A sword clattered to the arena floor. "One sword for the two of you." The captain said loud enough for us to hear. Neither of us moved for it. "Pick it up. Which ever of you is left standing, the Black General has ordered to keep alive." My eyes narrowed at that. What did he have planed for the rest of the Order? Still, neither Aodh or I moved. "If you refuse you will be executed." I bit my lip. Just what were we going to do this time? Suddenly there was a commotion up near the raised dais. Frowning, I looked over to see the general disappear out a back door. "This fight will reconvene tomorrow." The captain ordered and I sagged with relief.
Aodh rushed forward and grabbed my elbow to steady me. "Are you hurt?"
It felt so good to have his hand on me once more. "Just bruised up." I answered. Guards came and re-shackled us. For now, we posed no resistance. We were led to the dungeons, the hallways cold, damp, and dim. Along the way we passed Perce and Gaetano being led the opposite way, then Sultan and Beatrix as well. So they'd split us up into twos... They led Aodh and I to the same cell, to our luck. There was one cot, a pot to go in and a blanket. A grate in the ceiling let in the dying rays of the setting sun. There was a barred window in the door for the jailer to see what we were doing.
Aodh softly turned me toward him. "You're sure you're okay?" I nodded, smiling softly at the worry in his eyes, my heart swelling at the thought that he cared. "By the gods Drake." Aodh hugged me with trembling arms, burying his face into my neck. "I was so scared." I hugged him back firmly so he could feel me. I was fine. I was here. I had him. "I-I thought...you could have been....and there was nothing I could do..."
"Aodh." I breathed the word into his ear and felt him shiver in my arms. "I'm okay. It's okay." He didn't say any more, trembling in my arms like a leaf barely hanging onto its branch, ready to fall. I tightened my hold on him, as if that could keep him together. Finally I moved us to sit on the bed and Aodh leaned back, trying to gain composure. He tugged my vest off and swore. My stitches had ripped. They weren't bleeding badly though. I replaced my vest and he cupped my left cheek.
"You're starting to bruise."
I smiled. "I did pretty good, didn't I? Who knew I could take on a Silverback?"
Aodh's hand was shaking when he clutched at mine and tried to smile. "You were absolutely amazing Drake." He leaned over and kissed me, I kissed back and the kiss quickly deepened. We couldn't get enough of each other. Aodh was almost panicking, like if he stopped, I'd disappear. I let him carry on, his hands roving up my vest and unfastening it once more. He needed to feel me and I'd do anything for him at that moment. I didn't like seeing him pained. I wanted to comfort him. His supple hands roved my skin, drawing a moan from me. It felt so good.
My eyes fluttered shut as I felt his hands on me. "Griffon." I whispered. He answered me with another kiss. He was careful not to hurt my bolt wounds as he simply felt my abs, my sides, my chest and shoulders, just confirming I was indeed here and in one piece. He kissed my shoulder and over to my pec, then down my stomach, but stopped there, coming back up to give me a deep kiss on the lips. I slid my hands into his silky hair. "I'm okay Griffon, we're all okay. We'll get out of this." His icy eyes studied mine, looking for something he evidently found and he nodded, I felt his shaking slowly ebb and my heart soared. I had managed to say or do something right, something to calm and support him. It was a tight fit, but we lay on the cot, holding each other close.
"Have you ever seen that kind of magic before?" Aodh asked quietly.
I shook my head, stroking his back. "In all my travels, besides trick of hand, I've never seen any kind of real magic before...of course...we did just run into Dreameaters. And I had thought they were a myth as well." Aodh nodded into my chest, his mind obviously racing. I let him think, content just to hold him close. A terrible scream echoed throughout the corridors...a death thrall. Both of us tensed...and I thanked whatever god was up there that it was not one of the order.
Aodh hugged me tighter. "We're getting out of here."
I smiled, stroking his back again. "I know we will." My eyes met ones behind a black helm through the small grate in the ceiling and I jerked away from Aodh and up off the bed, glaring up at the general as he silently left. I looked over at Aodh's questioning eyes as he knelt on the cot. I jerked my head up toward the grate. "The general was being a peeping tom." Aodh frowned, then shivered. I shared his sentiment. That guy was creepy. I came back over to sit on the cot and Aodh snuggled up to me, I wrapped an arm around him as we waited and thought. A cobble in the wall started to shake, grabbing our attention.
