Chapter 5 - Jalems II

A loud horn permeated the tavern walls. The sound was deafening, bringing the liveliness to a halt. Marie could feel her heart beating through her clothes.

“Come out, thieves. We have you surrounded,” a Crimson Guard announced. His voice carried with commanding ease through the small tavern.

Marie placed her left hand on the hilt of her short sword. Jalems readied Iris, his palms sweaty and slipping slightly from its massive grip. Tek’mer pulled a dagger from his side, the jewels glittering on its hilt. Gale’s eyes gleamed a shade brighter as they darted around the room, searching for an escape.

A handful of Crimson Guards stormed the tavern.

Jalems lunged forward. He easily cut down the first two with a single brutal swing. Another rushed in and caught him off guard.

Before the soldier could attack, he was engulfed in flames.

His screams filled the air.

Jalems looked behind him. His eyes locked on Marie, who had folded over. Her head was pounding. She wrapped her temples with her forearms as immense pain pulsed behind her eyes, bringing her to her knees.

Jalems tried to move toward his little girl.

Marie raised her head.

“Look out!” she shouted.

The pub flooded with soldiers armored in crimson.

Their polished musket rifles were aimed at the group. The clicking of their mechanisms rippled through the room.

For a moment, Jalems weighed his choices.

A long, painful silence dragged on as he stared down the barrels of the muskets.

Then a single clank.

The sound of Iris dropping from Jalems’ hands and hitting the floor.

He had no choice but to surrender the fight.

A dozen Crimson Guards dragged them out of the establishment. Their hands were bound behind their backs, thick metal collars slapped around their necks. The soldiers lined them up shoulder to shoulder and began raiding their personal items.

“I got it!” a lowly guard announced, ripping the relic from Jalems’ knapsack.

The commanding officer stepped forward, planting his feet before Jalems.

“You realize you stole from the King?” the commander said as he stepped closer.

A sickly grin crept into his voice.

“If you’re going to kill me for theft, then you'll need to include the King in that sentence. He stole that from the Ashmor Temple,” Jalems growled softly.

The commander chuckled.

“That place no longer exists.”

He turned his back to him.

“That’s a lie,” Jalems said, though the collar forced him to remain still.

The man turned around and stepped directly in front of him.

He towered over Jalems. Jalems had to lift his chin to meet his eyes.

“Did you really think you could steal from the King and get away with it?” the commander sneered.

Jalems’ eyes widened.

The commander walked back behind his troops.

“By order of King Cerilium of Luition, Law of the Land and Keeper of Peace…”

He stopped, fixing his gaze on Jalems, though the sentence was meant for all of them.

“I sentence you to die.”