Heir Of The Fallen Flame

Chapter 29: Possibly Lyra's Worst Nightmare.

Kael's eyes opened slowly as his head throbbed. A dull ache pulsed behind his eyes while warmth from the fireplace flickered weakly against his face.

For a moment, he simply stared upward at the wooden ceiling above him, blinking slowly as memory struggled to return.

“Roset!” he muttered.

Kael shot upright too quickly. He winces as pain explodes through his skull.

“Ypure alive? I was starting to worry I would be forced to give you a burial.”

Liam’s voice rumbled somewhere nearby.

Kael ignored him completely. “Roset..”

He remembered her being dragged off by the guards and Lyra knocking him out before he could do anything.

“She is gone.”

Lyra’s answer came from the far side of the room. Kael turned sharply toward her.

She sat near the window sharpening her sword beneath the dim orange glow of lanternlight like nothing had happened.

That somehow made him angrier.

“What do you mean gone?” he snapped.

Lyra did not look up. “I mean the men took her.”

Kael shoved himself fully to his feet. “Then why are we here?” he snapped. “They took her.”

She disnt meet his gaze still. “You think I can't see that?!” She asked.

Kael stared at her incredulously. “And you are just fine with that?”

Lyra’s eyes flicked briefly toward the empty corner and back to him.

“Did you miss the insignia on their clothes? Are you trying to get arrested again?”

Kael’s chest burned hotter. “She did nothing wrong.”

Lyra’s grip tightened on her sword. “You are in no position to help her.”

Kael laughed bitterly. “You always have a reason not to help someone.”

The sound of the whetstone stopped. Liam slowly looked up from his stew near the fire.

Lyra stood slowly; something about the way she looked at Kael told him she was very much upset. Good! Cause he was upset too!

“You think this is easy for me?” she asked quietly.

Kael swallowed but anger pushed him forward anyway. “You did not even try to save her.”

Lyra crossed the room in two steps. Kael barely had time to react before she grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall hard enough to rattle the shelves nearby.

“You know nothing,” she hissed.

Kael stared at her. Up close, exhaustion sat heavily beneath her eyes now and anger too.

“You think I left because I wished to?” Lyra continued quietly. “I stopped you from getting your fickle self dragged down to Astra where Roana would have loved to make you food for his dogs!”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “I’m sure he would have. Seeing how you were engaged to him, you must share the same thoughts!"

Lyra raised her sword to his throat, her breathing harsh as her eyes darkened.

“Lyra.” Liam cautioned, now in his feet as he watched the duo.

“The same thoughts?!” She scoffed. “Yes. Maybe we do. How about I show how dark my thoughts are uh?”

“Lyra!” Liam warned.

She glanced at the old man and then back at Kael, breathing hard through her mouth now.

She shoved him back, taking a step away from him.

“Kael. Go to the other room.” Liam ordered.

Kael walked out without another word toward the small side room Liam allowed him to use. The wooden door slammed hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.

Silence followed afterward. Liam slowly sipped from his cup near the fire before glancing toward Lyra.

“What happened?”

Lyra resumed sharpening her blade. “Nothing of relevance.”

Liam snorted softly. “The boy looks ready to bite through stone.”

“And I'm ready to shove him off the clif like dead weight.” She replied.

The old man studied her for a moment. “You care whether he does.”

She said on the ground, the sword discarded now as she tried to calm herself down.

“I simply wish he stays alive.”

Liam sips his tea, eyes staring at the darkening sky in silence. He knew she had her reasons for coming this far with Kael and he honestly had no interest in finding out why.

Hours go by and crickets echoed faintly in the night as darkness slowly swallowed the valley below.

Kael never left the room; not for food or even water. Not even when Liam loudly announced stew was ready.

The old man eventually grunted. “Stubborn fool.”

Lyra stared silently at the closed door for several long seconds before returning her attention to the fire.

It was soon midnight and the entire house was very quiet. Liam eventually disappeared into his room while the lanterns went off completely.

