The Broken Ones

Chapter 13:3 -The escape

When Soi got up the next morning his head ached due to too little sleep and one too many drinks. He couldn’t grip that Ana hadn’t listened to him or that she’s gone off at him. After Ana had left Soi felt unusually hurt. He tried to dull the ache with some drinks before he returned to his room and locked himself up for the night. But his thoughts wouldn’t go away, they kept spinning around in his foggy mind and it took awhile before he drifted into sleep. As he woke up he decided to find Ana and straight a few things out. He went to the garden but it was empty so he went to the dining room where the breakfast table was still set and Nibbles sat at the one end of the long table and ate some toast with marmalade.
-Morning Soi, Nibbles raised his cup with tea in a welcome gesture.
Soi nodded in response.
-Have you seen Ana? He asked.
-Yes. Nibbles took a sip from the cup.
-Where is she then?
-On her way to Beroal.
-What!? Why wasn’t I woken?
-Am I your butler or something? Besides it’s my job to keep you.
-What?
-I was even allowed to use magic if I had to…
Soi turned around and marched out into the hallway but by the front door his journey ended as he was lifted into the air. He was turned around to face Nibbles leaning against the door frame.
-…and I think I have to, Nibbles finished his sentence.
-I don’t believe you, this is some sort of trick. Where’s Ana? Did you kill her? Soi shouted at Nibbles.
-I’m honored that you actually think I could kill her. Now listen to me…
-You have the flute!
-Darling Soi, I never thought you were this stupid. The flute, whether or not it’s real, was only a distraction. A poorly one, if you ask me, but that’s partly my fault. Hm… we better take this conversation in the garden.
-What conversation, you’re keeping me captive! Soi yelled.
Nibbles grinned.
-Id let you go, it’s just that I don’t think you’ll follow me.
Nibbles walked towards the garden through all the rooms and Soi hang stuck in the air floating after Nibbles. At one time Nibbles looked at Soi over his shoulder.
-How does it feel to fly? Is it comfortable for you?
-It’s not as exalting as the first two times, Soi muttered and thought back at the time he and Jagger hung in the air up in the mountains.
-Oh, you’ve done this before.
-Against my will, yes.
-Ana?
Soi nodded.
-You know, I taught her that trick, it’s quite handy, don’t you think?
-Indeed, Soi agreed bitterly.
They entered the garden and the birdsong surrounded them. Nibbles choose the path which led to the pond.
-As I said before, the flute was a distraction and it worked poorly, partly because of me. I was supposed to reveal much earlier that it was in my possession but I didn’t feel like it. I don’t think I would have said anything at all if it wasn’t for you peeking around in my room. Ana had all right to be angry with you, you only created unnecessary distress. She was never concerned about the flute in the first place, not much at least. The only one who was distracted by the flute was you and you’re only a guard. You really should have listened to Ana.
Nibbles sat down on the bench facing the pond and crossed his legs to sit more comfortable. He let Soi continue to waver in the air.
-Now I’m going to tell you how I got a hold of the flute.
Soi looked surprised at Nibbles.
-But you swore an oath.
-So I did. But there’s a little flaw in that oath, it only applies to brokens. It’s a bit funny actually. I can’t tell neither Ana nor Ard, as they are brokens, but non-brokens or people of no importance, in other words you I can tell whatever I want to about the oath. It’s a loophole. Remember how Ana couldn’t tell Ard about her work for the Academy because of the oath?
Soi nodded and Nibbles continued.
-Well didn’t she tell all about it to you the next day?
-How did you…
-I’m a mind reader, Nibbles rolled his one eye dramatically then he smiled. -And Ana told me. She’d forgotten she was under oath and spilled out her heart to you and when she realised she wasn’t supposed to be able to tell you any of those things but still could she confided in me.
-You mean, Ana didn’t know there was a loophole?
-Nope. I, of course, knew as I am not restricted by the Academy the way she is, I’ve found out a few things over the years about the world of the brokens. Now, back to my story of how I got the flute.
-Did you get it in Sofara, from the Black Eye?
-I was not the one to pick it up in Sofara. That was Ciron.
-Ciron, Soi repeated confused. –But he works for the Academy…
-Yes, isn’t this fun, it’s so complicated and twisted. Yes, Ciron works for the Academy, but he would do anything that would work against Ana. He’s a bit like me, except I do it for fun and he does it for revenge. Anyhow I got the flute in that small village we met in.
Soi remembered their first meeting and how Nibbles abruptly had left as if someone had called on him.
-I met up with Ciron and he gave me my instructions and left. I thought, as I always do, that it would be fun to watch Ana be all confused and annoyed by the flute as I can read her mind, but she wasn’t even thinking about the flute to my great disappointment, so I forgot about it. Until they reminded me of my part of the contract.
-Who? Who reminded you?
-I don’t know who. They sent a dreamer to inform me through my dreams of what I was supposed to do and what would happen if I didn’t keep my promise.
-How could they know?
-I have my suspicions. I left the group, as you know, by the lake and went to Mack’s village to spread rumours. Then I travelled around the mountains and met up with you again. While in that small town, I decided that I didn’t want to carry around that big box when we crossed the plains so I arranged for separate transport of the flute and it arrived yesterday.
-Are you done with your little fairytale now?
-Yes.
-Where’s Ana?
-As I said, on her way to Beroal. Which reminds me, I’m not done. Now I’ll tell you about…
-I don’t want to hear more. I need to get to Ana.
-Just as this was getting exciting. I know you overheard parts of Ana’s and mine conversation yesterday, but you didn’t hear all of it. Ana told me to protect you, and in extension keeping you away from Beroal.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick