Chapter 17: Chains in the Dark
Alphinaud was breathing hard as he raced down the spiral staircase, the darkness playing tricks on his mind as he passed by the lanterns that cast creeping shadows upon the walls and the bars from the cells were illuminated with a sinister shine.
His heart was beating so hard that it was as if someone was punching him in the chest but he kept moving downwards as quickly as he dared, the added light of his carbuncle helping to see where to step as to not trip as it hopped next to him. He couldn't believe how fast things were moving now. Just a few days ago he was trying to recover from a fall from the top of the castle to the ocean and now here he was trying to rescue his wife from the grasp of an oppressive ruler.
In an effort to stay calm, he recalled the last few days and how agonizing they had been for him as he tried to recover from his injuries. But it was hard to do so since he couldn't bring himself to fully relax with the thought that the army could come bursting in at any time. He would jump at the slightest noises and would keep the curtains pulled over the window to prevent himself from looking out and possibly seeing a soldier going by. He, along with Ryne and Alisaie, were forced to remain in the small inn room for several days as they could only wait for news on what was happening across Kholusia.
He was surprised to learn that Vauthry seemed to be directing his search more for outside of Kholusia at the moment though when word reached them on how most of the Eulmoran Army was scattered across the rest of Norvrandt two days after he first woke up. He would have thought that they would be searching high and low for them here on this isle, especially since they were sure to have been injured in the fall.
"The army is in disarray right now?" Alisaie asked as she enjoyed a small bowl of soup that Krile brought in for them. "Is it really because of Ran'jit now confined to his own quarters?"
"According to Tataru, at least," Krile confirmed as she explained the latest report from their friend still in the castle. "One could almost say that the army is temporarily leaderless. It seems that the beating that Ran'jit took was pretty severe and he will be out of commission for a few more days. While it is stated that he will be recovered enough to be able to attend the execution—Tataru says that it's doubtful that he would be up to full fighting strength. He seems to be taking Claire's secret of being the Warrior of Darkness rather personally."
"Of course he would. After all, she pretty much sent him on countless wild dodo chases for the last few years, only for him to discover that his sworn enemy was right there in front of him all that time?" Alphinaud stated, feeling a swell of pride at her ability to make the aged General hurt right now. Which was more than he could boast if he thought back to his own pathetic battle.
Of course, he did tell them about how he did try square off against Ran'jit himself… only to have received a real beating for his efforts. Upon hearing that, Krile patted the back of his hand and offered words of comfort, "From what I've heard, he's been trained to fight since he was old enough to walk… and having close to eighty years of experience would naturally make him a difficult foe to defeat. You did well to be able to stand up to him as long as you did."
He knew that she was just trying to make him feel better, but it didn't work nearly as well as she had hoped it would. In truth, he was embarrassed to recall how utterly useless he had been in that battle. How did Claire make fighting look so easy? He frowned at that before reaching for the grimoire at his side… only to remember that he no longer had it after it Ran'jit saw to its destruction. He gritted his teeth at the thought, knowing that he was utterly defenseless now, which would not do if he was to join in the rescue operation.
"Would you be able to acquire another grimoire for me in time for the rescue?" he asked Krile as she frowned at the thought.
"I thought of that and mentioned it to G'raha and Y'shtola when they asked after you, and G'raha says that he'll see what he can find but not to get our hopes up too high on it being a particularly powerful one," she sighed. "It can take weeks to make a proper one and you managed to find that one in the library…?"
That was true. The grimoire that he had used before was more for beginners as he sought to master new skills for both offensive and healing in equal measure. While it wasn't the best weapon out there, it was all that he had to work with. In his defense, he didn't plan on actually going up in battle this soon—much less than Eulmore's greatest soldier of all people.
But he knew that he would need a replacement soon, especially since they were running out of time to launch a rescue before Claire would be moved. Not that they hadn't been able to get anything done. Thanks to Tataru, they managed to acquire a ship to leave on the morning of the execution date. Apparently, Tataru had managed to get in contact with a famed pirate crew—the Krakens—whom had stopped by the shores of Kholusia for some special ale that could only be made in Kholusia—or so Tataru said over her few messages. Either way, she managed to convince their captain in lending their aid and to take them back to Sharlayan once they had Claire.
How she had done it—how she had somehow strong-armed a famed pirate captain into giving them free passage across the Indigo Deep to Sharlayan… was anyone's guess but he suspected that he wasn't the only one who was afraid of getting an answer.
"Let us not get on her bad side, brother," Alisaie muttered and he nodded weakly in return. Though he was secretly glad to remember that they had someone with Tataru's skills on their side rather than having her as an enemy.
In any case, they now had a means of escape and they were to meet with the Krakens onboard their ship, the Misery, off the coast of Gatetown in a few days.
As for the army, to his surprise, they had remained quiet and he had barely seen them aside from the occasional sight of a figure in purple armor marching through town—though even that had grown rarer as the days went on. Y'shtola, who would continue to visit them, informed them what the cause for this was. After having reached out to the many friends and allies they made over the years for support—they had no shortage of people willing to do what they could to help the Warrior of Darkness. Before anyone could believe it, all manner of rumors, as well as doublegangers of Ryne, started appearing in random corners of Norvrandt. Because of this, the army was scattered all over to try and locate the real one while the guard around Eulmore had dropped drastically.
"Our mutual friend has some pixie friends in Il Mheg and they were more than happy to play a few harmless pranks on a group of silly mortals," Y'shtola explained on the third day with a smile. "And since Vauthry is so focused upon searching for Ryne, he's not thinking too much of keeping guards around anywhere but the castle for now. Which should make things easier for Thancred to find out more information on where she is being kept."
That part was the most difficult to find any kind of information for.
While Alphinaud had suspected that finding where she was located would be far from easy and though he had high faith in Thancred's abilities… he had expected him to be back as soon as possible. Yet, their time was quickly running out and he felt that he was losing his mind with not knowing anything more. He could only imagine just how she was being treated as she was imprisoned in some underground gaol cell…? His heart ached at the thought, knowing that being imprisoned would have been worse than any other torture to her.
