier side, and honoured rather than feared it the way she did.
“How are you here? Why are you here? Quickly,” he said, dragging Ash inside by his doublet, “come inside. You cannot be seen.”
Riley waited for the others to follow, then closed the door behind them. Once inside, everyone seemed to relax a little in front of a warm fire, burning fiercely. Plumes of smoke filtered up the chimney and filled the air with a sooty and harsh familiar scent. There was wooden furniture facing it, and in one chair sat Crane's brother, Cage. His hair shimmered in the orange glow, and his face lit up too when he saw Ash's wide frame filling the window behind him.
“Ah ha!” He burst to life and hugged Ash, holding onto him for a moment longer than Ash was comfortable with, feeling so unwell. “We have missed you, friend.”
Ash slapped his arm and beamed. “And I you.” He turned to Riley and outstretched a hand. “Do we have an alliance?”
Without hesitation, Riley shook Ash's hand. He pulled Crane and Cage aside to explain all that had happened and asked if they might feed and shelter the outlaws until Riley had chance to rally additional Guardsmen.
“For Ash, anything,” Cage said. He turned to Ash, grabbing everyone else's attention at the same time. “My friend, I am sorry we did not do more when you were—”
Ash interrupted. “No apology needed. Everything turned out well in the end.” Then he cleared his throat and corrected himself. “I suppose it is not yet the end. We have serious work to do tomorrow, but so far I'm alive.”
“And well,” Deerbolt added quickly.
“That's not entirely...”
She winked to cut Ash off; it would be best, she thought, if the brothers did not yet know of Ash's plight. Already, they were feeling guilty for being unable to save his position on the island ten years ago, and it would only distract them from helping the group to achieve their goal if they knew Ash was a dying, suffering man.
“Ash has thrived on the mainland, though he has told me how much he missed you.”
Crane shook Deerbolt's hand, recognising her as Captain. The crew once delivered a special birthday order for the brothers many years ago, including ale (which they hid beneath the floorboards in the barracks at the time to avoid the Oracle's prying touch). Though she wasn't sure she recognised either of them from her trade days with the island, she warmed to their personalities and their response to Ash's return. He needed friends like these who were pleased to have him around, and who felt safe and honoured by his arrival, not threatened.
“Have you and Ash known each other long?” Crane asked Deerbolt.
Rather than respond, she winked again and the brothers chortled in unison. They pulled Ash to the fireplace and immediately got talking about the old times, almost as if Ash had never been away. Deerbolt watched from the curtained window, at ease. They'd made it. Ash was with friends now, and whether Kite's sight could or could not be restored, in her gut she knew they were all going to be alright.
That included Ash the Elemental.
Ash the Tetrad.
◆◆◆
Overnight, loud voices and stomping footsteps could be heard beneath the apartment window, heading to the village where the cells were. Ash struggled to sleep and kept a hand securely on the strap of his satchel, feeling more confident having the book in hand. At short notice, Dragonborn Guardsmen following Zarro's wishes and hoping to avenge his murder could burst through the door and arrest them all, including the brothers for harbouring treasonous fugitives. The thought of getting the only friends he had left killed sent shudders down Ash's spine.
Laid on the wooden floor with only a thin blanket for comfort aggravated Ash's failing body. Aches and pains plagued his limbs and put a crick in his neck. If he sat up too quickly, his balance would throw him over again, so he'd chosen a spot at a safe distance from the fire's embers.
He wriggled his fingers, wondering if he still had the strength to manipulate his Salamander Alchemy, or if that, too, was under threat. On the ship, he'd hoped being back on the island would ignite what little remained within him and fuel its resurrection. So far, only regret and fear travelled his veins.
“You're awake?” Sarronious whispered.
Ash rolled on to his side and glanced across the room at the First Mate who sat by the stone fireplace. He jabbed at the greying lumps of coal with a long metal poker, seemingly in deep thought. Slowly, Ash got to his feet, using the edge of a wooden table for support. Confident he was steady, Ash willed his stiff legs to move. Deerbolt, Kite and Reverie were fast asleep across the room, but Ash tiptoed; they needed their rest, because when the sun came up, there would be panic and fighting to face.
“Are they looking for us?”
Sarronious raised his chin toward the window. His eyes were yellow and sparkling in the fire's din. Ash used them to navigate through the room and sat beside him, cross-legged.
“They have been searching for hours,” he said, “but I don't believe they are going room-to-room yet. I peeked out about forty minutes ago, and a few armed with longswords were patrolling the streets.”
Ash warmed his hands in front of the fire. “There's nowhere to go,” he said. “We know it. They know it. Sooner or later, we'll make our move, and if they patrol the public areas, they'll catch us with minimal effort once it's light out.”
Sarronious grumbled. “We should move now, while it is dark.”
Ash threw a thumb towards Reverie. She slept beside an empty bowl of broth—only a few crumbs remained of the bread.
“Rest,” Ash said.
Sarronious nodded. “Aye.” He sighed, then turned to Ash suddenly with a solemn expression. “There is nobody here capable of healing Kite, is there?”
Ash narrowed his eyes. “What makes you say that?”
“Oh, come on, Ash. Do you take us for fools? You know as well as I any man powerful enough to reverse a curse like Kite's is dead, has returned to the mainland, or is the very Oracle we are hoping to defeat!”
Ash hushed him and wrung his hands together. “Aye.”
“Is that all you can say?”
“What do you expect?” Ash snapped, but in a low voice as not to startle the sleeping Seer. “I travelled here assuming the island would be teeming with dedicated Guardsmen, all under the orders of leaders who are long gone, replaced by a selfish follower of the Order. Believe me, I am just as disappointed with our findings as you. Even more so.” He rubbed his eyes with his warm palms, trying to relieve some pent-up tension and a building headache. “When I worked here, Sarronious, this island was incredible. We were proud. We were loyal. We were undefeated.”
“It was all a lie, Ash,” Sarronious said, seriously.
“Then? No.”
“Aye, you've been deceived. How can you not see it? Zarro's influence has been poisoning this island far longer than your curse has tormented you on the mainland. He and the Oracle were planning this when you served, I guarantee.”
Of course he was right. Zarro banned him for that reason, knowing as a Tetrad Ash could stand in the way of his climb to power. If he extinguished the Dragonborn flame, Alchemy across the Land would die along with any chance of the Dragons returning. If Ash destroyed the egg too, these plans would still have been thwarted, but the Gods would no longer be imprisoned (however, still weakened, he hoped).
“I'm glad I knew little then,” Ash said, “because I wouldn't be here now to do something about this.”
“I think Zarro would have had you killed.”
“By his own hand,” Ash said.
Sarronious nodded. He was about to ask Ash what serving as a Guardsman had been like, when more boots drummed past, this time followed by shouting and the clang of metal on metal. Ash hushed him and crawled on his hands and knees to the window, then peered through, lifting a corner of the sheet pinned over it, which acted as a single dreary curtain. Finding his strength, Ash jumped to his feet and drew his longsword. The sound startled Deerbolt awake.
“The Guardsmen are fighting in the streets!” he announced, then tugged the full sheet off its nails to get a better view. “It's Riley! We have to help him.”
Ash set off enthusiastically toward the door. Deerbolt stopped him with the flat side of her longsword.
“If we do this, Ash, there's no going back.”
Ash flicked her blade down and grabbed Deerbolt by the waist. He pulled her toward him and kissed her, and they stood, heads resting against one another, until Deerbolt sighed and opened her eyes.
