Kate led Sebastian and Stephen through the hallway, down a staircase hidden behind a portrait of the king, and into a long dimly lit corridor. It smelled of damp stone. Stephen couldn’t understand what part of it wasn’t a dungeon, regardless of what Kate said.

Taking a left, the group passed several thick wooden doors with small barred windows. Stephen peeked inside one and found the room had a small desk, a wooden cot with a lumpy straw mattress, and a simple wooden stool. They reminded him of the study rooms in his school, except he could only wish they each had a bed, and the study rooms didn’t only lock from the outside.

Stephen heard Kate call out to him, her voice was sharp and whisper-quiet.

“C’mon Stephen, Augustina is in this one.”

The group was down here to retrieve the princess, Stephen recalled, but why wasn’t she guarded? It was hard to believe the king would leave her by herself. Didn’t she have her magic to escape?

The three crowded around the door. Kate knocked softly, “Augustina, it’s me.”

There was no reply. Kate glanced at Sebastian, then reached into her coat pocket and withdrew a long metal needle. Kate slid it into the lock and within a few seconds, there was a chink as the lock came undone.

“I’m coming in,” Kate quietly announced as she opened the door slowly. As Kate slipped inside, she gasped, “Augustina!”

The door swung open. Augustina was laying on her bed, feverish and unresponsive. Kate cradled her older sister in her arms, “Augustina, wake up! We have to get you out.”

Stephen stood very still. This was wrong, why was the princess sick? What was going on? Kate started to cry. Stephen had hardly ever seen her smile, he found it hard to accept she was being so expressive. It was like she’d exposed a part of herself.

Sebastian laid a hand on Augustina’s head and closed his eyes. His hand glowed faintly, like a dim lamp. After a moment, he pulled his hand away and spoke grimly,

“Her magic has been drained – almost entirely. She’ll live, but she’s barely holding on.”

“That bastard,” Kate spat through her sobs, “He really doesn’t care, does he?”

“Who’s he?” Stephen asked numbly, though he was sure he knew the answer.

“The King,” Sebastian replied quietly, “He cannot wield magic, but he has the power to drain it or obliterate it entirely. To make sure she couldn’t escape, the king drained his daughter’s powers to the point it nearly killed her.”

“That’s why,” Stephen swallowed a dry lump in his throat, at this rate, he was going to cry too, “there aren’t any guards.”

Another bellow from the giant shook the castle. It was close. In the distance, Stephen could make out the sounds of snapping wood and crashing buildings. The giant was probably annihilating the town by now.

“We must leave, I’ll-“ Sebastian started as he reached to pick up Augustina.

“I’ll hold her!” Kate roared protectively, she shoved Sebastian aside and tried to pick up her sister.

Sebastian said nothing. He turned away and looked out the room, checking for anyone who’d impede their mission. Kate fumbled, trying to wrap her arms around her sister’s shoulders and legs. She managed to lift her off the bed but could hardly keep her off the floor.

Stephen stepped in silently and wrapped Augustina’s arm around his neck, “You lift the other side.”

“I said I would do it,” Kate snapped, but she made no motion to stop him. Augustina was taller and heavier than Kate, there was no way Kate could carry her alone.

Stephen said nothing. He understood Kate enough to know she didn’t want his help. But at this rate, the group would never make it out before the giant came. Working together, Stephen and Kate followed Sebastian out into the hallway and away from where they came.

“There should be an exit nearby where the guards can leave. We’ll probably run into some there, brace yourselves. Focus on getting Augustina out, I’ll hold the guards off. We’ll meet at the cabin to the North.”

Without waiting for a reply, Sebastian turned a corner. There was a crash, the sound of a wood door breaking, and then Sebastian shouted, “Go now!”

Making sure he had a good hold on Augustina, Stephen pressed forward with Kate. The rounded the corner to see Sebastian fighting two hollow knights. He was surrounded by coils of rocky earth that twisted and sprang towards the knights. They deflected some with their swords, but their armor was pierced through as the coils of earth turned into spears.

That didn’t stop the knights, however. There was no flesh to pierce, no mortal mind contained within the helmet. Instead, the knights slashed through the earth, advancing towards Sebastian with murderous intent. At the moment, it didn’t matter if he was the court magician. He’d attacked the hollow knights – that made him an enemy.

Sebastian just grinned at their advance. With a flick of his wrist, the lodged rock spear still impaled in the knights’ armor exploded like a sea urchin and shattered the suit of armor. The remnants of the two knights clattered to the ground.

The group was just outside the Eastern part of the castle, in a little cranny near the inner wall. Kate and Stephen had followed Sebastian’s order and continued making their way to the Eastern gate. They could feel the giant’s footsteps getting closer, like the rolling thunder of an oncoming storm.

Sebastian caught up with the two and motioned to a section of the inner wall. Just as he did with his study, Sebastian waved his hands and a part of the wall spread open like enormous double doors. Ushering them through, Sebastian led the two downhill towards the town. A few hollow knights on the inner wall noticed the group’s escape. One of them clattered their fist against their chest, creating a mock bell.

When the group didn’t turn, the hollow knight pointed their arm at the group. Four of the knights copied the motion. Their gauntlets dropped like lids and inside their arms, a blue orb of magic formed. A few seconds later, the orbs fired from their arms like bullets.

The orbs exploded on the ground ahead of the group, forcing them to a halt.

“Damnit,” Sebastian cursed. They were so close to the outer wall. He’d counted on the knights firing, but not just yet.

Kate turned to Sebastian, “What do we do now? Those were warning shots, weren’t they?”

Sebastian nodded, he glanced at the knights who’d fired at them. Several more were joining forces, it’d only be a matter of moments before they fired another volley for real.

“Guess there’s no choice,” Sebastian pointed to the wall and a vein on his head throbbed with effort as the magician focused his powers. Another huge door opened within the stone wall, but it was already beginning to close.

“Go now!” Sebastian shouted as the hollow knights fired once more. Sebastian turned, lifting his hands and forming a wide shield of magic.

“Let’s go!” Kate started towards the wall, dragging Stephen behind as he tried to keep up while he supported Augustina.

“What about you, Sebastian?”

“Don’t worry about sweet old Sebastian, I’ll show these knights whose boss!”

“But they’ll kill you!”

Sebastian turned to Stephen with a wicked, rebellious grin, “Let them try!”

Stephen stumbled, almost dropping Augustina. Kate called out to him again. There was no time, Stephen realized. He’d have to trust the magician. He couldn’t imagine what the king would do to him, once he found out Sebastian had betrayed him.

The two rushed towards the wall, narrowly making it out the other side before the section closed. They were on the opposite side of the town from the giant, but he sounded as close as ever. The sounds of exploding magic and crashing stones echoed behind Kate and Stephen as they carried Augustina. A wide forest waited before them, promising sanctuary as they left Wandir behind.