Thankfully, by that evening, they hit some good luck when Y'shtola appeared in the room with G'raha, who looked tired but his face was set as he pulled down his hood so that he could see them properly.
"Sorry for taking so long to arrive," he apologized, "I would have been here much sooner, but Vauthry, I'm afraid, has not been making things easy. Our greatest priority has been improving our own walls and protections on the chance that he launch an attack against the Crystarium. That, and to ensure that our device was built as quickly as possible."
"Do you think that he would attack the Crystarium?" Ryne asked in concern.
"Even he knows better than to do something that reckless without his General to back him up," G'raha answered reassuringly. "Besides, he had no reasons to do so since there is no proof that you are within our walls. With his army dispersed as it is, he can't possibly risk attacking us with such a small number of soldiers that he has on hand. You don't need to worry about us."
"But you said the device? Does that mean that you finished it?" Alphinaud asked quickly, getting up from the bed and G'raha nodded.
The ruby-eyed Exarch pulled out a small device from a pouch worn at his belt and held it out for him to take as well as a borrowed grimoire that he was successful in obtaining for him.
Alphinaud looked over the key to Claire's freedom, finding it a small rectangle with a large diamond-shaped button in the center. He tested its weight in his hands and was amazed by how light it was as G'raha went on explaining, "I had my craftsmen at the Crystalline Mean working overtime to finish it. It was a lot trickier than we expected it to be, but we finished it as quickly as possible. This device, while small, has some true power to interrupt the inner workings of just about any kind Allagan technology."
"So this should be enough to destroy the collar?" Alphinaud asked quickly and G'raha nodded with a pleased grin.
"Sadly we weren't able to have it properly tested on anything too advanced, but the point is that it has the potential to generate a strong current of lightning-aspected aether. With this, and if we use it in close proximity to the collar, it should—in theory—disable the device," he explained proudly. "Granted, it may be a painful shock for the wearer but…?"
"I'm sure she won't care so long as she is free of it," Alphinaud said with certainty as he tucked it into his pocket for safe-keeping. And this he knew to be true… if she was promised freedom then she would gladly take any form of punishment or pain. The question now was how to get to her…?
"Any news on Thancred?" G'raha asked them and Y'shtola shook her head.
"Nay, and I dare not risk contacting him should it give him away," she said with a firm air of worry, "But I have faith in our friends' gift for subterfuge. In the meantime, I will be leaving G'raha to remain in contact with our allies and to stay up to date on everyone's locations. Now it is simply a waiting game and trust that Thancred will find his way back soon."
But it wasn't until that next morning on the fourth day, where Alphinaud's anxiety was nearly through the roof, did they finally see Thancred again.
He had recovered from his fight with Ran'jit and the fall from the Canopy at this point, which left him with extra time on his hands to practice with his new grimoire. He just couldn't sit still for a long period of time without feeling that he was losing his mind from not knowing anything. He found himself constantly pacing around the room or simply reading the same pages over and over before remembering that he already read it.
His actions seemed only to irritate Alisaie though, for she would continuously throw annoyed looks at him whenever he so much as twitched. Finally, after he had gotten back up to pace again after having only just sat down, it seemed to have finally pushed her to the edge.
"Would you quit it? It's driving me crazy. You know that getting worked up like this isn't going to help us find her any sooner?" she snapped as she was finishing up polishing her rapier, and throwing her polishing cloth at his head.
"I know that!" he retorted, batting the cloth away, "But what am I supposed to do otherwise? I can't stand the thought of waiting! The execution is tomorrow in case you forgotten!"
"And you acting crazy is going to make a heck of a difference?" she demanded with a frown.
Alphinaud knew that he was snapping at everyone lately but he just couldn't help but be angry over being forced to sit here and wait. Perhaps if he had been allowed to help like the others, he would be having an easier time coping with all of this but now he couldn't even risk going outside out of fear of being spotted by someone who may be on Vauthry's side. He did his best to prepare during that time, but with every passing hour, he grew more and more nervous until he felt that he was close to pulling his hair out and screaming out of fear. He didn't know what they were going to do if Thancred didn't show up with news soon.
Ryne was almost as anxious as he was as well as just eager to help join in the search for her cousin. At least, until Krile gave her a good scolding for thinking of risking herself like this.
"The last thing that we need is for you to put yourself in harm's way while we're busy planning everything out," she warned. "We can't risk sending out more people than we have until we know more."
"Glad that you agree, because we best be ready in a hurry."
They jumped at the voice, looking up to find that the door was still closed and Thancred was leaning up against the wall with a rather smug grin—none of them even heard the smug bastard enter.
"Why do you keep doing that?" Alisaie demanded in annoyance and he shrugged in a good-natured way.
"Force of habit? Besides seeing people jump always gives me a little thrill inside," he answered with a grin.
"Thancred!" Ryne called, running straight up to him and hugging him around the middle. Thancred seemed taken aback by the sudden display of affection but he returned the hug, his face looking more relaxed to see that she was safe. When the two pulled away, he ran his fingers over Ryne's hair to examine it before telling her in a strangely optimistic tone, "I think that your hair is looking a little darker…?"
She smiled at that as Alphinaud turned to face him, feeling as if his nerves were in a death grip at this point as Thancred took a look around to see who was there.
"You're all here? Good," Thancred said approvingly, "Now I don't need to worry about repeating myself as we discuss what we're going to do tonight."
"So you were able to find her?" Alisaie asked quickly as he and Krile both stood from the table with bated breath, "It certainly took you long enough."
"Sorry about that, but sneaking around and spying on the enemy while trying to find where they're keeping their number one prisoner isn't something that one can get away with in only a few hours," he countered, taking off his coat and throwing it onto a nearby chair before falling into a seat at the table to join them. "Especially since there are traps set up below in the gaols, so having to sneak around those long enough to be able to find out any information is tricky. But at last, we have the news that we were looking for. Our mutual friend is being held in one of those cells beneath Eulmore Castle, but thankfully for us, she's not in at the deepest point as we first feared."
