Blood of the Merciless

Chapter Thirty

30.

Savia sat in silence. The room had been dark. The only sound that could be heard came from water droplets falling from the ceiling. A couple hit Savia on the head. She sat curled up in a ball in the corner of her cell. The cell was small and metal bars kept her from escaping. They had dragged her far underground and pushed her into this cell. She hadn't seen anybody since. She pulled her cloak tight. She refused to cry. Her mother had been a fool, telling her someone will whisk her away. Someone will free her and love her. All of it had been rubbish. She trusted for once, thinking it will be different this time, only for everything to fall apart again. She wouldn't cry. Was she wrong? He did keep up his end of the bargain, he freed her. He did not force her to follow him. That was her own will. Maybe he had manipulated me into thinking that. She shook her head. He wouldn't do that. Why did her mind do this to her? She was torn. She thought she should hate him but she couldn't bring herself to. She thought back to their time together in Isern. He had told her a few cryptic things back then. Why didn't I realise? He had been suffering back then. She felt stupid. She now realised why he felt safe to her. He had been the same as her. Someone who needed saving. Someone who wanted to be free from the burden of their parents. And he had set her free. I forced him to. That was beside the point. Things were finally becoming clear to her now. She had a goal to accomplish. She had to free him now. It was time to do something for him. With her resolve steeled she found new energy. There was still a major issue. She was stuck in this cell and nothing she tried worked. The metal bars were too strong for her to break and for some reason, she couldn't cast in the cell. She spent most of her time trying to chip away at the stone wall behind her with her dagger. She stopped when she heard footsteps echoing nearby. She took her place back in the corner of the cell. The footsteps stopped as a figure stopped before her cell. It was a man dressed in armour that had green accents. Similarly to the commander that dragged her here. She immediately glared at the visitor. He was a tall man with olive skin. He had no hair on his head and had black expressionless eyes. He had not said a word. He moved and put on an intricately designed ring that engulfed two of his armoured fingers. He then put his other hand on one of the metal bars. The hand that held the metal bar shone red and the entire bar began to liquidy. Savia noted the steam that emanated from his hand. He melted another metal bar. There was now enough space for Savia to slip out. The man seemed to realise this and stepped aside. Savia did not move a muscle.

"Are you not going to escape?" The man's voice was deep.

Savia grabbed her daggers. The man in turn shook his head and then sighed.

"I am not here to pick a fight. I am Orvyn Burchard, third no second commander of 'The Eyes'. I am here to ensure you safely escape and join your friends."

"Burchard...You are lying."

"I should have expected this." Orvyn shook his head. "The Burchard family has a long history here in Adhu Aqua. One I will not get into here, just know I have no loyalty to Lord Jerial. I am but a distant relative."

"Why should I believe you?" Savia said angrily.

"You need not believe me because it is the truth. But tell me what do you plan to do here in the dungeon. Starve and rot with the others or are you going to find your friends and do something productive?"

Savia hated that the man was correct. She did not have time to waste. She needed to figure out how to save Alaric. She put her daggers away. For only the second time in her short life, she was allowing someone else to help her. She stepped out of the cell. Orvyn nodded at her. He walked behind her as he navigated her through the dungeon. There were only a few soldiers that they had come across. Orvyn told them that Jerial had requested to see her. Orvyn led her to the back of the castle. The huge void-like lake stood before them in all its glory.