ã€ŠShadow and Wild Magicã€‹


 Prologue

    Shadow must cross the Barrier to escape slavery, but fate will lead him through a perilous detour.

    ***

    Welcome to Terra, a world of countless stories. A world of peace and harmony for humans, elves, men-lynx, dwarves, and lizardfolk.

    But as time passed, the world changed, and so did the people of Terra.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Elves became vain, humans turned greedy, and dwarves disappeared. The lizardfolk''s mighty empire was now a ruthless and vindictive army.

    After the fall of Ailura, men-lynx were left to wander a world where they were either ignored or forgotten.

    Though not everything was lost for the men-lynx of Terra. Some of them still had hope, faith that their world would one day rise again.

    In the meantime, Terra still had a few stories to tell. One young cub is eager to change his dark story for a new one. One of freedom and peace. His name is Shadow, and this is his story.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± shouted Master Khan. ¡°I can see the Barrier.¡±

    Shadow ran beside the human wizard. His furry feet sank into the sand at each step, making it so hard for him to move. Behind them were four sindurs who had escaped the caravan in flames. Everyone else was dead.

    They reached the top of the dune. The sky was turning orange, and the horizon was but a red blur. That was the Barrier, the magic wall that separated Rallis from the land of humans. They were so close. They were almost there.

    No time to stop, they had to move. The sithrax guards were right behind them, chasing them. Giant lizardmen in dirty brown and red armor with spiky crests and jagged teeth. If those monsters caught them, it would all be over, and all of this would have been for nothing.

    The whistle of an arrow breached through the air. One more sindur fell. Master Khan turned around and moved his hands in waves. His eyes lit up and leaked blue light. He murmured inaudible words, and then, <i>bang</i>, he shot a lightning bolt at the giant lizards. Payback.

    Shadow and Khan made it beyond the dune. They had to escape. They ran and ran, out of breath, but they had to run nonetheless. When Shadow looked over his shoulder again, the other men-lynx were gone.

    ¡°We have to keep moving!¡± Master Khan shouted again.

    ¡°They¡¯re so fast!¡± Shadow exclaimed. ¡°We won¡¯t make it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I have more tricks up my sleeve!¡±

    Master Khan wore a blue robe, which was slowing him down. He was sweaty and breathed loud like a dying deer. Shadow was faster. Even if he was shorter than the human mage, his legs and feet made him faster. But in this deep sand, would that advantage be enough?

    Shadow heard another arrow, sooner than Master Khan. The arrow swooshed between them and landed just a few feet ahead.

    <i>That was so close.</i>

    One more whistle, Shadow knew it would hit before Khan became aware of it. The arrow pierced through the mage¡¯s leg, making the sound of catching wet fish. Master Khan screamed and fell on the sand, bleeding. Shadow stopped running. He rushed to the mage, the man who was going to get them all out of here. He checked Khan¡¯s wounds, but Shadow had no idea what to do. Blood gushed out of it like a red jet. The lizardmen were now a mere few feet away.

    Master Khan rolled over, his eyes flaring blue again. He pointed at one of the sithrax, ready to launch another lightning strike. Thunder echoed through the sandy plains, but the bolt bounced off the lizard¡¯s armor, barely wounding him. Khan lay there, mouth agape and eyes open wide, incredulous. Shadow could see the fear in his dark brown eyes.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Run,¡± Master Khan muttered.

    ¡°Run where?¡±

    The mage didn¡¯t have an answer to that. Soon enough, the giant lizards caught up to them. One of them lifted Master Khan and slouched him over his shoulder. The other caught Shadow by his collar and dragged him away. Shadow fought against it, kicking the air and sand. He pulled on his own collar so he wouldn¡¯t get strangled by it. The lizardman seemed to have little care whether or not Shadow would be strangled to death.

    The sithrax took them and shoved them into a large wagon pulled by two rhinoceroses. They forced Shadow to sit on one side, next to one of the captured sindurs, and they bound his paws together. They dumped Master Khan in the middle of the chamber. The mage writhed in pain, the arrow still lodged in his leg. They closed the iron door. The only light source in this rolling prison cell was the tiny barred roof window. Master Khan fainted right before the wagon began to move.

    Shadow stared at his bound paws. He had no idea what would happen next, only that the plan to cross the Barrier had failed miserably. Would they take him back to Lahok? To his parents? Shadow didn¡¯t believe that, but they weren¡¯t going to kill them if they had captured them. They¡¯d probably return these runaway sindurs to their masters or bring them to a new master. He wasn¡¯t sure what they¡¯d do with Master Khan.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± the sindur next to him said in their language. His voice was tender.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Shadow responded, but he knew the sindur couldn¡¯t guarantee this promise. ¡°Where are they taking us?¡±

    The sindur shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we¡¯re going west.¡±

    This sindur was old, judging by the flecked grey hairs in his red fur. His muzzle was white like clouds. The three others were all of different ages. One was a grey female about as old as Shadow¡¯s mother. One was a young red male. The other one, a little cub no older than five, was white like the old one¡¯s muzzle. Shadow, the last sindur in this prison wagon, was sixteen and black as night.

    All of them had wished to cross the Barrier, all of them with different lives. Shadow wondered if the old one had done this before. He wanted to ask but didn¡¯t want to pry either. If he¡¯d done this before, then he¡¯d failed, and this moment here was also a failure.

    ¡°Will they kill us?¡± the little one asked. Shadow noticed the tears and wet muzzle. How long had he been crying without the others hearing him?

    The old sindur leaned forward to reach out to him, but it was like he suddenly remembered that his paws were bound.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let them kill you,¡± he said instead.

    ¡°Do you promise?¡± the little one asked again.

    The old sindur nodded.

    Even in the dark, Shadow could see the scars on the old sindur¡¯s arms. Wounds of battle, perhaps? Of torture, maybe? Wounds of captivity... Wherever those wounds had come from, Shadow knew one thing. The old sindur couldn¡¯t keep his promise. He¡¯d said this to soothe Shadow and the little cub because they were the youngest here. The two others had probably concluded that promises wouldn¡¯t help because they were sobbing in silence. Only Shadow and his bench partner were staring at the void, eyes dry.

 Chapter 2

    How long had they been on the move? An hour? Three? Shadow had lost the count of minutes. The sun was setting, and the air was getting colder by the hour. Later in the night, they were no longer on sand. It was warmer here, and they heard growls and shouts and hisses all around the wagon. They heard metal thumps, steps, soldiers marching, a gate lifting. Suddenly, the wagon stopped. Not a moment later, a lizardman, one of the heavy armored ones, opened the door.

    ¡°Get out,¡± he hissed in his language.

    All four sindurs simultaneously stood and stepped out of the wagon, heads down. One lizardman fetched Master Khan, still lifeless on the wagon¡¯s floor.

    They stood at the center of some sort of courtyard. Tents were stretched and fire pits were lit. Many sithrax either marched around the square or sat on barrels and crates. All stared at the five prisoners who had just arrived. The smell here was horrid, even for Shadow, who was used to the capital¡¯s constant stench.

    Two lizards in black armor led the group inside the building by the courtyard. It was a tall fortress-like tower with no windows and only darkness surrounding it. The pale walls made it look like a long bone supporting the sky. Shadow had heard of this place. This was where the sithrax took their most wanted convicts, the most dangerous criminals.

    This was the Fortress of Stahl, so large that it even qualified as a city. This tower was only one stronghold among the many here. All long and pale like bones planted in the sand.

    ¡°The least you can do is return us to Lahok!¡± the old sindur shouted.

    Shadow had not noticed a scuffle had started, but the old lynx appeared to oppose the black-armored guards.

    ¡°This is not a place for us!¡± the old lynx pursued. ¡°I am of the Centurion. My master will be looking for me.¡±

    The Centurion was the capital¡¯s military district. This old sindur must have belonged to a general.

    One of the guards leaned towards the old sindur. ¡°You should have thought of that before you tried to flee.¡±

    The old man was doing everything in his power to avoid being imprisoned here. But he didn¡¯t have much in his power other than his master¡¯s status. <i>How petty</i>, Shadow thought. This was not going to get them out of here, even he knew that.

    ¡°Get this old rot and these three to the dungeon,¡± the guard said to the others, pointing at Shadow and the older sindurs. ¡°The child goes to the cages.¡±

    The white cub rounded his blue eyes and instinctively reached out to the female.

    ¡°No!¡± she screamed as the lizards wanted to take him. ¡°If you¡¯re going to cage us, let him come with us. Please!¡±

    ¡°Khaleen!¡± the cub cried. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    So, that was her name.

    The guard drew his weapon, a pike, and brandished it.

    ¡°Step out of the way,¡± he ordered.

    Khaleen went on her knees and started begging. ¡°Please, he¡¯s just a child. Let him come with us, I beg you. I beg your mercy.¡±

    The guard pushed Khaleen to the side with the end of his pike. Mercy was not a word the sithrax knew. But Shadow had to admit that the cages sounded better than the dungeon. Perhaps the little white cub would be better off there.

    They picked up the cub and carried him away towards another exit. On his way out, he kept on yelling and screaming Khaleen¡¯s name. It was heart-wrenching to hear his cries. Shadow wanted it to stop.

    The guards led the three sindurs below ground. A dark and damp tunnel that smelled like rotten fish, even worse than outside the tower. Shadow had to cover his muzzle. His stomach was already churning on itself. He had to get used to the smell, or he wouldn¡¯t survive here longer than a night. They threw them into a single cell. It was square and small, the three would barely have enough room. There was one bucket in the corner, still full of feces from whoever had stayed there before. There wasn¡¯t even a bed, only stone and mold.

    Khaleen collapsed on the floor and sobbed. The two red males went to comfort her. But there wasn¡¯t really much they could say? Instead of following them, Shadow went to the door, a solid iron block with a small hatch that opened on the outside. While the others squealed, Shadow was already thinking of how he¡¯d get out of this place.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one guarding the door,¡± he remarked.

    Khaleen was still sobbing. The old sindur turned to Shadow and stood up again.

    ¡°There are hundreds of them in this fortress. What are you searching for?¡± the old lynx asked.

    ¡°A way out,¡± Shadow answered briskly.

