Black Powder

Tino looks as if he is about to be sick where he stands, his face quickly draining of all remaining color. "We didn't even get a proper chance to reason with him." He whispers, eyes firmly locked on the dead guard. "If we just had a little more time, we could have could have made a deal."

Berwald is quietly pulling the bloody sword from the soldier's back, his entire face set in a grim expression.

"We did what we had to do Tino," Matthias says, wishing that he could believe his own words a little more. "If we did give him a proper chance and let him go, he would probably have betrayed us later. It is better for us he did it now, before he could learn more about us and do some serious damage. Please, we need to focus." He grabs Tino's hand to pull him away from the body and get his attention over to something else. "All that yelling might attract more guards and we need to move quickly now."

Berwald nods in thanks and wipes off the bloody blade on the guard's cloak while Tino looks away and then he comes to stand besides them as they stare at the selection of armor before them. He picks up a set of medium armor in leather and chainmail and holds it up in front of himself to check the size. "Then we better change clothes at once. If I know you right," he gives Matthias a sideways glance, "you want to set the entire room on fire and blow it up right now. Am I right?"

Matthias feels the corner of his lips twitch up in what must be a truly sheepish smile and rubs the back of his neck in nervous habit. "Well, unless you have a better idea," he offers weakly. "The guard seemed to believe any little flame is enough to set off that entire room. So, I maybe we dump out one of the barrels in a pile in the middle of that room, put down a trail of burnable stuff towards those barrels, light it up, run and pray to every single God we know that we can get out of the guard district before it blows."

"Are you crazy?" Tino hisses shrilly and stares at him in horror. He is tearing at his hair in frustration, but Matthias shoves a set of leather armor at him to distract him and Tino yelps in protest, fumbling not to drop the gear.

"You said yourself, the powder needs to be destroyed," Matthias replies quickly, and picks up a set of armor for himself. He chooses one in thick leather, with a few smaller pieces of plate over the chest and shoulders, some matching bracers shin guards and a cloak. "With what just happened, we cannot afford to wait to come up with a better plan, they might move the powder to a different location to hide it and all of this will all be for nothing."

He starts pulling different pieces of armor on over his own clothes. There are breeches and tunics available in the storage room, but he would rather not risk anybody entering the storage room and catch them with their literal pants down while changing. The hallways and streets are dark enough that they should hide the fact that they are not wearing standard outfits. He puts a set aside to bring with him when they leave. Berwald and Tino both follow his lead as they hurriedly try to figure out how the different pieces of armor fit together.

Tino curses rapidly under his breath, "This is so bad."

Matthias struggles with the clasps of his armor. "This is exactly what we set out to do," he fires back. "Sabotage at its finest. If this works in blowing up this whole room, the guards will never know a few pieces of armor are gone and they will never be able to use that powder against our people on the battlefield. It is only going to be bad if we get caught."

Tino pulls on his own armor and grimaces at the engraving across the chest. "I know, I know," he mutters out of breath. "I just never thought it would happen like this. Shit!" He suddenly freezes. "You don't think they have more storage places for powder in other parts of the district? We only explored a tiny little part tonight; we don't know anything about this district yet!"

That makes even Berwald slow down for a second. "Then we will find those as well," he says firmly. He bundles up his own set of guard clothing. "Now what can we use in here that will set off the powder after we leave and not before?"

"Oh, I have an idea!" Tino exclaims, probably happy to focus on anything other than the further potential of disaster. "We need thread and candle wax."

Matthias decides he is not even going to ask what the plan if when Tino seems so sure. The thought of remaining in this room any longer than they need to, is already starting to grate on his nerves, the dead body in the middle of the floor is not helping the situation either. He raids the shelves looking for the requested items and finds a roll of string hidden on the back of a shelf behind a dented piece of plate mail. Tino has already found a candle by then and is busy melting wax into a helmet turned upside down and Berwald is keeping a torch underneath it to keep the wax a liquid.

Tino grabs the presented thread and tosses it in the upturned helmet, holding on only to a little piece of the string. "The wax should make sure the string will actually burn the whole way to the end," Tino whispers as he uses a stick to lift the thread out of the helmet and let the wax cool a little and then he dunks in in to get another layer coating it. "The flame should also take some time to work through the wax, which I hope will be enough for us to get a safe distance away."

Tino does not look very sure, but Matthias grins. "It's like a super long candle," he says excitably, feeling like their plan might actually work now. "That is a lot better than what I was going to suggest."

Tino looks at him doubtfully. "And your idea was?"

"Putting down a line of cloaks towards the room and set a torch to them?"

