Adrina crouched in the shadows just beyond the doorway, waiting for an alarm to sound or guards to rush out and capture her. Nothing happened and after five minutes she decided it was safe and crept stealthily out into the hallway. The place was very dark inside, lit only by the occasional dim torch along the wall. She was glad for the shadows that were virtually untouched by light and crept through them to a staircase. She knew that the prisoners were kept on higher levels and ascended quickly.
The second floor was where she had stayed while in Zaibach and she knew it fairly well. She hurried tot he stairs and went up to the third floor. This was where she assumed Folken would be. She had never been to this floor and had no idea which rooms were holding cells and which weren't. She quickly discovered that all the rooms were cells and all were pitch black inside. Adrina hoped that there was some indication of which cell Folken was in because unless she checked every single one, there was no chance of finding him.
She continued down the hall and further down saw a faint light. Afraid it might be someone patrolling the area, she crept down against the wall slowly, making sure she was enveloped in shadows. She got closer to the light and saw that it was actually three torches on the wall in front of a cell. The area was brightly lit and Adrina could see two Zaibach soldiers sitting on either side of the cell door. She assumed this was what she had been looking for.
Adrina crept as close to the cell as possible without leaving the shadows. She stared at the guards intently, trying to figure out what she was going to do. If there had only been one guard, she could've rushed him and killed or knocked him unconscious before he even knew what had happened. With two, it was very likely that one of them would overpower her or raise an alarm, and then she would be doomed.
Adrina decided that the best plan was to draw them into the shadows. If she had the element of surprise, she would be able to dispatch them without either raising an alarm. Now all she had to do was bring them to her. She drew her sword and quickly ran the hilt across the bars of the small window in the cell door next to her. The result was a sound like swords clashing repeatedly. She crouched down and watched as the guards turned her way.
"What was that?" one demanded.
"I don't know," the other answered.
"Well, go check it out!"
"Me? Why do I always gotta do it?"
"Because I said so, now go!"
The guard sitting closest to her stood up and with a glance at his partner, slowly walked into the shadows. His hand was on the hilt of his sword and his eyes darted back and forth as he cautiously inspected the dark hall. He passed the spot where Adrina knelt and continued on. Adrina stood up behind the unsuspecting man and before he knew what hit him, he fell to the floor with a thud, unconscious. Adrina turned and saw that the other guard had heard his partner hit the ground.
"What's going on?" he called and started towards the shadowy passageway. Adrina knelt back down to wait for the second guard. He seemed more cautious than the first and stopped at the edge of the light.
"Hello?" the guard called and Adrina thought he wasn't going to come after his friend but a second later he abandoned the safety of the light for the dark unknown of the hall. He walked down the hallway, past Adrina, and stopped when he kicked his fellow guard. He bent down to see what it was; not knowing Adrina was already behind him. He realized what he'd kicked and started to stand up.
"Oh sh-," The word was cut off as Adrina slammed the hilt of her sword into the man's skull. He crumpled to the ground, landing on the other man. When he had approached, Adrina had seen a ring of keys dangling from his sword belt. She unhooked the belt and slid the keys off, then decided to keep the sword as well. She didn't need them waking up fully armed. She took the first guards sword too and after sheathing her own, made her way into the light. She stopped in front of the cell door and began trying keys in the lock.
There were about thirty keys on the ring and she had almost tried them all before she found the right one. The lock clicked and the door swung in with a loud creak. The light from the hall cast a rectangle of light into the cell that got larger as she pushed the door open. With the door completely opened she could see most of the cell. Against the far wall sat Folken, his arms and feet chained down. He didn't look up as she entered.
Adrina ran to Folken, tears glistening in her eyes. She touched his shoulder and smiled when he looked up at her. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open when he realized who she was.
"Adrina!" he exclaimed softly, "What are you doing here?"
"What do you think?" Adrina teased and began to try keys on his shackles, "I'm here to rescue you."
"Please tell me you didn't come all the way by yourself," Folken pleaded. Adrina said nothing and continued through the keys. "Dammit Adrina! You could've been hurt or killed!"
