There was a humming in the air, in a dark alleyway in another world. A few rodents that inhabited the area sensed the tension in the atmosphere and bolted away as the crackle of the sudden light shot behind a wall, and two girls were spat out of the unexpectedly opened portal. A swirling mass of light flooded the narrow passage, emitting an otherworldly glow and pulsating with power. The few passersby outside the alley did not notice the sudden commotion behind the narrowly built houses, but the energy emanating from the portal lingered in the air.
'Eww!' Cornelia recoiled in disgust as she found herself unceremoniously flung into a repulsive pile of trash. Hay Ling groaningly staggered around, feeling confused by the unexpected teleportation.
'I will never get the stains out of my clothes!' The blonde wailed, standing up and wobbling out of the pile of junk, and wrinkled her nose at the putrid stench floating around them.
Hay Lin grimaced, shaking her head to clear the daze. 'That's not how it works. You know, next time we transform, the uniform will be brand new!' She grinned at her friend's annoyance.
Cornelia scoffed, feeling affronted, 'I don't care! I smell terrible, and I feel sick,' discovering an unidentified plant in her hair.
Hay Lin sighed, 'I can't believe you are worried about your clothes when we have bigger problems to solve. Here, let me help.' She directed a gentle breeze to remove the stench and clean the muck from Cornelia's hair.
'Thank you so much.' The girl breathed a real sigh of relief, overflowing with gratitude for her friend's assistance. 'Now, where are we? Not that I am not grateful for the hidden arrival, but could we just once not end up in some god-forsaken place!'
Hay Lin hummed, brushing off the dirt from her clothes and feeling the gritty texture under her fingertips. 'We seem to have a knack for finding trouble,' she remarked with a wry smile. 'So I am just going to look around.' The gentle wind ruffled her clothes, and with a small leap, she was in the air, rising above.
'Be careful…' Cornelia whispered, climbing up a stack of boxes and poking her head above the roof of a building. Hay Lin waved back at her, her laughter carried by the wind. 'Don't worry, I'll be fine,' she called down before disappearing from view, behind the eaves.
'Please be quick, or I will lose my sense of smell.' Cornelia muttered to herself, trying to gain as much distance from the trash as she could in the narrow alley. She shifted her attention to her own wings; if they could fly, they could go around town much faster. Her fairy wings started to flutter gently with some concentration, giving her hope that perhaps one day she could fly too. Scowling, the young woman tried to avoid dwelling on the sudden jealousy and focused on the sky, looking for her friend.
After a brief moment, Hay Lin dropped down before her. 'I have good news and bad news. We are in the poor district far away from the castle; the bad news is we forgot our cloaks, so I managed to steal one for you.' She handled her dirty brown bundle of cloth. 'I despise stealing, but it was essential for you to blend in and avoid drawing attention to yourself.'
Irritated, Cornelia questioned, 'What do you mean, me? I thought we were going to search for Will together.' She did not want to come anyway, and now they had to split up. With a silent grumble of annoyance, she aired the offered cloak and gathered it around her shoulders. It smelled like dust and mold, making her groan in distaste.
'You know Caleb is a few hours away from the castle; I must inform him quickly about what happened.' Hay Lin could see Cornelia's reluctance and frustration, but she knew that time was of the essence in finding Will. 'I'll go ahead and meet Caleb because I am faster,' she suggested, hoping to ease the tension between them. 'While you go to the city hideout and gather any intel you can find, maybe Will landed somewhere in the capital; if she was captured, the soldiers would brag.'
Cornelia sighed, 'Alright, I'll head to the city and see what I can find,' she reluctantly agreed, thinking that maybe the rebel leader was also in the capital. 'Just be careful, Hay Lin,' she added softly, a hint of worry in her voice, before watching her friend soar up into the air. 'If you find anything, remind Caleb to send a message so we can regroup. I hope we can find Will quickly and return home soon. Good luck!' With a wave, she bid goodbye before heading into a shabby street.
'You too… Take care.' The wind carried Hay Lin's words away as she rose into the air and vanished into the clouds.
