Ch. 3 Alliance

Chapter 3 Alliance
She grabbed my arm harshly, yanking me towards her. Suddenly the room started to spin around me until all I could see was a blend of colors rapidly cycling around me like I was inside a twister. I couldn’t find that strange woman, she seemed to have disappeared. I was unable to move though. I felt frozen in place as the world around me continued to spin. The sight was too overwhelming and I closed my eyes no longer able to stand it.
It was the smell of rotting mold that brought me back to my senses. I opened my eyes slowly, relieved to find the world in one place. I took in my surrounding and realized I was sitting on the floor of a dingy dungeon. It was dark and grimy, except for the light creeping through a small barred window onto the cold, cement floor. The door to the dungeon was a large and wooden with only a small barred window indicating to the world outside.
“So, you’re awake,” said a voice nearby.
Startled, I quickly looked behind me. There sat a man chained by his wrists to the wall. He appeared to be about my age, tall, muscular, and handsome, but at the same time, terrifying. His expression was stern and he looked strong enough to snap me in half with minimal effort.
“Do you speak?” He asked, in reference to the fact I was sitting there just staring at him.
“Y-yeah” I stammered, feeling small and pathetic in his presence.
“Why are you in here?” He asked.
I shook my head. “Couldn’t tell ya,” I answered exhaustedly, wishing it was a terrible dream I could wake up from.
The man laughed. “It wouldn’t be the first time Queen Ophelia tossed an innocent person into her dungeon.” He looked me over carefully. “Where are you from?”
I shook my head. How was I even going to begin to answer that? “Alright Chatty Kathy, do you interrogate everyone you get tossed into jail with?” I snapped, hoping to distract him from his question.
Again, he laughed, fully amused by my retort. “Little defensive, huh? I’m just seeing if I can help.”
I sighed loudly. It wasn’t like I had things together. Maybe a little help would be alright. “Look, I don’t know anything. All I know is some lady brought me here and she was going on about how I’m the last of some race and I have an important task, but then Queen Crazy popped in, stabbed her and brought me here.”
“Hmm, last of a race, huh?” he muttered to himself while looking at me as if he knew something. “Well, we better get you out of here.”
I looked at him doubtingly, wondering how he could so eagerly want to help me. He was a stranger to me, one who was sitting locked up in a jail cell. He wasn't striking me as trustworthy in that particular moment. “You know, that would be just great, but I have a couple questions first such as, oh I don’t know, who are you, why are you in here?”
He laughed. “I’m Zayne. I’m in here because I’m in charge of an organization called Fuerza, but all you really need to know right now is that I'm the one that can get you out of here," he replied as he looked me right in the eyes. "What’s your name, Celestian?”
I narrowed my eyes, full of annoyance at my complete inability to understand anything that was happening, but someone how everyone else knew. “I’m Arianna and what do you know about that Celestian stuff?”
“It doesn’t matter right now,” he said as he motioned for me to come closer. “If we are getting out of here, I’m going to need your help.”
I cautiously approached him and knelt down beside him. He whispered, “In my right pocket, there is a small pick. I need you to get it.”
I looked at him hesitantly, not sure if I should follow his directive. I honestly didn’t know him and who was to say he wasn’t going to break my arm. He sensed my uneasiness and smiled. “It’s alright; I’m not going to bite.”
I did as he said and pulled the pick out of his pocket. “Now, can you use it to pick the locks on these chains?” He whispered, raising his arms to show me the locked cuffs on his wrists. I nodded and began with his left wrist. I never had thought my delinquent behavior was potentially going to save my life someday. I managed to open the lock.
“Why didn’t she lock me up?” I asked as I began unlocking his right wrist.
He smirked, “Honestly, she probably didn’t find you to be a threat.”
“Hmm,” I murmured as I unlocked his right wrist, “That’s rude, and yet very plausible.”
He stood up and looked toward the door. “I hear footsteps coming this way. Lie down, pretend you are knocked out, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
He went to the door and stood next to the side with the hinges and I did as he said. I heard the door open and footsteps walk inside. It sounded like only one set and they were approaching me.
