Flora

by Kendal M Lyon

  Flora wondered at that as she followed Lady Dells through her rooms. There was not much of wonder in this room, mostly windows, and she pulled out a cloak from a small trunk. The dragon was now perched on Flora's shoulder, trying to balance. It's wings flared out and hit Flora on the cheek. The scales slicing her skin ever so slightly to let blood trickle down.

  "Me—an elemental?" Flora asked.

  "You can not be that surprised," Lady Dells said, her eyes skeptical over her glasses. "I have been looking for you for a long time. Shame you decided to break out, a little longer and I would have had you all out of here. But so it is."

  Flora's mouth opened and closed as her skin bristled, unsure what to say. "Ouch," mumbled Flora, shooting a glare at the dragon that had bit her, but her yelp died as it came out of her lips.

  "Yes, careful, that can happen. It has been a while since a dragon has last hatched in our country so I can understand that you don't know how to handle them," Lady Dells said from the side of the room as she lifted more things from the box. Before wandering into a large closet along the side. "Even I had forgotten."

  "How is it even possible?" Flora asked softly. "Your book said they hunted the last of the dragons—"

  "You were the key of course. But there is so much more to tell you, but not nearly enough time for that story. You will learn about it all shortly I am sure," Lady Dells said, popping her head out of the closet, looking at Flora oddly, her eyes heavy. "What is important is that she has happened, which means it is time to get out of these dark ages."

  "Now, there will not be too much time to get you of the castle. Thank goodness Lord Reynald had you locked up. Few people besides a few guards will recognize you. There are enough other servants that you will be able to stay undetected."

  Flora blinked. "You knew he had me locked away?" She asked with the little breath she had in her. "You never said anything before."

  "Yes, yes of course, but I needed to find out if you were the one of not. Not many people's names get picked to be a murder target do they dear, news like that gets around. At least in my circles," Lady Dells chuckled. "But you know all about that. That silly man didn't know what he was getting into. Getting some guard to impersonate a witch. None of the others would have believed it. "

  "Witch?" Flora asked. "Others?"

  Lady Dells laughed "My story is one for another time sweet child. Put that cloak on, it will help you blend in," she said, tossing the fabric at Flora's feet.

  She waddled around the room filling a bag with many other things, humming a soft tune. When she picked up a knife Flora came out of her senses and raised the sword to Lady Dells's throat, her eyes wide.

  "What are you doing?" She asked. She could hear the dragon squeaking on her shoulder, apparently understanding that Flora might slice her—owner?

  "My dear, I believe you would recognize this knife," Lady Dells said, seeming to be barely phased at the sword pressed up against her neck. It was one of her own, the beautiful one she always had at her waist. She dropped the knife into the bag and Flora dropped the sword from her throat.

  "Hurry up now, I think you will find that the hallway is empty. We only get so many advantages in a day. Shall we?" She walked from the room with the bag as Flora quickly picked up the cloak. She gently picked up the dragon in one hand and set her down on a nearby shelf before tying the cloak around her neck. Finding a strap to attach the sword, hiding it along her hips.

  As she went back to pick up the small dragon it bit her pinky, gently though, not hard enough to puncture the skin. Flora pulled back massaging it, unsure of the little dragon. Though it seemed that the creature felt it had gotten its message across, whatever that was, it opened its little wings and glided shakily onto Flora's shoulder.

  "Take every left you come across and drop below the statue of the wraith. No need to fear the brick. It is so sad that so few understand magic these days," she said with a shake of her head handing her a laundry basket in which she had put the bag of supplies so no suspicion was raised by the other people in the castle. "Their loss is my gain," she said opening the door. "Oh best hide the sword and I will take care of her for now," she said, pulling the little dragon from her shoulders as Flora resettled the sword under the bag in the basket and walked out. "She is young and the world isn't safe for her yet."

  "But the castle is?" she asked.