Berwald and Tino both look at him as if he has lost his mind and he give them a sheepish smile trying to keep the mood light. "I'll just go prepare the powder then." He heads into the dark room staring at the number of barrels wondering just how much destruction it has the potential to cause. He takes the barrel where he pried open the lid, pours the contents in a pile right in the middle of the room, and moves a few of the other barrels closer. Even though he has no idea if any of this will work, he must hope for the best and try.

Tino enters not long after with his string of wax and tucks one end firmly down into the pile of powder. He then lays the rest of the string along the floor, long enough to reach all the way to the storage door.

Matthias grabs the torch he left in one of the holders on the wall and carefully keeps his distance from any trace of powder on the floor and from the string crossing the room. He grabs the pile of guard clothing he prepared and tucks it under his free arm before he crouches down by the end piece of the string, holding the torch at the ready.

Tino slowly opens the door and peer out in the hallway. "Coast is clear," he whispers. "Light it up Matt."

"This is for Vilje and all the others." Matthias takes a last big breath of air, holds the torch against the string watching the fire catch, and the creep its way slowly down the string towards the black powder. The flame moves a little quicker than he would have liked, but there is no changing their minds now. "Go! Go!" he hisses and push the others out the door.

They shut the door and head down the same hallway they came from, their steps as fast as they can without breaking into a very suspicious jog that makes their newly acquired armor clang noisily as they move. Luckily, the hallways are as empty as when they first walked them, but they still peak around each corner just to be safe, or maybe it is because he instinct to remain undetected is still going strong even though they have no idea how much time they have left.

When they get to the training yard, the need to get away quickly wins out over the need for stealth and they break out in in a full sprint, crossing the grass and that it when it happens.

The ground shakes and an ear-shattering boom tears through the silence of the night and echoes throughout the entire city. Matthias hazards a glance back and sees a massive plume of fire and smoke shoot towards the skies, painting it in orange, red and black in the building behind the one they just exited. A force wave hits, along with a shower of debris and make the entire group stumble and fall to the ground in a graceless pile of limbs and they curl up best as they can to protect themselves from rocks, wood and other items come crashing down all around them.

An eerie silence follows the blast for several long seconds and then the city wakes up all at once. Screams of terror and yelling pierce through the night from all parts of the city as people panic from the sudden noise and the flames that light up the entire night.

Matthias' head is ringing from the onslaught of sound making his headache return and making black spots dance across his vision, but luckily it not as bad as after the incident in the alleyway when everything felt distant and blurry. He tries to stagger back on his feet, but his legs refuse to obey him properly and he lists dangerously to the side, until there is a firm hand pulling him up and forward.

There is a voice echoing through his skull, barely audible with the fierce ringing. He shakes his head to clear it until finally the words begin making sense. "Matt, can you hear me?" Berwald is hauling him by the arm across the courtyard and he has no choice but to follow. "We need to keep moving and get out of this district, come on."

The ground feels a little unsteady under his feet, but with Berwald's help, he manages to stay upright and stagger on forward towards the wall where Tino is already battling the lock with shaking fingers. The courtyard is partially lit in subtle orange glow from the flames behind them, making shadows dance across the stone walls and a plume of smoke is rising steadily towards the sky and more of it is welling up with each passing second, blocking out the moon and stars.

The entire courtyard is littered by debris, and they must have been truly lucky to not to be hit by any of the larger pieces that have pelted the ground. Matthias sees a few rocks about the size of his head that must have been part of a building at some point that have left large craters in the ground and if they had hit any of them, they would have been dead in an instant.

"Oh, my gods," he whispers in awe, pointing at the destruction around them. "We did that."

"I know, but now move." Berwald is kind but firm, as he drags him along.

Somewhere in the city, a bell rings out in alarm and several others soon join it, echoing over the city. If anyone were still awake after the blast, they will sure wake from the new waves of noise.

Tino holds the door open for them, ushering them through and then curses under his breath.

Matthias realizes why the moment he stumbles through the door, and his heart begin picking up pace, beating hard against his ribs in sudden fear.

A group of guards is rushing down the hallway, the clangs of their armor, weapons are echoing off the walls, and the one in front is waiving at them for attention. It appears they will have to put all their trust in the stolen uniforms already, because it they run now, the charade will be over before it can even begin.

"Do you know what happened?" one of them yells out of breath when he reaches them. "Where did that explosion even come from? Are we under attack?"

Tino looks like a startled deer, wide eyed and terrified, but the guard look no better. He tears a hand through his hair and waives franticly towards the door they just came through. "There must have been a fire in the storage," he shouts back, voice cracking in panic. "We were out in the courtyard and got hit by debris, uh," He stutters clearly not knowing what to say next, and only now does Matthias notice several smaller cuts across Tino's face, most likely from flying debris and his hair is grey from ash.