The stone was removed and I saw tan skin and familiar brown eyes. "Hey, I knew I'd heard your voices."
"Mutt!" I exclaimed happily. "Are you and Fox fairing okay?"
"We are." I heard Perce's voice reply.
Aodh moved over to the opening in the wall. "Fox, any ideas?"
"I'm working on one. Hawk is better at this sort of thing then I am." Aodh smiled at that. "The jailer's coming." Perce suddenly said and Gaetano replaced the brick. Sure enough we could make out the jailer's grunting and heavy breathing as he slid two trays with food on it through a flap in the bottom of the door. At first I was surprised to see them filled with pretty good food, a stew over potatoes, two plums and a piece of bread, but then I realized they wanted to keep us fairly healthy to give them a good show in the arena. We ate in relative peace and curled back up on the cot when we were done to think. Our heads jerked up as the jailer opened our door, guards clustered behind him, eyeing us hungrily. My senses were abuzz with warning. I had a bad feeling about this visit.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICLi1JiTdr
"You." The jailer pointed at Aodh. "Pretty boy. Come with us." Frowning, Aodh went to stand up but I grabbed his arm and stood up instead.
"Why do you want him?"
"That's none of your concern Prisoner." The jailer sneered. I heard guards next door asking for Gaetano and my heart beat picked up to a frantic pace.
~No.~ "Do not let him go Fox!"
"What the hell? Shut up and behave if you know what's good for you." The jailer said, raising his short club in warning. Aodh attacked quickly, kicking the jailer back before grabbing the head of a guard and smashing it against the wall. I went to help him but he was already upon the remaining guard, Perce also fighting guards in the hallway, having obtained a sword. Aodh had kicked the feet out from under the guard and punched him unconscious.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglZdoQWrwp
"Griffon!" Gaetano said, tossing him then me a sword, before taking one himself, which Perce replaced with the short club, much to Gaetano's whining.
"We need to find Foxy and Robin." I said quickly. Perce and Aodh nodded and Aodh led the way down the hall.
"How did you know what they wanted?" Aodh asked me softly as I covered our rear and Perce kept Gaetano close.
"Recognized the atmosphere." I grumbled. A dangerous glint entered Aodh's eyes and his grip on his sword tightened. We periodically came across more guards but the four of us made quick work of them. I hated to admit it, but the little 10 year old was definitely the son of two swordmasters. He was seriously skilled for his age. A natural born prodigy. A shrill scream full of panic filled the corridors. And although it was high-pitched, I recognized it. Sultan. We picked up pace, searching what rooms we could find with keys we'd taken from the jailer and letting prisoners out. Finally we broke into a dim room with a fireplace. Sultan was tied to a table, exposed, cloths ripped open. Perce grabbed Gaetano right before he entered the room and waited outside. Sultan...wasn't a boy at all. He was a she. And had a guard between her legs, bent over kissing one breast while grasping the other. Though it looked like he hadn't gone further than that yet, thankfully. I slammed my blade into the man's side, causing him to choke and I kicked him away.
"Robin-" Aodh's cheeks tinted pink and he spun on his heels. I tossed my cloak on Sultan and cut her bindings. She seemed in shock, not able to stop crying. Aodh took his shirt off and held it behind him, which I grabbed and slowly helped Sultan into it.
"Sultan." I whispered, slowly cupping her face and making her look at me as she hiccuped and heaved, crying heavily but not loudly, just gasps for breath in between. "You're okay now."
She shook her head. "Now I can't work for Milord."
Aodh turned and scooped her up into his arms wrapped in my cloak. "Of course you can you silly girl." He whispered and kissed her forehead. "You know I wouldn't have turned you away." She sniffled and nestled her head against his shoulder. I felt a sudden pang of jealousy which I quickly brushed away and smiled at the fact I was actually jealous for once.
"But it would have caused trouble." Sultan said in a small voice.
Aodh nodded grimly. "But change needs to start somewhere to bring about a future. We'll talk more about this later. Robin. Do you know where they took Foxy?"
"The Black General wanted to see her." I frowned at that, meeting Perce's gaze as he looked in from the hallway. His green eyes were scared, though his demeanor gave away nothing but calmness.