Will drifted in the dimly lit cell, surrounded by cold, damp walls and the flickering light of torches, unable to gauge the passage of time without windows to the outside world. Occasionally there were groans or jingles of chains, so she knew she was not alone in the prison. Will could only pray that Cedric would come to rescue her soon. However, as time passed, her hope began to fade because, no matter how hard she tugged on the invisible chains, there was no sign of him. Maybe it was foolish to place her faith in the enemy, but what else could she do? Her heart clung to the hope that Cedric could save her from the bleak confinement. Her body started to hurt from lying on the hard, cool ground for so long, and it was hard to keep warm in the chilly air. The only time Will saw another being was when a young guard brought in a tray of food containing stale bread, a wrinkled apple, and a cup of water. Even if it tasted like cardboard on her tongue, she ate every last morsel and washed the taste with stale water. After a while, Will felt an infection setting in as a throbbing headache clouded her thoughts, and she started to tremble uncontrollably with chills. Chuckling to herself, Will wondered, "Was it worth it?"
Thoughts of fear and regret began to creep into her mind as she questioned the choices made before, casting doubt on her previous confidence. Her mind was going in circles, remembering all the best moments of her life and then the not-so-good ones. Will realized that she truly did not want to die in this dingy dungeon, all alone, without ever living her life fully and without fear, experiencing every moment of joy and sadness. As the darkness closed in around her, she promised to fight for survival and find a way out, no matter what it took. Will could not let fear consume her; there was always an escape if she had the strength to do it. Yet the humorless laughter escaped through her chapped lips as Will thought about the irony of being trapped in a situation she was a fool to land in. It was her fault, wasn't it? That Will was the one who ended up paying the price for a one-second mistake. And now, there was no way out. She hoped the girls were alright and that maybe they searched for her too, but it was a fool's hope. They had no idea where she was, and searching the whole kingdom would take too long. Did her friends find her astral drop living in her place? Or did it, too, disappear with her magic? Only time will tell if she ever manages to get out. Thinking of home made her want to cry, but the tears did not come, for Will had shed all of them already. If only she could pray to the Heart of Kandrakar to bring her back… She tried again and again, but the medallion lying in her palm looked like a glass bauble without any light swirling within. Did it break? Or was it simply not working? The questions plagued her mind, with no answers in sight. Will closed her eyes and focused on her inner strength, willing the medallion to respond. The silence that followed only deepened her sense of despair. She felt a tear slide down her cheek—she had no way back to Earth unless a portal opened up somewhere in the kingdom.
'…And I thought there could be no better sight than seeing you in a place where you belong.' A mocking whisper came from behind the bars outside her cell. Will knew that arrogant tone and voice, but her lips trembled when she asked, 'Cedric?'
'I can't believe even you could be stupid enough to try to escape from me. Did I not warn you?' His voice was furious, and somehow Will found the strength to wobble closer to the door.
'Get me out of here!' She begged, focusing on a figure hidden in the shadows. Cedric looked ragged; his frame was covered in a dark hood, but his face was pale, streaked with dirt and leaves. 'You should have listened to me,' Cedric sneered, reaching for the bars, but hissed when encountering the metal. 'Well, that will complicate things,' he said, pulling his hand away, and for a moment Will saw his wrist, or what was on it. Underneath his dirty-sleeved shirt were bandages covered in blood, rivulets of it soaking into the cloth. Will felt a bile rising in her throat, and Cedric followed her gaze, landing on his arms.
'Oh, this?' he asked with a tilt of his head; his eyes were cold, drilling into her. 'This is what you get by playing with ancient magic.' Cedric sneered, slowly unwrapping the cloth, and Will could see the golden lines tightly bound behind the torn skin, sunken into the flesh. Even through the blood, the gold was glinting with light. Will couldn't tear away her eyes from his skin, a dark realization settling in her mind.
'What have I done?' She whispered to herself, her stomach rolling with guilt and horror. Cedric's expression remained unreadable. 'It is your fault,' he said quietly, his frigid voice barely above a whisper. 'You did this to me—a debt-bound slave contract…'
The weight of those words crushed her spirit, and Will dry heaved. The bile rose, and she vomited the acid from an empty stomach, leaving an acrid taste on her tongue.
'No…No…' The denial was there, but deep inside, Will knew it was like that from the beginning; she just did not care; using him was a better option than being alone in the woods. It was a stark realization about her own cruelty for personal gain. But what else could she have done when death was her only option on that lake beach? The guilt and shame washed over her, drowning her in regret and self-loathing. Every action had consequences, and she chose to bear them on her own. Gritting her teeth, Will steeled herself. 'Help me escape, and I will release you… All debts will be paid, and we can continue with our lives as before…' she bargained for her life with a shaky voice, hoping Cedric would see the sincerity in her eyes. The tension in the air was palpable as Will waited for his response, unsure of what he would decide.
'No.' Cedric shook his head. 'You will complete the task immediately before I succumb to my injuries,' his voice was unyielding. 'Then I will help you out of the goodness of my heart.'