Berwald hoist Matthias arm over his own shoulders and hoists him further up as if Matthias is completely incapable of standing on his own, and the guard turns his attention to them instead, but he does not seem suspicious about Tino's partial explanation, just desperate for someone to give him answers as quick as possible.

He gives them a cursory glance and then curses violently. "Get him to the medic," he orders, gesturing at Matthias who must look a lot worse than he feels, probably covered in cuts and ash as well. "Send others you meet the right way," He puts a hand on Tino's shoulder. "If one of the storerooms blew, we are going to need every man we got to put out the fire."

Tino salutes weakly. "We'll go right now."

"Shit," another one of the guard curses further. "The city is going to be in an uproar. We might have a riot on our hands come morning unless we can get the situation under control."

"Shut up!" the first one orders harshly. "We'll deal with the citizen later, first we have to stop the fire, now move!"

The soldier in the lead gives them a firm not and then the group of guards continue their run down the hallway and exit one of the doors further down, probably a more direct route to the storage than the one the group of rebels followed through the courtyard and other winding corridors.

Tino exhales loudly in relief the moment the guards are out of sight and pull out the key again to open the door to the noble district. High above them, they can hear the heavy footsteps of several soldiers running along the wall above them towards the incident. They rush out the door, eager to get as far away as fast as possible before most of the guards in the city can swarm around them and make an escape without drawing suspicion impossible.

Matthias feels a little bit surer in his steps once they are outside and the air feels a little fresher, the initial shock of the blast finally wearing off and Berwald eases the grip around him to let him stand on his own feet.

"We better run," Tino says, a little out of breath. "I do not want to meet terrified citizens while dressed as a guard, they might demand answers or help, and we can't give them that. We are not going to be safe here; we need to get back to the house and our own district."

The district is already beginning to wake up around them and several of the houses have light shining through the windows. They even see a few people moving out of their homes, some dressed only in their nightgowns and covered in a blanket to stare towards the wall around the guard district. The wall is tall enough that they cannot see what the damage might be beyond, but there is a faint glow visible from flames, and the smell of smoke is sharp on the air. A few scattered bricks from the guard district buildings lie spread on the roads showing just how strong the blast was to have sent debris this far, and ashes fall around them like a sprinkle of grey snow.

They march quickly down the street, aiming directly for the next wall. Some of the people standing outside their homes tries calling for their attention, but they firmly ignore it and even quicken their pace to dissuade anyone from trying to stop them. They can hear more and more voices as people gather on the streets, frantically searching for somebody to give them any information on what is going on, most likely fearing that the city is under attack or worse.

A group of soldiers is making their way up the street towards the guard district, shouting orders for people to remain calm and telling them that they have the situation under control.

Matthias and the others slip into a narrower alley before the guards take notice of them and wait for them to pass before they move further. A small part of him wants to laugh mockingly at them and tell them that they do not have the situation control even in the slightest. He feels a little excitement at the chaos surrounding them and it is a nice relief from the usual fear that surround them.

Weeks ago, the city was such an inconceivable threat on the horizon. A target they had no hope of even breaching even the outer shell of, and now here they are, only three people and they have just turned the city upside down and shaken its foundation to the core in an instant.

They arrive at the next wall without meeting any more soldiers and the first door even stands wide open, some guards must have rushed through it, not even taking the time to close it in their hurry. They rush in and Tino fumbles with the lock, his fingers shaking so violently the key clatters against the lock until he finally manages to open it with a shout of relief, and they can finally enter the merchant district and relative safety.

The moment the door slams shut behind them, Matthias throws a quick look around and starts pulling of the outer layer of armor when he does not notice anyone present. He tucks them into a bundle underneath the cloak to keep it out of sight so he can slip back into the role as a merchant. He can feel his hair sticking to his forehead from sweat after all the running and his breath is fogging in front of his face in the cold night air.

They walk a little rushed through the streets, but nobody seems to pay them any attention even though there are far more people here than in the noble district. They are all too busy pointing towards the faint glow over the wall and gasping in horror at the smoke. Matthias overhears a few snippets of conversation as people wonder whether they are under attack or not, only to realize that the fire is coming from one of the inner circles and not the outer wall.

They finally reach the safe house and when the front door closes behind them, Matthias can no longer hold back a hysterical laugh of relief. He slides down against one of the walls right there in the hallway, lets the feeling of victory wash over him, and dumps the bundle of armor to the floor with a thud. "We did it!" He laughs, staring dreamily at the ceiling.

