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SONIC CHAOS 3: UNDERGROUND ARC - ALEENA
Escape Attempt
Aleena lay awake in her bed all through the night. She couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. She was too uncomfortable, too angry, too worked up. She simply gazed at the window, covered over by a curtain that blocked out light of any kind. The moon was almost full tonight, she knew. If only the curtain was open just a little, she could see her surroundings better. Perhaps even get a look at the outside world. If she could spot a landmark, she would know where to send the soldiers when she escaped and reported this crime.
She heard the trio arguing about something. Rather Sleet and Drago were arguing. Dingo, it seemed, was getting quite distressed and trying to intervene. What were they arguing about, she wondered? Maybe that was an answer she would get if it was Sleet that came again in the morning to try and feed her. With the curtains blocking out all light, it seemed his comings and goings were all that would giver her any indication of whether it was night or day. She sighed in frustration. She felt tired, hungry, confused, and helpless, and she hated that with every fiber of her being.
She snapped to attention when the door opened, looking quickly towards it. Sleet slipped inside. "Enjoying your stay, your highness?" he asked.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Excellent. Now, will you eat?" he replied.
"I would sooner starve," she repeated.
"We'll see how long that lasts," he said, turning to go.
"What were you arguing about with Drago?" she asked.
Sleet paused and glanced back at her warily, determining whether or not to answer. He considered his options and decided it wasn't important enough to keep secret. "I was bargaining," he at last said. "He has his plans for you, but Dingo and I like money. And living, for that matter. I demanded more money than he was paying. He refused, so now his plot for you is on indefinite hold until he coughs it up. He didn't take too kindly to that, so I suggested ransoming you off to the highest political bidder to make up the difference. He argued over that next."
"Oh? And who won?" she asked.
Sleet smirked. There was the challenging tone she had grown accustomed to. "Let's just say I always get my way. What can I say? I just hate to lose."
"Do you now?" she said. "A pity you're destined to do so sooner than you believe."
"Don't be so sure, princess," he replied.
"I can't wait to see you swing," she coldly said. "And you will swing, Sleet."
"Am I supposed to be intimidated?" he asked.
"No. Only forewarned," she replied. He chuckled and turned to leave. "Tell me, what is that emblem you wear on your chest?" she suddenly asked in an innocent tone. He paused and looked back at her sharply, eyes narrowed warily. He wasn't deaf to the underlying darkness lingering there.
"Why?" he suspiciously asked.
"Is it the symbol of a pack? A family heirloom? Some distorted depiction of a wolf head? A portrayal of death? The badge of a warrior?" she pressed. He was silent. "In the event a body cannot be returned to the family of an executed criminal, something belonging to that criminal will be returned in the corpse's stead," she replied. She was more than a little satisfied to watch his hackles raise and hear him lowly start to growl. That, it seemed, had gotten to him. At least something had. "It's a very pretty emblem," she noted innocently. "Too pretty to be destroyed with its owner."
"Humph," he said, smirking icily. The smirk soon vanished, though, becoming dark and unsettling. "Someone gave it to me long ago. I've forgotten who, when, or why. I only know I don't intend to be parted from it. Not in life or in death. Burn or bury it with me. It isn't as if I have a family or friends that it can be sent back to anyway."
She frowned curious. "You have no family at all?" she asked.
"No," he said coldly. "None at all."
"Oh... I couldn't even imagine," she murmured quietly.
"Then why bother asking about it?" he asked. She frowned, trying to think of a reason, but found she had no answer to give. He turned around, crossing his arms. "Humph. As long as we're still on speaking terms, tell me. Why are you so calm in the face of your kidnapping?"
"I don't know," she answered. "Is it disgusting that part of me, the part that craved adventure, excitement, and freedom, is almost glad to be out of that place?" she dryly asked.
"So much for freedom," he bit. She gave him a sharp, annoyed look. A smirk flickered across his lips. "Its lure is strong. The thing about lures, your highness, is that often they lead to traps and death."
She was quiet, considering his words. "Would you choose to live a long life in a cage or a short one outside it?" she soon asked.
"You know which one I would pick," he answered.
"Then why are you so surprised I would lean towards the same?" she asked.
He was silent for a long moment, unable to find an answer. "Fair enough," he at last said. "Tell me, Aleena. What do you desire most?"
"To adventure and explore the world," she said.
"You have responsibilities," he replied. "You can't abandon your people. You've said as much before."
"I know that in the end I will have to choose between one world or the other," she said.
"Will you leave them?" he asked.
"No. I love them and so I will not abandon them. I just… I'm not ready yet, to spend the rest of a life I've barely lived trapped in a palace. There's so much I want to do and see before I must stay." He was silent. "Do you think it strange?" she questioned.
"No," he answered, and he was surprised by the sincerity of his response. So, it seemed, was she given the way she looked at him like she couldn't believe what he'd said. He chose to ignore that. "Hmm... Now when did our conversation become so cordial I wonder?" he at last asked, letting the matter go.
She watched him carefully. "I don't know," she finally replied.
"Sleet?" Dingo asked just then, peering in and interrupting them.
Sleet frowned and turned to the pup. "What is it now, Dingo?" he asked.
"Drago wants t' know what's taken ya mate," Dingo said. He looked towards the window and scrambled towards the curtains. "Hey Sleet, look at the moon outside!"
Aleena instantly perked up. In the moonlight she could get a sense of her prison and its location! "Dingo don't!" Sleet ordered. Too late! The pup flung open the curtains. Sleet covered his eyes in the sudden light and looked away. Aleena quickly looked around the room she was in, taking in as many details as possible, then out the window, seeking a landmark. With a snarl Sleet leapt forward, drawing the curtains closed quickly. Dingo looked up at him with eyes wide and fearful. "You idiot!" Sleet snapped.
"Don't speak to him in such a way!" Aleena furiously snapped at Sleet, mentally logging away everything she'd noticed. "He's a little boy!"
"It's a harsh world," Sleet retorted.
"Your job as his guardian is to protect him from it, not join it in hurting him!" she replied.
"I'm not his guardian! I'm only stuck with him," Sleet retorted.
"Do you treat him this way because he isn't a wolf like you and Drago?" she challenged.
