Episode Twelve: Hunted

The army has brought lots of equipment and started settling in, digging trenches as the sun sets. At the end of the announcement, Ivetta pulls her dagger beginning to cut her long brown hair to shoulder length locks. Castor is hyperventilating, shoulder heaving and eyes fearful. Tobias puts his hand on her shoulder, “they won't find you this is a huge city.”
“But there's a whole army out there! I can't even count that many people! And they’re all going to come in here and attack innocent people looking for us!”
“We need to be outside the walls not inside. We can disrupt their supply lines, choke them from their resources. We need to leave the city.”
“But-” Castor begins but a Lil boy runs up to the 3 panting, “are you father Tobias? I was told to tell you that Mr. Abot wants to speak to you as soon as possible. He- he said you’d know what it’s about.”
“Yes, tell him I am coming.” the boy runs away and Tobias turns to the two, “I am going to meet with him. Just to be safe you two should stay out of sight just until we know where his loyalties lie. Perhaps go blend with the crowd.” He leaves them heading to Abot’s manor.
Ivetta turns to Castor, “maybe you should wear a dress.”
“I- um y-yeah, can I borrow one?” She changes on the way down to the street, Ivetta standing in front of her. As they reach sea level they see the carnage the army has brought before even setting foot inside the gates.
The streets are filled with crowds of people shoving and pushing. No one is here to quell unrest as most of the guards stand atop the wall. Fights break out. The crowd is surging as people head to the docks. Castor and Ivetta are pushed along and can't get out to head the opposite way lest they risk being trampled. Several young men pull older people out of their homes and beat them. Seems like random people. As they strike they shout words like heretic and traitor. At the docks people scream in terror seeing that most of the big ships are set ablaze. Women cry and men stare stony faced preparing mentally for the long siege. 
Wanting to escape the chaos and perhaps find the object they seek Castor suggests they look for one of these universities of which Mr. Abot spoke. The two head to a big building that looks to be a church. A small mob of people in front holding weapons but none makes a move toward it. Ivetta grabs a brick. Alarmed Castor whispers “what are you doing?” to which she replies “trust me.” before throwing it into a window of the church. This sets off a torrent of people throwing shit at the building. Rocks and sticks break glass and mud spatters on the white stone. A moment later the mob stops. Ivetta and Castor take the opportunity to run inside thinking others might follow and they could look for the item in the chaos. Another crowd, much larger than the small mob is coming down the street. They head toward the mob and the two groups clash. The violence outside spurs Ivetta and Castor to run inside faster. A man with robes stops them, “how dare you! You’ll not desecrate this holy place!” His robes and the art around the church looks very different than what they've ever seen. 
Castor cries, “No! No, please we just want to be safe! Find sanctuary, there are people killing each other out there!” True fear shines through on her face.
The man mellows at this and ushers them in, “Come, I will keep you as safe as I can, follow me children.” He leads them through the church, to their regret they see no bookshelves, to a small office. “Put the wardrobe in front of the window and I will lock the door. I will let you out when things calm.” He leaves and the lock clicks. Ivetta begins to search though the desk hoping to find anything pointing to a library. She finds a bible that is, oddly, written in German.
Castor too begins looking but stops suddenly. Her ears begin ringing loudly. So loud that she doubles over in pain, hands over her ears. She sees a vision of a crowd of people running through the streets. Among this crowd, yet a part from it resides foreboding man. He stops in the crowd, people run around to avoid him. His presence rises above the people. A black metallic mask covers his face. Black robes drape over his shoulders. From his sleeves drop two bloodstained hammers on chains he radiates an aura of anger that washes over Castor in a wave. The man steps toward her and the vision ends. She gets the sense he is looking for something.
Ivetta, having seen Castor double over in pain, drops the papers she was reading and goes to her. “Castor! Are you alright?!”
She straightens slightly, hands moving to grip her arms. “I-I saw a-a-a man. He wore a mask and- and had horrible weapons. I think he,” she sucks in a breath, “he’s looking for me.”
“We need to get out of here and I think I know where. The University of Strusund, this church has been lending them money.”
Castor stands frozen in place, “we need to go through back alleys. He- he’s here, in the crowd. I can’t-”
Ivetta grabs Castor’s face pulling it to look Castor directly in the eyes and says, “Castor, it's going to be okay.”
She blinks the tears beginning to well up away and nods, “o-okay.”
“Now let’s go.” They climb out the window and make their way to the university.  
When they arrive they find the door is unlocked. An empty reception hall with an unmanned desk sits dark. They head through and find double doors which open to a breathtaking display of books as far as the eye can see. Moonlight shines through the windows and reflects off the polished floor illuminating the room with cool sunlight. Wrought iron staircases lead to each of the three stories of bookshelves. At the center of the library there is a circle of chairs. In the middle of these is a glass case containing a paper document, the founding papers of the institute. If there’s one glass case with important things there must be more. 
Ivetta and Castor split up to search the second and third floors respectively. Ivetta finds a glass case with a golden spyglass inside and calls Castor down. She rushes over. Moments after she arrives at the case the door on the first floor opens. Castor moves quietly to see who entered but only sees a shadow go behind a bookshelf. She returns to Ivetta. They puzzle through how to get it out quietly. But soon feel a chill up their spines as they look up to see the masked man from her vision, here, on the balcony across from them. He stares them down. 