"Why is that?" Krile asked in surprise, "I would have figured that they'd be keeping her in the deepest cell out of fear, if nothing else."
"Normally, they would. But because Ran'jit isn't there to set up more traps or deal with the ones already in place… the guards are more than a little wary of going down there," Thancred answered. "There are more than a few beasts down there to keep any potential prisoners from escaping and the guards couldn't risk going in too deep and running into those beasts without their General there to deal with it. Or so Kai-Shirr was kind enough to convince them otherwise."
"Kai-Shirr?" Alphinaud repeated in surprise, remembering the guard and how he had helped them before.
"Aye, and it's thanks to him I was able to learn anything at all," Thancred confirmed. "Kai-Shirr explained that after she was finally subdued she was dragged underground while Ran'jit was taken away for treatment. Our girl certainly put him out of commission for a while. Upon seeing this, Kai-Shirr convinced the other guards, those loyal to the good General, to keep her as close to the exit as possible. So while we will have to go in to the lower levels to reach her, it's not so far in as to face off against some of those other more dangerous traps. I don't know how he was able to convince them, but he must have said something to really scare them from going deeper into the prison."
"We'll have to be sure to thank him," Krile said cheerfully.
"But, that also means that the entrance will likely be more heavily guarded than usual, and that we will have to deal with a small army if we hope to get her out before sunrise," Thancred said as he grabbed the pitcher of water and took a few long gulps from it. Once his thirst was quenched he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand before finishing, "Luckily, we have a few things already set up. It's not going to be easy, but if we all play our cards right, then we should be able to get her out just before the guards come to take her off towards the execution block."
"Great, so what do we do?" Ryne asked hurriedly.
"First thing's first," Thancred said, turning back to her, "You need to make sure that everything is set up and ready for us to go with the ship. Right now, most of the army is away looking for you, but they will be returning in time for the execution to ensure that it runs smoothly. Which means, we have to make sure that you're as far away from here as possible. You will be going with Krile to the docks and finish setting things up with the Krakens. I contacted Urianger and he'll be meeting up with you and will be on hand to lend his aid if you need it."
"But…?" she began but Thancred, realizing what she was going to say, shook his head.
"No, Ryne, I'm afraid we can't risk having you here for the rescue mission," he countered.
"She's my cousin! I deserve to be here to help!" Ryne cried out in a frustrated tone.
"And your cousin would be upset to hear that you're risking yourself for her sake," he reminded her. "You stand out like a sore thumb right now and they would easily recognize you in a crowd. I'm not risking your life like this. Remember, Vauthry has declared Claire's life forfeit, which means that you are his only hope to gaining access to the Mothercrystal. If he captures you again, then that is the end of it."
Ryne glared at him with those crystalline eyes before looking way with an angry look. Alphinaud could see the tears welling up and wanted to speak, but it was Krile who spoke up first by reminding her, "Ryne, I know how you feel. But Thancred is only focusing on your safety."
Upon hearing that, Ryne sniffled and rubbed at her eyes and some of Thancred's stern anger faded as he reached over and patted her kindly on the head.
"I can fight," she retorted.
"I know that better than anyone, but I doubt even you could fight off an army on your own. I'm sorry," Thancred said softly, and he truly did sound like he meant it here, "But please understand. We need to focus on rescuing Claire. And if you're there then we're going to have our attention divided to protecting you."
"Just because you won't be in the middle of the battle doesn't mean that you won't be helping us help her," Alphinaud also added in an attempt to comfort her as well. "Ensuring our escape is just as important. As soon as we have her, then we are all leaving together. So we need to make sure that part of the plan runs smoothly. I don't think that Thancred would have entrusted you with such an important task if he thought that you couldn't handle it."
Thancred gave him an appreciative smile before nodding in agreement.
"I know that you can do this," he reassured her softly. "Once we have her, we'll make our way immediately to the rest of you so I'm trusting you to have everything ready to go for us when we get there. Can you do this for us?"
Ryne still didn't look happy, but she nodded with a new determination in her face and that caused Thancred's face to melt into a loving smiling.
"That's my girl," he said kindly. "I'll leave everything to our escape in your hands. As for the rest of us…?"
He turned to them as he went on explaining, "Tataru sent word that most of the army will be here by morning so we best be out of there by the time that the sun rises. So, here's the plan."
He then pulled out a map from his back pocket and unrolled it so that they could get a full look at Kholusia and he began marking several spots on the paper.
"So, after speaking with everyone over the linkpearls, I think that we have a solid enough plan that we can make work despite our shortage on time," he said. "Kai-Shirr says that he will do what he can to make sure that they will have the minimum amount of guards as possible guarding the gaol. He managed to work with Vauthry's paranoia on being attacked with Ran'jit still out of commission so most of the guards around the castle will be protecting Vauthry—this includes a large number who are devoted to Vauthry. Meaning that a lot of the guards in the gaol will be on our side and will be happy to help us out."
"But won't they be punished for that?" Alisaie asked in surprise.
"Don't worry," Thancred reassured them, "Our princesses were the only reason why many of the guards stuck around for as long as they did. With them no longer here, many of them are planning on leaving Eulmore—if not Kholusia as a whole. And with Ran'jit out of action, now is a perfect opportunity for them since they won't have to worry about facing the General's wrath for abandonment or insubordination. G'raha said that he would be more than happy to welcome any and all who wish to leave Kholusia behind and make a new home for them in the Crystarium. Tataru will be going there with Kai-Shirr along with many others, including a lot of the citizens from these villages and settlements. Including Gaia."
He added this last part for Ryne, who looked back up with relief in her face and a slight blush to her cheeks.
"She's safe?" she repeated softly, "Good… I was worried."
"Don't worry, G'raha says that he'll make sure that she'll be on the first ship to Lakeland," he promised her. "But anyway, even some of the guards on our side, we still have to deal with the rest of them and I rather not have anyone on our side get killed over this. So, the plan is that we're going to draw them away from the gaol. Getting everyone out of potential harm while clearing the path for us."