"Hah! I don't even acknowledge Drago as a fellow wolf. He isn't worthy of the honor. Don't try and make this about his race," Sleet retorted, inwardly relieved for the interruption. He'd been letting his guard down too much. He needed to be more aware in future.
"Uh, I think I'm gonna leave now," Dingo nervously said, wanting to get out of here as fast as possible. Quickly he slunk out of the room to leave them to their fight. He knew he would probably be lectured later, but for now Sleet's focus was on Aleena. He was more than a little relieved for that.
"Now look what you've done," Aleena bit at Sleet. She as well was secretly glad for the interruption.
"Oh, don't worry. You won't have to witness it for long. Sweet dreams, princess," he replied, marching towards the door.
"I don't wish you the same courtesy!" she testily replied. Chuckling coldly, he left the room slamming the door behind him. Humph, good riddance she inwardly thought. She looked around the darkness and her anger quickly faded. Suddenly she felt very alone. Sighing, she stared up at the roof. She supposed all there was to do anymore was eat, sleep, think, and try to figure out how to escape. She hated every moment of this. Nonetheless, she closed her eyes to try and rest. Maybe when she woke up, this nightmare would be over…
SU
Sleet returned subtly to the palace, plotting his next course of action quietly. The last one to have seen Aleena, to anyone's knowledge, was him. That would be a problem, and he expected hostility the minute he stepped onto palace grounds. He would figure it out, though. He always did. He approached the gates and, as expected, was immediately seized. "Bring him to the king!" Argus ordered, pointing towards the palace and scowling darkly. Sleet rolled his eyes and grimaced as he was dragged inside.
He was practically thrown to his knees before the King and Queen and held there. The Queen looked betrayed. He pointedly avoided meeting her eyes. The King looked enraged. "What have you done?" King Maurice darkly asked.
"What are you talking about?!" Sleet demanded.
"Where is my daughter?!" the King roared.
"In her room where I left her!" Sleet snapped.
"No. No, she isn't. She's missing. My baby is missing!" Queen Sonya frantically said.
"Well that explains the treatment I'm receiving. Last one to see her, I suppose?" Sleet asked. "Permission from the King to do whatever he must to keep her safe from the disease ravaging the land? I never took your daughter from these grounds! Ask Argus and Jules. Immediately after leaving her in her room, I went to join them to discuss the guard detail. I personally saw to it there were no less than four men stationed outside her balcony! Jules witnessed it!
"He tells you no lie, Majesty," Jules said, looking at the King in concern. "He was with us no less than twenty minutes, departed our company, and I saw him not ten minutes afterwards stationing the guardsmen."
"That means nothing! She vanished in the night. Who saw him in the barracks?!" the King demanded.
Argus shifted. "I did, sir. I was the last to bed. He was there," he said.
"Are you certain of it?" the King asked.
"I am, sir," Argus replied. "I check on each of the men before I retire myself. He was asleep."
"No one entered that barracks after you?" the Queen asked.
"No one," Argus replied. He looked at Sleet, eyes narrowed. "But it's not impossible someone could have left," he said.
Sleet gave the man an ugly scowl. "By that logic anyone in the barracks could have taken the Princess! Anyone in the castle in fact!" he defended. He looked back at the King and Queen. "Political tensions are high, war is screaming at your doorstep, disease is ravaging the land… Do you have the slightest idea what someone could gain from kidnapping a princess in the middle of all this?! Money talks, Sire. Even the most honorable of men will cast aside that honor for money when things get desperate enough."
"How much more likely is it, then, that a man with no honor take her away?" the King hissed.
"I have nothing to gain from Aleena's disappearance! You've made that abundantly clear. It's on my head if anything happens to her, no thanks to your little mock knight game. In case you haven't noticed, your majesties, I'm very much a fan of life," Sleet said. "Besides that, the man who tried to drug her is still wandering free. It could have just as well been him!"
"Oh gods!" the Queen exclaimed, covering her mouth in terror.
"Then if you wish to keep your life, young man, you'll get out there and do your job as her knight! Find my daughter and don't you dare set foot on these palace grounds until you have. If you return empty handed, gods help you Sleet," the King furiously said.
"As you wish, sire," Sleet replied with a smirk. Inwardly he laughed. They couldn't have played more perfectly into his plans if they'd tried. He loved when it all came together so neatly.
"Release him," the King ordered. The guards did so. Sleet rose, brushing himself off. "Where is the child?" the King darkly asked.
Sleet stiffened up, smirk vanishing and eyes widening. He looked sharply back at the man. "We must ensure your return somehow," the King icily said.
"Maurice," the Queen said, stunned at the words.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Sonya," he answered, looking at her.
"Gone! The child is gone. Drago took him out to train him," Sleet immediately said, scrambling to find a believable answer.
"How convenient for you," Maurice icily replied. Sleet shifted uncomfortably. "You have one month," the King darkly threatened. "If you haven't returned her by then, I will send every man at my disposal out to hunt you, I will have you dragged back in chains, and I will see you executed. If not for her kidnapping, then for letting her be taken in the first place."
Sleet inwardly cursed. This was decidedly not in the plan, but he could work around it. He always did. "Very well," he bitterly replied. Turning, he marched out. So much for everything coming together neatly, he wryly noted.
"If anything's happened to her…" Bernie tearfully began.
"Hush, dearest. We won't rest until your cousin has been found. I promise," Queen Sonya said, embracing her niece.
SU
Aleena stared blankly at the roof in her prison. At least she had managed to fall asleep for a little while. As fitful as it had been. Someone would be arriving soon. By her approximation it was around lunch. She waited patiently for a sound, anything that would signal Sleet's arrival or the arrival of one of the others. If anyone but her tutor had to come, she hoped it would be Dingo. Her stomach grumbled and she grimaced a little. She had yet to eat any of the food she had been offered since her arrival here. It wasn't comfortable, but she wasn't so desperate that she would take food from anyone other than perhaps the pup.
