Evasion
The convoy of covered wagons had been steadily ambling westward. Crouched between two barrels with a crate covering her head, Sadira waited in the position she had occupied for the greater part of the past day. Saemon had insisted on keeping her hidden, and seemed certain that people were looking for her but had promised that he would see her to Berdusk, confident that Sadira's pursuers would not go that far.
As the wagon continued on its trek, Sadira began to distinctly hear the noises of a city. This means I'll have to be doubly quiet, she realized. Not long after that the wagon stopped, and Sadira thought she heard more voices at the front of the convoy, though what they were saying was hardly distinct.
Moments later, she heard footsteps coming to the rear of the wagon. The crate over her head was lifted and Sadira winced at the bright light, then saw the wagon's driver, a man named Stevan.
"Get up, now," the he said, while pulling one of the barrels out of the way.
"What's wrong?" Sadira asked as she stood, her stiff legs protesting.
"A squad of paladins have stopped us. Saemon is stalling for time but they're insisting on inspecting every wagon. Now come."
Hurriedly, Sadira grabbed her satchel and followed Stevan as he clambered down the back of the wagon. Her feet had only hit the ground when she was seized around the waist by an iron-shod arm. After a gauntleted fist to the back of his head, Stevan lay on the ground with a bleeding nose and a sword pointed down at him.
"Captain," shouted the knight who held Sadira, "we have the fugitive."
Only moments later a paladin armored from head to foot emerged around the side of the wagon. His eyes were all that could be seen, and they burned with an ardent, self-righteous zeal. The captain was followed by a rather ashen Saemon Havarian.
"Stevan!" he exclaimed, "how could you do this? I have employed you for so long, how could you betray my trust by harboring a murderer?"
"Saemon you double-crosser," Stevan said through clenched teeth.
"Stay on the ground," ordered the knight standing over him.
Abruptly, Stevan batted the sword away from his face and surged to his feet. The driver wasted no time producing a knife from one of his sleeves and lunging at Saemon, but his lunge was interrupted when the captain connected a gauntleted fist with his chest.
The opportunity was not lost on Sadira, who twisted violently away from her captor's grasp and ran into the nearest alley.
"Don't let her escape!" Saemon yelled as she ran, "I've no doubt she's stolen money from me!"
Sadira made it into the alley but could hear the heavily armored knights running after her. She took the first turn in the alley and darted across a street, past confused city dwellers, and then into another alley. After repeating this pattern several times Sadira stopped in a vacant alley, gasping for breath.
It'd be foolish to keep running like that. I'll only draw attention to myself.
Looking up, the young woman realized that the scale of the buildings in this city was unlike anything she had seen. The buildings in Suzail may have been larger than the buildings in this city, but here every building reached up to colossal heights. Elaborate spires battled for attention.
This must be Iriaebor, the city of spires. But where can I go from here? Going east will only take me back toward Elversult. Going north or west will take me toward Baldur's Gate, but I've heard of how dangerous it is to travel there. I have to go south, toward Amn.
But I can't travel in broad daylight. I have to find somewhere to wait.
Sadira carefully wound her way through the alleys until she came across a row of disenfranchised people leaning against the back of a tower that probably belonged to some wealthy noble or merchant. No one paid any mind when she sat down with the other outcasts and stared upward, noticing the breezeways connecting many of the great towers. At length Sadira looked back down and pulled her cowl over her head.
While Sadira waited, the sun steadily trekked over the sky and began to descend. Only a few hours of sunlight left, then I should be able to slip out the south gates.
The sky over Iriaebor was permeated with an orange glow as the sun began to set and Sadira was certain she would be out of the city soon. Then she heard the sound of greaves pounding on the alleyway and looked to see a knight, wearing the same armor as the paladins she been ambushed by earlier, leading a group soldiers who appeared to be town guardsmen, since they were armored only in mail shirts.
Light from the setting sun gleamed off the leading knight's plate armor in a fiery orange as he charged and, Sadira was certain, the knight was staring directly at her. Adrenaline seized Sadira as she leapt to her feet and ran. When the woman emerged onto the street she quickly took in her surroundings. The street was nearly empty, and Sadira realized why when she saw more town guards led by paladins blocking both sides of the street.
Trapped on three sides, Sadira flung open the door of the nearest building and ran up the stairwell, pushing merchants and others out of the way.
After reaching the third floor, she could hear her pursuers chasing after her amid the protests and complaints of merchants as they were pushed aside. Sadira was grateful her pursuers were encumbered with armor, else they may have caught her already. Without wasting a breath, she seized a table by its end and pushed it down the stairwell, ignoring the horrified and baffled countenances of the merchants watching her.
Sadira began running up the stairwell again and heard the yells of the surprised guardsmen below as they met the table. When the young woman had made it to the top of the sixth floor she was met by a pair of merchant's guards wearing leather jerkins and armed with truncheons. Almost reflexively, Sadira turned about and rapidly descended the stairwell, this time getting off on the floor below. Across from the spiral stair Sadira saw a set of doors opening onto a breezeway leading to another building. The young woman was already crossing the bridge while her pursuers were still getting off the stairwell.
