Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

As Holli kept watch on the only door, Ryson scouted the perimeter of the roof and looked over the surrounding grounds. He scampered over the edges like a squirrel dancing across thin branches until he reached Holli's position.

"No one's out here. There are guards in the distance-walking the streets-but they seem to be on normal patrol. There are others on the rooftops where we first spotted them, but they're watching the outskirts of town. I don't think anyone knows we're up here yet."

Holli sighed.

"They truly are fools."

"Well, they're not very good at guarding prisoners," Ryson agreed. "Where do we go now?"

Holli scanned the area. Her gaze fell upon the closest building across the alley to her right.

"Can you make the leap to that building?"

Ryson estimated the distance. "It's a jump for me, but I can make it. Can you?"

"Not by jumping, but I can levitate myself that short distance."

"Now?" the delver asked.

Holli nodded. She took long moments to gather the energy needed for the spell of levitation. Levitation differed from teleportation in that Holli would have to ride the waves of magic in the air as opposed to shifting and compacting space to make a conduit for travel. If she tried to teleport such a short distance, she might overshoot her destination. Levitation allowed for more precise movement during the actual trip. She could not fly like Enin-that took far too much magic and control for her-but she could float over small barriers and obstacles.

Ryson left her to concentrate as he lined up his path. He did not break into an all out sprint. Instead, he extended his stride into long flowing leaps off one foot and then the other. When he reached the roof ledge, he swung both arms forward to accelerate his momentum. Angling slightly upward, his body soared across the open space. He landed smoothly on the neighboring rooftop and kept his legs moving under him. Utilizing his forward motion, he glided about in a half-circle before coming to a quiet stop, allowing him to face the guard station.

Just as the delver leapt, Holli unleashed her own spell. The emerald energy circled her at the waist and then lifted her only slightly above the slate roof. Floating in the air, she willed herself forward across the open space of the alleyway and over toward Ryson. She appeared slightly unsteady, riding the waves of magic as if she was trying to navigate a river while standing on a rolling log. Still, she cleared the gap without faltering and floated over the rooftop next to Ryson. When she forcibly stepped downward, the green magic around her body disappeared with a light snap.

She scanned her immediate surroundings and then looked down to the streets below.

"Now where?" Ryson asked.

"We wait right here."

"What are we waiting for?"

"Him," Holli noted, as she pointed to a man in a red cloak entering the guard station with three guards following behind.

"Captain of the guard?" Ryson asked.

Holli nodded, as she pointed out the obvious signs.

"Arriving late at night with escorts. Wearing an officer's cloak despite the warm temperatures. It is the best explanation."

Holli and Ryson remained in the shadows of the neighboring rooftop and their angle of perspective gave them only a limited view of the door to the guard station. They both watched as the man in the red cloak entered the building and all three guards followed him inside like obedient dogs following their master. Holli waited a few moments, watching for activity at the front of the guard house, before explaining further.

"He was coming to see us," the elf guard continued. "He is the only one who walks with any semblance of authority. Let us see if he is any smarter than the others."

Long moments passed. Holli continued to gaze at the door intently. It remained shut. Eventually, she heaved a sigh.

"Even he is inept."

"I know," Ryson agreed. "No one has come outside to search the grounds. I wonder what they'll do when they finally get into the jail and see we're gone. Do you think they'll notice the vent shaft is missing the cap?"

"In all honesty, no. Based on what I have seen thus far, they will most likely assume we simply vanished into thin air."

From within the building, they heard a large crash and the echoing clang of metal against rock.

"Sounds like they knocked the door over," Ryson whispered. "Maybe the hinges were rusted in place."

"Maybe they are bungling imbeciles," Holli offered with more than a hint of disgust.

Ryson wouldn't argue. He marveled at how poorly the guards had handled each situation. He wondered if the soldiers of Huntston had any training, or if they were even truly soldiers at all. He began to believe that they were nothing more than local hooligans dressed in uniform.

"I'm guessing they take a long time in searching the cells," the delver added. "They'll think we're hiding under a mattress."

"I would not be surprised."

They waited patiently in the night. Holli scanned the surrounding streets of the town and gauged the passage of time. It was getting late, perhaps even well past midnight. The roads were silent, the number of townspeople outside dwindled to nothing. Many of the street lamps burned out, leaving much of the town bathed in gloom.

Finally, the front door of the guard station swung open as if shoved angrily. The man in the red cloak walked with clear agitation through the doorway and down the brick path. Again, he was followed by three guards.

"What do you think?" Ryson asked.

Holli watched the man move and believed she knew exactly where he was going.

"He is returning home."

"Are you sure?"

"Reasonably. They could not find us. It is late. What would he do? Issue orders to continue the search and alert him when they find us. He would not stand around with his guards. Look at how he walks with the soldiers following behind him, how he wears that cloak like the cape of a superior. He thinks he is above them. He will go home because he is too important to wait around."

"Should we hit him there?"

"I would prefer to question him on the streets where he would feel much more vulnerable. I just do not wish to do it in front of three guards."

"How about one?"

Holli looked to the delver as she deduced his meaning.

"That would be acceptable, if you were there to keep the remaining soldier under your guard. You will remove the other two?"

"Done. Just keep following them. When you see me take out the second guard, you can make your move."

Ryson waited only for a heartbeat to note Holli's acceptance of his plan before sprinting silently to the back side of the rooftop. He swung down a drainage pipe to the ground and then raced around to the street. Hiding behind a corner, he watched the four men continue to walk hurriedly down the well lit avenue. Once they made their first turn onto a darker side road, he headed back down the alley and made several twists and turns through side streets and narrow paths.

Ryson didn't know how far the captain lived from the jail, so he wasted little time. He had memorized the layout of the nearby streets and alleys from his previous position on the rooftops. He used them to his full advantage. Gauging the position of the guards, he rushed down alleys in a flash. He created just enough noise to be heard as distant footsteps and raced through just enough light to be seen as a darting shadow, nothing more.

The guards stopped when they heard the first disturbance. They looked to the source but saw nothing other than a flash of movement. Before they could investigate further, another burst of motion caught their attention down a different alley.

As they stepped cautiously forward, they heard footsteps above them on the rooftops and then a clamor behind them. Bursts of movement seemed to come from everywhere at once. None of the soldiers could get a clear glimpse of the subtle commotion. It was all shadows, rustles, and flashes, like an eerie wind blowing from all directions or a phantom in the distance never quite taking full shape.