"How?" Alphinaud asked quickly.
"Well, that's where Y'shtola and Alisaie come in," he said as he pointed to two separate parts on the map, one that was close to the cliffs and the other closer to the shores. "We plan on having the two of you create distractions for us."
"What kind of distraction?" Alisaie asked with interest.
"Whatever you want so long as it's loud and gets their attention," he grinned back, "So be creative with that. The point is that we want to draw as many guards away from the castle as we can. So, Y'shtola will be at one location and you will head off to the second… just far enough away so that on the off chance that word reaches them that their prisoner is escaping, we'll hopefully be out of there by the time that they get back. At least, that's the idea of it."
"So I will be…?" Alphinaud began before Thancred pointed to the map again where the castle stood.
"With me," he confirmed. "Once Alisaie and Y'shtola make a racket for us to divide our enemies, then we will head in and deal with any stragglers behind. After that, we head down to the cell where she's being kept, break her out, get rid of the collar, and then make a break for it to Gatetown where we hop on a ship for Sharlayan. What happens after that… we'll decide once we're all safe."
Thancred then leaned back in his seat with his arms folded before finishing up, "At least, that's the general idea. I know that it's going to be a lot harder to actually get done and we have a few things to work out, but we still have time to prepare for tonight. So, let's get down to business."
They all nodded, ready to get to work.
Alphinaud felt the device in his pocket that he carried around with him everywhere—ready to go at a moment's notice. He wanted to see the look on his wife's face when that damn collar is taken off for good. He knew what they were planning was dangerous and could be considered treason… but he had to be there to help in whatever way he could… she risked her life to make sure that they got out of there and freed them from their own shackles at the cost of her own freedom… he owed her this much at the very least.
He spent the next couple hours going over the plan in more details with Thancred, able to help point out the flaws and improve upon; glad to finally have his skills at the negotiation table put to the test. Not in a way he may have ever expected, but he was glad to be able to contribute more than he first thought.
"Nice," Thancred said in approval after clapping him on the shoulder. "This should make things easier. I'll finish contacting the others and informing them of the changes in the plan and we should be able to get down to business. Since we'll likely be up all night, the rest of you should get some sleep now. I'll be back in a few hours so rest while you can."
The others did what he suggested, but there was very little sleep going on between the four of them. Krile was already packing up things in the next room while Alisaie was busy trying to decide what she would do to create a dramatic enough scene to warrant attention.
That left Alphinaud and Ryne in the bedroom, each sitting on one of the twin beds, and both going over their own parts of the plan. Even Ryne was asking him for advice on negotiation tactics should she need it. After all, one can't ever be too careful when dealing with pirates.
"So, by my estimation, should we leave just before midnight… we have roughly six hours before the sun rises, which means that we must be on board by the time that the first rays of light appear," Alphinaud said critically as he thought it all over. "That way we have at least the retreating shadows of night to cover us just long enough to get out of sight of the island. So, I think that it's best we leave just before sunset and…?"
"Alphinaud? Do you love my cousin?" Ryne asked suddenly, interrupting him and making him choke slightly at the unexpected question.
"W-What?" he asked in surprise as Ryne gazed over at him and he found himself nervous once again at those unusual eyes looking at him as if they were piercing through his soul. "W-Why do you ask such a thing now?"
"I just… wanted to know," she said. "My cousin rarely ever showed any interest in the suitors that uncle had arranged for her. You were the first one to have ever even coaxed a smile from her. I do think that she has feelings for you… but I'm curious to know how you feel about her?"
"Oh, well, that…? Ah… well…?" Alphinaud gulped down nervously as he played with the blanket that he was sitting on. "I… am very fond of her. I do care deeply about her…?"
"But you insisted on being part of the team to go and rescue her," Ryne reminded him.
"I… I guess I did," he admitted slowly. "Well… the truth is… I do care about her. And I could never forgive myself for doing nothing while she's in danger. I have to be part of this team. For not only is it the right thing to do… I don't think… I don't think I could bear it if something were to happen to her and I wasn't there to help. We can't let her die here and I won't allow it if we have a chance to stop it."
He looked back to her and finished, "I mean… if it was Gaia who was in trouble… wouldn't you feel the same?"
Ryne blinked before blushing at the mention of Gaia as a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I… I guess I understand," she said. "I don't think I could stand by if she was in danger too. I'm glad that she will be leaving the island soon. I was worried about what we were going to do after rescuing Claire. But… what will happen to us afterwards? I mean, it's not like we can stay in Sharlayan forever?"
"No, not forever, just until things quiet down and we have time to think of the next course of action," Alphinaud promised. "I know that we will have to do something about Vauthry sooner or later, but we will have time to discuss it once we're off the island and far away from Kholusia."
"Do you wish to remain in Sharlayan?" Ryne asked curiously.
"Well, maybe at one point I would have been content to remain in Sharlayan, though that wasn't what I originally planned on doing for the rest of my life," he admitted slowly as he thought back to his younger years. "I always dreamt of setting out and helping other nations like how my grandshire once did. And I do think that is a dream that has only grown ever stronger as the years went by… especially now."
Whatever else happened next, one thing he knew was that he wanted to make Vauthry pay for all that he had done. He couldn't just leave an overgrown man-child like him in charge of an entire nation… Vauthry needed to be brought down one way or another.
"So… you intend to take care of my cousin?" she asked and Alphinaud was left flustered once again.
"Truth be told, I think it's the other way around," he stated as he felt a flush of embarrassment.
"Yes, it's hard to think that we would have to take care of her when she's the one who's taking care of everything else," Ryne said softly. "Did you know that it was a dream of her to travel and see the world? If you two stay together, are you going to let her do that?"
