by Bri Sailor
“What are you doing?” yelled the warrior.
Atreyis, realizing what she was doing, let go of her. The guards secured the open door and charged in.
“What’s going on here?” one of them yelled.
Atreyis looked at them, eyes burning. “Nothing! Leave us!”
They didn’t move.
“Leave!” she boomed, her eyes were now glowing blue.
The men saw that the prisoner’s chains were intact and decided that it was safe to leave and left the two girls alone.
Ky tried to shake the girl off. “Again. What are you doing?”
“I could ask you the same thing!” exclaimed the incredulous princess. “Trying to break out isn’t exactly the smartest thing to be doing right now. And besides, how were you planning on getting past the door?”
The warrior tugged at her chains. “There was no sign of getting out of here any time soon, so I decided to take things into my own hands. And as for the door, I was going to figure that out afterwards. That is, before you stopped me.”
Atreyis gave her a shove.
“I stopped you because I’m here to break you out.” She whispered harshly, hoping that the guards outside wouldn’t hear her.
Ky stepped back in disbelief. “How dare you push—“
At that moment the warrior realized what the girl was wearing.
“Ha!” she laughed. “I know they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this…” she gestured to the princess’ outfit. “I think this is a little much.”
Atreyis turned red. “I am not imitating you! I wanted to give off an air of intimidation and this seemed like the best option. Forget it. Look, I’m here to get you out. Now are you coming or not?”
Ky held out her wrists to be unlocked. The princess shook her head.
“No. Those stay on. Having you out of the dungeon in chains is safer and more believable than walking around without them.”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“That’s not the point.”
“Fine, but what about your father? As soon as a guard or anyone sees me it’s all over. It’s a lot easier for one person to sneak around.”
“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Now let’s go.”
Atreyis turned on her heel and walked out of the cell. Ky sighed and followed her, her chains clanking as she did. The prisoners saw the warrior leaving and began yelling again, enraged at her early release. The guards shouted and tried to quiet them. The girls silently made their way to the main level of the palace. Atreyis took long strides in the direction of the stables when she realized she was alone. Ky was standing in the hall looking in the opposite direction.
“What are you doing?” asked the impatient princess.
“Let’s go talk to your father.” Said Ky matter-of-factly.
Atreyis’ jaw hit the floor.
“What? No!” she exclaimed. “We are getting out of here and as far away as possible! Or at least you are.”
Ky didn’t move. “Why do you even care?”
The princess threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know. To be perfectly honest I don’t even know how much I actually trust you, yet here I am. Cora seems convinced that we were supposed to meet, and…I don’t know…a part of me thinks she’s right I guess. I don’t know.”
Ky nodded. “Okay. Well, part of me is saying that we need to talk to your father.”
This spoiled brat was getting on her nerves. The warrior was too used to her every command and order being executed immediately. It was the simplest thing, all she needed was to get to the king and it would all be over. Her chains were practically broken, it would be all too easy. Atreyis just stared at her and didn’t answer so she went off in the direction of the king’s study.
“Where are you going?” asked an annoyed Atreyis.
“To find your father. I assume he is in his study since the throne room is empty from what I saw. If I remember correctly it’s back this way.” Ky continued down the hall.
Atreyis stood and fumed for a few moments before running off after her. The two of them walked in relative silence for a few minutes.
“It’s your own fault if you end up back in the dungeon.” Said the princess through her teeth. “Or dead.”
Ky grinned smugly. “I have a feeling I won’t be back there any time soon.”
Atreyis was skeptical but swallowed her words. When they arrived at the king’s study Ky knocked on the door.
“I am not to be disturbed!” a deep male voice answered.
Atreyis tried to pull Ky away from the door in a last stitch effort but the warrior refused to move. She knocked again.
The male voice yelled again. “I said—”
Before Atreyis could do anything Ky kicked in the heavy doors and let herself in, a sheepish and red-faced princess close behind her. Cora jumped out of her chair and the king was incredulous.
“How did you get out?” he roared. “Guards!”
Atreyis peaked her head around the warrior and Ky held up her hands.
“Easy.” Said the warrior. “Your daughter let me out with the intention of letting me go, but I decided that we need to talk first.” She stepped towards a fuming Toran.
Just then a handful of armed guards stampeded into the study and grabbed Ky. Cora ran over to the king.
“Toran, you need to listen to her! This is what I was trying to tell you. Please, just listen to what she has to say.” Pleased the priestess.
The king stared down the priestess who met his gaze with equal intensity and refused to stand down.
“Release her.” He growled through clenched teeth.
The guards reluctantly let go of Ky and backed off.
“Leave.” He commanded.
The guards swiftly cleared out of the study and closed the door behind them. The king crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Ky.
“Speak. And be quick.” He said gruffly.
Ky paused a moment and met his gaze. Cora waited patiently and Atreyis felt like she was going to jump out of her skin from the tension.
The warrior finally spoke. “First of all, I would love to thank Your Highness for the wonderful accommodations that you provided me with, it was one of the finer prisons I’ve been in.”
