Hope in the Highlands

10

Kaji desperately searched the prison for the warden, hoping that she avoided Barro. She still wasn't quite sure what she would do when she found the warden - tackle him to the ground and grab the badges. Shaan could instantly teleport her to him, so hopefully, he would save her before the guards killed her. It was a reckless plan, but she had no other ideas and she had to save Ashric.

At last, she found the warden heading down the main staircase to the lower levels.

"I want to know exactly what's going on. First, the pillar goes dark and we lose our food and water, then the gemstone is gone so we can't get reinforcements, and now the barracks and my office and room lose the cooling shaft? I want to know exactly where this Kaji woman is... If Barro's information is correct," the warden said.

Kaji's breath froze as she leaned against the wall around the corner, heart thumping furiously in her chest. Ice slithered through her veins and her hands trembled. Mentally counting to three, she darted out from around the corner and immediately leapt onto the warden.

The movement took him and his guards by surprise. She and the warden tumbled to the ground. All her eyes focused on were the badges on his shoulders. Grabbing them, she tried ripping them off, but the fabric wouldn't tear.

"I can't get them off!" Kaji mentally screamed.

Energy swirled around her and her stomach flipped into her throat. Kaji squeezed her eyes shut as terror clawed through her. What was going on?

******

Two guards roughly grabbed Ashric's arms and threw him from the cell. Fortunately, the gemstone had already disappeared, so at least it was safe. Ashric slammed his head against the guard on his left as the guard on his right collapsed on him.

The man pressed a heavy knee into Ashric's back and he gasped as the air in his lungs left him. Three more guards surged on him; two at his arms, one behind with a sword and one behind him with a sword at his throat.

They shoved him onto the ground beneath the crusher device. His breathing stopped and sweat coated his skin in thick layers as his body trembled. Deep inside, he knew pleading would do no good. They chained one of his legs outside the device, leaving his right one below it.

"All you have to do is tell me what happened to the pillar, Ashric," Ther said with a sneer. He leaned above Ashric's face as the guards finished chaining his wrists, neck, chest, and ankles in place below the device. "We already know you and Kaji had something to do with it and your pain is only just beginning until you tell me what I want to know."

Ashric swallowed deeply but gritted his teeth as he shook his head.

"Losing a leg won't kill you." Ther gestured to another guard, who pulled the lever.

A heavy device collapsed onto his right leg and crushed it. Agony exploded through Ashric's leg and he screamed and cried out in pain and terror.

"Now, while we leave that on your leg," Ther started. "let's find something else to keep you busy, eh?"

Tears fell from Ashric's eyes, throbbing with the agony pulsing through his leg. His head and heart pounded furiously and he groaned with another outcry.

"If you talk now, this will all be over, Ashric. Might even get you medical care to amputate that leg of yours," Ther enticed.

Ashric clamped his eyes and mouth closed, body trembling.

Suddenly, his body heated up. Ashric opened his eyes just as Ther held an iron bar, orange from being heated in fire, directly above his face. "You sure you don't wanna talk, Ashric?" Ther asked him.