Treasures of the Broken Garrison: Part 7- A Fantasy Short Story

(After finally breaking out of the secret treasure room, our team of elves struggle to finally uncover some answers to the mysterious garrison as the night wanes. Can they find the others and leave the horrors behind them?)

“Are you sure you don’t need to rest?” Finhaus asked when Awhn pressed a hand to her side and took a breath again. She chuckled and shook her head for the hundredth time he asked that question, each time with more force.

“I’m fine, really. It barely hurts now. I just need a second to breathe.”

“Why not have a seat?”

Awhn stood straight again, a loose thread of orange hair swinging free. She let go of her side and continued beside him. “I don’t need to, but I wouldn’t mind slowing down a little…”

Finhaus didn’t ask more questions than that. The need for him to go slower convinced him she was telling the truth. He paused long enough for her to saunter on, and he carefully followed her step by step. Not long after, her breathing began to slow and she moved easier.

Even with her doing well with the steady pacing, Finhaus worried whether or not she could keep it up until how long it took them to find someone else. Finhaus wanted to sigh and slump his shoulders, but he resisted. He knew it would be a challenge… If he took his last breath in this place, he would give it with hopes high and shoulders squared. And right now, Awhn needed a bit of that hope too.

“Let’s see if we can find a way upstairs first. Kielle might still be looking for that staircase. We need to find her before she reaches the treasure room.”

Awhn furrowed her brows like she forgot they talked to Kielle in the first place. “She never found the way down, huh?” She asked more as a statement to herself.

Finhaus lead them forward, looking ahead where he hoped he saw the base of stairs ascending. “No. She didn’t, but we’ll find her. We know where the staircase is, and even if she’s not down there, I’d bet she’s not far. We may run into her by accident.”

Awhn laughed. “That’s too easy.”

The comment grazed his skin but he stayed silent. Awhn slowed down on the stairs, but she picked up the pacing again once at the top. The last thing Finhaus wanted to do was speed her up, but he could feel time ticking on in his bones. Somewhere above, below, near, or far his loved ones moved about this terrible maze. All of them exploring and running for one purpose; to find each other.

Finhaus marched ahead, trying to gather as much information as possible when it came to where to go next. He even took a brave enough breath to call for his sister, but nothing happened. When that didn’t work, he took them to the closet with the hidden staircase, only to open the door to a normal and small space. “That’s not right,” Finhaus muttered to himself. “Did I get the wrong…? No, it couldn’t be.” The farmer stepped inside and browsed the shelves. The familiar set of dusty books was here, but one particular one was missing. “Where’s the yellow book?”

“Sorry?” Awhn asked behind him.

Finhaus held his hands out as he continued looking “The yellow book! The one with the slot inside for the trinket. You know, it looks just like it, with a tree outline and-”

Awhn spoke over him. “No, you said you were sorry. Sorry for what?”

Finhaus’ wild gestures for the trinket’s description stopped and he turned to look at her. “What? I didn’t-”

But she shushed him and turned away as if looking for something herself. Finhaus couldn’t tear the confusion away. He stood up and shivered. There was something unnatural in the air, like a chill or fog that seemed to darken the room, or maybe that was only his view from the dark closet. The disturbed nerves in him only grew when he saw Awhn’s face change into something with a mix of recognition and horror.

“What is it?”

Awhn stepped forward where the closet door blocked his view of her. He barely saw her mouth move before she went out of sight. “Therin? We’ve been looking all over. Why were you-” Her voice dripped with a stagnant breath and she paused.

Finhaus couldn’t explain it, but something was wrong. Awhn was already several yards away from him when Finhaus came around the door. The figure she spoke to, Therin, was standing at the top of a staircase, but despite her ascending to meet him, he stayed frozen. The gaze he gave her, blurry and barely visible from the farmer’s view, was regrettable, but he still didn’t dare take a step down to meet them.

