Chapter 21 Rebellion
REBELLION
“That’s not normal festival traffic leaving the city,” Yarla observed. “Those are citizens of Astral City. Families are fleeing in droves.”
As they watched from afar, a formation of dragons took flight from the Vermillion Keep’s aerie. Their dark forms became highlighted against the pastel sky. They circled once in a V formation before spreading out to patrol the boundary of the city’s wards.
“Ashes, I think it’s started,” Venrick realized.
“The Flashover?” Hardin asked.
“No, I mean Cheyanne’s efforts are working. The commoners are leaving the city; troops are posted on the wall; the dragons are patrolling the wards. I think the people of Lamar are rising up against the King,” Venrick said, meeting Hardin’s gaze with an intense stare.
A figure emerged from the twilight shadows behind them. The elven scout who’d gone ahead to assess how to approach the city.
“The north gate is under heavy guard and the others surrounding the city are sealed,” he reported.
“Knights and Paragons are checking everyone who wants to enter. I spoke to some of those fleeing the city. There’s been fighting in the Lower Districts between the wall and the Keep.
Our comrades have gained a following. They’re the ones who are actively fighting against the King’s forces.
To make matters worse, some are saying the Flashover’s going to come earlier than expected. It’s creating panic.”
Venrick turned to Hardin and said, “Ezra’s going to have a hard time getting the rest of Cheyanne’s forces into the city if it’s under guard.”
“We’re going to need to send a runner back to him. Let him know to remain out of sight until Cheyanne gives him more orders,” Hardin said.
Venrick addressed the elven scout again, asking, “Did you glean any information about the contact we’re to meet at the Red Stallion?”
The elf shook his head. “When I asked those fleeing the city, I heard from more than one eyewitness that the tavern’s been burned to the ground. Vermillion Keep guards torched it after finding out that it was a front for Cheyanne’s organization.”
“The communication stones are out of Yogo energy. I can’t get a hold of Cheyanne now,” Yarla said.
Hardin cleared his throat. “Sasja told me about Cheyanne’s fallback point. It’s an old temple in the Eastern Quarter. If I had to guess, that’s where they’ll be operating out of now.”
“I’m familiar with that part of the city,” Venrick said.
“That’s where we’ll go, if we get past the wall in once piece.
” He rested his hand on the elf’s shoulder and said, “We need you to go find Ezra and the rest of Cheyanne’s forces.
They’ll need to proceed with caution now that security has increased around the edge of Astral City.
Once we get to Cheyanne, we’ll fill her in.
Hopefully Ezra’s got his own scouts running messages with Cheyanne, but there’s too much at risk not to take precautions. ”
“I’ll go find them,” the elf said, nodding farewell to Yarla and Hardin.
As darkness fell completely, they made their way cautiously toward the city.
The small group of rebel soldiers Venrick, Hardin, and Yarla were traveling with ahead of Eza chose to stick to moving only in the shadows.
They snuck through hedgerows, hid behind barns, and approached under cover of other farm buildings.
Eventually, the line of citizens fleeing the city thinned, making it more likely that their approach would be noticed.
Every time patrols of mounted Knights swept the road, the small squad was forced to hide until they passed.
“If this crowd continues to thin, we’ll never get through the gates,” Hardin whispered as they crouched behind an abandoned farm cart. “Even under cover of darkness, with me creating a gap in the city wards. There are just too many people watching.”
“What if we don’t use the gates,” Venrick suggested, his eyes fixed on a section of the eastern wall. “Remember how we left? The rooftops. If we can clear the wall, we can retrace our escape route.”
“The eastern wall backs up to an industrial district,” Yarla said. “The buildings come close to the battlements there. With some luck and Quin’s help, we might be able to clear the wall quickly enough to remain unseen.”
“If you’re up for it?” Venrick asked.
Hardin paused, communicating with Quin. Then, he gave a nod.
“The city’s wards are not very complex when they’re not activated for a siege.
They should be less complex than those we saw in the Vermillion Keep.
I think I can create a gap fairly quickly and we can fly over.
It’s going to be risky, but I don’t see another way in. ”
“Right then, let’s move,” Venrick said.
They circled wide around the city, approaching from the east through orchards and vineyards. By sticking low to the ground and traveling through the fields, where guards were less likely to be looking, they made fast progress.
