Chapter 4

I wake to the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. I stretch slowly, relaxed and rested for the first time since I had been captured in the forest. I walk to the door of my prison and wait to see who's coming. After a few more seconds the same two guards who had escorted me earlier come into view.

The guards silently resume their places on the wall across from me. I look back down the hall to see if anyone else is coming. I see no one, so I shrug to myself and take a seat leaning against the back wall of my cell and watch the guards.

I'm disappointed that Tealith didn't come down herself, and also slightly worried by the subdued attitude of my guards. I begin to think of all the things that might have happened after Tealith explained our plan, the most likely scenario being that the rest of the resistance had rejected her plan because they weren't willing to listen to the advice of one of their enemies.

I try not to dwell on possibilities like the fact that she might be locked up now as well at the order Grodun, or that they had forced her out of their secret base to fend for herself, but in spite of my best efforts those ideas kept making their way back to the surface of my mind.

I learned quickly after arriving here that talking to the guards wasn't going to do me any good, so despite my growing need to know what was going on I didn't say anything, and for once neither did the guards. They just stood at their posts and occasionally shifted uncomfortably.

We probably sat that way for hours. I nod off occasionally as I gradually lose hope that Tealith will ever be coming, and try not to think about what that means for my future. If Tealith was out of the picture, one way or another, then I didn't like my odds of survival with Grodun in charge.

My musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. I rise slowly to my feet, careful not to make any sudden movements that might alarm my guards, and walk to the bars of my cell. I'm hoping against hope that the face I'll see coming down the hall will be Tealith's, but I know it's hopeless long before the tired face of a lone guard comes in to view.

I slump to the ground by the bars of my cell as the guard approaches the men who had been sent to watch me.

"I've been sent to relieve both of you."

His voice is strong and filled with authority, the kind of voice that the minds of soldiers like these have been programmed to obey without question.

"Just you?" The guards tone is hesitant, and I can tell he's afraid he may have overstepped his bounds by asking.

The new guard simply shrugged. "Look, I don't make the rules I just follow my orders. Grodun sent me to tell you to get some rest and told me to take over the watch."

The two guards nodded, the one who had spoken obviously relieved to have not been reprimanded. They walk quickly down the hall, clearly glad to not have to spend anymore time with their prisoner.

I look at this new guard, curious what kind of man he was. He had a thin frame, but broad shoulders and I could see the strength of his arms as he stood at attention. He had spoken with a tone of command, though he didn't have any markings that I could see to set him apart from the soldiers who had just left. He had the same odd collection of armor as everyone else I had seen except for Grodun.

All things taken together there wasn't anything to make me take extra notice of this man, and so I turn away from him and walk to the thin mat they had been gracious enough to place in my cell for sleeping on and lie down staring at the ceiling.

I'm contemplating what I will do the next time Grodun comes for me when I hear the sound of a key entering the lock to my door. The sound is so unexpected it takes me a few precious seconds to process the fact that it's not just a figment of my imagination. I'm on my feet and turned to the door as soon as my brain makes sense of what it's hearing.

My guard is standing at the door with the key in the lock, obviously taken aback by how quickly I had gotten to my feet. He slowly turns the key the rest of the way and opens the door. He steps back slowly and holds his hands in the air. I notice that he's left his spear on the floor near where he had been standing.

"Your names Zaltath, right?" I nod slowly and he continues. "My name is Arath, Tealith sent me to help get you out of here. There's no time to explain, we have to hurry. Tealith will fill you in on all of the details once you're safely away from here."

I close my mouth on the questions I had been about to ask and nod once in understanding. He stoops to pick up his spear and then beckons for me to follow him. We make our way down the hall to the doorway into the rest of the hideout.

"Wait here," Arath whispers before stepping through the doorway.

He returns in a few moments, his arms now laden with clothes and armor.

"Put these on." He whispers as he holds the bundle out to me.

I dress as quickly and quietly as I can. Once He's satisfied that the costume will cover me sufficiently to deflect a causal glance he gives me some final instructions.

"So far no one has any reason to suspect that anything is wrong, and we need to keep it that way. No matter what happens just try and act like you're supposed to be here."

I nod to show my understanding.

"Oh, and one more thing, try not to let anyone see your eyes. That would be a dead give away."

I nod again wishing, not for the first time since my transformation, that Lithilium eyes weren't quite so distinctive. He opens the door again, and this time we both step out into the slightly brighter light of one of the main halls.

We walk quickly, but are careful not to walk so fast that it would draw attention to us. We walk for a considerable amount of time only passing a handful of people who I easily fool by simply looking the other direction as they approach. So far we haven't met any resistance, and I'm beginning to think we might actually make it out of here without being stopped when I gradually become aware of the sound of running footsteps behind us. The sound makes me nervous, but I take care not to let it show.

"Someone is running this way," I lean forward and whisper in my new allies' ear. He nods slightly in response and keeps walking.

I try to continue acting normal, but I can't shake the feeling that things are about to go wrong, very wrong. Unfortunately for me, I was right.

When the runner finally sees us he yells for us to stop. We do as he says, however reluctant I might have been to do so. As he gets closer I'm careful to keep my head tipped at an angle that will keep my eyes hidden from his sight.

"You are to report to the main hall immediately," He orders when he reaches us.

"What's going on?" Arath's tone is calm and relaxed, but I can sense the tension in his body.

"Never mind what's going on, Arath! These orders come straight from Grodun. All troops are to report to the main hall immediately!"

"Well if that's what Grodun wants then I guess that's what we'd better do. Don't you think Ralph?"

