TRUE HEIRS

through tough tired flesh... Carta Hill, the one place everyone dreaded, where traitors were secretly sent to face judgement, where no man dared to escape, where for the rest of their lives, c

d one knight; the vice warden came to take account, marching slowly around them and observing each man with a torch clutched in his lef

guards before the cage, and they were to keep watch throughout the night. The three new convicts secluded themselves in the corner and one of them, old and unable to carry the weight of his own eyelids, fell asleep instantly. The second one, a man possibly in his twenties, looked sheepishly at the last for a moment, spat out some dust that had managed to get into his mouth and laughed, or rather giggled, as it was so silent that only the third heard it. The third convict did not mind, and yet it seemed paying no heed to the man made him laugh even more. He stood up after a long laugh and walked in clo

hope you're ready,' he said and still the other

h broken-hearted or sick. Just as the man had suspected, he... was a she, and she was in Carta, which was meant to be a place for men to reform or disappear. The guards, the knights, they all had probably already noticed her gender and

He asked her and she shrugg

eplied in a very feminine voice, it was a g

' he said and she turned to face anoth

re in the first place,' he said and she re

e anyway,' she said and he leaned back again, notici

. I'm getting out of here,

scape from Carta Hill,' she said

wood. It clanked and the chains opened and dropped to the ground. He stretched his feet to bask in his new found freedom then started to pick the locks around his hands as well. She

is asleep,' he said as he began to shift away

d. 'Take me with yo

me away, and you're going to slow

you when we get out of here,' she

e guards then,' she warned and

with how dainty you look, half the men in here will try t

t me out of here I'll pay you. Ho

or a thousand zenins I mi

nly if you get me o

this place for years, I never thought I'd actually end

guards were attentive, but they faced away from the cage. He grabbed the first one by the mouth and stealthily stabbed his throat with the piece of wood, then pulling out the guard's sword he

ld him she wanted the men free, so they may a

all the way uphill. Suddenly the bells began ringing and there came an uproar from within the camp. It seemed the guards had noticed the escape attempt and had started to

y were tired, and behind their unit was a deep, seemingly dry gorge without a bridge. There was no way to cross from there and this was the reason why nobody had been able to escape from the north of Carta Hill. They were upwind and the bell tolls couldn't reach this unit of knights. This was the only night they could escape from thi

' he said and she shook he

us, there's nothing down there bu

ry year this gorge is filled halfway with water, and if I'm correct we are

go then,'

anyway, what's dying a few hours

ng to die!?'

. Trust me you

ng?' A guard asked from a few meters behind them, he had woken

sword and asked

ou. Step away from that gorge,

force you to come but God knows I tried,

toppled her from the top of the gorge. He had hesitated to stab her, he was forced not to when he saw her face in the light of his torch and noticed she was

the others just as the guards f

when he was told about it. He was the warden of Carta Hill and this was the fir

a way for them to escape whenever they wanted!'

leaded so he would not face punishment, he also added t

and this harsh environment? Why do you think only men were convicted here? This is

hould've known better,' the guard said again and handed

this?' Ja

clothes. I'm sorry I couldn't stop th

warden's tent just as another entered. He was a thick tall man with a thick straight beard.

o send for you,' the warden said

own life and you know it. That girl should not be allowed to escape no matter what,' the warden said and Demascas left im