Doubt crept in, and Will hesitated, the weight of her decision pressing down on her shoulders, each choice carrying the burden of unforeseen consequences. With a deep breath, she nodded in agreement, knowing that it was the only way to find peace within herself. 'Fine, but if you break this promise, I will get my revenge one way or another,' she declared with steely determination, her eyes reflecting the seriousness of her words. Cedric searched her face, and whatever he saw made him lift his hands slowly, getting them behind the bars closer to her. 'Don't touch the metal.' he grimaced. 'These cells are designed to keep gifted people inside and are spelled to suppress magic.'
'I understand.' Will nodded and carefully unbound his other hand through the bars, grimacing at how deep the gashes went. Unsure of what to do, she relied on her intuition and placed her palms on the lines, pressing down and feeling the warm blood drop onto her fingers. The gold began to glow softly beneath her touch. Perhaps Will's trust in him was misguided, but she was willing to take the risk solely to have a clear conscience. Looking into his gray, shadowy eyes and forgetting all the hurt he caused her and the girls in the past, she knew that helping him break free from the binds was the right thing to do. As the magical streaks continued to glow brighter, Will felt something stirring inside her, and the words just came to her lips: 'By the blood spilled, I release you from these chains. The debt is paid in full.'
With a deep breath, Will closed her eyes, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. The shimmering ties melted away in gold dust, and the torn skin healed as if they were never there. Cedric gazed at her with an inscrutable expression, a flicker of gratefulness crossing his features as he inclined his head slightly in silent acknowledgment. Against all odds, Will did not anticipate any gratitude from him, yet a sliver of hope lingered in her heart, mingled with uncertainty about the future of their intertwined fates. Cedric rubbed his wrist, feeling the new raw skin, and opened his mouth, trying to say something, but no words came out. He turned his head and listened. Somewhere near, the metal door creaked open, and footsteps followed. Will's heart raced as she strained to hear the approaching noises, and she looked at wide-eyed Cedric.
'I cannot be found here.' His voice had an urgent tinge. 'Guardian, I have to leave.' He reached out and clasped Will's arm tightly. 'I'll return for you when it's safe, because you kept your promise, and I have an honor.' His pledge hung in the air before he melted into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
'Come back!' her anguished cry echoed off the stone walls of the empty cell, fading into a haunting silence. Will stood frozen, unsure of what to do next as the noise grew louder. The flickering on the wall grew closer, and she could hear the jingle of metal keys.
'You there!' a deep voice called out from the other side of the metal bars. A group of guards stood in the corridor, ready to take her away. 'Put your hands on the wall and stay silent,' the tall, armed man commanded, his eyes cold and unyielding. Will complied, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty as she braced herself for what was to come next. The door swung open, and a group of men filled her cramped cell, forcefully seizing and restraining her hands with chains and guiding her down the poorly illuminated corridor to an undisclosed location. Will's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to stay calm, knowing that she was now at the mercy of these guards. Whatever fate awaited her beyond the prison walls, it was uncertain.
They dragged her up the stairs and down the winding building corridors until the group stopped before the heavy iron door at the end of the hallway. The guards pushed her inside, and the door slammed shut with a resounding thud. Will's eyes adjusted to the light, and she was able to see the oak-paneled study. It was devoid of ornamentations, just a hearth crackling in the corner, casting warmth on the stone floor. A large functional desk sat in the center, its surface scratched with time. Shelves held neatly arranged scrolls and manuals, their bindings worn from use. The air was heavy with the scent of dust and the faint aroma of smoldering wood. The soldiers forced her to kneel, and Will grimaced as the bulky males stood beside her and at the door, their weapons glinting in the light of the magical lamps. As she looked up, a man caught her eye. He was seated behind the desk, his steady gaze following her movements. His visage was angular, pale, and marked by brown patterns around the temple, cheeks, and jaw, beautifully framing his features. The golden hair was tightly braided from the crown to the shoulder blades, revealing the pointed tips of the ears. The armor he wore was made of high-quality brown leather, adorned with metal accents and intricate designs. Although concealed by the heavy traveling cloak, a glint of a sword hilt could be seen peeking out from beneath the folds. The palpable aura of power and authority he exuded sent a shiver down her spine, conveying the significance of his presence in the room. Nobody else appeared as important or as dangerous as the man in front of her. Even if her perception was muddled, something about him screamed at her with familiarity she could not have. If Will had ever seen him, she would have recognized the soldier immediately. The way he carried himself with a confident yet calculated air made it clear that he was not to be underestimated. Beside him stood a burly official, draped in heavy blue robes, sweat dripping down his temples as he nervously squeezed his hands. The air was thick with tension, each breath feeling like a weight on Will's chest, her heart racing as she awaited her fate.