"It hurts my feelings that you have no faith in my abilities." Adrina tried another key and laughed as the shackles on his feet popped open. "Ha! There we go." She pulled the shackles off of his ankles and then moved to his hands. The shackles on his wrist popped open and fell to the floor with a clang.
As soon as his hands were free he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "You know I have faith in you love, but you shouldn't have come."
"I didn't have much of a choice." Adrina pulled away and handed him one of the swords she had taken from the guards. The other she tossed into the corner of the cell. "Come on, we better get out of here before somebody finds us."
"Too late."
Adrina whirled around to the cell doorway. She was scared and surprised to see two figures silhouetted by the light from the hallway. Folken stood up next to her and her hand went to her sword. She tried to size up the intruders, but she couldn't see them clearly because they were backlit by the torches. She could tell they weren't soldiers by their thin silhouettes.
"I hope you don't think we were going to let you walk out of here Adrina," one of the shadows said in a familiar voice.
Adrina squinted, trying to identify the newcomers. She could still see nothing but shadows. Apparently they could see her though.
"You know what sister?" the other started, "I don't think she recognizes us."
"That's terrible," the first woman scoffed, "not recognizing her old friends."
The way the woman said the last word made Adrina cringe, it was almost like a hiss. Her grip tightened on her sword as the figures in the doorway took a few steps toward them, revealing their faces from the shadows. Adrina gasped but said nothing. Folken was the first to speak.
"Naria? Eriya?"
"Hello Folken," Eriya smiled.
"Surprised to see us?" Naria questioned.
Adrina stared open-mouthed at the twins as if she had seen a ghost. In a sense she had, two ghosts resurrected from the dead. She had no idea how to react and she looked to Folken. She was surprised to see a huge smile on his face.
"I'm glad the two of you are here," Folken told them, "you can help us escape."
The twins made no move or reply. They just stared coldly at Folken as his smile slowly faded. Adrina had the feeling that getting out of here wasn't going to be as easy as she had first thought.
"Help you escape?" Naria chuckled quietly, "After what you did to us?"
"Naria..." Folken started.
"Shut up!" Naria snapped, "We don't need any of your pathetic excuses. We were both there, we know exactly what happened."
Folken looked back and forth between the twins, his eyes pleading. "Girls, I don't understand."
"I didn't think you would," Naria scoffed, "after all, everything you did to us was justifiable in you mind."
"How can you say that to him?" Adrina exclaimed, "He saved your lives! How can you be so cold to him?"
"In case you've forgotten Adrina," Naria growled, "Your precious Lord Folken scientifically altered our bodies and then left us to die on the Vione!"
"He thought you were dead!" Adrina defended, "He mourned for you like any good friend would!"
"Well obviously we weren't dead," Eriya spoke, "We were badly injured, especially after the Vione crashed into the ocean. We survived in an air pocket after the floating fortress sunk. We were there for two day before the sorcerers rescued us. By that time we were almost dead. The sorcerers had to use their skills to repair us." Eriya held up her left arm, which was no longer an arm but a mechanical device almost identical to the one Folken had sported. "Nice, isn't it? At first I was appalled by it, but it does have it's uses." Five six-inch claws sprang out of the fingers of her new hand.
"Eriya was the lucky one," Naria commented, "All I got was this." She tapped her right cheek with her claws, causing a metallic ping. "It extends past my ear in the back and covers the whole side of my face. It has increased my sight and hearing dramatically though, so I'm not complaining."
Folken and Adrina stared at the twins, letting the information sink in and trying to figure out what their next move was going to be. They didn't have time to decide because a second later the sisters made it for them.
"What do you say we take care of them so we can get some sleep?" Naria asked her twin, "I'm tired of talking."
"Sounds good to me," Eriya agreed.
Not about to go down without a fight, Adrina drew her sword. "Trying to stop us is a big mistake," Adrina warned, "If I were you, I'd just get out of our way."