She frowned a little, thinking back on last night. Sleet had said, in so many words, that he didn't consider Drago worthy of being called a wolf. Clearly in some way, shape, or form, Sleet was proud of his heritage. That, though, begged the question of why he didn't view Drago as worthy of being part of it. Was it just a matter of distaste? Perhaps she would ask when he returned. She smirked ever so slightly. Sleet kept her sharp. She would give him that at least. For as much animosity as she felt towards him, she enjoyed their battles of wit.
She heard footsteps approaching and her smile slowly fell as they drew near. Those footfalls were too heavy to be Sleet's. A chill prickled up her spine and she turned her head quickly to look at the door. She wanted it to be Dingo, but she knew it wouldn't be. Though the pup was large, his steps were nowhere near heavy enough to account for this. Those steps were Drago's, and that realization made her cold.
All at once the door was thrown violently open, making her jump. She gazed in fear at the bulky figure standing in her doorway and felt herself bristling. A deep, instinctual part of her wanted to curl up into a ball for protection, but the way she was bound made that impossible. She could only stare as he lumbered up to her bed.
"Where is the food?" she asked, hoping to distract him from whatever his purpose here was.
"What do you say?" he asked.
She gritted her teeth, immediately hating the man. "Where is the food?" she repeated defiantly.
He chuckled coldly, shaking his head, and slowly leaned over her. She shrank as far down into the mattress as possible. She wanted to get as far away from him as she physically could. He reached out, taking her chin between his fingers and slowly turning her head side to side as he examined her. "Defiant, aren't we? Maybe I should remind you of your place. Here you're a captive, nothing more. You're chained in room with no power to fight back. Being a smart mouth and getting cocky isn't in your best interests." He released her chin.
"Where is Sleet?" she asked.
"Not here," the bulky canine replied. She bit back a snippy remark and remained quiet. There was a long pause. He was scrutinizing her, and suddenly she felt incredibly self-conscious. Eventually he chuckled and took a lock of her hair, rubbing it between his fingers. "You're a pretty little thing. I have good taste in girls."
"Let go of me," she hissed.
"No," he said.
"Let go!" she shouted, fear and anger overcoming common sense. She saw his eyes hardened, saw his muscles flex, and immediately knew she had overstepped her boundaries. She paled, catching her breath. Before she could speak, he struck her violently across the face! She cried out in pain and looked quickly back up at him in shock. Terror gripped her heart as he darkly growled, kneeling on her bed and swinging his other leg over her body to straddle her.
"You stupid little girl," he darkly said.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, eyes wide in fear.
"Too late," he replied, balling up a fist and drawing it back. He struck her in the side. She cried out in pain. He made a second fist and struck her in the ribcage on the opposite side. Another shout of pain. He struck her stomach next, three times in a row.
"No!" she screamed, terrified he would rupture something. He struck her head immediately after, so hard that spots danced in front of her eyes. "Stop!" she pled, starting to thrash in an attempt to throw him off. Pleading was a mistake though. He laughed and began to beat her without mercy or letup as she screamed for help and tried fruitlessly to throw him off. Not for a moment did he let up. He kept on going until she was sobbing and choking, petrified at his abuse. No one could hear her screams. If anyone could have, it would have been Dingo. Dingo, though, was the last one she wanted to have stumble upon this sight. Only when she could no longer move did Drago stop. Then he tore off her crown, threw it to the side, and grabbed her nightgown preparing to rip it apart. Suddenly the door was thrown violently open. She gasped, eyes widening in hope, and turned her head quickly. So did Drago. Her heart leapt. "Sleet!" she screamed. She would sooner not acknowledge the hope she felt upon seeing him.
"Aleena!" Sleet exclaimed in shock. Drago, frozen, hardly had time to process who had arrived before the grey wolf was across the room, yanking him off her and standing between them scowling and growling.
"You!" Drago exclaimed in fury.
"Just what you think you're doing you imbecile?!" Sleet furiously shouted.
"Little witch needs to learn when to keep quiet!" Drago snapped back, menacingly stepping towards the grey wolf.
Sleet held his ground and Aleena, watching in fear, caught her breath, eyes widening. He wasn't wearing his armor. Just a black bodysuit! What if things got out of hand? There was nothing protecting him from Drago's onslaught!
"And I need her in good health!" Sleet shouted, challenging him.
"Get out of my way!" Drago yelled as he advanced. Sleet violently shoved him back towards the door then punched him so ferociously that the bigger canine lost his balance and fell backwards!
"Back off!" Sleet barked. From the ground, Drago glared darkly up at him. Growling deeply, the white wolf slowly rose to his full height.
Sleet stiffened, realizing his mistake, and his reproachful scowl vanished as Drago towered over him. Now he stared up at his client with eyes wide, uncertain, and yes, even a little frightened. "Remember who hired who, bounty hunter. I'm the one giving orders here. Not you. Here. Let me remind you of who you are in this relationship," Drago darkly said. Sleet blinked up at him blankly. All at once the white canine delivered a violent right hook across Sleet's face! The gray canine yelped in pain as he was knocked to the ground. He rolled over quickly to face the threat barreling down on him. He gasped and scrambled up just in time to block a blow from his employer, followed by a succession of others. Drago slashed at Sleet with his claws. Sleet tried to back away, but they still struck a glancing blow, and the smaller wolf cried out in pain as blood began to trickle from a wound on his muzzle! Aleena caught her breath and tried to break free of the manacles trapping her. Drago slashed again, clipping Sleet's abdomen and causing the grey wolf to double over with a cry. Leaping on the opportunity, Drago seized his hired man by the throat and lifted him from the ground. He looked the terrified bounty hunter dead in the eyes. "You should have known not to mess with someone twice your size, Sleet," he darkly said. Sleet, teeth gritted, gazed down at him in terror.
"No!" Aleena shouted when she saw Drago draw a knife from his pocket and draw it back, fully intending to stab his companion. Suddenly, though, Sleet started, and a cruel and defiant glint sprang to his eyes. Drago frowned curiously then felt someone tap his back. Starting, he turned quickly and gasped. Before he could react, he felt himself lifted from the ground and cried out, dropping Sleet who landed none too gracefully on his rear with a grimace. "Hey mate, ya know bettah than ta mess with someone twice your size. Or in this case half it!" the newcomer said.
