CHAPTER FOUR
The Elders
“This will work?" Peter asked.
“It will," I said, and squeezed the last of the oil out of the pod and into the bowl. I then took off my gloves, and put the lid on the tin.
“It astounds me that you were able to persuade Agatha to give it to you," Peter said.
“Agatha understands I would ask for it only for a very good reason." Together we began to descend the staircase into the dungeons.
"A single drop will make him forget everything he has experienced in the last twenty four hours." Peter went in front of me. He walked over to the cell, and froze. Two guards lay on the floor pieces of their skin charred and blackened, as if they had been burnt. Aron was nowhere in sight. Peter walked over to the two bodies, and checked their pulses.
"They’re gone," he said. I looked at Peter, I was already putting people in danger, already causing death. Peter remained kneeling by the two guards.
“They both had families, what am I going to tell their wives and children?" Peter asked without looking at me. I quietly opened the tin, and dipped my finger into the oil before storing it away. With tears in my eyes I walked over to where Peter knelt.
"Peter I-" There was a loud clatter. Hands came out of nowhere, and Peter was on the ground, his eyes shut, unconscious. Arms reached for me. I kicked back at them, and reached for Peter. I was barely able to put a small bit of oil into his mouth, before I was captured. Aron held me close to him.
“Keep quiet Princess or he dies.” I did as he asked. He dragged me up the stairs and out into the the night air. The sun's rays barely lit the sky. He pulled out a knife and pressed it to my back.
“This could slice straight through you,” he said. I didn't care, I was dead anyway. I just wanted to be far away from the castle and Chani and Peter when it did happen. He led me out the back gates and into the woods. Deeper and deeper we walked until Aron came to a stop. A horse was awaiting us. He lifted me on then swung up behind me. He kicked the horse into a run. The movements made me ache, and he didn’t slow the pace until the castle was far behind us. We wandered until the moon was well over head, and I was sure that we had been traveling for upwards of five hours. By now we were deep into the forest, and it would be difficult if not impossible to be found.
“We'll make camp here,” he said. He pulled out some rope from a satchel and tied it around my legs, and hands. The rope itched and burned my skin. He made me sit, and leaned me against a tree. He then tied a rope around the tree, and tied the end to the rope around my ankles. After a few minutes scanning our surroundings with his eyes, he laid down next to the tree, and fell asleep nearly immediately. His snores filled the night air. His mouth hung open, drool dripping onto the ground. I leaned my head against the tree. I knew that if I were going to escape I would have to attempt it now. Even with my hands and legs tied I had to try. My body hurt, and exhaustion had set into every part of me. I knew that I couldn’t let this happen without a fight. I had a vial of very potent pain reliever in my pocket, If I could reach it and make him drink it all I could escape. I tucked my legs underneath me, rising on my toes my knees touching the ground. I twisted and maneuvered until at last my hands were able to reach my pockets. I pulled out the vial, and pulled off the lid. I shifted until my hands were close enough to his mouth. I then dumped it's entire contents into his mouth, and blew hard in his face so he would swallow. That should cause permanent effects. Now I just needed to find a way out of these ropes. I twisted my body, and fell backwards on top of him. I flinched, when my full weight fell on my arms. I searched his pockets for his knife. Where was it? I rolled off him, then I saw a glint of silver. He was sleeping on it. I shoved at him with my feet the best I could with them still tied to the tree. At last, I was able to move his body just enough away from the knife. I flipped my back towards him and, glancing over my shoulder, reached for the knife. I cut at the ropes on my hands, then once freed, I cut at the ropes on my feet. I took Aron's satchel and stuck the ropes inside. I then mounted his horse and kicked it into a run. We wound through trees, and I had to duck many times to avoid branches. After a while my body ached to stop and rest, but I knew I couldn’t. There would be no rest this night. It wasn’t long before I found myself dosing off. It grew harder to keep my eyes open. I heard a twig snap in the distance. I slowed my horse and scanned the forest. My horse reared back when, with a massive explosion, flames leapt up in front of my horse. For a moment I couldn’t tell if I were awake or dreaming, but I felt the heat and I knew I was awake. The horse reared back. Men began to run out of the fire, completely unharmed by the flames. I turned my horse and tried to run. One of the men grabbed the reins and another pulled me off. I kicked and screamed. A large hand clamped over my mouth. I tried to scream through it but my throat burned from the smoke and flames. I kicked back with my foot, and hit nothing but air. I bit down hard on the hand clamped over my mouth. A burst of flames leapt up from it, at once I let go. I coughed and sputtered. It felt like fire would come out of my nose. Heat flowed through my veins, and rushed to the parts of my arms where the man held me. Hot blue flames leapt up from me like a force field of fire. The man jumped back, his clothes blackened. Another man took hold of me, and I was trapped once more. How could he bear the flames? Then I realized I wasn't doing it anymore. I tried to do it again but I didn't know how. I was over powered.
