Charge

Chapter 2 - Unlikely Alliance - Part 2

Cal leads me out of my cell, into a quiet hallway decorated with many of the same doors I just came out of as far as the eye can see. Are these all cells? Cal grabs ahold of my wrist again and I begrudgingly allow him, shaking away the thought of how many others are trapped here as I was. We walk past several more corridors until we come to a large set of stairs leading up. He leans down closer to my ear.
        "Listen, once we get up those stairs there's gonna be guards at nearly every turn," he whispers. "You follow me, you say nothing, you do nothing unless I tell you to, got it?"
        "... Got it."
        "Good. Now stay close," he pulls me along with him, but before he can take another step I tug on the sleeve of his shirt, making him turn back to face me.
        "Why are you helping me?" I whisper. His eyebrows raise slightly but his grip on me doesn't loosen.
        "Think of it as a debt repaid, not to you, but to our people," Cal replies, before turning on his heel and starting up the staircase once more. My bones ache deeply and there's dried blood caked on my skin - yet I persist, walking carefully up the stairs trying not to make a sound. Once at the top, Cal releases my wrist and holds up his hand, his eyes meeting mine and telling me to stay still before he peeks around the corner. For such a tall man he's oddly graceful, moving like a shadow. He gives me a sharp wave before slipping into the next corridor, his back never leaving the wall. The hairs on my neck stand on end as I slowly creep after him, my eyes darting between each room we pass and my heart pounding louder and louder in my ears.

        Every hallway, room and passage begins to look the same, a maze of grey and white stretching out endlessly in all directions. It pains me to know without Cal I'd never be able to figure my way through even if I had escaped my cell. The moment we're out of danger, however, I want seven skies between us. Preferably more. At the moment he's a means to an end - my way out. That's the only thing keeping my anger beneath my skin where it burns intensely. Cal suddenly stops and I almost smack right into his back. Without hesitation, he grabs my body and pulls me into a small alcove, holding me tightly against his body. I freeze in place, fear and fury seeping through every cell in my body. He must sense it because he quickly wraps one hand over my mouth to stifle any protests. I squirm slightly but he holds me in place.
"Stay silent," his urgent whisper grazes my cheek, scarcely audible but laden with a commanding edge. Thoughts of defiance swarm my mind, contemplating strategies to break away from his hold. I entertain the notion of sinking my teeth into his skin or aiming a forceful strike at his boot, yet a sudden stillness envelops me, and I stand motionless. Heavy footsteps echo through the hallways, growing louder and nearer by the second.
        "This is ridiculous," I instantly recognise the voice of the Commander and my headaches at the reminder of the beating he gave it. I grit my teeth together to stop myself from burning him where he stands - not to mention Cal. "The Captain will not stand for this,"
        "He is no longer your captain, Commander," a deeper voice responds. Cal's body stiffens behind me, his fingers twitching around my face. The aura emanating from him is slick with a quiet, sharp rage that he manages to keep below the surface. What did Cal do?

        The two men finally pass and we remain as still as possible until we hear the door at the end of the hallway close. I tear Cal's hands off me and fill my sore lungs with air.
        "That is the last time-"
        "I touch you, trust me it will be," Cal cuts me off sharply, his eyes narrowing and he steps away from me. "Come on,"

        We clear the next floors without incident, silently working our way towards the main bridge. I assume he has a plan for what to do once there, but he's yet to share it with me. At least that means I don't have to listen to his voice any longer than necessary. All I know is the debt he owes our people is nowhere near repaid; I doubt it ever will be.

        The next door we come to is rundown, wood chipping in places.
        "This should lead us onto the bridge, it's an old side door, not used in years," Cal whispers. He presses his lips together and moves forward, pushing the door open and beckoning me outside. A gust of cold air rushes into my face and I sigh with familiarity. The crisp night air fills my nostrils and for a moment I feel at ease - until the smell of the swamp below us assaults my senses. I gag involuntarily, immediately covering my mouth and nose with my hands. Cal looks down at me with a smug look in his eye. "Princess never been in the marsh before?" he teases in a hushed tone. "Don't worry, it's gonna get so much worse," With that ominous warning he turns around and begins weaving through wooden crates toward the railing. I hesitate, scanning left and right for guards or soldiers. Satisfied that we're not being watched I hurry after him before he disappears into the shadows cast from the night sky. I climb over one more bundle of nets and storage crates and drop down next to Cal, standing atop the railing. My lungs forget how to breathe at the sight below me. The entire marsh stretches out, lit by the faint glow of the moon and the stars shining brightly above. I haven't been this close to the surface in years - let alone water. The only water I've seen has been stored in barrels and bought at Skyports. I stare, transfixed, taking in as much as possible and letting the wind ruffle my hair. I don't hear Cal beside me, but I assume he is.
        "What now?" I ask, but I already know the answer.
        "We jump," he replies, sounding unsure of himself. I glance sideways at him, and he looks back.
        "Can we make it?"
        "It's that or get killed by The Order," he says grimly. "Can you swim?"
        "No," I reply, looking back down at the water. "Can you?"
        "Of course," he answers firmly. "Do you trust me to pull you out of the water after we jump?"
        "Of course not," I snap. "Why would I?"
        He shrugs nonchalantly. "Do you have any other choice?"
        "I suppose not, then..." I mutter bitterly under my breath. "Are you going first, Captain?"
        "If you insist, pirate..." he smirks. He stands tall, pushing his hair out of his eyes as they fill with an inky darkness. "See you on The Surface,"