Treasures of the Broken Garrison: Part 8- A Fantasy Short Story

(Morning has finally risen, and after a terrifying encounter with an angry spirit, our team of heroes made it outside away from harm. Now with everyone together, they decide what their next and final actions should be.)

With his eyes closed, Finhaus was meditating in the sunlight too deeply to notice his female companions have been talking for a few minutes now. Blair’s voice picked his ears up from somewhere around him. “I almost didn’t think it was going to rise again,” she was saying.

The farmer moved to sit up, already feeling his muscles growing sore. The morning light bathing the courtyard was almost too quiet, but no one seemed on edge. Kielle was on her knees beside Awhn, inspecting her wound. Blair’s eyes remained at the sky, breathing in and out fully through parted lips. From where he was sitting, Finhaus couldn’t see the gash in Awhn’s side, though he saw an end of the bandage as Kielle had it open. “It’s bleeding quite a bit,” She remarked, padding something down on it and re-wrapping it with a clean shred of cloth she had in her possession. “We need to get you to the healers as soon as possible.”

“Like that will happen,” Awhn answered in a low tone as Kielle stepped away.

“I’m just thankful you are all right,” Blair chimed in. As Finhaus turned to see her, he saw she was speaking to him before she also turned back to the wounded soldier half-laying and half-leaning on her good side. “Both of you.”

“I never did find that staircase you two told me about, so after running into Blair, we went back down to the basement,” Kielle explained while crossing her arms. “We found the foyer where I talked with you two through the wall, but we didn’t know if you…”

Blair took in a breath swollen with stress. “No one answered us! We didn’t know where you were or…” With the stress catching onto her, Blair hugged her legs into her chest and rested her cheek on her knees. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

Finhaus nodded and gave a soft smile, feeling a pleasant warmth of hope again building within him. “There’s four of us now. We’re together, and I never thought we would come so far. No matter what happens now, I’m grateful.”

“Actually,” Blair began, finally stirring to her feet. “There’s five. Queriven’s out here too.”

Awhn’s face shook to her direction and Finhaus rocked backward before jetting his feet under him. “Queriven… Here? Is he..?”

Blair held her hand up and Kielle supported her efforts to calm him with a warm smile. “He’s fine. He dropped out of a window, but he’s fine.”

“Wait,” Awhn’s gaze bounced on each one of them. “That’s everybody.”

Kielle and Blair took a minute to calculate what she said and Finhaus leaned forward and took his chance while he had it. “She’s right!” He yelled a little too loudly. “Kielle, Awhn, Blair, Queriven and me! The last two, Elora and Therin-”

“You found Therin?” Kielle interrupted.

“He didn’t make it,” Awhn answered, now the only one resting on the ground. “He left a note. He was sorry for luring us inside with him.”

Blair excused herself and left to check on Queriven. Kielle nodded in slow respect, dropping her arms at their sides. “I understand. Everyone’s here then… So that means…”

“We can go home?” Finhaus answered hopefully, dragging on the first word like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to suggest it.

Kielle met his eyes and nodded again. “Maybe.” She took a few seconds to decide their next move before striding towards Awhn and offering her a hand to help her up. “We can check the main entry first. They say it’s usually unlocked during the day. If that doesn’t work, we can try an outward facing window next.”

Having had a moment to rest, Awhn hobbled greater with the lack of adrenaline and she leaned heavily into her leader. “That won’t be easy with the two injured, but…“ She shrugged and gestured for Finhaus to follow Blair as they followed behind. “I’m also not fond of the idea of encountering that raging spirit on the way out with these two either.”

This was real. They were going to attempt to leave! Finhaus’ heart began to beat with such a determined force that flipped his stomach inside out. He dared not to imagine the outcome of their escape. At least, not for now.

Despite knowing of Queriven’s current status, his brother still paused in a bittersweet hold when he saw him resting on the cold, frosted ground. In his fall, he had crushed a dry bush that probably saved his life. Though he imagined the twigs and shards of glass weren’t all comfortable. Blair had tried her best to keep him warm as the wrap she wore earlier that night was lying over him.

Still, his face was pulled back in a shining smile Finhaus only ever saw a few times in his life as he looked at Blair. Somehow, his eyes seemed to glow brighter as he saw the others coming closer.

Kielle met his gaze and shook her head in a stubborn, but playful way. “After everything we do for you and you still end up in trouble, huh?”

Queriven didn’t bat an eye. “You know me too well.”

“We need to get out of here before anything else happens. Can you stand at all?”

Finally, his face fell, almost like he became ashamed at the idea of being a burden to the team. He shuffled and propped his shoulders up. Finhaus could see the movement of a leg under the wrap, but it was a heavy, sporadic movement he knew wouldn’t hold his older brother’s weight. Blair gave him a quick rub on the shoulder to sooth his pained grimace.

