Escape from Kornton.

 

The whip cracked again. The tortured prisoner's groan mingled with Zulu's loud laughter.

"Speak, dog. Where are the Talants hiding?" Zulu shouted, using the whip again.

The prisoner groaned again, but said nothing. He had been tormented for a month, having been discovered in Kornton spying on Zulen's priests. They wanted to kill him immediately after his capture, but they discovered he was one of the Talants and decided to extract information from him

about the current location of one of their outposts. The prisoner knew full well that if he yielded, the Zulu would kill him, so he remained silent.

Finally, the torturer stopped striking. Talants was untied from the posts that held him in a standing position and led to his cell. It was small and incredibly dirty. It had no windows, but through the barred door, one could observe what was happening in the corridor. The only furniture in the cell was a narrow bunk, or rather, a board chained to the wall. The prisoner immediately lay down on it, face down. He wanted to fall asleep as quickly as possible, knowing that in about two or three hours, another Zulu would come for him and torture him again. Talant wondered what torture they would use this time. Would he be whipped again, burned, or strangled? Or perhaps they would invent a new torture?

Many possibilities for inflicting pain flashed through his tormented mind, each more inventive than the last. The prisoner agonized until he finally fell asleep.

He was awakened by noises coming from the hallway. He glanced toward the door. The jailer had just reached it and was clumsily trying to open it. Suddenly, something whirred in the air, and an arrow lodged in his neck. Before Talant could realize what was happening, a man reached the door and began to hurriedly open it. The man wore leather trousers and a fur-trimmed jacket. A bow hung over his shoulder, and a quiver full of arrows on his back. A sword hung from his belt.

The prisoner was wondering who this man was when he suddenly noticed a medallion hanging around his neck. The Talnat guild mark was engraved on it.

"Thanks be to Talant!" the prisoner shouted, simultaneously falling to his knees.

Meanwhile, the owner of the madalion opened the cell. "

There will be time to thank Talant later, Darius; for now, we must escape from here as quickly as possible," the stranger said.

The prisoner was not surprised that the mysterious man knew his name; after all, he had come here to save him.

"Come out, we must hurry."

Darius stepped out into the corridor. As he moved, the wounds on his back stung incredibly. However, when his rescuer began to run, despite the immense pain, he followed. They were heading for the door at the end of the corridor. Suddenly, the door flew open, and two of Zulén's guardsmen burst out. They ran one after the other, the first of them raising a gigantic axe high above his head. The Talanta guild member, seeing them, made a gesture with his hand that looked as if he were pushing something. A dagger flew from his tunic sleeve and plunged into the first guardsman's eye. He screamed and dropped the axe, which fell on his companion's head, shattering his skull. Meanwhile, Darius and his rescuer ran to the first guardsman, who was still clutching his head. The guardsman regained his composure and reached for his sword, but the Talanta guild member was faster, and while his opponent held the sword's hilt in his hand,

he slashed him across the neck. The blow knocked the guardsman to the floor.

"May I know your name?" Darius asked as they ran through the door.

"I'm Kreton," his companion replied. "

I've heard of you; you're one of the best warriors in the Talanta guild."

"Possibly, but still not good enough."

"Good enough? For what?"

"To become a Tillite. " "

I don't believe it.

" "Then believe it. To become a Tillite, I must demonstrate more than just skill with a weapon."

Darius didn't ask any more questions. He wasn't interested in the Tullit path; he preferred to become a Tellan, but Kreton's words nevertheless gave him pause. If so much was expected of Tillites, what would he have to demonstrate to become a Tellan? If he ever had the chance. "There'll be time for reflection later, once I'm out of here," he finally thought.

Meanwhile, they had already run up the stairs and were climbing. At the top of the stairs, they encountered a Zulu and two guards. Enemies blocked the way, so whether they wanted to or not, Darius and Kreton were forced to fight. The Talanta guild member wasted no time. He immediately unslung his bow and fired two arrows, one after the other. Both arrows were accurate, piercing the guards' throats. Zulu immediately drew his sword and charged at Kreton. Before he could react, Darius had overtaken him. Despite all the pain he felt, he mustered a mighty effort. As Zulu prepared to strike, the former captive grabbed his wrist and kneed him in the groin. Then he delivered a punch under the chin. When his opponent was momentarily dazed, Darius wrenched his sword free and slashed him across the temple.

"Not very noble," Kreton stated.

"We don't have time for nobility.

" "Right."

They resumed their run. Darius took his Zulu sword with him, so they'd have something to defend themselves with if necessary.

Soon they were in the courtyard. Ten guards and three Zulu were waiting for them.

"Head left," Kreton hissed.

They ran in that direction. Only three guards stood there, but they were armed with spears. One of them, seeing the fugitives running towards them, threw his spear. His weapon struck Kreton's side. Darius's companion screamed and fell, but a moment later got up. He rushed at the guards with a savage roar. Before Darius could realize what was happening, two guards were already on the ground, and a third was receiving a powerful sword blow. "

Hurry!" Kreton shouted.

As the former captive ran up to him, the Talanta guild member took his medallion from around his neck and handed it to Darius.

"Take it, I have no use for it anymore.

" "But..."

"Go, I'll stop them."

"I can't.

" "You have to."

Darius reluctantly ran on, but turned around for a moment. Kreton stood in the courtyard, surrounded by guards. However, none of them wanted to approach him for fear of losing their lives. Then Kreton grabbed a spear from the ground and threw it forward. The throw was accurate, and the spear embedded itself in the head of one of the guards. After this, the rest of Zulén's army lost all resistance and attacked the guild member Talant.

Darius couldn't bear to watch, turning and running toward the gate. As he approached, about twenty guards suddenly surrounded him. They were about to pounce when a sharp voice rang out, like fire. "

Stand back. I will punish this prisoner myself."

The guards immediately parted. A tall figure in a long red robe appeared before Darius, hovering above the ground. Its hands were tucked into wide sleeves. A hood was pulled over its head, obscuring its face. The figure's eyes blazed with a red light.

"Zulé," Darius whispered in horror.

Zulit thrust his clawed hands from his sleeves, and flames appeared on them. The mage formed a ball of it and hurled it at Darius. The former captive was terrified. He didn't know what to do and instinctively shielded himself with his sword. The steel immediately began to glisten, and when the fireball struck the sword, an incredible light emanated from it, but Darius, surprisingly, saw everything clearly. He wanted to reach the gate as quickly as possible, but Zulit blocked his path. Talant decided to take a risk. He quickly ran to the mage and plunged his sword into his stomach with all his might. The blow was so powerful that his sword pierced Zulit completely. The mage's eyes went blank, and he fell to the ground. Darius quickly ran towards the gate. It was guarded by two guards, but upon seeing the pierced Zulit, they fled in panic. The former captive struggled to open the gate and ran outside the Kornton Keep. He was alive and free; something he hadn't believed in for a long time had become a reality. However, something clouded his joy. He was now fleeing Cornton, but Creton had paid for his freedom with his life.