    The old sindur scoffed, but it wasn¡¯t to mock Shadow. His scoff was sad. ¡°There¡¯s no way out. This place is to scare us so that we never try to flee again. They will return us to our masters after they¡¯ve starved and dried us.¡±

    The younger red sindur helped Khaleen stand up. At that moment, the hatch opened, and a single bowl of water was dropped to the floor. Half of it had already been knocked over by the fall. As thirsty as he was, Shadow let the old lynx drink first.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going back,¡± Shadow said. ¡°I know what you said about protecting the cub or me, but you can¡¯t protect us, old cat. Just like you can¡¯t stop me.¡±

    ¡°Listen to Ten Zin,¡± Khaleen said. Thanks to her, Shadow remembered the old sindur¡¯s name. Shadow was so bad with names. ¡°If you want to live, you will stay here and comply. At least we can all return home once it¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Home?¡± Shadow chuckled wryly. ¡°You mean enslavement, right?¡±

    Khaleen looked to the floor. Ten Zin did too. The third lynx, Mi¡ªsomething, handed Shadow the water bowl.

    ¡°You can finish it,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re all exhausted, boy. Turning against ourselves won¡¯t help.¡±

    Shadow drank the single sip left in the water bowl. It was not nearly enough to quench his thirst, but it would do, for this night.

    ¡°We should sleep,¡± Ten Zin said. ¡°At least, we are together.¡±

    ¡°I hope Sno is safe,¡± Khaleen said softly.

    Ah, now Shadow finally remembered all their names. The old Ten Zin. The young Mielo. The grey Khaleen and the white cub named Sno. They curled up next to each other to keep themselves warm. Shadow thought he¡¯d never close his eyes, but the soft breathing of the old red sindur eventually rocked him to a restless sleep.

 Chapter 3

    Heavy footsteps rattled down inside the tunnel, right outside of the cell. In his dreams, they were rocks falling off a cliff. Shadow opened his eyes before the others.

    The door flung open, and a giant green lizard stood in its place. He was tall, bulky, with yellowish eyes and tiny horns above his eyes. His crest was black and spiky. His square jaw was bearded with green and yellow scales.

    ¡°You,¡± he said as he pointed to Mielo. ¡°We start with you.¡±

    Mielo didn¡¯t make a peep. He stood and followed the green lizard out of the prison cell. Shadow watched him leave, wanting to do something but blocked by his own hesitation. Wherever Mielo was headed, it wasn¡¯t good, but at least it didn¡¯t look like death. When the guard closed the door, Shadow turned to Ten Zin.

    ¡°Where are they taking him?¡± he asked urgently.

    Ten Zin stood up and adjusted his filthy week-old tunic. ¡°They will want to know about the operation. Prepare your might because it will be your turn soon.¡±

    Shadow swallowed. He¡¯d been lynched for disobeying. What would a sithrax interrogation even look like?

    Time passed. Neither Ten Zin nor Khaleen spoke. Khaleen¡¯s blue eyes were red and inflamed like she¡¯d been sobbing all night. Shadow wondered for a brief minute where she had come from. Judging from her torn linen dress that barely covered her shoulders, the Ditch of Salek was his best guess. The poorest district of the poorest city. Maybe he should speak to her, coming from the Ditch of the capital himself.

    An hour later, the door opened again. Mielo was thrown back into the prison cell. He cowered into a corner, weak, but he didn¡¯t smell of blood. That was a good sign.

    ¡°What did they do?¡± Shadow asked in Sindawr so the lizard wouldn¡¯t understand.

    It didn¡¯t look like Mielo was going to answer.

    ¡°You,¡± the lizardman said, pointing at Khaleen.

    Ten Zin stepped in the lizard¡¯s way. ¡°Take me instead,¡± he growled.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    The guard didn¡¯t care who went next as long as one went next. Khaleen tended to Mielo while Ten Zin was gone. The red lynx didn¡¯t say a word and just yelped in his corner. Shadow was getting impatient. He was surprisingly good at keeping his cool in this desperate situation. Maybe that was why Khaleen and Mielo were looking strangely at him. They probably couldn¡¯t understand how a <i>child </i>like him could cope with this all without needing any comfort. Fear and sadness weren¡¯t emotions Shadow needed. And that was his strength. It was what had made him resilient to imprisonment, even in the Fortress of Stahl.

    When Ten Zin returned, Shadow noticed the new bruise on his arm, even in the dark. The sithrax guard suddenly turned to Shadow. Something twisted in his stomach. Was that what fear felt like?

    ¡°You.¡±

    That was it. It was Shadow¡¯s turn now.

    They carried him through the tunnel into a hall with six doors. They picked the second one on the left and led him up a spiral stairway. Fourth floor, first door on the right, and they opened a heavy iron door. Shadow was dragged into a small chamber lit by sunlight that blazed through the tiny barred window. Shadow made sure to take note of all the twists and turns that had led him from his cell to here.

    One guard stood in the room in brown and red armor. He held some sort of sickle-shaped weapon in his hand. For the giant lizard, it was a mere dagger. For Shadow, it was almost half his size. The other guards left the room, shutting the heavy door behind them. Shadow was alone with the giant lizard.

    This room was empty but smelled of blood. The floor was covered in dark sand. The rays through the tiny window created this clear divide between light and darkness.

    The guard crossed his arm and took a few steps closer to Shadow. Both stood facing each other in this empty chamber. He remained silent, breathing deeply, so much so that Shadow became irritated. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked in the lizardman¡¯s language. <i>Kwa wan doo?</i>

    The guard said nothing.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to interrogate me too? Ask me questions! Use that knife or something!¡± Shadow was taunting him.

    ¡°You are young,¡± the guard said. It took Shadow by surprise.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    The guard uncrossed his arms and marched away. He knocked once on the iron door, which opened, and he walked out.

    <i>What is going on?</i>

    Minutes later, the door opened again, and a slender figure stepped inside the chamber. The creature, also reptilian, was a head shorter than the other guards. It was a female. Shadow rarely saw females in the capital. They were, like sindurs, confined to strict curfew rules. This one wore armor. This one carried a weapon.

    The door shut again, and she came close to Shadow. Her eyes were grey, like her skin. Instead of a crest on her head, she had a large frill around her neck, folded around her shoulders. Her teeth were smaller and they didn¡¯t stick out of her mouth. She didn¡¯t have horns.

    ¡°They should have put you in the cages,¡± she said. ¡°You are too young for the dungeon.¡±

    Shadow had no idea how to react to that. He waited until she¡¯d say more.

    ¡°If you behave well, you will be rewarded,¡± she began again. ¡°If you don¡¯t, you will be punished. That is reasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Shadow shrugged. ¡°As long as I get out of here.¡±

    She tilted her head slightly as if to examine Shadow. ¡°Whose caravan was it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The caravan that brought you to the sandy plains. Whose was it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not answering that.¡±

    <i>Smack</i>. Hit by surprise.

    The lizardwoman had slapped Shadow. Surprise was quickly replaced by anger. It hurt but not enough to tame it.

    ¡°Ouch, what the¡ª¡±

    ¡°I told you to behave,¡± she said. Her tone hadn¡¯t changed. It was still dull and evident. ¡°Whose caravan was it? How does one slave child become involved in a whole smuggling operation?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what you want to know,¡± Shadow said, stroking his furry cheek with his paw. ¡°Because you don¡¯t know how this all came together, don¡¯t you? You <i>sirtkes</i> have no idea what¡¯s happening in your cities, in the dark, when you¡¯re not watching?¡±

    She slapped him again. Shadow had attempted to block her, but she was too strong. She pushed right through.

    ¡°Watch your tone, catling,¡± she warned. ¡°How does the mage choose who goes? Where are you collected? Who¡¯s in charge?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get anything from me, I was just a passenger.¡± Shadow chuckled. It was a better alternative than yowling because of his burning cheek.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge?¡±

    ¡°Someone who wants us all free.¡±

    A thin smile stretched over the lizardwoman¡¯s face. ¡°So there is someone in charge.¡± Her eyes were glowing like she¡¯d received the information she¡¯d been after.

    Shadow was left mute. Had he spilled information by accident? He wasn¡¯t aware that he had!

    The slender lizard walked to the door, knocked once, and turned back to Shadow. ¡°You¡¯ve done good, boy. Your reward is waiting for you.¡±

    The door opened, and she let him out. Outside the chamber stood the same giant lizard with the sickle. Only this time, he carried a plate with a warm loaf of bread and handed it to Shadow.

    ¡°Eat quick,¡± the lizardwoman said behind Shadow. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who gets treats if you behave well. You wouldn¡¯t want to make the others jealous.¡±

    Shadow stared at the loaf, clueless. He had no idea what had just happened. His mind was blank and empty. He ate the bread mechanically. It tasted sweet.

    Though, as he was eating, something caught his attention. At the end of the corridor sat a sithrax at some sort of desk. The creature wasn¡¯t looking at him, and the desk was messy, crowded with weapons and shields. But the glow of an object attracted Shadow¡¯s gaze. It was Master Khan¡¯s necklace. This sight brought him back to reality, and his mind kicked off again.

    Shadow recognized the amulet. It was the object that Master Khan would use to cross the Barrier. If Shadow could get to it, he¡¯d have what he needed to leave this place Not the Fortress of Stahl, but Rallis entirely.. Shadow wasn¡¯t fully aware of it just yet, but an escape plan had slowly begun to form in the back of his mind.

 Chapter 4

    There was a short debate between the female lizard and the guard. They argued whether Shadow should return to the dungeon or be brought to the cages. The capturers hadn¡¯t guessed his age well, Shadow concluded. The dungeon was for the adults and the cages for the cubs. Shadow was neither.

    They returned him to the dungeon after all, and they took Khaleen next. Shadow leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. He spent some time staring at the void until he gazed at the old Ten Zin for the first time in hours.

    ¡°We have to find Master Khan,¡± Shadow declared. ¡°I know where his amulet is. If we can break him out, we can cross the Barrier.¡±

    Ten Zin scoffed the same way he did last time. ¡°You are so young. There are only four of us. How do you expect us to break out of a fortress with just us four?¡±

    Shadow didn¡¯t know how to answer that...yet! He¡¯d find an answer, he was sure of it. There was something he¡¯d noticed about this place. The darkness, the stench, the loudness of it all. He didn¡¯t quite know what to make of it yet, but it bothered him. As if some sort of idea was scratching at his head.

    A door opened. It wasn¡¯t the door to their cell but it was close. A thump, a grunt, Shadow could hear it. Then, he heard a man¡¯s voice. A human speaking¡ªshouting in Common at the guards outside.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m coming for you, scale-face!¡± the man shouted comically. He had a booming voice that made him sound authoritative.

    ¡°Silence!¡± the guard shouted back in the sithrax language.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, I don¡¯t understand you!¡±

    The guard didn¡¯t respond. Shadow heard heavy footsteps leaving the tunnel. Then, against everything he¡¯d have expected, the man...began singing! His voice was husky and hoarse. And he sounded drunk.

