A/N Some warning here. There will be blood/gore in this chapter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Chapter 16
Alistar
Alistar strolled down a hall, void of any other dragons. No one was usually in the hall. It was the dungeons. The walls were made of dark vesicular basalt, holes gaping at you as is to swallow everything whole. How he wished he was elsewhere, taking care of other things. But instead he had to question a prisoner. One who was being a gigantic pain in the tail.
He opened a thick metal door to reveal a metal room filled with chains. Tied up in chains was a silver-green dragon. She had several cuts across her face and neck. Some of the cuts on her face were bleeding. Her eyes were closed and her breath hiccuped.
He slammed the door shut behind him. She jumped awake, fear in her eyes. "Good morning."
She pushed herself closer to the wall.
"You will tell me where she is sooner or later." He hissed at her.
"Never!" she spat.
"You keep saying that." he growled. "You can't stay this way forever. If needed I'll have my animus get the answers out of you."
Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"Hm. I'll give you some time to think about that." He turned to the door. "One way or another, you'll tell me where Asha is."
He opened the door and closed it behind him, locking it. He walked back through the silent dungeon hall towards a spiral staircase. Going up he made a mental note to himself about the other towns she could be hiding in.
The first exit of the staircase he walked out into a bright lit room. It was filled with elaborate portraits of rulers before him. He stood in front of his fathers, glaring at it. His father taunted him from the painting, even in death.
He took a deep breath and walked away, willing himself not to burn it down. He went through a corridor filled with busy dragons. Some in armor were getting ready for training. One dragon caught his eye. A silver-dark blue Silverwing in shining silver armor was making her way out of the palace. He followed her into the main courtyard where most of the training was happening.
"General Atlas." he called to her.
She instantly turned around and smiled at him. "I'm busy."
"You always are." He walked up to her.
"Well so are you." she laughed.
"I can't help that. I'm a king after all." he gave her a charming smile.
"Yes and I'm a General." She rolled her eyes.
"But that doesn't stop me from asking you to dinner tonight." he gave her a quick kiss.
"Don't I always join you for dinner?" She asked.
"Still." he shrugged.
"Fine. I will see if I can get off tonight." she rolled her eyes again.
"Well I'm kind of your boss." he said in a know it all tone.
"And?" She gave him a mock tone.
"And I can say you have off tonight." he held her talon. The only jewelry she wore was a sapphire ring. She would wear it for the rest of her life. With him.
She smiled. "I'd like that." she kissed him. "But I have to go now."
"Yeah yeah." he stood up as she departed.
"I'll be back soon." she called back to him before she took off with her troup.
He stood there watching her leave for a while. Just watching as she became a small miniscule dot in the sky. He wished she didn't go so much. She was his fiance. She should spend time with him before their wedding. But she wanted to be out there. On the front lines. He couldn't take that away from her.
He walked back into the palace alone. Everyone was busy getting ready for his wedding. It was in two days and the whole kingdom was celebrating. At least he wanted them to. Instead they cowered in fear of him. They still didn't believe he was a good king.
He let out a slight growl. He made his way to the throne room, a quiet room with two thrones and a large table along one of the outer walls. One throne was for him, the other for his soon to be queen. He looked over the table. A large map was scrawled over it, Xs marked places they've had no luck and a circle around the Jungle of Secrets.
He tapped the map with a claw. "She wouldn't have left the Silverwing Kingdom. Would she?"
"Sir?" a dragon came in.
"What is it?" he growled at the dragon.
"The prisoner wishes to speak with you." the dragon cowered back.
"She better have made up her mind." He growled.
He made his way to the spiral staircase leading down to the dungeons. He mumbled to himself as he walked fast down the hall to his prisoner. He threw the metal door open and glared at her.
"I won't give her up." she spoke definitely.
He lept at her, holding her throat. "I will tear you apart until you will. You will break sooner or later. Then I will kill you as I did your brother. Your sister is as good as dead."
Her eyes swelled up in tears as she gasped for air. "No." were her only words.
"Yes." he hissed. He raised his other talon, slicing down her neck. Blood flooded out as she let out a broken scream. He knew what he was doing. He knew how to inflict the most pain without causing serious damage. For now.
He let go of her and she gasped. At her struggle a few of her closed wounds opened back up, adding to the blood.
He hissed at her. "Why should I use my animus when I can have all the fun myself."
She shook her head. "No. I won't tell you."
"Yes. You will."