It takes me a second to realize he's talking to me, but I nod quickly as soon as it sinks in. "Aye, I expect you're right," I say, making my voice deeper and more gravely than usual.

Obviously satisfied that his job is done the runner turns to continue down the hall.

"Oh, sorry one more question."

I see the muscles in the runner's jaw tense as he stops mid-step and begins to turn back our way.

"Ye..."

His question is cut off as Arath's fist connects solidly with his jaw. I couldn't help but admire the way he had done it; using the guards own anger and momentum to add increased force to his blow.

"Well done!"

Arath shakes his head. "He's a good man, I really hope you're worth all of this, Lithilium."

His statement makes me take pause for a moment. Up until this point it hadn't fully occurred to me how much this man and Tealith were risking on my word alone. He starts walking again before I can say anything, but I resolve again that I have to do everything in my power to prove that I am worth the trust they've shown me.

After a few more seconds of walking he stops and turns to me.

"I have a plan, here's what I need you to do..."

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We run up to the guards who are watching the entrance to the Resistance's hideout. I turn as soon as we get near them and keep an eye on the tunnel where we had just come from, brandishing the spear I had stolen from the runner, as Arath talks to the guards.

"The monster has escaped!"

"What?" The guards gasp in shock.

"No time for questions! Grodun told me he needs both of you to help them find him. He sent me and Ralph here to replace you."

The guards hesitate, obviously torn.

"Grodun told us not to leave this post for any reason."

"That was before we had a Lithilium roaming free in our home! He wants his best at his side, especially since Tealith showed her true colors in supporting that scum!"

I had to give it to this guy, he was quite convincing. Unfortunately for us this was when our luck started to run out.

He had explained to me earlier that it would take us some time to open the gates, so it was essential that we get the guards out of the way quickly so we had time to open them before the alarm was sounded and more guards came.

With that in mind my heart sank when I heard the sound of running feet in the passageway. They were still a long way off, but if it was going to take as long to get the gate open as Arath said we were going to need to act very fast if we hoped to get away.

The guards were still hesitating, and I decided we didn't have time for this. Turning swiftly I leap over Arath and land in front of the startled guards. Without a pause I grab them by their chainmail and smash their heads together, rendering them completely unconscious.

"What are you doing," Arath yells at me.

"There are people running in the hall. Don't worry, they'll be fine."

Arath still looks like he'd like to strangle me, but he shakes his head as though saying, "later," and then moves toward a large wheel lying horizontally in the corner. I follow and he points for me to take my place opposite him on one of the handles sticking out of the wheel.

"It usually takes at least three of us to open this, so I hope you're as strong as they always claim the Lithilium are."

I don't bother answering verbally, we just don't have the time for it. I lean into the handle with all of my might, and Arath does the same. The wheel grinds into motion and I hear the squeaking of pulleys above our heads. After a few more seconds the gate shudders and then begins to rise.

Our progress was agonizingly slow, and to make matters worse I'm not sure I'll be able to hear when our unwelcome visitors are about to arrive. We keep going, every second feeling like it was stretching out to eternity. Just as we reach the halfway point I hear the sound of running feet again.

"There almost here Arath!"

he mutters what sounds like a curse under his breath. "The gates not high enough yet!"

"I know. I think I can hold it long enough for you to get out. How strong is that spear shaft?"

Arath shakes his head. "Not strong enough for what you're thinking."

"Use all four spears then."

"It's insanity Zalath, theres' still no way you'll be able to make it before the shafts shatter."

"We don't really have a choice at this point." I put my feet against a crack in the wall and brace my back against the handle. "Go now!"

I can tell that Arath really doesn't want to, but rather than argue with me he does as I asked. As he lets go of the wheel I feel the full weight of the door for the first time and grunt slightly. I know Arath is going as fast as he can, but it still seems to take him forever to gather all of the spears and run to the door.

He jams the sharp ends of the spears into the ground, two on either side of the doorway. There's a two foot gap between the end of the spears and the bottom of the gate, but I don't expect that gap to last more than a couple of seconds.

"Now!" He screams at me.

I had carefully plotted my course as Arath was gathering the spears, and now that the time had come to actually move I just hoped everything would work out the way I hope it will.

The door is on the opposite side of the wheel from me, and then several yards to my left, deliberately designed to make it all but impossible to get out unless you opened the gate wide enough to engage it's holding mechanism. For any ordinary human it would have been impossible, all I can hope is that my increased abilities will give me the edge I need to make it.

Pushing the wheel as hard as I can away from me, I kick off of the wall and use the handle of the wheel to launch myself over the top of the wheel. It works, at least as far as I get over the wheel, but I don't land far enough away and one of the handles hits me in the side knocking me to the ground, hard.

"Zaltath!" Arath yells.

I roll in the direction of his voice for a few seconds and then push myself back onto my feet. As I come up I catch a glimpse of the passage that leads into the main part of the hideout, and see the first soldiers just coming into view, all of them holding crossbows.

I stumble a little as I try to get my feet under me, and then run for the gate. By now the gate is pressing on the spears, causing them to bow alarmingly, and I know I only have a few seconds at best to cross the thirty feet of remaining space. I put everything I have into my legs and sprint for the gate.

"I'm getting out of here or I'll die trying!"

I'm almost to the gate when I hear a loud snapping sound, followed shortly by a lance of pain in my back. I stumble, but manage to keep moving forward at a rapid pace, my only thought to get through the gate before it closes. I hear several more of the snapping sounds and throw myself forward with a scream as the spear shafts explode in a hail of splinters and the gate rushes onward in it's inexorable descent.