The Border City Ord 7

Win walks through the door and exits out onto the road. Although he hadn’t asked her to, Calliope follows close behind. He looks around at the immediate surroundings as he walks out into the street. He sees the aforementioned spire in the skyline. He should be able to get there quickly, if nothing impedes him. However, as he looks around he notices guards beginning to encircle the inn. Win speaks from his chest as he addresses them.

“Soldiers of Ord! You have taken the proprietor of this inn’s daughter captive, all in a vapid attempt to place me under arrest! I intend to free her, and root out the corruption and evil taking root in this fine city! If you stand against me, prepare to be swept away with the rest of the rot!” One soldier takes a step forward to respond.

“Don’t underestimate us! Do you think pretty words are enough to make us betray our duty! Soldiers are nothing if not loyal!” Nothing shows on Win’s face.

“Very well, O honorable fools!”

Win dashes forward into the center of the soldiers’ encirclement. He spins, pulling his arms through the air as though tearing through it. A giant deluge of water pours over the soldiers, crashing over them and pulling them under. The soldiers brace themselves against the wave, then try to swim against the current to no avail. In only a single moment all the guards are brought to the ground, sopping wet. Win begins to walk, frost covering the soldiers and holding them in place.

Win leaves the soldiers behind, even as they struggle beneath the grip of the ice and clatter around in their armor. He begins to wind around the streets, Calliope right behind him, his eyes fixed on the top of the spire peeking over the roofs of Ord.

Win reaches the bottom of the spire. Awaiting him there are three guards. They all seem relaxed, unprepared for the potential of an attack. Win again repeats his offering of mercy.

“I intend to retrieve one of your prisoners, Clara, daughter of Anterus, then to uproot the corruption that enabled her imprisonment. Confirm for me that she is being held here and stand down, or be brought down alongside your masters.” His sudden offer seems to shock the guards awake, and only then do they realize that they are faced with a rogue sorcerer deemed a top priority. They raise their spears.

“We’re not at liberty to tell people, much less a dangerous criminal like you!”

“Very well.”

Beneath all three of the guards, a small pit opens up. When they fall, the earth closes around them once more, burying them from the neck down. By the time they register what has happened, Win and Calliope have already entered the spire right behind them.

The lobby floor of the spire seems to hold no cells nor prisoners, instead serving as an administrative floor. Despite that, perhaps owing to the seeming urgency of Win’s capture, the floor is empty. Win walks around the main hall until he finds a door labelled “Warden.” Win opens the door and prepares to neutralize whoever is inside.

Inside the office is only one man. He’s somewhat aged, without his armor, and with his sword reclining nearby. Even more than the soldiers, Win believes this man poses no threat to him. Win quickly casts a simple hypnosis spell to keep the warden from becoming hostile. His eyes glaze over as Win begins to talk.

“You’re the warden of this spire, correct?” The warden speaks as though he’s not under any influence at all.

“Correct. I serve as the head administrator here.”

“Do you know the names and locations of the prisoners?”

“Not off the top of my head, no. We do keep a record of them all, but I can’t very well show that to outsiders. You understand, I’m sure.” Win slightly increases his hold of the warden’s mind.

“I do, but it’s just that I have an urgent matter, so if you could overlook it and show us the record.” The warden considers it for a moment.

“Well, I suppose I can.” The warden retrieves a bundle of papers from a locked cabinet in his desk. He puts it on a small table, then gently falls over and enters a tranquil slumber. Win sits at the table and begins to look over the papers, but first looks at Calliope.

“Calliope, can you tell me why you’ve followed me this far?” She sits across from me and begins to write.

“I couldn’t protect Clara, so I couldn’t sit around and do nothing this time.”

“So it was a just heart, and not your erroneous belief that I would save you. That’s good.”

“Why have you only restrained people this whole time?” Win smiles at her question.

“A just heart and a scorched earth strategy. Would you rather me be killing everyone who gets in my way?” Calliope only then seems to realize how her question came across and begins to furiously shake her head. “Killing people is wrong, and killing each other is the worst mistake humanity has made. It’s as simple as that.”

“Why do you say you aren’t kind?”

“I’m not. I’m not anything at all. I’m nothing more than a man as foolish as the rest. And I’m nothing but the shadow cast by a great hatred for us. I’m empty aside from that.” Calliope’s next message is simple.

“You’re not.”

Win looks at the words for a moment. Then he reaches out a hand, his index and middle finger outstretched, and swipes at the air in front of the notebook dragging his fingers over the page. A sharp line of ink followed behind it, and left a mark crossing out the response. Another line crosses out the first half of her question, only to stop and taper away as it reaches the end. Win finds no answer more clear than this. He stands up, having found Clara’s name in the document, and begins to walk away. The somber air about him is nothing like the way he was holding himself just a few moments before, the shadow cast over all his pride.