"You're the one helping me?" Curtis asked, surprised to see Sally of all people to be the one to help him escape.
"Of course, who else has the skill to lower a boat towards the sea at this height," Sally answered, pointing out the height they were currently at. "I'd rather be the one personally helping you rather than letting someone else try and botch it," she said a-matter-a-factly. "You wouldn't have been able to take one step out of the city without me knowing." and thinking hard on that matter, it was true.
She is the representative of the council, and also an accomplished general. She had to have known each soldier that was stationed on the walls. "Besides Pat and the others have always answered to me, their loyalty to me trumps friendship most of the time. I had known of your plan since it was hatched, I even made sure they could acquire what you needed." She explained. Seeing the question in his eyes. But why had she done it?
Sure Sally was one the only people in the city that Curtis had trusted. He had treated her like an elder sister, but she was also one of the people that had sent out Edna and the others to bring him here. He was quite sure that it wouldn't have been this easy for him to get out if she didn't want him to.
"Why?" Curtis voiced out. He was currently betraying their expectations, he wouldn't admit it easily but he liked his life here. Sure he was being made into a weapon. He knew it, the training he had been in had proved that, and honestly, he didn't mind it that much. He had learned to love fighting. He didn't care for the other side of the coin he just wanted to grow stronger. And they were helping him accomplish that. But why would they let him go?
"Why wouldn't I?" She countered, "I had known you wanted to go back the moment you had started your training, Hjilmar knows it too. He just didn't want to get involved so that he could plead deniability on this matter."
"It just took some time, honestly we expected you to leave in 3-5 years. By then you would've been complete. But we can't really help it now, can't we? The others in the council wanted to keep you on a tighter leash, but Hjilmar didn't want you to feel suffocated.
Had it been any other person, we wouldn't have been this amiable. But you were just 8 when you came here. You're practically our little brother. Sure we took you from your family, but could you blame us? You would have died if you had stayed there. The goddess made sure we found and saved you. That's why we took you. And now, you're about halfway to your training, I can't really say its enough, but it would have to do, you wouldn't be like a sitting duck back in the continent now.
We had even helped make sure that the others in the council wouldn't find out about your plans to leave. It's just luck that had made the war a bit more troublesome that they didn't pay that much attention, especially since the battle a year ago.���
The information had shocked Curtis, they knew? They had even taken steps to help him get back home! Why? Was it because he was close to them? Was it because they treated him like family?
"Why? You guys had brought me here to be a weapon. Why would you let me go that easy?" Curtis had shouted back. He didn't believe that this should have been this easy.
"Why? It's because you're one of us," she answered again. Looking at her stubborn face she looked a little hurt, it was the truth, Curtis couldn't deny that they had treated him as part of their family, he felt a little guilty. He is one of them, and now he is leaving.
"Don't worry too much, we're sure to meet again." She said, trying to lift the mood, Curtis wore his heart on his sleeves, at a glance she could tell that he felt bad about leaving. "We need to hurry, I'm not sure if Edna can keep them busy for much longer."
"I'm So-" Curtis tried to answer but Sally just cut him off.
"Get on the boat so I can lower us down. It's now or never, go and help your family." She ordered.
Curtis got on the boat and fastened himself and his gear tightly to the mast. It was a long way to go and he didn't want to lose some of his stuff on the way.
Sally had positioned herself on the front of the boat, she controlled the wind to gently lift the boat. She controlled the boat to slowly fall down the wall, it was like they were in a bubble, slowly but surely the boat glided down the wall. It was a surreal feeling, he felt like an astronaut in space. The few things that he didn't bound were floating in their periphery.
In no time they were just a few meters above the water. Sally was pale, an unnatural amount of sweat had drenched her, she was exhausted from controlling the wind for that long. In honesty, Curtis didn't know if anyone else would have been able to help him get down from the wall. It required intense focus and skill to achieve that feat.
"I'll drop you down now, take care Red." she panted as she said her farewell. "Edna and I have always treated you like a brother. She had pestered me to agreed to help you. She would've been here if she wasn't needed elsewhere."
"Goodbye kid," she squeezed out as she let go of her control of the longboat.
Looking at the figure slowly scaling the wall Curtis couldn't help but sigh, it was already done. Looking forward, the sail was already starting to pick up some wind, the longboat was now starting to move. Throwing the things that were bothering him to the back of his mind. He was now on the way back home.
Curtis had set his course towards the portal back home, he was anxious, excited, and hoping that everyone was well. He was afraid that when he got home, he was too late. He had gained power in his stay in Candelabra, his training had bulked him up. Gone was the boy who was as thin as paper, born was the man who could rip his enemies in two with his bare hands.
He began to imagine what his family had looked like now. Elise should have grown into a beautiful woman now, in contrast to his brother who should be a fine gentleman. Did they have kids now? Was he an uncle already? The possibilities were endless. How was his father doing? Was he still in prison? His mother? Had she come back yet? How were Millie and Esbern doing?
Sherry? Was she ok?
All the information from the continent had gone through the council, all he was given was that things were fine. Chaos had pulled out from the continent. Their influence might have stayed, but it was not something that can be completely removed as there will always be bits and pieces that have sifted through their filter.
Checking his equipment still bound to the mast, he found a letter addressed to him.
"Boy, it has been a long time since you have gone home, I hope everything is well in your homeland. All information about the continent was reviewed by the council and is filtered on what we are allowed to announce to the public, even I am unable to bend these rules. Forgive me for hiding things from you. But, I will relay what I can."
It was written by Hjilmar. Sally must have slipped it into his pack during the way down. It contained a few bits of information about his homeland, many things have changed during the ten years he was away.
The first piece of information was that a new capital for the continent was built, most of the citizens from the land had gathered into a single focal point. It was built north and was named Lanschan. The last bastion for humanity. 2 years after he had arrived in Candelabra, the attacks from the beasts had intensified, the city was built as the last refuge for humanity. Most of the population had converged into the city. It was built into the side of a mountain. The mountain range had served as a natural barrier against attacks, there was only one way in and out of the city, and it was the massive gate.
Of course, there were other groups of people that didn't join the massive underground city. They were scattered across the continent, the only reason for their survival were the few people that awakened powers during their times of struggle. They had protected their families and friends and continued to thrive outside of the underground city's influence.
It was all a lie, every time he was told that they were ok. He felt something wasn't right. And that gut feeling came true.
It was all
A lie.