Chapter 16 : The Great Encasement Lock

Lisa looks around seeing that they are now confined inside a ten voet hallway, surrounded by stone walls on both sides with a ceiling slumbering twenty voet above them. A staircase with uneven steps lead up several stories and bends to the right. Turning around Lisa, grabs the lock’s spinning lever when Christ puts his hand on her forearm.

“Don’t, we will possibly need an escape plan and if you remember all the guards are above us. The chance of getting flanked is low, but I wish you would have kept the barrell.”

Pulling out the staff, “Right, so me or you first?” I bet a weeks earning it going to be me, she thinks to herself.

Christ pats his cloak around his waist and thighs, puckering his mouth to the left and right. “I will go first, cause I am gonna guess there is alot of corners and decent corridor distance for range support.”

Lisa’s eyebrows shoot up her forehead, “Really?”

Christ pulls out seven throwing daggers, settling them in his right hand, and withdrawing an eighth in his left hand. “Yes, I highly doubt you have any range capability. What good is a meat shield if it dies at an archer?” He winks moving up the staircase, walking with his body low and turned sideways. He steps along the left side of the hallway with his eyes focused on the bend up ahead.

Lisa follows on the right side of the hall with her spear ready. The different in step size almost causes her to trip, making her slow her pace. Come on! This is really inconvenient to walk up. Whoever built this hand no skill whatsoever, letting out a low growl.

Reaching the top of the staircase, the ear thumbing vibration of a bell reverberates down the stone walkway. Lisa winces at the sound blasts her, “I think they know we are here. . .” 

Christ glances down the hallway before proceeding forward with daggers at the ready, “Poor move on their end, they wont be able to hear our exact position. Plus we take our time, where most others would rush.”

Squinting her eyes, stepping behind him, “We won't be able to hear them either Christ.”

Christ moving slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving the intersection up ahead. “Doesn’t matter for us, they won’t be coming after us. We will be running into them.”

Lisa falls in behind Christ till they get to the end of the hallway, seeing Christ point to the opposite wall, I guess I am spotting his corner, she moves to the wall stepping a few steps behind Christ. Reaching the corner Christ gives a nod and in sync they lean to peak around the corner. Lisa knees down with the staff at the ready and slightly leans, with her head barely poking around the corner. She can see the hallway extends thirty voet down and runs into a dead end. 

Christ leans out with his left hand at the ready, but jerks back. Seeing the blur of motion, she feels a slight gust of wind and something graze along the side of her head. A ding from the otherside of the wall, where Christ was standing. Landing at her feet is a metal crossbow bolt. Her heart sinks with the realization, If I would have leaned anymore out. . .

“Hey you okay?” Christ says moving over to Lisa, looking her over.

“Y. .Yeah, it grazed me that was all,” her eyes slowly move to meet his.

“Well, I didn’t lie when I said we were going to run into them. There are only two of them, about forty voet down. I have a plan.”

Nodding her head, “What is it?” 

“When I give the signal—-”

“Let me cut you off, I don’t like how this starts,” putting her palm out toward him.

“Its fine, trust me. . .as I was saying on my signal, I want you to run out there bouncing from wall to wall. Once they both fire, they need to reload and thats when you sprint toward them.”

Frowning at him, “What about you?”

“I will be take them out, once they fire.” Patting her on the shoulder, “Ready?”

“No,” shaking her head vigorously.

“Well. . .” He closes his eyes for a second listening. Not hearing anything after three seconds, “good luck.” Christ uses his foot to slice her lead foot from under her, while she is off balance he pushes her at the hips into the hallway. 

“What the—” Lisa’s brain running blindly with all the sudden new information of her situation. A thought halfway forms, then vanishes, and in that instant forms a new thought, which repeats the cycle. The hallway only looks a short distance at first, expands endlessly into a far off point. The hallway is silent, no guards in sight. Run. move. Dodge. RUN she repeats coaching her body from its stone like state.  