Naria laughed. "Do you honestly think we're frightened of you? Pathetic human. I was going to try and capture you alive but now I'm going to rip you to shreds."
Before they could react, the twins pounced on them. Adrina sidestepped Naria's attack and swung her sword. The silver-haired woman barely dodged the blade but regrouped quickly. She lunged at Adrina again, once again underestimating the speed of the Queen. Adrina ducked and Naria sailed right over her. She had barely hit the ground when Adrina's sword hilt smashed into her head, knocking her unconscious.
Adrina spun around and saw Folken struggling with Eriya. Both were standing and were holding each other around the upper arm trying to overpower the other. Folken's sword lay across the room, presumably where it had landed after being swatted away by the golden haired cat woman.
Adrina could see that Folken was losing the battle rapidly. His mouth was set in a firm line and sweat was pouring from his forehead. Eriya was smiling as if she was enjoying the struggle. Not wanting Folken to get hurt but not necessarily wanting to kill Eriya either, Adrina rushed forward and struck Eriya's left arm, the mechanical one. She had hoped to surprise Eriya into releasing Folken but it didn't go quite as she had planned. The force of the sword striking the metal arm jolted her arms painfully, causing her to drop her sword.
Adrina stumbled back a few steps, trying to regain her bearings. She looked up and saw Eriya slice Folken with her metal claws. He cried out and fell to the ground. Adrina let out a battle cry and dove for her sword. Unfortunately, Eriya was quicker. The cat woman kicked Adrina in the stomach, sending her flying and knocking the breath out of her in the process. She hit the stone floor hard and couldn't move. She gasped for air, trying to draw the life giving oxygen into her lungs. She let out a strangled cry when she was dragged roughly to her feet. A strong arm went around her waist to hold her up and five cold metal daggers pressed against her throat. She felt them pierce her skin slightly every time she drew a ragged breath.
"Looks like this is it," Eriya hissed in her ear.
Adrina tried to slow her breathing as she felt blood trickling down her neck and into her riding shirt. She was having trouble focusing and thought she might've hit her head when she landed. She looked frantically for Folken but with the shadows in the room and the stars dancing in front of her, she couldn't see anything.
"Time for you to die Adrina," Eriya snarled and tightened her hold on the Queen, "Good bye."
"Stop!"
The brisk order drew both women's attention. Adrina blinked a few times to clear her vision and focused on the source of the shout. Folken stood about ten feet in front of her. He held Naria in one hand and Adrina's sword in the other. The blade was pressed threateningly against the silver twins throat. She was still unconscious.
"Now then," Folken started after seeing Eriya's eyes on him, "If you kill her, your sister will die."
Adrina shuddered at the emotionless tone in Folken's voice. She hadn't heard him sound that cold and uncaring since he was with Zaibach. He was speaking in the same voice he had used when commanding troops or sweet-talking someone, the voice he used to get what he wanted. Charming, but devoid of emotion.
"I don't want to do it," Folken continued calmly, "but if you kill my wife I will have no choice. An eye for an eye."
Adrina couldn't see Eriya's face but judging by Folken's eyes se was listening to what he said and believing it. Her grip loosened on Adrina's waist a bit and her claws were pulled back enough so that Adrina could breath comfortably.
"What's it gonna be?" Folken prodded, "a trade? Your sister for my wife? Or is the ground going to be soaked with the blood of the ones we love? Which is it Eriya?"
"Don't listen to him Eriya," Naria croaked from Folken's arms. Surprised that she had awakened, Folken tightened his hold on her and put the sword closer to her exposed throat. "He betrayed us sister. He left us to die! Hurt him like he's hurt us! Kill her!"
"Do you want to be responsible for your sister's death Eriya?" Folken asked, "because if you don't release Adrina, it will be all your fault that your sister is dead. Will you let her die when you know you can save her?"
"Don't do it Eriya!" Naria shouted, "Kill her!"
"Listen to me Eriya," Folken coaxed, "is it worth your sister's life to hurt me?"
