Elydes

Chapter 302 - Choices

“Long time no see.” The shroud of Shadow fell away as Flynn stepped into the light of the discarded lantern. His gaze flew over the cell, looking for threats. He crouched to retrieve his dagger from the dead guard, his grin strained by worry and tension. “Did you miss me?”

Kai opened his mouth for a snappy quip before simply smiling. “Yes, a bit. Your Shadow Magic is getting better.” He had been so focused on the fight that he had missed the cloaked figure sneaking behind the guard. “Thank you for the help.”

“Oh, it was nothing…” Flynn bit his lip at the honest response before his brows furrowed with seriousness. “You’re bleeding.”

Kai looked down at his cuts and bruises. His wrists and ribs were in especially bad shape. In the hurry to check on his sister, he had forgotten to treat his own wounds when he escaped the shackles; the pain grew sharper as the adrenaline of the fight left him.

“Just a few scratches.” He shrugged and downed a green vial from his ring in one gulp. “I’ll be fine in a bit. None of them are deep.”

“They look serious—”

“Mrow!” Hobbes pranced into the light, preening to receive his due praise.

“Of course.” Flynn bent to scratch his ear. “I would have never found Kai without you. Everyone’s safe thanks to you.”

You’re not fooling anyone.

Smug satisfaction overflowed the bond. From the images and impressions Kai got, the furball had gone to fetch Flynn when he’d told him not to fight.

“You did well,” Kai admitted, feeling his familiar’s ego balloon to rival the moons. “We should move before more guards come.”

Flynn gazed over the cell with a grimace. “Right. Do you know where Kea and Rain are? We must—”

With a snap of Kai’s fingers, the Shadows retreated from the corner of the cell to reveal Kea, Mari and Rain—still unconscious. “You’re getting good, but magic is still my thing.” He grinned at Flynn. The spell held up remarkably well despite the rushed cast.

“Meeow.” Hobbes flicked his tail.

Shut up, Hobbes. I’m not half as smug as you.

Kai walked past his pompous familiar to sit by Kea’s side. Her face regained color from the healing potion he had fed her earlier.

“Is she hurt?” Flynn asked with concern. He was about to crouch beside her when his eyes fell upon Rain's bloodied visage and froze. “Is he…“

“He’s alive,” Kai gave the best assurance he could.

He had also given Rain a potion before the guards arrived, though he couldn’t spot much improvement. In the pale blue light of the discarded lantern, any visible area of his body was a patchwork of cuts and swollen bruises; his pale hair stuck to his face, crusted with blood. More worryingly, there were fractures in his ribs, arms and legs.

I didn’t realize it was that bad.

Even a human at the peak of Yellow would risk dying—thankfully, he wasn’t human.

“Can— can you help him?” Flynn knelt beside the siren and turned to him with a pitiful look. “He’ll be okay?”

“I…” Kai bit his cheek. “I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

If he has held up till now, he should survive…

“Help me treat their wounds.” Kai unloaded his entire stock of balms, potions and powder medicines. With Limgrell’s dwindling population and lack of trade, getting his hands on decent herbs had been a challenge. “I’ll take care of Mari and Kea. You help Rain. We’ll have to move him if he doesn’t wake up.”

“Hmm,” Flynn nodded, busy picking apart the collection of vials and boxes.

They worked efficiently, sharing what had happened since they had gotten separated.

“I’ve crossed a few cultists on the way here, but they didn’t look like patrols.” Flynn wrapped a bandage around Rain’s head. “From what Hobbes told me, the guards are still searching the areas where he lured them.”

Kai threw him a look. How do you understand Hobbes better than I do?

“Uh… we better move before they realize they went chasing a cat.” Kai used an empty bag to cushion Kea’s head—he had liberally applied any potion that might help her. He bandaged the wounds on his own wrists last. The alchemical mixtures were mending his body, though full recovery would take hours and sap his energies.

And we still have no idea how to escape.

Kai clenched his teeth. They wouldn't be in this situation if he had realized the trap sooner. “I… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.” Flynn seemed to read his thoughts at a glance. “I knew something was off too, but I never imagined Caeli would betray us. She had been traveling with Kea’s team for months, even before getting to Limgrell. It’s all so messed up!” He huffed and slammed his fist into the ground. “All the time Caeli acted strange, I thought she was scared her brother might be dead. Instead, they were both part of this crazy cult.”

It probably wasn't a coincidence we never found clues about the missing…

Thinking of the long betrayal reawakened his anger; it ripped through his veins like molten metal. How many more people were involved in this?

