Volga the Apprentice: Chapter 6

"Look we don't know who tipped them off," Edmin said. "But Mavis warned us before the guards came busting down our door, we can't stay in Dorgal anymore; the council fears we will cause an insurrection."

Kyra sighed deeply then asked, "And would that little news about the king’s bloodline still being alive, would that have anything to do with the city folk and their sudden animosity?"

"Maybe we were telling your friend the truth about that when the tower showed up people were acting angrier towards the council, and it's only gotten worse as the times gone by."

At that moment, Volga showed up with their bags, handing Kyra’s to her and asking, "Alright we ready to go?"

Kyra took her bag and stared at James and Edmin in cold silence for a minute before saying, "Yea, let's get the hell out of here before we get into trouble."

At the main gates to the city they found there was a strong formation of guards in full crimson plate armor, complete with heavy full body shields and spears, standing before the closed gates. "This doesn't look good," Kyra said anxiously.

"No it doesn't, stand close to me in case I need to teleport us out of here," Volga said.

As they approached, the guard captain rode up to them on his horse and Volga asked, "What is going on here why are the gates closed?"

The guard looked down at them and addressed no one in particular while he said, "By ordinance of the council the city has undergone a temporary lock down procedure. No one is allowed in or out without a voucher from the council."

Volga glared at the captain for a moment while he grabbed Kyra and Edmin by the arm. He let go a moment later then asked, "How long will this lockdown be for?"

The captain scoffed and said, "Be gone with you, peasant."

Volga immediately backed away apologizing sincerely. They got a good distance away from the gates before Volga answered their constant questions about what was going on. "We have a serious problem," Volga said, "The city is on lockdown."

"No shit stupid we heard the captain back there," James said.

Volga sighed irritated and said, "I don't mean just the gates, I mean magic lock down. The council has locked down all the magic in the city: I can't teleport us out."

Kyra scoffed and said, "Bullshit."

Volga glared at her while James and Edmin held their hands in front of them staring down at them. Small white sparks of pure energy danced above their palms but died out quickly. "Shit he's right," Edmin said. "We're struggling just to make this much."

Volga had stared at the small sparks of energy crackling above their palms before Kyra said, "Well we just need to find another way out of here, come on."

She led them off the main streets and through all the back roads and alley's she could. They found other smaller gates outside the city walls but those too were locked up and well-guarded. As they stared out of the ally at the last locked and guarded gate outside the city the sounds of a marching patrol unit echoed in their ears.

Suddenly Kyra told them to get down and despite Volga's protest she pulled him down behind the empty crates with the others while the patrolmen passed by. While the others got back to their feet, Volga sat there staring at the wanted posters stuck to the wall: with the names and faces of James and Edmin.

"You fucking bastards..." Volga said rising to his feet and glaring at the two.

Turning to Volga, and glancing past him, they saw the wanted posters and quickly tore them down. "This is all because of you isn't it? The reason you wanted to get out so fast, the reason the city's on lockdown, they're after you!" Volga said raising his voice in frustration.

James and Edmin looked around; anxious some guards would hear them and capture them in that alley. "Can you keep it down a little?" James said frantically.

"Why should I?" Volga half shouted. "You two are wanted criminals."

"Okay yes you're right," Edmin said in a hushed voice. "We're wanted but please can we go somewhere more private to talk, and explain ourselves?"

Volga turned to Kyra and she had the same look of concern as the cousins. He crossed his arms and asked her, "You knew about this didn't you?" His tone was not doing so well to hide the betrayal he felt.

"Volga," she started. "I mean yes I knew about them, but I just found out recently okay."

After some silent debate Volga said, "We'll go to the inn and talk quietly in my room. But if I don't like your explanation I'm selling you out, all three of you." He glared at Kyra when saying the last part.

Back at the inn Volga paced around the room listening to their explanation. When they finished, Volga asked, "And the two council members you killed while in that, um, that gang?"

"Mercenary group," Edmin corrected him. "And we were deceived about that whole thing. They told us we were going on a bounty hunt but after we killed them they later revealed they wanted to use us and our names to start gaining the support of the people and overthrow the council. And then return the royal family to power, with them of course as the sworn knights to the new kings."

"We don't even know the faces of the councilmen and woman. They are to us: strangers." James said.

The sudden loud sounds of screaming downstairs cut their conversations short. As they descended the stairs to see what the commotion was the inn caught on fire. "Okay, time to get out of here!" Kyra said frantically.

James turned and went up the stairs shouting back down to them, "I'll get the bags, meet you outside!" They quickly dashed out of the inn before the flames blocked the way.

