Prisoner

Eshi sat quietly in the muted lantern light, using chalk to draw fanciful images on the floor. Memories of things she used to know. Were they real? Or just dreams? She would need to ask for more chalk soon. She was all out of blue and pink, her two favorites. Well, she also really liked yellow. And purple. And green was very nice.

What was that sound? She stood, cocking her head to the side to listen. That was not the sound of someone coming. That was the sound of someones coming. This was not something that usually happened. What could it mean?

Voices. Muffled, then clear enough to understand.

“I see it! A cell!” A female voice, not familiar.

“That must be where she is.” An unfamiliar male.

Why were these strangers looking for her? Was she in danger? Should she try to scream for Furl? No, he didn’t live here. He wouldn’t hear her.

“Um, how are we supposed to get inside?” another male said, sounding nervous. “I doubt blasting the door inward would be a good option this time.”

Wait…this time? When would that ever have been a good idea?

“Mother! Are you in there?”

Mother? Eshi was confused about a lot of her past before coming to live in this room, but she was quite certain she wasn’t a mother. Should she respond?

“What if she’s not in there? What if they’re torturing her right now?” That was the first male.

“Don’t even say that!” hissed the girl. “She’s in there. She has to be.”

Eshi squirmed a little, wringing her hands. She hated to be the source of disappointment, but…

“I think you have the wrong place,” she called out.

A moment of silence. Then everyone started shouting at once.

***

“That’s a kid’s voice!”

“What in the Flames is going on here?”

“Since when do we imprison children?”

“I thought you said the Highness would be here!”

“I’m still stuck on child imprisonment.”

“Everyone, we need to focus.”

“Will you all shut up so I can think?”

They all spoke in a blurring overlap, each speaking more for their own sake than because they expected any response.

Joree stalked towards the cell even as he added his own opinions into the mix, a slow, burning anger in his stomach.

The Highness was hiding a child in her secret dungeon. A little girl. He knew that had come down here to rescue Arellia, but, well, she could burn in the Flames for all Joree cared at this point. He only cared about getting this door open.

Someone stepped up beside him. It was Lanae. She was stoic as usual, but somehow…harder. A slight narrowing of the eyes, a tightness in her stance and jaw. She placed a hand on Joree’s shoulder without looking at him, then stepped past him. He watched with curiosity, and a tiny bit of trepidation, as she examined the lock. She started to fiddle with it. In the dim lighting, he thought he saw something small pinched between her forefinger and thumb, but he couldn’t be certain. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to pick the lock.

Why would a Delani need to know how to pick locks? He couldn’t help wondering, frowning slightly. The mystery that was Lanae only seemed to grow more confusing the more time he spent near her.

She stepped back after a few moments, arms folded, staring at the lock. Apparently, she hadn’t been able to get it open.

She held her hand over the lock and closed her eyes. Everyone stopped talking as the air grew cold around them. Joree saw the lock start to glow with heat before slowly melting to a puddle on the ground.

Lanae stumbled back, one arm going across her chest as if she were having a heart attack. Well, if Delani even had hearts in the same place as humans. Joree reached out to steady her, and she slumped into him, eyes shut. Joree slowly lowered her to the ground as Jistan rushed over and crouched beside her, looking very concerned. Joree took the chance to examine the door. Now that the lock was removed, he could slide the deadbolt. He did so, careful not to touch the super-heated part where the lock had been connected, then pulled. The door resisted at first, as if it hadn’t moved in a very long time. With a groaning, protesting creak of grinding hinges, it finally started to swing open.

A young girl stood inside, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. She had gorgeous hair that reminded Joree of a sunset. It fell in messy waves over her shoulders and past her waist. She was petite, probably only eleven or twelve years old. And she seemed caught somewhere between curious and terrified.

Narissa came to the rescue, gently pushing Joree aside and crouching before the child. “Hello,” she said, smiling. “What are you doing all alone in the dark?” Her tone was almost teasing.