He could make a few guesses from the snippets he overheard from the guards. There was no better way to control an investigation than from the inside. By running around Limgrell, Caeli could ensure no one uncovered the truth and encourage more adventurers to pursue the bounty. If a bunch of newbies could safely search for months, the quest couldn’t be that dangerous.

The theory rang true, though he might miss a few pieces.

And I guess the adventurers didn’t just give up on the quest after a couple days and leave…

It was a possibility he had considered, though never found proof. Adventurers often wandered between cities to make a living; it wasn’t unusual for them to disappear for months. No one apart from the Hall of Seekers kept track of them, and the Stygian Cult had already infiltrated the local branch.

Did all seekers who came to Limgrell get abducted? Even if the number was just half, it’d still mean the missing were over twice what they suspected.

His thoughts branched into a myriad of speculations.

The whys and hows don’t matter if we can’t escape from here alive.

Working quickly, they took just minutes to tend to the unconscious trio.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“C’mon, wake up.” He lightly shook his sister’s shoulder. Aside from the bruises, her mana flowed smoothly. Her eyelids stirred like she was about to open her eyes but never quite managed.

I did try the nice way. Don’t hold it against me.

With a flick of his hand, Kai conjured a sphere of icy water over her face, stepped back and let it splash—the effect was immediate.

Dark green eyes widened, darting to identify the threat. Kea bent to the side coughing and swung a punch at a target who had wisely retreated. “You—” Another cough interrupted her.

It worked better than I thought.

Her gaze spit fire. She looked ready to pounce when her memories of the trap caught up to her. “I— Caeden— How—” Her lower lip quivered as the betrayal sank in. “How could she…” Fury burned through the shock; she gritted her teeth so hard Kai worried they might shatter.

I did not think about this part.

He evaporated the water from her face. Casting a spatial displacement spell seemed easier than finding the right words to say. Comforting had never been one of his talents.

Kai stared at the sole of his boots, his mouth dry. Awkwardness choked his mind. Compared to his rage toward Caeli, the betrayal cut Kea much deeper. He couldn’t imagine what emotions coursed through her.

“You woke up! I was so worried.” Flynn was beside her in a blink. He took her arm to help her stand and check her condition. “How’re you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere? You’ve been out for several hours…”

“I’m— I’m fine.” Kea blinked under the flood of questions. “It’s my fault we got captured… I—” Her eyes shimmered as she looked away.

“Stop talking nonsense.” Kai stepped in. “Unless you were working with the cultists too…?”

“What!” She spluttered, eyebrows rising. “No, but—”

“Then it’s not your fault.” He raised a hand to shush her protests and hugged her. “You trusted the wrong person. That happens to everybody sometimes. Focus on what matters now.” He gestured to where Rain and Mari lay.

Hmm, I think I did alright.

Kea pulled away once she had tamed her tears. “I… understand.” She gulped as if to swallow her feelings. When she watched him again, her face was smooth. She surveyed the cell, moving toward Mari.

“How is she? She had already lost a lot of blood before getting captured.” Kea lightly shook her shoulder, examining her bandaged wounds with a critical eye.

“We did all we could for her.” Kai scratched his nose with his thumb and summoned another batch of icy water.

Splash.

Mari’s awakening was equally swift, if much less violent. She coughed and tried to stand up, wincing when she pushed on her injured shoulder. “I… where am I?” Wet strands of brown hair covered her face, she pulled them back to watch her surroundings. “What happened? I can’t remember …”

“It’s alright. You’re safe.” Kea gently helped her sit—not forgetting to glare silently at him.

The spell worked, didn’t it?

With a sheepish smile, Kai evaporated the water and left the explanations to his sister.

“It was a trap…” Kea briefed her on what had happened in a dry, almost detached tone, as if she hadn’t been part of the events herself.

“I see…” Mari massaged her temples, listening to the news of their capture and betrayal with surprising calm. “So it’s mana exhaustion. I thought the migraine was familiar. I didn’t know you could affect someone else’s mana to this extent…”

She produced a palm-sized diary from her boot and started jotting down her speculation. The only sign of something wrong was the quivering hand holding her journal.

Everyone has their coping mechanisms…

“So, what’s the escape plan?” Mari put away the booklet, leaning on Kea to stand up.

Hmm… why are you both looking at me?

Kai scratched his head. Even if, by Luck, they managed to evade the cultists and retrace their steps to the secret passage in the meadow, they’d still be stuck on an island inside the Lake of Myst. Caeli must have already gotten rid of their boat to prevent any chance of Flynn’s escaping.