Getting outside they heard all the sounds of uproar and saw the people in the streets throwing rocks through any windows not yet smashed or lighting fires to random buildings. "What the hell is going on!?"

"The riots," Edmin said. "We expected them at some point but not this soon."

James came rushing out of the building with both Volga and Kyra's bags saying, "How about we distance ourselves from the burning building now!"

They pushed through the bustling chaos in the streets as best they could: searching for somewhere safe to talk. In the mix of the rioters and crowded streets Volga sensed a dark force nearby, almost glaring at him. He turned his head and saw between the narrow openings of people was a small group of people in red cloaks.

With their faces covered behind some dark veil, the red cloaked people stood around with their heads in his direction, seemingly unfazed by all the people around shoving and shouting at each other. Something about them made his blood boil and he gritted his teeth in anger and pushed down the anxiety welling inside him.

And for a moment to him it felt as if all the chaos around disappeared, and alone he stood facing against an old yet familiar enemy: one he had battled with for generations. But the roars of the crowd erupted even louder than ever before and a warm splash of crimson blood hitting his face pulled him back to his reality.

The city guards had come at last and they, being heavily outnumbered, didn't hold back in their violent bloodshed. The common folk soon began to retreat in a massive hoard threatening to push Volga down and trample him to death. Ignoring his greater instinct to flee for a moment longer, though, he looked back to where the red cloaked group was but they were gone entirely; somehow despite everything else around he was relieved.

But the wave of the violent crowd was soon to swallow him up and he had no way out until a strong hand grabbed him by the back of his color and pulled him into the alley. The same hand slapped him hard upside the head and as James took his side next to his brother Edmin said, "Hey stupid when we said to get away from the burning Inn we also meant get out of the frenzied crowd!"

His cheeks flustered a little embarrassed and Volga said, "I didn't mean too, but there were these people who." He stopped when he realized they weren't paying him much attention. He took a cloth from his pocket and wiped the blood off his face and neck and said, "The guards started killing the masses now instead of just trying to contain them, any ideas why?"

"The mobs started turning their attention towards the castle where the council members reside," Kyra said.

"Sounds like some of the old loyalists making a move then," Edmin said.

"If they're going after the council..." Volga said trailing off in thought for a moment. "Then this is great news!"

"How is this good? It's all madness!" Kyra said.

"Wait he's right," Edmin said figuring out Volga's plan. "The guards at the gates will rush to the castle after hearing this, at least the ones guarding the smaller gates. This is our chance to escape."

"Yea and how do you plan on getting to the nearest gate through all the rioting? The streets are flooded." Kyra asked condescending.

James and Edmin smirked and James said, "We push our way through, and you two cling at our backs all the way."

Kyra scoffed and rubbed the back of her head looking out of the alley and into the streets where the mayhem was relentless. After a moment she said, "Okay let’s go."

And true to their words the cousins quite literally bull rushed their way through the streets heading towards the small western gate. Any man or woman that got in their way were shoved or thrown aside. Sometimes they would push a few people and a small wave of them would fall.

Along the way, Kyra and Volga were almost swept up in the chaos around them but managed to hang on long enough to make it to the, now unguarded, western gate. The area itself having little buildings around was relatively cleared aside from the few people cowering away from the rioting. They ignored them and Kyra, seeing the big bars on the gate asked, "Great we're here now what?"

"Stand back," James said in answer as he and Edmin stepped up to the gates with their hands stretched out towards it.

Their magic, a white stream of crackling energy, formed in front of their hands and combined they blasted a small hole through the gates: opening them wide. As Kyra and Volga rushed outside the gates, the cousins staggered in their walk out of them.

They slowed down to let James and Edmin catch up and the twins recovered faster the further out of the city they walked. "I can feel the anti-magic barrier weakening," Volga said, "It must not stretch too far out of the city."

James and Edmin removed their hoods and pulled down the cloth covering below their eyes. They were rejoicing to be outside the city until the sounds of galloping horses roared behind them. They turned to see a dozen knights riding out on horses coming for them. They turned away and ran.

The guards soon surrounded them though forcing them to halt, their spear tips pointing down at them: ready to be jabbed in their hearts at a moment notice. One of the men, the one with a smug look on his face said, "So these are the infamous cousins, the last remaining children of the formal royal bloodline."

As he boasted on about their capture and insulted them, Kyra slowly and gently pulled the cousins closer to her and Volga. When they were close enough, Volga slowly grabbed the two by their arms, and while Kyra had a firm grip on him, he instantly teleported them away from the city.