Once Sadira was inside the other building, she closed and locked the wooden doors behind her while hoping that no one giving chase had an axe. After walking at a brisk pace down a short corridor, Sadira came to a lobby of sorts where everyone was going about their business. Those who looked in Sadira's direction scowled, but said nothing. Receiving such scowls made Sadira aware that she had not washed since before her capture.
I must smell like a peasant.
Maybe one of the pursuers did have an axe, or else they simply bashed the door open. Either way, Sadira heard the yelling of paladins and guardsmen as they rushed into the lobby. Sadira saw another breezeway to her left and wasted no time crossing it.
A paladin began to follow the young woman across the bridge when a guard held him back.
"What are you doing?" the knight demanded angrily.
"You don't want to cross that bridge," the guard returned.
"That's Nazario's tower," said another, "he's a wizard, most people say he's mad."
"It's not wise to cross a wizard."
"Very well," said the paladin, "If we can't go in we can make sure that she doesn't get out. Post guards on every breezeway and around the perimeter of the building's base."
The building Sadira entered was extremely warm and she removed her cloak. The room connecting to the breezeway had only one other exit, but the door seemed off, since it was situated a foot above floor. Sadira had to jump to reach the doorknob, and she was taller than most.
Once she opened the door she had to climb over and into the next room. The room contained all of the usual furniture for a sitting room, table, chairs, and a few couches, but all of these were on the ceiling. What have I walked into? Sadira asked herself.
Eager to find a way out, Sadira opened the nearest door and saw a ramp descending to the floor below; on the ceiling were what looked like the steps of a staircase. Carefully, Sadira put her right foot onto the ramp. Once she felt that foot was secure, she picked up her left foot and immediately slipped.
Sadira flung her arms in an exercise of futility then the back of her head struck the ramp. Once she regained her bearings, Sadira found herself at the bottom of the ramp with a pounding headache. Groaning, she stood.
The door at the bottom of the ramp opened into a stone chamber where coal braziers adorned each corner, filling the room with an orange glow. An iron set of double doors occupied the wall across the room. Sadira had only just stepped into the brazier room when a tongue of flame leapt from one brazier over to another and Sadira promptly backed into the stairwell. A moment later the fire leapt to yet another brazier, and to another soon after that. Sadira tried to gauge how long of a pause there was between jumps. Immediately after a jump, Sadira ran for the far door.
She had only made it to the middle of the room when the fire leapt from a brazier and landed only a few feet in front of her, the fire quickly congealed into lava and began to rise. Not wanting to know what the molten liquid was forming, Sadira ran past it and pulled on the door. The heavy iron door barely moved.
Gritting her teeth, she yanked harder, then heard the bubbling mass of lava behind her. Sadira looked over her shoulder to see that the mass was nearly six feet tall, and looked to be growing arms. With another pull the door came free.
The woman heard a sharp hiss behind her as she threw the door open and dove onto the other side. Looking back, Sadira saw a fully formed creature of fire standing on the other side of the door, staring balefully at her. It hissed angrily before jumping toward one of the braziers, before landing, it had reverted back to a simple flame.
It must be bound to that one room, Sadira decided, then turned to face the room she had entered. Every inch of wall, except for the doors, were covered by bookshelves. At the center of the room was a raised platform surrounded by columns, and at the center of the platform was a pedestal upon which was . . . Sadira squinted but could see nothing, only a space where everything was black.
There was one other door in the room, a small wooden one, flanked by two iron golems, each nearly twice the height of a man and three times as thick. Hoping that it would lead outside, Sadira approached the door and pulled it open to see an iron portcullis blocking her way. Then she heard a mocking laughter in her head. But it was not the voice that usually spoke to her.
Silly child, you have wandered into my home, do you really think I'll let you leave so soon? My golems are rusting from lack of practice.
The golems suddenly came to life; each faced Sadira menacingly. The golem on Sadira's right swung and pulverized the wooden door when Sadira ducked. The young woman scrambled backward before either of the golems could swing at her again.
When she felt her foot hit the edge of the platform, Sadira turned around and quickly ascended the steps, all too aware of the golems lumbering along not far behind her. Looking at the door she had come in from, Sadira saw the fire elemental standing in the doorway. Finally she turned to the pedestal.
Now that she was closer, Sadira could see that the black space on top of the pedestal was coming from a single point.
Yes, said the voice Sadira knew from before. Reaching out, she seized that darkness, or whatever was at it's center. It felt like a stone, and was immensely cold. Sadira tried to withdraw her hand but couldn't. Whatever it was, the stone now had hold over her. Black tendrils quickly snaked out from the dark space and began to envelope her.
There was no escape, the coldness was suffocating. Sadira closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she could see nothing but shadow.