A faint redness crept up the king’s neck.
“Second, I thought you might like to know that it’s true that I have actually defected from the Black Army. My men were told that I had joined your forces and had intentionally destroyed half of my own men. The moment I returned from my campaign they tried to kill me. I barely escaped with my life. I found out that there was a bounty on my head that had been ordered by my own king. I took my chances and came to your lands to hide. That’s when I came upon your daughter. And now here I am.”
The king remained statuesque.
Cora spoke up. “I believe her, Toran.”
He looked at the priestess and then at Ky. Atreyis felt like she was going to pass out.
“Let’s say I believe you. Give me a reason why I still shouldn’t kill you where you stand.” He said in a low voice.
Ky stepped closer to him. “Because I know what King Ultrek and his Black Army are planning, and believe me, you are going to need my help.” She threatened.
The king came nose to nose with the warrior.
“Is that a threat?” he growled.
Ky smiled mischievously. “Let’s call it ‘friendly advice’. You have only a short time until his forces reach your wall and breach it, that is, if the assassins haven’t killed you and your family first.”
“How do I know that you aren’t lying? How do I know that you aren’t an assassin?”
She rolled her eyes. “If I were, you would already be dead. And as for the attack plans, tell me, Toran, have your spies been reporting that the Black Army has been pulling back and giving up hard-fought land? Hasn’t there been a decrease in attacks over the last few week
s? Tell me, Your Highness, doesn’t that seem a little suspicious?”
Toran maintained his close proximity. Ky tensed. Cora watched the exchange and felt something strange; it was almost like she could feel what the general was thinking. The king broke eye contact and turned to go to his desk. Ky moved and Cora lunged. She grabbed the general’s arms just as she was moving to strangle the king with her chains. Atreyis gasped and the king whirled around. Cora’s eyes were glowing gold. The warrior froze as a voice spoke in her head.
“I know what you are planning and if you go through with it everyone will die. Your king, you…and her.”
Ky’s eyes widened. The priestess stared her down.
“I know you know more than you are letting on. It is imperative that you and her live.”
“What’s going on?” yelled the king.
Cora’s eyes stopped glowing and she held her head. Ky relaxed. The four of them stood in silence.
“What the hell was that?!” exclaimed Atreyis.
Three pairs of eyes looked in her direction, the outburst had momentarily distracted them.
The princess turned to Cora. “What was that? What is going on? What the hell just happened?”
Atreyis was beside herself. It was all too much. All she wanted to do was get Ky out of here, but apparently that’s too much to ask.
Cora grabbed her hysterical friend. “You need to just calm down. I have this under control.”
Atreyis just stared at her. The priestess, in a righteous fury, turned to the angry king.
“Toran, thóyu lééh ló mímsél. You need to listen to what Ky is saying. The Goddess granted me a vision. I think that this is the beginning of the end of the war. Peace may actually be possible for all the kingdoms. Í vvóyumh hééh hér vvórhm. I would heed her words. The Goddess is never wrong.”
Toran stormed to the door and yelled for one of the guards to get his General. He pointed at Ky.
“You will tell us what you know and then I will decide whether or not you get to keep your head.”
Ky glared at the king and the priestess. “Fine.”
He shook his head at the priestess. “You know better than to speak the sacred tongue outside of the temple.”
Cora stood unflinching.
Ky flopped down in a plush armchair. The king stepped out to speak to a guard. Sometime later the creaking of the heavy wooden doors broke the tense silence as the king’s General entered the room. Saebic was a couple of inches taller than Ky and built like a wall. His square jaw line was enhanced by his broad shoulders. His blonde hair was pulled back tightly. He wore the dark blue tunic of the officers with black pants and thick black leather boots and bracers. The highly polished hilt of his sword glinted in the light from out of his scabbard that hung off his left hip. When he saw the king he bowed deeply.
“Your Majesty. You requested my presence?” he said in a deep voice.
“Yes. General, apparently there is a growing threat to the kingdom and to my own family that we are not aware of.” Said the king with a hint of sarcasm.
The man raised an eyebrow in question. “My Lord, I assure you, if there was any such threats my scouts would have returned with such information. Ultrek hasn’t made an attempt at our lines for months now, and their last attack was feeble to say the least. They buried their own men.”
“Ah, yes. Well, according to our newest…ally…they are planning something.” The king gestured to the relaxing Ky.
Saebic could only see the back of the braided blonde head but the hairs on his arms raised. He walked around the chair and immediately drew his sword and held it against the woman’s neck. She didn’t even flinch. Instantly, the rest of the room’s occupants were on their feet and Atreyis drew her sword and pointed it at Saebic.
“Lower you swords! Both of you!” yelled the king.
Saebic ignored the king as did the princess.
“What are you doing here? You should be buried under the mountains with the rest of your men.” he growled at Ky. His face was stone but his eyes were on fire.
Ky smirked. “General, we meet again. Tell me, how’s the leg?” she chuckled evilly.
The general’s face contorted with anger and he pressed his blade tighter against her throat. The sharp blade threatening to break skin.
