Outplayed

Sir Koelhar ran beside the still wheezing Sir Roganoff on the battlements on the the entrance of the Southern Dungeon with a few more Knights from the Duke's personal guards.

The dimly lit underground chamber plastered with mossy stone brick flooring and moldy ceiling reminded Koelhar of the lack of maintenance from the administration.

The chamber was a little more than 20 feet long and 7 feet wide which was meant to funnel out prisoners in case of a breakout. The 17 feet high walls led to the battlements where two lines of soldiers standing side to side were armed with primed crossbows pointed at the dungeon doorway.

An iron gate shaped like a portcullis stood firm in place at the opposite side of the Dungeon entrance with a line of spear men ready to stab the enemy in a front phalanx formation.

All in all the prisoners were surrounded with nowhere to hide and nowhere to escape from.

Still, Sir Koelhar could not supress the eerie feeling in his chest.

"Something is wrong here..." Sir Koelhar mumbled. "They should have already tried to break through this area."

"The prisoners have probably figured out that we will be waiting for them in here." Sir Ulfman grumbled.

"That's natural." Sir Roganoff had finally calmed his breath. "This is the only entrance and exit to the Southern Dungeon."

"They must be taking their time preparing." Sir Rodwell chuckled behind them. "However, the more time they take, the more reinforcements we will have amassed."

"True, but still..." Koelhar sighed. "I feel like we missed something..."

"Even if we did, half of the entire troop of Dwenson Stronghold are headed here." Sir Ulfman laughed.

"Doesn't that mean that only the walls and the Keep are being guarded?" Sir Roganoff asked.

"Yes, though a few guards were left in the other dungeons." Sir Ulfman replied.

"There is no way that a thousand prisoners would be able to break through a heavily fortified position with more than nine hundred armed guards and forty knights." Sir Rodwell laughed. "I cannot imagine those dumb peasants to come up with a good plan."

"I do believe you Sir Rodwell but I cannot shake the feeling that we may have missed something important..." Koelhar scratched his chin.

"Oh do not be such a worrywart, Sir Koelhar." Sir Ulfman pat him in the back. "It's bad for morale."

Sir Koelhar sighed.

He still cannot shake the feeling of doubt on his chest.

Koelhar decided to change the topic.

"The guard that notified you of the breakout this early should be promoted." Sir Koelhar spoke to Sir Roganoff. "How was he?"

"He was badly injured and exhausted, Sir." Sir Roganoff replied. "He was covered in bruises and was in complete disarray. He said he closed the gate at the dungeon hall but the prisoners managed to reach him and nearly maul him to death."

"Did he mention how the prisoners broke out?" Sir Rodwell asked.

"No sir, I left as soon as I can and rung the alarm bells." The Warden has spoke in dejected voice.

"Good job Sir!" Sir Ulfman gave Sir Roganoff a pat in the back.

"What was the name of the guard?" Koelhar asked.

"Forgive me, Sir. I'm afraid that I do not know all of the guards working under me." Sir Roganoff sighed.

"That is fine." Sir Koelhar waved his hand. "Why don't you investigate now?"

"Yes, Sir!" Sir Roganoff saluted and went off.

"He's doing pretty good for a new knight." Sir Ulfman laughed. "When I was his age I nearly pissed myself when a Flying Quiffle landed on my head."

"Those fluffly balls with wings scared you, the legendary Sir Ulfman that pushed back a goblin invasion alone?" Sir Rodwell had a look of disbelief on his face.

"Funny how that happens huh?" Sir Ulfman laughed again.

Sir Koelhar chuckled at the Knight making a fool of himself but never shifted his eyes from the dungeon's doorway.

A few moments later there was a flicker of movement from inside the dungeon.

"Prepare for battle!" Koelhar raised his voice.

All the guards shifted their stances and sharpened their gaze at the doorway.

"Is there any movement?" Sir Rodwell asked.

"There was, but I'm afraid it is too dark down there to be certain." Sir Koelhar said.

Just as he finished speaking, a lone figure appeared from the dephs of the dungeon.

"HALT!" Sir Ulfman boomed at the lone figure. "IDENTFY YOURSELF!"

The figure gradually came to light as a man of ample age with sunken cheeks, covered in tattered clothes holding an iron spear.

"I am Rodric of Redwyn!" The man raised his voice. "I have come to negotiate for our freedom!"

The entire hall erupted in mocking laughter.

"Pfff. This peasant is funny." Sir Ulfman had barely contained his laughter.

"What a sight." Sir Rodwell chuckled.

However, Sir Koelhar was not amused.

'What kind of idiot could make a peasant do this?' He thought.