"Dingo!" Drago exclaimed in angry shock. Aleena gaped in disbelief as the child effortlessly held the muscle-bound wolf high above his head and began to spin him around. Drago cried out in alarm and fear. Dingo tossed him across the room and into a wall. Drago struck it hard and crashed to the ground. Shaking his head, he looked up with a shocked gasp at the little pup—or good sized, as the case may be—standing in front of Sleet defensively. Recovering himself, he scowled and began to growl, rising to his feet and looking ready to go again.
"Don't even think it," Sleet said, drawing his blaster and levelling it at Drago. Drago froze. Sleet smirked and came up alongside Dingo, dropping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Excellent work, Dingo. It's about time you made yourself useful," he praised.
"Thanks mate," Dingo replied, looking cheerfully up at him.
Sleet turned furiously back to Drago with a scowl and pointed at the door with his free hand while keeping the gun trained on his opponent with the other. "Now get out and let me do my job! It's hard enough without you deciding to make it more difficult," he snapped. Drago growled darkly. Bitterly he walked out of the room, inwardly fuming, and didn't say a single word.
SU
As soon as Drago was gone, Sleet visibly relaxed. "Cretin," he muttered.
"You call me Sleet?" Dingo asked.
Sleet rolled his eyes hopelessly and shook his head. He looked towards Aleena and saw her wounds. He frowned and looked down at Dingo, putting on an innocent grin. "Why, yes Dingo. As a matter of fact I did." The genial smile became a scowl, and he drew out the remote he often used to change the pup.
"No Sleet, not that!" Dingo pled, backing away.
"Stop being such a baby," Sleet said, zapping him anyway.
Aleena gasped in shock and horror as in front of her eyes Dingo morphed into a bowl! "Oh gods, what have you done to him?!" she demanded of Sleet, torn between fury and horror.
"He's fine!" Sleet testily replied
"How is he fine?!" Aleena demanded.
"Dingo, does it hurt?" Sleet asked.
"No," Dingo grumbled.
"See? Fine," Sleet said to Aleena, gesturing at the pup. He turned to Dingo once more. "Now you listen carefully, Dingo. Go fill yourself up with water as hot as you can stand and add salt. Lots of it. After you've done that, grab some cloths and come right back, understood? Or do I have to break it down even more?"
"I got it Sleet," Dingo grumbled.
"Get a move on," Sleet ordered, pointing.
Grumbling, Dingo forced his legs and arms out and went to the door muttering all the way. Aleena gaped after him in horror. "I-I can't believe…" she began in shock.
"Dingo, Aleena, has very special powers. Powers he needs to train or else they really could hurt him. I know how to handle it. Better me than Drago or anyone else," Sleet said, turning to her. He blinked when he saw her staring at his abdomen, eyes wide. He frowned. "What are you looking at?" he demanded.
"You're wounded," she said in concern.
He looked down and saw a blossoming patch of red spreading out from the wounds Drago had left. Grimacing, he covered the injury with an arm and glared at her, eyes narrow. "What do you care?" he bitterly replied.
"Those gashes must be treated," she said, ignoring the bitter tone. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Sleet, I got the salt watah and cloth," Dingo said, entering the room just then.
Sleet looked back at him and frowned. "About time," he said, bending down and picking Dingo up. Sitting on the bed, he placed Dingo's bowl form on the bedside table, then unlocked the cuffs around Aleena's wrists.
Carefully Aleena sat up, rubbing said wrists in relief. He watched her warily then suddenly heard crashing from the next room. He whipped his head around and snarled. The sound sent shivers racing down the princess's spine. Drago must be furious, she thought. Doubtless Sleet sensed as much too. She watched her tutor curiously. He was completely fixated on the entry point. Almost as if he half-expected Drago to barge right back in and maul him. She glanced at his wounds, then to Dingo. Pursing her lips, she reached out and took the cloth, bathing it in the salt water. Her tutor had received those wounds defending her. At the very least she could tend them for him.
"Uncover your injuries," she directed calmly.
Sleet started and turned quickly to her in surprise. He blinked blankly, processing what he'd just heard. "What?" he soon asked, a suspicious and cold note in his voice.
"Uncover your wounds," she said again, looking sternly at him.
He was still, suspicion darkening his eyes. "What are you doing?" he warily asked.
"They need to be cleaned," she said, eyes firm.
"Cleaning a soldier's wounds? Not very royal of you, is it your highness?" he mocked.
"In the course of a single night you reduced me from princess to captive. Were this a war, I would be a slave," she said. "Royalty has no bearing on matters now."
"Were this war, you wouldn't be this kind of slave," he cruelly replied.
She glared at him, eyes narrowed. "Uncover your wounds," she ordered once more.
He stared at her for a long moment. At last he huffed and did as he was asked, undoing the bodysuit and opening up the top half of it, uncovering the injuries. He watched her warily, coiled to strike should she make one wrong move. He jumped and hissed a bit in pain when she pressed the warm cloth against his injury, the salt causing the wounds to sting. Automatically he seized her wrists, holding them away. She looked up into his eyes sternly. He held her gaze but soon relented, letting her wrists go. She went back to tending the wound. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. She focused solemnly on her job.
"Is he okay, Princess Aleena?" Dingo asked, looked worried.
"Yes Dingo. The salt just stings is all," Aleena assured.
For a while there was silence as the princess methodically rinsed the cloth and bathed her captor's wounds. Eventually she put the cloth back in the bowl and looked ruefully at her nightgown. She reached for the bottom and, to Sleet's shock, tore a thick strip from it. He stared at her mouth agape, completely flabbergasted. Ignoring his disbelief, she neatly bound the wound. She looked up at him once more. He really was quite handsome, she noted. Her eyes widened and she was horrified at her own thought. Immediately she banished it and frowned. "Let me clean the gashes on your face," she said.
"I can lick my own wounds," he answered, suddenly acutely aware of her own bruises and scratches. Bitterly he cursed Drago and looked at the reddened water in Dingo. It would be unsanitary to treat her own cuts with it now, and sending Dingo back out when Drago was in a tiff was the last thing he wanted to do.
