Heir Of The Fallen Flame

Chapter 30: The Rescue

Lyra pointed toward the western side of the compound first.

“The oil barrels.”

Kael nodded slowly.

“Those wagons beside them carry supplies meant for Astra caravans. Dry cloth, lamp oil, grain.”

Kael's eyes brightened at the thought, “We burn them?”

“Goodness! No!” She snapped. What was his obsession with burning things anyway?

His face fell.

“We scare the horses,” Lyra corrected quietly. “The fire comes after.”

Kael blinked. “Oh.”

Lyra’s gaze moved toward the central yard where several drunken guards sat around a small fire laughing loudly.

“When the horses panic, every guard will rush toward the western gate to stop the wagons from overturning.”

“And while they do that…”

“We free the prisoners.”

She nods.

“Okay.” He muttered, shutting his eyes as though trying to calm himself down.

Lyra looked toward him carefully. “If things go wrong, you do exactly as I say.”

Kael frowned beneath the mask as he

adjusted the dagger hidden beneath his cloak nervously. As much as he wanted to snap back at her for thinking he couldn't handle himself, he knew she was right. He still was not entirely sure how to use a dagger properly.

Lyra noticed his hand lingering there. “You don’t fight unless you must.”

Kael looked offended. “I know that.”

Lyra pulled a small flask from her belt and handed it to him. He uncorked it slightly and immediately recoiled.

“Gods. What is this smell?”

“Lamp oil.”

“You carry this around?”

“Should I do it or will you?”

Kael muttered quietly, “You are terrifying.”

Lyra ignored him. “When I move, count to ten before heading for the horses.”

Kael nodded once. Then Lyra vanished from the rooftop. Kael blinked; he still had no idea how she moved that quietly.

Below, she slipped through shadowed alleys like part of the night itself. One moment he could see her and the next, she was gone.

Kael swallowed nervously and tightened his grip on the oil flask. The compound below remained noisy.

Astra guards laughed loudly while one drunken man nearly toppled sideways from his chair. None of them noticed the dark figure moving between crates.

Kael counted quietly beneath his breath.

“…eight… nine… ten.”

He exhaled sharply and jumped. The drop nearly shattered his knees.bKael stumbled hard into a stack of crates with enough noise to wake the dead.

One nearby horse snorted loudly.

Kael froze, eyes darting around in the dark with fear.

A guard glanced briefly toward the noise. Kael immediately crouched behind the crates while praying to every light wander he could remember.

The guard squinted. Then belched loudly and looked away again.

Kael nearly collapsed from relief. By the light, he was terrible at this. He moved quickly toward the wagon line while trying desperately to imitate the way Lyra walked.

It did not work. He stepped directly into a puddle loud enough to splash his trousers.

Wonderful.

The horses moved nervously as he approached.

Kael uncorked the flask carefully before pouring oil across the wagon wheels and cloth coverings.

Then he paused.

“How exactly does one scare horses?” he whispered to himself.

A sudden explosion answered him. Fire erupted near the western fence as one of the oil barrels burst apart violently.

Guards shouted instantly. “The wagons!”

“By the light! What happened?!”

“Hurry!”

The entire compound erupted into chaos. Horses shrieked in panic as flames spread rapidly across stacked supplies.

Kael jumped backward as the animals began kicking wildly against their restraints.

“That works!” he hissed.

Men rushed toward the western side immediately exactly as Lyra predicted. Kael sprinted toward the prison building.

He nearly slipped twice before crashing shoulder-first into the side wall. He winced as his arm ached with pain.

“Quietly,” he muttered angrily to himself. “Move quietly.”

The eastern side of the compound had already emptied as guards rushed toward the fire.

Only four remained near the prison building. Kael crouched behind stacked barrels, breathing unevenly.

Where was Lyra?

A scream suddenly rang out behind the building. The first guard rushed toward it instantly. Then his partner followed.

The remaining two guards exchanged nervous looks. One moved toward the back alley carefully while the other stayed near the entrance. Then Lyra appeared behind him like death itself.

One hand covered the guard’s mouth while the hilt of her sword slammed against the back of his skull.

The man dropped instantly.

Kael gasped, “Where did she come from?”

Lyra grabbed the unconscious guard before he hit the ground loudly.

“Help me.” She whispered.

Kael rushed forward awkwardly and nearly dropped the man while dragging him behind the barrels.

Lyra snatched the prison keys from the guard’s belt.

“Inside.”

The wooden door creaked softly as they slipped into the area. Dozens of frightened faces turned toward them immediately from behind cages.

Kael froze briefly. Goodness. There were far more prisoners than he expected.

One little girl clutched the bars silently while staring at him with wide terrified eyes.

Something twisted painfully inside his chest. Lyra moved quickly through the corridor unlocking each section of the cage one by one.

“Quietly,” she whispered sharply. “No shouting.”

Prisoners stumbled out carefully, confused and frightened. Kael moved toward another cage and fumbled awkwardly with the keys.

“You are doing it wrong,” Lyra muttered.

“There are too many keys.”

He finally unlocked the cage. Inside sat Roset and several other dancers wrapped in chains. Her eyes widened immediately when she recognized him.

“You...”

Kael nodded quickly while unlocking the chains. “You need to leave now.”

Lyra cuts the ropes tying their wrists. The performers rushed out without a second thought but Roset had her eyes fixed on Kael's face.

He got closer, undoing her ropes as quickly as he could.

“A labourer you say?” She whispered. “Liar.”

Kael paused, pulling back to meet her gaze. He knew she would recognise him even under the mask but seeing her smiling and those beautiful eyes twinkling, Kael forgot how breathing worked for a moment.

Lyra glanced his way and her brows furrowed. Of all places to be romantic. Here, they had to do it here? Unbelievable.

“We are in danger,” she reminded coldly.

Kael snapped back to reality. Right. Danger. Roset rubbed her sore wrists carefully after the ropes fell away.

Kael took her hand in his and helped her feet. A loud horn suddenly echoed outside.

Lyra stiffened. “We are out of time.”

The prisoners began panicking immediately.

“They know!”

“We are trapped!”

“Please…”

Lyra raised her voice sharply. “Quiet!”

Everyone went silent. The murmurings and crying stopped, their eyes fixed on Lyra in silence. Her eyes swept across the frightened crowd quickly.

“There is a drainage tunnel behind this fence. Follow the river south until you reach the lower mills.”

One older man frowned fearfully. “And then?”

“Disappear.”

Kael blinked slightly. That part of the plan sounded underdeveloped. Lyra shoved open a hidden wooden hatch near the rear wall. Cold night air rushed inward immediately.

“Move.”

The prisoners hurried toward the tunnel quickly now. Kael helped several younger children climb down while Roset guided the others.

“Check the prison building!” A guard snapped out of nowhere.

Lyra cursed beneath her breath. The front doors burst open violently and three Astra guards stormed inside.

One guard raised his spear pointing at Lyra and Kael. “There!”

Lyra's blade flashed once beneath lanternlight before the spear clattered across the floor. Kael grabbed a loose wooden stool and threw it directly at another guard’s face.

To his shock, it worked. The man crashed backward with a scream.

“Kael!” Lyra barked.

“Right. Tunnel.”

Kael grabbed Roset’s arm and hurried the remaining prisoners downward while Lyra blocked the corridor alone.

One guard rushed her recklessly. She sidestepped and slammed his face directly into the iron bars. Another attacked from behind. Lyra twisted low beneath the strike before driving her elbow into his throat hard enough to fold him in half.

Kael stared briefly in horror. “She is terrifying,” Roset whispered beside him.

“Yes,” Kael replied immediately. “Very.”

They hurried deeper into the tunnel, leaving Lyra to fight alone. Water splashed around their boots while frightened prisoners stumbled through darkness ahead.

Behind them, more shouting echoed from above and soon Kael heard footsteps behind him.

He turned; a guard had followed them into the tunnel.

“You rats!”

Kael’s heart nearly stopped. The guard charged directly toward the prisoners.

Kael grabbed a loose wooden pole from the tunnel wall and swung wildly. The pole cracked against the guard’s shoulder, knocking him sideways into the tunnel wall. The man cursed loudly and grabbed Kael's leg.

Kael panicked, trying to shake the man off him to no avail.

Then he recalled the dagger. He yanked it free awkwardly and stabbed blindly. The guard recoiled instantly with a scream. Kael stumbled backward, breathing hard. The man collapsed into the shallow water clutching his arm.

Kael stared at the dagger in shock. He actually…Roset grabbed his sleeve.

“Come!”

They burst from the drainage tunnel nearly fifteen minutes later beside the lower river mills. The prisoners scattered quickly into the darkness exactly as Lyra instructed.

Roset lingered beside Kael briefly while the others disappeared. Moonlight reflected softly across the river behind her.

“You shouldn't have come here. It's too dangerous.

Kael rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I know. I couldn't let it be.”

Her gaze softened slightly. “Thank..”

“Roset! Let's go!”

One of her performer friends yanked her by the arm as they ran into the woods. Her hands slipped out of his, leaving him hanging. Kael watched until he could no longer see her.

Lyra emerged from the tunnel behind them covered lightly in blood. None of it appeared to be hers.

“We need to go.”

Lyra jogged in the opposite direction of where the prisoners were headed. Ja4l followed, glancing over his shoulders every now and then.

“Are you sure they are safe? The guards won't go after them?” He asked.

“They can't open the door leading into the tunnel without using explosives. Such doors should only be closed from the inside. Once shut from the outside, it's useless.”

Kael glanced over his shoulder one more time. Hell, he wished he had the chance to say a proper goodbye.

“Did you say goodbye to your lady friend?”

He glanced back at Lyra, "She's not my lady friend!”

Kael cleared his throat awkwardly. “She is fair is all I can say.”

Lyra began walking uphill toward the city. “That is unfortunate for her.”

Kael frowned while following. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means trouble follows you like plague rats.”

“That feels unnecessarily cruel.”

Lyra smirked, that was the point. By the time they returned to Liam’s home, dawn had begun creeping across the hills. Both slipped quietly through the front door covered in dirt and river water.

The house remained silent.

Kael exhaled in relief. “We saved them!”

Lyra placed her index finger over her lips and motioned him to head to his room. Kael nodded and walked quietly to his room, trying to avoid waking up the old man.

Liam watched the movement of both their shadows on the floor of his room. The old man shakes his head as he closes his eyes in sleep once more.

“Noisy rats.” He muttered. “Uhm!”