CHAPTER 8
Finally, King Ulysses and Queen Nivani reach the mountaintops where the blue pillar of light was seen.
" I don't understand!" Ulysses exclaims in anger.
" Why was Tristen here with his men, and why did they conjure up the blue light?"
Nivani shakes her head, equally as troubled. Suddenly one of the Fenailian soldiers calls to his Queen.
" Your Majesty, look over here!"
Both King and Queen spin their horses round and trot them over to the soldier. There, down a crevice in the rock, lie the smashed ruins of a machine.
" Is it Gaimeleth wreckage?" Nivani asks her soldier.
The soldier shrugs in disappointment.
"I'm sorry Queen Nivani, but we can't tell while it is dark. Maybe we could get a better look if we retrieve the wreckage first."
Nivani agrees and orders her men to haul out the twisted metal remains.
" Send for one of our own Gaimeleths so we can bring it back to Fenailia. Our technicians can get a better look then."
The soldiers salute smartly and clamber down the crevice towards the debris.
Darken practically throws Riana back into her cell and locks the cell door behind him. Before the Mage General could walk away, Riana grabs his arm through the bars pleadingly.
" Sir, please believe me when I say I don't have any powers!"
Darken yanks his arm away and turns his back on her, speaking before leaving the Dungeon.
" Time will tell if you are telling the truth or not girl. However,"
Darken turns his head to look at her.
" If you are telling the truth, and King Tristen finds out you do not have such powers, I suggest you start praying for your life..."
Laughing menacingly, Darken swiftly leaves the dungeon, replacing Riana's fear with pure dread. Too petrified to cry, Riana simply sits in the corner of her cell in silence. Suddenly the silence is broken by a new voice, coming from the cell opposite.
" Are you the girl from the Mystic Moon?"
Unable to see the figure clearly due to the shadows, Riana leans her head on the door bars and answers her fellow inmate.
" That's what I've been told..." Riana replies sadly.
" Then Tristen's evil plot is on the move." The voice sighs.
Turning to face the figure in the cell opposite, Riana tries to see his face.
" Who are you?" she asks. " Why are you in here?"
Remaining in the shadows, the young man answers.
" My name is Luanda. I was captured and thrown in this cell when trying to uncover King Tristen's plans. I have failed..."
Listening sadly to Luanda's words, Riana stands up and leans against the cells stone walls.
" Well don't worry Luanda, they have the wrong girl. They think I have some special power that will help them...which I defiantly don't have!"
" What will they do with you when they find out this for themselves?" Luanda asks his new friend.
Riana shivers. " I think they're going to kill me."
A cold silence hangs over the two, as they contemplate these harsh words. Suddenly, Riana remembers something.
" Do you remember at all if they brought a boy like me here? He has short blond hair and brown eyes."
" Yes." Luanda replies.
" They took him to see King Tristen before they awoke you. He hasn't returned..."
Riana bites her lip in anger. Could Akuma have been killed already?
" What will you do now, girl of the Mystic Moon?"
Riana turns back to her friend.
" My name is Riana."
Luanda's shadow-covered face nods in acknowledgement and he repeats his question. Riana shrugs and looks around, looking up at the ceiling. To her delight, the ceiling is bared just like the door, giving her an idea.
" I've decided I'm going to attempt an escape!"
Luanda, for the first time moves closer to his cell door, revealing is true appearance to Riana.
" Is that possible?" He asks in wonder.
Riana gasps at Luanda's cat-like appearance. Realising she probably hadn't seen a beastman before, falls back into the shadows and apologises. Riana couldn't believe what she had just seen. A man with cat-like ears, piercing yellow eyes and stripes! Realising she was staring, Riana apologises for her reaction to his looks.
" Sorry for staring, I haven't seen a creature like you before." Riana finds herself going red, and quickly inspects the ceiling bars once again.
" How are you planning to escape Riana? These bars are made of extremely strong metal."
Riana turns back to Luanda moving closer to her cell door.
" I'm going to escape with your help. You do want to come with me? To escape?"
Luanda stands up and comes closer to his door also and smiles warmly.
" Thank you Riana."