"My cuts aren't bad enough that they need to be cleaned immediately," she said, sensing his hesitation. He looked at her. She wasn't facing him. Instead she was staring ahead at seemingly nothing, lost in thought. He briefly wondered what was on her mind, but shook off the temptation to ask. What did he care, after all?
Aleena didn't wonder anymore why Sleet held such disdain for Drago. The man had known his partner's true nature from the start. When a man as cruel, evil, and villainous as Sleet, refused to acknowledge that another was even the same species, it was a loud and clear warning. She felt tears threatening her eyes as she started to process what had happened, and her mouth quivered.
"Um, Sleet, I think she's really hurtin'," Dingo said.
Sleet was silent, watching her. He'd noticed as much already. "It isn't the pain, Dingo," he answered.
"Then what is it?" Dingo asked in confusion.
Aleena smiled at the pup. "It's nothing Dingo. Would you be a dear and bring me something to eat, after Drago has calmed down? I feel quite hungry."
"Okay Queen Aleena," Dingo replied.
Sleet listened for Drago. It seemed quiet now. "Go quickly and stay low," he said, laying the soiled cloths on the bedside table. He removed the other from Dingo's basin as well, laying it aside with the first.
"What about the watah?" Dingo asked. Sleet rolled his eyes and picked Dingo up. He went to the window, opened it, then emptied the contents before closing it up once more and locking it tight. He placed Dingo down and zapped him back to normal. The moment Dingo was his regular self, he scrambled out to get the food for the princess.
SU
For a while there was silence between the bounty hunter and his captive. The pup bustling around in the kitchen seemed to be the only sound in the house now, and Aleena couldn't help but wonder where Drago had gone. "Why weren't you there?" she finally asked her mentor.
Sleet looked over at her inquisitively. Why wasn't he there? What did she…? Drago, he realized. A surge of defensive responses swirled through his brain, but he managed to keep quiet before blurting any of them out. For a moment, he weighed his words. "I'm not one of your bodyguards, your majesty," he finally said. He heard her sniff and was thrown off guard a bit. Uncomfortably he shifted. "I was out. As soon as I returned I heard the screams and came."
"You will leave soon, won't you? And take the pup with you… As soon as the heat dies down and your payment is secured, you will go." Silence. "You will really leave me with a monster so vile?" she continued. He shifted uncomfortably and chose to hold his tongue. She let out a shaking stream of air, looking towards the curtained window. For the time being, she let the matter go. "Where do you sleep?" she soon asked.
Briefly he considered his answer. "Here," he replied. "At the moment, you're in my room."
She was mildly surprised at this and for a brief second thought to apologize, but quickly reminded herself that they had put her here in the first place. "Then where do you sleep now?" she asked.
"On the roof," he answered.
"The roof?" she asked, puzzled. It seemed an odd choice.
He sighed deeply in annoyance. "Yes. The roof. It gives me a sense of freedom and comfort, and a place to think," he said.
Just then Dingo came in. "I've got the food princess Aleena," he proudly said. He approached her bed and set it down.
"Thank you Dingo," Aleena said, smiling at him.
"Now go keep an eye on Drago," Sleet ordered.
"Aw, but Sleet, he scares me," Dingo whined.
"Then play with your toys instead," Sleet replied.
"Humph, fine," Dingo replied. Sulkily he left.
Aleena turned to the tray of food and picked up some bread, nibbling at it. She didn't really feel hungry anymore, she noted to herself, but as long as she was free, she should take the opportunity to eat. She noticed, suddenly, that Sleet's eyes were fixated on something. Frowning curiously, she followed his gaze and gasped. The jewel in her crown was glowing! She'd almost forgotten Drago had thrown it aside. She looked quickly and nervously at the grey wolf. He rose and went to it, picking it up and examining the jewel in confusion. He approached Aleena. As he did, the light became brighter! He stopped in surprise, frowned, then continued. He looked down at her as he reached her side, wary. She quickly snatched the crown from him and placed it on her head. Immediately the glowing stopped. Startled, he stepped back in surprise with eyes wide.
There was a long, awkward silence between them. Aleena stared nervously up at him, anticipating his next question. "What was that?" he finally asked.
"What was what?" she questioned, playing dumb.
"You know what I mean, your majesty. The glowing jewel," Sleet said, frowning in annoyance.
"It's only a jewel," she vaguely answered.
"Oh no, princess. You're not getting away with that one," he said.
"Feeling greedy, Sleet?" she asked snidely.
"Why, never Princess. How could you ever think that? I'm just curious," he answered, voice thick with sarcasm.
She looked away from him, and for a long moment they sat there quietly as she decided whether she would answer or not. "If the jewel is separated from me, it will trace me like a homing device," she finally said. "The closer the one who holds it comes, the brighter it will get until it is returned to me. It was once my mother's. An heirloom found long ago in Imporium, where it must be brought if it is ever to be sold. It will only work for me."
"Interesting," he mused, logging the information away.
"I would not get any greedy ideas if I were you, Sleet," she warned. He frowned at her in annoyance and absently plucked a last grape from off her plate, holding it out to her. Though clearly she was capable of eating for herself, her attention was on his face and not his hands, so she took the fruit gingerly from his fingertips. As she did so, though, her lips gently brushed them. Both of them froze in mortification. He recovered first and smirked in amusement. "Don't flatter yourself, my lady," he said in a tone that implied the sorts of things Aleena shuddered to think of.
"I'm not the one flattering myself," she replied coldly, eyes narrowing. He sinisterly chuckled and rose, cuffing her up once more and leaving the room. She glared coldly after him. Thinking back on his words, though, she caught herself flushing and mentally kicked herself for it. She determined it would be best to simply pretend this day had never happened.
SU
Aleena lay restlessly on the bed, gazing at the ceiling and shifting around. How long had she been here now, she wondered? Three or four days maybe? She was beginning to feel claustrophobic. She had to get out. Not only did she have to worry about the epidemic ravaging her people, but her family must be in a panic on top of that. Doubtless they would be searching everywhere for her, sending out as many men as they could and exposing them to the dangers of the disease. A disease that could very easily be brought back to the palace, then, and afflict everyone within. Mother was not a well woman. She would never survive such a thing. Father was old. There was no guarantee he would make it either. There was no guarantee anyone would make it… She shuddered at the thought. On the other hand, if the guards were to come around to all the doors in the city, she could get out. Surely someone would find her that way! With each day that passed, though, it fell less and less likely. No, she couldn't give up hope she told herself. She would find a way out of this one way or another.
