Disclaimer- Come on now, I really don't own it.
Chapter 11
Orlox took Sage up to Dracula's throne room. When the captor and hostage entered the room, Dracula did not look happy. He descended the platform on which his throne sat and approached Sage. Between his thumb and forefinger he held her chin as he said, "Sage…dear, dear Sage. I was hoping you could grow stronger before it came to this, but now you know too much to be trusted."
He released her chin and turned his attention to Orlox. "Prepare her. We bleed her this evening," he said.
"Yes, Master," Orlox replied with a sadistic glee. "Come, my pretty. Your sweet scent shall fill the air this night!"
"No!" Sage cried, struggling against him. But it was in vain. He took her, almost effortlessly, over to a large, wooden X that had been erected on the balcony offsetting the throne room. He tied one of her arms to each part of the top part of the X and the same for her ankles at the bottom part of the X.
"Now, let me tell you how this works," Orlox said, that sickening glee still in his voice. "As you can see, we've bound you over the wrists, so we won't bleed you from there, as we normally would. No, what we'll do is make shallow cuts across your stomach and legs. That way, you bleed for even longer! Sounds fun, does it not?"
"You sick bastard," Sage spat at him.
Orlox chuckled. "I get that a lot."
From his belt, he drew a small dagger. Just as promised, he made two shallow cuts on her stomach— one on either side— and one on each leg. They stung, but Sage refused to let the pain show. Orlox noticed this effort and gave a laugh.
"Cute," he said as he turned to Dracula. "She's ready."
"But I'm not. I still have to put the runes on the basin. Don't worry, though. She'll bleed plenty," the vampire king replied.
Sage had had enough. She had to get free. As soon as Orlox and Dracula had become involved with the basin, she began to wriggle her wrist and ankles. Just as she had hoped; they hadn't tied her properly.
It was a trick Sage and her sister had done when they were just a bit younger. They used to play a game they called "Damsel in Distress." At some point in time in the game, one or the other ended up being tied to a post, waiting for an imaginary dragon to show and barbeque them. After a bit, either got sick of trying to untie the other while all the time wanting to go in for supper. Eventually, they discovered a way to hold themselves where the tie ended up being too loose to hold them when they relaxed.
Sage relaxed. She was then able to slip right out of the ropes' hold. Unfortunately, it did not take Dracula and Orlox but a moment to realize that she had gotten loose. Hoping that the spell would work for her without her normally allowed amount of concentration, she mustered as much magical strength as she could. Quickly, as the two vampires began to charge at her, she cried, "Hellfire!"
It worked…a little better than she would've hoped for. Two large, black balls of flame and magic formed and erupted in front of Orlox and Dracula. Sage lost no time. She dashed from the throne room and down the long stone staircase.
I have to find Adrian! she thought desperately. Perhaps the teleporter would help…
She quicken her pace as much as she could and half-fell, half-rode the elevator to the floor of the clock tower. Feeling, though not actually looking, Dracula and Orlox hot on her tracks, Sage threw herself through the door into the teleporter room and into the teleporter itself.
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I have to find Sage! Adrian thought as he rushed through the darkened halls of Castlevania. She has to be here somewhere!
Out loud, he called, "Sage! I'm coming!"
He was rushing through Orlox's Quarter's, having just broken out of a makeshift prison the vampire had put him into. He was now on his way to the teleporter. It was, after all, the quickest way to search the castle. Adrian just hoped that it was quick enough.
He entered the room, but before he could hurl himself into the portal, someone fell onto him with an oomph. Before he could inquire who this mysterious person was— let alone look at this person— she spoke.
"Adrian! Adrian, I found you!"
Adrian sat up, accidentally propelling the person off him.
"Sage!"
The two embraced. Abruptly, Sage jumped her feet and pulled Adrian to his.
"We have to go! Dracula and Orlox are after me!" she said.
The ran from the room.
"I can imagine they're angry with you, but how are we going to get through the barrier around the castle?" Adrian asked as they descended several pairs of spiral staircases.
"We're not leaving Castlevania just yet! Here," Sage pulled her copy of the castle's map out of her pocket. She pointed to the mark she had made. "There's where Maria's soul is kept."
Adrian stopped in surprise. "I know where this is!" he exclaimed. He then grabbed her arm. "Let's go!"
"Well," she said as they continued their little marathon. "It's about time you decided to put some energy into this little expedition!"
End Notes: Two more left! This one is short, and the next one will probably be too. However, I'll try to make the last chapter longer. I hope you enjoyed this. Please R & R! Thanks!