Throwing herself from wall to wall she slowly advances down the hallway. She makes it halfway down the hallway, Maybe they are still reloading, or maybe they ran away. Slamming into the left wall, she sees two figures step out from behind the left bend. Each with a crossbow in hand, one kneels down pointing the crossbow down range. His comrade stands behind him taking aim, please great Mortal Soul don’t let me die in this place. Just let them miss, please I need to get them out of this city. 

A tear formed in her eye when she could see them tracking her movement. She could see their fingers on the triggers, I am so Teriled, she thought to herself. Preparing to slam into the wall, she could feel her feet catch on something and balance shift away. Gravity did the rest, sending her flying toward the wall in a downward tumble. The crossbow bolts were released and flew just above her, clanking off the wall. Lisa crashes against the ground, “GET UP!” she could hear Christ yelling out.

The sound of wind whipping zooms past her as another grey blur soars through the air. Embedding itself deep into the standing guards throat. The life giving fluid coating his friend as the man falls to the ground. Before she knew what it, she pushes herself off the ground. Dashing at the remaining guard, who drops his crossbow attempting to pull out his shortsword. Closing the distance, she rams the spear through the man’s chest before he is able to withdraw his weapon. 

Her hands feels guided, removing the spear and piercing the man’s skull from underneath his jaw for the killing blow. She can feel the full weight of the man’s body push down on the staff. Pulling it out she gazes down the new pathway, seeing it go down forty voet, ending in a heavy steel door. 

“Hellia girl, that was smooth. This is why I don’t believe you don’t have any training. You killed a guard that easy, when we get out of here you are gonna me the truth.” Christ says, searching through the guards pockets and pouches. He pulls out a set of keys and takes both their short swords, securing their holsters around his waist.

Lisa looks down at the crossbow laying on the ground behind the crimson pool. “I told you I never had training. I was a simple farm girl,” her gaze unwilling to move from the tool of destruction. A calling deep inside her calls to the weapon, putting her staff in its holster. She picks up the crossbow, feeling a familiarity with it. Lisa closes her eyes, as visions flood her mind of her father's training. She could see the hundreds of hours on the hay range gaining proficiency, feeling the burning in her muscles of the countless times he had reloaded a similar model. She understood the functions and secrets her father gained with his years carrying this weapon. Watching what she could tell was his final battle, this weapon in his and his comrades hands broke the mounted troops line. Observing him set the weapon down with care on the ground, before running into the final battle with his axe and shield.

The vision as she continues to stare at the crossbow. Christ waves his hand in front of her face, “Okay that's weird. Hey Lisa, I know they look cool and all, but that isn’t easy to use and we need to go.”

Ignoring Christ she walks over and removes the bolt pouch from one of the guards, attaching it to her leg.

“Oh, I am sorry, I guess I was thinking to myself. That is not easy to use, most people can even reload those things without some training. So, since you can’t reload it, you ain’t gonna take it with you.”

Lisa looks at him, leaning down she takes a bolt from the other guards pouch and loads it in the crossbow with easy and speed. Her fingers easily recalling each levers motion and knob twist. “I reloaded it, so I take it I am okay to use this,” She says heading to the door.

“This would have been a useful thing to know, but it’s not like I am making a plan to get us through this alive.” Christ spreads his arms before he lets them drop slapping his sides.

Lisa turns, “Christ, I promise you I have never received any training. Why would I lie? I just feel comfortable, it’s like an inherited training you could say.”

“If you say so, but is there anything else you can use?” Christ steps up to the door putting in the key.

“At this moment not that I can think of.” Lisa smiles with a shrug, readying the crossbow toward the other side.

Christ unlocking the door, he flings it open stepping off to the side behind cover of the wall. Lisa scans the area down through the sight of the crossbow, “I don’t see anyone, it looks like the area opens up into a large room. I can see a staircase on the across the way, it looks build into the wall. I can’t see the rest due to the short hallway on the other side of the door.”

“Its likely the trap room, that staircase most likely leads to the gate lever.” Christ says peaking into the room, “Yep, looks about right.”

“How do you know?” Lisa kneels down trying to get a better few of what lies above on the far side.

“If you got the coin, someone has the knowledge.” Christ steps through the door, pressing against the wall. The bell’s constant ringing seems to subside, till only its ghostly echoes remain.

