2 Escape From The Bargesians

The place was dark and dirty. The sobbings of around twenty women locked in the cells were heard, fearing for their determined fates.

Tonight, the barbarian of Barges and the rebelled soldiers of Kaizer's would hold up a victory ceremony banquet. The Bargesians, known to practise a pagan religion, would perform a special 'ritual' involving the virgins on the full moon night after their triumph in war.

Anna, the Princess of Ardel, was nineteen years old and the last remaining heir of Ardel's dynasty. After losing her family, Kaizer Ronan, the prime minister, became a regent for the dynasty, temporarily replacing her, who was frail and unready to rule.

Despite having total dominion in the administration, the appointed regent was not given the authority to withhold military power which was solely under the princess. Failing to persuade her to hand over the force, Kaizer conspired with the enemy to spark the fire of rebellion.

The soft light of the moon that shone through the window could not help to relieve their sorrows. The window was barred with heavy metal while the Bargesians guarded the barracks closely. Even if she managed to leave the cell, the soldiers swarming around the area would easily catch her again.

There was no way to escape.

Sounds of heavy footsteps were heard coming close, raising panic among the captives. They began hugging each other; some even prayed they would not be taken away.

The banquet was supposed to start in an hour.

"The rest of the cells are full already. Just put her in any one of them. It's not going to be long, anyway. Aha… This one will do!" The coarse voice of a man was heard, giving instructions to the others.

"Get inside, you b*tch!" the guard ordered the new captive to move in.

When the cell door opened, two guards shoved in a woman. She fell to the ground with her hands tied at her back and her face almost hitting the floor.

"Hey! Come on! Don't ruin her face. I still want to enjoy her tonight!" The man who brought her just now grunted and demanded the guards. From the sound of his voice, he appeared superior to them.

"I apologise, Sir!" Both of the guards bowed to the man. The door was slammed shut again.

Another new victim had arrived. In these few days, they had been gathered in the same barracks.

The delicate hands of the women were locked in heavy metal handcuffs except for the new inmate who was tied up with a rope. It seemed the soldiers did not bother to do the same since the ceremony drew near.

The woman put strength to her feet and pushed herself up.

"Here, let me help you." Anna approached and helped her to rise.

"Your Highness, it's me, Clara," the woman spoke up as she realised the person occupying the cell.

Anna was surprised at the familiar face. The dark-skinned and long-haired woman was none other than her escort, Clara, the only knightess in the castle.

"Oh, my God! It's you! Thank goodness they didn't kill you too!"

Joy rose in Anna's heart as she saw the knightess. She would have rushed to her arms if it were not for the handcuffs. Tears began to brim in the knightess's eyes.

"Everyone else is gone." Clara's voice was devastated.

"I saw them take you away. I tried to save you, but I failed. Forgive me, Your Highness!" Her tearful eyes were in sorrow.

"No! It wasn't your fault. Kaizer did all this to us! He's a betrayer!" Anna was fuming with resentment. What the man did was unforgivable.

The willowy knightess bent down and whispered to Anna's ear when the guards left the cell's door and returned to their post.

"I am here to save you, Your Highness," she revealed.

Anna looked back at her with a furrowed forehead.

'But how?' she nearly uttered the question when Clara gestured her not to. The knightess turned her head right and left, ensuring their conversation was discreet.

"First, help me to untie this knot. I'll let you know the plan," she answered.

Quickly, Anna reached for the tied rope. She struggled to untie the tight knot with her handcuffed hands but eventually managed to set them free.

Clara, who had been released, approached the cell's wall. She pulled several buttons from her clothes and inserted them into the cracks.

"What is that?" Anna asked. The knightess turned back to her once finished.

"It's myrth stones. For this escape, I will blast the wall using them and set this place on fire," she whispered in her ear again.

"What?" Anna raised her voice in shock, but the knightess quickly laid a finger on her lips.

"But that would be dangerous! There're innocent people here," Anna whispered and gave a worried look.