A rush of adrenaline has Ivetta simply smash the glass and grab the tube. She grabs Castor in the other hand and rushes to the stairs. They make it down to the first floor and the door in record time but the door is jammed. Castor turns to see the man, again on their level, striding across the floor toward them. He lets one of his hammers slide through his fingers letting the chain flow through them. Then grabs the chain, brings it to the side and spin the hammer. It makes small whip whip sounds as it swings in slow, methodical circles, daring them to run. The cruel point and bloodied head gleaming with moonlight as the hammer passes in and out of the man's shadow.
He speaks at last in a distorted metallic voice, sending another chill down their spines, “Finally, after so long, I’ve got you right where I want you. Come here little Castor, I’ve been waiting far too long for this.”
He steps toward them. 
The ringing fills Castor’s ears once more leaving her entranced but the twing of Ivetta popping open the door jolts her to her senses. Ivetta swings open the door and runs through. Castor turns to do the same but, not used to running in a dress, her foot catches and she sprawls onto the ground. Ivetta turns back just in time to see Castor’s terrified face before the doors slam in hers.
Desperate, she calls for Castor yanking at the handle which doesn’t budge. 
Still on the ground, Castor flips to face the masked man, scrambling backward until her back hits the door. The masked man whips a hammer at her hitting her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Sweat pouring from her brow, she flings out her hand trying to push him away with magic. It only creates a light breeze, barely billowing his cloak. 
He lets out a long, loud laugh which he ends by whipping the hammer again this time cracking her in the shoulder. Castor cries out in pain. Then, clenching her jaw she draws her gun. Afraid he would only knock it from her grip, she fires. It goes wide but at the same moment. Two other shots ring from behind the door.
Said door then comes crashing down behind Castor. She shouts at the man, “who are you?! I don't even know you, why are you trying to kill me?!” he says nothing to this and then Tobias moves past Castor, aiming and shooting at the masked man. 
The shot to the chest knocks him prone. Tobias says, “Run Castor!” He pulls his musket and aims again.
Castor and Ivetta book it out of there.
Tobias shoots the bullet and it hits the man’s body, the breath is knocked out of him. Tobias backs up and loads a pistol. He approaches. The masked man’s fingers twitch. With a flurry Tobias is just able to jump out of the way of the swinging hammer. His shins twinge in pain as if they had been hit. But he is able to shoot him point blank in the head. The masked man stops moving again. Tobias takes the opportunity and runs out.
Castor holds her shoulder, breathing heavily, still panicking as they head into the street. “He- he knew me. He wanted to kill me, what- why? I don’t even know who he was!?” 
Ivetta says, “I know and I'm sorry, it's not fair but it's okay. Tobias will take care of him.” 
They hear two shots from inside and Tobias runs out. He dusts off his robes and fixes his glasses, “We should leave.” He states.
Bravely, Ivetta asks, “Is he dead?” 
“I did not say that.”
The three head back to Abot’s house. More guards on the walls. 18 horsemen with Mr. Hollinzoller and Mr. Abot waiting there. “Am I glad to see you three.” Abot says.
Still shaking, Castor asks, “why is that?”
“Tobias is helping with the defense of the city of course.”
“I did not have much time to update them on the plan. What of the ship?”
Mr. Abot responds, “Most, if not all the ships have been burned. One held cannons, I’m sure we can dredge it up but time is of the essence. Pardon me, but you all seem to be quite flustered, I shall give you a room so that you might rest and catch your breath before we act. I will get you anything you require, maps, refreshments, etc.”
They retire to the offered room. 
Tobias speaks first, “this man, you’ve never encountered him, nor any like him?” 
“I don’t know him or what he wants. There was another but he didn’t know me like that man did. No, he was different. Just- just that masked man.”
“He took a musket ball to the chest and was still able to move after that. I put another shot into his head. But he was able to survive one life threatening wound, it's safer to assume he's alive. At least for now. But the plan is to leave the city after tonight.” 
Ivetta interrupts him, “Mr. Abot thinks you're fighting with him, what is he talking about?”
“I helped him plan the defense of the city by taking a ship manned with a few horsemen. Who will then ride out and gather a force of revenants and lead them into the army. Perhaps we can take out two birds with one stone, as it were.”
Ivetta burst, “I asked you if you were fighting with him and you ignored my question. Are you fighting with Mr. Abot?”
“Yes, we all are going to lure the revenants into the army taking out the Mora vos Malus as well as some revenants.” He cuts off and thinks a moment looking at Castor.
Flustered she says, “W-what? I-I’m not staying here. We need to leave as soon as possible. That man is still alive out there, you said he was, and I’m not sticking around to see what he wants with me.”
“I was just thinking on where to put you in the formation, we will be leaving. The plan was to be tomorrow morning. We’ll all be riding with the revenants on our tails. You can all handle your horses correct?”
Ivetta says, “yes. Of course.”
Castor says “yes I can handle my horse.”
“I would have preferred you not be handling under fire but if it all goes south then, Castor, Ivetta you can just run.” In a tone more like he’s speaking to himself, trying to plan he says, “We can't open the gates and just run. We could sneak a small force out the side. I need to study the terrain outside the walls to see if there's a path we can slip by unnoticed.” he looks to his two young companions, “But you can leave correct? You have what it was that you asked Mr. Abot for?
Castor says, “Ye-yes we have it.” she looks to Ivetta, “right we, we have it?”
“Yes, you saw me grab it Castor.”
“Y-y-yeah I just- I wanted to make sure. Kind of a lot happened…” she rubs her shoulder. Speaking to Tobias again she says, “yes we have it and now we can leave the city. As soon as we can please.”
TBC
Episode Thirteen: Siege of a Siege