Qing's Quest book 2, Chapter 10: Leap of Faith

As Qing turned towards Jenny’s scream, Taj, the old guard who had led them through the city, flashed by him. He nearly struck the man, but held back as the man was unarmed, sprinting by and headed to the right.

“Follow me,” he said. “I know the way out.” Next came Knut, who skidded to a halt next to Qing. And finally, Morgana, cursing as she took off down the corridor, following Taj. “Move,” she yelled.

But Qing stepped towards Jenny.

Pandemonium reigned in the throne room. Five guards were piled on her, punch and ripping. Blood flowed down her face from a broken nose, and she grinned the look of a she-devil, refusing to bow down. The nobles scrambled, desperate to get away from the spears, shields, and sandals as guards worked to lock down the room. More than one went down, trampled. It seemed even noble life was cheap in Zylphadia.

I have to get her.

Two guards stepped into the archway, spears lowered. Qing kicked, stepping through with all his power. The man flew, crashing into the people behind. The other’s eyes widened as he dodged his spear and shouldered him, tossing him like a rag-doll. Three more rushed in, and Qing snarled.

“Back off, or I’ll kill you!”

With a swipe, he beheaded their spears, but they locked shields and dropped to their knees, leaving space for others to attack across. It felt like attacking a porcupine mixed with a hydra. When he knocked one down, two more came to replace.

Behind them, Jenny spit blood and roared.

“Go! Get Knut to safety!” She tossed off one guard, just to have him replaced by two others.

How many would he have to kill to get her? Would he be overwhelmed? Shouts were coming from down the corridors, converging on the throne room.

Then, a guard reversed his spear and cracked it across the back of Jenny’s head. The wood splintered, and her eyes rolled up as she fainted.

“No!” Qing screamed, grabbing a spear that flashed towards his face. He grabbed it and hauled, but the man refused to let go, and was pulled through their formation. Qing punched him in the face, snapping his head back. He collapsed like a doll whose strings were cut.

Knut grabbed his arm and pulled. “Come,” he said. “They will keep her alive. We will be back for her.”

I have to pick my fights.

He dodged three spears flying through the air, chipping into the stone wall behind him. The last thing he saw before letting Knut drag him down the corridor was the grin on Wazir’s face as the man called for their capture.

He ran down the corridor, but in front, Morgana and Taj rounded a corner. “If we lose sight of them, we’ll never find a way out,” Qing said, and grabbed Knut. As he lifted the man, something that felt easier than lifting Meimei ever had, he activated the dash ability on his sandals. Knut screamed as if they were on a roller coaster as Qing’s feet reached cartoon speeds. Then they came out of the dash and he skidded along the marble.

“Never, ever, do that again!” Knut said, as Qing put him down. Golden sconces flashed by as they sprinted, catching up to Morgana and Taj.

He jogged up alongside the guard and asked, “Why are you helping us?”.

“I saw him cheat,” Taj said, “as clear as the midday sun. I knew Evil grew in our kingdom, but a vampire in the court?” He shook his head. “If you can help, how could I stand idly by?”

“Aren’t you afraid for your life?” Morgana asked.

“It is too late for that, rose of the desert. My life was forfeit the moment I brought you to the palace.”

“I’m sorry,” Knut said, screams and shouts echoing around them. “I was afraid the king would remember, but…I never thought he would be in league with Rufus.”

“It is not your fault,” Qing said, squeezing his fists, claws flashing out. “I shouldn’t have brought you here. You warned me. And now they have Jenny.”

“Hurry,” Morgana said, skidding to a stop at a junction. “Talk blame later. We’ve got to get away first.”

“There,” Taj said, pointing at a set of double doors. Inside, stairs lead up and down. Morgana rushed in and headed down, but his sharp call halted her. “Up!”

“Not down?”

“No. You’ll need height for where you’re going,” he said, pushing her upwards. Knut followed.

“What’s the plan?” Qing asked Taj as he locked the door behind them and started upwards.

“No talking. Need my breath.”

Qing took the man’s arm, helping, as they climbed round and round, up the tower. Some floor had open doors, while some were closed. Qing peeked into one which looked like a library, another a prison. A third held a cushioned room with leather-covered benches in all different shades of grey, and on the walls hung whips and chains.

“Qing,” Morgana said, “my whip! We’ve got company!”

He took the whip out and threw it up. She snapped it out of the air, and with a snarl, cracked it. A man screamed and came rolling down the stairs, blood pouring from his face. Taj hugged the wall and Qing lept across him, shin knocking on the shield.

“Thanks,” Morgana said as they continued.

“Knut?” Qing asked.

“The longbow won’t do me much good here,” the man replied. “Give me one of Jenny’s axes.”

Qing did so without comment.

Taj breathed as if he’d ran five consecutive marathons as they came around a last bend, the stairs ending at a pair of beautifully carved wooden doors.

“This is it,” Taj said, reaching for the door, but Qing stopped him.

“In case there are more guards.”