"Oh, I didn't think that far ahead yet," Alphinaud confessed slowly as he began to wonder more about their future. What did he want now? Where were they going to go and what were they going to do once they were safe? He knew that they were going to stop Vauthry and his tyrannical rule… but what about after that? Were they going to stay together? He frowned a bit as he really let such thoughts sink in. If Claire wanted to travel more then he would let her… there was no question about that. After all that she had done and went through he wanted to see her happy and do whatever she wanted. But what would that mean for their relationship?
He bit his lower lip before shaking his head in realization that it didn't really matter right now. What mattered was rescuing her and once they were safe… then they would worry about the future.
"We'll see," was all he could manage right now. "But whatever happens, I want her to be happy."
Ryne continued to observe him for a moment before nodding once.
"I just hate feeling so helpless," Ryne muttered as she huddled on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. "I hate being told not to go with them. It's like they're telling me that I'm too weak to do anything to help… that's the worst part of this."
Alphinaud frowned in sympathy, knowing that feeling all too well, looking down at his hands as they clenched into fists on top of the threadbare quilt.
He knew the feeling of helplessness all too well. That was exactly how he felt the moment that damnable collar had been forced around his throat. How he felt when he learned of Krile being locked away for trying to defend him… how he felt as he was forced to marry a woman that he would later come to care about so greatly.
He never wanted to feel that way again.
He remembered Claire's eyes whenever they spoke, how the long obsidian lashes seemed to furl upwards and how bright she was even when she concentrated on listening to him go on and on about something. He couldn't help but think how they reminded him of lighthouse beacons that lulled people into believing that everything would be alright.
He tried… he honestly tried to recall how those eyes looked in battle but no matter what he did, he could only ever recall memories of her back. She had always been standing in front of him and danger, a steadfast protector. How easily did he come to think of her strength as something to take for granted?
He then got off the bed before walking over to Ryne and sat down next to the girl. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side.
"Don't worry," he said quietly. "We'll save her… and then we'll tell her how much she means to us."
Perhaps there was more that he could have said to her, more to reassure her that everything was going to be alright, but the fact was that he didn't know what was going to happen to them. He didn't know how well or how badly this venture was going to go down. So all he could do was to speak of his own hopes and see where it went.
It wasn't long after that talk did Thancred return and told them that it was time to leave. Alphinaud bundled up in the coat that Thancred brought for him while the others checked to make sure that nothing was getting left behind. The sun was already going down by the time they were getting ready to leave, with Thancred making sure that Ryne's long hair was tucked under a thick woolen cap and hood of her coat.
"There," he said as he took a close look at her, "So long as you keep your head down a little so that no one can see your eyes then no one should be able to recognize you. Just in case though…?" he pulled out a pair of goggles and Ryne took them in surprise.
"I burrowed a pair from a craftsman friend of mine. It's just until we get on the ship," he promised her. "Now, you and Krile will take the next carriage out of Stilltide and head to Gatetown. Urianger will be waiting for you at the entrance of the town. Just be careful and we will join up with you soon."
Ryne nodded before promising, "You can leave it to me."
He smiled and patted her on top of her head once more, which caused her to smile slightly and he nodded in agreement.
"I'll hold you to that," he said before telling her to wait downstairs for them. Thancred waited until Ryne was out of earshot before he turned back to Krile and whispering, "I'm sure I don't need to say this, but I want you to promise me that you will make sure the ship leaves on time. On the off chance that we don't make back before the sun rises, I want you both to leave on the ship as scheduled."
Krile looked surprised by this and said, "I'm sure that we can wait…?"
But Thancred was shaking his head before countering, "No, we can't take that chance. Remember, Vauthry is after her and I rather not leave her safety just to a handful of pirates. You need to promise me that if we're late, then you won't wait for us. That you will leave with Ryne."
"But what about you? How will you all get out?" Krile asked hurriedly as the twins both looked at Thancred in surprise.
"I'm sure that Y'shtola and Alisaie should be able to meet up with you if all goes well," Thancred countered, "But things are going to be a bit trickier for the rest of us. Especially, since I suspect that Claire will not be at her best once we get her out of her cell. But don't worry. I'm sure that the three of us can manage on our own until we find another way off the island. If nothing else, we will board a ship with the others who are planning on heading to Lakeland and just find a way to stay hidden in the crowd. But the important thing is that Ryne must not be captured. Can you promise me that?"
"Well, I'm not just going to leave you lot here," Alisaie countered stubbornly as she folded her arms.
"We might not have a choice, sister," Alphinaud reasoned as she frowned heavily at him.
"Whatever the case, I made sure that Urianger agrees that anyone who isn't on that ship by the time that sun starts to come up should be left behind," Thancred answered stubbornly. "But I speak only of what may happen. We all do our jobs right then we don't need to worry. So, what are we waiting for?"
They all exited the inn at different times, and Alphinaud made sure to pull his own hood up so to lower the chances of being discovered by any loyalists to Vauthry, before they parted ways. Alisaie took a carriage more towards Wright, while Krile left with Ryne—who donned the goggles—and moved towards Gatetown before Alphinaud looked to Thancred for more instructions.
"Right, it's just you and me," he said, "And we must head over on foot the rest of the way to the castle. Let's get going."
That had all been before the sun had gone down, leaving the two of them forced to move over hours across snow-filled lands while trying to avoid being spotted by either patrolling soldiers or ravenous beasts. By the time that the castle came into view, it was already the dead of night and they had grown bitterly cold.
The sky was thick with snow clouds as they blocked out the stars, signaling that they were in for a blizzard soon. But according to Thancred this was a good thing for not only did it give them more cover to avoid being seen, if they were able to leave these shores before the blizzard hit then Eulmore would be snowed in before they could give chase. It was almost like the gods were helping them out with their problems.
"W-When are w-we going in?" Alphinaud asked as he and Thancred crept across the snows together, making sure to move carefully—though Alphinaud was relieved to know that Thancred knew the lay of the land so well even at night.
The lights from the castle shining brightly in the distance and the winds were picking up, causing Alphinaud's teeth to chatter together when he asked a question. At that, Thancred casually tossed a spare fire crystal over his shoulder, leaving Alphinaud to fumble to catch it.
