Kota attempted to slash at a guard's exposed midsection; however, the guard parried Kota's blade with ease. Stepping back, they prepared to strike again when Lucinda landed beside the guard. Rolling forward, she lunged as she collided with the guard. Before the guard could react, she twisted her form, forcing her leg into the side of his head, and knocked him unconscious.
Blinking in disbelief, Kota moved closer, holding his blade out at the figure in front of him as he investigated the guard from a distance. As he moved his head closer, he recognized her as the red-haired woman in the chapel that night. "Lucinda? Is it you this time, or am I dreaming?"
Kota stretched out his hand to Lucinda, and she promptly grabbed his hand. He pulled her to her feet, standing only a few inches away from her. In a split second, they shared a look before Lucinda spotted the figure in the black bone headpiece, engaged in combat with the final guard.
The ax wielder grabbed the metal bar of the spiked mace with their left hand as the guard tried to raise it to smash into them. The figure gripped the handle of his weapon while holding the ax in their other hand. They were locked together, meeting each other's eyes, when the ax wielder's hand caused the metal rod to glow a faint red. The gloveless guard held on tightly before releasing, screaming in pain. In one swift motion, the figure threw their ax into the ground, then gripped another part of the shaft before spinning the weapon and smacking the handle into the soldier's forehead, making him fall to the floor.
In quick succession, the figure flipped the spiked mace over their head and tightened their grip. The stranger prepared to bring it down on the guard's chest, but Lucinda ran over, grabbing the mace's metal pole above the figure's hands.
"Do not kill this man!"
Through the slits in the headpiece, the figure glanced over at Lucinda. "Why do you defend this man? Who the hell are you?"
"Killing him isn't necessary, even though he guards this hellish place. Some of these men are not here because they want to be. Even the guards," explained Lucinda, letting go of the mace but still keeping her eyes on the figure's skull mask.
Kota moved over to Lucinda's side to show his support for her. Then he fell to his knees, gripping his left wrist, which had been wrapped in a bandage before the fight. Lucinda bent down to examine him.
The stranger stood on the guard's chest, and the guard groaned as the weight applied grew heavier just before the figure took their metal boot off his chest and swiftly brought their foot across his head, knocking him unconscious.
Lucinda and Kota stared at the figure, who turned their attention to them both. The figure raised their hands at Lucinda sarcastically. "Is that better, Princess?"
Keeping her calm, Lucinda walked over to the figure and pushed their shoulder. She raised her index finger and pointed at the mask. "If you are the one who saved Kota, I give my thanks, but I will not stand by and watch as unnecessary blood is spilled. And I am not a princess."
The figure stood still, not reacting to Lucinda's actions or words as they watched Kota stand. Lucinda turned towards Kota as he gripped his left wrist in pain. Walking over, she touched the bandage around his left hand, and she felt the roughness of his skin and some warmth from his palm. She looked at his face, but he did not wince in pain while she pushed on his palm. Then she hastily reached her arms around him. "You do not know how happy I am to see you alive. We never stopped looking for you."
Kota reached his right arm across her back and squeezed. "You have come a long way in a short time. Just days ago, you appeared as a scared girl who struggled to wield that sword. Now you are ready for a fight. I am happy to see you, but what do you mean, we?"
She took a step back, confused. From her peripheral vision, she observed the ax wielder get closer to the other guard and then bend down to inspect for valuables. The figure combed through the guard's pockets and examined them both. "I'll tell him if you don't. He does not fully understand what has happened over the last year."
Kota turned toward the stranger, ready to question that statement, but then Lucinda asked him, "Did this masked, makeshift knight here rescue you from your cell?"
"I am no knight."
Kota shook his head. "No. I dreamt of you saving me, but woke up alone. The door was open, with the guard outside killed, and then I ran into this masked individual after I left my cell. Wait, did you say a year?"
Kota turned toward the masked figure as Lucinda walked to the rope railing near the chasm. She looked over the edge, thinking, before taking in a breath.
"What is your name, stranger? Why are you here?"
With a small key in hand, the figure rose and approached the two of them. Picking up the ax, the figure flipped it around and offered the handle to Kota. Confused, he grabbed the ax, holding it to the side as the figure lifted off the hawklike headpiece. Kota and Lucinda watched as the headpiece was removed, revealing a woman who appeared to be a bit older than they were, with dark brown hair, tanned skin, and violet eyes.
"My name is Sonya." She let her headpiece rest on top of her head, still revealing her face, and as she spoke, her eyes moved towards Lucinda, and she did an exaggerated curtsy in Lucinda's direction. "It's a pleasure. Princess, will you tell him now?"
Lucinda took a step forward but took a breath, composing herself. "I am no princess, just a friend of one. I am here for Kota, not you."
