SLAM.
The door burst open.
Dunban's eyes flew open and he jumped out of the bed, grabbing for the sword leaning on his nightstand. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he wrapped his hands around the hilt, ready for a possible attack.
Footsteps from the outer room clamored into his bedroom. The Homs looked up to see three High Entia, armed, staring at him. Camar stood in the center of the trio, a sneer on his lips while the other two were stone-faced, waiting for a command.
"I trust you got your beauty sleep, Dunban." Camar said as he raked his eyes over Dunban's shirtless form.
"What is this?"
"I've come to take you into custody."
"Why? On whose authority?"
"Mine, of course. You are now a prisoner of the High Entian People's Republic."
What?
Unease blossomed in his mind. Dunban narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. "What are you talking about?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Camar said, walking to the window and pulling aside the curtain. The room was flooded with sunlight; Dunban winced, blinking a few times. Unfazed, the Homs Entia gazed at the city below, bathed in light. "It's a coup d'état."
Melia.
Her face flashed in front of his eyes. The blue of her eyes, the silver of her hair, the pink of her lips. His thoughts raced to the Empress. Dunban's heart skipped a beat. What did this mean for her? Was she alright? Had she too been taken into custody? Stomach churning, Dunban felt the unease grow into anxiety, permeating his senses and quickening his pulse.
"Where is she?"
"The Empress? That is none of your concern anymore. Nor should it ever have been. Besides, the Empire will be no more by the end of the day."
End of the day? What is he planning?
It didn't matter. Dunban wouldn't let it happen. Couldn't. Preparing to raise his sword and engage, Dunban analyzed the situation. He was outnumbered three to one. Not the best of odds, but he had to try.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'll just make things...painful for her." Camar taunted, as if reading his mind.
His blood turned cold. Camar had Melia. His grip slackened on the hilt.
"Bring him."
The two High Entia trudged forward, aiming to grab his arms. But a second too slow. Dunban bent his knee and kicked straight into the stomach of the taller man, slamming the High Entia backward into the wall. The other High Entia lunged at Dunban, sword ready to strike flesh, but the Homs did not shy away. Their weapons met in the air; the clang of metal reverberated as they exchanged blows. Heart pumping, Dunban parried each slice, soon pushing his way forward from the defensive to the offensive position.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other High Entia rise from his spot on the floor and brandish his sword. Dunban whipped around and met the blade as it swiped down towards his shoulder. The Homs pushed against it, gritting his teeth as the High Entia forced the blades back towards Dunban. Aware of the potential enemy behind him, Dunban flicked a glance over his shoulder to see the second High Entia man rushing towards him. Dunban thrust a kick to the High Entia, but instead of feeling the muscles of a torso, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his ankle. The High Entia had grabbed his leg.
The High Entia sneered and pulled Dunban's leg towards him. Dunban felt himself lose his balance, crashing to the ground, pain sprouting through his body. An elbow throttled down towards his face and he rolled out of the way, bringing him facedown on the floor. Immediately he realized his mistake. One High Entia grabbed his arms, pinning them behind his back. The other guard slapped handcuffs on him.
Struggling, Dunban cursed.
A laugh rang out in the air; Dunban turned his head to the right. "Did you really think you could escape?" Camar sniggered. He knelt down, peering into Dunban's enraged face and jeered, "You can't save her. She's mine now."
"You won't get away with this."
"Oh, I think I will." Camar rose and strode out of the room.
The two High Entia hauled him to his feet, dragging him out of his suite. His mind spiraled as they started down the hallway; he needed to get away somehow. If they threw him in a dungeon, Dunban knew his chances of escape became infinitesimally small.
"DUNBAN!" a voice screamed behind him.
All thoughts crashed to a halt. He knew that voice. The Homs jerked his head over his shoulder and his eyes went wide. Another High Entia had Fiora's arms pinned behind her back; her face an expression of pain. To the right of her, Shulk also had his wrists tied behind his back, a High Entia.
Rage flooded through him, lighting a fire in his gut. Dunban's head snapped back to the front, where Camar walked, unperturbed by the action behind him.