"Once everyone is in position," he answered quietly as Alphinaud used the crystal to try and heat up his frozen hands. "We have to play our roles carefully now. If we act too quickly then we could end up causing a battle at the gaol's entrance… good luck getting in and out there if that happens. We need to be smart about this."
Alphinaud nodded, only wishing that he wasn't so cold at the moment but didn't dare complain. That wasn't what was needed right now. So he stayed quiet as he and Thancred came to a mound of boulders to duck behind… at least they were protected from the wind at this point.
After that was a waiting game. Thancred would whisper on the linkpearl as he gave a spyglass to Alphinaud, telling him to keep an eye on things and to tell him should he see something. Alphinaud did what he was told, feeling his heart beating as he kept a diligent eye upon the entrance to the castle.
"Where are the gaols located, anyway?" he asked after Thancred finished up conversing with Y'shtola on the other line and was getting ready to contact Alisaie.
"There's a secret passageway beneath the castle, I'm a little surprised that you don't know about that yet," Thancred answered back. "Then again, I guess visiting the dungeons isn't exactly something that one would wish to visit under normal circumstances. But you'll seen soon enough. Y'shtola is in position and she'll be ready to create our first disturbance any second now. We have a meeting place where Tataru will be leaving the things you requested."
Alphinaud nodded as he focused his attention on looking through the spyglass, waiting with bated breath.
BOOM!
It only took a few more minutes before a mighty explosion of fire erupted off in the distance closest to the cliffs, creating a noise loud enough to wake the entire island and a brilliant fireball that momentarily lit up the surroundings for a brief second. The noise was enough to cause Alphinaud to jump and his ears to ring as he quickly turned the spyglass to the cliffs where he could see the explosion—leaving a massive blackened mark upon the smooth cliff where they could see the cracks left behind glowing like fiery veins.
"Damn, I didn't think that she'd make that big of an explosion," Thancred muttered in an impressed voice. "Well, if that doesn't get their attention, I don't know what will."
It certainly did. For as soon as Alphinaud turned the spyglass back to the castle he could see the movement of what looked like at least a dozen soldiers leaving the castle entrance with lanterns and their weapons glinting slightly from the low light. Alphinaud described all he was seeing to Thancred before the older man nodded in approval and clapped him on the shoulder.
"More than I thought they'd be, good… that's very good," Thancred said grinning, "Let me know as soon as the main host is away from the castle and turned away from our direction, we'll move then."
Alphinaud nodded back and watched with his focus that made him famous back at school and didn't dare blink until the crowd of soldiers had successfully heading off towards the cliffs.
"They just left," he said and Thancred grabbed his arm to pull him along behind him.
"Alright, keep low and move fast," he whispered before he went back to the linkpearl. "Good job, Y'shtola. They're coming towards you… no, about a dozen of them. Yes. Yes, I understand. No, you get out of there quickly. Double back and head towards the sea. Wait there for Alisaie like how we discussed. After that, the two of you will head to Gatetown. Be careful."
He lowered his hand from his ear and whispered to him as they moved through the deep snow, "She wishes us the best of luck and warns us not to do anything heroic. She's something else, isn't she?"
Alphinaud couldn't help but smirk at that and they had managed to make their way down a nearby slope before arrive outside what looked like an abandoned farmhouse.
"What is this place?" he asked as they quickly made for the back where a shed was set up.
"A farmer and his family were down on their luck and had to sell off the farm before leaving Kholusia. It's empty for now, so let's make the use for it," Thancred said as he forced the weathered shed open and they ducked inside.
Once the door was closed, Thancred pulled out another fire crystal to cast a faint light around them and to warm them up. Alphinaud was shivering and his feet were so cold that it was actually painful to stand. But as he looked around the empty shelves, he saw a box tucked in a corner.
"Is that…?" he asked and Thancred nodded.
"Yes, after you asked if Tataru could help us out with this, she made sure to have it all set up before she also left the castle for good," he answered before throwing open the lid. "That was good thinking by the way and it seems that she has come through for us once again."
Alphinaud looked over his shoulder into the box and smiled at the sight. Inside was a neatly folded woolen coat that looked like it had been lovingly stitched together as a large key sitting on top where they could miss it.
During their discussions earlier, Alphinaud had come to realize that even if they were able to get into the gaol, they would need a way to break Claire out of her cell. Not only that, he knew she would not be properly dressed for a blizzard and asked if there was a way that they could have a way to solve those problems.
"According to Tataru, we can thank Kai-Shirr for slipping her a copy of the key," Thancred grinned as he examined the large key. "And she was also the one who made our Warrior of Darkness that coat. You know, she was one the one behind most of her outfits these last few years and had just finished this for her by the time the weather turned bad."
Alphinaud could only feel a surge of gratitude and affection to the young bookkeeper. He would be sure to thank her properly once they got out of here.
"Right, you hold onto these," Thancred said as he passed them to him, telling him to tuck them safely away so that he didn't lose them. Alphinaud nodded as he put both into his bag before he moved to a gap in the wall that allowed him to keep watch on the castle without having to open the door. He was shivering again, but more from excitement this time as he waited, hoping that things would continue as smoothly as it has been.
It wasn't long before Thancred gave word that everyone was in position again and told Alisaie to have some fun. While it wasn't as impressive as Y'shtola's fireball, Alphinaud could see a pillar of bright, red light shining from the sea and he thought that he heard something break in the distance. What it was, he wasn't sure, but soon enough, another crowd of guards were making their way from the castle—though not as large as the first crowd.
"Good," Thancred said when Alphinaud relayed the information. "That means that they can't afford to risk sending out too many more people. So by that logic… I'd say that we still have to deal with a good handful of them… but hopefully they won't be difficult. Let me know when they're out of sight."
Not even ten minutes later, Alphinaud saw the guards heading towards the shores, hence was when Thancred quickly contacted Alisaie and warned her that they were on their way and to get out of there.