Hesitation slowed Awhn’s stride, but she took another step up. “Do you know where the others are?” Still unsure of what was happening, Finhaus rushed to catch up.

Finally, Therin moved, but not on the stair in front of him. His head turned to look at the floor, his hands hanging limp at his sides and waves of hair falling in front of his face. “I’m truly sorry. Forgive me.”

Awhn, now halfway up the stairs reached out to comfort him as darkness dropped over them like a rug. Unable to see, Finhaus tripped on the next stair and fell. The small ledges cut into his ribs. At least he didn’t tumble back down.

Something cracked and rumbled beneath him. Unable to see where his companion was, he called out before the solid ledges under him broke free, leaving nothing but air. He heard a scream somewhere nearby. They were falling.

His stomach twisted in circles and his limbs flailed for something to grab on, but there was nothing. The air held them longer than he thought was possible, especially since he knew a drop into the basement didn’t take Finhaus this long last time. Still blind, he searched for anything to shift by him, any bit of light that could clue him into what was happening, but there was nothing. It was like the air around them sucked them straight into a void hidden inside the world. No windows, no walls, and nothing to break their fall.

At some point, Finhaus collided with a carpeted ground. Unharmed, somehow. Mildew and dust leaked from the soft floor and choked him, tickling his nose in a way that made him want to sneeze. Movement pushed off of him. At some point during the fall, Awhn gripped the back of his shirt in an attempt to keep them together. She was the first one up.

Finhaus groaned and pushed against the floor, finally clearing the dust with a loud, sudden sneeze. “What happened?” He asked, trying to find his balance enough to stand on his own feet.

Awhn shared his confusion. Wherever they were, the sconces remained cold, but she could make out shapes of a dresser and accent table within reach thanks to the light from the window. Now drawn to the light, she reached and planted her hands on the windowsill. She followed the top of a tree down to its base, growing dizzier by the second. Sunlight trimmed the top of the garrison, though the courtyard still remained in shadow. The lighter tint in the sky proved time still moved. A thousand questions danced in her mind, but she only found her voice to ask one. “How long have we been falling?”

The farmer brushed himself off. At first, he thought they stood in a fancy lounge. Cushy sofas and armchairs sat around a short table. The floor mirrors carried so much debris they almost didn’t have a reflection. Behind him came a stale, metallic smell. He turned. Up a few stairs sat a bed. A lump above the made sheets told him it was occupied, but the dark substance pooling from it and dripping onto the floor told him it wasn’t a live one.

Finhaus breathed a sound of concern, drawing Awhn’s attention from the window. She gasped as soon as she saw the body and shambled closer, a hand against her chest. “It can’t be… Therin…”

But it was. His hair sprayed over the pillows and his face rested in a neutral expression. His fingers were interlocked over his ribs in a position of respect and peace. The blade lodged in his torso was no longer a concern to him.

Awhn shook her head harder. “We saw him on the stairs. He’s alive! He spoke to us.”

Finhaus bowed his head and took a step back. “Nothing in this place makes sense. I’m sorry.”

At the foot of the bed, in the corner, lay an open journal. The journal itself was old, but the ink was new and handwritten. Finhaus slid his hands under and picked it up. With it, he took some steps away, but hesitated when he almost stepped in a pool of blood. Awhn heard his gasp, saw the book, and left Therin’s side in search of better light.

Finhaus glided down the steps and Awhn approached him with a candle. She had nothing to light it with, so she enchanted it instead. The whole body of the pale cylinder glowed a soothing blue and as she drew close, the light drenched the journal in its deep radiance. Finhaus began reading aloud.

“To my sweet love and everyone else unfortunate enough to read this,

I thought I have moved on, but when I saw her again, I couldn’t help myself. Losing her nearly broke me into pieces and I just wanted to give up. The only thing that allowed me to carry on was my imagining she was watching over me, and that she was waiting for me in paradise. Now I know otherwise. Oh, my darling. Had I known you stayed within these walls, reliving the past again and again, I would have acted sooner.