"Let her go!" Dunban roared.
Camar looked over his shoulder, amused. "Now why should I do that?"
"She has nothing to do with this, Camar."
"You could have prevented all of this and her involvement. I told you to leave, otherwise she would be harmed. Now you have to pay the price for your actions."
His breath hitched in his throat; it felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Camar had written him the note, threatening Fiora.
It wasn't just a simple grab for power.
Camar was the saboteur.
And now his sister was at his mercy.
Straining against his restraints, Dunban turned to catch a glimpse of his sister, her eyes angry as she struggled against her bonds. "Fiora!" He called.
"Take her away." Camar dismissed.
"Dunban! DUNBAN!" Fiora screamed as the High Entia yanked her away, down another hall.
Over and over again, Dunban shouted after her, calling to her. Telling her he would find her.
"Dammit Camar!" Dunban turned his face forward, full of fury. How he longed to rip out of his chains and strangle the Homs Entia in front of him.
Camar laughed, his eyes filled with a cruel satisfaction. "Take comfort that your sister has nicer accommodations than you. The two of you will be staying in the dungeons, where filth like you deserves to rot."
The High Entian captors shoved the two Homs forward, marching them through the Great Hall's recesses, and downwards into the lower levels. After passing through multiple darkened hallways, they reached the end of the corridor. Opening the door, Camar directed the two to be brought down the stairs and deposited in the dungeon. Roughly, the High Entia undid their restraints and pushed Dunban and Shulk into the cell. The steel door clanged behind them; the echo of the bolt locking throughout the small room bounced off the walls.
Camar's face loomed through the bars. "Perfect. Now you won't bother me while I tend to matters."
"Where is Fiora?" Dunban flew at the bars, his eyes blazing.
"Oh, don't worry. You'll be seeing her soon." Camar smirked and placed a circular object on a small table in front of the cell. "You have front row seats to what is about to happen." The saboteur turned and walked up the small stairs, with the two High Entia guards following.
"Camar!" Dunban shouted at the retreating figure.
But Camar did not react as he strode out. He didn't look back as Dunban continued to call out, the sounds of his shouts dying as Camar turned the corner, out of reach, out of sight.
"Where am I?" A dazed voice broke the silence in the darkness.
"Serenity! You're awake." Melia crawled over to the spot where the young High Entia lay on the cold floor. Fear rippled through her as she reached out in the black and touched the young girl's shoulder, helping her to sit up against the wall.
"What...what happened?"
Melia swallowed, her heart pounding. "What do you remember?"
"I was bringing you the agenda for tomorrow..." She trailed off, her mind searching for the answer. "I was hit. And then..." her eyes widened and she gasped, "Camar! He gagged me and dragged me to your apartment. You—"
The young woman stopped. Melia could see the gears turning in her head and prepared for the worst. The Empress felt her stomach churn.
Serenity looked down, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. Melia watched as her eyes slowly focused. She waited, feeling the apprehension grow by the second.
Serenity screamed.
Her voice bounced off of the walls, filling Melia's ears. The anguished cry twisted her already pounding heart.
"Serenity! Look at me!" Melia shouted, trying to get a hold of the younger woman's shoulders as she shrieked.
The young High Entia held up her bloody hand in front of Melia's face. Two fingers were missing.
"What happened to my hand? What happened to my fingers?!" She shrieked. Her breath came quicker. Her chest started to heave.
She's going into shock.
"Serenity!" Melia yelled and gripped Serenity's face in her hands. "I need you to breath. You're going into shock. Breathe. Alright? We will breath together. One deep breath in and one deep breath out."
Without taking her eyes off of Serenity's, the Homs Entia demonstrated. Inhaling, Melia felt the air pass through her nose and into her lungs, holding it there for a few seconds before exhaling, letting the breath flow out of her mouth. Serenity followed her example, her breaths shorter at first, but after a few cycles, they became longer, matching Melia's rhythm and flow.
A tiny bit of relief billowed through Melia's nerves.