Finally, King Ulysses and Queen Nivani reach the mountaintops where the blue pillar of light was seen.
" I don't understand!" Ulysses exclaims in anger.
" Why was Tristen here with his men, and why did they conjure up the blue light?"
Nivani shakes her head, equally as troubled. Suddenly one of the Fenailian soldiers calls to his Queen.
" Your Majesty, look over here!"
Both King and Queen spin their horses round and trot them over to the soldier. There, down a crevice in the rock, lie the smashed ruins of a machine.
" Is it Gaimeleth wreckage?" Nivani asks her soldier.
The soldier shrugs in disappointment.
"I'm sorry Queen Nivani, but we can't tell while it is dark. Maybe we could get a better look if we retrieve the wreckage first."
Nivani agrees and orders her men to haul out the twisted metal remains.
" Send for one of our own Gaimeleths so we can bring it back to Fenailia. Our technicians can get a better look then."
The soldiers salute smartly and clamber down the crevice towards the debris.
Darken practically throws Riana back into her cell and locks the cell door behind him. Before the Mage General could walk away, Riana grabs his arm through the bars pleadingly.
" Sir, please believe me when I say I don't have any powers!"
Darken yanks his arm away and turns his back on her, speaking before leaving the Dungeon.
" Time will tell if you are telling the truth or not girl. However,"
Darken turns his head to look at her.
" If you are telling the truth, and King Tristen finds out you do not have such powers, I suggest you start praying for your life..."
Laughing menacingly, Darken swiftly leaves the dungeon, replacing Riana's fear with pure dread. Too petrified to cry, Riana simply sits in the corner of her cell in silence. Suddenly the silence is broken by a new voice, coming from the cell opposite.
" Are you the girl from the Mystic Moon?"
Unable to see the figure clearly due to the shadows, Riana leans her head on the door bars and answers her fellow inmate.
" That's what I've been told..." Riana replies sadly.
" Then Tristen's evil plot is on the move." The voice sighs.
Turning to face the figure in the cell opposite, Riana tries to see his face.
" Who are you?" she asks. " Why are you in here?"
Remaining in the shadows, the young man answers.
" My name is Luanda. I was captured and thrown in this cell when trying to uncover King Tristen's plans. I have failed..."
Listening sadly to Luanda's words, Riana stands up and leans against the cells stone walls.
" Well don't worry Luanda, they have the wrong girl. They think I have some special power that will help them...which I defiantly don't have!"
" What will they do with you when they find out this for themselves?" Luanda asks his new friend.
Riana shivers. " I think they're going to kill me."
A cold silence hangs over the two, as they contemplate these harsh words. Suddenly, Riana remembers something.
" Do you remember at all if they brought a boy like me here? He has short blond hair and brown eyes."
" Yes." Luanda replies.
" They took him to see King Tristen before they awoke you. He hasn't returned..."
Riana bites her lip in anger. Could Akuma have been killed already?
" What will you do now, girl of the Mystic Moon?"
Riana turns back to her friend.
" My name is Riana."
Luanda's shadow-covered face nods in acknowledgement and he repeats his question. Riana shrugs and looks around, looking up at the ceiling. To her delight, the ceiling is bared just like the door, giving her an idea.
" I've decided I'm going to attempt an escape!"
Luanda, for the first time moves closer to his cell door, revealing is true appearance to Riana.
" Is that possible?" He asks in wonder.
Riana gasps at Luanda's cat-like appearance. Realising she probably hadn't seen a beastman before, falls back into the shadows and apologises. Riana couldn't believe what she had just seen. A man with cat-like ears, piercing yellow eyes and stripes! Realising she was staring, Riana apologises for her reaction to his looks.
" Sorry for staring, I haven't seen a creature like you before." Riana finds herself going red, and quickly inspects the ceiling bars once again.
" How are you planning to escape Riana? These bars are made of extremely strong metal."
Riana turns back to Luanda moving closer to her cell door.
" I'm going to escape with your help. You do want to come with me? To escape?"
Luanda stands up and comes closer to his door also and smiles warmly.
" Thank you Riana."
