The Heroes of The Elemental Academies Book 3 The Tides of War

Chapter 29: Unexpected Ally

Seth

    When Seth opened his eyes he came face to face with a young woman. She was crouched over him running white cloth over his many wounds. He blinked twice trying to shake off the last vestiges of his sleep, then he tried to shift to look at the woman. He regretted moving immediately, pain hot and unrelenting punished him for the action. Instead he tried to focus his eyes on the woman in front of him
She was a younger woman but still looked to be older than him. Her skin was the color of caramel and her face was angular. Her hair which had probably once been a very stunning chocolate brown, was also now knotted and clumped. She wore a dust covered white dress with a forest green vest, there were also red splotches covering the skirt of her dress. She was on her knees in front of him dabbing one of his leg stabs while muttering to herself. Seth had taken a bar upside the head earlier and couldn't quite hear very well so he couldn't make out what she was saying.
    At the moment however he had worse things to worry about. He quickly became aware of the fact that he was dressed only in the same boxers he'd been wearing when he had woken up the first time. He felt heat creep into his cheeks and he tried to shift away from her. He couldn't move however since he was still chained against the wall and ground. So he only managed to slightly rustle his chains.
    She seemed to realize he was awake though. She looked up at him through thick brown eyes that matched her hair. They were red and puffy like she had been crying. There was a nasty black bruise just under her eye on her right cheek bone.
    Despite the way she looked gave him a pained smile. Probably noticing his embarrassment. She didn't say anything so Seth just did his best not to make this more awkward for the both of them. He looked up toward the ceiling leaving her to her work. He couldn't feel most of his lower half anymore.
   His back and legs especially his thighs had gone  numb from pain almost a day before. Instead his thoughts turned to his two other squad mates. He still had no idea if they were alive or not. He didn't want to think they had been killed but what if they were? What use would the demons have for them.
   We're they being tortured like him? Or worse? A thousand thoughts danced in his mind and worry seemed to naw at the edges of his mind like chipmunk on a log. He now knew that in three days Orion would be receiving reinforcements and he would use that to attack the Normal World. But why? He didn't know, it probably had something to do with the whole crazy rogue general of darkness thing Orion seemed to have going for him. As for where? Well, Orion had said his hometown. There was just one problem before Seth had discovered who he was,before any of this; He and his mom had constantly moved around from state to state never staying in one place for more than a year. The longest place they had stayed was the last place they had stayed a small town in Kansas called Derby. They had been there a little over a year when everything happened. The Demon attack, high speed run, almost getting hit by a car, you know good stuff.
   "It was funny what the mind thought of while you were in excruciating pain,"  he thought to himself. A lance of pain shot up his right leg and a spasm seized him in its grip as he writhed in pain. Every movement sent fresh waves of agony throughout his body. When they finally calmed down Seth caught his breath. He was really starting to think he would never make it out of here. As the thought crossed his mind. The faces of those he loved rose into his mind. His mom, Stratos, even his dad and his new younger sister appeared. But the last one surprised him. It was Rylee. He stern honey colored eyes stared at him like she was scolding him. Her lips pressed together and her eyebrows were scrunched. Her hazel colored hair was tossed over one shoulder and her arms were crossed over her chest. The thought of her sent warm tingles spreading throughout his body. It was a feeling in direct contrast to the pain he was in.
   Seth hadn't realized his feelings for her were so strong. Another tinge of pain brought him back to reality. The young woman was bandaging his thigh. The scabbed over older wounds mixing with the fresher still bleeding wounds the imps had given him. The funny thing about pain was that if he didn't move too much he found it was just barely tolerable. And unlike in books or movies he'd seen, it didn't effect his ability to think too much. He wasn't sure why? The pain hurt sure, hurt so much he wanted to crawl in a hole and cry, but his mind seems as clear as ever.
   Just then he realized the woman was talking to him. Her voice was no louder than a whisper.
   "You won't die. You wont die. You wont die. She said it more like a prayer and less like she was trying to comfort him. He wet his lips trying to speak, coughed hacking spit from his throat. His throat burned and he realized it was raw from yelling. The young woman turned and picked up a small wooden cup and held it up to his lips. He hesitated wondering if it was poison. She smiled at him and pushed it against his lips urging him to drink. Finally he parted his lips and lukewarm water ran down his throat. It wasn't ice cold or anything but for some reason the water tasted better than any other water he had ever had. He gulped it down and felt his own disappointment when it was empty. She set the cup down again and went to work cleaning the wounds on his arms this time.
Like his legs he had lost a lot of feeling in his arms. He could clench his hands but the feeling was distant and didn't even feel like he was doing it. He looked up again, this time his eyes settled on the bonds that held his arms in place above his head. Tar black and inky, they seemed to shift and shimmer like viscous honey around his wrists. Seth got the distinct feeling that darkness didn't like being forced into shapes. Once again, it was something he wasn't sure how he knew, but his instincts definitely pointed out.
His thoughts whirled as he tried once again to
Summon his light. Something was different this time he could feel the elements, well one element. It was a difficult feeling like when you took a hot shower and got lost in thought. But then at some point you become aware of the water running down your back. Still, he reached for the power drawing Fey from his midsection as he did. He concentrated on the dark substance. Blinking back tears through the pain he focused on the feeling he got earlier. The darkness didn't like to be molded into shapes. He could feel the wrongness, the cold. It was the exact opposite of his light. His light was warm and welcoming like a summer day it reminded him of good times. But the feeling the dark shackles have off reminded him of sadder things like losing Isbis, watching the child at the farm house die, and many other tragedies he'd seen since coming to this world. He tugged at the bonds and nothing happened. He tired again fiercely imagining them opening. Again, nothing happened. A thought crossed his mind. He was trying too hard. He instead imagined the darkness fleeing, becoming nothing. No shape at all. His muscles screamed as his arms fell limply by his side. They fell like their puppeteer strings had been cut.