"Good. That's good. One more deep breath in and out." Serenity obeyed. Melia dropped her hands from the young woman's face. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm okay. But...I'm not in pain."
"I stopped the bleeding and accelerated your healing with an ether spell. You will be alright for now. But you will still need a healer to asses the injury."
Serenity turned her hand over, looking at the damage. Melia could hear the waver in Serenity's voice as she asked, "How...did this happen?"
Melia felt her heart skip a beat and close her eyes. What could she say? There was no question though. She could only convey the truth, no matter how painful it might be. Even if that meant Serenity would hate her for the rest of time.
"It's my fault." Melia's voice was low; she could feel the shame rising up in her throat as she uttered the words.
"What?"
Melia clenched her fists, feeling her eyes sting.
"Camar...he demanded I publicly recant my position on the Colony 9 situation. Throw out the treaty entirely. I refused to and he..." Her voice cracked and she felt the onslaught of tears. Her body clenched as she willed herself to keep from crying, waiting for the response.
But only silence filled her ears. The unspoken words hung in the air.
Several minutes passed. Melia could feel herself losing control of her emotions. It was her fault entirely. Had she given into Camar's demands, Serenity would not have been hurt. She may not even be here with Melia, in this dark corner of the Great Hall, imprisoned. The remorse crushed against her wall of control, urging her to release. But she did not deserve to cry. She did not deserve Serenity's forgiveness.
"I...remember." Serenity breathed, her eyes gazing ahead into the black, away from Melia.
"I'm...so sorry, Serenity. Words cannot convey the depth of remorse I feel."
The High Entia rose from her seat and walked around the room soundlessly. Melia watched Serenity pace, wondering what thoughts ran through her mind. A part of the Empress waited for the ball to drop, the avalanche to come, the anger to rain down upon her.
But even if it came, Melia still had a responsibility to get Serenity to safety. She would not abandon the young woman.
Serenity's path transformed from the back and forth pacing to a straight line directed at Melia. Steeling herself, the Empress creased her lips into a line and forced the tears down into her gut, letting them dissolve into nothingness. Serenity stopped in front of her, trembling. The Homs Entia woman looked up at Serenity's face, waiting for the anger. The rage. The bitterness and resentment.
"I...hate him."
Melia said nothing, waiting.
"He...he did this to me. Why? Why would he do something so cruel?"
"Because he cares naught but for himself."
Serenity collapsed next to Melia, burying her face in her hands, sobbing. Her cries ripped into Melia's heart; Melia clenched her jaw. It hurt her to see Serenity in such pain. Hesitantly, she reached out and brought her arms around Serenity's shoulders.
"This is my fault, Serenity. I am to blame."
Sniffling, Serenity murmured, "It is not, Empress."
Guilt took shame's place, wrapping Melia's heart in its embrace, inundating her mind with words of self-loathing.
"But it is. Had I agreed to his terms, you would never have been harmed in such a manner."
"No. You couldn't give in. I didn't want you to give in." Serenity pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Not to him. Not ever."
"My defiance has left you injured. Worse. Maimed."
"Empress, I know you would never wish harm to come to me." Serenity sighed and continued, "I am not angry with you. I am angry for you. And for myself. And most of all, I am angry at Camar."
"For such a young one, you are wise, Serenity." Melia gave her a sad smile.
Serenity returned it, though her face darkened soon after. "Camar is the scum of the earth and I can't wait until he is burned into ashes."
Melia was surprised at such dark language, though she did not show it on her face. In fact, she quite agreed with her assistant.
"You didn't give in, did you?"
"No. But I was about to."
"What happened? Why didn't he take the rest of my fingers?"
Melia searched her memory before answering. "He stopped. I believe he has another idea on how to humiliate me. To force me to bend to his will."
"What do we do now?"
"I don't know."
"We need to get out of here." Dunban growled as he rose from his spot on the cold ground.
"How?" Shulk replied, somewhere in the darkness.
Dunban paced back and forth in the cramped cell. It was no more than five feet wide and four feet long. Cobwebs littered the upper tresses of the cell. There was no way he would stay in this hole in the ground. Not while that maniac turned the world upside down. He had to get out. Find Fiora and Melia, before Camar hurt either of them.
