The Iron Pillars

Chapter 17

Eagle sat crosslegged in a pile of hay inside his improvised cell. What appeared to have once been a holding cell for sacrificial animals now served as a confinement chamber for him. 

The larger room around the cell was almost pitch black with the darkness of the early morning. Only the dim beams from the helmets of his guards provided any illumination. Four Innutukian men paced across the room, stealing glances into Eagle's holding chamber constantly. A pair of Kemarian men had insisted on having the honor of standing guard alongside them, but now, sleep had overtaken them. They slumped over large burlap bags of grain. 

Eagle looked up as one of the Innutukians broke off from his pacing and grasped one of the bars. "You'd better go to sleep in there, idiot." 

"I'm finding it difficult with your lights swinging to and fro." Eagle retorted. 

"Lies!" the man growled, "They're designed not to interfere with the sleep cycle. Furthermore, you're the one sitting up, looking at them. Lay down and face the other way!" 

'I'm quite fine, thank you." the swordsman muttered sarcastically. 

"Stop giving me lip!" the Innutukian snapped. "Or I'll make you regret it!" 

"You're normally in bed at this time, aren't you?" 

"Yeah, long before now! What's that have to do with anything?" 

Eagle smirked. "I guess your animalistic irritability can be attributed to that." 

"Shut your mouth, or I'll cut it permanently open." 

"Ah, what a shameful attempt at a threat. Surely you could've done better than that." 

"Oh yeah?" the soldier challenged, nearly foaming at the mouth, "Well, how about I cave in that empty skull of yours?" 

Eagle leapt to his feet in the cell and rolled his shoulders, a mischievous grin smeared across his face. "My father said that often." He sighed. "Perhaps a joust will stir your brain juices—get your two brain cells to smack together." 

The Innutukian roared and groped in his pocket for a keychain. His comrades rushed in and yanked him back. 

"Stop it!" one of them shouted, "He's only toying with you! He's trying to get you in there to fulfill some vile machination of his!" 

"There's no reasoning with him." Eagle said, "The senseless bull's seeing red." 

"Let me at 'im!" the enraged soldier hollered, "I'll be seeing red, alright. It'll be comin' outta you!" 

The bearded swordsman sighed deeply. "Nice try...? But that was low-class. Much like your mother, I'm afraid." 

The three Innutukians struggled to contain their comrade, practically sitting on him to that end. One of them glared at Eagle for a moment. "Shut up!" 

"He's not gonna listen to you!" the soldier said as he leapt to his feet. 

He dashed at the door and shoved a key into the lock. His companions immediately hurried to draw him back, but while they struggled with him, Eagle chuckled to himself and grabbed the man's wrist. He twisted his hand the rest of the way, and a little farther. He kicked the door open on all four of them. 

With a concerted effort, he yanked the cell door off its hinges. Before any of the Innutukians could rise, he hurled the heavy hunk of metal down onto them. 

None of them are rising anytime soon. he told himself. 

Eagle crouched behind a pile of crates when he heard footsteps outside the door. Another quartet of Innutukians raced into the room, frantically glancing about with flashlights sweeping the area. Once they'd passed him, he slipped out the door and into the courtyard of the temple.