The Scales of War

Chapter 7: Atalan

"Drajine, you awake?" Priddely asked.

"Yeah." She responded. Drajine stood up from the hard bench she slept on and walked to the iron bars which currently imprisoned them deep underground. "We have to try to send a distress signal to the others somehow."

"Who do you think these people are? They have advanced technology and they seem to be thriving."

"From what I could gather, their culture is very Atalanish. They captured us with sheilds, and there was not a weapon in site. These could be survivors of the war."

"Looks like someone has been catching up on her studies." Priddely said with a smirk.

"Well I wasn't just sitting around doing nothing these past two years you know."

"Haha, sure hope not." Priddely gave a short laugh. Just then, a few guards walked into the dungeon and approached the two entrapped warriors.

"Come with us." The first guard said. "Cooperate and you won't be getting any trouble." He unlocked the cell and the other two guards came in and cuffed their hands behind them with a device that encircled an energy beam around their wrists.

Drajine and Priddely were escorted by the guards out into what looked like busy city streets. There were scattered bright lights attached to the ceiling illuminating everything as if it were daylight in this underground pocket of air. As they walked down the road, many people were giving them stares and cautious looks, some even seemed hateful.

"May I ask where we are going?" Drajine said to the guard in front of her.

"You are going to see the one who will decide your fate." He said flatly, and did not speak again.

There were some sections along the road where small market booths were set up with merchants selling healthy looking produce. Some children were playing a game which was put on hold as they watched the prisoners walk by. The buildings were all built out of the earth. They stretched from the bottom all the way up to the ceiling looking like they were also serving as support columns. Most people traveled on foot, and there were some riding small hover bikes with storage space for transporting items.

The guards were leading the two to the largest building in the underground city. It was beautifully carved with pictorials of Atalan historical events from what Drajine could gather. They were lead up the steps and through the large doors into a. . . throne room? Drajine tried to get her eyes focused on the person sitting in the large chair in the back of the hall. When they came closer, she recognized him from her studies.

It can't be. Drajine thought in disbelief. How is it that he could have hid for so long, and with basically an entire kingdom? But there was no doubt about it, this was King Mali Agarwal, ruler of kingdom Atalan.

They stopped at the end of the stair before the King, and the guards had both women kneel before him.

"It is unfortunate that you have found this place." Mali spoke. "I have kept this kingdom a secret since Crysidian was wiped out during the war. I'm afraid you will never be allowed to see the sun again. I will give you two options. One: You can live amongst us in peace with your weapons being discarded. Two: You can rot in the dungeon." He finished and waited for their reply.

"Your majesty." Drajine began. "Our presence threatens your discovery. We are not mere space travelers. I-"

"I gathered that much from your appearance and your weapons." He cut her off. "Your communication devices will not be able to send any signals from here. I assure you, what ever little outlaw group you may come from, they will not find you here."