Master of Chains

Angeline sighed. "Thank Lathander for his protection, it held."

"It's not over yet," said Liam.

"Liam of Duhlnarim," Captain Beetlestone's shouting was muffled by the stone walls and wooden door. "Surrender yourself into our custody, or we will be forced to smoke you out."

"Liam," said his mother, the sound of worry evident in her voice, "what do they mean?"

Samira put her arms around the older woman. "It means they intend to burn down the house."

Angeline gasped.

Liam could see the fear in their eyes. He felt it too. But more than fear, he felt guilt. Guilt over having caused this. Guilt for having put these two women through so much.

"Liam of Duhlnarim," came the dull, shouting voice again. "This is your last chance. Come out now, or we'll light the roof."

Liam looked at the heavy wooden door. He had no choice. Placing his sword on the table, he turned to his mother and Samira and put his arms around them.

"Take good care of each other," he said. "I'll miss you both very much." Then he turned and headed for the door.

Ryder lay on the floor. His body ached from the beatings. His skin wept from the burnings.

Captain Phi

Ryder's head lolled back on his shoulders. "Go ahead and kill me."

Captain Phi

Ryder let his head slide gently to the stone floor. "If you kill me now, I will be immortalized." He coughed, a thick ball of phlegm dislodging itself. He spat the mucus and the accompanying blood out beside him, then continued. "The Crimson Awl shall chant my name as they knock down the portcullis and ransack Zerith Hold." He smiled as the image of the resistance marching on this fortress, killing the guards and overthrowing Purdun, ran through his head. It was the most beautiful sight. "I'll become a martyr."

Phi

The other guardsmen laughed.

"Seems you've been holding your boys back," said Phi

Ryder just closed his eyes and tried to focus on the parts of his body that didn't hurt so much. Phi

"You're missing another very important detail," continued the captain.

"Yeah?" replied Ryder. "What's that?"

"It was one of your own who tipped us off about the ambush."

Ryder's eyes shot open.

"Seems one of your own boys wants you dead." Phi

Ryder swallowed hard and shook his head. "Never. I don't believe you."

"That's what I thought." Captain Phi

Ryder was already in so much pain that it hurt more to double over than to just lie there and let his ribs throb.

"Ryder of Duhlnarim," Captain Phi

"What?" shouted Ryder. "I did no such-"

Phi

"This is preposterous-"

Captain Phi

"Right, then." Phi

The guardsmen all nodded.

"This is no court," pleaded Ryder. "I demand to see the barrister."

"As punishment, I, Captain Phi

Captain Phi

Chapter 5

Liam marched across the drawbridge, stopping just short of the portcullis guarding Zerith Hold, Lord Purdun's stronghold in Duhlnarim. The young revolutionary was accompanied by nearly two-dozen guardsmen.

Apparently the baron considered Liam a very dangerous man.

Without a word from Captain Beetlestone or any of the other guards, someone raised the portcullis before them. The clanking of the heavy chains as they lifted the iron gate reminded Liam of the sound of a ship's anchor. When he and Ryder were young boys, they used to hang out by the docks in Port Duhlnarim-only a stone's throw from where he was now-pretending they were pirates about to sail away on an adventure.

The sound of anchor chains meant a ship was about to leave port. Liam had loved to watch the tremendous sails being hoisted, snapping taut as they filled with air. He had always dreamed of one day taking a voyage far away from Erlkazar. The clanging of the portcullis raising reminded him of those childhood feelings. Now, more than ever, he wished he were aboard one of those ships, sailing away.

The iron gate reached its full height and stopped. Along its bottom edge, a dozen sharp spikes angled downward like a set of dragon's teeth ready to devour anyone foolish enough to enter. The sharpened metal had corroded some over the years. Its marred, pockmarked surface was reddish brown, either from rust or the coagulated blood of its victims.

Behind the portcullis, a set of huge wooden doors, banded together with iron, swung open. Liam imagined it would take an elephant, or perhaps a pair of them, to knock them down. He could honestly say they were the largest doors in Duhlnarim. Hells, they were the largest doors he'd seen in his whole life.

Captain Beetlestone shoved Liam with the butt of his sword. The pointed metal dug into his back and Liam lurched forward through the opening. He had never been inside Zerith Hold before. This had always been the prize the Crimson Awl had coveted. He could hear Ryder's words echo in his head. "When the time is right, we will storm the gates and kill the oppressive bastards inside.''

Liam had always believed those words. But he could see it was going to be a lot harder than they had imagined.

Just inside the front gate, the stone walls were lined with archer's ports-murder slits, Liam had heard them called. As he was marched by, he could see that even now they were ma