Our story now takes us to Solomon Muto, who unfortunately had to play a role in the horror Avi would soon have to endure. When Yuri attended Dallian Academy to get his last bit of credits for Duelist Academy, Ethan Morris turned his back on all of them after he was driven mad by the way his friends betrayed him. So to get back at the princes, he sided with King Antilles and had Solomon kidnapped and taken to a fortress that was in Prince Hector's territory to decipher the maps Hector's archeological team had uncovered months before. And Prince Hector was willing to do monstrous things until he got what he wanted.
Solomon
He let out a horrid wail that blasted into the vastness of the dungeon. Solomon writhed on the rack while feeling the screw dig deeper into his foot which was locked inside of an iron plate.
Guy was having a steak by the fire. The meat was crusted with herbs and served with lettuce and chopped tomatoes roasted to perfection.
He held out his hand, the other clenched his golden fork clinging to a cut of the steak. He finished chewing the previous morsel before saying: "Just read the bloody map and you will feel no more." He twirled around his fork as he spoke.
"There will be a pain no greater than betraying Daveed Yuri Wallcroft Delgado, Master of the Diamond Throne, Wielder of the Divine Beasts…" Guy rolled his eyes and told his soldier to continue the torture. Solomon roared from the pain. The bones in his foot broke making a loud crunch. "Wielder of the Divine Beasts!" He shouted through his agony. "The Lord of Men, High King of Termnnia and all Her kingdoms!"
"You think that because you do not speak you are strong?" Guy asked. "One way or another Solomon, we will get what we want."
He nodded to his soldier and the soldier tightened the screw again. Blood started oozing out of the hole where the screw fit into. When Guy was done with his dinner, he and his soldiers retired for the night. "Well, there's always tomorrow."
A soldier put a black sack over his head. "Nighty night," he said, and left.
Solomon panted heavily. He could not believe Ethan betrayed him like this. Moments later, he heard the door open and then footsteps, but they were much different than the guards.
These footsteps had clop to their sound and they sounded softer. Someone then took the black sack off his head. Solomon's weary eyes beheld an Eldori girl, one of his former students.
"Princess Rose!" gasped Solomon. "What are you doing here?"
"Shh," Rose said, pressing her finger to her lips. She had a bowl of water in her hands and held up high so he could drink from it.
"Has Hector left this place yet?" Solomon asked, drinking enough to quench his thirst. "Where am I?"
"No, master, he has not left. He is currently in Ravenhold forging his alliance. You are in Arath Indol, Guy de la Tierra Sainte's stronghold in the Gray Hills."
"The Gray Hills?" Solomon said in shock. "They have taken us all the way to Northern Thara?"
"Yes, master," Rose said, getting on her knees. "Solomon, please, I beg of you. Just tell them where they are?"
"What?"
"The Ancient Bests, you must tell them."
"Princess Rose, you're not in this dark plot, too, are you?"
"Never!" said Rose, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You don't know what it's like…being in the company of that boy and his men. I am nothing more than meat to them. Hector lets his men do things to me. Things you couldn't begin to comprehend. Now, my family in North Point have betrayed me and have agreed to marry me off to him for gold. I am part of the evil that grows in Emboldor and I want to make for it by saving Lady Avi."
"The Summoner of Dragons?" said Solomon. "What has she got to do in all this?"
"They're going to capture her, Solomon. And kill all her companions. Then they will bring her here and torture her too, possibly even kill her, or worse, Cleanse her!"
"So they are Templars after all!" said Solomon. "But I thought the Church…"
"You are a fool if you think the Church would keep their word. King Stefan, the man who claimed to marry The Summoner for peace, is the one who sends her this way."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I saw them speak before. I saw them concoct this heinous plot."
"When?"
"Shortly before Stefan rode to Eredas and proposed a marriage to the Summoner. It was all a ruse, master."
"Why didn't you say anything, love?"
"I am surrounded by enemies, Solomon, who am I going to tell? The Shadow Lady. She keeps constant watch over all I do."
"No!" groaned Solomon. "Poor Avi. She's falling right into their trap."
"So, please, Solomon, swallow your stubborn pride and just give them what they want. Save her."
"The task of which you ask is a grim one," said Solomon. "If Hector gets his hands on those Ancient Beasts, there will be no stopping him. If I must risk Lady Avi to succumb to this place, then so be it!"
"Solomon!"
"I can't, Rose. Please, go back and leave me. If they catch you here speaking to me, Hector will kill you."
"Let him kill me. I want to die."
"Then who will rescue your frogs?"
Rose sniffed and nodded. She knew he was right.
"You should not blame yourself for what has happened, young one. It is not your fault. But if you feel you want to make amends for the evil that has grown around you, you will get out of this place and leave me to my fate. Keep the Ancient Beasts secret so that Yuri may rule and rid the land of them once and for all."
"But if you remain here, you will not live to see the kingdoms he will forge."
"I won't see them either way. If I don't tell them, I die. If I tell them, we all die! It matters not what choice I make, young Rose. I fear I will not live to see the prospering kingdom under the rule of the Song from the Divines."
Rose couldn't help but to smile at that. She was a little girl when she heard the sound booming in the sky.
"I can help you escape."
"No, just leave me here, my dear. I have lived a long life. You still have yours. Promise me, you will be strong and keep living on. No matter how hard things get from here on out, promise me you will keep your head high, your heart strong, and your hands to the stars. Promise me!"
"I promise, master."
Rose stood up, unwrinkled her blue dress and patted off dirt and pebbles and proceeded out the door.
"You'd best put that sack over my head," said Solomon.
Rose whimpered.
"You must, princess. If they find me without it, they will get suspicious."
The princess nodded, picked up the sack and hesitantly put it over Solomon's head.
"Sweet dreams," said Solomon from under the sack.
Rose's lips trembled. He would say that to her when she was young, back when her father hired him to teach her to play Duel Monsters.
It hurt her so much to see him in a place like this. She sobbed as she left his chamber and walked down the cold halls of the dungeon.