Bitterness seeped through his body, poisoning his mind. He knew he should've forced Fiora to go home. To leave Alcamoth and return to the safe confines of Colony 9. Frustrated, he shook the bars of the cell with his working arm. The fear on her face was etched in his mind. Any harm that befell her would be on his hands.
And Melia. Where was she? How did she fare? The lack of knowledge caused his stomach to flip flop.
The cell door flung open; a dark figure stood in the archway. Walking up to the bars, Dunban prepared for another confrontation with Camar. But as the person raced down the stairs and made its way towards the cell door, he recognized the wings in the darkness.
"Tyrea."
"How did you find us?" Shulk asked as he got to his feet.
"It was rather obvious. This is the one place Camar would try to bury you alive." Her face was illuminated in the torch light as she came closer. Hastily, the Homs Entia shoved the key into the lock, the jingling noise reflecting off the stone walls. After a few seconds, there was a click and the door swung open, creaking as it did. "There's not much time. We need to leave now before they discover you're gone."
"Not until I find Fiora." Dunban said.
"We don't have time right now."
"Do you know where she is?" Shulk asked, hopeful.
"No. But my guess is that she's with Camar. Which makes her untouchable right now." Tyrea looked at Dunban.
Dunban's hands clenched into fist.
"I want to find her."
"Don't be stupid, Dunban. You can't march in there now. Camar has created a bodyguard for himself. You confront him, he will just throw you back down here. Worse, he'll kill you. And then what help will you be to Fiora or Melia?" Tyrea hissed.
"Where's Melia?"
Her lips thinned. "I don't know."
"What do you know?" Dunban retorted.
Tyrea narrowed her eyes at him and responded evenly, "Camar has the Scepter. I saw him with it, then he disappeared. I went to tell Melia but she wasn't at her apartment. I thought she was out for the day. But then I found bloodstains on the floor."
A cold dread crept over him; a combination of fear and anger bloomed in his chest. Thousands of questions crowded his mind, but one stood out: had Camar hurt Melia?
A fire burned inside his body: Dunban would make Camar pay for his actions. For every single hair he harmed on both Fiora and Melia.
"Did you find Serenity? Maybe she knows where Melia is." Shulk asked.
Tyrea's face contorted into an expression of anger. "I can't find her either. That bastard probably locked her up with Melia."
"Where is Camar now?" Dunban interjected.
"Somewhere in the Great Hall. He's called the High Entia to the Town Hall." Tyrea ground her teeth. "We can't stay here. Otherwise we'll get caught with our pants down."
"Where do we go then?" Shulk asked.
"We can't leave Alcamoth though; Camar has the exits patrolled by his minions."
"What? Why?"
"It doesn't matter why. We need to hide somewhere. For now, outside of the Great Hall. That means under the city, or the residential district."
A thought occurred to Dunban. It wasn't a bad idea, but a potentially risky one. It could result in their capture once more, but it could lead them to more information. And that in itself was worth the risk.
"Residential district. Miriall." Dunban said. "She may know where Camar is keeping them."
"Wise. Let's go." Tyrea nodded.
They raced out of the cell, Dunban and Shulk following Tyrea out of the darkness. Swiftly, they passed through the shadowed corridors, making their way to a set of stairs that spiraled upwards. As they ascended, Dunban could not keep his thoughts from his sister and his...he didn't even know what to call Melia. Emotions swirled in his heart; he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as he pushed his legs forward. The way they left things...he couldn't let that be the end. No. He would find Melia before it was too late.
Finally, the trio emerged from the underbelly of the Great Hall. Bright sunlight illuminated the empty corridor they stepped out into. Tyrea turned back to the two Homs and said, "We need to be careful. Step as silently as you can."
"Do you know where Miriall's quarters are?"
"Since you're memory is failing, Melia had me track each Cabinet member for quite a while." She smirked at him. "I tracked you for a while too."
"Why?"
