There was not a spectre, not a single figure in the courtyard as the escapees gently sneaked their way through. Commander Tresdin was flanked on either side by Sven and Yurnero with Davion behind her. Azwraith's copies surrounded the column of prisoners and they walked around. The shambling, ragtag group of prisoners were all as silent as a mouse as they walked, those with armour gripping each piece of metal in fear of them clanking and making a noise.
Up ahead, Riki and Gondar led the way from their elevated vantage point on the balustrades. Their keen eyes made sure the path was clear of all.
"Doesn't this seem a bit suspicious to you?" Riki asked Gondar, "Why aren't there any guards?"
"Don't bloody ask me! I wouldn't know any better, I was just released from a cell that's God knows how many kilometres deep." Gondar hisses quietly as they kept going, sticking to the walls and occasionally shrugging off the stray wraith fire ember.
"Sorry, it's just that you've been at this longer than any of us have." Riki muttered.
"What are you talking about?"
"The stories say that…"
"I know what the stories say. You believe them?" Gondar asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Well, it's the only thing we can use to learn anything about you. About what you were before you and Yurnero started up this whole band of brothers rogues-on-the-road thing and Yurnero clearly won't speak a word of anything to any of us." Riki said, head swivelling and peeking over the wall to make sure that there weren't any forces waiting outside the walls to ambush them.
"It doesn't matter what I did before I joined this damn thing, what matters is what I do now." Gondar with stifling simplicity, "You don't ask Sven about his past, neither do you ask Azwraith and we don't ask about your past."
"Because we all know about each other's pasts!" Riki makes the whispered equivalent of a shout, "The only origins we don't know about here are yours and Yurnero and I think we deserve to…"
"Hush!" Gondar quickly said, coming to a halt and putting a finger to Riki's lips, "Do you hear that?" Riki paused and strained his ears, trying to find Gondar's sound.
"What?"
"It's the sound of you whining! Now come on, we've got a mission to do." Gondar said with mock professionalism.
"Bastard." Riki followed along, keeping directly in Gondar's shadow, "But seriously though, why don't you tell us?"
"I've done a lot of bad things before coming here."
"That's certainly not clichéd." Riki breathed.
"Shut up Riki, the things you have to do when you're nothing but a kit on the streets." Gondar almost felt a pang of nostalgia for those days but he quickly forced it down. No, those were the darkest days of his life. He was happy now, "And anyways, you already know Yurnero's backstory. How he was banished, how he took up the name of the Juggernaut, all that stuff." Gondar stopped and peeked over the wall once more then looked down at the column of slow moving prisoners below them, "Dear Gods, won't they move faster?"
"They aren't as nimble as us remember?"
"Right, I forget that Sven wears at least 20 kilogrammes of armour, not including his heavy-ass sword." Gondar says, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Honestly? I don't know. We could go for the Aegis but it seems like Ostarion and his freak show are going for it too. The five of us against all of those bastards? Not a chance we'd survive, even if one us does manage to get the Aegis." Gondar mutters, hand keeping close to his dagger out of instinct.
"We're not going to just let them get it though right? I mean, who knows what he's going to do with the Aegis!"
"Are you going to be asking questions this whole time Riki? Because I'm seriously considering pushing you over the ledge right now."
"Yeah," Riki snorts, "Not a bloody chance, I'd just fade right into the shadows."
"You're forgetting I am the most skilled tracker in the land remember?" Gondar says with a smile, before seeing that the group below has already reached the main gate, "Looks like there's no threat! Now we can get back on the road. Come on." Gondar walks over to the edge and starts climbing down, Riki following.
Below, as the prisoners finally reached the gate and Gondar and Riki re-join their brothers, Tresdin couldn't help but sigh, "You know, despite being all a bunch of outright shifty idiots, we could use you for the oncoming fight if just for cannon fodder." Tresdin and Davion stood side by side, slinging their packs onto their backs.
"What fight?" Sven asks.
"There's a great battle coming, past the wailing mountains, heroes are choosing sides." This suddenly puts the brothers in a foul mood. It seems like they weren't the only ones looking for the Aegis. They were just about to curse the Gods above when Tresdin added, "They say it's the final battle between the forces of good and evil!" The brothers are suddenly back in high spirits again, "Would you come with us?"
"Erm, give us some time to discuss this ok?" Sven said before turning to the brothers who quickly separated themselves from Tresdin and Davion. They spoke in hushed tones and quiet voices, "What do you think?"
"We should go." Gondar said.
"I agree." Yurnero added in.
"Come on Yurnero! You always agree with Gondar!" Azwraith said (his copies having already been cast away, "Why should we?"
"I don't think they've even heard of the Aegis."
"She did say good and evil, she didn't mention anything about immortality." Riki said.
"Exactly! We could use the cover of the battle to sneak in and take it for ourselves!" Gondar argued, "Its perfect. Come on then brothers, when have I ever done you wrong?" The brothers looked at each other, then at Tresdin, then back at each other. Sighing, Azwraith says,
"Fine but we need to have a talk on who's the leader of this group."
"Done, all in favour?"
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Oi, Tresdin!"
