A Dance In The Moonlight

Chapter Ninty-One- Sleep At Last

I awoke in a cage that was hanging above a hole filled with dragon teeth as sharp as could be. My clothes had disappeared and I wore a burlap sack like a house elf. Looking around and trying to keep calm, I could see hundreds of cages filled with various students and adults. But what I had seen before... no... it had to of been a polyjuice. How did someone get Professor Fig's hair though? He's been dead for almost two years now. A yelp from down below could be heard that was all too familiar. I leaned forward and right below me was Natty tied up and being hit by... no... that can't be.

"Why would you DARE to protect a mudblood?!" Albion shouted wearing the same mask Professor Fig wore before he grabbed me. He must have gotten a piece of Professor Fig's hair and created the polyjuice potion to sneak in and out of the castle.

"Merlina! Are you alright?" I looked up and in the cage next to mine sat Lucan beat up with his black curls in a mess.

"Where are we?" I whispered loud enough for only him to hear.

"I don't know... you see the person in the wooden mask watching Natty get hit? She grabbed both of us after Natty tried to protect me."

I looked down again, hoping to see what Lucan was describing. A person in a wooden mask with only two small holes for the eyes was sitting in a stone-made throne, watching Albion torture Natty. She was crying, begging for him to stop but he wouldn't listen to her pleas.

"Albion!" I shouted, in hope of helping her. Just as I predicted, Albion shot his head up and even from where I sat, a smile of evil formed on his face.

"I'm sorry Merlina! I would have changed back into your precious professor if I knew you were awake! Why don't you come down here and join us?"

He waved two fingers townward and suddenly the cage was moving downward. Once I was on the soft soil despite being in a cave, the cage door opened and in front stood Albion with wide eyes and an even wider smile. No wonder why Morgana has been working for this Puppeteer. Albion was on her side. Could Morgana have known though?

By the top of my head, Albion grabbed a handful and dragged me out to see everything. Goblins, poachers, ashwinders, and dark wizards all around doing their own thing. Some torturing victims, some watching the show, and others with clipboards as if taking orders. Wooden stairs and walkways surrounded us but it was clear there was only one exit- a wooden door about three walkways up.

"You see everything around? We wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you. Ranrok was trying to get in between this but with you killing him, the goblins joined us." Albion explained.

He began dragging me again until I was face to face with Natty. She had been beaten to a bloody pulp. Her face cut up from the amount of rings Albion wore. This is how I thank someone who once saved me from an unforgivable curse? To a wooden column, Albion tied my wrists behind my back so I could get the front row seat of him torturing Natty. The ropes were already cutting off circulation and my wrists getting rope burn. He laughed like a mad man once more, taking a step back as if admiring what he had done.

"The great Merlina Wood! Taken and tied with ease! If only I knew that last year."

"Shut up and let Natty go! You have me to torture now Albion!"

"Huh... That's a great idea Merlina. Say uh, leader! Should I do what Merlina requested?"

He looked to the person with the wooden mask for answers. With a clear view, I could see not one bit of physical evidence of who it could be was shown. Their hair was tucked under a hood and every piece of their body was covered. This must be the Puppeteer. She hesitated for a moment before nodding her head once. Relief washed over me.