"Wanted to see who Melia was so taken by. And make sure you were worthy." And she took off, darting forward and then to the left. Dunban and Shulk ran after her, keeping up her agile form.
Just as they turned the corridor towards the back entrance teleporters, they came face to face with four High Entia. The guards locked eyes with the trio and rushed at them, drawing their swords in motion.
There was no time to retreat. They would have to stay and fight. Tyrea pulled her sword from its scabbard and ran forward. A moment before collision, Tyrea jumped into the air, somersaulting over the High Entia and landing gracefully behind them. Distracted by the acrobatics, the High Entia did not see as Dunban and Shulk rushed forward, tackling two guards to the ground. Dunban landed a few punches to his opponent, his fist connecting with skin over and over again. Soon, the High Entia slumped over, his eyes closing automatically. Dunban looked sideways to see Shulk doing the same.
Rising, Dunban took the sword from the unconscious High Entia, and Shulk followed his example. Tyrea stood, arms crossed, bored, as if she'd been waiting for them to finish. Dunban saw the other two High Entia lay at her feet, unconscious. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she asked nonchalantly, "Ready?"
They took the staff entrance out of the Great Hall. It was empty; all of the High Entia were heading towards the Town Hall now. A few stayed behind, patrolling through the courtyards presumably under Camar's orders, but Tyrea easily lead the two Homs through the shadows, escaping notice. They didn't want to have an other fight on their hands and alert Camar's forces to their escape and position. It would only be a matter of time before the unconscious guards were discovered.
At last, they entered the residential district. It was quiet, save for the breeze that whistled through the streets and alleyways.
"What if she isn't home?" Shulk asked as they ran down the brick walkway.
"We'll wait until she is." Dunban responded. Or until they ran out of time. Whichever came first.
After making a left, then an immediate right, Tyrea stopped in front of a small door. With little effort, Tyrea picked the lock and they walked into the suite, the door shutting quietly behind them.
To his surprise, Dunban locked eyes with the former Cabinet member, who sat on her couch, knees to her chest. As he passed his eyes over Miriall, he saw her eyes and nose were red. But he cared not.
"Miriall." Dunban growled as he strode over to her.
"Sir Dunban!" She squeaked, scrambling backwards into the cushions of her sofa. "W-what are you doing here?"
"Don't play dumb. Where are Melia and Serenity?" Tyrea demanded, coming at her from the opposite side to surround her.
"I don't know where the Empress is. I swear!" She quivered.
"You're lying. If you don't tell me where she is, I will make you very sorry." Tyrea leaned close to Miriall's face, her eyes filled with daggers.
"I didn't know that he would do this. Any of it!" The woman moaned, burying her head in her hands.
"Do you know where Fiora is?" Shulk asked.
Miriall shook her head. "No. Camar didn't tell me anything."
"God, she is no help to us." Tyrea fumed, turning away. "This was a waste of time!"
"What does Camar want? What's his endgame?" Dunban pressed.
But before Miriall could say anything, a bright light filled the room. Dunban turned to see a circular object bringing an image to life on its surface. It was the same sort of device Camar had left in their cell. It shone brightly as the pictures moved on the smooth surface. It's circular exterior displayed a pixelated picture, that slowly came into focus.
Dunban felt his breath catch in his throat at the fully detailed picture.
He was staring at Fiora.
Melia's eyes were glued to the screen as she watched Camar stand at the podium in the Assembly Hall, Fiora kneeling just to the right of him. Her heart thumped in her chest, and panic surged through her. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? And why was Fiora on stage with him? She hadn't even known he'd taken Fiora hostage.
Her mind screeched to a halt.
Did that mean Dunban was also in his clutches?
Her heart skipped a beat.
Was he still alive?
But all thoughts fled her mind as Camar began to speak:
"Hear me, citizens of Alcamoth, subjects of the High Entian Empire! Our Empress has struck a deal with the devil! This treaty that she wanted to sign with the Homs colonies," he held up packet of papers, "Will make us subject to Homs' laws. It demands absolute equality and ignores the ignominious injury done to our people. I ask you, how could she disregard such damage? The indignity? How could she subjugate her own people to these savages? If she signed this, the Homs would overrun us! And I will not allow that to happen. It is clear that Empress Melia Antiqua is no longer fit to rule. And so, I have taken the kingdom from the Empress. I will lead us out of this darkness and into the light!"