“Hey!” A harsh male voice said as he nudged my back with his foot. “I have to take you to the queen. Get up!”
He rolled me over but I remained completely still. Anytime now, Zayne.
He began to shake me violently. “Wake up!” Suddenly, I heard a loud thud and then something topple onto the floor next to me.
“Alright, you can get up now.” I heard Zayne say. I opened my eyes and saw the guard laying on the floor next to me, knocked out cold. “I’m impressed that you managed not to move. I was sure you were going to lose it.”
I stood up and glared at him. “You certainly took your time.”
He laughed and shrugged nonchalantly. “Just waiting for my most opportune moment.”
Zayne grabbed the guard and pulled him over to where he himself had previously been chained up. He took the chains and put them on the guard’s wrists and took his sword before returning to my side.
“Alright, we are going to try to sneak out of here. You need to stay close to me and do not leave my side at all, got it?”
I looked around the dingy dungeon. “Yeah, because I have so many more appealing options right now.” He smiled and took my hand, leading me over to the door. He peaked through to verify the coast was clear. Slowly and silently he opened the door and together we snuck through.
Outside of the dungeon was a dimly lit corridor made only of stone leading to a spiral staircase. We moved slowly along the wall, watching and listening carefully for any signs of more guards approaching. Before starting up the stairs, we paused to listen again. I was terrified. My whole body shook from the suspense of possibly getting caught and what would happen if we did. Zayne noticed and looked at me. “Are you scared?”
I just nodded. He placed his hand on my cheek comfortingly and smiled. “Don’t worry; I won’t let anything happen to you.” His words brought me a sense of safety and I nodded to indicate I was ready to proceed. Again, he took my hand and we began to make our way up the dark stairway. We crept along the wall and stopped when we suddenly heard approaching footsteps. We could hear two guards talking as they made their way down the stairs.
“The queen’s making a big deal about this girl.” Said the first one.
“Yeah, I don’t get it. We’ve got bigger problems to worry about. Fuerza took down some of our strongest men in Rowan Grove. They actually liberated the town! We are losing territory because of them! That’s what we need to be focusing on!”
As they drew closer, Zayne readied his sword and pulled me behind him. Suddenly, a crackled voice was heard. “Reno, Dallas, what are your positions?”
The footsteps stopped. “We are on our way to get one of the prisoners for the queen.”
“Forget that,” said the voice, “We are under attack by Fuerza! We need everyone at the West Gate! Now!” The footsteps quickened in the other direction and we both sighed in the relief.
“Fuerza? Isn’t that your organization?” I asked Zayne.
He smiled. “Good, you were listening. It is and that’s our cue. We need to get to the East Gate.”
“But that guy said they were at the West Gate.” I informed.
“Exactly.” he said as he pulled me up next to him as we started making our way back up the stairs. When we reached the top of the stairs, there was another wooden door with a small barred window. We saw some straggler guards rushing past on their way to the West Gate. We waited until no more passed. Zayne cracked the door and peaked outside. “No one is there, we can go.”
We entered the hall and it was much different than the oppressive dungeon. In this hall, the light was brilliant as it was shining from small intricate chandeliers aligning the ceiling. The hall was adorned with magnificent paintings and the beautiful marble floor was only slightly hidden by a plush plum rug that was fit for royalty.
“Alright,” Zayne said, “We aren’t sneaking anymore; we are going to make a run for it. Stay close and follow me.”
We took off down the hall, running as fast as we could and turning corners quickly. Every hall was the same, but each one held different portraits. Some were nature scenes, while others were different paintings of the queen. Some of the hallways also had sculptures along the wall and some even in the center, of which we had to be careful not to run into. Most were of the queen while others were of cherubs or people.
“We’re almost there!” Zayne called back to me as I was about to run past one of the sculptures of the queen, when it suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I screamed and Zayne turned around. The sculpture of the queen suddenly became fleshy starting at the top and working to the bottom until the queen herself was standing in front of me, grasping my arm tightly.