Eriya looked at her sister apologetically. "I'm sorry Naria, but I can't go on without you." She turned back to Folken. "You win. Take your beloved wife." The last words came out in a hiss as she released Adrina.
Adrina stumbled slightly and hurried over to Folken. He stepped in front of her and held on tightly to Naria.
"Alright Eriya, this is how it's going to work," Folken told her, "Adrina and I are going to walk out into the hallway. If you make any move to stop us, I'll kill her. Is that understood?" Eriya glared and nodded. "Good." Folken looked down at Adrina. "Love, will you check the hallway and make sure it's clear?"
Adrina nodded and walked into the hallway. It was deathly quiet and there was no one to be seen. She hurried back into the cell. "It's clear."
Folken smiled and made his way to the cell door. He stopped just outside it. "It's been lovely talking to you again girls." He released Naria and shoved her back into the cell. The two sisters collided and fell to the ground. Folken grabbed Adrina's hand and ran across the hallway. He gathered her into his arms and before she could protest, he crashed through the window that was set into the wall. The two of them plummeted down the side of the building with glass falling around them.
Adrina was so shocked she couldn't even scream. She looked up at Folken and was surprised to see a smile on his face. A second later his wings emerged from his back, tearing his shirt to shreds in the process. The two hung in the air as the glass and bits of fabric descended to the ground below.
Adrina clung tightly to Folken's neck as they began to ascend into the night sky. She chanced a glance down and saw that they had left the capital far behind them. They were now high in the sky and the wind whipped around them coldly, slicing though her clothing like a knife. She shivered involuntarily and Folken looked down at her.
"Are you alright love?" he inquired.
Adrina smiled. "I'm fine."
Folken nodded and looked down towards the horizon. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains. "They will be looking for us soon. We should find somewhere to hide for the day. Hold on, I'm going to let go of you for a second."
Adrina tightened her hold on Folken's neck as he let go of her with his right arm. She saw that he still held her sword and he slipped it into her sheath, then swung her legs up into his right arm. Without a word they flew towards the nearby mountains. They reached them a few minutes later and Folken landed lightly on a cliff next to a cave. He sat Adrina on her feet and looked down at her, a lopsided grin on his face.
"Well love, it's not exactly the palace but it'll have to do for now."
"It's fine," Adrina assured with a smile. "Come on."
Adrina took his hand and they entered the cave. They walked back about fifty feet and sat down. The light from the cave mouth barely reached to where they sat and it took a few minutes for their eyes to adjust. After they had, Adrina stared through the gloom and could see five long, bloody scratches across the right side of Folken's chest. She remembered Eriya had clawed him and leaned forward.
"Oh Folken, you're hurt." Adrina touched the area just below the scratches. Her hand came away wet with his blood. "Folken, this is bad. We've got to treat it before it gets infected."
"Don't worry," Folken comforted, "It will be fine. They aren't very deep."
"I wish I would've thought to bring medicine and bandages." Adrina scowled at herself. "I should've known one of us might get hurt. I just wasn't thinking."
"Adrina, it's all right," Folken smiled, "we'll be home in four days at the most. The doctor can look at it then."
"I might be able to wrap it myself," Adrina mused, "I have fresh water in a canteen and the food is wrapped in cloth. I could use that to clean the wounds, but it'll have to wait until dark so I can find my horse."
"You're injured too." Folken brushed his had across her throat where Eriya's claws had punctured her.
"They're just pinpricks," Adrina dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
A sudden rumbling in the distance drew their attention away from their wounds. They both looked at each other, then crawled to the mouth of the cave. They stayed back a few feet to make sure they were hidden in the shadows and waited as the rumbling got closer. As they watched, two guymelefs rocketed past the cave. In the early morning sun they shone like polished metal, one silver, one gold.
"Naria and Eriya," Folken murmured, "It was them that attacked Rindus." He looked back at Adrina. "Well, it looks as if we're safe for the moment. We should try to get some rest before nightfall."