"No, don't worry about us," he promised as he opened the door and the two of them burst out. "Just focus on not getting captured. Only engage them in a fight if you have to but try not to be seen."
Alphinaud followed after him as they sprinted the rest of the way across the snowy landscape just as it began snowing again from the thick clouds. The lights were almost blinding from the castle windows as they ran around the back of the castle walls where they could get a full view of the ocean and…?
The two ducked behind the corner before they were spotted. But not before Alphinaud saw, in the wall, was an opening that he never knew was there before. That must be the entrance they were looking for and it looked even darker than the night sky was at the moment, with two torches on either side that were the sole rays of light they had. All the while there were still several guards standing around the entrance, all of them suddenly looking as nervous as he felt, as if wondering if they were about to experience another 'distraction' of theirs. Thancred pulled Alphinaud back and handed him a linkpearl.
"Alright," he whispered, "So we have seven guards there and I know that two of them are on our side. I'm going to stay here to help even the odds, giving you a chance to head in."
"But I don't even know where she is down there," Alphinaud whispered as he shoved the linkpearl into his own ear.
"Like I told you before, they didn't take her in as deeply as we were afraid of. You may have to go in a level or two, but you don't need to worry about it becoming like a maze until you reach the lower floors. All you have to do is keep moving until you find her. Be careful should there be more guards. I'll follow as soon as this lot is taken care of. But if you have any trouble, you contact me, alright?"
Alphinaud gulped, but nodded, knowing that now wasn't the time to back down or complain now.
"Besides, she's your girl…" Thancred added as he gave him a shite-eaten grin. "You should be the one to get her out."
Alphinaud turned red as Thancred chuckled, holding up a hand, ready to give a countdown, leaving no time for Alphinaud to think of a retort. Faster than Alphinaud had thought possible, Thancred counted down from three and already dashed around the corner, yelling out all manner of insults and suddenly the guards were thrown completely off balance as they tried to draw their weapons. Alphinaud had turned his head around the corner to watch and saw how two of the guards suddenly turned against their fellow guards as Thancred began taking on two at once until it was a free-for-all battle.
"WHAT IS THIS TREACHERY?!"
"YOU DARE TURN AGAINST LORD VAUTHRY?"
"WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE, YOU IDIOTS?!"
"YOU'LL HANG FOR THIS!"
"OH SHUT UP! LIKE WE'D STICK AROUND FOR THAT!"
Their posts forgotten, the fighting and yelling between them all worked as a perfect distraction and Thancred had time to give him a serious look, which Alphinaud nodded in understanding. He stuck close to the wall, trying not to get hit by a random spell or sword all the while. He all but dove straight to the entrance, almost tumbling head-first down the flight of stairs, forcing him to grab hold of the wall and cramping his already numb leg in the process.
No. No… he wasn't going to mess it up now! He could never forgive himself if that happened. He took a deep breath before steadying himself and just ran down the stairs with his focus back. As he left the sounds of fighting behind him, he couldn't help but think of creepy this place was. Not that he expected a dungeon to be pleasant by any means… but there was still something that was… off about this place. The stairs were built out of white stone that shone in the dark while the rest of the passage was lit by swinging lanterns that glowed with an eerie blue light. There were rusted cell bars every few yalms and he could see chains hanging from the walls as he ran in a spiral ever downwards. Upon realizing the cells were dug into the wall next to him, he began peering into each one that he passed, hoping to find her… but also fear what he would find when he did.
*End of Flashback*
Alphinaud could feel his nerves slowly start to settle as he continued moving downwards deeper and deeper, hoping that this meant that he would be finding her soon. Time was passing as his heart was beating so hard that it was painful and he pulled his grimoire to his hands to feel that he had some form of protection, ready to launch a spell at any moment while his summoned carbuncle offered him some comfort that someone else was with him. So he kept going down two levels… three levels… four…!
Just as he was fearing that she had been moved, he rounded the next curve and he saw two guards standing off to the side in front of another cell—not even leaving him with room to thick twice. He instinctively ordered his carbuncle to attack while he casted a perfectly timed Ruin spell afterwards. The guards didn't even see him until it was too late where his carbuncle threw itself at one of them while his spell took care of the other guard and knocked him down. Both were yelling in surprise, but Alphinaud remained surprisingly calm before dispatching both, leaving them out cold on the floor.
He breathed hard, still mentally hating that he didn't have the best grimoire, but was glad that it did the job. Suddenly, the bright red carbuncle was scratching at the bars that the guards had been standing in front of, making little chirping noises of concern and Alphinaud immediately went to its side to peer in.
He stared in horror as the feeble light shone through the cell bars, casting sinister shadows upon the walls. Claire was inside, on her knees on the floor while her arms were suspended by chains. Her long hair was dirty and hung about her face as her clothes were bloody and torn and even from here he could hear a rather raspy sound as if she were struggling for breath.
"C-Claire!" he cried as he immediately began to work on getting it open, his fingers trembling as he nearly dropped the key. He even slapped himself for taking so long to unlock the damn thing before he dashed inside and dropped in front of her. For a moment, he didn't know what to do and just knelt there, as he tried to wrap his mind over what was happening. He held up his hands as if to touch her, but she was so beaten up that he feared causing her more pain and he just sat there for a few seconds with shaking hands and breathing almost as harsh as hers.
Finally, he gulped down and he moved forward to work on getting her out of those chains. He got her wrists free and she fell forward into his arms and he caught her, where he saw how the back of her dress was torn open and he could see her back was covered in bloody sores and wounds as if someone had taken time on slicing her apart. He was seething in rage at the sight but forced himself to stay calm before he held up a hand and allowed gentle healing magicks to flow through her body.
As he watched the wounds slowly close, she began to stir and he turned her over to see her dirty and worn face, having her head leaning up against his shoulder for support. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked up hazily at him, blinking in confusion as if she had trouble recognizing him. But soon they widened in surprise and she opened her mouth but no sound came out.