Kota sensed tension as he handed the ax back to Sonya in front of Lucinda. Sonya nodded, and he turned to place his hand on Lucinda's shoulder. Kota looked between the two of them. "We can sort this whole thing out between you two later. After we escape, though. Until then, what are you two not telling me?"
Lucinda glanced at Sonya, who effortlessly sheathed the ax on her back before refocusing on Kota. Walking away from the chasm, Lucinda clenched her fist. "This will not come easy to you."
Sonya stood watching the two of them before noticing the black marks on Kota's arm, right above the bandage on his left hand. She approached him from behind. "It has been over a year since they captured you, Your Royal Highness. A lot has happened in your kingdom since that day. Mostly with your family, from what I hear."
Lucinda watched as the color in his face washed out and was replaced with a pale, dull color as he stumbled on his feet. She groaned and said, "Possibly with a little more tact, stranger."
Sonya walked up next to him and braced him against her body. "No need to faint," she said, raising her hands to keep him in a standing position. "We'll assist your escape and continue the conversation."
Lucinda looked into Sonya's eyes. "You will help us? Why? Were you not here for another reason? That is the impression I was getting, as you did not mean to save him."
Sonya looked over at the cells that lay faintly lit and replied, "I am looking for my husband, as he disappeared almost two years ago. There was a lead about him being seen in Mara, which reminded me of the prison. I have not been here long. If I broke in once, I can do it again."
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
She paused as she turned her head to view Kota, whom she was still bracing. "Right now, you need my help. You need to get out of here alive, Your Royal Highness."
Kota breathed heavily before clutching his left forearm. He gripped his arm tight and nodded at her. "Thanks. I will help you find your husband when this is all over. It's the least I can do," he said with a heavy breath.
As he clutched his arm, Sonya looked at the black marks stretching past the bandage around his wrist. Lucinda walked over to them, and with Sonya's help, the two of them moved Kota to the wall, away from the chasm, and helped him stand up straight. Standing next to him, Lucinda looked at the cell next to them. The door lay cracked, so she pushed on it, further revealing an empty cell. She looked inside and waved to Sonya.
Kota walked into the room and moved to a seated position as Sonya walked in, dragging the two guards before placing them on the opposite wall. Sonya moved to the door and gently cracked it, as it had been before they had disrupted it.
"Let me look at you," Lucinda said, examining the bandage around his wrist, as she had seen some black lines past the wraps.
Unwrapping the bandage at his wrist, she watched as the black, vine-like tendrils grew in size the closer she moved to his hand. Her eyes widened as she continued to unwrap his wrist, seeing that the black tendrils were becoming more solid the closer she moved toward his palm. Lucinda unwrapped the bandage around his palm, revealing a red circle with four lines pointing toward the center of his palm. "It's worse than expected."
Kota opened his eyes at her statement and looked down at his hand. He was watching her unwrap the bandage, seeing the back of his left hand. His breathing quickened when he saw it covered in black markings. "What the hell is that?" he asked, feeling the mark pulsating.
Sonya bent down next to the two of them and grabbed Kota's wrist. Then, starting at the farthest tendril, she traced the marks with her finger, watching Kota's face for signs of pain. Lucinda grabbed his hand from Sonya's, covering it with her own.
"What is this mark?" asked Sonya. "This curse is unlike any I have ever seen."
"I heard you might have this mark. It's best not to talk about it now," Lucinda explained as she closed her eyes. Her lips moved without a sound, while her fingers and palms shone with a warm, white light. The marks retracted gently toward the mark on his palm.
Sonya stayed crouched next to the two of them as she watched Lucinda's face. "You are fortunate. The Princess here is a mender. A special one at that. A curse like this takes skill to mend."
Lucinda watched as the tendrils slowed when they reached the back of his hand. It was barely covered, and most of his wrist was clear of the marks. "I cannot completely heal this mark and its effects, but I can keep it from spreading."
"Why do we not just cut out that mark?" Sonya asked as she placed her hand on the handle of her ax. "We could do the hand, but..."
Lucinda shook her head as she continued to men. "This mark is now a part of him. If we remove it, he dies."
"Great," said Kota, exhausted, as he looked up toward Sonya.
Lucinda glanced at her, and Sonya grabbed the bandage and began to re-wrap his hand. "How do you know what to do with that curse?" asked Sonya, pausing as she continued to re-wrap his bandage.
Then she stood up, glancing around the cell, seeing only the flickering of the torch flames. The sudden silence was broken as the echoes of pain came through the air outside. "We can discuss that later. We shouldn't stay here any longer."
"Agreed," Lucinda answered, standing up and watching Kota move his fingers.
He could feel some of the movement again in his fingers, clenching them tight. Sonya peeked through the door before surveying the chasm. Lucinda reached out her hand for Kota as she smiled at him. He grabbed her hand, and she helped him to his feet.
