And here is the latest chapter of "All These Lives". If things keep going this well, I'll probably be able to finish this story sooner than I'd originally thought when I picked it back up. Well, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Treasure Planet or any of its characters. Gale and Renee belong to Solaris Prime. I have all other OCs.
I was dragged out of the throne room by Pathos himself, though not without putting up a struggle. I made sure he was as beaten and bruised as I was as I fought to break free of his grasp and save my daughter. It wasn't a great surprise to me that I was thrown into a prison cell and shackled. Admittedly, I figured Pathos would simply kill me, but then reconsidered when I thought of how he wanted to see me suffer. What surprised me was that the others had been captured as well and thrown into nearby cells. Unlike on the Aurum, there was only one person to a cell, but our shackles were still lasers.
"How the hell did he survive?" Ari demanded, and anger in his voice that I'd never heard. He'd always been the calmest of our little rag-tag group, excluding the Children of Earth.
"Griffin's death was in vain!" Ebony yelled and swore loudly. "It was all for nothing!"
"Yelling about it isn't going to solve anything," Jim interrupted before anything else could be said. "We need to get out of here."
"And how do you plan to do that, Jim?" Gale asked harshly. "You're chained up like the rest of us." I could tell Gale was already trying to pull against his restraints like he'd so often attempted when we were on the Aurum.
"Gale, stop struggling like that," Renee ordered firmly. "Your shoulder took a deep wound and the last thing you need to be doing is ripping your arm off." I couldn't stop the shudder that rippled down my spine at that mental image. It was too much. "Everyone needs to calm down so we can think through this quickly and save Siren."
To my complete surprise, I began to feel a calming sensation wash over me. My mind stopped racing in fear and was now focused on means of escape. This wasn't something translated through my Empathy, but something else. I noticed Gale had stopped pulling on his restraints as well.
"Renee," Ari murmured. "Do that again."
"Do what?"
"Order us to do something. Or better yet, order the guard."
"Ari, what are you getting at?" I asked.
"Renee as the Gift of Flexibility, remember."
"You said that means she's very adaptable," Jim answered. "What does that have to do with giving orders?"
"If my hunch is correct, then you'll see in a moment. Renee, order the guard to do something. Try to use that same tone of voice."
"Right," Renee answered. "You there! Come here." Footsteps neared what I could guess was her cell. "Unlock my cell and let me out."
"But I-" the guard started.
"Do it!" The commanding tone in her voice was different from what I'd heard for much of the time I'd spent with her. It was surprising. What was even more surprising was the jingling of keys I heard and the sound of a cell door opening. Moments later, the sounds of a struggle could be heard, with the door closing again afterwards. I could feel Gale's concern for his wife.
"Ren!" he called, his tone sounding almost panicked.
"I'm fine," she answered, a bit out of breath. I heard her open the other cells and beamed when my own shackles were removed. I threw my arms around my sister-in-law, seeming to catch her by surprise as she slowly returned the embrace.
"I don't know how you did that, but it's brought us so much closer to getting my baby back," I whispered as we pulled away.
"What did you do?" Jim asked Renee as we came out into the hallway. One look at him and I could see bruises already forming along his jaw. Gale's shoulder wasn't faring well either, but it didn't appear to be a lethal wound, for which I was thankful.
"Run and talk," I ordered quickly and we began sprinting back towards the throne room.
"It was Renee's Gift," Ari explained. "Flexibility makes her adaptable, yes, but it also bends her will. She was able to bend her will onto the guard, and us."
"Sounds like Gale won't be winning any marital spats any time soon," Ebony commented teasingly.
"Focus on getting Siren," Gale retorted, though I could tell it was partly to keep Ebony from ribbing him any further.
"Ember, what's the plan when we get back in there?" Willow asked. My fists clenched tighter as I ran.
"Divide and conquer. I don't care how many we kill, so long as my daughter is safe."
"The preparations are complete, my queen," Pathos said with a deep bow. Helen looked down at him with a slight frown.
"You intend to offer the soul of this child to the Stone of Knowledge so that I may have eternal youth?" she inquired.
"It is a shame, I admit, but a young soul is needed for the best results." Helen's gaze dropped to the sobbing child seated in her lap. Siren, as she'd learned the girl's name was, continually cried out for her parents.
"How soon must the ritual begin?"
"As soon as your highness commands it."
"And what will become of the child?"
"Her soul will be transferred to the stone, granting it the capability to give you eternal youth. Her body will be taken to the world beyond." Helen looked to Siren again, gently brushing the child's hair out of her teary eyes.
"Momma," the girl whimpered.
"Let us begin the ritual."
Pure evil, right? Please R&R.
