As they walked, Bander was the first to question Linvin. “So
what happened after we separated?”
Linvin held the staff like a walking stick as he looked at
the ground and tried to remain humble. “I overpowered the guards in the tower
and descended into the torture room where Hugon was about to end Miri’s
suffering. I surprised him and turned his own whip against him. I kept circling
around and delivering blow upon blow. At one point I even threw salt in his
wounds. Finally, I ran him through with a blazing poker from a fire-pit nearby.”
“Where was Miri during all of this?” Anvar inquired.
“She was chained to a torture rack where she was
simultaneously being stretched at her limbs and stabbed by spikes rising from
the table.”
Anvar shook his head. “So you went back to save her, knowing
every guard in the palace was after you. Then you intentionally took your time
punishing Hugon for his mistreatment of you while the woman you went to save
was suffering and near death. You could have killed Hugon in less time than it
took for me to describe that situation. 166
Because you wanted revenge, she suffered longer and I would
wager you probably had more guards to fight than you would have had if you had
handled your business and left. Am I correct?”
Linvin sighed. He thought for a moment about justifying his
choice of actions but quickly abandoned the notion. It would be better to
accept the critique and move on with the story. “Yes,” he acknowledged. “I
could have killed Hugon more quickly. I was thinking more about making him suffer
than I was about how Miri was suffering. The extra time did allow the guards to
track me down. It was a mistake and I admit to having erred.
“After I freed Miri, some brazen young man stopped me on the
stairs and attempted to prevent my escape. I threw him aside and climbed to the
top floor of the tower. There I found the staff and my Father’s possessions.
With an endless stream of guards climbing behind me, the only way to go was up.
I ascended to the battlements of the tower and was cornered there. Then the
staff and Red Sapphire began to draw toward one another. I inserted the gem in
the staff and a storm of magic appeared around. During the mayhem, the Red
Sapphire told me I could fly. So that is exactly what I did. You know the story
from there.”
“So you talk to the Red Sapphire?” Bander asked with
excitement.
“We do not exactly talk,” Linvin responded. “It is more of a
telepathic connection. The gem is a living being in some ways similar to
Falconfeather.”
“You took unnecessary risks for the sake vengeance,” Anvar
reminded. “Though you came out victorious, you would be wise to note your error
in judgment and not repeat it in the future.” Anvar paused and watched the
sunken expression from his nephew. Then he added. “However, you have
accomplished your goal and I cannot think of another person who could have done
all of 167
that. You have reason for being proud this day. Just do not
let it get the better of you.”
With his story told, Linvin longed to hear from the others.
“So what did you three do after we separated?” Linvin asked.
“We followed your orders,” Anvar stated simply.
Bander, on the other hand, showed no restraint. “It was
amazing.” he exclaimed. “The hole in the wall was right where you told us. So
we snuck through it and were right by the stables of the Imperial Guard. Uncle
Anvar did that fire thing with his hands and all the straw went up in smoke.
Rander and I opened the gate for the horses and the fire sent them running
everywhere. While the guards tried to stop the horses we snuck behind the
barracks and Uncle Anvar torched that too. He was magnificent. The streets
filled with people running everywhere. We ran amongst the crowd and headed for
the outskirts of town. When no one was paying attention, Uncle Anvar would set
another building on fire. Soon there were fires everywhere and we just ran.
“When we reached the messenger stables Rander and me, we
killed two of the guards and the others were cut down by our uncle without
trouble. Then we saddled five horses like you said and scattered the others
from the stable. We rode for our lives. It was really something to see. You
would have been so proud of us, Linvin.”
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