Chapter Eight- The Defense of Pandora
Soleil awoke sharply to the sound of a ringing bell, shouting, and the repeating clash of steel. A man rushed to his door and yelled to him.
"Soleil! Wake up, we're under attack!" the man shouted.
"By who?" Soleil asked in confusion.
"The Empire! They've snuck an entire platoon into the inner sanctum! Get your armor and get out here!"
Soleil instinctively leapt to his feet and began pawing around for his equipment, but found nothing. Where was his shortsword? Where was his longsword as well? His chainshirt was nowhere to be found.
"Vex! Wake up, I need your help!" Soleil shouted, but to no answer. "Vex!"
Soleil ran to the bed, but found no one. Then it all clicked into place. He was in Pandora, and the city was about to fall for the last time. He rushed to his cabinet and found a set of studded armor from a long ago familiar time and threw it over his head. Finally, he drew a shining broadsword and rushed out the door.
"Brother Maxwell!" called Soleil, but among the commotion and fire, no answer came.
But then he remembered, he's done this before, what does he have to fear? He sprinted down the hall and out into the courtyard, where he found Brother Maxwell holding off a group of three imperial troops. Soleil joined the battle by swinging his sword over his head and bringing it down on one of the troops' head, splitting the helmet nearly in two, a fountain of blood appearing from it.
"Soleil! Take the other initiates and fall back to the hallway to His Excellency's quarters! Hold that tower, no matter the cost!" shouted Brother Maxwell, and returned to the two remaining enemies.
"You three, with me!" shouted Soleil to a group of his fellow initiates.
Together, they ran to the base of the tower where Sir Treize and his family hid, undoubtedly praying to every deity imaginable. The base of the tower was set up perfectly to defend. There were no windows, no alternate passages, nothing hidden. Just one way in, which was now occupied by Soleil and his men.
"Tactical column, two by two. Front pair, shield walls, back pair, weapons at the ready." whispered Soleil, careful not to draw attention to themselves.
Before long, an Imperial soldier had stumbled upon them and charged down the hallway towards them, sword flailing, screaming insanely as he did.
"Hold, men!" shouted Soleil, and braced for the upcoming clash.
The soldier smashed into their shields and attempted to bring his sword down on one of them, however, Cypher, the sword wielding Brother to the left, countered the move and thrusted his sword deep into the his chest. As blood began to pour from the sword protruding from the soldier's back, Cypher tossed him aside and readied himself once.
Soleil jumped in front of them and laid the body across the hallway on its side, which puzzled his comrades.
"Hey, Soleil, what in Heironeous' name are you doing?" one of the shield toting men asked.
"With the body on its side, they'll have to jump to walk over it. They'll lose any momentum that they build running down the hallway!" he answered.
He again took his place behind them and readied himself. Another man started his way down the hallway, but this one did not threaten them, for it was Brother Maxwell.
"Cypher! Put up a death ward, and make it a good one! Necromancers are heading this way!" he yelled as he ran towards them.
He jumped over their shields and instructed their reformation further down the hallway, however, keeping Soleil with him.
"You have to listen to me very carefully in the next few minutes, Soleil. It is VERY important that you do." he said.
"Anything, Brother." replied Soleil
Before Brother Maxwell could continue, a piercing scream filled the air and a wave of soldiers stormed down the hallway. Although these were not Imperial soldiers. They were their Brothers. The necromancers had risen their fallen compatriots and sent them to do their work.
"What do we do, Brother Maxwell?" shouted Cypher.
"Destroy them, those aren't your Brothers, they have already departed!" he answered.
The other initiates were overrun immediately and the wave continued down the hallway.
"Soleil, now is when you need to listen to me! Go to His Excellency's quarters, and tear down the giant royal tapestry on the eastern wall. Behind it, you will find and elevator. Get Sir Treize and his family onto it and pull the rope than hangs from the ceiling." instructed Brother Maxwell.
"But what about you?" asked Soleil.
"That doesn't matter now! You have to fulfill our Order. Protect Sir Treize, protect his family. The elevator will fall to the caverns below, where you will find a dock with a pretty decent sized boat. Take that boat, and get them out of here. Take them far away, where the Empire can't get them. Sail west until the current takes you, that way you will be hidden by the canyons of Onelade. Go now, Soleil. You must go!"
"Ok, Brother Maxwell. Fight well!" said Soleil as he turned for the stairs. "Wait! Brother Maxwell!"
"What, Soleil?"
"What's your first name?"
He had never known, and since he held him in such absolute high regard, he felt as though he needed to.
"What? Soleil there's no time!"
"Brother Maxwell, I need to know!"
After a sigh, he put a hand on Soleil's shoulder.
"My name is Samuel. Samuel Maxwell." he said with a sympathetic look upon his face.
"Ok." said Soleil, and once again turned for the stairs.
"Soleil!" shouted Samuel.
"What?" returned Soleil.
"Remember me!" he shouted.
Soleil nodded and sprinted up the stairs. After what seemed like a mile's worth of stairs, he finally came to a large oak door, painted blue.
"Your Excellency!" screamed Soleil as he pounded on the door. "Your Excellency, this is Soleil De Minuit with the Order! Sire, I've been directed to evacuate you!"
The door flew open, and their stood a certainly regal looking man in His Excellency Treize Khushrenada. The elected leader of the Republic stood tall and ready, as did his wife and children.
"Brother Maxwell sends his finest initiate. It is an honor to meet you Soleil." he said.
"Your Excellency, with every ounce of due respect, we need to leave, now." said Soleil.
"But how?" asked Treize as Soleil walked to the eastern wall.
Soleil grabbed the tapestry, and with all his might, tore it from the wall.
"Everybody on, we're out of here!" shouted Soleil.
They piled on, out came the rope, and the elevator plunged into the darkness below…