Seeing your face brought time to a halt. First, it was a jolt that stopped my heart, then delight, and finally horror when I saw wet tears on your cheeks. You invited me inside. Was it because you were just as shocked to see me again or, dear I say, were you asking for help?

I pray you know I would do anything for you, and that you know I would show it beyond my words. And it is here, in my final act, that I prove it to you. We’ve had our difficulties in finding acceptance in the past, but now we can put that behind us. Whether it’s an eternity spent in these tragic walls or freedom into the next world, I give myself up willingly to spend it with you. I just want to hear your sweet voice again, and I know if we stay as we are now, we will still be apart.

But I still leave with some regret on my heart. The biggest regret I will carry on into eternity will be leading others inside with me. Due to my blind negligence, I have trapped others in my same doomed fate. Words do nothing to express how truly sorry I am for leading my patrol unit in this indescribable danger. I know I deserve nothing, but I still lower my head for forgiveness to Awhn, Elora, and our First Knight Kielle. None of you deserve the trouble I’ve placed on your shoulders. I pray you find some way out of this cursed place.

And if you do so, please tell the outside world I am at peace. Do not grieve my passing. I do not need a memorial and I wish not to endanger anyone further with a burial. Allow my bones to collect dust here, as I pray mine will be the last to be claimed by the garrison.

I wish for not only your peace, but the peace within all of the hurt spirits still guarding these halls. Let the past be the past. Embrace the memories with acceptance and let go the duties you cling to. We have nothing left to look forward to but the new world, and it will be glorious.

With all of my heart, Therin.”

Nothing could be said as Finhaus closed the journal and set it to the side. At the same time, they turned their heads to look upon the deceased on the bed a final time. When Finhaus glanced back at Awhn, she had her eyes down as if she couldn’t give the room another look. He didn’t know how well they knew each other. Being Kielle’s brother, he would listen to her mention soldiers under her, and sometimes would see her on patrol with them, but he never met any. Having never been an official under the Center Tree, Finhaus’ experience was limited, but nearly everyone in his family worked there at some point or another.

He wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to, leaving Awhn time to be the first to break the silence. She swallowed and inhaled a shaky breath before meeting eye contact. “First Elora, now Therin… And here I thought we were a step closer to getting out alive.”

The farmer shook his head and gestured she step in front of him and out of the door, as the dread of reality crept up from his ankle and squeezed his chest. “Don’t lose hope. There are still a few in here, and what about Kielle? Or me? I’m still alive. I’m still fighting.” Relief seemed to wash over him as the door clicked close. Finhaus released the tarnished handle and dug his fingers into his chest. “And if I am, I know there are others still doing it. To be honest, I don’t know how I made it this far. I’m only a farmer. There’s hope, and you can still hold onto it.”

She didn’t relax. She didn’t smile, but she took a breath and didn’t look like she wanted to break down in tears anymore. When she looked up, loose droplets fell free from her full eyes. “I’ll try.” She ended the conversation with a brief look between him and the door and turned around, moving at a pace like she was eager to get away. Finhaus moved to follow her, looking back at the closed door one final time.

As Awhn continued her march ahead of him, Finhaus couldn’t help but wonder about what thoughts spun in her head. Thankfully, she seemed to be moving easier, at least for now. Despite her low spirits earlier, confidence bolstered her feet and kept her at that quick pace. Where was she going? Finhaus tilted his head back and watched the ceiling move and bounce as he tried to remember their original plan before they discovered themselves mysteriously in a different spot of the garrison. It wasn’t much of a plan to begin with, but they were trying to find his sister before they found Therin. Maybe that’s where she was going now. By going downstairs, maybe they can finally find Kielle.