Before the guard could argue, Qing stormed in, axe at the ready, but skidded to a halt. Stargazing equipment, maps, and books covered an oval room that must occupy the entire top floor. An extravagant conservatory. A telescope the size of a man stood on complex machinery, angled towards a balcony. A thick layer of dust lay across the room.

“What is this place?”

“This is princess Gida’s conservatory,” Taj said, sounding wistful. “She used to spend all her time here when she was younger… But she hasn’t been here for years.”

Morgana sprinted in and started running along the wall, pulling on lamps, ripping books from bookcases, and tearing down paintings, causing a massive ruckus.

“What are you doing?” Qing asked.

“Looking for the way out,” she said as she tipped a whole bookcase onto the floor to reveal a clean stone wall.

Knut came in, closed the door, and pushed a table in front.

“Taj?” Qing asked, tension rising in his chest.

The man shuffled across the room and ran a hand lovingly across the giant telescope. “She was such a happy child, you know. Devoted to science. A brilliant mind.”

“Yes, I’m sure she was,” Qing said. “But please, let us be away from here. Where is the exit?”

The man waved a hand towards a balcony. “There. Your only remaining way out.”

They all stared at him.

“What exactly do you mean?” Qing asked, stalking forwards. “Have you brought us here to suicide?”

That brought the man out of his trance, and he snapped back. “Of course not. You need to get over the palace fence, and this is the only place tall enough to do the job. And you need somewhere soft to land.” He waved at the sea.

Knut and Qing shared a glance.

“Do you both know how to swim?” Qing asked.

“Of course,” Knut said. “But flying…that is a skill I have yet to master.”

Morgana just nodded as she scowled at Taj.

“It is not far,” Taj said. “Land feet first, arms tucked, straight like a nail, and you’ll be fine. The water is deep. But…”

“But what?” Morgana asked, stalking closer.

“Once you hit the water, twist and break your descent into the depths.”

“Why?” She narrowed her eyes.

“After the last person jumped and survived, Wazir the Vizier ordered the installation of spikes in the water.”

“You want us to jump onto spikes? Have you lost your mind?”

“Now that you know they are there, you can avoid them. This route is your only hope. Even a fighter like you cannot defeat a thousand trained soldiers. And those are just the ones stationed beneath the palace.” The man tilted his head. “I think you better be going.”

A loud crack filled the room, and the door rattled.

“They are here,” Taj said. “And if I know anything, it is that they will surround the entire palace in a flash.”

“Gods damn it,” Qing said. “Let’s do it. Quick, give me your gear, all of you. No point jumping just for you to sink and drown.”

“Can’t believe we’re doing this,” Morgana said and handed over her whip.

For Qing, preparing was easy. He opened the inventory, unequipped the items, and there he stood, in his underwear for the first time in a week. The armour was so comfortable he slept in it, and when the equipment got dirty, he unequipped and reequipped them, and they were sparkling clean. The whole thing only took a few seconds. Morgana whistled, and he looked down.

“Oh…”

When did I get a six-pack?

He ran a hand along the hard ridges.

That feels weird.

He looked up and met Morgana’s eye as she shimmied out of her black leathers, and he felt his cheeks redden at the sight of her naked hips. He twisted away and accepted Knut’s items.

How is her belly so flat? And, whoa! No. Don’t look at her legs. Again.

Instead, he turned to Taj and said, “Hurry and give me your armour. I will hand it back on dry land.”

“I can’t come.”

“Of course, you—”

The sound of axe splintering wood filled the air, and Knut yelped.

Qing gripped Taj’s arms. “If your life is already forfeited here, there is no reason not to come!”

“I won’t make the jump,” the man said with a sigh. “It is too far to the sea for my old legs.”

Knut grunted as the door moved inward. “Hurry!” he called.

“If you let the killers get away, it’ll be your heads,” a rough voice said from the stairs.

“Killers?” Qing asked.

“Erh…” Morgana sucked air through her teeth. “I might have killed one.”

“I thought we said no killing!”

“He grabbed me!”

“They grabbed all of us,” Knut said, pushing at the table.

“Inappropriately.”

“Oh.”

The door splintered, and Knut ducked as a spear flashed through.

“Time to go,” Qing said. “I’ll carry you.”

“Carry me?” Taj said. “No Elrydisan is strong enough to make that jump while carrying someone else.”

“Good that I’m not from here, then,” Qing said and ripped the man’s armour over his head. Taj tried protesting, but stood no chance.

“When we hit the water, do we swim left or right?” Qing asked, holding the man by his arms.

“Erh…left?”

“Good enough,” Qing said and hoisted the man onto his shoulders, before he walked over and kicked the balcony door to splinters. Outside, no railing surrounded the platform, only a raised wall about a foot high.

Taj protested and kicked, but Qing held on firmly.

“Now, Knut!” He said, and the man turned and sprinted, bare feet slapping on the stone. Morgana beat him to it, screaming at the top of her voice as she lept into the darkness.

Knut followed, as Qing backed up three steps.

He took a deep breath, and powered forward. One, two, three, times his sandaled feet slapped the stone, and then he soared into the night, dimming his innate light.