Chapter Four: Allies
Sparrow walked behind Garth, but ahead of Hammer. They hadn't encountered much trouble on the way to Brightwood Tower, and for that, Sparrow was relieved. Since meeting up with them in The Chamber of Fate, Sparrow had barely spoken, and Hammer was obviously concerned, but it seemed as if she didn't dare voice it in front of an "outsider"—Garth.
"We should take a rest up ahead," Garth said, pointing toward a clearing next to a small, fresh-water stream. "Perhaps even set up camp for the night. It would be useless to continue on, only to arrive exhausted. I am not sure whether or not my tower is guarded by Lucien's men."
"Good idea," Hammer boomed from behind. "I'm famished, and my feet could use a bit of a rest, too."
Sparrow merely nodded, her eyes drifting down to Alfie, who gazed at her with a hint of worry in his eyes. It seemed he was as observant as ever, and Sparrow tried to set him at ease with a small scratch behind his ear.
They settled in a clearing with a good vantage point of the stream and the woods around it. It would be difficult for bandits or Hobbes to sneak up on them, as they were. Hammer took Alfie and went immediately to fetch firewood and water, while Garth and Sparrow were left to set up the small, shabby tents. It was a good thing that Hammer had suggested bringing the tents in their packs because she doubted that on such a windy day, it would be pleasant to sleep under the stars.
Garth finished tying off the last bit of the larger tent, and he seemed to be watching Sparrow as well, his good eye following her wherever she went with soft scrutiny.
"I do not mean to pry," Garth finally said as they finished digging and preparing a pit for the fire. "But I don't believe you've said a word since we left."
Sparrow took a seat beside the pit, drawing her knees close to her chest and exhaling. "You know what happened in The Spire…what happened to the guards that didn't comply with The Commandant's orders."
Garth nodded slowly, his face tightening and taking on the same vaguely-haunted look that Sparrow's had. "Their minds were invaded, their memories and experiences taken from them."
She rolled up the sleeve on her jacket, showing Garth what she had shown no one else. It felt easier to divulge the information to him. He hadn't known the woman she was before The Spire changed her. He wouldn't be disappointed, and probably would not feel pity. He, too, had been captive at that atrocious place, but as a prisoner, his mistreatment had surely been more severe.
She held out her forearm to him, and he gingerly wrapped his fingers around her wrist, inspecting the words carved into her arm with a look of deep understanding. His touch was cool as he traced the words : Never Forget Family.
"You lost your memory of them?" Garth asked, turning his eyes toward hers.
She nodded, her face twisted with guilt and pain.
"That was one cruelty that I was spared, it seems," Garth told her. "I am sorry."
"I know that you and all of the other prisoners had it worse in other ways," Sparrow said. "I suppose I should be happy that I left physically intact."
"You cannot compare one person's suffering to another's," Garth told her steadily. "We each have our own burdens, and each is equally as relevant and painful."
Sparrow's lips pursed, and she drew her arm back in toward her body, wrapping it around her legs once more. "I could not even remember my child…or my husband…only in flashes."
"That must have been difficult for you, returning to them, I mean," he offered, sitting down in a cross-legged position.
"Returning my husb—to Alex was very difficult," Sparrow told him, chewing on her lower lip and correcting herself. Alex was no longer her husband. She had set him free. "But becoming acquainted with Rose, even after never remembering her at all, it was as easy as breathing." With the mention of her daughter, the lines of sadness and guilt faded and were replaced by a smile.
Garth offered a sincere nod of understanding.
"But Alex…" she sighed heavily. "Whatever love existed between us before…Lucien took away from me. The woman I was is gone, and as much as I tried, I could not love him like she did."
"And that is painful for you?" he asked.
"I feel like a terrible failure for not being able to love him," she breathed. "He is a good man—strong, kind, loving, and gentle. I wish I could love him."
"You cannot let what happened define you," Garth told her. "What defines us is who we are in the present. You are so much more than just your memories."
"It's hard to look at it that way."
"You were merciful and kind to the prisoners, and you paid for that with your memories," Garth said. "You did it for the sake of everyone, no matter how much you had to sacrifice. Despite how little I know of you, that is the mark of a truly selfless person. You should not feel guilty for what you cannot control."
Sparrow said nothing in return, she merely leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees.
Garth didn't seem to be unsatisfied with her lack of response, and that was a great relief to her. Talking to Garth was easier than what she might have expected. Perhaps it was the fact that he shared in her experiences, or maybe it was because he did not know her before. Whatever it was, she felt as if a small weight had lifted after speaking to him.
"Emotions have never been my strong suit," he admitted. "But if you find yourself in need of someone to speak to, I am here. I am more than in your debt for delivering me from Lucien."
Before she could thank him for his offer, Alfie came bounding excitedly through the tree line, loping toward her with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He nuzzled up close to her, pressing his wet, cool nose against her face in greeting.
She wrapped an arm around him and stroked his golden fur.