Kael’s door creaked open slowly. He stepped into the hallway dressed in dark clothes with his hood already pulled low over his face.

He glanced once toward Liam’s room; the old man seems to be fat asleep.

Good.

Kael moved silently toward the front door. The floorboards betrayed him immediately with a loud creak.

He froze, breathing heavily and praying the old man wouldn't think he's an intruder and sweeps his head off his neck.

But nobody seemed to move. Kael exhaled quietly and continued forward until his hand touched the door handle.

“You are quite loud for a criminal.”

Kael nearly died. He spun sharply. Lyra stood near the back wall with her arms folded across her chest. She was also dressed in black, face covered like he was.

Kael blinked twice. “You..”

“Yes.”

Kael frowned. “You intend to follow me?”

“I was leaving first.”

That stopped him.

Kael stared at her suspiciously. “Where are you going?”

Lyra looked at him like the answer was obvious.

“To retrieve the girl before you ruin everything attempting it alone.”

Kael opened his mouth and closed it again. He was by far the worst person to rescue right now. He didn't even have proper combat skills.

She tossed him a dagger even though she doubted he'd be able to use it properly.

“Hold it.”

Kael caught it awkwardly. “You already have a plan?”

Lyra opened the door quietly.

“I always have a plan.”

***

The lower district of Meadow looked entirely different at night.

Lanterns glowed faintly between narrow alleys while drunken laughter echoed from taverns farther uphill. Rainwater glistened against cobblestones and stray dogs wandered through piles of discarded vegetables and broken crates.

Kael kept close behind Lyra as they moved through shadowed streets.

“Where are they keeping them?” he whispered.

“The storage quarter.”

He glanced at her, “How did you know that?”

“I followed them after you fell unconscious.”

Kael went silent, this had been her plan all along. Goodness, he'd been mean to her for no reason. She was only trying to save his life.

“Lyra, about..”

“Shh.” She warned and Kael swallowed his words. Maybe some other time.

Eventually the city thinned into a quieter area near the riverbanks. Large wooden warehouses stood beside wooden fencing while men with Astra insignias walked around the area.

Lyra stopped atop a nearby rooftop overlooking the compound below. Kael crouched beside her and immediately understood why she had waited till now.

Most of them were drunk and barely coherent and many dozing off in their stations.

Archers, who were barely awake, watched from elevated platforms while women and men alike, sat in the fenced areas.

Kael’s stomach twisted. “Why are they being taken?”

“To repay debt.” Lyra offered. “Their families are forced to hand them over in exchange for paying their debts. They became labourers at Astra after.”

Kael went silent, was this how he'd come to live in Astra?

Below them, a guard laughed loudly while dragging a girl toward one of the storage buildings.

Kael groaned in frustration. Lyra grabbed the back of Kael’s cloak before he got two steps.

“Don’t.”

Kael hissed quietly. “Did you not see that?”

“I did.”

“Then why are we waiting?”

“You can not charge downward blindly. There's a better way to get ourselves killed.”

Kael jerked slightly against her grip. “People are suffering down there!”

“And if you don't listen to me, they will only get killed!”

That silenced him briefly. Lyra released him slowly before pointing toward the far eastern side of the compound.

“There.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. One building sat separated from the others. It was smaller with iron plating across the doors and windows.

There were two men outside and four on the roof.

“No ordinary prisoners receive that much protection,” Lyra murmured.

Kael’s chest tightened. “Roset?”

Lyra nods. “And her friends. Since they are performers, they will be given to a different mage in Astra.”

He looked toward her quickly. “Then we go now.”

Lyra crouched lower, eyes scanning the compound carefully.

“No,” she replied. “First we make them look elsewhere.”

Kael followed her gaze toward several stacked oil barrels near the western fence. Then slowly toward the horses tied beside the transport wagons.

Understanding dawned on him immediately. A grin spread across his face before he could stop it.

Lyra looked horrified. “Don't smile like that.”

“I finally like one of your plans.”

“That alone concerns me.”

Kael adjusted the cloth mask tighter around his face. “So what do we do?”