Once the herd of freed captives had all taken pills and begun to show life in their steps, the exodus up the stairs started. 5 of the assassins slowly crept up the stairs, saw that all was clear, and opened the doors. The 4 archers waiting in the shadows outside the doors stepped up and aided in the shepherding of captives outside. As the first slaves reached the top of the stairs and ran towards freedom, a sleepy soldier appeared down the hallway. He looked around groggily and opened his eyes wide at what he was seeing. Before he could cry out, two archers feathered him with arrows. He slumped to the floor in silence as thousands streamed out the doors.
This castle and indeed the walls around the city were constructed of granite stones and blocks. The walls had been built hundreds of years ago and were stained and weathered, crumbling in places. The rocks had been taken from a nearby quarry, and some 300 slaves who worked there even now were being freed at the moment by another separate team. The gate through which the slaves were fleeing was not the main gate. It was all the way around on the other side of the castle. It was large enough for wagons to enter and had outer and inner doors. Soldiers used this gate to come and go as they performed their duties. Just outside was a courtyard used to train and stage men for other activities. It was built into a curve in the walls and was large enough to accommodate 1000 men for training. Into this alcove, 7000-plus captives were being led. Caelan was directing traffic in this mass of captives. He would point to one of two groups huddling, preparing for something about to happen.
Five more castle soldiers were coming down to the prison for a shift change, and the archers and assassins killed them in short order. As the last 1000 captives were making their way out the doors, a group of ten soldiers started running down the hall towards the fleeing people. They drew swords and attacked the assassins, one of whom fell to a shoulder wound. The small group of archers and remaining assassins killed them. Still, the clash of steel had warned other soldiers that something was amiss, and alarm was spreading in the castle as the last of the freed slaves exited the building. The fighters hustled outside to help the wounded assassin. As they cleared the doors, they were slammed shut, and two thick slabs of wood were wedged against them to lock them from the outside.
As the last captives huddled in the alcove, the flagman signaled to the hilltop that the prisoners were freed, and then to the small group below that it was time. The assassin on the wall scrambled down from his fake watch rounds, and 10 assassins brought 6 casks of thunder powder to select places along a section of the outer wall. The stonekin had studied the wall and pointed out the spots. "Granite," one of them had said under his breath, and the 9 others nodded merrily at the inside joke. The wicks were lit in unison, and both groups outside dove into protection meters away.
The combined explosion lit the night and shook the castle and the town. There was no secrecy anymore; everyone knew something was going on. A fountain of shattered rock went airborne and began raining down, most of it hitting the town and port below. The wall, or what was left of it, now had a jagged 10-yard-wide slice out of it, and the stone and the fill were just gone. One of the stonekin held out his hand cupped up, his gnarled and calloused fingers wiggling slightly. "Granite....rain," he said and let out a genuine belly laugh. The others burst into laughter as they ran to deal with the inner wall, which was still standing. The assassins, shocked by what had just happened, ran to place the last two casks on the inner wall. But two stonekin waved them off and aimed two well-placed blows against the lower part of the inner wall. They jumped down after the blows landed, and the group of stonekin stood back and watched. Cracks formed in the shape of a V going up the inner wall, and that section of wall teetered for a moment between standing and collapse. One of the stonekin blew in its direction and bent over in laughter, saying, "Granite...." The inner wall fell outward, forming rough, waist-high stair steps to the ground.
Everything started happening at once. Caelan gave the stand-up motion with his hands, and the captives rose in unison. The flagman ran back into position on the wall above them when the inner wall fell. He signaled to Caelan to send the groups on their way. Caelan started to follow the wall breach group, but a former Amanian ship captain waved him off and pointed toward the suddenly fleeing treekin group. Caelan nodded in understanding and silently wished that captain luck by slapping a fist in his other palm.
Their ears were ringing, and several had flesh wounds from falling rock, but the laughter outside the walls gave them hope, and they began running in the direction Caelan was leading them, to freedom. This operation was now fully underway; there was no turning back.