"When I left the temple, I thought I was done lugging around water," Hammer said, emerging and setting down a large jug full of fresh water from the stream. She also dropped a bushel of twigs and small branches next to the freshly-dug fire pit.
"Thank you, Hammer," Sparrow said, immediately making an effort to sound a little more chipper. She grabbed the bushel and started to arrange them in order to start the fire.
"Don't mention it," Hammer returned, dropping down to take a seat beside her. "Why have all this strength if I don't use it every once in a while…well, other than to bash in the faces of bandits and the like," her laughter boomed through the clearing.
Garth just tutted quietly, obviously opposed to her barbaric outlook on life, and he sent a small ball of flame into the arrangement of wood once Sparrow was finished setting up.
As Hammer yammered on about her latest triumph over an entire gang of bandits, Sparrow found herself gazing deep into the fire and soaking up its heat. The air grew colder as the sun sank further into the horizon, and Alfie snuggled up closer for warmth.
She still felt badly about things with Alex, but as more time passed, it sunk in further that it was for the best. He deserved a chance to find someone who could love him in return. They would have to find a way to be amicable for Rose's sake, but perhaps things could still work through friendship rather than love.
The talk with Garth had proven to be more cathartic than she would have guessed. She found herself able to tune into Hammer's stories once more and even crack a smile.
"Well, I'm beat," Hammer sighed, slapping her knee and glancing off in the direction of the tent. "We'll make it to your place tomorrow, right Garth?"
"Oh, we're very close," Garth assured her, and his eyes turned toward Sparrow. "I suggest you get some rest, as well. I'll keep watch over the camp, for now."
"I'll take the next shift, then," Hammer volunteered, climbing to her feet. "Just wake me up when you're ready to turn in."
Garth nodded, and he offered a helping hand out toward Sparrow and assisted her to stand when she took it.
"Good night," Sparrow said with a soft nod and a smile. "And thank you."
He bowed his head congenially.
She made her way toward the tent she'd be sharing with Alfie, crawled inside, and settled against the bedroll. Fatigue lingered in her muscles and in her mind. Perhaps a nice rest would do wonders for her attitude. Speaking with Garth had already lessened her sadness, and perhaps with time, she could find a part of herself that could be happy.
She closed her eyes, and she drifted off to sleep much easier than she had in a long time.
The trio had been forced to sneak around to another entrance to the tower, and just as Garth had suspected, the place was crawling with Spire Guards. They were posted at nearly every entry point, and getting in without a fight would be impossible.
"Lucien's men," Garth said quietly. "They're looking for me."
"And me," Sparrow added somberly, drawing her pistol and making sure it was properly loaded. She was ready for this fight.
"They're between us and the Cullis Gate," Garth continued. "We'll have to fight our way through."
A smile splayed across Hammer's face, and the joy was apparent in her voice. "Just how I like it."
"Reckon I can take out those guards on the bridge before they know what's happening?" Sparrow asked with a playful smile of her own. She took aim at the first guard on the bridge, and she glanced between Garth and Hammer, as if to signal them that the fight was about to start.
Her gunfire blared through the area, and when the first guard fell stone-dead from the wound between his eyes, the other guards from The Spire went on full alert. She picked them off one by one, each bullet striking its target near-perfectly, and when the bridge was cleared, they hurried around the winding path down the side of the hill, making haste toward the bridge.
More guards spilled from the entrance, and Hammer rushed forward to meet them, swinging her weapon in a brutal, bone-cracking arc. Four of the guards fell from her single swing, and Sparrow gunned down a few of the stragglers. Garth, in an immense show of will, sent a crackling wave of electricity across the ground, catching the remaining guards and they fell to the ground, dead but twitching.
"We make quite the team, eh?" Hammer noted, hoisting the weapon for which she had been nicknamed over her shoulder.
"I'm surprised to say that I agree," Garth said with a nod. "I wonder if we will even need this fourth Hero to take down Lucien."
"Theresa says he's crucial," Sparrow said. "If we're this strong now, just imagine just how much stronger we will be after he joins us?"
They continued forward, pushing into the tower and toward the spiral staircase leading up to the roof. More guards rushed toward them in a single file down the spiral steps, but Sparrow threw out her arm, sending a wave of force to throw them aside. A few toppled down off of the stairs, cracking their necks on the way down, but Sparrow drew her katana on the remaining men, her speed and focus ensuring that the guards did not land a single blow.
"You're just as impressive with a sword as you are with a pistol," Garth remarked. "And your Will is strong. Theresa was right in saying that you're the perfect balance between the 3 disciplines."
"Come on," Hammer urged. "This is no time for stroking egos. We've still gotta make it to Bloodstone!"
They reached the roof to find that it was clear, and that worried Sparrow. She wondered how the next attackers would approach, for she doubted it would be as easy as this.
"I will need to concentrate to start the gate," Garth said, moving toward the dormant portcullis platform. "I must rely on the two of you to watch my back."
"Of course," Sparrow said, readying herself again, flicking the blood off of her blade and ensuring that her pistol was once again, fully loaded.
