Shadow and Wild Magic

Shadow expected humans to break quickly, but Ezra was a skilled jumper. However old he was, the man landed on all fours, almost like a sindur. Ezra stood and led the way again.

“Let’s go to the gate! You and you,” he pointed at Ten Zin and Khaleen, “Watch my back.”

Now Shadow knew where the constant stench came from. The manure from the stables polluted the air. The smell was so bad that it covered everything else. If Shadow was standing right in front of a sithrax army, they wouldn’t even smell him.

They were passing the stables when Shadow heard the faintest of yelps. He stopped to listen better. Khaleen had heard it too. They were both looking around. Ezra stopped as well when he noticed everyone had taken a break.

“Why are you stopping?” He asked the sindurs. “We need to hurry!”

“Sno!” Khaleen exclaimed. She immediately rushed inside the stables.

Aligned against the right wall was a row of cages, each empty except one. A white ball of fur turned brownish because of the sand, lay agitated on the ground. Shadow couldn’t believe it. He didn’t know what he’d expected. Perhaps he’d believed Sno was gone for good. But the cub was right there.

Now, Khaleen tried to open the cage’s lock as hard as she could. Unlike their cells, this one was sealed. She wasn’t succeeding, so she banged on the bars to wake Sno.

He wasn’t looking good. He was all frail and weak. He was yelping and yowling in his sleep, and he hadn’t even heard them.

“Sno! Wake up! Sno!” Khaleen called.

Inside the cage was a single bowl of water and an untouched plate of rotten mash. How long had Sno been without food? When Ezra reached the cage, the look on his face changed.

Shadow didn’t know what to do. The lock on the cage was made of steel and appeared brand new. The bars were too sturdy to break with sheer force. A thought crossed his mind, one that he instantly regretted.

They should leave Sno behind.

Shadow shook his head to rid himself of this thought. What was he thinking? He wouldn’t leave the cub behind. That wasn’t who he was. They’d come here together, they’d leave this place together.

Khaleen desperately tried to jerk the cage’s door open. Mielo helped her, but to no avail. Even Ezra seemed clueless.

Sno eventually opened his tiny blue eyes. He looked so confused.

“Mommy?” he asked Mielo, of all sindurs.

“Don’t worry, Sno,” Khaleen said. “We’re getting you out of here!” She was still pulling on the bars.

This wasn’t going to work. There was no way they’d have enough strength to rip this cage open. They needed to find something else, another idea.

Shadow turned around. Two rhinos were at the other side of the stables, immobile. They were awake and were looking at him with an air of nonchalance. It was as if they didn’t care at all for the noise and screams coming from the entrance square. Were those the same rhinos that had brought them here?

Shadow saw the wagon behind the rhinos. He then noticed that they were still attached to it. The sithrax hadn’t released the animals.

“Ehm, Ezra?” Shadow called. He might have an idea. Ezra turned to him, intrigued. “Do you think we can carry the cage?”

Ezra frowned. “What’s on your mind, boy? Why do you ask?”

Shadow pointed at the wagon. That was what was on his mind. “We put the cage inside the wagon, then we take the rhinos.”

“Are you serious?” Ezra raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Shadow was dead serious. “Can you even drive...these?” He pointed at the rhinos. “Because I can’t.”

But Mielo and Ten Zin were already siding to lift the cage. They’d heard Shadow’s plan. Khaleen helped them, but it wasn’t enough just yet. Shadow hurried to them, and together, they lifted Sno’s cage.

They passed Ezra and headed for the wagon. Before reaching, Mielo turned his head to Ezra and smiled.

“I can,” he said in Sindawr. “I’m a driver. That’s who I am.”

Ezra looked perplexed. Shadow translated for him while carrying the cage. As soon as he did, Ezra rushed to the other side of the wagon to open it.

They carried Sno inside. Khaleen reassured the cub multiple times that everything would be just fine. They’d be out of this place soon, then they could rest, eat human food, and be free. Shadow had to admit that he craved for that, even if he had no idea what human food tasted like. It was probably much better than sandworm and rhino-milk.

Mielo took the reins and a seat at the front of the wagon. Shadow sat next to him, then Ezra joined. Ten Zin and Khaleen went inside with Sno. Now was the time to leave.

Mielo clacked the reins, and the rhinos headed forth. He led them on the path towards the northern gate. Shadow stood and turned around as they moved. He wanted to see what was happening at the tower. From the path, he had a view of the entrance. It looked like most out there had stopped fighting. The noise of battle was just an echo. Shadow caught sight of some kind of movement. He squinted to see better. Then he heard the typical calls sithrax make when they raise the alarm.

Oh, no. They were indeed raising the alarm. Now, not only did the sithrax cackle, but tower bells tolled loud across the fortress. Shadow didn’t even know the tower had bells!

Shadow looked over his shoulder at Ezra and Mielo. “They’re coming for us!”

Mielo clacked the reins again, and the rhinos increased the pace. When Shadow looked back, he saw a squad of sithrax guards riding rhinos, galloping towards them. They were so much faster than two rhinos pulling a wagon. Ezra checked behind them as well.

“You think you can go any faster?” Ezra said as he turned back to Mielo.

Mielo was doing his best. He clacked the reins again and again, but their rhinos couldn’t go any faster.

The whistle of an arrow caught Shadow’s attention, but it wasn’t headed for them. It darted away from them and aimed for a lizardman’s shoulder. It pierced through like a stinger. The guard fell from his charging rhino.

Shadow quickly jumped on the wagon’s roof and peeked through the small window. He held himself to the window’s bars. Inside, he saw Ten Zin standing. The wagon’s doors were wide open, and the old sindur held a large sithrax bow in his hand. How he could even handle such weapon was beyond Shadow’s comprehension. Where that weapon had come from was another question, but he was relieved. Ten Zin shot another arrow, which hit a rhino’s head.

“Shadow, get back!” Ezra shouted. “We’re about to make a turn!”

Shadow rushed back to his seat without question.

“Hold tight!” Ezra and Mielo shouted as one, in Common and Sindawr.

The rhinos made the turn, then the wagon. Shadow held on tight to his seat. The wheels scraped the ground like a rake, then one side of the wagon lifted off the mud. Shadow had to grip so tight, so he wouldn’t fall to the side. Mielo was practically standing.

Once the wagon was straight, Mielo clacked the reins once again.

“Yah! Yah!” he shouted to encourage the rhinos to pick up speed again.

“Oh, shit!” Ezra exclaimed.

Shadow looked ahead and understood why.

“The gates are closed!” Ezra exclaimed again.

Two guards stood by the gates. They brandished their pikes and made erratic movements with their arms. They were calling for them to stop. The guards who chased them had just made the turn.

“What do we do?” Shadow asked. “How do we cross?”

Mielo wasn’t slowing down.

“Mate, the gates are closed!” Ezra shouted to him.

Mielo had a smirk all over his furry face. He looked at Ezra and said: “Just hold tight!”

Shadow barely had enough time to translate. The guards in the way couldn’t do anything other than jump to the side to avoid the charging wagon. The rhinos were through, and with one butt of the head, they rammed the gates open. Now, they were on the muddy road outside the fortress. The road quickly vanished into the desert sand. The wagon was slowed down, and the guards behind them were catching up. Shadow peeked over the wagon again. The Fortress of Stahl became smaller and smaller, but the guards were still after them.