Kielle sighed but wove it off. “It’s fine. We’ll still make it.” She paused to think before shooting him a frown. “And you will make it out if we have to drag you out! Got that?”

Queriven nodded though his face fell further, making him look like a little child. Kielle turned around and kept her head high as Finhaus spoke up. “I think I saw some wheels leaning against the other side of the courtyard. Maybe we can make something that will hold his weight.”

Kielle pondered for a second before moving to join him, though she still voiced her doubts. “…We don’t want him to move or slip off in a way that will hurt him further. We’ll have to be careful!”

Their discussion continued to move away with every step they took. Awhn let go of the First Knight and stayed behind with the couple. She lowered herself for a seat in the grass.

“I knew you’d make it out all right,” Queriven remarked.

Blair looked back at him. “You weren’t worried?”

“Of course I was, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have faith in you.”

Blair smiled and felt her shoulders relax. Somehow, in a place like this, they have done the impossible. It wasn’t without tragedy, but they have finally managed to come together and stay together despite the supernatural happenings often keeping them apart. She only hoped escaping was the easy part.

She only had a second of silence, but her thoughts must have shown on her face because Queriven eyed her curiously. Still, he wasn’t the one to break the silence. He waited until her thoughts grew too heavy to keep in. “Now that things aren’t so dire, I keep thinking back to some unsettling sights I saw while inside this place. And one of them… I wanted to ask you…” She continued to stammer about it a bit, and the more she struggled coming out with it, the more tears began to bubble in her eyes. Queriven’s smile faded away, but he gave her a subtle nod, assuring her she could ask anything she wanted. Finally, she paused, caught her breath, and tried again. “When you fell from the window, I heard the glass break and ran to help. When I came to the room, I saw… I don’t know. Maybe the panic disoriented me. I sometimes don’t know what’s real in this place.”

Queriven took her hand, with a light squeeze, and leaned closer. “You can tell me. Real or not.”

She leaned back and whispered. “I saw you. At least, I thought it was you, but it wasn’t… You… He… Looked at me with shock in his eyes from the shattered window, and then he faded. I had no time to-”

With the words out, she stopped once again, but not from her own jumbled memories. Her lover’s face fell white, and he swallowed. While a second ago, he leaned his support, he now leaned back and only relaxed when his eyes fell and drifted over the leaves and twigs pinned under him. “How do I say this…? I didn’t think, coming in here. I only wanted to find Kielle, but I saw him too.”

Suddenly, Blair felt lighter, like her own blood retreated into the center of her body. She believed she knew now who they saw. Queriven, the oldest of his three siblings, had a different history from the rest of them in that he was adopted from the streets as a child wandering without a home. It wasn’t until Blair took him back into the forest did she begin to learn about his past and how his birth parents were on the long list of victims in the sudden battle here. It was why he became a knight in the first place.

“That was my father,” he finished, concluding her thoughts. “I didn’t see him until I was further in the room, and he was there when I turned around. It’s not his fault I backed up into the window. I just-I lost my footing, and-”

His voice changed and his shoulders bobbed from holding back tears. Blair pulled him in tight and said nothing more. They stayed like that, comforting one another for a while. Awhn dared not to interrupt it, though she gave them a sympathetic look, as they all shared in the trauma of the garrison in one way or another.

Grass crunched under rolling wood and the soldier turned to see Kielle and Finhaus rolling a shabby “wagon” her way. When the warped wheels caught on a dip in the dirt, Finhaus ran to the back to give it a push, but Awhn was surprised to see it could roll at all. It wasn’t bad craftsmanship for the circumstances. Instead of the curved container body she thought of when imagining a wagon, this was was more of a level platform on wheels. The thick planks looked sturdy enough to hold someone’s weight for the short term at least. Had they the time and resources, a handful of carefully placed nails would have bettered the durability of their craft, but the tightly wound boards weren’t tied in a careless rush.

With Finhaus still in the back and Kielle pulling on the rope at the front, the duo led the platform closer until they stopped before the soldier seated on the grass. Blair and Queriven, still pulled tight in a comforting hug, looked back at the group.

Kielle released her grip on the rope and brushed her hands off with a firm stance of pride. “It’s not much, but it will do,” She declared and came to stand before the couple. The two pulled away and Finhaus rushed to join them.

“Are you ready? I’ll be careful,” Kielle announced, stepping forward and holding her arms forward and out.

Finhaus rushed forward again, looking like he wanted to help, but it was clear the woman was planning on lifting her brother herself. Queriven lifted an eyebrow. “You’re serious. Remember the last time you tried to lift me?”

Kielle recoiled as if insulted. “I was a child then, and you were bigger than me,” she responded with a dull tone. “I’ve been training since then. I know what I’m doing.”

