23 Agents of Shield (1/2)
”For we are the shield that defends the realm of fay, the guide to the faithless who've lost their way, the sword that protects against threats unknown, the guardians who watch over the empty throne,” Aura recited this while she looked up at the entrance of the white stone spire before us.
It was an impressive-looking tower that had been shaped out of the naturally forming stalagmite cropping out of the ground. The tower soared up to the sky reaching nearly as high as the surrounding cliff's hundred-foot peak, making it one of the largest structures in the city and second only to that of the city lord's spire. The tower's surface, painted ivory white from top to bottom, was covered in leaf-like geometric patterns indicative of elven design. Two life-like stone trees chiseled at intervals appeared on each floor, their branches bowed like arches over entryways or windows.
”Did you make that up yourself?” I asked Aura after she'd finished her rhyme.
Aura shook her head. ”No... it's the sacred pledge made by every shieldmaiden during their joining.”
”Huh,” I glanced sideways at her and saw the half-longing stare she sent the tower. ”How do you know the shieldmaidens pledge?”
”I trained as one,” Aura dropped that bomb in such a casual way that I almost missed the implication in it.
”Y-you we're a shieldmaiden?” I asked, surprised.
She shook her head again. ”I trained as a shieldmaiden but I was never able to pledge... my brother and Great General Darah took me back before I could.”
There was obviously more to this, but I'd been very reluctant to ask Aura about her back story. I preferred she told me bits and pieces as our trust with one another got stronger or when she was in a sharing mood like now. Therefore, I stayed silent and waited for more details to arrive but no more details were forthcoming as she'd gone quiet in her contemplation.
I followed her gaze back to the tower in front of us which in my eyes was an inspired piece of architecture that seemed to brighten up the surrounding area of the district we'd arrived in.
Yes, we were now in another part of the city, and the trip it took to get here was a short but sad journey.
Earlier, after he'd packed his merchandise and closed his stall down for the rest of the night, Zarz led our band of Foolhardies out of the marketplace and back onto the main cobbled street of Broken Sellsword's Canyon. From there, he led us further into the city and into a very busy district west of the central way which is how we'd arrived at the Slave Quarter.
Except for its central square where the shieldmaiden's tower stood, the entire quarter was nothing but filth and rot and decadence. Steel cages of all sizes were piled high on top of one another in ordered rows all around us. It was the complete opposite of the marketplace's ordered disorder.
Everywhere you looked, you would find rows upon rows of cages filled to capacity with occupants whose dead eyes stared back at you in glazed hopelessness. From humans to dwarves to elves to trolls and elementals, it seemed every race of the fay and humanity were accounted for. They were all naked too, even the females. And although they had no shackles keeping them tied we all assumed they had the same slave mark that Luca had which was only visible in daylight.
As there was only one road from the slave quarter's entrance to the central square where the shieldmaiden's tower stood, it became difficult for us not to pay attention to the depravity displayed before us while we walked onward. It was especially hard for Luca who kept his eyes glued front and center to avoid being reminded of his own misfortune.
He was whispering under his breath, ”It's not you. You're not in the cages anymore...”
It was admirable how he held himself together like that despite the obvious itch to do something crazy like freeing the slaves and starting a revolt. Honestly, it was even hard for me to keep quiet at the sight of the misery before me, and a quick glance at the rest of my gang told me I wasn't alone in feeling agitated. Edo, in particular, had a murderous glare wherever he cast his eyes. This helped to keep the sleazy slave traders from walking up to us and invading our personal space to hawk their wares in our faces.
It wasn't until we'd reached the central square and stood before the shieldmaiden's tower that we relaxed and Aura got contemplative about her memories as one of their trainees.
”Are we just going to stand here and gawk at the front door or do you guys want to try knocking on it?” Luca asked.
”I vote we knock,” Varda raised her hand. ”I'm getting the chills just standing out here with all that misfortune happening behind us.”
”Me too,” Zarz agreed. ”Muddamit, I hate coming by here... if it wasn't for the prospect of finally seeing my master's inventions finally finding a purpose... well, I don't like it here at all...”
”Sorry,” Aura glanced back at Varda and Zarz with an apologetic smile. ”Yes, we should enter as soon as possible.”
We walked up the stone stairs and once we reached the top step, the stone door slid up by itself like an automatic garage door that had been expecting visitors. Waiting for us on the other side of the door was a female with skin a lighter shade of brown than her short-cropped hair.
The shieldmaiden had a painted face of spiral leaves on one side of her face. Her eyes and lips shared the same green shade. She wore a silver breastplate over a sleeveless white robe that ended just above her knee. Her sandals were covered in metal around the shins. The bangles on her forearms were the same. There was a coiled green vine wrapped around her hips like a thick belt. Behind her was a round shield roughly the size of a car tire.
”Greetings, travelers,” the shield maiden's deep green eyes scanned each of our faces. ”Have you come to seek enlightenment?”
Aura bowed her head slightly before she responded with, ”We have come for a blessing, sister.”
The shieldmaiden returned Aura's bow. ”Then you have come to the right place... a blessing can be given, provided you have sufficient offering.”
The shieldmaiden glanced at the hilt of my falchion as well as the glaive on Edo's back.
”You are armed... that is good. It seems your offering will be mighty.” That said, she turned around and walked into the corridor beyond.
”Can we go in now?” A drop of sweat slid down Luca's cheek. His face was tense.
Aura patted him gently on the arm. ”Why don't you lead the way.”
She was amazing with how well she handled Luca's nervousness as you could visibly see the calm return to his face when he nodded to her.
Luca walked into the tower with the rest of us following close behind.