"Oh sure," Hammer snorted. "We'll do all the work while you sit there and think. Let me know when it's my turn for a break, will you?"
The air around Garth crackled with magic and energy, but out of the corner of her eye, Sparrow caught sight of something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
"Is that…a Shard?" Hammer asked, her eyes widening.
Dark energy peeled off of it in waves, and it made Sparrow's stomach churn with unease. It had the heart-like pulse that The Spire had, and it reminded her too much of that place. She tried to banish the dread, but the feeling built in her gut like a bubble of pure fear.
Garth turned his concentration from the portcullis to the Old Kingdom artifact floating toward them menacingly. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"A sunset's amazing," Hammer scoffed. "That thing's a bloody nightmare."
Sparrow gulped, and she readied herself.
"We have a small advantage," Garth said. "They don't want us dead."
Lightning crackled from the edges of The Shard, striking the floor around them.
"I know that's supposed to be comforting, but it's not," Hammer growled, gripping her hammer more fiercely, preparing for the fight. Her eyes widened as Spire Guards materialized within the circle of electricity. "And it's not alone. It's brought its own army."
Sparrow ran into the fray, swinging her sword and firing her pistol all at once. She was a whirlwind of strength and skill, and when she unleashed a ring of fire, she felt truly lost in the chaos of battle. It was almost relaxing. She felt more at home with her sword and pistol in hand than she did anywhere else.
"I'll have this thing up in no time!" Garth called over the chaos.
"Garth!" Hammer yelled. "Look out!"
A group of six guards were approaching him quickly, and Sparrow used her Will to carry her toward them in the blink of an eye. She appeared behind one of them, and she drove her sword through his back, eliciting a soft squeal from the guard before he fell limp and slid off of her blade. She fired relentlessly into the rest of the guards, each shot finding its mark with unmatched accuracy.
"That wasn't supposed to happen!" Garth snarled in frustration. "Damnit!"
Hammer, ever vigilant of her surroundings shouted another warning, "Look out! There are more coming from the other tower!"
Sparrow didn't need another word. She rushed to the guards and a flurry of Will-summoned blades exploded out from her. The guards yelled and shrieked, but she had no mercy for them. They were loyal to Lucien, and they were in her way to defeating him.
Another guard, one that looked very much like The Commandant appeared, his red eyes finding hers. He summoned a trail of spikes, and Sparrow was barely able to avoid it. She was knocked flat on her back, and terror gripped her as the menacing copy of her tormentor approached. She tried to crawl away backwards, but he was drawing his sword with a look of determination chiseled into his cold features. He obviously knew precisely who she was.
Hammer intercepted him, sending a hammer blow to his chest that likely collapsed his ribcage. He fell easily, unable to avoid her strength, and Sparrow felt a sort of relief wash over her. She leaped back to her feet with a smooth, practiced agility, and she threw herself back into battle.
"Alright!" Garth breathed raggedly. "I'm nearly done!"
Sparrow lunged out of the way of a guard's sword and caught him by the wrist, driving her own blade between his ribs.
"We're close. Just a few more adjustments."
Sparrow saw another Commandant out of the corner of her eye, but instead of letting her fear grip her, she charged at him, screaming with fury as she peppered him with shots from her pistol. With a well-placed shot and a blow to the chest, he was as dead as the others.
"GO NOW!" she heard Garth call from the portal. "INTO THE GATE!"
She rushed, throwing herself into the blinding white light, and she felt Alfie leap in after her. She felt almost nauseous as the magic carried her away from Brightwood. She felt her energy draining the longer she traveled, and when she felt the stone of the pedestal beneath her feat, she collapsed.
She rolled onto her back, trying to catch her breath, but it felt like she had just run a mile in a few short moments. Her heart pounded, and her head ached. Her stomach turned with queasiness, and she exhaled. She'd never gone such a long distance through a cullis gate before, and it was not something she looked forward to doing again.
"Can you hear me?" asked Theresa's voice through the Guild Seal.
Sparrow couldn't find the strength to reply. She tried uselessly to push herself up into a sitting position, but she feet approaching through the mud. Torchlight cast its glow around her, and she tried, with bleary vision to look at who approached.
"Well, well, well," a gruff voice asked. "What have we got here?" The accent implied he'd spent time in the seas, but he was obviously old and frail. Though, that did not matter because Sparrow didn't believe she could have fought off even a fly at that particular moment.
Her vision grew darker and darker, and she could feel his thin, bony hands grasping at her, trying to lift her into his weak arms. She tried to squirm in protest, but her muscles betrayed her. She couldn't move. She couldn't fight. All she could do was lay back and hope that Garth and Hammer would come soon after.
There was a deep, throaty chuckle and then nothing.
A/N: Okay, so this one took a bit to post, and I apologize. I've had tons of stuff to do lately, but I'm glad that this was finally able to get finished and polished up by my awesome beta, Angelacm. I have a jump start on the next few chapters, so hopefully, we will see more timely updates. T
o my readers, thank you for reading, and please leave me a review to let me know what you think. It really helps motivate me!