Adrina agreed and they made their way deeper into the cave. Folken sat on the ground and leaned against the cave wall. Adrina curled up in his left arm and rested her head on his chest. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Exhausted from the long journey and sleepless night before, Adrina fell asleep quickly.
The second floor was where she had stayed while in Zaibach and she knew it fairly well. She hurried tot he stairs and went up to the third floor. This was where she assumed Folken would be. She had never been to this floor and had no idea which rooms were holding cells and which weren't. She quickly discovered that all the rooms were cells and all were pitch black inside. Adrina hoped that there was some indication of which cell Folken was in because unless she checked every single one, there was no chance of finding him.
She continued down the hall and further down saw a faint light. Afraid it might be someone patrolling the area, she crept down against the wall slowly, making sure she was enveloped in shadows. She got closer to the light and saw that it was actually three torches on the wall in front of a cell. The area was brightly lit and Adrina could see two Zaibach soldiers sitting on either side of the cell door. She assumed this was what she had been looking for.
Adrina crept as close to the cell as possible without leaving the shadows. She stared at the guards intently, trying to figure out what she was going to do. If there had only been one guard, she could've rushed him and killed or knocked him unconscious before he even knew what had happened. With two, it was very likely that one of them would overpower her or raise an alarm, and then she would be doomed.
Adrina decided that the best plan was to draw them into the shadows. If she had the element of surprise, she would be able to dispatch them without either raising an alarm. Now all she had to do was bring them to her. She drew her sword and quickly ran the hilt across the bars of the small window in the cell door next to her. The result was a sound like swords clashing repeatedly. She crouched down and watched as the guards turned her way.
"What was that?" one demanded.
"I don't know," the other answered.
"Well, go check it out!"
"Me? Why do I always gotta do it?"
"Because I said so, now go!"
The guard sitting closest to her stood up and with a glance at his partner, slowly walked into the shadows. His hand was on the hilt of his sword and his eyes darted back and forth as he cautiously inspected the dark hall. He passed the spot where Adrina knelt and continued on. Adrina stood up behind the unsuspecting man and before he knew what hit him, he fell to the floor with a thud, unconscious. Adrina turned and saw that the other guard had heard his partner hit the ground.
"What's going on?" he called and started towards the shadowy passageway. Adrina knelt back down to wait for the second guard. He seemed more cautious than the first and stopped at the edge of the light.
"Hello?" the guard called and Adrina thought he wasn't going to come after his friend but a second later he abandoned the safety of the light for the dark unknown of the hall. He walked down the hallway, past Adrina, and stopped when he kicked his fellow guard. He bent down to see what it was; not knowing Adrina was already behind him. He realized what he'd kicked and started to stand up.
"Oh sh-," The word was cut off as Adrina slammed the hilt of her sword into the man's skull. He crumpled to the ground, landing on the other man. When he had approached, Adrina had seen a ring of keys dangling from his sword belt. She unhooked the belt and slid the keys off, then decided to keep the sword as well. She didn't need them waking up fully armed. She took the first guards sword too and after sheathing her own, made her way into the light. She stopped in front of the cell door and began trying keys in the lock.
There were about thirty keys on the ring and she had almost tried them all before she found the right one. The lock clicked and the door swung in with a loud creak. The light from the hall cast a rectangle of light into the cell that got larger as she pushed the door open. With the door completely opened she could see most of the cell. Against the far wall sat Folken, his arms and feet chained down. He didn't look up as she entered.
Adrina ran to Folken, tears glistening in her eyes. She touched his shoulder and smiled when he looked up at her. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open when he realized who she was.
"Adrina!" he exclaimed softly, "What are you doing here?"
"What do you think?" Adrina teased and began to try keys on his shackles, "I'm here to rescue you."
"Please tell me you didn't come all the way by yourself," Folken pleaded. Adrina said nothing and continued through the keys. "Dammit Adrina! You could've been hurt or killed!"