    ¡°<i>You can chain me, you can shut me, but you won¡¯t take¡­</i>

    ¡°<i>My vanity!</i>

    ¡°<i>I¡¯m the prisoner... </i>

    ¡°<i>The executioner won¡¯t want to break</i>

    ¡°<i>¡¯Cause you can¡¯t take my vanity!</i>

    ¡°What? Not good enough for you, scale-face? Alright, again.¡± The stranger cleared his throat. ¡°<i>You can chain me! You can shut me! But be glad you can¡¯t take my vanity! </i>

    ¡°<i>I¡¯m the prisoner, or soon to be,</i>

    ¡°<i>Executioner¡­</i>

    ¡°<i>Wait ¡®till I escape, you filthy lizard-apes! ¡¯Cause you can¡¯t take¡­</i>

    ¡°<i>You cannot break...</i>¡± He inhaled deeply and prepared for the loudest verse: ¡°<i>My vanity!</i>¡±

    Shadow couldn¡¯t hold in his laugh anymore. He could hear the man clearly through the wall, and the man¡¯s song was hilarious.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± the man asked. He¡¯d stopped singing.

    Shadow came closer to the wall and pressed his ear against it.

    ¡°Hello?¡± the man called. ¡°Am I the lucky prisoner with a cellmate?¡±

    ¡°Hello? Ehm...yes. I think I¡¯m next to you,¡± Shadow responded in his best Common. His parents had taught it to him.

    ¡°Great!¡± the man exclaimed sarcastically. ¡°What are you in for?¡±

    ¡°We were leaving Rallis¡ª¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Silence, boy!¡± Ten Zin intervened. ¡°You don¡¯t know who¡¯s out there.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing. Silence.¡±

    Shadow could hear the man on the other side come closer to their wall.

    ¡°Your friends in there don¡¯t want you talking to me?¡± the stranger asked.

    Shadow made a choice there and then. Ten Zin, Mielo, and Khaleen were too afraid to do anything. But Shadow had an escape to plan, and this man sounded like he¡¯d want to be part of it. The more allies he could find, the better.

    ¡°We were going to cross the Barrier with Master Khan!¡± Shadow said quickly. ¡°He has an amulet that will get us through. I saw where the sithrax are keeping it. I think I have a plan.¡±

    ¡°A plan?¡±

    Heavy footsteps echoed outside. Someone banged loud against the door.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± a guard shouted in lizard tongue, then he switched to Common and addressed the man in the next cell. ¡°Stop talking, or the Pale Warden will have your head. I will not repeat myself.¡±

    ¡°Tell him I said hi,¡± the man said in a mocking voice.

    Shadow couldn¡¯t hold in his laugh again. So much so that the guard banged on his cell door before marching away.

    It was quiet again until the stranger broke the silence. He was whispering, but it was loud enough for Shadow to hear.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, friend?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Shadow.¡±

    ¡°Ha, what a strange name!¡± The man chuckled.

    ¡°How about yours?¡± Shadow asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ezra.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ezra,¡± Shadow said politely, just like his parents had taught him.

    ¡°Likewise. Now, tell me about that escape plan of yours.¡±

    Shadow cleared his throat before telling Ezra of his plan. Sithrax couldn¡¯t hear as well as sindurs did, but he was careful nonetheless.

    ¡°They keep the amulet on the fourth floor, with the weapons. I know how to get there,¡± he said. ¡°I can sneak there and steal it.¡±

    Shadow sat leaning against the wall between his cell and his new friend¡¯s. Being cautious and scared wasn¡¯t the thing that would get him out of here. As much as Ten Zin and Mielo disapproved, Shadow still wanted to share his plan.

    ¡°What makes you think you can pass all these guards without being detected?¡± Ezra asked.

    ¡°The sithrax are big and strong, but they¡¯re also very stupid.¡±

    Ezra laughed out loud. ¡°They still have eyes and ears.¡±

    ¡°Not as good as mine. I¡¯m sindur, they won¡¯t hear me.¡±

    The man in the next cell suddenly fell silent.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I can do it?¡± Shadow checked.

    Ezra let out a barely audible chuckle. ¡°I met a sindur once. Your kind will never cease to surprise me.¡± He paused for a minute. ¡°Okay, so, the plan is: you somehow get out of your cell, steal that <i>amulet</i>, and then?¡±

    ¡°I find where they keep Master Khan.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that Master Khan bloke?¡±

    ¡°<i>Bloke</i>?¡± Shadow didn¡¯t know that word.

    ¡°Man. Who¡¯s Master Khan?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a wizard. He was helping us get out of Rallis. Only a mage can cross the Barrier. But he was wounded. I think they keep him in another cell.¡±

    ¡°So, Shadow, correct me if I¡¯m wrong,¡± Ezra began. ¡°But for your plan to work, we need to get out of our cells, steal the amulet, find the mage, free him, then escape the fortress? Do you see where I¡¯m going with this?¡±

    Put like that, Shadow¡¯s plan sounded incomplete and simply impossible. Shadow looked to the ground briefly, then his eyes met Mielo¡¯s. The red lynx had a look of<i> we told you so</i> on his face.

    ¡°Shadow?¡± the man called on the other side of the wall.

    ¡°Yeah...Forget it,¡± Shadow mumbled. Hearing this excuse for a plan in this man¡¯s voice made it all sound foolish.

    ¡°Forget it? When we¡¯re just getting started?¡± Ezra sounded appalled. ¡°Come on, we have a plan to work on. We¡¯ll start by figuring out how to get out of our cells,¡± he said decisively before the guard returned.

    The guard banged on the door once again. Ezra stopped talking, and Shadow smiled at the void. So, the man in the next cell did believe it was possible. The excitement returned in Shadow¡¯s heart. It was time to turn his idea of escape into a mission.

 Chapter 5

    Interesting character, this Shadow fellow. A creator of long-shot plans for sure. Ezra leaned against the wall between his and Shadow¡¯s cell. How many more sindurs had he heard in there? At least two. Another one returned shortly after Shadow had shared his plan.

    During his stay here, Ezra had noted three things.

    One¡ªthe smell here was worse than a whale¡¯s stomach. And Ezra had been in a whale¡¯s stomach.

    Two¡ªhe was far from the only one here. After three days since his capture, he¡¯d gone through five interrogations and two walks in the Pig¡¯s Pen, as the sithrax called it. The Pig¡¯s Pen was the prison yard. All prisoners gathered there at lunchtime. He¡¯d seen humans, dark elves, and even sithrax here. But sindurs? Those were the rare kind. Sindurs got killed or returned if they disobeyed, not imprisoned in the Fortress of Stahl.

    Three¡ªafter lunch, the guards didn¡¯t lock the doors until nightfall, until all prisoners had returned to their cell. Ezra didn¡¯t know why, but it seemed like those lizards wanted to lock everything at once. This left a window of opportunity. He hadn¡¯t shared this information with Shadow yet. He wanted to study it more, see if there was a pattern. A pattern in prison was a vulnerability.

    This was far from Ezra¡¯s first time in prison, let alone a Fortress. The Sultan of Galies would probably remember him. After all, he was the Collector, and he always got into trouble.

    He¡¯d missed this. He could admit that to himself now. Maybe he was a little deranged, but he¡¯d miss this feeling of excitement. The adrenaline.

    ¡°Are you still there?¡± Shadow asked on the other end of the wall.

    His accent was thick and melodious. He rolled the Rs almost like a Gaelisi peasant. Ezra imagined him red with yellow eyes, like the previous sindur he¡¯d met. He missed that little boy too! Luky was his name. Ezra hadn¡¯t written to him in ages.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ezra eventually answered. ¡°I¡¯m thinking, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Ezra paused and thought. It was almost lunchtime. The guards would come soon and send the prisoners down the Pig¡¯s Pen. ¡°They¡¯ll take us to the prison yard in a bit. I¡¯ll see you there.¡±

    ¡°The prison yard?¡± Shadow sounded confused.

    ¡°Yes, for lunch. Hope you like sandworms.¡±

    Shadow didn¡¯t respond, but Ezra was sure he was making a disgusted face.

    The Pig¡¯s Pen was the same as the previous days. Walls of steel surrounding a square of sand. Prisoners looking lost in the corners, against the walls seeking shade. In the middle was a large pot of sandworm mash, the only food the sithrax gave the prisoners of Stahl. It was disgusting, but Ezra had to eat something. One guard stood by the pot and waited for hungry prisoners to stand in line.

    Even in the sithrax land of Rallis, prison had the same rules. Make friends. But Ezra didn¡¯t feel like talking to the gang of dark elves, the two scar-faced wood elves, or the bulky humans who played some made-up game with rocks. There was only one person¡ªman-cat he wanted to make friends with.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    They¡¯d taken Ezra out of his cell before Shadow. Ezra didn¡¯t know what the man-cat looked like, but he was staring at the yard¡¯s entrance, expecting a red sindur to come out. He waited and waited until <i>two </i>red cats came out. One skinny, one slow. Both didn¡¯t look like the Shadow type. The sindur that followed, though, now, that was an interesting one. All black. His fur seemed so smooth that it was shiny. He was tall for a sindur, and he certainly looked more athletic than the slow red one. He wore a sand-colored tunic. Well, it was pretty much dark brown by now. Dirty and muddy. If Shadow had to be one of these cats, Ezra hoped it¡¯d be the black one. He looked like a sindur who¡¯d have a chance at escaping.

    Ezra walked to him, passing the dark elves. When he came face to face with the black sindur, the latter examined him with bright green eyes.

    ¡°Is that you, Shadow?¡± Ezra checked.

    The black sindur nodded, then he hesitated. ¡°Are you the man next to us?¡±

    This was definitely Shadow. Ezra recognized his voice and the thick accent. The other two sindurs, now three, stared at him cautiously. Shadow said something to them in Sindawr. The slow red sindur looked like he was disapproving of Ezra. Ezra didn¡¯t speak their language, so he had no idea what was said. Common, Taz, and a bit of Elven were enough to get him by in this world.

    The red sindurs walked away and went to stand in line by the food pot. The other one, all grey and probably female, lay her hand on Shadow¡¯s shoulder. She said something, then joined the others. Shadow¡¯s attention finally returned to Ezra.

    ¡°Your friends?¡± Ezra asked and pointed.

    ¡°We were fleeing together,¡± Shadow replied.

    ¡°And you were going to cross the Barrier.¡± Ezra looked around. ¡°Do you see your mage anywhere?¡± he asked quietly.

    Shadow briefly scanned the area. ¡°No. But I¡¯m sure he¡¯s here.¡±

    Ezra noticed the guards patrolling around the Pig¡¯s Pen. They¡¯d stopped walking and were now looking at him and Shadow. The two had to be discreet and not attract too much attention. A sindur talking to a human was definitely something suspicious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in the line,¡± Ezra said. ¡°I¡¯ll stand behind you.¡±

    Shadow queued up behind the grey sindur. Ezra was next, but he made sure to keep his distance. They could still talk here.