   A choked gasp escaped the woman as he heard her stumble away from him. He opened his eyes, focusing his gaze on her.
   His feet were still shackled and he couldn't afford to have her running from the room terrified. He assumed there were guards right outside the door.
    "What's your name?" He tried to put as much authority in his voice as he could. At first the woman didn't answer she slowly back away from him towards his cell door. It occurred to him she could just lock him in. Not that that would stop him for long but it would be enough for her to get to the guards.
   " I'm not going to hurt you," he added quickly and the woman paused.
   " You're not?" She asked tentatively. Seth raised his right hand to his chest like it was in a cast, the effort caused him to clench his eyes shut from the cramp pain that tore through the right side of his body.
   "You didn't do this to me," he stated through clenched teeth.
"And I need your help." He said. Fear glittered in her eyes. Her eyes flickered between him and the door. He knew what was bothering the woman. She was a captured servant if she helped him the demons would most likely kill her family. If she had family.
   "We are sending our army to retake this city. Probably as we speak," he promised. Truthfully he had know idea of this was true, but he needed her help. He didn't know the outline of the city or the castle or what the best way out would be. He needed a guide but didn't have time to find one.
If you help me, I'll make sure to get you and you family out of the city safely," he continued on hurriedly. She seemed to ponder this as Seth leaned forward causing his muscles to spasm irregularly. He placed a hand on the chain connecting the shackles that held his feet out spread eagle to either side. Then he concentrated once again pulling at the dark material until it lost its form dripping from his legs like water from a half closed faucet.
The change was immediate, as soon as the dark goop had fallen off his connection to the elements returned. The power had never been gone. But Seth suspected it had been blocked. He had been down there for several days so the sudden rush of energy staggered him. He slid further down the wall his hands coming up
To his head, to clasp over either side of his head. For a few moments he was dizzy his vision swam. He was worried that the woman would run and alert a demon guard before he regained his senses. But, when the swimming vision and pain subsided she was kneeling next to him tightly bandaging the wounds on his leg once again.
   "My name is Elvalyn sir and I'll hold you too
Your word. There is just one problem you should be aware of however," she said hauling him to his feet abruptly. He swayed precariously but managed not to fall over. He heard what she said and alarms all but exploded in his mind.
    "What's your last name Elvalyn?" He asked. She gave him a shrew smile that didn't match with her earlier timidness. His heart sank as he realized he had just probably signed up for a death sentence, still he had given her his promise.
    Seth threw his arm around the young woman's neck as she began helping him walk for the door. His legs were weak and his steps were shaky so he was surprised he could do that.
   "Durindal," she answered him. "My name is Elvalyn Durindal and I'm the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Durindal. And I would very much like your help saving my family." Seth sighed more to himself than to his new companion but she still looked down at him her eyes narrowing.
   "And who are you?" She asked scornfully. Her look said "go on if you can have a better introduction." He took two more painful steps.
     " My name is Seth Malcovitch." The shabbily dressed princess stumbled. Which nearly caused them both to fall over.
   The son of the Lightforce's Chief Commander!?" She gasped.
   Seth just stared at her, "Yeah that's me," he admitted. He always got recognized as his mother's son. Not for the first time he wondered what she had done to become Chief Commander. He knew it h had something to do with the last war between the Academies and Reaper, but he didn't know much more than that.
"But how did you get captured then?"
" I let myself get caught," he replied. It wasn't exactly the truth he knew. He had intended to let himself be caught but he never got the chance.
"But we'll talk about that later, first things first we have to lure those guards in here and take them out after that I need you to lead me to where the two others were taken when we got here. Do you know where they are?" Elvalyn looked down her eyes not meeting his gaze. Seth froze stopping so abruptly she nearly fell over. His heart felt like ice.
"Are they alive?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. Elvalyn nodded and Seth almost relaxed. Her next words set him right back on edge.
"At least they were last time I saw them but they were not in good shape. I think the younger one is mentally scarred." Seth felt his blood boil at the thought of the demons hurting the two young girls. They were his responsibility, he was their squad leader. And he had led them into a trap. The woman must've read the look
In his eyes and understood it. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. It was a sudden gesture, but it had no malice behind it. When she spoke Seth could hear his own mothers' stern voice, almost like a echo through the woman's words.
    "No amount of guilt will help fix the problem," the woman stated in a low form voice. "Only action will." His mother had said the same thing when he had been little. He remembered her repeating that phrase over and over when he would apologize for doing something he knew he shouldn't like jumping in the couch or getting into her makeup to use as crayons.
   Elvalyn was right, He thought to himself. The only thing he could do now was do his best to make sure they got out of this alive.
   Seth squared his shoulders and steadied himself on his injured legs.
   "First things first," he told her and he willed a sword of light to appear in his hand. The light shimmered and condensed into a two foot long broadsword, with a simple unadorned hilt and leather wrapped handle. The pommel was a simple white metal stud. The who like thing shone light a search light.
   "We have to take out the guards."