  "With me it is," Lady Dells said. "Try not to cause to many earthquakes on your way out. Environmental hazards are part of an Elementals life."

  Her last look in the room was of the small dragon clambering as fast as it could along Lady Dells's leg towards the floor as she walked out. The hallway was indeed empty and she turned to say thank you but the door was already closed.

  "Okay," Flora said to herself, squared her shoulders, and turned left.

  She hid behind the basket of laundry when she ran into servants, though there were not too many about which she was thankful for, as she made her way down the hallways and stairs, taking many lefts, hoping that she would find the wraith.

  She had walked through so many levels and floors of the castle that when she was wondering whether she should be trusting Lady Dells's information. Until Flora finally came to the statue of the wraith Lady Dells had described at the base of a staircase. It was horrible to look a, cloaked in such a way as to see the bones that poked up from underneath.

  Leaning the basket against her hip she took in the wall beyond the statue. The brick wall looked solid behind it, but her hand slid through as she pressed it against the surface. She pulled her hand back out, checking to see if it were still attached. It tingled but otherwise looked intact as far as she could tell.

  She didn't have more time to think as she heard footsteps sounding above her, and she dove through the wall, taking the basket and all her fears with her. Where she found a familiar face on the other side.

  Thin Walls

  "Hello," Perry said with a wide grin that had his teeth glowing in the semi-darkness as he pushed himself off of the wall and moved in to give her a hug with his arms wide.

  Flora dropped the basket with a thump and pressed her hand against his chest to push him back. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, her hand freezing him still on his chest. She coughed as she finished, the dusty air filling her sinuses.

  He braced his hand on the walls around him as another quake shook, making the dust within the tunnel move. Flora flinched. There had been so many quakes, if the castle was going to fall down, it would have done so by now.

  "I'll explain later, if you are here it means I need to get you out of here," he replied, pushing her hand aside to finish his hug. Flora absently brought her one free arm up around him in return as her mind reeled.

  "No, now," she said shaking him off. "I think you are going to explain right now," Flora said as she searched for the air she had lost. "Have you been in the castle all this time?... It has been ...weeks," Flora almost backed up back through the hidden entrance to this tunnel, she could feel a tingly sensation as half of her back pressed into that matter that filled the space. The sensation up her spine made her inch forward only slightly. "You could have freed us!" She screamed as realization struck her.

  "Keep your voice down. This isn't a safe place you know. Once we are away from the castle I'll tell you," Perry said grabbing at her arm to pull her down one of the branches into a dark corridor in which his body was already aimed "It's going to be hard to do tonight, hoards of guards have already run past that entrance."

  Flora tore her hand from his grip, his fingers leaving red marks as they released. "Dawson could have died today, and you could have broken us out," Flora felt warm from the anger boiling up inside her as her voice clipped.

  Another quake shook the room. The worlds own anger made her feel better, even when she heard a massive boom roll through the tunnels.

  "Damn it, those earthquakes are destroying this place, thats the third tunnel to go. And I know, but I couldn't get him, not while y
ou were still here, I didn't even know that was going to happen. You must have angered Lord Reynald something fierce for him to have decided that..."

  "You aren't about to tell me that it was my fault he was thrown in with a rabid wolf," Flora interrupted. "Not when you are here, wandering around a secret damn corridor in this castle!" Flora spat back at him, waving her hands up in the air, losing control of herself.

  "Did you even try to get them out?" Flora asked.

  "Actually, I have tried to get them out, they are not supposed to be here," Perry said, running his hand over his hair. "It's been harder than I could have believed, especially since I know this castle. But I was trying to have a low profile, and trying to avoid the snakes down here. You would not believe how large they get. You were the only one that was supposed to be here."