"I don't have a choice, Your Highness. I need to divert the attention of the soldiers. There're too many of them, and we don't have any backup except for my birds," she replied.

Clara was a knightess who specialised in eagle training for combat attacks. She came from the Sunik tribe, who were well known to raise and use them for hunting or during battle. Using myrth stones, a unique type of explosive, she could instruct the eagles to launch an airborne bombing.

"But…. But…. What about the others?" The princess hesitated.

"I will rescue them. It would be best if you left immediately after the wall collapsed. Promise me that you'll survive no matter what it takes," pleaded the knightess earnestly.

She held the princess's hand tightly with a hopeful look. Anna nodded as she couldn't say no to the knightess's persuasion. Clara finally let out a breath of relief at her gesture.

"How are you going to set the place on fire?" the princess asked.

Anna was curious as the knightess had neither fire ignitors nor any weapon with her at all. Clara smiled, put a finger in her mouth, and whistled loudly. No sooner, a loud noise was heard from afar after the whistling sound.

Boommm!

Then, another one. It was getting nearer.

Boommm!

Nearer.

Boommm! Boommm! Boommm!

Everyone was in a daze listening to such a loud booming. They looked up anxiously, wondering what the sounds were. The captives panicked as the explosion sound approached them, frantically trying to escape. It was as if the camp were under a siege attack. Then….

BOOM!!!

The barrack was bombed. The entire camp of Bargesian soldiers was in commotion. Screams were heard. Puffs of smoke began to rise to the sky. The explosion produced a loud noise and ignited a fire quickly.

"Fire! Fire!" shouted the guards.

In an instant, the whole camp was in a raging flame. The night was ablaze with an orange colour. The hot red flame licked the walls and burned the building. Grey smoke rose to the sky.

The captives were screaming for their lives. Some soldiers were trying to put off the flame in panic. Most were running here and there amid the chaos.

Inhaling the acrid smell of charred wood, Anna coughed heavily. Her emerald eyes were sore and teary, interrupting a clear sight. Her face felt the hot, burning temperature, and she was nearly choking.

The wall inserted with the myrth stone soon exploded and collapsed, and a way out was opened for them. The knightess quickly pushed the princess to escape. Just then...

Thump!

A burning pole hit the knightess's back. A loud bang from the collision erupted, followed by the rattling sound of burning wood.

"Clara!" Anna called out her name loudly. She hurriedly tried to move the burning pole from Clara's body, but the scorching heat worsened.

"Go! Leave now!!" Clara exclaimed in fear.

Anna was crying. How could she leave her drowning in the sea of fire?

The princess was scared of the flame, but she was not heartless. She valued the lives around her as she was taught how precious they were.

A soft-hearted and kind princess could never leave her people behind like this.

"No, Clara! I can't do this!" Anna shook her head, unwilling to go.

"Please go, Your Highness! Run!" Clara cried.

The knightess had made up her mind. She had promised herself that this time she would not fail. Though if she had to pay the price with her life, it did not matter at all as she had vowed to save the princess.

The barracks began to collapse. The fire was rising, consuming the whole building like a devil swallowing its victim.

Anna had no choice but to flee. Her fallen steps began to increase rapidly. With tears in her eyes, she frantically started to run. No one was paying attention to her in the chaotic surroundings as they were also busy trying to save themselves from the fire.

Anna ran as fast as she could towards the forest. Gasping for her breath, she halted momentarily and dragged her feet again. She could feel the night wind whipping her face as she bolted into the darkness.

The princess had no direction and just ran. Everything was engulfed in the bleak of the night. All she knew was that she needed to get as far as possible before the Bargesians knew she had escaped. Her bare feet ached like they were being scratched with shards of glass as she continued running.

Finally, she reached a big tree and fell to the buttress roots. Exhausted from the escape, Anna's body succumbed to tiredness. As her mind drifted out of consciousness, her eyelids drooped shut without realising what lay ahead.