    ¡°Who are all these people?¡± Shadow asked, looking slightly over his shoulder.

    ¡°Other prisoners. Don¡¯t bother with them too much. Some of them actually deserve to be here.¡±

    ¡°What about you? What did you do?¡±

    Ezra chuckled softly. ¡°I was caught sniffing around Lahok¡¯s archives. Did you know the sithrax actually have libraries? I didn¡¯t, and I was astonished.¡±

    ¡°What did you do in the archives?¡± Shadow asked, whispering.

    ¡°I was looking for something,¡± Ezra replied.

    Before Shadow could ask more, they had reached the food pot. The guard served him and Ezra a bowl of mashed sandworms. Disgusting, but Ezra had eaten similar things in his past. He could shrug it off.

    ¡°Best if we sit separately,¡± Ezra advised the black sindur. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you back in the cell.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ezra walked away. He picked the same corner as the previous days, the human corner. He had no interest in talking to them, and they left him alone anyway. That was one of the advantages of his reputation. Even in Rallis, people had heard of Ezra. The legend of <i>the Collector</i> was still alive and well.

 Chapter 6

    <b></b>Mashed sandworm tasted like absolutely nothing. It had the consistency of rhino-milk pudding without its horrible bitter taste. Shadow was actually relieved to eat something this tasteless. It was much better than what he¡¯d expected. He and the three other sindurs were sitting on the sand, in the sun, near the pot. The humans and elves were seeking shade, but the sindurs of Rallis were used to the hot desert sun. And here, they were left alone. Or so Shadow had hoped.

    When they were done with their food, they returned the bowls to the guard at the food pot. Khaleen wanted to go search for Sno, the little white cub, but Shadow knew he wasn¡¯t here. When they turned around, they were stopped by a strange man. A dark elf in a black tunic with blue skin and black hair. His red eyes showed nothing but anger. Shadow had seen dark elves in the capital. They were pretty much the only race the sithrax allowed in their midst. This one was taller than Ten Zin. They faced each other. The old sindur puffed up his chest, and his face had no expression.

    The dark elf examined him, then he frowned. ¡°A slave in Stahl,¡± he uttered in Common. ¡°How pathetic...¡± Ten Zin didn¡¯t move. ¡°But since you¡¯re all here, you¡¯ll have to pick a side. I hope for your sake that you pick correctly.¡±

    ¡°We have no interest in siding with you or with anyone else,¡± Ten Zin declared. His Common was perfect, accentless. ¡°Please, leave us be.¡±

    ¡°A cat who speaks like a human?¡± The dark elf laughed. ¡°That¡¯s even more pathetic. Did they teach you to dance too? Come on, cat, dance for me.¡±

    ¡°Ten Zin, let¡¯s go,¡± Khaleen murmured.

    ¡°What was that?¡± The dark elf obviously didn¡¯t understand Khaleen. ¡°A female, even. Well, don¡¯t you look pretty for an animal!¡±

    ¡°Leave her be!¡± Ten Zin growled.

    ¡°Ah, so he does bite.¡± The dark elf sneered. Then he reached out for Khaleen. He almost touched her cheek when Ten Zin slapped his hand away.

    ¡°I said leave her be!¡± Ten Zin yelled.

    The dark elf¡¯s eyes were now redder than blood. There was silence, then he punched Ten Zin in the face. The blow knocked the old sindur over, who fell on his bottom. Khaleen screamed. The dark elf rushed to the fallen sindur to hit him again. That¡¯s when Shadow noticed the iron knuckles in the dark elf¡¯s fist. He had to intervene.

    Shadow threw himself on the dark elf, claws first. Dark elves were fast, but sindurs were faster. Shadow scratched his arms because he couldn¡¯t get to his face. It didn¡¯t take long before the other dark elves joined the fight. Now, Mielo and Khaleen were fighting too.

    The three sindurs stood in a circle around Ten Zin and protected him. Iron knuckles couldn¡¯t rival against sharp feline claws. Shadow finally broke through his opponent¡¯s defenses when something latched to his collar. It pulled him away with so much force, Shadow had to let go. He could smell who was behind him.

    The sithrax guard.

    More guards appeared to break the fight. They used pikes to separate dark elves from sindurs. The dark elf with the iron knuckle was forced on his knees by the food pot guard. His arms were bleeding from Shadow¡¯s claws, but the guard couldn¡¯t care less. He gripped his hand and forcibly removed the knuckle, then he threw it over the steel fence. Shadow rejoiced, seeing the dark elf quivering on the ground. But it wasn¡¯t over.

    The sithrax guard marched toward the sindurs. He paused to look at the four as if he was choosing who he¡¯d go to next. He picked Mielo. He forced the red sindur on his knees and pulled on his paw. He pressed in Mielo¡¯s palm so his claws would be forced out. And then, Mielo screamed. The sithrax seized one of his claws and pulled firmly, tearing the claw out the paw. When he was finished, the guard discarded the claw in the sand and released Mielo. Then he marched away without looking back.

    Shadow was in shock, unable to move. He couldn¡¯t even hear his own breath, as if he¡¯d stopped breathing.

    Mielo was on the ground holding his paw. He was yowling in pain. He had blood all over his fur. Ten Zin helped him stand, while Khaleen, like Shadow, was paralyzed. It was a mixture of fear and anger that Shadow felt. A disgusting sensation in his stomach, which he wasn¡¯t used to anymore.

    Shadow had seen horrible things happen, to his parents, to the other sindur slaves he¡¯d known. Eventually, he¡¯d forbidden himself to be scared. That was how he¡¯d survived so long. But now, after the fight, a door had been opened. And all these emotions were free to come out again. Shadow hated it. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    At night, back in his cell, Shadow couldn¡¯t sleep. Khaleen had wrapped a piece of her tunic around Mielo¡¯s paw. The two slept curled up against each other. Ten Zin was in the corner, snoring. Shadow leaned against the wall, staring at the darkness.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± a voice whispered on the other side of the wall.

    The human in the next cell! Shadow had completely forgotten about him. What was his name again?

    ¡°Yes,¡± Shadow whispered back.

    Ez¡ªsomething. Ezla? Ezma?

    Ezra. Yes, Ezra.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep, eh? You gave quite the show earlier. What did we say about not attracting too much attention?¡± The man¡¯s tone was comical again. He paused, but Shadow didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Is your friend okay?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll survive,¡± Shadow said with a low voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man said sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s just not right.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What the sithrax do to your kind. The dark elf got his weapon removed, but they declawed your friend. It¡¯s like they removed part of him.¡±

    Shadow¡¯s anger simmered softly. He had to stay calm, or he might inadvertently let his fury roar.

    Ezra wasn¡¯t the typical human he¡¯d imagined. His skin was darker than Master Khan¡¯s, yet sithrax always talked about the pig-skinned. Shadow had only met two humans in his life, both dark-skinned, one like copper, the other like ebony. He¡¯d not paid attention to the other humans in the prison yard. Maybe he¡¯d do that tomorrow.

    Ezra had this dark green jacket over a linen shirt and leather breeches. He wore thick leather boots. Wasn¡¯t he burning in this outfit under the Rallisan sun? Dark elves in Rallis barely wore anything.

    ¡°How do sindurs like you end up teaming up with a mage to cross the Barrier?¡± Ezra asked out of the blue.

    ¡°That¡¯s something the sithrax want to know too,¡± Shadow replied, sighing. Then he took a deep breath. If he¡¯d tell somebody, it might as well be Ezra. ¡°There¡¯s a man in the capital they call the Reaper, he¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Reaper?¡± Ezra interjected. ¡°The dark elf crime lord?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you pay him enough, he arranges a trade caravan. The driver took us to the sandy plains, where Master Khan waited. Master Khan is the only one who can help us cross the Barrier because¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a mage.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. He¡¯s from the land of humans, and he helps us. He has the amulet. He took over the caravan, but we were discovered by patrolling sithrax.¡± Shadow shivered as he remembered the attack. The screams were still so fresh in his mind. ¡°We all know the operation is very risky, but it¡¯s for a better life. At least, that¡¯s what my parents said.¡±

    ¡°Your parents? Did they pay for you?¡± Ezra wondered.

    ¡°Yes, a lot of parents pay for their cubs. They say life in the land of humans is free. It¡¯s a lot of money, so some parents try to find cheaper smugglers. We don¡¯t know what happens to those children. My parents wanted me to go with the Reaper¡¯s caravan. Just like Sno¡¯s parents. Sno was also with us, but I don¡¯t know where he is now.¡±

    ¡°How old are you?¡± Ezra sounded surprised all of a sudden. Perhaps he¡¯d expected Shadow to be...older?

    ¡°Sixteen.¡±

    ¡°Sixteen!¡±

    Was that a question? Shadow suddenly heard footsteps outside. Footsteps¡­leaving? He crawled closer to the door to listen closely. It sounded like the tunnel was empty. The footsteps later returned, and someone on the other side fiddled with the door to his cell. He heard a sliding sound.

    ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± Shadow whispered a question to the wall.

    ¡°They¡¯re locking up the doors,¡± Ezra whispered back. ¡°I know, weird, right? The cells are just open during the day.¡±

    ¡°But there was no noise before!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re just locking up now.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, the tunnel was empty before. So, the guard leaves, then he returns to lock the cells. That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    Ezra paused. ¡°What if it¡¯s a changing of the guard?¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± the guard on the other side suddenly shouted, waking everyone in Shadow¡¯s cell.

    Mielo yelped, half asleep, half awake. Khaleen slowly hushed him back to sleep. Shadow remained silent from then on, and so did Ezra. Instead, Shadow¡¯s mind was brimming with thoughts. There it was. The window of opportunity. And Shadow¡¯s plan was slowly coming to life.

 Chapter 7

    Shadow was right. The guard did leave, and another one returned to the dungeon to lock the cells. And the crazy part was, they were consistent. Ezra had counted exactly four minutes between guards. Four minutes of open doors and no one to watch them.

    When they dragged him to be interrogated the following day again, Ezra made sure to inspect all chambers he¡¯d pass along the way. There was one room with a shut steel door that seemed irrelevant, but guards were posted outside. During his interrogation, Ezra sent them on yet another trail. It was yet another clueless and manipulable guard asking him stupid questions. There was no way they¡¯d break him into revealing what he was doing in the capital¡¯s archives. What he was searching for. That information was solely for him. And maybe for a Hauian Princess, but no one needed to know that.