"It hurts my feelings that you have no faith in my abilities." Adrina tried another key and laughed as the shackles on his feet popped open. "Ha! There we go." She pulled the shackles off of his ankles and then moved to his hands. The shackles on his wrist popped open and fell to the floor with a clang.
As soon as his hands were free he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "You know I have faith in you love, but you shouldn't have come."
"I didn't have much of a choice." Adrina pulled away and handed him one of the swords she had taken from the guards. The other she tossed into the corner of the cell. "Come on, we better get out of here before somebody finds us."
"Too late."
Adrina whirled around to the cell doorway. She was scared and surprised to see two figures silhouetted by the light from the hallway. Folken stood up next to her and her hand went to her sword. She tried to size up the intruders, but she couldn't see them clearly because they were backlit by the torches. She could tell they weren't soldiers by their thin silhouettes.
"I hope you don't think we were going to let you walk out of here Adrina," one of the shadows said in a familiar voice.
Adrina squinted, trying to identify the newcomers. She could still see nothing but shadows. Apparently they could see her though.
"You know what sister?" the other started, "I don't think she recognizes us."
"That's terrible," the first woman scoffed, "not recognizing her old friends."
The way the woman said the last word made Adrina cringe, it was almost like a hiss. Her grip tightened on her sword as the figures in the doorway took a few steps toward them, revealing their faces from the shadows. Adrina gasped but said nothing. Folken was the first to speak.
"Naria? Eriya?"
"Hello Folken," Eriya smiled.
"Surprised to see us?" Naria questioned.
Adrina stared open-mouthed at the twins as if she had seen a ghost. In a sense she had, two ghosts resurrected from the dead. She had no idea how to react and she looked to Folken. She was surprised to see a huge smile on his face.
"I'm glad the two of you are here," Folken told them, "you can help us escape."
The twins made no move or reply. They just stared coldly at Folken as his smile slowly faded. Adrina had the feeling that getting out of here wasn't going to be as easy as she had first thought.
"Help you escape?" Naria chuckled quietly, "After what you did to us?"
"Naria..." Folken started.
"Shut up!" Naria snapped, "We don't need any of your pathetic excuses. We were both there, we know exactly what happened."
Folken looked back and forth between the twins, his eyes pleading. "Girls, I don't understand."
"I didn't think you would," Naria scoffed, "after all, everything you did to us was justifiable in you mind."
"How can you say that to him?" Adrina exclaimed, "He saved your lives! How can you be so cold to him?"
"In case you've forgotten Adrina," Naria growled, "Your precious Lord Folken scientifically altered our bodies and then left us to die on the Vione!"
"He thought you were dead!" Adrina defended, "He mourned for you like any good friend would!"
"Well obviously we weren't dead," Eriya spoke, "We were badly injured, especially after the Vione crashed into the ocean. We survived in an air pocket after the floating fortress sunk. We were there for two day before the sorcerers rescued us. By that time we were almost dead. The sorcerers had to use their skills to repair us." Eriya held up her left arm, which was no longer an arm but a mechanical device almost identical to the one Folken had sported. "Nice, isn't it? At first I was appalled by it, but it does have it's uses." Five six-inch claws sprang out of the fingers of her new hand.
"Eriya was the lucky one," Naria commented, "All I got was this." She tapped her right cheek with her claws, causing a metallic ping. "It extends past my ear in the back and covers the whole side of my face. It has increased my sight and hearing dramatically though, so I'm not complaining."
Folken and Adrina stared at the twins, letting the information sink in and trying to figure out what their next move was going to be. They didn't have time to decide because a second later the sisters made it for them.
"What do you say we take care of them so we can get some sleep?" Naria asked her twin, "I'm tired of talking."
"Sounds good to me," Eriya agreed.
Not about to go down without a fight, Adrina drew her sword. "Trying to stop us is a big mistake," Adrina warned, "If I were you, I'd just get out of our way."
Naria laughed. "Do you honestly think we're frightened of you? Pathetic human. I was going to try and capture you alive but now I'm going to rip you to shreds."