She heard someone enter and shot a wicked glare towards the door, causing the figure to pull back in slight alarm. She almost laughed on seeing who it was. Sleet. Strange that he would have such a reaction to her fury. "It's cold," she stated curtly.
"It's fall. It's supposed to be getting cold at night my sovereign," Sleet replied.
"Then do something about it!" she demanded, trying to make herself sound as much like a spoiled brat as she could. Perhaps it would deter him from staying.
"Is that your best attempt at annoying me?" Sleet icily said, instantly hating her tone but refusing to be riled up by it.
"They will find me. You know they will. They will come around to every single house in Mobotropolis and search each one of them if they must," Aleena said.
"Oh will they now?" Sleet replied. "In the middle of an epidemic? I don't think so."
"Even if they don't, there are other ways I might escape," Aleena replied.
"Oh? And where would you go, princess? Where would you run and hide? The streets? We'd find you long before the guards did. The rooftops? Unlikely. Perhaps the sewers or the Underground Drainage Caverns. Would you hide there?" he challenged with a taunting smirk.
She glared at him. "No," she coldly answered. "The culverts and Drainage Caverns are where I draw the line. I would never lower myself to hide in an underground swamp. Not because of the filth, I will get dirty if I must, but because thieves and villains of every sort make them their hideout. A single wrong turn and I might end up trapped in a situation I can't handle. I would have no weapon, only skill, and a large enough number would be the end of me, so I would never hide in such a place."
"Never, your highness?" Sleet challenged.
"There are always exceptions, Sleet," she replied coldly.
"What are yours?" he asked.
She was quiet, glaring at him. "Desperation. Perhaps pursuing or meeting up with someone I cared about," she at last answered.
"Then be careful with the word never, majesty," he said.
"Gods you're insufferable," she said.
He simply chuckled and rose to leave. "Dingo will be in here in a moment with a blanket," he said. With that he left. She blinked after him in surprise. He would grant her request regarding the cold? That was… surprising.
SU
Aleena waited for Dingo to come, going over a million insults and things she longed to say to the bothersome wolf but probably never would. She needed to retain some dignity, after all. Soon enough the young pup entered her room. "Princess Aleena, I've brought you some blankets," he said.
Aleena looked over at him ponderously. He was a child, so was doubtless naïve. Of them all he was certainly the kindest as well, still capable of feeling. Maybe, just maybe, she could use that to her advantage and make her escape. She hated to use anyone, especially a child, but she had to get away from here. She just had to. She couldn't stay any longer. Every night that passed was a night closer to Drago's plans for her coming to fruition. Each day she feared more and more that one morning she would wake up, Sleet and Dingo would be gone, and the white wolf would be sitting there on the side of her bed with a dark, lecherous smirk plastered on his face. That fear more than anything else pushed her to act. It was tonight or never, she determined. She would be free. Yes, the night was chilly, but she could handle it.
She gave Dingo a friendly smile. "Thank you, Dingo," she said. He nodded and set them down on her bed. "Little one, can you do one more thing for me?" she innocently questioned.
"Um, sure thing your majesty. What is it?" he asked.
She looked towards the window. It was a chilly night, but she could handle it. She turned back to Dingo and smiled. "My wrists hurt very much. Can you free them so I can rest them? Just for one night. Please. Drago and Sleet never have to know," she pled.
Dingo shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I'm not sure about this Princess Aleena," he replied uncertainly.
"Oh Dingo, please? Where could I go anyway? The window is locked and now boarded as well," she said. Dingo looked uncertainly back at the door, then to her. After a moment he left the room. All she could do now was wait…
It wasn't long before Dingo returned. "Princess Aleena?" he asked. She looked at him curiously. "I have it," he said, holding up the key to her cuffs. He freed her wrists as quietly as possible.
Aleena grinned widely and sat up, massaging them. "Thank you, Dingo," she sincerely said.
"Just don't try anythin' funny," the child said, trying to sound as threatening as possible. She smiled sweetly at him. He shifted a bit, looking a little sheepish, then left the room.
The second Dingo was gone, Aleena reached into her hair. A smile parted her lips as she pulled a strong pin from out of her tresses. She had intended to use it to escape her room and go down to the city to help her people. Instead it would serve her here. She felt bad about tricking the child, but it had to be done. She leaned down to her shackled ankles and began to work on them. She bit her lower lip in frustration, but soon enough was rewarded by the click of a lock being sprung. She grinned victoriously. In moments, her other leg was free and she tucked the pin away again. Quickly she got off the bed and rifled through Sleet's things. Soon she pulled out a long cape and threw it over herself in the fashion of a cloak. Quietly she made her way towards the door. A sneak attack would, in theory, deal with the problem and give her a clear path to escape. As long as she was very, very quiet, she might be able to pull this off. The cloak should help, and besides, it had Sleet's scent on it. With any luck, that would mask her own from her canine pursuers.
SU
Sleet and Drago looked up as Dingo came out of the room, hands behind his back guiltily. Sleet raised an eyebrow. "What are you hiding Dingo?" he suspiciously asked.
"Hiding? Uh, nothing Sleet," Dingo quickly said, trying to look innocent and epically failing.
"Oh no? Then why do you look so nervous?" Drago questioned.
"Um…" Dingo began.
Sleet and Drago were both standing now, eyes narrowed. "You weren't in there long. Did you cover her with the blankets?" Sleet asked.
"Um, I…" Dingo tried once more.
"What are you hiding!" Drago demanded angrily, stepping menacingly towards him. Dingo stepped back with a fearful gasp.
"I-I told ya!" Dingo whined. With a furious snarl, Drago suddenly charged at the child full tilt! Dingo screamed in fear, racing out of the way.
"Dingo!" Sleet exclaimed in alarm.
All at once the door to Sleet's room flew off its hinges, ramming into Drago and trapping the shocked wolf beneath it! Aleena leapt through immediately after, landing on the downed door and crushing Drago further beneath it with a scowl. Dingo gasped, looking back. Aleena leapt off the door, gave the white wolf a disgusted look, then tore towards the exit.