  "You knew then the day we got taken," Flora said her mouth agape, she had to start pacing along the small space of the tunnel as she took that in. "But you know this castle—we have to go get Dawson and Thren. You must know the way then if you know this castle so well," Flora said as she went for the opposite corridor he had dragged her to, flipping her hand over her shoulder, beckoning Perry to follow. If escape was that way, then she would bet money on them being in the other direction.

  "You know we can't," Perry said, grabbing her shoulders to stop her. The shock that rose through Flora made her pause, Perry must have felt her expression change as he took his hands back from her shoulders as if he had been hit. "We have to leave them for —."

  Flora pushed her brother against the wall and brought up the paring knife she had up her sleeve, pressing it into his gut. The pressure of the hilt of the knife felt good in her hand. Her face was within an inch of her brothers and she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she should say.

  "I don't know what you are doing here," she said under her breath, so low that she could barely hear herself as the sound was swallowed by the billowing darkness. All Flora could see was darkness, though she could feel the moisture coming off Perry's breath. "You could have shot Lord Reynald the night I got caught—when we got caught, when you had the chance, and now I find you in the middle of the castle," Flora's voice cracked again, and she struggled to keep from shouting into Perry's face, pushing down the anger she had to her feet and her fingers, all things branched into reality. This brother of hers, leaving his family to be tortured and played within this castle. There was no way this was her reality. "If you do not want this in your stomach, we are going to get them right now. Or, right now, I'm going to gut you," she paused. "Whoever the hell you are." She backed down, keeping her knife in her hand.

  He said nothing as he dusted himself off.

  "Lead the way to the dungeons brother," Flora said waving her knife for Perry to take the lead.

  "If that is what will get you out of this place sooner than fine," Perry said through gritted teeth, his chin dropping down to his chest as he eyed the blade ominously. "Keep your knife in a firm grip, I don't need an earthquake to send that thing flying my way."

  Twirling her knife in her palm, she waited for Perry to pass before switching the knife for the sword. She strung the bag over her shoulder, hid the knife back up her sleeve, tucking the other knife in the basket in the waist of her pants, before kicking the empty basket against the wall, and stalking after Perry.

  Prison

  Flora was amazed at how well Perry knew the tunnels, and before long she was looking into a small spy hole onto the cell that Dawson was in. His wounds had been bandaged, but he held his one arm as he stared at the door, barely blinking away from it.

  "He can't here you from here and I can't find Thren," Perry whispered over her shoulder. "To let you know, they move them every day and—"

  "I know that," Flora said, her eyes burning into them. "How long have you been watching us? Here? Doing nothing?"

  Another earthquake rumbled and Flora pressed her eye to the hole, careful not to bash her head, to see how Dawson faired through it. He was pale but together.

  Turning back, she saw Perry shrug but he did not answer. Flora tore her eyes from him with disgust.

  "So how do we get them out," Flora said

  "There is only one way down from here, that trap door over there drops into the dungeon hallway right outside this cell."

  "Great, we will use that then," Flora said, pushing off the wall.

  She was burning with anger that she tried to swallow. With adrenalin pumping through her veins, Flora dropped the sword beside the hole, threw open the door and jumped down, her favourite knife flying at the closest guard.

  He went down with it lodged in his throat. It was the first time she had killed someone but she didn't stop to think about it.

  The paring knife flew from her other hand, right into the hand of the next guard as he reached for his sword. She was on him before he could scream and punched him in the face, ripping her knife out and stabbing him again before he could even move. Blood splattered out all over the walls but she barely notice. She left the paring knife where it was, wrenching her other free from the body.

  She was a force of nature, as Lady Dells had said. She felt no remorse for the men as she tried to release the keys from where they were dropped over the guard's throat It took a moment, but she finally saw and smell the bitter tang of blood that was billowing over her hands, the smell not so different than the musty smell that came from the rooms around them.

  Her hands were shaking as she finished with the knots, the murders were sinking in. She would wash her hands later she thought. When she had the keys free, she tossed them to Perry as she continued to stare at the dead man. She left the paring knife where it was. Only moving back to the first man to collect the knife that had been stolen from her when she first came to the castle.