The child started to tremble. “I-I didn’t mean it-I mean, I thought I was supposed to stay here-”

“Hey, you’re not in trouble,” Narissa quickly interjected. “Who told you to stay here?”

“A lot of people. First the big man with the purple eyes and the big sword. Then the one with a soft voice and loud footsteps. I never saw him. And now a bunch. Furl, Horu, Gorsh, Mayshi, and the lady with cold words.”

Well, apparently her lack of eloquence was wearing off quickly. She seemed to be quite loquacious once she got started.

“Did they say why?” Joree asked.

The child looked a little confused, scrunching up her face in consternation. “Why?” she repeated.

“Have you seen or heard anyone else come down here?” Aniah interjected, pushing past Joree impatiently.

The child hunched her shoulders and shrunk back. “I-I-not today. Nobody brought me my food yet even.”

“Lay off,” Joree muttered under his breath, elbowing Aniah softly. She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists like she was about to punch him.

“Any other ideas?” Jistan asked through the door.

“We’ll just have to backtrack and see if we can find other passageways,” Aniah said with obvious frustration. They had spent a good long while navigating complex corridors that led to numerous dead ends before finally discovering this cell.

“What is she isn’t even down here?” Narissa asked.

“It was too well guarded,” Jistan pointed out. “Those men weren’t just hanging around in a secret underground chamber for nothing.”

“Could it have something to do with this girl?” Narissa asked. “Maybe she is the enemy’s prisoner.”

“No,” Joree said, not trying to conceal the bitterness in his tone. “Furl, Gorsh, those are both names of Fiedons. I don’t know the other ones, but I’d be willing to guess that the lady with the cold voice is Arellia.”

Silence fell over them as they considered the implications of this.

Joree made a decision. “Mom, take the girl and get her out of here. Hide somewhere. The rest of us will try to find Arellia.” He didn’t care for the Highness, but she was probably their best chance of saving Ranteel. Plus, he had some questions for her. It would be a shame if she died before he could ask.

Narissa stood and grasped his hand in both of hers. “You should come with me. You can barely walk.”

He shook his head, letting a small grin come onto his face. “Nah. These kids wouldn’t stand a chance without me.”

“Oh, please,” Aniah began, at the same moment Jistan said, “Fair enough.”

Narissa squeezed his hand. “Just…try not to die?”

Joree forced out a laugh. “Right. You too.” He looked at the little girl. “You’ll take care of my mom for me, won’t you?”

The child cocked her head to the side. “I…yes?”

“Good.”

“This is all very sweet,” Aniah snapped. “Now can we go? Before they kill my mother?” She stormed out of the room, bumping Jistan as she passed.

“She’s right,” Jistan said, looking at Joree with a very grave expression. “We’d better save the Highness. Because I don’t think Manicot could handle that,” he thumbed over his shoulder at the angry young heiress, “as the new supreme ruler.”

Joree didn’t even try to suppress his laughter.

***

Jistan’s emotions were like a jewelry box full of necklaces that had been discarded for years. Everything was so tangled up he had no hope of finding where one piece ended or another began.

On the one hand, he had a duty to Highness Arellia as one of her Mind Scythe. Not only that, but Manicot needed strong leadership, now more than ever, and losing the Highness could be crippling. On the other hand, they had just found an imprisoned child in a deep, dark dungeon beneath the palace itself. Was the child somehow a threat? Someone that needed contained because…why? Perhaps she had exceptionally strong Will and Arellia didn’t want a challenger. But if that were the case, the child would be dead. Arellia wasn’t bloodthirsty, but there wasn’t a compassionate bone in her body. That child was serving some sort of purpose, but Jistan couldn’t fathom what it might be.

Areniah-Aniah-was currently leading them through dark, musty tunnels. Jistan was starting to feel claustrophobic, despite the fact that he could stand up straight and reach both hands to the side and not touch the walls. The air just felt oppressive, like it was so old it was about to collapse in on them. Which actually probably wouldn’t do anything, because it was just, well, air. They hadn’t found anything promising yet, just more twists and turns. Jistan was so lost that he was certain they would never find their way back out.

