Abeke coughed as she climbed her way down into the darkness, dust filling her nose and mouth. Uraza let out a growl of displeasure, and Abeke placed a calming hand on her head.
Upon reaching the bottom, Abeke could see a corridor, about as long as the ship itself, with cells on both sides, each one dimly lit with a single torch.
With growing unease, Abeke walked along the corridor, peering into each cell as she did.
Why would the people Shane works with have cells in the bottom of their ship? Prisoners of war? But this isn't a war ship, it's a cargo ship. They must be transporting something. Or someONE.
Abeke shivered at that thought. Surely not...
Then her eyes fell on the boy in chains.
In the very last cell, on the right side, there was a boy, legs and hands chained together with the chains bolted to the wall, and with a blindfold and gag in his mouth. Glancing over to the other cell, Abeke could see some kind of bird tied to a perch, with its wings bound to its body and with a hood over its head.
Wait.
A bird.
Abeke knew that the people Zerif and Shane worked for were going around Erdas trying to recruit those who summoned the for fallen before the Greencloaks could.
When they said recruit... Abeke didn't think they meant this!
The boy had to be one of the summoners, like her. And that meant the bird... was Essix!
And that also meant that if Abeke hadn't come willingly, she would have been forcefully taken in chains, just like this boy had been.
"Hello?" Abeke said softly. "Nod if you can hear me."
The boy slowly nodded.
"I'm Abeke. I summoned Uraza. Did Zerif capture you after you summoned Essix?"
The boy nodded again.
"I went with them willingly... I had no idea... look, I need to pretend I didn't see you down here. But once we get to land, I'll help you escape, I promise."
The boy shifted, chains clinking together. One of his hands reached forward as far as the chains would let it and wrote with his finger on the dusty floor.
Rollan.
Thank You.
Essix?
"She's alright." Abeke glanced at the bird again. She appeared to be listening in on the conversation. "As wrapped up as you are, but not injured."
Rollan nodded. He pointed at the direction of the door.
"Yeah, I should go. I would say it was nice meeting you, but..." Abeke smiled sheepishly at the chains.
She couldn't tell through the gag, but it looked like the boy was smiling, as he attempted to wave with his hands chained together.