Why would you pay someone for—-, she thought stepping behind him till his hand shot up as if listening for something, “What is it?” she whispered.

“How good of a shot are you?” glancing back at Lisa.

“I’m not sure, I would assume basic.” shifting her attention to Christ.

He exhales, “Well with you track record, I am going to assume your a Hellian decent shot. Look from what I have been told, there is going to be like a balcony above us wrapping around the room. I am going to climb up this wall to the top, but I am going to be a sittin goblin for the archers on the far side. I want you to go in, circumvent this arc,” Christ mimics a right quarter circle closest to them. “Killing anyone you see or at very least give them a good target to shoot.”

“I feel like I am always going first, taking all the danger.” Lisa lowers her crossbow looking at him.

“It's your trial, so of course you're gonna be doing all the heavy lifting.”

“I feel like this is more than just testing me, why would you have paid for—-,” Lisa frowns at him, casting her sharp words.

Christ steps up to Lisa, getting so close she can feel his breath upon her,“if you wanna throw a fit and question everything I tell you, then I will leave with Nixon and leave you to get out of the city on your own.” 

If your just gonna use me fine, but I swear if you try to go back on your word. Biting her lip, she looks at the room ahead of them. Alright girl you got this, just like before, but a bit more shooting and less tripping. Father please guide my hand, and Mortal Soul protect me. Her blood starts to pump stepping into the room. She can see that Christ was right seeing the room a tight Oval. A single staircase on the far side wrapping around the back quarter stopping thirty voet high. The walkway carved out of the wall wrapped around the whole room with a door on the right side near the top of the stairs. She couldn’t help but gawk at the construction of this place,  ahhhh, so this is what the gate tower looks like on the inside. I always thought it would be more like a standard building. 

Not seeing anyone, she side steps rightward leading her crossbow at every new voeti she discovers along the walkway. The room was now silent with only her heartbeat thumping in her ear. She made it the full quarter and didn’t see anyone. Giving a sideways thumb, Well he should be good, I think it might have only been those two. Shame they had to die doing their job. I hope this—-, Lisa freezes hearing a door open above her. Yelf, the gate door is above me. At least he won’t be able to see me, kneeling down to make herself as small as possible. Crossbow still stalking the far side walkway.

From above she could hear a young man’s voice. His voice was rhythmic and gentle, “Men! As you know we have been breached. We, like all the other Retribution Gates, must keep the gate closed at all cost. Yonk and Gregory should be able take care of it, but if not you four are the final defense. May the Mortal Soul guide you, and may you bring honor to your respective clan.” From the fair corner she can see a man in leather armor, with a crossbow stand up and salute. 

Four voices from across the room, along the walkway sound off, “Yes Sir!” 

Yelp, four isn’t impossible, but surely isn’t going to be easy. If I take the shot now, he might lay back down and I will have to walk up and risk getting shot in the back if I want to get him. I also alert the guards thougt. She gets a burning feeling in the pit of her stomach and a feeling of comfort and runs along hr shoulders and arms. Worst case they lay down and crawl to different points, best case they start running along the walkway. Well, if Lena told me nothing else, it was go with my gut.

Moving her crossbow toward the saluting man, she holds her breath. Keeping both eyes open, she lines the sight up just above the soldier’s head. Putting her finger on the trigger, she slowly applies pressure. She can see the latch release, sending the rope and the bolt jetting across the rail. Tracking the steel rod fly though the air, bending with the slightest arm. The snap from the crossbow hits her ear, the bolt halfway to its mark, unblinking she watches it strike the man directly in the head. The guards cranium smacks off the wall, his body limp, collapsing to the ground.

The gentle voice now stern, “They are here! KILL THEM!”

A female voice from above, “They killed Simon! Kill them quick and without hesitation!”

Lisa stays in position, swinging the crossbow string lever back in place, loading another bolt. Okay, just do it for the family. Three more to go, till we are one step closer to getting out of here. For Ma and Pa, you got this. She takes deeps breaths her gaze on the walkway, listening to the panic above.