Chapter 12: Smoke and Splinters
The basement walls groaned as explosions echoed far above. Dust rained down from the ceiling. Sayra pressed her back against the stone, gripping a cloth-wrapped satchel to her chest.
Mikael peeked through a crack in the wood hatch above.
> "The square's on fire," he muttered. "Your uncle's dogs really know how to make an exit."
Sayra's father winced as he wrapped his shoulder. "They're not leaving. They're hunting."
A dull boom shook the room again.
> "This city's gone," Sayra said. "He brought war with him."
> "Then we leave," Mikael replied.
---
Scene Shift – Streets of Maltoon
Smoke choked the alleys. The golden town of Maltoon had become an ember-lit ruin. Merchants fled with sacks of coins. Guards fought shadowy silhouettes that bore no flags — only black.
Mikael helped Sayra's father into a small push-cart disguised as a spice bin.
Sayra adjusted her hood and checked her dagger.
> "You ready for the worst?" she asked.
> "No," Mikael said. "But that's never stopped me."
The cart rolled through chaos. At checkpoints, Sayra played the bold-faced daughter of a spice trader. Her voice firm, her eyes sharp. Mikael kept silent, acting like a mute guard with a broken back and a bad attitude.
They passed the western checkpoint. Then the smoke thickened.
A squad of Black Knights blocked the road.
Sayra froze.
One stepped forward, visor reflecting flame.
> "Halt. No one leaves this sector."
Sayra reached for her satchel.
Before her fingers closed around the hilt—
> BOOM!
The nearby tower exploded. Flaming debris crashed down. Screams. Shouts. Confusion.
From the smoke, Kaelam darted past, waving.
> "You're welcome!"
Mikael didn't wait. He grabbed Sayra's hand.
They ran.
---
Scene Shift – The Docks
The smuggler ship was waiting — a squat old barge named Whisperfish, barely seaworthy and entirely forgettable.
Sayra's father was already on board, breath shallow, his eyes scanning for pursuers.
Kaelam leaned over the railing, holding a flask.
> "Last call, heroes! Who's paying for snacks?"
> "You are," Sayra snapped, climbing aboard.
Mikael followed, pulling the rope loose.
The Whisperfish pushed out into the dark.
Behind them, Maltoon burned.
---
Scene Shift – Somewhere in Maltoon
A quiet room.
Candlelight flickered across stone and scrolls. Maps. Mechanical devices. A half-built compass humming with weak blue light.
A man stood in shadow, back to the door. Tall. Robed. His voice, when it came, was soft.
> "The city burns. The children run. And still, they do not understand what is coming."
Footsteps behind him.
A presence. Silent.
The samurai stepped into the room, his long blade drawn — blood dripping from its edge. In a single blur, he moved.
SHING.
He stood behind the man now, sword lifted.
And then...
EVERYTHING STOPS.
The samurai's blade hangs mid-air.
The visionary doesn't flinch.
The Black Knight behind him is frozen, blade raised.
And then—
WHOOSH.
A swirl of green flames blows in like a lazy wind.
A skeletal figure steps into frame. Cloak half-burned, ribcage glowing with ember fire, one finger already wagging in the air.
> "Ah, ah, ah... not this time, Author."
He turns his skull slowly toward the audience, waggling his finger like a disappointed old librarian.
> "You were about to drop another cliffhanger. Samurai swings, screen goes black, readers scream? Tsk."
He walks casually past the frozen scene, hands behind his back, glancing at the Black Knight mid-leap.
> "Look at this poor guy. All dramatic and stabby. Doesn't even know he's already dead."
He taps the knight's helmet. It crumbles into ash.
> "See? Samurai wasn't after Mr. Visionary in Shadows. He was saving his neck."
The skeleton pauses, turns to the fourth wall again.
> "Our wise hooded man lives another day. And you, dear reader…"
He leans in.
> "...you get answers instead of cliffhangers. For once."
He glances sideways, mutters:
> "Sorry, Author. I hijacked your ending. Cliffhangers are overrated. Sue me."
Then, spinning once like he's twirling in a musical, he throws his arms wide.
> "And now… back to the chaos, betrayal, tearful compass staring, and an incoming Kaelam joke nobody asked for."
He vanishes into green mist with a final echo:
> "Sleep with one eye open, reader. Chapter 13 is a ride."
To be continued..