"Shhh, it's alright," he said soothingly as he reached for the flash of water at his belt and passed it to her, tipping it back to help her swallow, "The others and I have planned a way to rescue you. It'll be alright."
She didn't answer as she drank greedily from the flash and Alphinaud continued to work on healing her back. He bit his lower lip as he tried to think of how best to get her out of here. She was in worse shape than he first thought and now he feared that she may be too weak at this point to get the collar off…?
"Al…Alphinaud?" she whispered before coughing, getting his immediate attention.
"Are you alright?" he asked as coughed up the water she drank a little too quickly. She took several deep breaths as she gripped him by the front of his robes, coughing as she fought to breathe.
"You… shouldn't… come…?" she wheezed, her voice very faint and he was alarmed by that.
"How could I not come?" he demanded as he pulled her into an embrace. "I couldn't stand the thought of you being trapped down here before your execution! No! We are getting you out and that is final!"
"But…?" she wheezed before he pulled back to look at her exhausted face before he grabbed her by her chin and forced a desperate kiss between them. She gave a surprise nose but immediately melted against him as she kissed him back.
When he pulled away and whispered, "I'm sorry, for taking so long. But don't worry, we have a way out."
She blinked in confusion as he told her what was going on, how they have everything ready to go and he showed her the device that G'raha gave him.
"It's still untested so we don't know how strong it will be," he warned her as she stared at it with wide eyes when he pulled it out. "But G'raha says…?"
"Do it…" she croaked, her voice stronger than it had been a moment ago and he looked at her in disclosure.
"But…? He didn't have time to properly test it and was afraid that it was going to be painful…?"
"Do it," she repeated, taking hold of his hand and the spark of determination appeared once more and he recognized that look of resolve. He nodded in understanding as he gripped her hand back, bracing himself for what was about to come. Gritting his teeth, gaining strength from her fierce fortitude, he pushed the device right up against the collar and asked, "Ready?"
She nodded, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth as she braced herself for whatever was coming. Alphinaud did the same, took a deep breath, and pressed the button.
It had been worse than he thought. For as soon as the button was pressed, she gasped in pain as sparks began to fly about the collar. He cried out her name, holding onto her as her face was screwed up with agony and smoke began to rise from the metal. She let out a cry as he smelt burnt flesh and knew that it was burning her in the process. He focused on healing, trying to help her fight her way through the pain just long enough for the device to do its job. But as more sparks began to fly and he could feel the sharp intense pain from the lightning aether that was surging into the collar, causing it to almost glow in the dark.
"It's almost over! Hold on! Just a little longer!" he tried to encourage her, holding her hand as he focused all his efforts on healing, trying to be there to help support her as she choked and struggled for air even as the smell and smoke grew until he could see the cracks upon the gold.
And then with a mighty CRACK the gold shattered and he could feel the shrapnel hit him hard in the cheek where it burned and he cried in pain as the pieces fell about them, hitting the ground as they smoked and sizzled on the cold floor. Claire let out a loud gasp before she collapsed against him again, falling back into his arms and he held her tightly.
He just let her lean against him as she fought for breath, holding her tightly as the remains of the collar sparked on the ground while he glared down at it with hatred. When her breathing eased up, he pulled her back so that he could get a look at her neck.
This was the first time he had ever seen her without the accursed collar of gold adorning her neck and he was surprised by how bare she suddenly looked without it. He could see the outline of where the cruel metal had dug into her flesh—looking red and raw. But when she raised a shaking hand to her throat, feeling that it was gone… the look of relief that washed over her was enough to make him feel as if he were walking on clouds.
"It'll be alright," he whispered as her hands shook while feeling her throat. "Here."
He helped to steady her before he pulled out the coat from his bag and wrapped it around her shoulders, only able to give her a shaky smile before he pulled her against him once more.
"It's… gone… is it really… gone…?" she whispered softly, her speech still strangely broken up. "Just… like that?"
"Yes," he reassured her as she nuzzled into the crook of his own neck, "It's gone. We'll be sure to thank G'raha when we next see him. But first, let's get out of here."
He gazed at her face, smiling for her as his heart so full of happiness and love at the moment that he almost forgot where they were. He kissed her once more, as if determined to make up for their separation over the last few days, before whispering, "Come on. We're leaving."
She nodded, trying to get up, but her legs gave out beneath her, forcing him to catch her before she hit the ground again.
"It'll be alright," he promised, and he scooped her up into his arms like he had that night months ago where he carried her from the shores after she saved his life. He would get them out of here no matter what.
Once he was sure the coat was wrapped tightly around her, he got to his feet, ready to make his own escape. But as he headed to the door, a loud buzzing ring started going off in his ear and he paused for a moment before remembering the linkpearl. He tapped it once before answering, "Thancred? It's I! Don't worry, I found her and just freed her. We'll be making our way back to the entrance now."
But to his astonishment, Thancred's voice suddenly cried out in a panic, "NO! DON'T LEAVE THAT WAY! YOU CAN'T COME BACK! YOU HAVE TO HIDE! OR FIND ANOTHER WAY OUT! I DON'T KNOW BUT YOU CAN'T COME BACK THIS WAY! PLEASE! JUST GO! HE'S THERE! HE'S…?!"
But Thancred's voice was interrupted by another one.
"And where do you think you are going?"
Alphinaud froze as fear flooded through him as if he were back in the freezing wind. He had stepped outside of the cell with Claire still in his arms… before he heard the slight crunch of armor upon the polished marble floors. He looked up to see him coming down the steps towards him with a calm leisurely stroll as if he were merely taking a walk through the gardens even if he had to do so with a slight limp… dressed in his dragon-scaled armor… was Ran'jit.
(Just one thing after another. Just when you think that they are getting out… that damn old man has to get in the way again. How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man?! Alphinaud knows that he doesn't stand a chance, especially with a badly injured Warrior of Darkness in his arms… but perhaps Ran'jit holds the answers that he needs as well. Such as why he was chosen to be her husband to begin with? I'll try my best to get the next chapter out before 6.5 so I hope that you all look forward to it!)