127: The massacre

The massacre

The Archduke's manor stood as an architectural marvel in all of Emoria, its magnificent structure comparable only to the King's palace in Destan. Yet, there was a part of the manor seldom spoken of, for it was a place no one in their right mind ever wanted to set foot in—a dreaded dungeon.  0

Adela was a young girl when Claude convinced her to join him on an adventure to explore the infamous Archduke's dungeon. They had overheard a few royal guards bragging about catching a glimpse of it, and their curiosity got the best of them. Their initial thrill soon morphed into a harrowing ordeal as they became hopelessly lost in the maze-like corridors.

Fortunately, it was the Archduke himself who came to their aid. And while Adela managed to escape punishment for their ill-advised exploit, Claude was barred from visiting Lanark for the subsequent month as a consequence.

Years later, standing before the entrance to the heavy iron door, Adela's fear swelled like that of a child wanting to flee.

"I shall open it for you, My Lady," spoke Bernard gravely, and Adela managed to give a feeble nod in response.

As they stepped inside, the flickering torchlight cast dancing shadows along the narrow corridor providing meager illumination in the oppressive darkness. The constant drip of water echoed through the gloomy space, and the worn stone floor creaked underfoot, the sound more pronounced than Adela remembered from her previous visit.

She held her embroidered handkerchief tightly against her nose, trying to mask the putrid stench that hung in the air. The dungeon's iron-barred cells, once occupied, now stood empty thanks to the many public trials conducted by the knights in the streets of Lanark. On the surface, it seemed as though the dungeon was no longer needed. But Adela knew better.

The mercenaries labeled as 'rebels' were likely confined to the deeper depths of the maze, a place she and her cousin had never reached during their childhood explorations.

Her nerves were already taut, causing her body to stiffen as she walked. But the distant moans that started drifting through the stale air were chilling her very soul.

"We are almost there, My Lady,"

Bernard intoned solemnly, his presence offering a sliver of reassurance to her. Her eyes briefly glanced at the jangling keys hanging from his side before returning to the path stretching ahead, their steps synchronized.

"We have arrived," Bernard declared what felt like an eternity later.

In the heart of the dungeon, nestled deep within its confines, lay a chamber reserved for the most dangerous and feared individuals. Its iron door, reinforced with bolts and chains, stood as the final barrier separating the world above from the hidden horrors below.

"Open it," commanded Adela, the moans from within becoming an incessant buzzing in her ears, reverberating deep within her being.

Bernard's hand fumbled with the keys, dropping them twice before finally managing to unlock the door for Adela. As it swung open, a realm of cold stone walls lay before them. The air hung unimaginably heavy with the stench of decay. The Archduke stood alongside his platoon leaders, their faces ghostly pale, while on the other side stood every physician from the manor and the knight infirmary, frozen in inaction.

"Father?" she uttered, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on the ground before her.

The room was littered with bodies, their clothes drenched in blood, rendering most unrecognizable. The only discernible features were the shackles that marked limbs from the rest of their mutilated forms. And amidst the carnage stood a lone knight in silver armor, a gun in hand and a bullet through his head.

It was a massacre in every sense of the word.

Time itself seemed to slow to a painful crawl.

"No!" Adela screamed, though her own voice was drowned out by the ringing in her ears.

She pushed herself forward, maneuvering through the panting bodies and walls of pain. Should she tend to the one who appeared to be suffering the most? Or the one with the best chances of survival? Such questions swirled in the small part of her mind that still functioned.

Could any of these men emerge from this horror alive?

"Your Excellency! May I end their suffering?"

"Permission to extract Lady Adelaide! Your Excellency, Healer or not, this is too much for a woman!"

"Silence! Fetch the Commander immediately!"

Unaware of the commotion behind her or who was speaking, Adela was drawn inexorably toward a flickering spark of life, different from the energies ebbing away from the men surrounding her. It clung tenaciously to its fragile vessel.

"I will save you!" she stammered as her legs carried her to the man's side. Her initial assessment revealed a penetrating chest wound, potentially damaging his lungs or major blood vessels.

"H-H-gh," the man choked out a noise.

"Shh... Save your breath," she implored, applying direct pressure to his wound, desperately channeling her will for the healing process to unfold. However, her senses felt dulled, making her unsure if her efforts would be enough.

"I need to seal the wound! Bring me a clean bandage!" she cried out to nobody in particular. A hand promptly extended toward her, offering what appeared to be a pack of medical chest seals.

"Adela!" she faintly heard Arkin's voice shouting in the background.

"Who brought him here?" the Archduke's voice boomed.

"Y-You did not specify which Commander, Your Excellency!" someone shouted in response.

"Let go of me, Father! These are the scum who tried to rape her! You asked her to come and rescue them? Release me! I will finish off the last one of them! How dare you ask her to help them!"

Adela wiped her face with her shoulder, using it as a makeshift towel, as she continued to apply pressure to the man's wound, desperately trying to initiate the healing process.

"Please... Don't leave me... Saintess," the man's weak voice reached her ears, his ability to speak again nothing short of a miracle.

"It's working..." she stuttered, glancing at the astonished physicians who had gathered around. "You know what to do next! He needs stitches and medication. Come and help him!"

She swallowed back the waves of nausea and fought against the creeping numbness that spread through her face and hands. The persistent ringing in her ears drowned out everything else, and she desperately needed someone else to take over the care of her patient.

"Lady Adelaide!" cried the nearest physician.

"Archduke! I will get back at you for this! You hear me! I will never let you hurt her like this again! Watch me as I sell them... one by one..."

The enraged voice of Arkin grew fainter and fainter until it was abruptly cut off, leaving behind a deafening silence as Adela's vision blurred and darkness closed in.

pqdm.com