Without waiting for a response from anyone else, she bent down, wrapped his arm over her neck, gripped his waist and lifted, slinging him over her shoulder like a fashion accessory. From there, Finhaus helped her with lowering him carefully on the wagon. “There you go,” Kielle grunted as Queriven lay fully on the platform. “Make sure you hold on tight. It may be a bit bumpy, but we’ll be as careful as we can.”

With Kielle taking the lead, Finhaus took Awhn’s side, helping her up and supporting her as she limped forward. Blair took the rear of the wagon, coming by Queriven’s side, holding the wrap that fell when Kielle lifted him and tucking it around him again.

With rope wrapped around her shoulders, Kielle leaned forward with a grunt. The worn wheels creaked in protest, but began to turn. The group walked with a glimmer of hope over them, though it began to dim again once they came inside.

The littered and rotting debris remained where they last saw it, and the chamber was quiet save for the sound of the wagon. By now, the group knew than to take comfort in it, and the rolling wheels seemed to echo against the stone walls, causing the group to wince and glance about for trouble. As far as Kielle and Blair knew, they left an unforgiving spirit somewhere here when they reached the courtyard. It was only a matter of time until he found them again… With the wagon slowing them down, how will they defend themselves?

Doors and wheels creaked, each sound wave seeming greater than it should be. They were all too nervous to add more to the space, though that also seemed to make the air thicker with the supernatural frost tickling their skin.

Having chose to enter back in the garrison through the wide, main doors belonging to the courtyard, they weren’t far from the main entrance of the garrison itself. This latest chamber, cold, ransacked, and crooked, will be their reminder of the garrison’s nature. The building may be devoid of life, but it refuses to fade. The continued tragedy remains the prominent scarring from the battle of Forest Border Trading Post.

The group slowly pushed forward until a chill, whistling breeze whipped past them, taking the orange flames of the sconces with it. There were no windows in the chamber, though morning light seeped in through warped frames of doors leading to other halls and rooms. This gave the group enough light to see, but it darkened enough to stop them in their tracks. The cold breeze summoned a mist that began to gather…

Kielle stepped ahead of the group and held her spear in both hands, spreading her feet and arms wide enough for cover. “Take the injured to safety! I’ll distract him!”

It was indeed the spirit from before. He took form a small step in front of the First Knight. She was so close she could see the enraged lines on his translucent face. Kielle punched the spear forward. The attacker’s figure vanished around it harmlessly and he reappeared in the air above her, ready to deliver his own attack.

Kielle refused to back down against the whirl of chaos that whipped around her. Red hair flipped into her vision and left her blinded and confused. It didn’t have time to clear before she heard a booming voice forcing through it. It gave an order to stand down, something she immediately disregarded, but then she realized it wasn’t meant for her at all.

The storm settled and through streaks of red, she saw two forms in the mist. Her attacker, the one filled with so much rage he never appeared long enough to explain his reasons before turning to violence, finally bowed his head in obedience. The second floated to stand in front of him, his back straightened and his hands safely behind his back. She recognized him now that she saw his hanging picture with Blair. “You must forgive him,” the former king of Fairdraisha explained. “His intentions are in the right place, but like many here, he still believes he has to protect the treasure from the intruders from so long ago.”

Kielle couldn’t help looking back over her shoulder, seeing the wagon and others were further back by the door leading into the courtyard. They regarded the new visitor with the same curiosity Kielle had. The First Knight turned back to the speaker. Why, out of all the attacks they took from this spirit, were they being spared now? Not wanting to fight in a losing battle anyway, she decided not to question it.

“For half a century, we’ve watched explorers tear this place apart, blinded by ideas of wealth. We have forgotten the nature of the living and lost our faith in humanity, and for that, I owe all of you a deep apology.”

Kielle blinked, but slowly strapped her spear away on her back. “I don’t understand… What’s going on?”

The old King Brenmor continued. “We assumed you would be like all the others, but we… I… was wrong. The first one who entered, the one you call Therin, came in our walls without an eye for treasure. The only treasure he wanted was the presence of a another in particular. He braved terrible traps only to bypass doors leading to treasure all for the sake of writing instruments to try to reach to this spirit. When he wasn’t satisfied with the letters, he took his life by his own hands to be with her.

Then, I saw that pattern repeat with the others you brought in. Two of your elves found one of our largest safe rooms despite our efforts to keep it locked and hidden. They left it empty handed without regret.

And the human! Her love for her partner is much like Therin’s. It made her brave in the face of danger. No matter what happened to her or the others, her love for someone so different from her brought them back together. Now that I see through these illusions of greed, I can’t ignore it anymore. I don’t want your love for each other punished.”

