Chapter 191 – Prison Break
3rd Person
The rebels struck at dawn.
Thousands of black clad bodies poured from the city’s un derground before the sun had even risen, charging forward with homemade weapons and magic wielders at their sides. Some of the outlaws shifted into their animal forms; wolves, bears and big cats nipping at the heels of those running on two feet, but others remained upright, wanting the freedom to carry knives, clubs and batons.
The Calypso security forces were completely unprepared for the assault, half of them falling where they stood, while the others ran to sound the alarms, warn their comrades or simply escape. It was Blaise’s greatest failing to be so cruel to those he trusted to defend his pack. When things were calm and individuals could be picked out for failing their duties, fear was more than sufficient to keep them in line. But amidst such chaos the sentries and guards held no loyalty for the tyrant, and had no interest in sacrificing their lives for his sake.
They were wise to run; the uprising did not only have the element of surprise on its side, its proponents also had years of rage and the passion of their cause driving them forward. They struck down guards right and left, taking advantage of the surprised scattering of defenders and trying to do as much damage as possible before Blaise’s entire army came
down on them.
The rebel leaders remained at the center of the pack, sending their followers out in every direction to confuse
Blaise’s sentry. If everything went as planned the tyrant wouldn’t know their target until it was too late. He would think it was a run of the mill uprising intended to overthrow his court, not a highly strategic rescue mission for three prison ers. In truth they planned on freeing many more, but they doubted many were members of their fight. Blaise killed al most all of his opponents, unless they could be of use to him. Still, it was safe to say that most of the occupants of his dun geons did not deserve to be there.
Many of the outlaws knew they would not live to see the sunset, and further understood that their lives would be lost in what was primarily a show of smoke and mirrors. Still they fought, driven forward by the hope that their sacrifice would lay the foundations for the cause to succeed some day in the future.
Down in the dungeons, Bastien, James and Grayson heard the first signs of commotion within minutes. The rebels sta tioned outside the sprawling prison breached the walls just as the guard was changing, and though the men had been fast asleep, blaring alarms and the distant crashes and screams of battle soon roused them.
“I think this is it.” Grayson declared, an uncharacteristic note of hope in his deep voice.
“We’ll have a better chance of getting out of here if we can meet them halfway.” Bastien proposed, remembering what his fellow prisoners had told him about their prior es cape attempts. When they discussed picking the locks he learned that James had figured out the method after about five years of trying, but he’d never been able to get beyond the two floors above them once free. There were simply too many guards, and too many subsequent barricades.
“Let’s go.” James agreed, extending his claws into the heavy iron lock on his cell.
Bastien and Grayson both attempted to unlock their own cages, but Jame’s cell door swung open before either of them could succeed. The elder man rushed through the dark dun geon, unlocking first Bastien, then Grayson’s cells.
When they emerged, Bastien was able to get his first good look at the other men. Grayson was probably ten years older than he himself, with dark hair and eyes. He suspected that under the right conditions the man would be built like a tank, but he was so malnourished that only the shadow of the wolf he once was remained. James’ hair was streaked with gray. He was tall and lanky, and when Bastien looked up into his handsome face, he could see flashes of Selene.
As one the three prisoners shifted, charging for the stairs with Bastien in the lead. As the most recent member of their little crew to be imprisoned, he had the most energy and would have been the strongest even if they’d all been free.
The first guards they reached were easy sport. Bastien dispatched them while James freed the prisoners on the level above their cell, adding to their ragtag pack one outlaw at a time. One grisled, scarred shifter after another emerged from their cages, shifting into animal forms ranging from wolf to li on, and charging into the breach.
On the third level above their cells, they reached the first true roadblock. The guards on this level had run upstairs to help defend the prison, taking their keys with them. The locked door barring this level was not the sort James could pick with his claws, and the men looked at each other with pensive expressions. Do we wait? One of the recent escapees
inquired mentally.
We can’t afford to risk it. Grayson answered, standing be side a wolf with an injured paw.
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