His words were met with scattered cheers.
This couldn't be happening. It had to all be a bad dream. A nightmare.
Camar continued.
"I have imprisoned all Homs in the city. And I will do more than just that. Together, we will purge the world of the Homs demons, paving the way for the golden age of High Entia. We, the High Entian Republic, will bring the dawn of a new day!"
Camar's words were met with silence. No one in the audience said anything. But Melia watched him; Camar did not seem perturbed in the slightest. Instead, he beamed, gesturing to someone off stage.
Three High Entian guards led out a single file line of High Entia, each chained together at the wrists.
Melia gasped. Kiefer, Songya and Shalen were at the front of the train. Shalen looked fearful, while Songya's expression was filled with disgust. Kiefer however maintained blankness, unaffected by the situation.
Camar turned to the audience. "These High Entia are traitors. They would rather we demean ourselves and work with the Homs barbarians instead of taking our rightful place as the superior race. As traitors, they will be treated as such and imprisoned!"
"Don't listen to him!" Songya shouted from her place in the line at the crowd. "We can't allow this to happen!"
Camar strode over to her and slapped her across the face. Shalen shrieked.
Kiefer lunged at Camar but the High Entia stepped back, easily out of reach. His mouth curved into a cruel smile.
"Take them away." He shouted at the guard.
The High Entia guards shoved the chained prisoners off stage. Melia strained to see Kiefer and Songya, but to no avail. They were gone as quickly as they appeared.
The silence was deafening as everyone awaited Camar's next move. Then, Camar turned his attention to the right, where Fiora kneeled, two Homs Entia standing on either side of her. Dread crept over Melia, clutching at her heart, making her pulse run rampant.
"This Homs put the life of our Empress in danger. Yes, our Empress is misguided and deluded. And she will be punished. But her affection for this Homs misled her. And this Homs will pay the price for leading our Empress into the fire."
One of the High Entian woman walked forward and ripped the back of Fiora's shirt apart. Melia gasped, her eyes fixated on Fiora's expression. But the Homs kept her face blank, as if the tearing of her clothing had no affect.
"She shall be whipped until she feels the fire on her back."
Silently, the other guard walked behind Fiora, freeing the whip from her belt. She raised the whip high in the sky and brought it down. The slap reverberated in the air; the sound branding itself in Melia's mind. Fiora winced but remain silent, and Melia felt her own gut clench. Melia held her breath. The whip came down again. And again. And again.
The fifth time, Fiora emitted a small whimper. The whip rose and fell, several more times, each time Fiora's face contorting in pain and her cries get louder.
"No...no..." Melia whispered, her eyes blearing with tears.
The tenth time, Fiora screamed, unable to keep it in any longer. Melia felt her stomach clench, and tears leapt to her eyes. The whip rose from Fiora's back, glistening with blood.
"Stop! Stop!" Melia shrieked, her hands clawing at the sphere.
But no one heard her cries, so far away from the Town Hall, stuck in the darkness, helpless.
The whip came down again, and again. Fiora wailed in pain with each stroke, her body writhing under the leather strap flaying at her skin. Finally, as the whip connected with her flesh once more, she fell forward to the ground, unconscious, her bloodied back a sight for all to see.
Serenity screamed, but Melia did not hear. All she could see was the blood covering Fiora, dripping down the sides of her body.
"That is only a taste of what we will deliver unto the Homs. My brothers and sisters, we will rid the world of the Homs scourge, once and for all. This world will belong to us once more!" Camar called out.
The image whipped out of existence, taking with it the only light of the room.
The two High Entia sat in silence.
Shocked. Horrified. It didn't even begin to cover what Melia felt.
Serenity turned away and retched, her body heaving. The smell of acid and vomit filled Melia's nose, but she didn't care. Couldn't. What she had just witnessed...the cruelty. It affected her to the core. Fear permeated her pores, flooding her blood and penetrating her bones. Camar wanted to enslave Homs. Worse, he wanted to wipe them out.
