Guardian of Calandria | ✔️

Chapter Five

           Rain dripped from the torch post onto the base of an overturned metal bucket below. Drip. Drip. It banged louder than any drum and echoed as if it stood in an empty room. Ry begged to cover his ears and hide from the clattering sound. It was more torture listening to that than the whip lashes he'd received on his back.

Five days, or at least he thought it was five days. Time seemed to have slowed to a dead crawl from the moment the stockade closed around his wrists and head. He didn't know how long it would take a person to starve to death, but judging by the snarling beast taking residence in his stomach, he wondered if he was close.

It had rained every day since he was first locked up. Where the guards refused him food and water, Ry at least could tilt is head as much as possible and collect water on his tongue, or let it run into his mouth from his face. He thanked the Gods for the rain. A cough tore at his lungs. While the rain helped him, the frigid air did nothing.

By the Gods, maybe I'll die from hypothermia first, Ry thought. His knees had long since gone from hurting to no longer having feeling in them. Even if his ankles hadn't been bound by another block of wood, he wouldn't have been able to stand and stretch.

For the first few days, Ry begged villagers to release him, to help him, anything. Nobody did. They didn't give him so much as a wink or a nod. Their eyes stayed cast down to the ground as they shuffled by in silence. He was nothing to them, another tortured soul. They knew, despite the guards not being seen, they were ever present. Ry prayed to the Gods Kira would be smart enough not to take the bait. He couldn't live with himself if she'd been captured for being foolish enough to attempt a rescue.

The sound of footsteps plodded through the mud. Ry had no energy to lift his head and look. There was no point. He figured they weren't there to help. He closed his eyes; hoping sleep would take him that night. It had failed for three nights in a row and Ry was sure he was seeing things. One day a bird made of sparkling sand fluttered over his head, sprinkling him with sand that seemed to fill his body with a temporary energy.

The footsteps grew louder until they stopped beside him. Ry turned his head to one side. A hooded figured stood next to him. When the figure knelt beside him he realized it was a woman.

"My name is Demitra," she said. Her eyes darted past him to gaze toward an alley. "I don't have much time before the idiots notice the few lights illuminating you are out."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small marble. It illuminated her palm with a faint green as the color swirled with a metallic white within. Her fingers closed around the marble, the glow continued to seep through them. Again her eyes moved to the alley before she slipped the marble into Ry's pocket.

"That marble contains a bit of my magic. With that, I can find you anywhere. Tomorrow the guards will come for you and take you to the castle. They realize now Kira won't come for you."

"Kira?" Ry's voice cracked to the point he didn't recognize it as his at first. He strained to continue holding his head in position to glance at her.

"Shh, save your energy. There is nothing I can do to help with that without being caught. Kira is fine. She's with Addrick heading to New Calandria. When the time is right, I will free you and take you to her. For now, you must be strong, human."

Ry frowned. "I'm not sure being with Addrick is any consolation."

Demitra laughed. "No, I suppose it wouldn't be. Addrick is cold, with good reason, but there is nobody else you'd rather have on your side. Stay strong, human. There are still rough days to come."