'Commander, the prisoner you requested.' The official's voice quivered as he addressed the man, who turned his piercing gaze towards him. The man nodded in acknowledgment with an unreadable expression as he stood and stepped in front of her. Will's stomach churned looking at his leather boots, which were reinforced with metal plates. She studied the hem of the wool cloak, which was damp with mud, as were his pants and shoes. Being this close to her, he extruded dimmed power, but Will could feel the magic humming beneath his exterior. She couldn't shake the feeling that their paths had crossed before in some unexplainable way.
The commander lifted her head by the chin and locked eyes with her. Green like a leaf on a tree, deep like the forest of Meridian. Something struck a chord in her heart with his touch, and she felt a gentle voice in her mind. 'Guardian… You are such a troublesome woman.'
Will's eyes widened, and hope bloomed within her heart. She shivered as the emotions and questions exploded and overtook her like a hurricane, bringing tears to her eyes. The hand on her chin tightened in warning, 'Comply with me.' The whisper was heard only by her.
'How?' Will wanted to ask but remained silent, her mind filled with questions. 'What sorcery was Phobos using to achieve this?' The answer seemed to elude her, slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.
'So this is a Guardian of Kandrakar; how fortunate, our liege will be pleased.' Her head was firmly shoved to the side in examination, as the bandana holding her hair was torn down. 'Do we know which one she is?' He addressed the official; his voice was heard loud and clear. Anticipation filled the room as all eyes turned towards her, awaiting an answer.
'We do not, commander. Will General Cedric or Vathek come to retrieve the prisoner?' The plumpy man asked.
'Hmmm, no.' Phobos released her and put his hand inside the cloak, pulling out an official-looking letter. 'I am the one collecting her, as the message came just before I rode out of the capital some days ago.' The document was put on the table, and the nervous representative, his face pale, broke down the wax seal and perused the contents. The atmosphere relaxed as the man read the text, his eyes widening in shock at seeing the royal stamp. After a moment of awkward silence, he looked up and nodded slowly. 'Very well, she is yours to take. When can we expect the reward bestowed on us?' he said, gesturing towards her.
'Do not worry; our prince is generous when needed.' Phobos's smile was cruel, making the large man sweat in fear. 'You will receive your reward in due time,' the commander assured, gesturing for the captive to be handed over to him. The plumpy man nodded nervously, knowing better than to question the prince's authority. Agony ripped through Will as the guards forcefully shoved her to the ground, the impact jolting her entire body. They put her hands behind her back, and she heard the click as cold metal encased her wrists. Once again, she was lifted, and without a preamble, her head was shoved into a rough woolen sack. She coughed and gasped for air as it was tightened around her neck. All she could see were the shadows of the light and the smell of musty fabric.
'Get up!' The order was given, and on trembling legs, she was lifted and prompted to move. Will stumbled forward, struggling to stay upright and keep pace with her captors. Even though the stuffy material kept the fresh night air from reaching her face, she could still hear the noise outside when they got her into the yard. From the wind in the trees to men's voices and horses neighing. Will choked back a scream as her body was swiftly yanked and flung onto the mount's back like a discarded sack. The smell of animal sweat and leather overwhelmed her senses as she clung to the steed, feeling the rhythm of its movements beneath her. Then Phobos got beside her, and the powerful muscles of the creature moved forward.
'Hold on…' The hand on her back was a small comfort as the horse started to gallop. With every stir, Will wanted to cry because the wound on her side stretched and pulsated with pain. She closed her eyes and focused on staying upright, praying for the ride to end soon.
Phobos's voice was barely audible, his urgency palpable in the silent yet firm tone. 'Please try to endure; I cannot release you until we are hidden far in the forest.' Will knew she had no choice but to bear the pain a little longer. The adrenaline kept her going, despite the agony she felt with each jolt of the horse's movement.
'Phobos…' Will's whispered plea lightly pierced the thundering hooves, a fragile thread of connection in the tumultuous night. 'I... I...' Her mind raced with unspoken words, but her mouth remained stubbornly unresponsive as the encroaching darkness swallowed her whole.
'Fuck!' Phobos cursed, feeling the Guardian sagging against him. Her time was running out, and he spurred the horse forward, a sense of dread rising. The sound of the forest concealed their presence as they raced through the night; the only indication of their passage was the fading echo of hoofbeats in the distance.