Melia trembled. The image of Fiora's bloody back glued itself to her mind. If Fiora had never come to Alcamoth, she would never have been subjected to such pain. But the Homs Entia had asked her to visit. Melia had been responsible for Fiora's presence in the High Entian city.
And now responsible for her torture.
The Empress wrapped her arms around her sides and felt the tidal wave of agony crash through her body. Tears of anger, grief, and self-disgust ran down her face. Her body shuddered, wracked with sobs and she played the disturbing scene over and over again in her brain. The woman wanted to scream, shout, rage against the injustice in the dark. But all she could do was weep.
But even as the guilt tormented her soul, the small, rational voice in the back of her mind whispered. She needed to rise from her feet. The only way to attempt atonement was to save her friends.
Every molecule in her body wanted to stay in the darkness, hide from the consequences, the reality that existed outside of this room. But she knew she could not. And so, Melia wiped the tears from her eyes, cleared her throat, and forced down the emotions, smashing them out of existence.
"Are you alright?" The Empress asked, her voice emotionless.
"I...I'm okay. I just expect that." Serenity sniffed. "How could he be so cruel?"
"Cruelty is born in those who feel they have no power. Cruelty blossoms from insecurity and injustice. But it matters not at what point the seed was planted in Camar. We must focus on escape."
"How?"
Melia looked around at their surroundings, her eyes adjusting to the dark once more after the harsh light of the bauble encapsulated the space. The room was smaller; it smelled musty, as if it hadn't been used in a while. Carefully, Melia rounded the room, taking in what she could. There was a pile of hay in the corner next to the door. She knelt and ran her hands through it, uncertain of what to look for. She hoped there weren't any bugs hiding in the pile; or worse, spiders. But she felt a few round items. Retracting her hand, Melia studied them, feeling their texture. Granular. Small objects. She squeezed one between her fingers.
It was a grain of rice.
Rice. They had stored rice in barrels at a time. If the Homs Entia guessed correctly, the room was most likely an abandoned storeroom. Which meant they were in the staff wing.
Rising from her spot on the floor, the Empress moved across the room and towards the far wall, leaning against it. She knocked her fist against it: a hollow sound rang out. Then she moved to the left, where the wall bent ninety degrees and rapped again. This time, she was met with a harsh, full sound.
The wall to the right was hollow. There was a room on the opposite side of it. Possibly.
"Here."
"What, Empress?"
"I believe there is a room behind this wall. If I am correct, we are in the staff wing."
Melia walked back to where Serenity stood and picked up the bauble. It was heavier than she anticipated; she felt a slight stretch in her arms as she held it. There was no use in using ether until she was sure of her hypothesis. Pulling her arms back, Melia tossed the bauble at the wall. As the sphere crashed into the wall, the breaking of ceramic could be heard.
The Empress walked up to where the bauble had connected with the wall. Squinting through the cracks, she could barely make anything out on the other side. She narrowed her eyes. Not enough evidence.
"Serenity, help me with this."
She began clawing at the wall, pulling back plaster, scraping her fingers and nails. She could feel cuts in her fingers as she finally reached the brick. Serenity placed her hands next to Melia's and they pulled out a single brick. It fell at their feet, breaking in two as it hit the ground. The hole was just small enough Melia could squeeze a few fingers through. As she did, she waited to feel another wall, coarse to the touch, but there was none. Only air.
"What is it, your Majesty?"
Melia was silent for a moment as she put the finishing touches on the plan in her head. It was risky, and she was still tired from healing Serenity, but it could work.
"What do you plan to do, your Grace?"
"I'm going to blow open this wall. When that happens, I will hold the wall from crashing down. I need you to find out if the exit in that room is open. There is a chance that the room is sealed up."
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You won't. If there is an escape route, I will run through and join you."
She kept the waver from her voice.
Serenity hesitated. Melia could see the young Homs Entia reasoning how feasible this plan was, weighing out how true Melia's words were.