  Perry unlocked Dawson's cell. Dawson was pressed and chained up against the far wall. His eyes alert and ready for anything. Anything apparently other than his two siblings standing at the door, and one of those thoroughly covered with blood.

  Perry went in to help him as Flora watched. The shock was soon covered by a smile that stretched Dawson's face as if he didn't have a care in the world. Which considering how many bandages seemed to be on him from his wounds during the wolf fight that was a miraculous sight.

  "I knew I'd be seeing your ugly mug again," he said with a weak smile to Perry. Perry grinned and commented back. Flora blocked out what Perry said.

  She had to focus on one thing at a time. Perry would distract her from the task at hand. She would tell Dawson about Perry later.

  "Do you know where Thren is?" Flora asked Dawson, moving to undo his chains around his neck, they rattled as he reached for her, cupping her check in his palm.

  A frown creased Dawson's face as he shook his head, splitting over the wounds around his neck which started to bleed out. She couldn't tell if Dawson's face was pale from lack of sunlight, lack of blood, or shock at what she herself was covered in.

  "You look worse for wear now," Dawson said. "No more pretty dresses?"

  Flora's chest felt tight as she grimaced, blocking out all the time she had spent inside this castle, while he was down here being fed to the wolves. She turned out the door without answering Dawson. It was one joke too many.

  As she leapt over the dead men on the floor and up the wall grabbing for the edge of trap door before hauling herself up. She felt her stomach heave as she sat alone in the corridor for a second. She sat on her heels, swallowing the bile that was forcing its way up her throat as she waited for Perry to boost Dawson in. Flora struggled to haul Dawson's weight up off the ground. If it would have been Roanan they would have needed to get, they never would have been strong enough to take his weight.

  As Perry made to jump in Flora grabbed his hand and helped pull him through. Dawson's raised eyebrows watched as she dropped it as soon as possible. Wiping the feeling of his touch off on her pants, and dropping the trap door shut as soon as he was through.

  "You didn't even c
heck to see if all my limbs were clear," Perry said with a furrowed brow.

  Flora looked at him. "You get him out," she said, her face blank, even when her emotions boiled and froze inside her. "Out and safe."

  "I can't leave your side. If Lady Dells knew—" Perry trailed off as Flora's eyes narrowed at him and she reached for the sword along the ground.

  Perry gulped raising his hands in defeat. "Okay, I'll have him out. Don't skewer me or I won't be any help either," he spat at Flora in frustration. "I'll be back in ten minutes for you, and if you can't find him we have to go. I know the city gates won't be open for much longer, not once word of the escapes get out," Perry paused. "See if you can find him, but don't get your hopes up."

  Perry put one of his arms up under Dawson's, taking some of his weight. The strain had pulled at some of Dawson's bandages and he had started bleeding from his abdomen all over the floor again.

  Perry cursed. "Dawson, I will never get you out of here if you leave a bloody trail. Get it together."

  "I'm doing my best," Dawson said as Flora quickly stripped a part of the shirt she had and wound it around Dawson's core. The fabric was too smooth to be super absorbent, and it took a moment, but the bleeding finally slowed.

  As the two went to move again, Dawson kept one hand pressed to his wound to stop it from reopening. Flora waited above the trap door until Perry and Dawson turned the first hallway. Making sure Perry was actually taking Dawson out. Slowly trailing him around a few corners, before she was satisfied that Perry was sticking to his word.

  She heard Dawson's faint voice drift back down the tunnels. "The first thing I want when we get out of here is one of Madam Bons Bloody Mary's—" was the last thing she heard as Flora turned back towards the prison and disappeared into its endless black tunnels.

  The Last Brother

  She couldn't find Thren. She stuck her eye to the small peek hole in every cell for only a second if it was anyone but Thren, silently tripping through the dark corridors.