'Peasants are dumb but they are not so stupid, just who managed to make this peasant walk to his death?'

"What position do you have to make demands?!" Sir Koelhar asked in a loud voice.

"Good Sirs, I am here to reduce bloodshed between parties!" The man cried out. "We would like to avoid as much casualties as possible, for there had been far too many deaths in this campaign of yours already!"

The hall erupted in more jeering and laughter.

"This peasant is ridiculous." Sir Rodwell sighed.

"If there had been many deaths already, then what's one more to add?!" Sir Koelhar replied. "Your head is but a single pebble in the mountain! You cannot bring any change, peasant! The will of the Sun God is absolute!"

"Glory to the Sun God!"

"Glory to the Sun God!"

"Burn the Heretics in Holy Fire!"

"Burn them! Burn them to ashes!"

"Kill those Heretics!"

"Burn!"

"Burn!"

All the other guards agreed to him, a series of cheers erupted from the battlements.

"You will regret what you said, Sir Knight." The man left and turned back to the dungeon.

The crossbowmen did not have a chance to shoot the man since they were in a frenzy of mocking the said man.

It took a few minutes before the men have calmed down and Sir Roganoff had come back to report.

"Sir, I have managed to catch the name of the guard that informed us of the prison break." Sir Roganoff put his right fist in front of his left shoulder in a salute.

"Oh, and what may his name be?" Sir Rodwell asked.

"Sir, his name is-"

"SIR!" A knight broke through the room in cold sweat.

"THE OTHER THREE DUNGEONS HAVE BEEN LOST TO THE PRISONERS!"

The temperature of the room immediately dropped.

"WHAT?!" Sir Ulfman was the first to react. "What do you mean by that?! Answer us, Sir Gunther!"

"There was a prison break, Sir!" Sir Gunther breathe deeply. "The prisoners have taken foothold in the battlements and broke through the defensive line!"

"How could this-"

"They have siezed the barracks and have armed themselves in the armory!" Sir Gunther was not done with his report. "They have not only taken up most of the fortifications but have also siezed all control to the gate towers."

"The CIty is on lockdown! Sir!" Sir Gunther said as he finished his report.

Koelhar could not help but be shocked, angry, confused and irritated.

'How could there be a prison break on all of the four dungeons?!' Koelhar thought.

There were 4,573 locked up 'Volunteers' while there had been 1,500 or so prisoners that were imprisoned long before already.

The army of Dwenson Stronghold had not been ordered to gather since the Duke has yet to personally join the war and thus his army of 14 legions had been scattered all over the Dukedom with only two legions remaining in the Stronghold. This meant that there were only two thousand soldiers in Dwenson, which, if compared to the cumulative numbers of armed prisoners in this organized riot of more than 6,000, the soldiers of Dwenson stronghold were outnumbered by 3 to 1.

"Even if they all somehow got lucky and escaped their cells, just how did they break through the defensive line that easy?!" Sir Rodwell seethed. "This does not make sense!"

Sir Koelhar also wondered the same thing but suddenly remembered their conversation a while back.

[They must be taking their time preparing. However, the more time they take, the more reinforcements we will have amassed.]

[True, but still... I feel like we missed something...]

[Even if we did, half of the entire troop of Dwenson Stronghold are headed here.]

[Doesn't that mean that only the walls and the Keep are being guarded?]

[Yes, though a few guards were left in the other dungeons.]

Koelhar's blood turned cold. Sir Ulfman's words continued echoing in his mind.

'Yes, though a few guards were left in the other dungeons.'

'Doesn't that mean that only the walls and the Keep are being guarded?'

'A few guards were left in the other dungeons. Only the walls and the Keep are being guarded.'

Koelhar felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Sir Roganoff..." Koelhar swallowed his anxiety. "What was the name of the guard that informed you?"

Sir Roganoff gave Sir Koelhar a confused look but answered nonetheless.

"I believe he was called Leonin of Redwyn, Sir."

"..."

Silence prevaded the room as the mention of a familiar name was brought to them.

Everyone's face paled with the exception of Sir Gunther and Sir Roganoff.

They realized how stupid they were.

"Sir Leonin of Redwyn is a former knight of his Lordship..." Koelhar rubbed his face. "He protected the citizens during the conscription four days ago and was sent to the dungeons..."

Sir Roganoff's face paled upon the realization.

It wasn't a simple riot anymore. This had all been planned and organized all along.

They all did not want to admit it, neither did Koelhar.

But one cannot simply change the facts.

Koelhar turned to look at the other Knights.

"Gentlemen. I believe we have been outplayed."