Fortunately, my portals from earlier were still set up. Picking an exit closer to the city, I slowly peaked out from the safety of my pocket dimension and, seeing that the coast was clear, I moved to higher ground. I wanted to head back to the docks, but I knew there would be guards waiting for me there. I could only hope and pray that they had all escaped or were captured alive.
In any case, I needed help if I was going to prevent the destruction of the entire kingdom. I made my way to the city's outskirts and tried to think of who was left that I could trust.
It was not a long list.
Aldan and Clementina would believe me immediately, but I didn’t know how much time I had to act and they were days away. One of their children, Jerome, lived in the city, but I had only met him a few times and didn’t get the impression he cared much for me. Katherine visited him on one of our off days, but he was pretty busy with his job as an astronomer. Their other two children, Helen and Cyprian, were off who knows where on adventures.
There was that masked man that was talking with Krimsun, but I had no way of getting in contact with them. If it was even safe to do so.
Ignatius still hadn’t responded to our letter, so that was no good.
Wisebeak and Glenda were trustworthy, but would they believe such accusations against the Guildmaster? I never was very good at persuading people.
None of my options were completely safe, and I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for help.
I gave myself a firm punch to the gut, vomited, and quickly made my way to Wisebeak’s workshop.
If he wasn’t there, I’d steal some tools to break the team out of prison. If he was, I’d just have to find a way of convincing him not to turn me in.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4797GHJDT5
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Using the network of portals from the heist, I was able to quickly make my way to the roof of the guild, right next to the chimney of the forge. I took a moment to survey the area.
Things were not good.
The guild was on high alert. The place was crawling with guards and guild personnel, blocking entrances and searching the grounds. Fortunately, it seems that the lockdown resulted in the fires of the forge being quenched as the smoke from the chimney had ceased.
It was a long way down, and the inside was still hot from recent use. So, I cautiously dropped a portal down and slipped in.
It took every ounce of restraint to not scream in pain as the heat of the freshly extinguished forge enveloped me.
I bolted out of there like a startled sparrow and hid in a corner.
SNORE!
To my horror, the head forge was sitting in a chair a mere three feet from me. He appeared to be asleep, but it could have been a trick of some kind.
I focused my magic into both my feet to soften my footsteps, and also into my body to dampen the sound of my breathing and heartbeat. I needed to be absolutely silent.
SNORE!
I crept up to the door of the forge, it was sealed too tight to slide a portal under. So, I watched the rotund dwarf’s mouth, concentrating on its movements. I needed to wait until just the right moment…
SNORE!
I quickly opened the door just enough to squeeze through and shut it behind me as he unleashed a mighty snore.
The hall appeared to be empty.
“I suppose it is far enough from any entrance that they wouldn’t bother with looking here,” I half-heartedly thought to myself as I tried my best to sense any people in the area.
As far as I could tell, no one was here except the noisy dwarf. So, I made my way into the workshop.
“Hoo, hmmm, a traitor are we now, Mak?”
I nearly choked on my own breath as I heard his words.
There was no light in the workshop, but I could feel his large, round eyes piercing into my body.
“P-please,” I sputtered, “I…”
“Can explain?” he replied, “hmm, I should certainly hope so. I was quite surprised to be given the order to ready myself in case you come down here,”
“I see… That’s why no other guards were down here,”
“Indeed, they’d simply scare you off, meanwhile my feathers provide excellent noise dampening to compliment my stealth magic. Do not forget who taught you what you know about using your ears!”
“Yes, well, since you haven’t attacked me yet, nor have you sounded the alarm. I’m guessing you are at least willing to hear my side? Or just stalling for time?”
“Hoo hum, both are possible, but in either case, you haven’t a chance at escaping me. Say what you will and see the outcome,” the words escaped his razor-sharp beak with a previously unknown seriousness.
“We discovered that Guildmaster Vincent is behind The Obelisk,” I said, “I have proof!”
Wisebeak didn’t move an inch.
“That is quite the accusation indeed,” he replied, “And this proof, is what you broke into the Guildmaster’s office for?”
“Yes,”
“You suspected him of being capable of such a feat, and have seen a glimpse of his power in action, and took such a massive risk without solid evidence?”
“Y-yes,”
“My dear boy, I’m so proud of you!”
“What?” my face contorted into an expression of pure bewilderment.
“You broke into the office of the most powerful man in the kingdom, if not the world, all in the hope that you’d find some way of saving the very people that shunned you. Now, what kind of coward would do that?”
Before I could reply, he began gathering some objects from his desk, while leaving a few others behind.
“I was hoping I’d be picking from this side of the bench. Naturally, I’d prepare something in case I had to restrain you, but I fully expected not to use it, more for appearances really,” he prattled on as I was still in shock of his response.
“Now now, don’t stand there with your mouth agape. You’ve got friends to save,” he said as he placed some tools and papers in my hands, “They are being held in the prison, Krimsun should still be in questioning right now while Katherine and Reggie are in the holding cell,”
“Th-they’re alive?” I said as my eyes filled with tears.
Wisebeak slowly brushed my eyes with a wing, “Oh Mak, yes, they are alive and need you now. Move quickly, I have some things to attend to,”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so I simply nodded and opened a portal to head just outside the guild. There wasn’t much time to formulate a plan. I had to get them out as soon as possible. So, I made a beeline for Saurtat Prison.
Between my small size, stealth magic, and portals; making my way across the city unnoticed wasn’t especially difficult. For once, it was a very good time to be a Nequese. I soon found myself in front of the imposing building. I fished out the papers Wisebeak gave me and found a map and several notes about the prison.
Saurtat Prison, located on a peninsula within the city, had only one way in or out by land. A narrow bit of ground, protected by a well-defended gatehouse. There was also a small dock for receiving large shipments of supplies, or outgoing products made by prisoners. Neither seemed like an especially attractive option. Air was another matter entirely; they had a magical ward around the building to prevent any gravity-defying feathered folk or flying mages that dare approach from the sky. And no Birdfolk could glide that far, certainly not without getting shot down.
But I could.
I climbed a building out of sight of the gatehouse, strapped on my glider, said a quick prayer, and took off. Propelling myself further and further up with gravity magic so that I’d have enough altitude to not attract attention and glide through a window.
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