    On his way back to his cell, the <i>irrelevant door</i> was ajar. The guards were conversing outside and making strange faces with their crooked teeth. Ezra took a quick peek. Before his own escort shoved him in the shoulder, he saw a man inside the chamber. A man with black hair in a blue robe, chained to a chair. Master Khan? Definitely.

    Ezra needed to talk to Shadow. There was no way he was staying here another night.

    Back in the Pig¡¯s Pen, Ezra went to sit with the sindurs while they ate. This time, they¡¯d picked a corner in the shade, as far away as possible from the gang of dark elves. Those blue idiots still sneered at them.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you all,¡± Ezra greeted the three other cats before taking a seat on the sand. ¡°I¡¯m Ezra, and we¡¯re getting out tonight.¡±

    The slow red one sighed. He definitely didn¡¯t approve, but he didn¡¯t walk away either. The other two simply looked at him. The expression on their faces was all types of confused.

    Shadow, on the other hand, was all pointy ears. ¡°You have a plan?¡± he asked, almost smiling.

    ¡°I have <i>your </i>plan.¡± The black cat was smiling, so Ezra continued. ¡°We have about four minutes before the guards lock the cells. Four minutes when we¡¯re not being watched. This is what we¡¯ll do: Shadow, you and I go to the stairs. You get that amulet, and you get me a weapon. I¡¯ll get your wizard. I know where he is. We meet back on the stairs. We¡¯ll have to be very sneaky.¡±

    ¡°What if we run into guards?¡± Shadow asked. A very valid question.

    Ezra had a plan. ¡°You,¡± he said, looking at the three other sindurs. ¡°You need to create a massive diversion, something that will lure all the guards out.¡±

    Ezra was smiling fully. He knew exactly what they needed to do, but he wanted them to guess. If they guessed right, they were fit for the prison break.

    ¡°And how do we do that?¡± the slow one asked. He was still cautious, but he was still there!

    The grey one looked like she had an idea. ¡°We make...everyone...out,¡± she said with a lot of hesitation. Her Common was terrible, but Ezra understood.

    And it was spot on. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Ezra exclaimed softly so he wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention. ¡°You three let everyone out. The humans are opposite us. The dark elves are all in different cells down the tunnel. Open all the doors. Everyone likes a little mayhem, don¡¯t they?¡± He paused, waiting for them to acknowledge. They still gaped at him. ¡°You let everyone out, then you all hide back in your cell. All prisoners will probably be running for the exit. There¡¯ll be a fight. When everyone is fighting outside, you meet us upstairs.¡±

    ¡°How can you be sure your plan will work?¡± the slow sindur asked. Ezra noticed the white hairs around in his fur. He was probably old, that was why he was so slow.

    ¡°Rule number one, people are impulsive. Everyone here desperately wants to get out. You open their doors, they¡¯ll head for the exit without asking questions. Rule number two, it¡¯s a prison. It¡¯s literally a guard¡¯s job to make sure no one escapes. If every prisoner is suddenly on the loose, every guard will do their job. They won¡¯t think, oh, maybe we should check upstairs, no! They will do everything they can to ensure those prisoners are back in their cells. Or dead, doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    The old sindur looked at the rest. He started speaking to them in their language. Ezra waited, squinting, wondering what was going on.

    ¡°He¡¯s translating,¡± Shadow explained.

    ¡°Ah! So... he¡¯s in?¡±

    Shadow grinned. ¡°It appears so.¡±

    Once the old sindur was done speaking and the rest was done nodding, he turned back to Ezra. ¡°What do we do once we¡¯re upstairs?¡±

    Ezra was going to reply, but the gates to the Pig¡¯s Pen suddenly opened. They usually only opened to let all prisoners out and back in. A guard walked out. No, it was no guard. It was the sand-colored albino lizard Ezra despised. The one that enjoyed needles a little too much. He wore his shiny steel armor and paraded around like an Indus-Kali peacock. He was the Pale Warden.

    First, he looked around the prison yard, scowling at the captives. Then, he marched to Ezra, growling.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± the Pale Warden asked once he reached him. His voice was like an annoying hiss. His red eyes were round and small.

    ¡°Just eating, mate,¡± Ezra replied nonchalantly.

    ¡°I told you not to speak with the other guests, <i>Collector</i>. Go to your own corner and stay there.¡±

    ¡°Guests?¡± Ezra challenged. ¡°That¡¯s what you call them?¡±

    The Pale Warden didn¡¯t respond. He just grinned.

    Ezra complied, but not because he was scared. He didn¡¯t want anything to happen to these sindurs. He stood and walked away, but not before winking at Shadow.

    Once they¡¯d all be upstairs tonight, they¡¯d jump out of a window at the back of the tower. The sand would soften Ezra¡¯s fall, and his partners were sindurs. They could jump out of the fifth floor if they wanted. It wasn¡¯t the first time Ezra was breaking out of prison. And it probably wouldn¡¯t be the last. As long as he had a diversion, a weapon, a wizard, and four pairs of claws, they¡¯d be fine.

    Ezra discarded the rest of his food on the sand. He wasn¡¯t hungry, and he didn¡¯t want to risk food poisoning. He returned his bowl, but he saw those dark elves again when he turned around. Six were headed toward Shadow and his friends. Oh no, what were they planning now? Ezra looked around to check for guards. Strange... The Pale Warden was gone, and all guards in the prison yard were hidden in the shade with their backs turned. This wasn¡¯t going to be a random stand-off. This was planned. And the guards were in on it! Ezra checked the dark elf leader and saw, in the crook¡¯s hand, a shiny dagger.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ezra shouted. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±

    The dark elves ignored him. Shadow had his back turned, and they were headed straight for him.

 Chapter 8

    Shadow heard Ezra shouting, then footsteps behind him. He recognized them instantly, the dark elves were back. He stood and turned around. Mielo, Khaleen, and Ten Zin stood as well.

    ¡°You!¡± the dark elf with red eyes called. ¡°You did this.¡± He then showed his chafed arm and increased his angry stride.

    He came just in Shadow¡¯s reach when he slashed at him. Shadow¡¯s reflexes were just enough. He ducked, avoiding the shiny dagger the elf held in his hand.

    The elf slashed again. Ten Zin instantly intervened. The old sindur parried the strike, but the dagger cut through his arm. Ten Zin yowled.

    Nothing stopped the dark elf. He went for another strike, his anger directed at the old lynx. He stabbed at his arm, missing him. On the next strike, he didn¡¯t miss. Ten Zin fell to his knees, the dagger in his arm. The dark elf pulled it out violently, and blood fell on the sand. He was going at it again. Shadow jumped between them to block, and he grabbed the elf by both wrists. Now, it was pound for pound. Even if he was young, Shadow was stronger.

    Shadow planted his claws in the elf¡¯s flesh and made him drop his dagger. The elf peeled himself off, taking a few steps back.

    ¡°You fools!¡± he screamed. Then he turned to his five friends with an evil flare in his eyes. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there! Fight them! Hurt them!¡±

    In a fraction of a second, Shadow checked for guards. He didn¡¯t spot any. For once, he¡¯d hoped to see one. There was no way they could fight six angry dark elves. They all had daggers. They were fast.

    Suddenly, Mielo and Ten Zin roared together and adopted a fighting stance. Their roars were so impressive that Shadow got the shivers. Even if the old sindur was bleeding, he was ready to fight. It encouraged Shadow to roar in turn. The males stood together, and Khaleen joined them, claws out, teeth showing. Maybe other races didn¡¯t know much about sindurs, but females were actually the stronger ones.

    ¡°I¡¯m really done with this place,¡± she said. Anger flared in her eyes. Shadow had seen her sad and weak. Now, she was furious.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Mielo added.

    ¡°And so am I,¡± Ten Zin growled.

    And they charged the dark elves.

    The fight that ensued was brutal and chaotic. It was Shadow¡¯s second time fighting. The first time had been against sithrax hatchlings in the streets of Lahok. Dark elves were definitely better fighters, but sindurs were faster and stronger. Especially Ten Zin. That old lynx could fight! The sindurs had the advantage, but everything stopped so suddenly.

    Everything stopped once Ten Zin had their leader kneeling on the ground and a claw under his neck. He held the dark elf¡¯s arm under his, immobilizing him. His claw was already planted in his flesh. Ten Zin snarled.

    ¡°Enough!¡± he roared, and everyone in the prison yard stared at him.

    The dark elf was looking at the ground in shame. Ten Zin panted and growled at the same time. His eyes were flaming. He still held the dark elf, even after all the others had dropped their weapons. It was like he was waiting for something else to happen. Or maybe, he was hesitating whether he should kill him.

    ¡°Stop!¡± A hiss echoed through the prison yard. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    It was that sand-colored lizard that had chased Ezra. He¡¯d returned. Shadow noticed the other guards again. What had they been doing all this time?

    The pale guard drew his weapon, a steel glaive. He marched fast towards the sindurs. Ten Zin wasn¡¯t releasing the dark elf.

    ¡°Let go of him,¡± Khaleen whispered urgently.

    Ten Zin grunted and removed his claw from the dark elf¡¯s neck. He released him and kicked him in the back so he¡¯d fall on the ground.

    The others were wailing and writhing on the ground, covered in blood. They had scratches on their faces, their arms, their legs. All were superfluous, but they probably burned like hellfire. Sindur claws were sharper than broken glass. The elves crawled away, bleating like crippled animals.

    The pale lizard stopped walking. He stood in front of Shadow.

    ¡°Did you start this?¡± he asked.

    Shadow frowned and shook his head, confused. ¡°No, they came at us. Where were you?¡±

    The guard crossed his heavy arms. ¡°They¡¯re on the ground. You are still standing. Did you start this?¡±

    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t pick a fight with sindurs,¡± Shadow said with wry.

    ¡°Watch your tone,¡± the pale lizard warned.

    His voice was lower now. He stared into Shadow¡¯s eyes for a little longer. His pupils were wide, but, suddenly, they flattened into slits.

    ¡°Declaw them!¡± he shouted to the other guards. ¡°Take all their claws!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Shadow gasped. ¡°But we did nothing! We just defended ourselves!¡±

    The pale lizard started marching away. Four guards approached the sindurs, ready to perform their task.

    ¡°S<i>irtke</i>, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Shadow called the pale lizard. ¡°We did nothing!¡±

    But the pale lizard ignored him. He left the prison yard without looking back.

    A guard seized Shadow¡¯s arms. Shadow wrestled and struggled, but the guard held him firmly. The other guards had caught his friends.

    Shadow heard Ezra shout from the other side of the yard. ¡°Hey!¡± Ezra walked to them until another guard stepped in his way. ¡°Hey, they just defended themselves, mate! You guys looked away. What the hell is going on?¡± The guard didn''t let Ezra through.