When they reached the eastern wall, Venrick confronted the problem he’d been trying to solve the whole time they’d been close to the city.
The thirty-foot stone barrier loomed above them.
Torches were spaced along its length. Guards patrolled in pairs, but their attention appeared to be concentrated on roads and at whatever was happening inside the city.
“Cheyanne’s influence on people in Astral City has definitely had an impact,” Yarla observed. “Look how the guards are positioned.”
“You’re right,” Venrick said. “The guards along the wall are clustered around the eastern gate and most of them are facing inward, toward the Keep. It’s like they’re expecting trouble from within the city.
Trying to prevent them from escaping. I don’t see many of them watching for Ezra and the rest of our forces arriving from the northeast. Maybe they will be able to get in with limited resistance. ”
“Quin’s got a spot picked out for us to fly past. It’s hidden from most of the guards at the gate,” Hardin said.
Within moments, Quinthara’s dark form glided silently through the night sky, landing with impressive stealth in the shadow of an abandoned barn.
“We’ll go in groups of twos and threes,” Venrick said, instructing the small group of rebels that he, Yarla, and Hardin were traveling with.
“Hardin goes last with Quinthara. The rest of our group follow Yarla’s lead once you’re over the wall.
Head for the old temple but stay hidden.
If we get separated, our rendezvous point will remain the same.
Meet at the old temple.” Venrick turned to Hardin, “Let’s see what you’ve got, Ward Walker. ”
Hardin rolled up his sleeves and began working. Within minutes, he nodded to Venrick, signaling he and Quin were ready.
Two elven scouts went first. Quinthara carried them to the top of the wall before slipping down into the city. Then three human rebels, then two dwarves and a Morsythian. Yarla and two elves went next, their slender forms easily lifted by the young dragon.
Finally, only Venrick, Hardin, and two other men remained. “You should go first,” Hardin said. “If anything happens to me, you need to reach Cheyanne to pass on what we’ve learned.”
Venrick clasped his arm. “We both will. Be careful.”
Quinthara silently lifted Venrick and the two other rebels, her massive claws cradling them gently as she rose into the night sky.
The flight lasted several seconds before she deposited them atop an unmanned turret along the wall nearest the industrial district’s roofline.
The two others began climbing down immediately.
Venrick remained for a moment. From this vantage point, he could see into the city.
Fire blazed throughout the buildings in large sections between the Keep and the outer city wall.
Angry crowds were gathering in squares and at crossroads.
Guardsmen formed barriers around tactical buildings.
And at the center of it all, the Vermillion Keep stood illuminated with magical light, glowing like a beacon of authority under siege.
Venrick spotted some of the other rebels he’d traveled with slipping into the tangled streets of the industrial district. As he prepared to follow, he heard shouting from below. He turned to see that a group patrolling the wall had spotted Quinthara.
“Hardin,” he breathed.
Crossbows fired as bolts flew through the darkness, one striking the young dragon’s wing. Quin roared in pain, the sound echoing across the fields.
“Quin!” Hardin shouted, breaking away from his cover and running through the field toward his fallen dragon.
Without hesitation, Venrick slapped down the brismil scale.
Cobalt armor formed around him, fueling his body with raw power.
He jumped from the turret onto a nearby rooftop and sprinted across toward the gate.
As he charged from roof to roof, he could hear more shouts now, guards rallying to the disturbance.
At the Eastern Quarter Gate, chaos erupted. The massive doors swung open as mounted Knights poured out, heading toward the field where Quinthara had fallen. But as they did, a rumbling began, unannounced and completely unexpected.
From within the city, a crowd of people surged toward the East Gate, brandishing makeshift weapons and torches. They crashed into the city troops from behind, forcing them back through the gate in a wave of righteous fury.
“Free Lamar!” citizens shouted.
“The King betrays us!” others called.
The rebellion had reached the Eastern Quarter.
And in the confusion, Venrick knew he could make a difference here.
In a massive leap, he soared over an adjacent roof, landing right in the middle of the troop of Knights.
Power rippled out from his brismil armor as he landed.
Armored men backed away when he summoned Tel’s brismil blade.
“For Lark,” he said under his breath, and in a flash threw himself into action.