"I am still in the dark here. Am I truly cursed? I thought curses did not exist except in tales."
Lucinda watched as Kota moved away from her and regained his balance before leaning against the wall. Stretching the fingers of his left hand, he grinned.
Sonya investigated outside the cell. "We must leave before additional guards come. Does Princess have an easier way out?"
The two of them looked over at Lucinda, who crossed her arms. "A certain person threw someone over the edge. Which destroyed the lift that was supposed to take us down to our escape. Aria has been working on a backup plan for some time. A R'tal stone one floor up connects with another stone outside Asana. At least, that's what her letter says."
"What is a R'tal stone?" asked Kota.
"The brief answer is an ancient forbidden calling that had another name in a past age. Teleportation stones," answered Lucinda, moving closer to the door, where Sonya was standing.
Turning towards them, Sonya signaled that the path was clear. As the group moved out of the cell, Sonya turned back toward Lucinda, saying, "I have heard rumors about them... Wait, did you say Aria? As in the Princess of Mara?"
"Yes. Aria approached us after Alexis and I were about to give up hope on what happened to Kota," answered Lucinda as the group moved along the wall toward an archway with stairs leading to higher and lower levels. "She gave us details on where you were being held and helped me learn how to control that mark. A lot has happened since that woman kidnapped you, Kota."
Sonya reached for her headpiece and pulled the mask back over her face as she stayed in front of the other two, gripping her ax firmly as she removed it from its holder. She lifted her hand, making the two of them freeze behind her. Sonya saw lifts moving in both directions across the chasm. When she was satisfied, she signaled them to move again.
Kota moved along the wall. His strength was returning, and he no longer needed to place a free hand on the objects lining the walls. Taking a second to think, he looked around, seeing all the other cells, then spoke to Sonya, trying to force his spirits to stay high. "I hope your husband is not in this place. Can't imagine staying here for a day, let alone a year."
"There was never a guarantee he was inside this prison. He did like to cause trouble, so I thought I would start here first," said Sonya, focusing her eyes forward as they reached the archway. "He has been trouble since the day I met him."
Sonya turned the corner and noticed a staircase that went up on the left and down on the right. After signaling the two to stay put, she walked a few steps down. Lucinda stayed crouched next to Kota as she got his attention. "I promise I will tell you everything after we get you to safety."
As he nodded, the two watched Sonya come back around the bend. Kota looked over into her eyes, staying stoic. "I know. I am not looking forward to it."
Sonya moved up the stairs to where they waited, gesturing for them to go left. Taking the first step upward, she held her ax by her side as the walls were closer together as they continued up the steps.
Lucinda waited until they had moved a few steps up, then softly asked Kota, "Would you want to know what they did to you in here? Whatever ritual caused that would not be a pleasant memory to have."
"I have lost a year of my life. I don't know why I am even in this prison. My last memory is of being thrown from the chapel. Not to mention the feeling and sound of my arm being broken," whispered Kota, rubbing his right shoulder before another thought crossed his mind. "What happened to Alexis and Lukas? Are they both safe?"
Lucinda looked away as Kota moved in step behind Sonya. Sonya kept her focus forward as she peered over her shoulder. "I know Alexis is physically healthy. Mentally, I am not sure."
Kota looked back at her before Lucinda added, "Alexis and I are not sure about Lukas. There was a lot of destruction inside the church from what I saw. I ran into Alexis the following morning. Alexis claimed not seeing any bodies, implying he must have stumbled away, but to where?"
"If he's alive, there must be a reason he didn't return to the kingdom for aid. I wonder why he did not seek help," said Kota in a whisper.
Continuing to walk behind Sonya, he got lost in his train of thought and accidentally bumped into her as she stopped walking up the stairs. Sonya turned back to Kota while taking a deep breath, then moved her gaze to Lucinda. "Where exactly is this stone?"
"Aria wrote in the letter that the stone will be in an open area near the top of the prison, a floor above Kota. It's a large black stone with white markings scattered over it. It should be hidden among crates and boxes, in a room with a big circular metal door. The stone will be hard to miss," said Lucinda, thinking back to the letter she had read earlier.
Sonya led the way, as the group heard faint voices and footsteps above. She rapidly brought her ax across her body and prepared for a fight. Lucinda and Kota unsheathed their weapons, only to hear the sounds of the talking and footsteps lighten. Placing her hand out, Sonya signaled for both of them to stay as she moved up the stairs.
Lucinda put her hand on Kota's shoulder. "Don't worry, I will get you to Alexis in one piece."
Kota smiled as the thought of Alexis being safe calmed his anxious mind, and they waited for Sonya. After waiting a few more seconds, they looked up to see Sonya leaning around the corner.
She whispered, "Right room, but there are two individuals. Let's try to keep the element of surprise and strike first. They seem busy talking, no time to wait for them to move on."