139 The Plan that Failed (1/2)

\”Muddamit, I think you're right, Luca,\” Qwipps exclaimed. \”What is that shit stain doing here?\”

He walked over to join me and Luca as we stood next to the first gate that had blocked our way to rescuing Ty.

\”He's probably here to give us a headache just like when he was failing to command us,\” Varda joined in.

She'd moved over to Qwipps' other side, and like the rest of us, the disbelief on her face was loud and clear.

\”Guys,\” Aura wasn't one to join in on the wisecracking but even she couldn't help herself as she joined us by the bars. \”It's not nice to make fun of an idiot… they're to be pitied.\”

Despite the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of total failure, I really couldn't help the unbidden smirk appearing on my face. Still, I wasn't past the point where I could joke around. Not with Ty in danger so close by.

\”What the hell are you doing here, Roselle?\” I asked through gritted teeth.

\”That's Commander to you, boy,\” Roselle sneered.

\”Nope,\” I answered, my hands gripping onto the steel bars. \”Seriously, what is a piece of trash like you doing here?

\”I'm here because of you, Dapper,\” he narrowed eyes at me. \”Because you didn't have the sense to die when you were supposed to.\”

\”That's probably our fault, Roselle,\” Aura answered coolly. \”We tend to work well when we're under the command of someone competent.\”

\”Oo~~oh, scorch,\” Qwipps added.

Roselle's eyes, one red iris on the left and one grey iris on the right, turned their attention toward Aura.

\”You…\” he spat that word out like it was bile stuck in his throat. \”You burned my lair and subordinates down, girl…\”

Aura inclined her head toward him. \”Sadly, I didn't get to burn you too.\”

The fact that Roselle hadn't shown a hint of fear against Aura meant he still didn't know who she was. Thank the spirits for small mercies.

But after a second of more posturing, he finally continued his tirade, \”I am glad you're both here along with the obnoxious slave you call a brother.\”

\”Dean! Help—\”

The sound of a whip cracking against flesh reverberated across the long hallway. It was immediately followed by Ty's cry of pain.

\”You mother fu—\”

But I didn't get to finish cursing Roselle as he cracked the whip a second time against Ty's arm.

\”Argh!\” Ty screamed.

\”Interruptions will not be allowed while I speak, Dapper,\” he lectured.

He sent a smile my way, obviously relishing in the frustrations he caused.

\”As I was saying, I am here tonight because of you lot,\” he continued. \”After fleeing Broken Sellsword's Canyon, I made my way to the Westmarch… And while you fools played at war, I joined the Under Ring and climbed my way up to its ranks, eventually landing myself as overseer to new slaves.\”

Varda nodded in agreement. \”People finally recognize you for the piss-poor slave driver that you are. Congratulations, former Commander.\”

\”Guys, you shouldn't praise the psychopathic megalomaniac,\” Aura chided. \”It might make his head even bigger than it already is.\”

\”Shut up!\” Roselle snarled, pointing a finger toward Ty. \”I hold the power here, you degenerates!\”

There was a loud clanging sound as shadowblade met metal bars and the grating chink of steel breaking.

I glanced to my left and learned why Luca, who'd hated Roselle more than the others, had gone quiet while the razzed him.

Luca's broadsword had bent one of the metal bars to near-breaking point toward the top of our heads.

He pulled out his broadsword, and in the same motion, slammed down its shadowblade against the bars once more. But this time, at a spot just above our knees.

A loud ringing assaulted all our ears as the bar he'd hacked at twice fell to the ground.

Luca didn't stop. He continued hacking away at the other bars while the rest of us pulled away out of caution.

\”Stop that!\” Roselle roared.

A second metal bar fell ringing onto the ground.

\”I'm warning you!\” Roselle raised a whip, ready to strike Ty a second time.

A bright orange glow appeared on my right, and then, like a missile launched from a rocket, Aura's firebolt zoomed past the space between the bars. Flares sparked as the magic grazed the metal. It's glow seemed to weaken with each pass through the gate, and by the time it passed the third gate, the firebolt was nothing more than an orange wisp.

\”Hah! Did you think these bars wouldn't be warded, foolish she-elf!\” he said, laughing in a self-important way.

His laughter died in his throat, however, after a third metal bar fell to the ground.

Without even waiting for Luca to pull his sword out of my way, I jumped through the opening in the first gate and charged forward with my sword raised.