Sleet, shocked, barely registered that he should try and stop her. Acting on impulse, he surged ahead to cut her off. "Stop!" he ordered. She leapt into the air, curled into a ball, and homed in on him, striking hard and knocking him to the ground. He cried out in pain. She landed on him then leapt off, racing outside. "What a woman," he dazedly said, sitting up dizzily.
"What are you sitting there for? Go after her!" Drago furiously shouted, throwing the door off himself and getting up. Immediately he raced after the princess. Sleet gasped and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled. Scowling, Sleet got quickly to his feet and ran after Drago in pursuit of Aleena.
"Hey, wait for me Sleet!" Dingo called, racing to keep up with them.
"I'll deal with you later, Dingo!" Sleet angrily yelled at the pup. Dingo flinched a bit but didn't stop following.
SU
Aleena ran like her life depended on it. She looked back fearfully, only to see the trio fly around a corner looking for her. Sleet caught sight of her first and charged. She scowled and focused on her flight. Every chance she got she dodged in and out of alleys, but he kept up to her no matter the tricks she used. The other two were doubtless not far behind him, and she was getting desperate.
She cut quickly into another alley and was forced to stop with a gasp when she saw a wall in front of her! Oh no. She looked desperately around for a way out and soon her eyes fell on a manhole cover. An opening to the Underground Drainage Caverns! She grimaced, but they were her only hope. Ironic that only earlier she had told Sleet she would never hide in them if it could be helped. This though, she supposed, couldn't be helped. She hated the thought of entering into dangerous, uncharted territory, but she had no other choice.
"Down there!" she heard Sleet call. She dropped and quickly opened the manhole, climbing inside. As she disappeared within, Sleet, Drago, and Dingo slid to a stop in front of the alley and peered down it. Sleet scowled. "Dingo, you go right! Drago, check the buildings!" he ordered, pointing each direction.
"Are you gonna check the caverns Sleet?" Dingo asked.
"She would never lower herself to hide in that underground swamp," he answered without batting an eye. "Go! We meet back at the hideout in an hour." They trio broke apart and Sleet looked once more down the alley, frowning. "Unless…" he began. He walked down the alley, scanning for any sign of her, and stopped when he saw the manhole cover. Darkly he smirked. "Well, this counts as desperate I suppose," he said. There was nowhere else for her to go except down. He bent down to the manhole cover and pried it open before crawling down inside. She wasn't getting away that easily.
SU
Aleena ran swiftly through the caverns. She had a general idea of where her castle was. She vaguely knew the layout of the streets, drainage caverns, and sewers from blueprints she had studied. If her sense of direction was correct, she was heading towards the Underground Waterworks. She sensed that this was a bad idea, she felt in her bones that something was going to go wrong, but she ignored the misgiving and pressed on anyway. At this point she may well be safer with any thief or murderer who had made their home down here than she would be with Sleet and Drago, if they caught her.
She rounded a corner and gasped when she saw the waterworks up ahead. Hope filled her eyes and she raced towards them. She came out into the large chamber and looked around quickly. She neither saw nor heard anything that implied to her there was danger down here, but she wouldn't let her guard down just yet. Slowly, silently, she made her way deeper inside, moving towards the towers. She was cautious of every drip and every splash, but still her sense of unease was growing. Soon it became so intense that she just stopped. Something was wrong. She wanted to run or to curl into a ball, but what would that do if things got bad enough? Suddenly she was second guessing whether she actually would be better off down here than with her pursuers. Something in this place was spooking her, and she hated not knowing what.
She told herself to calm down. If anyone attacked her it would only be a few men, right? Four at most! She could handle four easily. Cautiously she continued onward. She saw the door she needed to go through to exit this area. So far so good. It was only a little further. Unconsciously she was speeding up, she knew she was. Her instincts were driving her to. All at once she began to run, then charged full speed towards the door.
She was in danger, she knew she was! She could handle four, but what about…? Just then, from seemingly nowhere, a group of about fifteen men of all species suddenly stepped out of hiding and surrounded her. She stopped with a gasp. What about handling fifteen?! Maybe armed, lucky, and with help! At the moment she had none of those things, so she braced herself for the fight of her life. She would not be an easy mark, she swore to herself.
SU
"Well, well, look what we've got here boys," one of the men said.
"Oh, we're looking," another replied.
The men began to press in on her. "Where are you going, pretty lady?" a third asked.
"What's a girl like you doing down here in the first place?" a fourth asked.
She warned herself not to talk. Instead, she glared darkly at them as she backed up a step. It did her precious little good. More were coming from behind, and all at once she felt her arms seized roughly. She gasped in fear, looking back. "Don't leave so soon," the man who had seized her said.
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a rush," she coolly replied. All at once she spiked the man with her quills, causing him to shout in pain and let her go. Immediately she turned, racing back the way she'd come. She was running right back into the arms of her captors, she bitterly realized, but at this point it was a choice between two evils, and better the devil you knew, as the saying went. She screamed as something struck her in the back from behind, knocking her down. She tried to get up, but someone roughly dragged her from the ground and spun her back into the middle of the ring of men! She got into a battle stance, eyes narrowed, and prepared to fight back with everything she had. She would not go down without a battle. Darkly they laughed and ran at her as one!
Aleena opened with a homing attack, chaining it from one man to another, but they were getting up quickly with scowls and preparing themselves for similar attacks. She hoped some worker was down here checking the towers, or heading here to do so. She went into a spin dash and darted around, knocking them down like bowling pins. They recovered quickly, though, and threw themselves at her, trying to pin her down. She laid flat her share of men, but there were so many. Homing attacks and spin dashes did little to slow them when they could just get back up again. It wasn't as if a single strike was going to blow them up or kill them. They were recovering almost quicker than she could put them down! If only she had a sword. Soon enough they had her at their mercy once again. "You're being difficult, aren't you?!" one of them spat.
"I will not be easy prey!" she shot.
Her words were met by a slap that made her gasp. "Let's have some fun with her, shall we?" one suggested with a cruel glint. She scowled at them hatefully.