    Khaleen and Ten Zin were forced to their knees. Shadow still struggled, but he fell on himself after a hard hit on his head. As for Mielo, the guard removed the bandage Khaleen had made. His paw was already inflamed. The guard was going to start from that same paw.

    Everyone was shouting or growling. Even Ezra from where he stood. Shadow managed to push himself up again. His head was ringing, but he didn¡¯t care. His instincts kicked off. He had to fight.

    The guard was holding him so tight he could feel his bones almost breaking. Mielo screamed when a second claw was pulled out of his paw. Khaleen lay on the ground while the lizard removed hers. She¡¯d just buried her head and screamed in the sand. Ten Zin and Shadow were still struggling.

    Another guard came to get a hold of Shadow¡¯s feet. They flipped him over. He couldn¡¯t even see Ezra anymore. He only heard a scuffle and the man¡¯s angry shouts. Now, he was hearing Ten Zin¡¯s yowls too.

    They pinned him to the ground. Shadow managed to free his feet. He was on his knees, ready to jump. They hit him in the head again. That ringing sound was getting louder. The world whirled around him. He felt weak.

    They caught his arm, then his paw. Shadow collapsed on all fours. They held his arm firmly, and one guard pulled on his claw. The pain was like a shock.

    A cold wave spread through his veins. Shadow felt nothing but this strange chill that crystalized his blood. He roared and recoiled on himself. They had a tough time keeping him still. Shadow screamed. The more he screamed, the harder the guard pulled on his claw.

    ¡°Die!¡± Shadow shrieked in a grating voice. ¡°I want you all to die!¡±

    When his claw finally snapped, everything went silent. The pain vanished. The ringing stopped. And the cold turned into a hot bloodrush of rage.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Stop!¡± Ezra screamed out of his lungs. The guard was holding him still. ¡°You monsters! Stop!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t do anything but watch the guards torture those poor, defenseless sindurs. They were removing their claws. They were almost done with the female. It was horrible to watch, worse than any torture Ezra had ever endured. Shadow was fighting with all he had, but they¡¯d just hit him another time. He was on the ground now. He was still screaming.

    They got a hold of his paw, and they were pulling. Ezra pushed the guard holding him to the side.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± he shouted.

    But the guard kept holding on to him. Ezra couldn¡¯t compete against sithrax strength. He had to be smart about it.

    He simply let himself fall. Ezra slipped through the lizard¡¯s grip, all thanks to his jacket. He rolled on the sand and ran towards Shadow. The guard was pursuing him.

    ¡°Die!¡± Shadow roared.

    <i>What the¡­</i>

    Shadow¡¯s voice was hoarse and...different.

    ¡°I want you all to die!¡±

    A chill ran through the air.

    Shadow¡¯s claw snapped, and everything went silent. During the next few seconds, Ezra could only hear his breath.

    Then, as if the sky itself surrendered, a powerful force fell upon the prison yard. Ezra was instantly pinned to the ground. It was suddenly so hard to breathe. An incessant, loud, whirring sound deafened him. He couldn¡¯t hear anything else. It took Ezra all his strength to move his head so he could see what was happening ahead.

    The guards were also pinned to the ground. Shadow¡¯s friends weren¡¯t moving. Only Shadow stood, and the look in his eyes was terrifying. Shadow marched to the guard who¡¯d taken his claw. It was like a rage trance.

    Shadow leaned over to grab something from the sand. It was a dagger. Ezra knew there and then what would happen next. With all his might, he crawled towards Shadow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he shouted, but it barely came out as a whisper.

    The first time he¡¯d seen Shadow, he knew this sindur had never killed before. There was something different in the eyes of those who¡¯d made their first kill. Actually, it was more something <i>missing</i>. If Shadow made the kill now, he would forever change, and he could never go back. Shadow didn¡¯t hear Ezra. And when the black cat got close to the guard on the ground, he said something to him, then he slit his throat.

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    The noise stopped. Ezra could breathe properly again. Everything was quiet, and everyone was aghast. Ezra rose to his feet. He¡¯d managed to get real close to Shadow, even while crawling. Next to him was the dead lizard guard. Shadow, who¡¯d made the kill, lay unconscious on the ground. The dagger was in the sand, next to the guard¡¯s slit throat.

    Ezra turned around when he heard the guards behind him. The Pale Warden was among them. They seized him and dragged him away. It was a good thing they believed he¡¯d done this and killed the guard. They wouldn¡¯t blame Shadow. Whatever Shadow had done, it was perhaps one of the most powerful magic Ezra had ever seen. Whatever Shadow was, Ezra had to admit that he was frightened of it.

    Shadow regained consciousness. He struggled to stand back up. He looked around, disoriented and confused. The other sindurs, whose paws were bleeding, stared at him, awestruck.

    Shadow glanced at Ezra, whom the guards carried away. Before Ezra could say anything to him, the Pale Warden came into his field of vision. He raised his glaive and knocked the handle against Ezra¡¯s head.

    Ezra opened his eyes later, and he had no idea what time it was. He was back in his cell, but it wasn¡¯t his cell. He could swear it was smaller. Ezra rushed to the wall anyway.

    ¡°Shadow! Are you there?¡± he called.

    There was no response. Ezra had no idea whether they¡¯d moved him to another cell in the tunnel or an entirely different place. Ezra sat on the floor, his head rested against the wall. He was breathing loudly like he¡¯d run a marathon. He had no idea what to do now. They had a plan, a beautiful plan of escape. Now, they couldn¡¯t go through with it.

    Only one question was in his mind.

    <i>What would Luky do?</i>

    This question had become a mantra over the past year. Ever since he¡¯d met the red sindur boy, he¡¯d asked himself in every tough situation: what would Luky do?

    Even after Luky and he had parted ways, this question had brought him home, to Tazman. A place he hadn¡¯t been in decades. After that, once he got bored, this question led him to this dangerous adventure in the land of lizardmen. It was actually more than an adventure. Ezra had been searching for something. He was the Collector. His job was to find things no one else could find. That was why the Hauian Princess had hired him in the first place a year ago. This was why he was here now, back on the same mission. He was still looking for the same item.

    But now, he was trapped. Caged in the dark dungeon of the Fortress of Stahl.

    <i>What would Luky do?</i>

    Ezra smiled. He knew exactly what that red cat would do. Luky would go through with the plan.

    Ezra rose to his feet again, and he checked the door. Slowly, very slowly, he tried to open it. And it was unlocked. Ezra pulled on the door ever so slightly and peeked through the opening. He was in a tunnel, possibly the same, just a few cells away from the exit. The sithrax guard didn¡¯t notice him. Lizards were pretty much blind and almost deaf. But they smelled with their tongues and felt even the slightest vibrations in the sand. Ezra shut the door swiflty so he wouldn¡¯t get noticed.

    So, the guards hadn¡¯t locked the gates yet. It must still be daytime. Ezra would wait. When the guard would leave, Ezra would leave his cell. Maybe he wasn¡¯t a master of stealth like a sindur, but he¡¯d become very good at sneaking. And with his boots that barely made a print in the sand, he could move silently. Ezra would get to the stairs without being detected.

 Chapter 10

    Shadow held his paw in the other. It''d stopped bleeding after they''d brought him back to the cell. He was uncontrollably purring. a mechanical way to release stress. The rest were silently licking their wounds. But that wasn''t going to bring their claws back.

    They''d removed three of Ten Zin''s claws, and Mielo''s already-impaired paw was entirely declawed. Khaleen, on the other hand, had lost all hers. After a while, she stopped licking her wounds. She hadn''t cried at all, and now, she was staring at Shadow. It was like she wanted to say something.

    "What did you do?" she eventually asked.

    Shadow had little idea what she referred to. "I don''t know what you mean."

    "The pressure..." she added. "Was that magic?"

    Shadow shook his head. Everything that had happened in the prison yard was just a blur. He remembered the whirring sound, though. That noise had first been in his head then blasted and resonated through the air. And he remembered the look in the lizardman''s eyes right before he¡­

    That image was still so clear in his mind. Shadow had picked up that dagger on the ground without thinking. He''d walked to the guard without thinking. He''d struck without thinking.

    It was all he could think about.

    The worst part was that he didn''t even feel guilty. He''d expected that taking a life would destroy someone. Should he even be feeling guilty? Instead, he sensed a dark seed in his gut. And this seed had just sprouted. Was it because the guard deserved it?

    "Boy!" Ten Zin caught his attention.

    Shadow looked at him. "What?"

    "Listen. The guard is leaving."

    Khaleen and Mielo were also looking expectantly at him.

    "So what?" Shadow asked, confused.

    "You need to go!" Khaleen whispered loudly.

    "We need to move!" Mielo said.

    Shadow frowned, then he chuckled awkwardly. His friends actually wanted to go through with the plan, even after everything that had happened. Even more so, they wanted nothing but to execute the plan. They were done with this place, and so was he. That dark seed would have to be buried for the time being. Shadow had other things to focus on. He didn''t hear any sound beyond the wall. Maybe Ezra was already on the move.

    Shadow rose to his feet and headed for the door. He opened it slightly and peeked through.

    No guard.

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    Perfect. Shadow had three minutes and something to sneak to the stairs. It was a good thing that he remembered the way.

    Shadow rushed through the dark tunnel. He could not see much because it was entirely submerged in darkness, but he knew where to go. When he reached the hall with six doors, he didn''t hesitate. He took the second on the left and started climbing the stairs. Here, he could see much better. Even if it was dark outside, the weakest light source was like a bright torch for his feline eyes. He had not run into guards yet, but he could hear them. They were back into the hall he¡¯d come from. They were probably returning to the cells. Shadow climbed as fast as he could. When he reached the fourth floor, the heavy iron door was ajar. Beyond the door, he could hear two lizards talking.

    Now, he had to be careful. He eavesdropped on them. They were talking about what had happened in the prison yard. They said something about the <i>dark human</i> and his <i>strange abilities</i>. Their voices were erratic. Was that what a scared sithrax sounded like?

    Shadow slipped through the door quietly and carefully. They had their backs to him. He could pass them without them noticing.

    His hind paws, thick and furry, dampened his every movement. They would not notice him, even if he stood an inch behind them.

    Suddenly, Shadow heard shouting. It was coming from the ground floor. The two guards looked at each other then headed towards the stairs. They passed Shadow again but didn''t even see him in the darkness. Something was happening downstairs. Shadow knew what it was. His friends had probably done their part of the mission.

    It didn''t take long for Shadow to hear shouts and screams. He could hear guards rushing down the staircase behind him. Everything was going precisely as Ezra had predicted it. The sithrax were all hurrying towards the escaped prisoners.