"We'll find her." I told him to try and reassure him. He nodded and his gaze slipped away. There was nothing I could say to lessen his fear. Alarm bells rang out and we tried to travel more quickly. I stayed close to Aodh and Sultan this time. Perce cover our rear, keeping Gaetano in between us. We ran into more guards now that everyone was awake, but we had also freed enough prisoners to keep many at bay. Aodh led us from the coliseum and to the keep itself. We entered the antechamber where we had first met the Black General... The mercenary from before suddenly rose from the pond and attacked . Gritting my teeth, I jumped in before Aodh and Sultan, parrying his mighty strike. ~Shit, this guy is good.~ Without any emotion, the mercenary leaped back, standing in our way calmly.
"I'll take him on." Perce said in a dangerous tone, his eyes glinting. This guy was standing in the famed ex spy master's way of getting to his wife when she was in danger. I sure as hell didn't want to be him. Perce grasped the sheathed sword by his left hip, readying his right hand over the hilt and the mercenary raised his sword straight up, form perfect and waiting. Perce dashed for him and the mercenary swung, meeting Perce's fast draw. The mercenary turned and countered, Perce dodged and swung as the mercenary also dodged and swung. The dance proceeded. Swing, dodge, swing, parry. And as the mercenary blocked Perce's sword, Perce swung the sheath, smashing into the mercenary's armored stomach, but it was enough to wind him and Perce followed up with a blow to the head with his hilt. We didn't pause, Perce led us onward and we continued our search for Beatrix. Gaetano and Aodh carrying Sultan in the middle and I guarding our backs. We burst into a church-like room, stained glass floor to tall ceiling windows along the hall and a raised dais with a long table at the end littered with our weapons and helms. Beatrix stood before the table with her sword in hand and helm on, the Black General before her, gauntlets off to show the rotting hands and arms underneath, bathed in a reddish-black glow of magic... ~Rotting skin...is it possible...a dreameater?~ Perce dashed ahead to stand in between the abomination and his wife. I stayed behind with the others. "You've been ducking out souls to extend your pitiful life, haven't you?" Perce demanded.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrfKhBnLtb
"Fox! Everyone!" Beatrix was obviously relieved to see us.
"Go." Perce told her.
Beatrix scowled and stepped beside him, readying her blade. "No." She said stubbornly. The Black General stepped closer and they attacked. Beatrix slashed his side between the armor and Perce cleaved in his helmet...the General wasn't even phased.
"This is what you really are. Nothing but a Dreameater." The General shot out a stream of reddish-black power which Perce was able to block with his sword. Beatrix attacked but had to dodge another stream of magic. She drew most of his attention, dodging power strikes. Baruch tried to corner Beatrix with streams of power but she was still able to nimbly flip away. The General sent another shot of power at her which she blocked with her sword. Perce swiped his sword at a crystal statue, sending shards flying at the dreameater, distracting him. Perce wrapped his sword in a stripe off the drapes and started it on fire.
"No, wait, don't!" The undead being pleaded. Perce threw his sword like a spear, slamming it into the General and he exploded to nothingness just like all the other Dreameaters we've come across. The explosion was so big it blew through the wall, letting in the rising sunlight of dawn.
"Long live fire." I smirked, Aodh smiled, also relieved. Fire swept up the double wooden doors leading to the place and we turned to stare.
"The prisoners must be starting fires." Aodh said. Still holding Sultan, he walked to the opening in the wall and looked out, then nodded. "Alright guys, this is our way out."
"You've got to be kidding." Beatrix said, starting to come over.
"It's not that long of a fall and the moat is deep." Aodh encouraged and smiled reassuringly. Sultan nodded and rested a hand on Aodh's shoulder to set her down, he did. "Alright guys, ready?" The others collectively resigned themselves and gathered their weapons and helms once more. Aodh led the leap down into the water below. Perce grabbed Gaetano up on his back and went next. Then Beatrix, Sultan, and finally, I too leapt, my stomach shooting up to my throat at the weightless feeling, then the water was engulfing me like an embrace, slowing my fall until I stopped and was able to swim to the surface, then started swimming over to the others gathered on the shore.336Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSTC51NPdL
