Allura of the Dragons (On Hold)

Suffering

My head was spinning when I finally regained consciousness.  I was laying on a cold hard stone floor which wasn't the cave floor I was used to.  I groan as I sit up slowly and I realize I'm locked in a dungeon.  How did this happen? I try to remeber everything that happened to me before I passed out.

"Allura?" I hear someone call out my name softly.  I look through the bars of my cell and I see Melaine clutching the bars of her cell.  "Thank god. I didn't know if you were still alive."  She says and I study her face.

"What happened to you?" I ask as I crawl over to my bars.  "Where are we?"

"We're in Houston's dungeon.  I was captured a couple weeks ago trying to lead a resisance effort against his reign but then he caputured me and killed all my comrades."  She explains.

"Haily and Lily are dead?" I ask and she doesn't answer for a while.

"I'm not sure what happened to them.  Aslan escaped the kingdom with Hailey but I haven't heard about Rowan and Lily.  I'm sorry Allura."  Melanie starts crying and I feel my heart break.  I got them into this mess and now my friends were suffering because of me.

"It was my job to protect you Melanie, not the other way around.  I'll get us out of this mess and I'll find a way to get you back to Earth.  I promise." I tell her and I hear a door open somewhere.  Melanie cowers back into the darkness.

"Well if it isn't her majesty."  Houston appears with a torch.  "I didn't think you would recover but you can't seem to die now can you?" He asks as he opens the door to my cell.  I manage to stand onto my own two feet.

"You won't win this." I sternly say and he laughs.

"But I already have.  Tomorrow at day break, Melanie will be burned at the stake for high treason against the royal Lisstarian court.  And after that you will be publicly wiped and punished for your lies about being royalty."  He says.

"No please don't hurt her.  It isn't her fault." I beg but I know it's fruitless.

"She's going to die because you."  Houston backhands me and I fall to the ground.  My magic swells up again and I send it out against him.  He is thrown against the wall.  

"You won't get away with this." I say as I start to feel weak again.  I collapse to the floor and darkness overcomes me again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Melanie, I'm so so sorry." I cry as we spend our last minutes together.  "I shouldn't have gotten you into this and you're going to die because of me.  I'm sorry." I feel the tears fall down my cheeks.

"You can't give up.  If you give up after I die, then he'll win.  You have to avenge my death.  Make it mean something."  Melanie says and I put my arm through the bar and she does the same.  Our fingers barely touch but it's enough.

"I love you so much.  You're the family I never had." I tell her.

"I love you too Allura.  Be strong for me and when you get back to Earth please tell my mother that I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to do this to her."  The door to the dungeon opens.  "Don't give him the satisfaction seeing you cry."

"I promise." I tell her as light floods the cells.  A guard opens up Melanie's cell and then another opens mine.  Melanie is dragged up the stairs and into a chamber where she is forced to change into a white peasant dress.  I knew this was going to be hard, watching my best friend burning at the stake but nothing could have prepared me for it.

We walked up the stairs and into the sunshine.  It was a beautiful day and I felt like the sun was mocking my misery.  People were gathered in the courtyard and I thought I caught a glimpse of my father's face.

Melanie is marched up to the stake where she is bound and doused in water.  It would prolong her torture because the water was make it harder for her to catch fire and she would burn more slowly.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" A inquisitor asks Melanie.  She looks straight ahead.  "I hereby sentence you to high treason and you will be burned at the stake."  I watch as a torch is placed against the wood around Melanie's feet.

I watch my friend as panic rises up in her eyes.  I fight my guards and I try to run to her but they won't let go.  I scream her name one the fire catches onto her dress and she makes eye contact with me.

"Don't let him win." She calls to me and I close my eyes.  I imagine a pheonix rising up inside of me and attacking the two guards.  My powers surge and then I release them.  The guards let go of me and I run to my friend.  Someone catches me around my waist and holds on tight while quickly pulling me into the crowd.

"You can't save her." I hear the man whisper into my hair as he drags me away.  I hear Melanie scream as I imagined the fire overcoming her body.  This can't be happening to her.  She doens't deserve this.

"Let me go." I struggle even harder until I feel him put a hand on my forehead and I feel magic seep into my body.  I feel my body get heavier and the last thing I think of is a storm to put out the flames consuming my friend.  "I'm sorry Melanie."