Only someone with a death wish would cross a beast-infested lake without an enchanted vessel. If he were alone, he might survive, but… The idea of diving into those frigid waters twisted his guts with a forgotten terror.

There are no good options, just least bad ones.

The longer they hesitated, the more time the cultists had to discover their whereabouts. Everyone but him would sooner wrangle beasts than with a bunch of bloody cultists.

We’ll worry about crossing that bridge once we escape.

“Flynn, can you lead us back to the passage where we entered?”

“Uh, I remember the way.” Flynn looked up from where Rain still lay unconscious. “But it cuts straight through the area the cultists are searching. They’re probably expecting me to go for that exit.”

So it’d be another trap.

“Have you seen any other way out?” Kai asked. A shady secret base must have more than one exit.

“None that I could recognize.” Flynn shook his head. “This place is much larger than we thought. I couldn’t even tell how far the tunnels went. Some look dug with magic while others are natural.” He pointed to the rough stone ceiling. “From how far I’ve moved, we are well beneath the lake.”

Oh…

The drops falling from the ceiling suddenly assumed a different meaning. An uncountable amount of water stood above their head, enough to make Kai feel claustrophobic

Don’t think. Don’t think.

He raked a hand through his hair, inspecting the bodies of the two guards he had dragged into a corner of the cell. Aside from the engraved blue bead, he found a few silver mesars sewed in an inner pocket and took the saber from the guard Flynn had stabbed.

“We must look for another exit. We’ll move out and circle the outer edge of this compound. Hobbes can scout ahead to evade the guards.”

“Hobbes? You mean your cat?” Mari frowned and looked around the cell. “Where is he?”

“Don’t worry, he’s nearby. And he’s a very smart boy.”

You can do it, right?

The only answer was a wave of contempt at the foolish question.

I’ll take that as a yes. Thanks, buddy.

Kea helped Mari stand. Although they were still suffering from the side effects of mana exhaustion, they should have no problem moving.

After another attempt to wake Rain with Water Magic failed, Flynn decided to carry him. “Just help me get him on my back. I can cloak us both if necessary.”

Kai helped lift the unconscious boy. That left only him free to fight in an emergency—hopefully, they could avoid direct confrontation.

When did my plans ever go wrong?

He used the shackles to chain the bodies of the guards to the wall and froze them to stop the bleeding. That might gain them a little time if no one looked too closely. To his surprise, none of his companions commented on his actions.

“Okay, let’s move.” Kai slipped a pair of enchanted manacles in his ring for later study and locked the prison’s door behind them. The stark clanks of the key turning accompanied them into the dark tunnels outside.

There wasn’t much to see except rock, empty cells and faraway blue lights. He stored away the guard’s lantern to move in the dark. From the rough stone of the walls and crooked path, this part of the underground had formed naturally with few adjustments to straighten the floor.

Hobbes, can you find us an exit?

The request was received with puzzlement. Kai soon realized the concept of entrance and exit made little sense to a teleporting cat.

A physical door or passage that leads out of the underground. Yeah, I know humans are silly creatures that build silly things and never learn proper magic. Can you find it? No, I don’t have salted fish snacks with me. I’ve promised to get whatever you want once we get out of here… Yes, your generosity truly knows no bounds…

“This way. Stay close and watch your feet.” Kai whispered. With the grumpy furball opening the way, the bigger danger was getting caught from behind.

Two dozen paces opposite the direction the guards came from, the tunnel bifurcated into two narrow passages empty of cells. Kai followed Hobbes’ stilted indications to a ramp of stairs carved out of the rock, deeper into the underground.

The smell of damp moss, earthy mushrooms and blood hung in the air. The cavern sprawled in a maze-like pattern. Most branches sported rusted prison doors or circular chambers. Every second turn, his familiar frustration at their inability to move through walls shot through the bond.

Turning into another tunnel lined with metal doors, the coppery scent and stale air grew heavier, mixed with other unpleasant smells. Kai was about to creep forward when a faint sobbing made him falter. A sweep of Mana Observer confirmed it—these cells weren’t empty. Numerous glowing presences filled each prison room.

Kea walked past him toward the closest cell door, her intentions clear.

“Wait. I know you want to help them, but we can’t save everyone,” Kai whispered, holding her shoulder. “We have no time and they’ll make it harder to get out.”

Kea firmly stared back. “What if Niel is here?”

“I—” Kai bit his cheek. He had been trying not to think about that. Niel was probably dead, but could he leave without checking? What choice would he regret more? “Alright…”