"It was may be our only chance."
Hesitantly, Serenity nodded. "Alright, your Majesty."
"If we get separated, find Dunban or Tyrea. Then get yourself medical attention."
"Okay."
Melia took a step back from the wall, taking a deep breath in and out, preparing herself for the ether spells.
She looked at Serenity, who stood to her left. "Ready?"
"Yes."
Melia imagined the force of fire exploding through her hands, directed at the wall. In her mind, she saw a great explosion blasting through the brick, straight into the next room, causing the wall to crumble around the hole. She felt the fire from the explosion hot on her face as the ether surged in her veins. Her mind's eye saw the fire morph into wind, gusts from her hands swirl upward, keeping the bricks from crashing down to the ground. She felt their weight, the strain on her muscles, as the magic filled her senses. The energy rushed through and over her body, electrifying her like a lightening rod.
Eyes alight, pulsing bright blue, Melia pushed her hands forward at the wall and shouted, "Elemental Discharge!"
A projectile of fire and earth burst from her hands, drilling straight into the wall, exploding bricks forward into the next room. The bricks from above began to fall into the hallowed out space, gravity pulling them down, but Melia took a step forward, willing the fire to change to wind. With effort, she held her hands to the sky, keeping the rocks at bay. Already, she could feel her strength dissipating at a rapid pace from the exertion of the fire shot.
"GO!"
Serenity rushed past her into the next room, frantic.
Melia felt the sweat trickle down her forehead as she felt the full burden of the weight pressing down upon her. The pressure of the rockslide strained her muscles as she squeezed her eyes shut and kept them lodged upward. Her muscles protested, weakening second by second.
"Empress! The door is open!" Serenity hollered from the other side of the room. But Melia could hold on no longer. Her connection with the ether broke as her muscles gave out. The wall fell, separating her and Serenity.
"Empress?! Empress!"
Melia fell to her knees in front of the collapsed wall. She heard her assistant race over, banging on the collapsed wall.
"I'm going to get you out of there, Empress."
"Serenity, you need to leave before Camar comes back." Melia heaved as she leaned against the wall, her body sighing with relief.
The sounds of sobs trickled through the spaces in the brick.
"I can't leave you."
"It's okay, Serenity. I'm okay."
"Empress..."
"Find Dunban, find Tyrea." Melia swallowed. "I promise it will be fine. I need you to be strong now. Do this for me."
Serenity sniffled.
"I will be back. I promise, Empress."
The determination in her voice made Melia smile as her eyes closed.
"Thank you."
Melia listened to the departing footfalls. Then they disappeared.
She was alone now, in the darkness, tiny slivers of light piercing through from the other room, originating from the exit Serenity had escaped through.
The last of her strength began to ebb away and she lay down on her side, waiting for the blackness to overtake her. The Homs Entia had known that she would most likely not make it out. When she rescued Fiora from the shuttle, the ether spell had nearly consumed the entirety of her strength. Even if the shuttle had not exploded, propelling her to the ground, the Empress knew she wouldn't have made it five steps before collapsing on the tarmac.
But she knew she couldn't tell Serenity the truth; the younger woman would have never agreed to the plan otherwise.
It was her fault that using ether overtaxed her body. Without regular practice, manipulating ether made her incredibly weak physically. Melia had known that her stamina was already halfway gone after she healed Serenity's wound. The fire and wind spells took the rest of it.
But Melia didn't regret it, even as she lay in the dark alone. She believed in Serenity's abilities. She would find Dunban and Tyrea.
Then her mind slipped out of consciousness, the blackness consuming her.
A/N: Thank you to all who have read and reviewed my story. It means the world to me and I very much appreciate the words of encouragement and hearing about what parts of the chapters you like and what has impacted you. It's great motivation for me to continue the story and reach the end (which I already know what happens, don't worry!). HUGE S/O to LucarioKid for helping me work through my thoughts for this chapter. I wasn't sure exactly about the setting and LucarioKid helped me sort things out. Thank you so much for listening to my rantings and questions ^_^! Stay tuned for the follow-up to this chapter!