The Elven King's Consort

Chapter 60: The Witch

A loud, blood-curdling cry sent shivers down my spine, and I jumped, afraid, heart pumping in my throat. Quickly, I grabbed my short sword and unsheathed it, holding it close to my body and searching the area wildly. Keyair stood in front of me, a dagger in his hand, twisting the hilt nervously and peering past the wall. It was the last dungeon at the end of the path, and we had passed no more than two guards, leaving the area mostly abandoned. My back to his, I scanned the vicinity, half expecting a flock of guards to come trailing in. But for a long moment, nothing happened, and no other sounds aside from our painfully controlled breathing could be heard.

Keyair barely gripped my elbow, and I turned halfway, looking at his concerned face. He mouthed the words, 'follow me,' and I nodded, careful not to make a sound, which proved harder than I had expected. A broken, rusted pipe dripped from the distance, splashing into a pool of water a few inches deep below our feet. It must've shattered some time ago and continued to leak around the area.

Ringlets formed below my heavy black boot, disappearing and breaking the pattern once another step was taken. Keyair moved swiftly but cautiously, barely making a sound; he was light as a feather. Unfortunately, mine were not as subtle, and I mentally cursed and prayed that I wouldn't give us away. I was so damned curious as to who it was that suffered, and attempting to stay patient proved difficult. I worried that by the time we reached the person who owned that cry, it would be far too late.

Stepping out, our eyes landed on the body, lying head down in the water, not moving. The gate to the cell left wide open. A dark red-orange collected thickly at the bottom of the poles, and sponge material formed, the rust so heavily coating the metal ate through it. Wooden crates empty floated and bobbed lazily-like at the corners of the squared room. Only a small lantern in the middle of one wall gave us some light. Whoever was lying there, we could not tell, but one thing was for sure: they were no longer alive. The blood stench still fresh in the air was rancid and putrid, reminding me of Tsillah's after I sliced her throat. It flowed thickly around the body, relentlessly mixing with the cleared, slightly muddy, foggy, watery mass.

Keyair moved in, taking discreet and timely steps and searching the area, afraid someone else was in the same room. How would they be able to leave if the only way in and out was the same pathway we had just come from? I followed, guarding the rear. I couldn't allow someone to try and sneak up from behind. If we were not careful, we could end up trapped here with no way out, so if any enemy comes up, I need to make sure I handle them quickly and swiftly. I guarded any of my open spots and kept my eyes and ears alert. But it was all odd. No guard raced in even now with so much time that had passed. A heavy amount was present among the other prisoners, but it was as if they had abandoned this one person. Was this person a prisoner even? Or just someone that needed to be left and forgotten about until they were called on?

Keyair stopped and kneeled, soaking the cloth of his dark bottoms, and the flap of his robe sunk and hung as if the material was alive and drank heavily parched. With one swift push, he flipped the carcass over with ease. The water lapped and rippled across my ankles, and the level suddenly became disproportioned. My hand flew to my mouth. A bubbling wretch threatened to crawl up my throat, but I managed to stop it, only to be left with an acidic burn at the end of my esophagus and a foul taste in the back of my mouth. It was Silas. His eyes were gouged out, leaving nothing but a mess of bone and flesh behind; two dark holes stared up at us. Looking down, his mouth hung open, and as if a case of scurvy swept through the gums, his teeth had disappeared, leaving behind only a decay of black and blue sorry excuse of gum in its wake. The flesh and muscle reds slowly turned pale from being submerged in the water.

"I'm sorry, Keyair, for this and what I said earlier. That was truly selfish and heartless of me. I allowed my emotions to take over and said something small-minded." I had moved up to stand right behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder. He nodded but didn't reply. Instead, he searched the dead second general's body, and I raised a brow, confused.