“Well done,” Aron said, appearing from behind a tree. He chuckled and walked towards me. There was another leap of flames that shot up behind Aron. He turned towards them. I could feel the heat from here. Seven men emerged out of the fire. One of them, I recognized immediately from my dream.
“Is this the child?” Ivthonan said.
“Yes Ivthonan. See the mark? It’s her,” Aron said. Ivthonan lifted his arm towards me, hand spread wide. He moved closer. Once more my blood boiled, and I burst into flames. My protective field was back. All of my energy began to seep out of me. I fought to stay awake. I broke free from the man holding me, leapt onto Aron’s horse kicked it into a run. I looked back. The blue skinned man behind Ivthonan spun towards me. His hand shot out and bubbles of blue came out of them. Steam twirled around it. Just as it was about to hit me, it was swept away. He tried again, this time the wave bigger. Another man shot dirt at me, but it was a sickly green, and purple. Vapor colored the same, surrounded it. I tried to summon water to protect me, but didn’t know how. I thought about a waterfall. Nothing. I thought about a lake. Nothing. Just as the dirt was about to hit me a wall of water burst up in front of me, but not before a small amount brushed against my arm. I screamed, as it seared and bubbled up on my skin. Aron threw a streak of fire at me, it brushed my shoulder. Then suddenly the onslaught stopped. I kept going, the horse carrying me further away from them. I looked back. Flames had leapt up in front of them and out of it emerged wolves. Growls and snarls filled the air. What must have been a dozen giant wolves crouched low to the ground, their hair on end. Their faces had human like features that flicked from expression to expression. They all growled in unison with one another then ran towards me. I pushed my horse faster. I wound as best I could around the trees, but wasn’t very successful. A branch slashed at my cheek. Blood trickled down my face and into my hair. We smashed through a wall of tall bushes, and I barely managed to duck under a low branch and skid around a tree in my path. A wolf threw itself at me. I swerved. It’s fur brushed the side of me rough and scratchy like dry grass. I felt a painful rash break out where it had made contact with my skin. My breathing was heavy and fast. My throat tasted metallic like blood. They were catching up with us. I could feel the wolf’s breath on my neck. My stomach churned at the smell, and I thought I was going to vomit. A branch slashed my forehead open just as another wolf leapt at me. I turned the horse sharply only to see yet another wolf in my path. I jumped up off the horse and caught a hold of a branch. Pain sliced through my left leg. I looked down to see a wolf’s gigantic claws deep in my leg. It pulled me down just as I pulled u
p on the branch. It’s claw raked down my leg; I screamed. I freed myself from the wolf and climbed higher. Once I was high enough I threw myself into a neighboring tree. The trees shook violently from the wolves’ claws. I leapt to another tree, then began climbing to the top. I knew I was trapping myself, and my leg hurt beyond anything I had ever felt before, but I couldn’t think logically anymore. I was just trying to survive. I looked down to see the wolves almost to me. My foot slipped on one of the slick branches. My fingers grasped at nothing, and I fell. The wet, cool, wind swiped at my back. I crashed through the leaves, at an alarming speed. Just before I hit the ground someone caught me. I glanced up. Aron. I jerked out of his arms, and ran. Pine needles and branches scraped at my arms. I pushed through them and ran harder despite the rocks and thorns digging into my feet. Strong arms grabbed my right elbow. I struggled against their tight hold then another set grabbed my left. There was an excruciating pain, then I could feel myself being lifted into the air before darkness consumed me.
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