The light of the sun crested the window, dampening the dusty wallpaper in refreshing tones of bright orange. The farmer blinked against it and swallowed the rock he didn’t know was building into his stomach. A new day has already started. How many will they waste their lives on, or was this even the first day? Even now, he could barely remember the time he entered. Was it right at dusk? Ever since then, the garrison bore over him like a heavy mire. Somehow, he moved past Elora’s unfortunate accident, but Therin… Why did it linger? He felt it like a trail chasing his steps and holding his feet. Why did his death hit differently? The farmer knew almost nothing about Kielle’s unit. Was it the letter? His resting position of peace in eternity? Or maybe it was the time spent here that weighed him down. Finhaus wanted freedom! He wanted-

Frozen in half-step, Finhaus hesitated under a beam of sun. Nothing else seemed to matter. He could already feel the fresh air from here. Unwilling to split up with his teammate, he called her name and, seeing her turn around, he went for the door.

“What is it?” Awhn asked as she followed him outside. Finhaus didn’t answer. He sucked in a cold breath, feeling it freeze his lungs, but holding it in as long as he could anyway. When he finally released it, he could almost be convinced he breathed out a cloud of dust from the long walks in the abandoned halls. Birds began to sing despite the frost and haunted grounds. They wouldn’t miss a chance to welcome the first clear morning in this long stretch of dark gray.

The overgrown courtyard dipped many levels below the stone balcony on which they stood. Thick walls surrounded them on every angle, but up here, Finhaus could see the vast trees on the side of freedom. His eyes began to sting. He wasn’t sure if it was from the cold air he pulled in his chest or from the brief peek of possible freedom. Of course, they weren’t free yet, but this was enough for now.

“Why did you bring me out here?”

Finhaus didn’t move to look at his companion, though he lowered his outstretched arms and tilted head. The agitated angle in her voice didn’t go unnoticed to him, but he chose to ignore it. “I don’t know, I… I couldn’t help it.” In his peripheral vision, he caught her crossing her arms, but she didn’t complain.

Minutes passed, but Finhaus wasn’t counting. He held still and took in as much scenery in as he could. The frost made him shiver and his hair stood on end, but he could’ve stayed outside forever. Awhn, on the other hand, seemed a bit impatient. Her head turned to and fro, taking in the courtyard, building, and railing of the balcony. After a while, her foot began to tap.

Finally, she dropped her arms and turned back to the door inside. “The others are waiting for us. Let’s go.”

Finhaus listened without a word and moved to follow her. They weren’t yet at the door when a loud clatter rang out from somewhere around them, making Awhn pause with her hand still reaching for the door. Finhaus looked over his shoulder, but saw nothing. “What was that?”

His companion stepped back. “It sounded like it came from somewhere inside.”

They both stood in silence, listening. It didn’t rumble again as loud as before, but some thuds and calls followed. Finhaus froze in alert. “It’s from downstairs! I’m sure of it!”

Awhn went for the door again. “Then come on! We have to hurry!”

But Finhaus was instead fixated on something behind him. “Wait. I have a better idea.”

Awhn obeyed and followed him to the far end of the balcony, but with her nerves still on edge. Her confusion grew when she noticed him looking at a tree not too far away. It didn’t take long to realize his plan as he reached out to it. “Finhaus, I don’t trust that tree is strong or close enough to hold you. Let’s go!”

But the farmer wasn’t hearing it behind the determination that he allowed to run in his fingers. Instead of leaping for the tree, his hand began to glow in correspondence with the closest branch. Awhn’s growing impatience began to diminish for astonishment in its place as the branch, no, the whole tree, began to grow.

The branch was the main focus. It twisted and skittered closer, the pattern in its bark becoming more apparent with its increase in size and health. Just when she thought she heard a quiet protest in cracking wood, Finhaus let the magic go and ran forward, jumping to the branch with a confidence she didn’t know he had. She saw him for only a minute before he dropped from that branch to a lower one out of sight.

Awhn sighed out of her own hesitation and moved to follow. By the time both feet were balanced on the first branch, Finhaus was already free of the tree and disappearing inside the door of the lower balcony. He stumbled from the string of gust before he even fully made it inside.