“Saebic!” roared Toran.
The enraged officer never broke eye contact with the chained warrior in black. “This woman has been involved in the recent attacks on our lands and has slew many of our finest soldiers. I was fortunate enough to only get a taste of her steel, and not pay with my life. Time and again she has slipped through our grasp. What is she doing here?” he yelled.
The king moved towards his general and yelled. “I said lower your weapon!”
“My Lord, I don’t think you understand who this woman is. She is no mere soldier. This demon is the right hand of the Black King Ultrek. Isn’t that true, General?” he sneered.
Ky just smiled.
The king smacked away his sword. “I am very well aware of who she is and what she has done. She is going to be of some use to us it seems.”
“But, My Lord.” Objected Saebic. “She’s a trickster. She is not to be trusted!”
Cora injected herself into the conversation. “I am the one who told the king to trust her. The Goddess told me in a vision that she was going to help end this bloody war once and for all.”
Saebic was beside himself. “You are going to trust some soothsayer witch over you trusted general and adviser? Your Majesty, she has you under her spell!”
Atreyis fumed at the insult that was hurled at her friend and threw a well-placed punch to Saebic’s face. The man reeled from the hit and Ky jumped up and grabbed the princess before she could land another one.
“That’s it!” yelled Toran. “Guards! Take her to the dungeon!”
Guards poured into the room and subdued Ky and dragged her off to the prison cell once more.
“You need me, Toran! It will happen!” she shouted.
“There will be no more talks with that treacherous snake. She will spend the rest of her days rotting in the dark.” Shouted the king.
“Father! No! Please!” screamed Atreyis.
Cora rushed over and kept the princess from collapsing into a heap on the floor. Why did she have to punch him? Saebic stood, wiping blood from his lip. He pointed his sword at Atreyis.
“I won’t forget this.” He threatened in a low voice.
“Get out! Everyone!” commanded the king.
With more than his lip injured, Saebic stormed out and Cora quickly walked the princess back to her chambers. Everything was falling apart.
Chapter 10
Ky slammed hard into the ground with a grunt. The guards were decidedly less friendly than the last time and a lot stronger. The king had decided that someone with her kind of power and ability deserved only the best, only Descended were allowed to be around her now. She dusted herself off and sat on the wooden bed. The blood rushed to her head and anger began to ball up in the pit of her stomach. She was so close. If that priestess had only kept her hands to herself. But why had she even stopped in the first place? She could have just gone through with it, but she didn’t.
“So much for the easy way out.” The warrior complained to the walls.
There had to be a better way to get to Toran and get his spawn out of the palace if she couldn’t kill them. She kicked herself. She should have just killed them all and been done with it. Damn the witch! Leaping up she began pacing in her small cell. That damn priestess and her gibberish about the Goddess and her plan. The whole getting inside her head thing freaked her out. She felt violated. It was like being around Lusha again. Ky rubbed her eyes. She would most certainly have to break out now. She sighed and leaned back against the cold wall. She kicked the wall out of frustration. The longer she waited the slimmer her chances became, and the more agitated she grew. The pacing warrior started formulating a new plan.
After a while it wa
s time. Ky calmed herself down and focused her energy. Her eyes turned red. Grabbing hold of her chains she began pulling them again. Straining, she tried to be as quiet as possible and soon her already damaged confinements started to give. Her arms shook. Suddenly, the chains snapped under the great force. With her wrists free she moved her ankles. Soon the chains were just a pile on the floor.
“So much for enchantments.”
She smirked. Her strength was always her favorite attribute. She inspected her cell once more. The way the walls were angled there was no way she could hide out of sight from the slit in the door. She turned her attention to a small ventilation shaft that was in the ceiling. It was too narrow for even a child to pass through and it had iron bars across it, but it would have to do. She lay down on the wooden bed and patiently waited for her opportunity. A few hours later she heard the guards changing post, they would be passing her meal as well. This was her chance. She jumped up and grabbed the bars of the vent and pulled herself up and out of sight. One of the guards opened the slit to pass her bread and water and to check on her. He scanned for her, but the cell was empty and only her chains remained.
“Where is she?” he bellowed. “Open the door! Now!”
The second guard grabbed the crank and pulled as fast as he could; the sound of the gears and heavy chains clanking under their own weight echoed. The first guard stepped into the dark cell. Ky fell from the shadows and landed on his back. She wrapped a muscular arm around his neck, putting him in a chokehold, and squeezed with all her might. The choking man clawed at her, trying to pry her off. The second guard heard the scuffle, secured the door, and rushed in, eyes glowing. Ky saw him out of the corner of her eye and let loose a powerful side kick and sent him flying into the wall with a thud, knocking the wind out of him. The now purple-faced guard tried desperately to relieve the death grip around his neck. He stumbled backwards and slammed Ky into solid rock. The warrior braced herself, the blows to her back were impressive, but she felt them weakening. Eventually, the man succumbed to the vice around his neck. The warrior dropped him to the ground unconscious and was tackled by the second guard and wrestled to the floor.