Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The following day, heavy rain lashed the forest, sending water cascading down the rock face. Droplets of bat waste spattered against Lilitha’s cheek.

She gagged, then moaned as she shifted her stiff body. She couldn’t take much more. The cave was driving her mad. Her stomach was driving her even crazier.

She escaped the cave to relieve herself. She was so weak with despair and hunger, she almost didn’t manage the climb back up.

When she rolled inside, she was gasping for breath and her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. She had to do something, she had to get away, but the Champions wouldn’t stop searching!

The rain had eased only a little by the time they returned again.

“So this is another point where the trail comes to an end,” explained a voice. “We searched thoroughly, but there was still no sign of her.

“The girl’s been crisscrossing the forest like she knows the damn place. She’s going to be impossible to find.”

Leaves rustled and debris crunched underfoot as someone searched the vicinity.

“Has anyone checked that?” came a deep, all-too-familiar voice.

Lilitha pressed her face hard into the rock.

Mandalay.

“Well—no. Hardly fit for a human, one would think.”

“She’s as cunning as a rat and shouldn’t be underestimated.” She heard the scrape of Mandalay’s boots as he climbed onto the rock.

“Your incompetence hasn’t gone unnoticed. Make yourselves ready. I’ll get her myself.”

Lilitha’s heart was pounding as she wriggled out of the cave, the sharp rock scratching at her knees and elbows. The Champions below groaned at her appearance.

Mandalay paused in his climb and looked up, one eye glimmering at her brightly, a patch concealing the other. Time seemed to freeze as they locked gazes.

Slowly, a triumphant grin spread across his face.

Lilitha launched herself up the rock face. Though it was slippery, and her wrist ached, she made steady progress toward the top.

She glanced back and quickly discovered she wasn’t moving fast enough. Despite his injury, Mandalay was making swift progress. No doubt driven by his rage, driven by his vengeance.

She could see the truth of it glittering in his one eye.

Lilitha kept climbing, but she was weak and cold and shivering and anyone could see he was about to catch up to her.

As Lilitha writhed over a jutting platform of rock, he made a swipe for her ankle, barely missing her.

Gasping, she rolled onto her back and heaved herself up. Even that took effort. He was so close she swore she could hear his teeth grinding together as he climbed.

A big white hand appeared, gripping onto the ledge. She didn’t think. Lifting her foot, she brought the heel of her boot down hard. With a roar of pain, his hand slid from view.

There came a chorus of shouting from his men as he hit the ground with a heavy thud.

“What are you doing? Get after her, you fools!” Mandalay bellowed as she managed to climb the rest of the way.

A pounding rain fell as she tore through the forest. She hadn’t run far before somebody shouted, “Over here! I think I hear her!”

Lilitha darted in the opposite direction. She slipped behind a tree at the sight of a figure ahead, but her gasping breaths drew his attention. He whipped around. “Oy!”

Lilitha dashed away.

“Damn the rain! I can’t see a bloody thing!”

“I got her!” came a cry.

A heavy figure slammed into her, and they fell in a tangled heap.

Screaming, Lilitha punched and kicked but he pinned her to the ground with a triumphant shout. Shortly after, a group of Champions gathered around. It was hard to catch her breath.

Her heart was galloping. The gold and red of the Champions’ uniforms blurred into a ring around her. Rain pattered onto her face.

“Let go!” she screamed as the Champion tightened his grip on her painful wrist.

“Finally!”

There were half a dozen men at least, with more still arriving. They looked down at her in disbelief.

“Is this really her?” someone said.

“Scrawny thing, ain’t she?”

“Inform Sir Mandalay we have her.”

“Why does she stink so bad?”

“Please, no,” Lilitha groaned, turning her head away. Her wrist wouldn’t stop aching. Her whole body seemed to throb with the feel of her heartbeat.

She suddenly felt tired. So damn tired. She closed her eyes.

Then ~he~ arrived. Lilitha snapped her eyes open at the sound of his footsteps. They seemed so heavy, like a giant’s. He was standing over her.

Blood darkened the whole left side of his face and he was slouched at an angle, probably from the fall. His cloak was torn and his long hair was sopping and matted. He didn’t look so handsome now.

“Pick her up,” he snarled. “Bind her hands and search her. I don’t want any more trouble.”

Three men yanked her to her feet and ripped off her sodden cloak. Heavy hands held her still as another unlooped a rope from his belt.

She yelped as he seized her injured wrist and bound her hands tightly. He searched her but found nothing.

Lilitha was finding it hard to keep her balance as Mandalay approached. She felt hardly anything except the weight of her fatigue as he grabbed her throat and forced her to look up at him.

“You’re mine now, little mouse,” he hissed, breath hot upon her cheek. The rain was streaking down his face. His eyes were wild.

“You should have treated me better. Now things are much worse for you.” She winced at his squeeze.

He released her and turned to his men. “She stinks of bat shit. She needs to wash or she’ll scare the horses.”

“There is a small tributary not far from here.”

“Good. We’ll take her there. Get your supplies and let’s move. I don’t want to spend another moment in this godforsaken place.”

The Champions drove her stumbling ahead while Mandalay limped behind. Staggering, Lilitha slid and slipped in the wet ground cover.

She kept tripping, whether on rocks or roots or her own feet she couldn’t tell. Nothing felt real. She felt so dazed it was hard to keep her eyes open.

“In!” Mandalay snarled when they reached the little stream.

Lilitha stopped. She was already frozen with cold and the water looked icy.

“If you don’t, I’ll drag you naked through the streets,” Mandalay growled. “It’s up to you.”

It took forever to undo her laces, her hands shaking badly.

“Hurry up!” Mandalay snapped.

Lilitha cried out as he wrenched at her hair. Finally, she slipped off her boots. She yelped as she eased into the freezing water as deep as her waist.

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably now as she quickly wet herself down. Her teeth began to chatter.

“That’s enough,” Mandalay said.

Lilitha was shivering violently as they escorted her back. Around her, the men were silent, their cloaks drawn tight against the cold.

Lilitha’s tunic and skirts weighed her down, freezing cold and sopping. Steadily, the trees thinned. Above, the sun was hiding behind thick, dark clouds.

Body numb and heart beating erratically, Lilitha stumbled and dropped heavily to the ground. Her lungs were so tight she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her knees were trembling.

Mandalay stood over her, unimpressed. “Get up, or we’ll drag you the rest of the way.”

She hauled herself to her feet.

It was with both despair and relief that they came upon the town. How long had she walked for? She couldn’t recognize where they were.

Her brain didn’t seem to be functioning properly. Her body didn’t feel like hers. Each breath was becoming smaller and smaller.

There were horses. There was pavement. Then there was Mandalay.

“Take her to my horse, she’ll ride with me.” His voice sounded muffled in her ears.

His mount was a giant black stallion with a white diamond patch on his breast. Upon hearing his master, he pawed the ground anxiously. Lilitha swayed on the spot.

She yelped when someone suddenly grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her on top. The horse shifted as someone sat behind her.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was, his chest hard against her back, voice a deep rumble. Lilitha’s head lolled upon her neck. Her eyelids kept sliding shut.

“If you are good, you can share my cloak,” Mandalay said, snaking an arm around her waist.

Lilitha jerked away.

“Fine. Freeze then.”

The rain continued to patter against her head. The clack of the horse’s hooves sounded like it came from somewhere far away. She closed her eyes.

And sank into darkness.