Before they could react, the twins pounced on them. Adrina sidestepped Naria's attack and swung her sword. The silver-haired woman barely dodged the blade but regrouped quickly. She lunged at Adrina again, once again underestimating the speed of the Queen. Adrina ducked and Naria sailed right over her. She had barely hit the ground when Adrina's sword hilt smashed into her head, knocking her unconscious.
Adrina spun around and saw Folken struggling with Eriya. Both were standing and were holding each other around the upper arm trying to overpower the other. Folken's sword lay across the room, presumably where it had landed after being swatted away by the golden haired cat woman.
Adrina could see that Folken was losing the battle rapidly. His mouth was set in a firm line and sweat was pouring from his forehead. Eriya was smiling as if she was enjoying the struggle. Not wanting Folken to get hurt but not necessarily wanting to kill Eriya either, Adrina rushed forward and struck Eriya's left arm, the mechanical one. She had hoped to surprise Eriya into releasing Folken but it didn't go quite as she had planned. The force of the sword striking the metal arm jolted her arms painfully, causing her to drop her sword.
Adrina stumbled back a few steps, trying to regain her bearings. She looked up and saw Eriya slice Folken with her metal claws. He cried out and fell to the ground. Adrina let out a battle cry and dove for her sword. Unfortunately, Eriya was quicker. The cat woman kicked Adrina in the stomach, sending her flying and knocking the breath out of her in the process. She hit the stone floor hard and couldn't move. She gasped for air, trying to draw the life giving oxygen into her lungs. She let out a strangled cry when she was dragged roughly to her feet. A strong arm went around her waist to hold her up and five cold metal daggers pressed against her throat. She felt them pierce her skin slightly every time she drew a ragged breath.
"Looks like this is it," Eriya hissed in her ear.
Adrina tried to slow her breathing as she felt blood trickling down her neck and into her riding shirt. She was having trouble focusing and thought she might've hit her head when she landed. She looked frantically for Folken but with the shadows in the room and the stars dancing in front of her, she couldn't see anything.
"Time for you to die Adrina," Eriya snarled and tightened her hold on the Queen, "Good bye."
"Stop!"
The brisk order drew both women's attention. Adrina blinked a few times to clear her vision and focused on the source of the shout. Folken stood about ten feet in front of her. He held Naria in one hand and Adrina's sword in the other. The blade was pressed threateningly against the silver twins throat. She was still unconscious.
"Now then," Folken started after seeing Eriya's eyes on him, "If you kill her, your sister will die."
Adrina shuddered at the emotionless tone in Folken's voice. She hadn't heard him sound that cold and uncaring since he was with Zaibach. He was speaking in the same voice he had used when commanding troops or sweet-talking someone, the voice he used to get what he wanted. Charming, but devoid of emotion.
"I don't want to do it," Folken continued calmly, "but if you kill my wife I will have no choice. An eye for an eye."
Adrina couldn't see Eriya's face but judging by Folken's eyes se was listening to what he said and believing it. Her grip loosened on Adrina's waist a bit and her claws were pulled back enough so that Adrina could breath comfortably.
"What's it gonna be?" Folken prodded, "a trade? Your sister for my wife? Or is the ground going to be soaked with the blood of the ones we love? Which is it Eriya?"
"Don't listen to him Eriya," Naria croaked from Folken's arms. Surprised that she had awakened, Folken tightened his hold on her and put the sword closer to her exposed throat. "He betrayed us sister. He left us to die! Hurt him like he's hurt us! Kill her!"
"Do you want to be responsible for your sister's death Eriya?" Folken asked, "because if you don't release Adrina, it will be all your fault that your sister is dead. Will you let her die when you know you can save her?"
"Don't do it Eriya!" Naria shouted, "Kill her!"
"Listen to me Eriya," Folken coaxed, "is it worth your sister's life to hurt me?"
Eriya looked at her sister apologetically. "I'm sorry Naria, but I can't go on without you." She turned back to Folken. "You win. Take your beloved wife." The last words came out in a hiss as she released Adrina.