"Why not? Nothing better to do," another answered as he brought out a switch blade, flicking it open. Aleena drew in a sharp breath of air.
As the men pressed in, she swallowed and braced herself. Just then, though, they heard footsteps racing towards them. The men looked quickly away with exclamations of confusion or surprise. Aleena turned swiftly towards the sound as well. She caught her breath, eyes widening, when she saw who it was. Sleet!
SU
Sleet was there almost too fast for the men to comprehend. With a snarl the wolf threw himself against them, his sword and blaster brandished, and began to slash and shoot without letup! The men cried out in horror, forgetting the woman and attempting to fight back against the newcomer. The one holding Aleena tossed her to the side and raced to help the others against the new threat. Aleena hit the ground and turned quickly to look at her savior in shock. He had found her.
The princess watched him fight and slowly, quietly, rose. They were ganging up on him. She looked towards the exit. It was clear. Her captor would be killed here, she could escape, Dingo and Drago would never be the wiser… Sleet was a dead man anyway. She looked coldly back at the wolf being swarmed, then turned and walked towards the exit. Suddenly she heard the wolf yelp in pain and looked back. She kicked herself for doing so. He was still standing, but they had a surer attack point and were backing him towards the water, slowly gaining the high ground. A deep gash had been carved into his arm, doubtless by the man with the switch blade.
Her eyes widened as she watched them and realized what they were trying to do. They were going to attempt to drown him! Soon he would lose his footing in the loose mud and fall in the water, and then they would have him despite his superior skill. From the look in his eyes, she knew that he realized it too. Unexpectedly he looked her way and her breath caught in her throat. Passionate hatred was reflected in his eyes, and she knew by the look in his eyes that he realized she was going to leave him to die. Yet even still he held his ground and besieged her attackers, preventing them from so much as trying to go after her. She was frozen in place, torn between conscience and common sense. She let out a bitter laugh, holding her head in her hands and drawing her fingers through her hair in frustration. Only he could bring out this sort of internal conflict in her, she noted in disgust. Quickly she turned her back on him, walking away with arms wrapped tightly around herself and teeth clenched as she tried to ignore every part of her that screamed to help him. Show mercy to a poisonous serpent and you would be bit.
All at once he lost his footing. She heard the splash and stopped. She let out a shaking breath, closing her eyes tightly. Common sense dictated that she had to leave and let what happened happen. She had no obligation to him, and he would show precious little gratitude to her in turn. He would drag her back to her prison without so much as a thank you, and she would be right where she started only worse off. She heard him struggling against them, fighting to the bitter end and refusing to give up. She heard him gasping for air as he fought, but soon the gasps stopped, and she heard only his thrashing in the water. They had him, and it was only a matter of moments before his struggling weakened and died. She gritted her teeth, shook her head, and looked sharply back with a scowl, eyes blazing. No. She refused to let this happen. So much for common sense.
Immediately Aleena turned around and charged at them. She scooped up a long and sharp piece of debris as she ran passed it. "Leave him alone!" she screamed at them. The men quickly turned to look at her in surprise as if they had forgotten she was even there. That was their mistake. They hardly had time to gasp before she was attacking them with a vengeance. She struck the men holding Sleet down with a chain of homing attacks, knocking them into the water.
Sleet immediately broke the surface gasping and choking for air. He turned in shocked disbelief only to see Aleena struggling against five men in the water, a sharp piece of metal in her hands and her long hair either plastered to her face or flying around wildly. He could only gawk, eyes wide.
He had never seen her so beautiful…
He started, taken aback by his own treacherous thought, and scowled in disgust, shoving it into the furthest recesses of his mind and hoping it never made an appearance again. He noticed the men coming at him and scowled. He had more pressing issues to deal with than gawking at the princess. Quickly he leapt up and attacked. Two against fifteen odds. Wonderful. It was a long shot, but by some miracle or other they were holding their own. Here was hoping they kept doing so.
SU
In moments Sleet and Aleena had downed the last of their attackers. Sleet, panting, turned to look towards her. He stiffened. She was rising from the water like some mythical entity, the sharp metal shard pointed towards him as she did so. Slowly she approached him with eyes blazing, looking for all the world like a faerie creature or a goddess stepping from the pages of folklore or mythology. He never moved as she neared, and never flinched. Not even when she held the tip of the metal at his throat.
Silence hung between them. The only sound that could be heard was the steady dripping of water. After a moment she closed her eyes with a sigh and put her free hand to her forehead, stressed. She lowered the shard. There went her last chance of escape, she knew. Sleet would bring her back, and this time he probably wouldn't stop Drago from 'punishing' her. She felt him take the debris from her and heard him cast it aside. She looked defeatedly up at him, an expectant look in her eyes.
"What?" he questioned in mock cluelessness.
"Don't insult my intelligence and play this game with me, Sleet," she warned.
"Playing with you was their intention, not mine," Sleet replied with a cruel smirk, gesturing towards the downed attackers.
She looked at them and felt suddenly sick. He was right. They had come so very close… Her shoulders slumped and she bowed her head, closing her eyes. She didn't turn to face him again. "Thank you," she quietly said.
He looked at her in surprise. She was thanking him? He cocked his head curiously. "Come along, princess. Don't make this difficult," he soon replied.
She looked towards him and eyed up the bleeding gash on his arm. "How bad is the pain and how deep the cut?" she asked.
He glanced at the wound. "I've had worse, but you know that already, don't you?" he answered.
"Yes," she replied. The gashes Drago had given him had been worse. "But this one will become infected far quicker, if it is not tended to properly and promptly," she added.
"Oh I plan to thoroughly clean it. The minute we get back in fact," he replied, coming up alongside her and taking her arm firmly, leading her away. For a moment she considered attacking him again and breaking free, but where could she go from here at this point? He would always be right behind her and twice as armed besides. Her best bet was to return quietly and rethink her escape plan. Clearly blitzing it wasn't going to work. Their sense of smell was too good. He looked her over for any injury as they walked. "You fared well, I presume?" he said.
"Better than you," she answered. "For the most part I went uninjured, say perhaps some bruising."
"Good. Now you're going right back to your prison," he said.
"Don't remind me," she bitterly replied.