In the corner of the knight’s vision, Kielle saw her band of survivors coming forward with curiosity on their faces as they exchanged looks. They crept the wagon closer, testing the king’s word on if they were really free to go. Granting them a silent approval, he floated to the side, showing them the way was clear and, as they began again, he cleared his non-existent throat and floated beside the first knight. The rest paused to hear him out. “This may be a first in the history of the garrison, but is there something you’re forgetting? Something you carry from our home? Beside the makeshift wagon, of course.”

Kielle eyed him for a second before reaching into a pouch and producing the amber-bound book and holding it before her. A breath of wind blew with a soft whistle, whisking it from her open palms and swiping it through the air, where it landed with a thunk on the stone floor, open to its secret but empty compartment within.

The ghastly smile returned brighter this time. “Our sincere thanks. I’ll let you leave with the only tool left you constructed for your dear friend, but I do hope you’ll fulfill one last favor for me?”

Depends, thought Kielle, but she remained silent, only looking at her group for their reaction. The king awaited a reply, almost nervous, but when he found nothing besides waiting glares, he finally continued. “Will you tell Foradue, or whoever sits in his place, to forgive the memory of the battle that took place? The horrible betrayal ended our alliances, that much is plain to see. That night was the last of the trades, but I hope the hearts of elves and humans open once more to others.”

It was a simple request. One Kielle never took long to think about. She was a young girl when the attack happened. To ensure something like that never happened again, the successor to the human throne wanted to continue the trades further inside the forest, thinking somewhere inside would be better secure, but suggesting such an idea disrespected the nature of the elves. Maybe the human ruler thought that would be safer for his people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for the forest people. The woods, as dangerous as they were, protected the inhabitants from the dangers outside. Foradue believed that bringing the humans inside their defenses would threaten his people even further. After all, it was the human race who ambushed the trade in the first place!

But the plea moved Kielle, and she bowed her head. “It’s not in my control, sir, but I understand. We will do what we can.”

“Even if it’s for ourselves,” Blair added, catching a warm look from Queriven.

The king bowed back and broke apart into a refreshing breeze. “Thank you, my friends among the living. Your hope soothes the spirits of the garrison, helping many move on from the hurt at last…”

With that, the chamber fell quiet, but the main door beyond creaked open, letting in peaceful light of their freedom. Kielle gripped the rope attached to the wagon and rolled it forward. The others followed, keeping pace. Finhaus sucked in as much fresh air as his lungs would allow. It swirled within him, wiping the dust off the memory of when he first stepped inside these doors. In truth, that was only a few hours ago, but it felt like another lifetime away. He could tell his companions felt the same. Awhn leaned less into his side, almost like the renewed hope gave her enough strength to walk on her own.

He couldn’t help the tears filling his eyes as they left the trading post behind and fell onto the trail home. Had he given up on seeing the road so long ago, he may not have found it again, but here it was, real and firm. He offered the garrison one final glance. Its door still stood open, and it towered over the ruins like always. The torches on the higher walls were out like they normally were in the morning. Soon, its door will close, but Finhaus will never see it the way he did as a child. On the wagon behind him, he noted how Queriven’s head fell and Blair squeezed his shoulder in support.

Though they traveled in silence, Sylinna came sooner than Finhaus expected. He walked with his family to the Center tree. Sirnah came running out before they reached the entrance. His selfless little brother didn’t show his true emotions often, but his shoulders bobbed more with each hug against his beloved family. He welcomed them inside, but Finhaus let them carry on without him. As much as he loved them, and as much as he appreciated their efforts to draw him inside, he truly wanted to go home.

He couldn’t wait, but he forced himself to go slow on the hills outside of town. He tried to take in the autumn morning even more than what was possible. Though his exhausted mind begged him to collapse on the dirt, he kept on. One foot in front of the other. His old friend, ever the stubborn crow, returned to perch on his shoulder. The loud cawing welcoming him assaulted his ear drum, but he beamed despite it. More friends awaited him at his door like they knew he had been gone. He took a second to pat the muzzle of a deer and shake the paw of a raccoon before opening his front door.

Light spilled inside. Everything was right where he left it. A few birds sang, perched on the bookshelves above their nests. The warm, earthy scents of his last harvest permeated inside him and denied the impulse for tea. It can wait. He didn’t even bother climbing the stairs to his bed. Instead, he sank into the soft green sofa and lifted his legs onto the cushion beside him. His visiting friends surrounded him and did the same. Finally, he let his tired mind whisk him away from the haunted garrison and to visions of his childhood, where they wouldn't be the same again.

The End

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

(If you made it all the way through to here, thank you so much for being a part of the journey! What did you think of it? Did it take an unexpected turn for you? Do you have any lingering questions about the garrison? Let me know here or on my social media! Links below.)

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