The Guardians

Chapter 39

Saren swore under his breath. They were highly outnumbered.

"We can't take that on by ourselves," he said.

"I'll go back in and tell the others we're here," Neve said. "Maybe Kara can make an illusion to help distract them. Will and Lex can do something else to help with that."

"If she can get that illusion up," Will said. "I can do a few of my nature spells to disorient them."

"Entropy is my strong suit," Lex added. "I can insert a few confusion curses on them."

"Then do that. Once the illusion is set."

"And if Kara can't?"

"Neve will tell us." Saren turned back to his sister, only to find she'd already slipped away. "I hope."

The rhythmic ramming of the battering ram was causing centuries of dust to loosen from the ceiling. Orin had gone in search of any clues to how long ago the sanctuary had been used and came back without any answers. Viktor was convinced that they were going to be captured and meet their end dancing on Arlan's gallows. Grace and Kara were trying to identify the poison that Lyra had drawn from the older spellcaster. Aiden and Lyra sat watching at the entrance of the long hall leading to the doors, swords bare.

"That drawing spell was pretty impressive. I never saw our old healer use it," Aiden commented.

"Not many people know it."

Aiden could see she was being secretive again. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Aiden chuckled.

"I may even answer your other question," she added with a smirk.

"Did Faeren know about your magic?"

"He did."

"When did you discover you had magic?"

She touched the base of her neck. "When I was very young. My first memories are of learning to control it. It's the only thing my mother taught me before she died."

"Your mother was a spellcaster, too?"

"You are so full of questions."

"Just wanting to find out more about you."

"There's too much in my past that I do not wish to speak of." Lyra suddenly stood and turned behind them. "Someone just came in through the tunnel."

"How do you know?"

"I warded the tunnel's entrance. Anything human will trip it." Lyra motioned for Orin to follow them. The three of them stalked towards the tunnel. Only to see that Neve had been the one to trip the wards.

Lyra relaxed. "I thought that one of Arlan's soldiers had found a way through the tunnel," she said.

"It's a tight squeeze. They have to really small to go through easily. I've got good news. I brought back up. Bad news is, we're really outnumbered."

"Figured as much," Aiden muttered.

"Where are the others?"

Lyra turned and led the way back to the rest of the group and Neve laid out Saren's plan.

~~~

"Atevora is rebelling against Arlan," Grace said. She and Will were scrying the town to discover the reason for the platoon's sudden retreat. "It looks like they were needed to put it down."

Will touched the water and then frowned. "Many people are set for execution for their parts in the revolt."

This time Grace frowned. "I feel many of these are innocents caught in the net, set to die for something they were not involved in."

Neve and Saren looked at one another. They would have gladly left Atevora behind. The town held nothing but bitter memories for them.

"The people need their Guardians," Saren said. "And I will not turn my back on them when they need us the most."

Aiden nodded.

Atevora's gallows only held two nooses. The crowd gathered around were shouting and screaming. Between Neve's shadow abilities and Lyra's stealth spells, the Guardians and Will snuck into the town and positioned themselves close to the gallows. A line of bound men and women waited. The guards marched the first two to be executed up the steps to the platform. Saren was surprised to see Alondo, a brothel guard who'd been recruited by Faeren only to fail his Trial the day before that fateful battle. The man was defiant as he was blindfolded and the noose slipped over his head. Next to him was a terrified young woman, screaming her innocence and struggling as the noose was tightened around her neck. His eyes searched the prisoners for Caleb, Erin, and Duncan. Erin, a former barmaid and Guardian recruit, stood at the bottom of the steps, next in line to hang. Saren nodded at Lyra, who drew her bow taut. The executioner reached for the lever. Only to fall next to it with an arrow through the middle of his forehead. Saren and Neve leapt off the edge of the roofs they'd been crouched on either side of the gallows, their daggers easily dispatching the guards. Lyra sent an arrow into another guard before drawing her sword and leaping off her roof. Neve cut the nooses. The woman fell to her knees. Alondo crouched down.

Aiden pulled his blindfold off and freed his hands. "Not much of a rescue party, are we?"

The crowd surged forward, the Guardians' attack giving them the bravery they needed. The prisoners were freed and they, too, joined the fray.

"I didn't think the stories were true," Alondo said as he took a pair of swords from a fallen guard. He tossed one to Erin. "Let's finish what we started."

Neither Saren nor Neve were comfortable with the attention the people of Atevora were giving them. The risky gamble to distract the platoon enough for the others to escape from their tomb turned into a revolution. While the Guardians and Will distracted the platoon, Alondo and Erin had led the people of Atevora in a rebellion, forcing Arlan's appointed mayor to recall the patrols. The rebellion was quickly overcome and everyone involved had been arrested and sentenced to death, along with townsfolk that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Saren himself killed the man Arlan appointed as mayor and the original mayor's son stepped forward to lead the town. And the Guardians had been surprised to find Alondo and Erin having been the ringleaders of the whole revolt. The two hadn't quite had what it took to be Guardians, but they had heart and bravery. Despite the feelings they had towards their hometown, Saren and Neve agreed that having a town loyal to them was an advantage and gave them a place to go to when they needed aid and rest. And became their launching point when they began to disrupt Arlan's supply lines.