The Six

Chapter Twenty Five- Caged

Eboni's heart sank as she watched the Commander dismount from his horse and walk over to them.

The group had just walked over the invisible line that divided the two countries. Stood in a line they waited for the Commander to approach.

"Sister Eboni, Brother Bren, Chief Atu, Kas, Princess Iasa, Sir Orlan." He said, nodding to each of them as he walked passed each of them.

Stopping at the new arrivals he looked them up and down.

"I am Raus, this is Kimi." Raus said, raising his chin defiantly.

"We know what you have come to do Commander, what is it we are being charged with?" Eboni asked bringing the Commanders attention back to her and away from Kimi, who had him locked in a battle of the stares, neither one relenting.

"The Empress has ordered your immediate arrest. You are to be taken to the Judgement Circle where your charge and punishment will be brought against you."

He kept his gaze blank, his tone unemotional, as he motioned for seven horse drawn cages to be brought closer.

"Which of you wields the element of the water?" He asked unlocking the door of the first cage.

Kimi stepped forward without hesitation, taking Raus's place. Silently she stepped into the cage, sending the Commander a seething glare. The lock clicked behind her, sealing her in.

"Sir Orlan and the boy, in this one." He said pulling them forward then pushing them in and slamming the door behind them.

Eboni sighed in relief as Raus was put in the same cage as Sir Orlan. The Commander obviously had thought they would only return with one other, so he was putting the two people who didn't have any powers in the same cage- or so he thought.

"Charming man." Raus said sarcastically.

Iasa climbed graciously into the next one, smoothing down her dress nonchalantly as though they were being driven in horse drawn carriages to a party, not cages to their death.

Atu, Kas and Bren were also hauled silently into their respective cages by the Commander. They had all agreed to not make a fuss when they were arrested. Their main objective at this moment was to get back to the city to confront the Empress, not cause a fight that could ruin their reputation with the army that were watching them.

"You are not putting up a fight. I expected you too." The Commander said as he reached Eboni.

"Our fight is not here or with the people. We readily accept the opportunity to see the Empress again." She smiled sweetly as she climbed into the cage.

The door shut behind her, yet she did not feel trapped. Gripping the bars that sealed her inside she bit her lip to hide her smile. They could break out of these if they wanted to in a moment.

The water pouch she had strapped to her waist under her baggy tunic made sure she had plenty of energy to call upon as they passed through the parched fields. It would hold enough for her to do a small amount of damage should the Commander decide he would rather dispose of the group in the middle of nowhere rather than take them to the city. They had discussed all the possibilities and wanted to be prepared.

Kas had his vile of earth, though he could easily manipulate the earth around him, the earth from his home land held more significance for him when it came to using his power.

Atu was able to draw the wind from anywhere so long as he was not confined in a small space with no air- the bars on the cages were an obvious relief.

Raus would not be able to use his powers to draw water from deep below the ground as that would give away that it was him and not Kimi who was in fact the final link.

Bren had yet to try the full extent of his power, he did not want to unleash anything that could be dangerous on a land that was inhabited by many innocent people. For now he was to stay close to his partner and be ready to run if the Dark Ones decided to blind them again.

Eboni was surprised that escaping the cages seemed so easy- too easy. Surely the Empress would want to make sure the group couldn't use their power? Looking through the cages next to her she caught Atu's eye. He was apparently thinking the same thing as she was as he raised a questioning eyebrow.

She shrugged her shoulders in a silent reply. The cart holding the cage began to roll forward as the Commander ordered the small army of men to march forward. Sitting down on the floor listening to the steady in time stomp of a thousand footfalls filling the tense air that surrounded them as they began their way towards the city.

Leaning back into the bars she hoped that the Empress had indeed underestimated their abilities- and that when the time came to leave Admari and the fate of the Dark Ones to the people who resided in the land, they would all be alive to get on the boat.