Capítulo 13: Strange Tactics (pt. 1)
Where the hell am I?
I looked around to see dust floating in the air while the blue light from the waxing gibbous moon spilled into the all-metal cell. I looked around to see an old lady in the corner who I'm hoping was just sleeping. I got up to feel a slight shock run through my arms and legs making me collapse back down.
I heard faint footsteps hastily walking. The steps weren't getting louder nor softer, they just stayed the same echo.
"Hello...?" the echo of my childlike question traveled through the empty halls, making it back around to the barred window behind me. When I listened closer though, I could no longer hear the repeating cold footsteps.
At least I won't go crazy from listening to them.
Not the point! I need to find Sam and get out of here!
I looked around for a way to escape and realized something. But before I could put it into action I heard the creak of a heavy metal door open then slam shut. Following the bellow of the door were monstrous footsteps marching closer and closer.
Shit! What do I do!
I looked around for a place to hide, my heartbeat beginning to surpass the tempo of the marching men.
Suddenly I heard a faint coo from behind me, "Lay down child. Close your eyes and you will not be harmed." I turned to see the old woman in the corner motioning towards where I laid before. Without thinking of anything else but the footsteps counting 1, 2, 1, 2, getting closer and closer, I rushed to the corner I woke up from and laid back attempting to steady my breath. Squinting my eyes closed so that it looked like I was sleeping in the shadows, I watched as three guards walked up to the cell door and peered between the bars.
"We'll come back when their both awake to address them." The bulkier and obviously much older man spoke in a low and gruff voice before pushing past the younger of the two other men following him. "Watch where you stand! You have to be alert for anything! There are rebels everywhere dying to get into these sanctuaries." The man looked back into my cell, then back at the middleman of it all, "Eiji says to keep an eye on the girl...and to make sure to send over her bag to him by the morn."
I jerked at the mention of my satchel when I realized the books were still inside.
Crap, crap, crap! Do they know why we were traveling to the capital?!
Of course, they don't! No one can read the markings anyways! Relax girl and remind yourself about saving Sam and getting the hell out of here!
I waited until I heard the heavy door open and close again. Then for good measure decided to wait a few more minutes.
"They're gone, my child. They won't be back until after their midday drink." I crawled over to the old woman and sat a few feet away to give her some space.
"How do you know all of this? Do they always keep to that kind of schedule?" The old lady laughed and pulled out a small box wrapped in a yellow cloth.
"You and I both know that you have to leave as soon as possible...So please spare me your questions for now." The woman outstretched her wrinkly hand for me to take.
As I reached for it, the space around us began to glow a golden yellow. I looked to the box that she held I her other hand as she chanted in another language, "Watashitachi no kako no chichioya wa, kono higeki o tōshite watashitachi o michibikimasu." (our past fathers, please help us through this tragedy) As she repeated this over and over again, the light began to shine brighter and brighter to the point where I could no longer see the cell surroundings any longer. I had to close my eyes after awhile fearing I might go blind.
When I opened them again though, I was greeted with a heavenly meadow spread across my sight. In awe, I began to walk forward but was stopped by someone standing next to me. "Don't move yet my darling, just watch for a moment. You wouldn't want to ruin the memory would you?" I nodded to the young woman.
She wasn't wearing clothes from any of the different stages. Instead, her dark brown hair cascaded down past her shoulders landing onto a white dress with a red ribbon tied at the top of her head. She looked much older than me, but nowhere near Papa's age.
Before I could ask who she was though or where we were, she pointed towards a willow tree in the distance. She beckoned for the humongous beauty to sit with us and like the excellent companion it was, it slowly came to us. As it inched closer, I could see like a faded memory, a boy running around the willow playing a hiding game with his father and mother.
Watching them play reminded me of a time when I and Papa would race each other through the sunflower fields. As I thought of this the boy poked his head in between the swinging vines laughing and making silly faces.
That's when I heard it though, their faint voices. What they were saying. I looked to the woman standing next to mean in horror as I heard the boy's mother faintly speaking to him, "I'm gonna get you Eiji~! Oh, Hanzo be careful please, he's just a little boy remember that!" She giggled as she picked up the little boy and blew into his belly.
The woman with the white dress began to speak in a monotone voice, "You look surprised. Everyone has a family, a father, and a mother...Whether both are there or not, everyone has one of each."
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I stared at this woman, her skin radiant, with her hazel eyes boring into the boy's father. "Y-your...my--"
I looked back at the scene in front of me and saw the boy's father wearing a strange mask looking straight back at my mother. Suddenly the scene around began to melt away as the man his wife called Hanzo began to stomp towards my mother.
"NO!" As he raised his sword to smite her I jumped in the way, falling on the ground of the cell with the old woman once again standing over me. "W-what was that! How did you do that!?"
The lady just stared at me, I could see the sun begin to rise behind her throw the tiny window in the shabby room. Dust particles flew whimsically throughout the air, some glittering with gold, while others floated down dull as the day they became nothing but a speck.
"You must leave right now." The woman pointed towards the bars, "your friend is down the hall and 14 paces to the right. Now leave it is almost mourn." She collapsed back down, I began to rush to her side but she began to glow again. Though I was curious to know what had just happened, she was right. I had to find Sam and get out of here before they send away with the books.
I approached the bars and the sight of Eiji peaking through the vines passed my vision. I squeezed in between the bars and sneaked down the hall counting to fourteen as I went.
"Sam! Wake up, we need to leave right now!" I whispered into the cell, but he wouldn't wake.
Shit! This is not the time to be napping buddy!
Maybe if I went to go find a spare key...?
I looked around past the cell he was in only to find the young guard from before almost entirely asleep leaning against a wall. I cupped my hand over my mouth and swung around the corner I just came from trying not to be seen.
Shit! I'm dead, I'm sooo dead this time!
Just go the other way Azami, look for other things to pick the lock with!
Gosh, you're so smart my subconscious.
I smiled to myself as I went back the other way I looked carefully on the floor for things to use on the lock. I found mostly decomposing rats and food until stumbled upon an old kitchen knife and fork.
I can use this fork to pick the lock!
I tossed the knife back on the ground and began to tiptoe back to Sam's cell.
About five steps down the hall I stopped and remembered Eiji's mother picking him up laughing and blowing into his stomach.
Will I really need just the fork...? I mean times have changed.
Without any input from my subconscious, I jogged back to where I found the knife and hesitantly picked it up.
It's for emergencies only, I thought to myself as the tips of my fingers made contact with the silvery rusted metal.
Suddenly though, a dim light came from further down the hall place with a set of footsteps. I hid in the shadowy part of the corner and listened to see how many of them that were there. I held the fork and knife close to me but concealed enough so that no light would bounce off of them.
Standing there waiting, my heart beating a mile a minute, the guard that was walking down the hall suddenly stopped just around my corner.
Sweat dripped down my neck and back as the anxiety of being caught this far into my journey crept into my mind.
You're fine Azami, just relax. Don't freak out, he doesn't even know you're here!
Even my subconscious sounded like a person whispering to me from down the hall. My sight started to become fogged with tears. I wiped them away in fear that if they fell to the ground the guard would hear and kill me.
No! You will not die right here and now! You're here in this cell for a reason, you will find a way to get Sam and yourself out of here, it won't be the last thing you do!
I'm right!
I twirled around the corner and lunged at the man.
Before I could fully process what I had just done, the guard fell to the floor with a dense and echoing thud with the clatter of the candlestick hitting the sanctuary floor.
The hall was dark once again.
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