Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
TYNAN
Asudden bang on my door startled me awake.
“What the hell!” I muttered, getting up.
“Rise and shine!” a familiar voice sounded from the hall.
“Erin?” I frowned.
“You should be glad I’m here. I have something for you,” the smug voice continued.
“Go away,” I said loud and clear.
“Haha. I see you didn’t miss me,” Erin responded.
I raised my eyebrows, but approached the door and unbolted it.
The young man with light blond hair, dressed in a black set of armor, leaned against the door frame.
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
“You should be grateful that I flew all the way here from Railand. It took me two days and multiple stops. It’s a dangerous job.” I met his gaze, unimpressed. He continued, “Anyway, you have new orders. Here.” He extended his arm, producing a narrow, rolled-up directive.
I opened the cylinder and the freshly folded paper stretched out in the palm of my hand.
“What now?” I frowned.
“Maybe you should be more enthusiastic about your job so they’ll give you something else to do.” Erin grinned.
“Do you mean like being a carrier pigeon for the council?” Frid appeared in the hallway.
“Oh, my lady. You look fantastic, as usual. When can I convince you to grab drinks with me, gorgeous?” Erin turned his whole body to the girl, completely forgetting about me.
“Hm . . . Do you want a simple answer or a detailed one?” Frid crossed her arms on her chest.
“With you, babe, I don’t want anything simple,” Erin smirked.
My eyes darted over the lines of the handwritten note. I sighed and clenched my teeth.
“What is it?” Frid ignored the young man who was still standing between us.
“They want you to collect a high-security prisoner from the fallen fortress.” Erin kept all of his attention on Frid.
“Why are you reading our orders?” Frid tilted her head to the side.
“Oh, come on, Alfrida, darling. It’s hardly a crime,” Erin said.
“I’m pretty sure it is,” she responded.
“What am I supposed to do? All alone for days without a soul with me, surrounded by heartless monsters?” Erin still talked while I returned to the room, strapped my knives to my waist, and quickly washed up.
My shoulder length hair was dampened when I raked it back with my wet hand.
Without listening to any more of the conversation, I pushed past Erin and walked down to the main hall.
My eyes kept landing on the evidence of last night’s attack.
The blood splatters on the walls, pieces of torn clothes and broken furniture.
Not for the first time, I thought how messed up it was that it was just another day in Talman.
Life goes on, no matter what. I could barely remember the way we were before.
A tragedy of this magnitude would have been devastating before the outbreak, but that was years ago.
Instead of a remembrance ceremony, we were getting breakfast in the dining hall and talking about the next mission.
“Alfrida, darling. Why do you stay with these guys? You are so talented. I’m sure you could easily get another assignment.” Erin placed himself close to Frid.
“What’s he doing here?” Victor sneered, dropping into the chair beside Frid.
“Victor, Solomon. I’d like to say it’s a pleasure, but I’d be lying,” Erin smirked.
Sol sat on the opposite side of the table and Frid rolled her eyes.
“What do you know about this?” I asked, eying the messenger.
“Why do you think I know anything?” Erin grinned.
I leaned back in my seat, unimpressed.
“Alright, but only because of you, Alfrida, darling.” Erin lowered his voice.
“There were rumors in the palace that it was a dangerous assassin, some kind of renegade. I say . . . he’s probably someone’s relative and they can’t just execute him.
That’s why they placed him in a high-security prison.
” Erin leaned forward, shifting his gaze from me, to Victor, to Solomon.
“Prison?” Victor gave me a short, inquiring look.
“That’s not what the note says.” I took out the paper and spread it on the table.
“As if they would tell us anything.” Erin lowered his voice and looked around.
“If it’s so secure, how come they had an outbreak?” Frid chewed on her lip.
“It’s a mystery. I say the poor bastard is probably already dead. If I were you, I would do a fly-by, and return to your post then say that no one survived.” Erin gave me a significant look.
“I can never tell if you’re joking, or being serious,” Frid said slowly.
“I have nothing but the truth for you, babe.” Erin winked at her.
“Get over yourself,” Victor chimed in.
“Do you have something to say?” Erin straightened in his seat.
“I have plenty to say,” Victor replied.
“Enough!” I snapped. “We’ll go to the prison and pick him up.”
“You’re making a mistake. Do you know how massive that place is? Have you heard about the Devil's Cave?” Erin continued.
“Is that where we’re going?” Frid moved the note closer to herself.
“Yes.” I rubbed my eyes.
“Terrific.” Victor placed his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his fist.
“That’s not all. The prison has two levels. A low-security section and a high-security section. The place you need is located below the ground. You can’t just get in from the roof. You will have to walk through a labyrinth of corridors. It’s a suicide mission.”
“What do we do?” Frid’s eyes found mine.
“We’ll fly-by and check it out,” I responded.
“He’s gone, man. There’s no way anyone is still alive. It’s been three days since the outbreak. Maybe more.” Erin shook his head as if thinking about something else. “You know, I bet they would take you all back if you asked.”
“What are you mumbling about?” Victor asked.
“I was not mumbling, and I was not talking to you. Hear me out, Ty. Things did not go smoothly when we all left, but I bet the clan would take you back if you repent,” Erin continued.
I focused on the food placed on a large ceramic plate.
The bread was freshly baked, but the dough was lumpy and gray.
I chewed, trying to come up with a plan that would help us survive the new mission.
I would never admit it, but fear nested deep in my heart.
I was not sure if I could protect all of them.
My eyes landed on the chair where the Lord of Hogtain sat last night, surrounded by his family. The table was empty, like a grim prediction of what was to come.