đź“– Chronicles of the Watchers
Chapter 26: Ash and Chains
The Red Hands moved like smoke through Kaelith's forgotten tunnels, torches smothered, blades blackened. Liora kept her hand on her sword, her eyes flicking to Selene. Neither spoke—their silence matched the rebels'.
At last they reached an iron grate. Beyond it, firelight glowed. A Dominion caravan rattled along the cobbled street above—wagons stacked with chains, manacles, and sealed crates. Slaves marched beside them, beaten and bent.
The Red Hand leader, his scarf dark with old blood, raised two fingers. "Tonight, their chains break. Tonight, fire speaks louder than sermons."
The rebels poured oil into clay pots, sealing them with wax. Fire-oil. Weapons for burning.
Selene's eyes narrowed. She leaned to Liora. "They're going to torch the wagons. Slaves and all."
Liora's stomach dropped. "We can't—"
But the leader caught her words. His gaze was a blade. "Freedom costs blood. The Dominion feeds on chains; we starve them only with fire. Those who burn tonight… would have died in cages tomorrow."
The Red Hands moved to strike. Liora's pulse hammered. She could not let innocents burn.
She grabbed Selene's wrist. "We cut the slaves loose before the fire spreads."
Selene smirked faintly, though her eyes were sharp. "Always the reckless one."
The ambush began. The Red Hands hurled their pots—explosions of fire engulfed the wagons, soldiers screaming. Chaos erupted in the street.
Liora and Selene leapt into the blaze. Blades flashed, cutting chains, pulling captives free. The freed slaves stumbled, terrified, unsure whether to run or bow.
The leader of the Red Hands appeared through the smoke, furious. "You defy the fire!"
Liora's sword gleamed in the inferno. "I fight for freedom, not ashes."
For a heartbeat, they stared each other down—rebel against rebel, ally against ally. But then the Dominion reinforcements poured into the street, their golden masks shining in the flames.
The Red Hands roared and surged forward. Liora and Selene had no choice but to fight beside them, even as the fire ate everything around them.
When the smoke cleared, the Dominion wagons were ash, their soldiers dead. The slaves—those who survived—scattered into the night.
The Red Hands stood triumphant. But Liora's heart ached. She saw freedom in the ashes, yes—but also the bones of innocents.
Selene's voice came low beside her. "This is war, Liora. There are no clean victories."
But Liora whispered back, her gaze hard. "Then I'll carve one myself."
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⚡ End of Chapter 26.