When he recovered, he had no time to respond to the sight of Kielle and Blair also fighting back against it. Their feet moved against the wind, but they only slid backward. They locked arms in an attempt to stay together, but a figure began to form.

The First Knight crouched under the mad man’s swing, but Blair’s hand slipped and the wind blew her down the far hall like it was a hungry hole in the ground. That seemed to be the advantage the spirit wanted, as it held up a spectral blade of air over Finhaus’ sister.

Not willing to stand and watch, but not knowing what else to do, Finhaus cried out and dove into the ghost, causing it to dissipate. Unaffected, it immediately reformed, but it gave Kielle the distraction she needed. Finhaus pulled away from the wall where he hit his head. With the room spinning now with more than the wind, he made it to his feet though he swayed. He couldn’t react quick enough as a hand grasped his arm and shoved him in a direction he could barely distinguish. “Get to Blair and flee! I’m right behind you.”

Shaking his head like that would clear the vertigo, Finhaus obeyed his sister’s voice without question. At the far end, he could see Blair was recovering from the attack much like himself. She held her back as she stood up, but the pain fell forgotten under pleasant surprise when she saw her friend coming her way. Before he could speak, she leapt at him and hugged the breath from his chest. He patted her elbow to show quick support, though he tried to break away from her grasp and cries that were incoherent under the rushing wind. As they began to move, Finhaus cast a look back at the scene to make sure he wasn’t leaving his companions behind. At some point, Awhn had joined Kielle and they both were coming their direction, an angered spirit man behind them.

They ran the only way they had available, avoiding doors leading to dead ends where they could. “Why is this guy still chasing us?!” Finhaus yelled.

“I don’t know,” Blair yelled beside him. “He’s been chasing us everywhere! I don’t know where else to go.”

After what felt like seconds and hours at the same time, rushing through corridors, stairways, and countless hallways, decor faded for the more dilapidated wing of the garrison. With nothing left but heaving breaths warning of reached limits, Blair led him to a final heavy door and pushed it open. Cold morning air blasted against his face and grass crunched under their feet. Blair tumbled to the dirt and she remained there, catching her racing heartbeat.

With no sounds of pursuit, Finhaus took that as an invitation and planted against her. Awhn emerged from the doorway a second later, holding her bandaged side and crumbling to the grass with them. Without the force of the gusts whistling in his ears, everything seemed quiet. Outside of his own heartbeat raging in his ears, he heard the forceful breaths of his companions and the relaxed chirps of birds in the tall trees outside the stone walls. The dirt under him froze his body through his clothes and dried grass pricked his hands like twigs.

It wasn’t until a moment later, when his breathing finally began slowing down did he notice they were still missing someone. “Where’s Kielle?” Finhaus asked with a rasp tangled in his voice. The women looked in his direction. They didn’t move, but their eyes grew wider with alarm. Before anyone could voice their concern or gather their strength enough to stand, a rustling above them made them all turn their heads.

Red hair stood out against the tree towering over them as the first knight dropped branch to branch before finally swinging to the ground. Her knees buckled as she landed, but she remained steady, only bowing down to catch her breath instead.

With all of his companions surrounding him now, Finhaus leaned his head back and let it land on the hard ground. The whole sky was an early morning blue now, and the few strings of clouds were a fluffy white instead of heavy gray. The sun was high enough now to cast its soothing light over the courtyard. It wasn’t warm enough to make up for the frost against his back, but Finhaus didn’t mind. He imagined the rays hitting him anyway. He could almost feel the warmth from the idea.

Safe from vengeful spirits for now, Finhaus sank in the comfort of being around more of his companions than he thought he would find here at one time. With each friend, he prayed he was a step closer to going home. Finhaus only hoped the mysteries of the haunted grounds wouldn’t take them away from him again, but only time can tell in the end.

End of Part 7

(Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it so far, stick around, because our finale is next week. Saturday, June 20.)

(No AI was used in any stage of writing this story.)