    Shadow rushed to the end of the corridor. There was the messy desk with all sorts of objects on it. Shadow closed his eyes and, for the first time, he prayed. To whom? He had no idea. But he prayed for the amulet to still be there. When he opened his eyes, he saw it. The glowing, flower-shaped pendant with a red gem at the center. Shadow reached out for it but stopped. His eyes opened wide. To his surprise, the amulet was glowing brighter. The closer he got, the brighter it glowed.

    What did it mean?

    After some hesitation, Shadow seized the amulet. He received a slight shock when touching it. The glow dimmed as he held it tight, and Shadow felt a strange sensation. A warmth that couldn''t be defined. It was like waving his hand above a fire. Not touching it, just feeling its warmth. Shadow placed the amulet around his neck. He was about to walk away when he suddenly remembered something. He had to find a weapon for Ezra.

    Shadow scanned the desk and behind it. There were two weapon racks against the wall, but these weapons were for sithrax. On the desk, Shadow caught a glimpse of that sickle-shaped weapon. It was the same as the one the guard in the interrogation room had held. It was too big for Shadow, but for Ezra, this could be a good sword.

    Shadow picked it up. It was heavy, but he could carry it. He could even carry another one. Shadow quickly glanced at the desk, searching for a weapon that would fit him. That human dagger with the black handle would do.

    With two weapons, Shadow rushed out of the corridor and back into the spiral stairway. He hurried down, quickly, and on the next floor, he ran into Ezra.

    "Shadow!" Ezra called. "I was praying you''d be there..."

    The man had a hint of worry in his eyes. There was a lot of noise coming from downstairs. It sounded like a lot of fighting.

    "I got the amulet!" Shadow said proudly. "And this." He handed him the strange sickle-like weapon.

    Ezra laughed in disbelief. "Gods, you got me my scimitar! I never thought I''d see it again." He gave a kiss to the blade, which was very weird.

    "Where''s Master Khan?" Shadow asked. Ezra had said he knew where the wizard was.

    The worry returned in Ezra¡¯s eyes. His gaze went dark. Shadow wasn''t sure what it was, but it couldn''t be anything good.

 Chapter 11

    Ezra hid behind some sort of curtain. He made himself so flat he could barely breathe. The sithrax patrolling the hall with six doors hadn¡¯t seen him.

    Once they were gone, Ezra rushed to the stairs. He remembered the staircase was behind the second door on the left. He opened the door and immediately climbed. He had one job, one goal. Get to the room where they kept the mage.

    Ezra headed for the floor where they¡¯d interrogated him. He hid behind the wall and peeked into the corridor. One guard stood by the mage¡¯s room. If he¡¯d planned this correctly, this guard would soon be rushing downstairs.

    And he¡¯d been right. There was shouting and screaming coming from downstairs. The guard first looked confused, then he drew his weapon and hurried to the stairs. He didn¡¯t even see Ezra when he passed him. Once the guard was out of earshot, Ezra headed for the door.

    It seemed like the concept of locked doors didn¡¯t exist in Rallis. Maybe Shadow was right and the sithrax were indeed stupid. Ezra pushed the door open and found himself in a small room with a man in a blue robe chained to a chair. The man was not moving. His head hung from his shoulders. He was dirty and smelled of feces.

    <i>Oh, no</i>, Ezra thought. Was he dead?

    Ezra hurried to him and held a hand under his face. Thank the gods the man was still breathing! But his breath was weak.

    Ezra had to find a way to open the chains restraining the man. As he fiddled with the chains to find the lock, the man gasped and moved. Their eyes met.

    The man was young. His curly black hair covered half his face.

    ¡°A fellow human...¡± he whispered, his voice hoarse.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m breaking you out,¡± Ezra said quickly. ¡°Can you walk?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The man looked utterly lost.

    ¡°Me and your sindur friends, we¡¯re getting out of here! Can you walk?¡±

    Ezra found the lock. It was a rusted padlock that could easily break open with enough force. Ezra looped the chain around the chair¡¯s legs to create tension. He jerked the chain, and the lock snapped.

    ¡°Wait...¡± the man moaned.

    ¡°Man,¡± Ezra was getting impatient, ¡°We need to hurry while all the guards are downstairs. We get out of here, then we head for the Barrier!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it!¡± the man shouted.

    Ezra was taken by surprise. ¡°No, you have to. Come on!¡±

    Master Khan coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it. I can feel it. My death...¡±

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    The man paused. Ezra was sure Master Khan had just died on him. Ezra gasped when Khan suddenly inhaled very deeply.

    ¡°If you say you can get out of this place, go,¡± Master Khan said. ¡°You can still cross the Barrier.¡± Then he whispered something in Ezra¡¯s ear, something Ezra had suspected but hadn¡¯t confirmed yet. ¡°But you will need the black one. You can¡¯t do this without him. He has magic. I felt it, and it¡¯s more powerful than anything I¡¯ve ever felt. I was going to take him to the Academy to train him.¡± Master Khan coughed. ¡°If you make it past the Barrier, please take him to Avahs.¡±

    He coughed again, and just like that, Master Khan was gone.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Master Khan?¡± Shadow asked him on the stairs.

    Ezra paused and frowned. ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± he finally said. There was no point in sugarcoating it.

    Shadow looked clueless for a minute. ¡°But the plan. What should we do now?¡±

    Panic wasn¡¯t going to get them anywhere. Shadow had magic. Ezra had seen it with his own eyes, and Master Khan had confirmed it. And if Shadow had magic, he could use the amulet to cross the Barrier.

    But how?

    They¡¯d figure it out. However, figuring it out would have to wait. They first had a few sindurs to rescue.

    ¡°We go through with the plan,¡± Ezra declared. He began walking down the stairs to the second floor.

    ¡°But we need Master Khan!¡±

    Ezra looked over his shoulder, then he smiled. ¡°We have all we need. Now, let¡¯s get moving!¡±

    The two hurried down to the second floor, where they¡¯d meet the other sindurs. There was no one when they arrived, but not a minute later, Shadow looked like he heard something. The cacophony downstairs was getting louder and louder. Now, there was even the sound of steel. But Shadow was focused, squinting at the darkness.

    The young red lynx was first, then the grey. The old sindur arrived last.

    ¡°You did it!¡± Ezra exclaimed. To be honest, he¡¯d been afraid that they wouldn¡¯t have gone through with the plan.

    ¡°Everyone is fighting outside like you predicted,¡± Ten Zin said calmly. ¡°We must hurry.¡±

    Ezra motioned for them to follow him. They entered the corridor, and Ezra searched every north-facing room for a window. He kicked each door open quickly while the rest stood watch. One, two, three, four doors later, he found some sort of pantry with one window. The room was full of oversized jars on big shelves. Those jars contained thick sandworms all tangled together. It was disgusting, but seeing the window was a relief. Fortunately, making glass wasn¡¯t the sithrax¡¯s favorite pastime on Terra. The window was paneless.

    Ezra peeked through the window. It was dark outside, but a few torches lit parts of the area. However, beyond the wall surrounding the fortress was only darkness. The fight was happening on the other side of the tower, but he could still hear all of it.

    Ezra had a clear view of the backyard and stables where they kept the rhinos. No sithrax in sight. It was a twenty-feet fall, but Ezra would survive. He turned around and called the sindurs, then he motioned for them to hurry down.

    ¡°Come on, come on!¡±

    When they¡¯d be down, they hurry to the northern gate. Ezra could see it from here, and it was barely guarded.

    Shadow jumped first, then everyone else followed. Once they were through, Ezra looked one last time over the ledge. He got that fuzzy feeling in his stomach, the bite of vertigo. No time for self-doubt, he had to jump. He stood on the ledge, holding himself in place with his arms against the wall. Then he took a deep breath in, and he let go.

    When Ezra landed, he thanked the gods that he¡¯d not broken anything, not even twisted an ankle.

 Chapter 12

    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.

    <i>They should leave Sno behind.</i>

    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.¡±

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    ¡°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.

 Chapter 13

    What a great idea that had been to steal a rhinoceros wagon! They had a vehicle to move quickly, but now, they had to escape a squad of sithrax guards riding rhinos. Ezra leaned to the side and looked over his shoulder. The guards were gaining on them. They didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble galloping in the sand. But his wagon did.

    Alright, he needed to think quickly. To act quickly. He had nothing in his hand but a scimitar. All his potions and scrolls had been burned or taken away. <i>Think, Ezra, think! </i>It would have been so great if, right now, right at this instant, they had Master Khan. A mage could have done something!

    But wait... He had Shadow.

    Alright, if Shadow had magic, it was now or never the time to show it.

    Ezra caught the black cat¡¯s wrist. ¡°Alright, mister! Time for you to do what you did in the Pig¡¯s Pen.¡±

    Shadow turned to Ezra with a look of wonder. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the formalities, we both know <i>you </i>did that! Breaking news, you have magic, Shadow, Master Khan knew it, and so do I now. Whatever you did then, you have to do it again!¡±

    Shadow seemed frozen for an instant. ¡°But how?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Think. What did you do? What did you feel?¡±

    ¡°I...I was angry.¡±

    ¡°Good! Anger is good. Now, what did you do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Shadow shouted. He looked over the wagon¡¯s roof, then he turned back. ¡°I just wanted it to stop. I wanted them to stop.¡±

    Ezra inhaled deeply. ¡°Okay, I have no idea how this shit¡¯s supposed to work but think. Focus and think. You want <i>them </i>to stop. Focus.¡±

    Shadow looked over the roof again. He was holding on to it even if he didn¡¯t need to anymore. The wagon had slowed down to the point that it¡¯d soon stop. He had to act now.

    The black cat closed his eyes. He was mumbling something to himself. ¡°I want you to stop. I want you to stop. I want you to stop,¡± he repeated over and over again.

    Nothing was happening.

    ¡°The anger, Shadow!¡± Ezra shouted to encourage him. ¡°Focus on it, then let it out!¡±

    Shadow kept on repeating his phrase. His voice amplified by the second. And then, just like that, he fell silent. Actually, everything around them had fallen silent.

    For a moment, Ezra thought he¡¯d given up. It was as if time stood still, but Ezra could still think. And he could hear something soft, something distant. Whispers so far away they were almost inaudible. But Ezra knew those whispers came from Shadow, and they sounded like chants from a different realm. The amulet around Shadow¡¯s neck was glowing red.

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    Shadow¡¯s eyes snapped open. They were entirely black.

    Between the wagon and the squad of guards was a sea of sand. But as the silence continued, the sea slowly morphed into a maelstrom. The sand whirled and whirled, the vortex growing larger and larger. Eventually, the sea opened into a sinkhole with jagged teeth. The guards and their beasts were dragged into the maw and swallowed by whatever was underneath.