Tino starts laughing as well and collapses on the floor in a giggling heap. Berwald gives them a strange look, not sure of what do to, but then Tino pulls on his hands to make him join them on the floor, where they just spend several minutes collecting themselves.

Their laughter eventually dies down and Matthias sighs deeply and relieved. "This is crazy." Then he rolls over and up in a crouch, suddenly remembering all the small cuts he noticed on both of the others. "Are you guys okay? Nobody hurt?"

Tino sits up and runs a hand through his hair, sending ash flying in every direction to settle on the already dirty floors. "I think so, but you are one to ask! You didn't hit your head again, did you? You seemed a little out of it back there after the blast."

"I feel fine," Matthias replies and he means it. His head is wonderfully clear again even though some of the ache still lingers and he is feeling better than he has in a long time.

Tino looks to Berwald lifting an eyebrow, clearly not trusting Matthias' own diagnosis, probably with good reason. Berwald does not seem worried, much to Matthias' relief and he nods. "I think we're all fine. A few cuts and bruises maybe, but nothing to worry about. We were lucky back there."

"What do we do now?" Tino asks, brushing some ash of his clothing.

"Prepare for the next thing, I suppose." Matthias shrugs.

"We should probably sleep," Berwald says. It has been a long night, we could use the rest."

Matthias groans. "I don't think I could sleep right now if my life depended on it. Besides, shouldn't we pay attention to what is happening in the city? News are worth more than gold at the moment, we might just have to head out again to do some surveillance."

"Oh, I have an idea" Tino exclaims. He jumps up and runs to the living room only to return seconds later with a coil of rope and dashes outside. "Follow me, I know the perfect spot, you just have to give me a few moments to fasten the rope."

To Matthias' surprise, Tino quickly begins climbing the wall of the house next door to theirs before either of the other two has the time to formulate a response of protest. He finds grips in the cracks between the worn bricks, windowsills where Matthias did not even think it was possible, and in only a few minutes, he disappears over the crest of the roof two stories up.

Less than a minute later, one end of the rope comes flying down and Tino's head appears over the edge again grinning at them. "Come on," he says.

Berwald and Matthias give each other a glance and hesitantly climb after him a lot less graceful in their attempt. Tino helps them over the edge when they reach the top and they settle down next to the chimney where they are the furthest away from the treacherous edge.

The roof is sloped, but gently enough that they are not at a constant risk of falling and they lean against the chimney, listening to the sounds of the city. For hours, there seems to be mostly chaos and many raised voices. A few guards run past on the road below, their armor and weapons clanging noisily as they move. The city eventually returns to an uneasy rest when the grey light of twilight makes an appearance, everybody anxious to see what the next day will bring.

As they sit there, Matthias has time to sort through his thoughts, bad idea as it might be considering how conflicted they are. The short close call with Lukas was enough to scare him, not knowing how it would have ended if they had opened the door. Lukas definitely noticed him, judging by the halt in conversation on the other side of the door and he could have easily stopped them if he wanted to. Instead he left, rather suddenly judging by the guard's reaction and his words let them know the guards was alone and an easy target. It gives Matthias hope that Lukas is still fighting against his orders and still worthy of saving and it makes his heart feel like it just skipped a few beats.

The questions make him uneasy, but then he looks over at the two others and his heart warms pushing aside some of his doubts. Tino is leaning against Berwald, resting his head on his shoulder, looking relaxed and at ease as they watch the horizon towards the guard district where there is still some smoke rising towards the sky, although much slower than before.

Around them, the day eventually dawns, red as the fire they lit just hours ago.

The city wakes up slowly and carefully. They voices they can hear on the streets below them sound fearful and frazzled. People whispers rather than speak and when the sounds of armored feet march past, the voices always quiet down as if the people cover in fear of the guards walking past. It reminds Matthias of Mud Town where people live in shadow and fear. In simple, the city feels wrong and he fails to suppress a shudder.

The sun rises higher in the sky and Matthias is about to suggest they climb down from the roof before somebody finally notices them, when a clear voice carrying a note of authority pierces through the air along with the sharp jingle of a bell. A town crier and he is making his way down the street. "Attention citizens! Today at midday, the king will make an announcement at the main square. Come one, come all!" The message repeats as he moves further down the street.

The croup snaps to attention and listens intently. "Announcement," Tino mouths the word, seemingly not daring to repeat it aloud.

"Main Square?" Matthias mouths back. He is itching to lean over the edge of the room to see where the town crier is heading, but manages to hold back. "We have to see this," he whispers once he figures it is safe enough. "If the king is doing the speaking, then we will finally be able to see the man who caused us all the misery and I for one would like to see him face his people after the damage we caused last night!"