Adrina stumbled slightly and hurried over to Folken. He stepped in front of her and held on tightly to Naria.
"Alright Eriya, this is how it's going to work," Folken told her, "Adrina and I are going to walk out into the hallway. If you make any move to stop us, I'll kill her. Is that understood?" Eriya glared and nodded. "Good." Folken looked down at Adrina. "Love, will you check the hallway and make sure it's clear?"
Adrina nodded and walked into the hallway. It was deathly quiet and there was no one to be seen. She hurried back into the cell. "It's clear."
Folken smiled and made his way to the cell door. He stopped just outside it. "It's been lovely talking to you again girls." He released Naria and shoved her back into the cell. The two sisters collided and fell to the ground. Folken grabbed Adrina's hand and ran across the hallway. He gathered her into his arms and before she could protest, he crashed through the window that was set into the wall. The two of them plummeted down the side of the building with glass falling around them.
Adrina was so shocked she couldn't even scream. She looked up at Folken and was surprised to see a smile on his face. A second later his wings emerged from his back, tearing his shirt to shreds in the process. The two hung in the air as the glass and bits of fabric descended to the ground below.
Adrina clung tightly to Folken's neck as they began to ascend into the night sky. She chanced a glance down and saw that they had left the capital far behind them. They were now high in the sky and the wind whipped around them coldly, slicing though her clothing like a knife. She shivered involuntarily and Folken looked down at her.
"Are you alright love?" he inquired.
Adrina smiled. "I'm fine."
Folken nodded and looked down towards the horizon. The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains. "They will be looking for us soon. We should find somewhere to hide for the day. Hold on, I'm going to let go of you for a second."
Adrina tightened her hold on Folken's neck as he let go of her with his right arm. She saw that he still held her sword and he slipped it into her sheath, then swung her legs up into his right arm. Without a word they flew towards the nearby mountains. They reached them a few minutes later and Folken landed lightly on a cliff next to a cave. He sat Adrina on her feet and looked down at her, a lopsided grin on his face.
"Well love, it's not exactly the palace but it'll have to do for now."
"It's fine," Adrina assured with a smile. "Come on."
Adrina took his hand and they entered the cave. They walked back about fifty feet and sat down. The light from the cave mouth barely reached to where they sat and it took a few minutes for their eyes to adjust. After they had, Adrina stared through the gloom and could see five long, bloody scratches across the right side of Folken's chest. She remembered Eriya had clawed him and leaned forward.
"Oh Folken, you're hurt." Adrina touched the area just below the scratches. Her hand came away wet with his blood. "Folken, this is bad. We've got to treat it before it gets infected."
"Don't worry," Folken comforted, "It will be fine. They aren't very deep."
"I wish I would've thought to bring medicine and bandages." Adrina scowled at herself. "I should've known one of us might get hurt. I just wasn't thinking."
"Adrina, it's all right," Folken smiled, "we'll be home in four days at the most. The doctor can look at it then."
"I might be able to wrap it myself," Adrina mused, "I have fresh water in a canteen and the food is wrapped in cloth. I could use that to clean the wounds, but it'll have to wait until dark so I can find my horse."
"You're injured too." Folken brushed his had across her throat where Eriya's claws had punctured her.
"They're just pinpricks," Adrina dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
A sudden rumbling in the distance drew their attention away from their wounds. They both looked at each other, then crawled to the mouth of the cave. They stayed back a few feet to make sure they were hidden in the shadows and waited as the rumbling got closer. As they watched, two guymelefs rocketed past the cave. In the early morning sun they shone like polished metal, one silver, one gold.
"Naria and Eriya," Folken murmured, "It was them that attacked Rindus." He looked back at Adrina. "Well, it looks as if we're safe for the moment. We should try to get some rest before nightfall."
Adrina agreed and they made their way deeper into the cave. Folken sat on the ground and leaned against the cave wall. Adrina curled up in his left arm and rested her head on his chest. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Exhausted from the long journey and sleepless night before, Adrina fell asleep quickly.