    Whatever Shadow was, it was powerful. Ezra had seen magic many times before. Pyromancy, healing magic, mysticists who could read minds, never anything like this. He thought of something he¡¯d said before. Sindurs never cease to surprise him. Although this time, he might have to admit that he was more afraid than surprised.

    They traveled many hours through the desert without food or water. They couldn¡¯t afford to make camp, they had to keep going. They had to cross the Barrier, now or never. Ezra knew of the jungle on the other side. There was even a river. They just had to cross the Barrier, and they¡¯d make it. And they would finally sleep.

    ¡°Are you alright in there?¡± Ezra asked the sindurs in the wagon.

    ¡°Yes. Alive and well,¡± the old sindur said from inside.

    Ezra looked at the red sindur driver and smiled. ¡°You have mad skills, mate. I don¡¯t even know your name.¡±

    Shadow, who stared at the road ahead, translated with a faint voice. He still seemed shaken by what he¡¯d done.

    ¡°His name is Mielo,¡± Shadow said. ¡°He says he was a driver for a warlord in Sstoa. The old lynx is Ten Zin, and the female is Khaleen. She was a servant in Salek. And the cub is Sno.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Ezra asked. ¡°Where are you from?¡± It looked like talking did Shadow some good.

    The black cat closed his eyes. ¡°I told you I¡¯m from the capital. I was born there. My parents are servants of the Kingpin.¡±

    ¡°The drug lord?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You know a lot about Rallis for a human.¡±

    Ezra chuckled, and so did Shadow. ¡°I did my share of research before coming here.¡± He paused for a brief moment. ¡°Master Khan saw something in you. He was going to take you to the Magi Academy of Avahs after you guys crossed the Barrier.¡±

    Shadow opened his eyes wide. ¡°Magi Academy? Avahs?¡±

    ¡°Avahs is the capital of Vanhaui. That¡¯s the land beyond the Barrier. Listen, Shadow, I¡¯ve never seen magic like yours in my entire life. And believe me, I¡¯ve seen a lot of things¡ª¡±

    ¡°What does <i>Collector </i>mean?¡± Shadow interrupted, taking Ezra by surprise. ¡°I heard the pale lizard call you <i>Collector</i>.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one of my old titles.¡± Ezra shrugged. ¡°I traveled the world for many years collecting items. Some magical, some very expensive, some even scary. Lately, I¡¯ve just been searching for one.¡±

    And Ezra had scoured the Lahok archives for it. He¡¯d been caught, thrown into the dungeon of Stahl, escaped it, but there was something else he had done. Something he hadn¡¯t told anyone but would have to in a couple of days. Because the Hauian Princess he¡¯d done this mission for would most certainly like to know. Ezra had found what he¡¯d been looking for in those archives. Well, not exactly, but he¡¯d found a reference to the item he¡¯d been searching for. Now, Ezra had a concrete clue of where this item could be. This <i>weapon </i>destined to change the world. Soon, Vanhaui would definitely need it. Ezra wanted to tell Shadow all about it, but he¡¯d need an entire night to tell him the whole story. He didn¡¯t have that amount of time because up ahead, the dark sky was already turning red. That could only mean one thing: the Barrier was just in reach.

 Chapter 14

    Shadow had magic. What odd news. And he didn¡¯t really know what to do with it. Perhaps he¡¯d always been aware that something was different about him. Perhaps it was the reason his parents had urged him to leave Rallis. If they¡¯d known, they would have wanted to keep him safe. If Master Khan had planned to take him to this <i>Magi Academy</i>, they must have known. Oh, how he dearly missed his parents right now. But Shadow knew the chance of ever seeing his parents again was as dim as moonlight.

    Shadow stood on the sand gazing at the horizon. Mielo had stopped the rhinos for a short break. Everyone but Sno, who¡¯d fallen asleep inside his cage, was staring at what was ahead.

    It was like a trick of the lights. Waves of red and orange flowed through a curtain that fell from the sky onto the ground. They wavered gently without making a sound. Everything was silent here. They couldn¡¯t see through this curtain, but gazing into it felt like watching a different world come into existence. This was the Barrier. This meant that their journey was close to its end.

    Shadow took a few seconds to notice that his pendant was glowing. Master Khan¡¯s amulet. When Ezra saw it, he motioned for everyone to return to the wagon. Mielo retook the reins, Ezra sat next to him. Khaleen and Ten Zin went back inside. Only Shadow stood there still in front of the rhinos. He glanced at Ezra, wondering what he should do.

    ¡°Focus,¡± Ezra said. ¡°Just like you did earlier.¡±

    Shadow nodded. He had little idea what he was doing, but he had to do it. Everything was up to him now. Shadow took a few steps closer to the Barrier. He felt that strange sensation again, the warmth. It was not dangerously hot, it was soothing. The closer he got, the brighter the amulet glowed. Shadow stood an inch away from the red wall, then he closed his eyes. He focused on that sensation, that warmth. It almost reminded him of his mother¡¯s embrace. And then, as soon as his parents¡¯ faces came into his mind, he felt peace. And a hint of sadness, because this was goodbye. Shadow briefly opened his eyes to look over his shoulder. Not at the wagon, but beyond, in the direction of Lahok, where his parents still were. He gazed meditatively at the dark horizon underneath the stars.

    When Shadow turned back, he did not need to close his eyes or focus again. Right in front of him, the wall had cracked like a fracture. Actually, it was more like a curtain that opened to let him pass. Shadow took one step, and the fracture widened. He walked through the Barrier, dividing it in two. Behind him, the wagon rolled slowly, also passing through.

    Once they¡¯d crossed, the red curtain closed again, and the red and orange lights returned to their unending stillness.

    ***

    Shadow had never expected the land of humans to be so vast. From jungle to plains, to woodland, to mountains. He¡¯d never seen such green, such grey, such snow. He would have frozen hadn¡¯t it been for Ezra, who¡¯d found them food and coats at a village by the River Glade. In the same village, Shadow finally took a bath.

    They¡¯d been able to open Sno¡¯s cage thanks to the village¡¯s blacksmith. That same night, the cub devoured a whole <i>boar¡ª</i>that was how humans called the animal¡ªon his own. Everything smelled good here. Even the stables. The first time Shadow had smelled a <i>flower </i>had been like dancing on clouds. He then picked flowers every day and sprinkled them in his fur. He never wanted to smell anything else.

    Shadow couldn¡¯t get enough of the baker¡¯s blueberry pie. One morning, she told them that many sindur refugees pass through this village. Some had made a home in the forest close to the highlands. The time for Shadow to say goodbye to his friends quickly came. Ten Zin, Khaleen, Mielo, and Sno, were not headed to the capital. Hearing about a sindur village drove them in that direction. It pained Shadow to part ways. They¡¯d spent so little time together but had grown so close. He knew he¡¯d eventually see them again, but he was summoned elsewhere for the time being.

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    The rhinos left with the sindurs. Ezra mentioned he wasn¡¯t sure this was the right habitat for them, but the duo seemed happy regardless. Their lives here would be far better than in the heat and stench of Rallis. The wagon, a clean block of steel, was gifted to the blacksmith in exchange for a sturdy grey mountain horse. With that horse, Ezra and Shadow would reach Avahs in less than a week.

    The two followed River Glade on their horse. They reached the lowlands, passed through the town of Oakan, and within just two days, they reached the entrance to the city of Avahs. For Shadow, who¡¯d never seen anything like it before, this city was like a dream. It was clean, ordered, the streets were colorful, but most of all, they seemed so empty. No sithrax crowds, no manure, no waste, no corpses. The air smelled of flowers, and even if the weather was cool, the sun was like a warm blanket on Shadow¡¯s fur.

    When he reached the gardens of the Magi Academy of Avahs, Shadow feared he¡¯d wake up. This city, this place, was coming straight out of a myth. This couldn¡¯t be real.

    Ezra was making fun of Shadow all the way. He told him Vanhaui was nothing compared to the beauty of Tazman and Bravoure, where he came from. Shadow didn¡¯t believe him. Nothing could be more beautiful than this.

    When they entered the Academy, Shadow twirled on his heels to scan the walls, the columns, the statues, the ceiling, the paintings. It was all so grand in the entrance hall that it was almost overwhelming. For a brief moment, Shadow let himself feel like a child again, learning this whole new world. Someone came to assist them a minute later. Ezra had sent a pigeon¡ªanother human animal¡ªto Avahs a few days before to notify them. The woman, pale-skinned with sand-colored hair, wore a blue robe like Master Khan¡¯s. She looked sad when Ezra told her of Master Khan¡¯s fate. But when she looked at Shadow, her eyes brightened again.

    ¡°You must be Shadow,¡± she said with much affection. If flowers could sing, they¡¯d sound like her. ¡°The magi welcome you. You are safe here, and we promise to watch over you. You will get food, a room, and proper training, just like Sivan Khan intended.¡±

    Shadow didn¡¯t know what to say. Was he going to wake up now? Ezra thanked the pale woman, then he turned to face Shadow. He kneeled in front of him to come at his size.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the castle today,¡± he said. ¡°I have a friend I need to meet. You stay there with this lady. She¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    Ezra looked a little sad. Was it because they were parting ways now too?

    ¡°There are good people here, Shadow,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re going to have a good life from now on.¡±

    Shadow felt all warm inside. Even if the idea of a good life still sounded like a dream, for once, he was hopeful. He¡¯d succeeded in getting here after all he¡¯d been through. He had the right to feel hopeful.

    When Ezra left, he promised to come fetch Shadow in the evening. They¡¯d go eat more boar together at a nearby tavern. Shadow sat on a bench in the entrance hall. The lady, Ilse was her name, had asked for him to wait while they prepared him a room. The Academy had many towers, and one was dedicated to the students¡¯ quarters.

    While he waited, he examined the complex mosaic on the ground. Following the patterns was like walking through a maze with his eyes. He was so caught in this little game he¡¯d just invented that he didn¡¯t notice the boy walking up to him. He only noticed him when the boy waved at him very close to his muzzle.

    Their eyes met, and Shadow was surprised. The boy was sindur! He was red like Mielo with white paws like mittens. This boy-lynx was a little younger, and shorter, but he had a peculiar fire in his yellow eyes. This boy had definitely seen things in his short life.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see another sindur here!¡± the boy exclaimed. He spoke perfect Common.

    Shadow smiled awkwardly. ¡°Me...neither?¡±

    The boy chuckled, then he held out a paw in front of Shadow. Shadow wasn¡¯t sure what to do with it. The boy¡¯s chuckle turned into a laugh, then he reached out for Shadow¡¯s paw. He took it, then began shaking it.

    ¡°My name is Luky. What is your name?¡±