They were still close enough to see the city but far enough that it hardly mattered anymore. "That was far too close for comfort," Volga said. Kyra gave him a huge hug and when she let go, James and Edmin patted him hard on the back, almost pushing his face first to the ground.

"So where do we go from here?" Edmin asked.

"Firstly we keep walking and get to the next town to rest in," Volga said as he began to walk from them; they followed right next to him. "Then you tell me if you will join my team or not?"

"Join your team?" Edmin asked. "We don't even know what it is exactly you need of us."

Volga sighed in irritation and said, "The wishes come in the form of these insanely powerful gems, but they are encased inside a gigantic crystal. The crystal called the 'Raydox crystal,' is very durable and takes a powerful magic to break, normal weapons wouldn't even scratch it.

"I'm not strong enough to do it alone, but with our combined power we should be able to break the crystal open and get those gems."

"Hold up, how do you know all this?" James asked.

Volga stopped walking and looked at the three of them, Kyra too was curious about the source of his knowledge. "This is not the first time the tower has showed up, but it was so far back that only Dorgal has history books even mentioning it in legends."

The cousins looked at each other and James said, "Okay let’s say all this is true and we believe you fully. What’s to stop us from killing you after we break open that crystal thing and take the wishing gems for ourselves? Or Kyra for that matter, you know she's the worst thief we ever met."

Kyra scoffed offended by him and said, "Hey I've changed… slightly. Besides Volga's my friend, I'm not going to stab him in the back after all he's done for me. And who say's I would let you betray us either?"

Volga chuckled in a dark sort of tone and started slowly backing away from them. When they were a good distance apart, he held his arms out slightly from his sides and said, "You want to know if you can kill me when the time comes I'm no longer needed? Well go ahead take your best shot, come on you have nothing to lose if I die, you’re out of Freymere, and it's only us here."

Kyra wanted to jump in and stop them, but she saw the determined look on Volga’s face, and she knew if he was to be a leader, he had to establish he was in charge.

The twins glanced at each other then thrust out their hands as a small beam of white energy suddenly shot forth at Volga. The young magister had disappeared in an instant before the beams hit him and before the two knew it, he had grabbed them by the back of their necks. As the glowing red veins raced from the back of their necks over their faces, they struggled to keep standing. Then Volga let go of them and they gasped for air.

"I might not have as much raw power as you," Volga said, "Or be as talented of a fighter as Kyra, least not without my magic, but I know so many tricks and have been practicing them a lot recently. You think a dagger in the shadows, or a beam of destruction is enough to get me, and then you're dead wrong."

They continued after that, trailing behind Volga a little bit. When they finally came to the nearest Inn on the main road, they rested there, sleeping late into the morning and even afternoon. It wasn't much of a surprise when Kyra was the first to wake; the others were just exhausted from the long day.

At breakfast, or lunch as that’s what the inn was serving when they woke up, they talked about where to go next. "Alright I think that I gave you two enough time to decide so I have to know are you joining Kyra and me to the tower or not?" Volga asked the cousins.

"We'll join," Edmin said, "But we should learn to trust in one another otherwise there will be serious problems later on."

"I trust that we will need each other to make it to the crystal in the tower, and to destroy it. And one wish gem is enough for me after I get that I'm more than content to let us go our separate ways if that's what's best."

"So, we cross that bridge when we come to it?" Edmin asked.

"I don't see any other way really, do you?"

The cousins sighed and James said, "We will join you, we owe you for helping us get out of the capital."

"Good then we need to find some horses fast and travel to Kantor, we need warriors for our team."

James scoffed and asked, "And you want to go to Kantor for them?" He had to hold himself back from laughing.

Volga scowled and asked, "Yea what's wrong with that."

"Everything," Edmin snickered. "The people of Kantor are shit, it's survival of the sleaziest there and finding a worthwhile group of warriors in that slum kingdom is like trying to dig for water in the dessert. Only exists if you know exactly where to look."

"Alright then," Volga said growing annoyed. "Where would you suggest looking for warriors, Evercain?"

"That'd be our second choose aye, but Aladorn is best."

Volga scoffed at the very mention of the kingdom.

"They're right you know," Kyra said intervening. "We need warriors and Aladorn is the best place for them. The people may be ugly and barbaric, but they have more honor than most knights in Kantor and are easier to persuade than those in Evercain."

Volga sat back in his chair and thought quietly to himself. He soon ordered the strongest drink the Inn had and chugged it down, despite its foul taste to him, then said, "Well then, I guess it's to Aladorn."