“Velch,” Aniah suddenly cursed.

“What?” Jistan asked, worried.

“She stubbed her toe on a rock,” Joree said idly. He was walking directly behind the heir, blocking Jistan’s view.

“I did not,” Aniah protested with a huff.

“You’re right,” Joree said. “It was more of a pebble.”

Those two, Jistan thought, shaking his head. If the Kritons or the Delani didn’t get them, they would end up killing each other.

“Look,” Joree said brightly. “I think that’s a torch up ahead.”

Jistan leaned to the side, trying to see around the others. He thought he did see a light up ahead, faint but definitely there.

Suddenly, the light seemed to grow bigger and brighter. Wait, no, it was getting closer. Joree cursed, tackling Aniah to the ground. Jistan dove to the side to get out of the way of the streak of light. Lanae had already hit the ground, her sense of danger apparently very keen.

A ball of flame passed overhead, leaving the air smelling of smoke.

“What in Arkadia’s Flames?” Aniah exclaimed, voice tinged with panic.

“Move!” Joree shouted, yanking her to her feet and shoving her ahead of him back down the corridor the way they’d come. “Let’s go!”

Jistan didn’t need to be told twice. He leapt to his feet at the same moment as Lanae. Aniah was already sprinting past them and they quickly followed.

“What is going on? Who is that?” Jistan called out.

“If I had a guess?” Joree shouted back. “It’s our psychotic Delani friend from Kritose. You met him in the torture chamber briefly, I believe.”

Well that was just perfect. So far, this day was going just marvelously. No Highness, imprisoned little girls, Ranteel under attack, and now they were being chased by a compulsive murderer with a penchant for torture. Oh, and he also threw flames from his hands.

“Will!” Joree yelled, voice a little frantic. Jistan briefly wondered if the stress had gotten his head. But then he understood.

He shoved a blast of Will towards Joree, desperation mingling with exhaustion as he chased after the girls down winding passageways. He couldn’t see what Joree did, but suddenly there was a massive crashing sound. He glanced over his shoulder to see the tunnel collapsing behind them.

“Run, run, run,” Joree said with panicked cheeriness. “No time to look back. Let’s get a move on.”

Flames, he’s going to collapse this whole thing on top of our heads, Jistan thought frantically.

Fortunately, there was no massive cave-in. Aniah seemed to somehow know where she was going, for she never hesitated once and they didn’t run into any dead ends. The Delani ran along right beside her, something that seemed odd but Jistan didn’t have time to dwell on.

They didn’t stop running until they sprinted up a staircase and emerged into the first chamber they’d entered. They all stumbled to a halt, gasping and heaving.

“Impressive…maneuvering,” Joree managed to gasp out, hands on knees.

Aniah took a moment to catch her breath before responding. When she spoke, her voice was grudging. “Actually, I was following it,” she waved in the general direction of Lanae. “When I started running, she ran up beside me and started pointing. I thought it might be a trap, but I had no idea how to get out, so we were going to die anyway.” She shrugged.

“Thanks, Lanae,” Joree said, pulling himself erect.

“What were you thinking?” Jistan finally exploded at Joree, breath sufficiently recovered for the outburst. “You could have brought down the roof on us?”

“What?” Aniah asked sharply.

Joree rolled his eyes. “I barely knocked some debris off the walls to cover us and make it hard for our pursuer to breathe through the dust.” He glanced over his shoulder at the descending staircase. “Speaking of which, we should go. My trick won’t keep them away for long.”

“But my mother-”

He cut Aniah off with a hard look. “Your mother may just deserve a couple nights in a cell while we come up with a better plan to rescue her,” he said. His voice contained a warning. Aniah glared at him, hands balling into fists. Before she could retaliate, he brushed past her and hurried out of the chamber.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get back to my mom and the child. And we need to check on Jistan’s sister.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “And hopefully we can find some more help.”