Eye Of The Storm

Chapter 13

"Do you understand, Connor?"

"Yes sir, I do."

As he spoke a bell started tolling and men began shouting. The figure before him turned to look at Connor.

"It is time to prove yourself, boy. Do not fail me or your country. For Mendal!"

"For Mendal!"

~~~

Zarreil was taken to a small room and chained there, though he didn't remember it as the dinburn knocked him out before they even left the training room. He sat on the cold stone floor, wrists and ankles chained. He had no idea how much time had passed, and since he was in a windowless cell he couldn't tell what time of day it was either. Actually the entire cell was devoid of any light. He could barely see anything, and he guessed that the weak flicker he could see on the wall was from a torch place well out of his range of power.

He was also completely alone except for the rats and whatever other vermin lingered in the dungeon. This wasn't the first time he had been put in a cell similar to this, and it probably wouldn't be the last. They would probably leave him in here for a few days and then let him out. Sometimes it was longer, but in the end they gave up.

They always gave up, and he always stood firm. But he knew, deep inside, that if it weren't for the White Rider he would have been broken long ago. But now things were different. They had Ashen, Connor, and Kaleb. He couldn't let any of them get hurt. He was their leader, their future king. Or at least he was two years ago. Now he no longer saw himself as fit to rule a country, not after everything that had been done to him.

Hours passed, or at least what felt like hours. Zarreil was getting hungry, but no food came. Actually, no one came. He was concerned about the lack of water, because if he was to guess a day and a half had gone by in which he had not had any water to drink. He would need some soon.

He slept for awhile but was woken by the sounds of dripping. On the other side of his cell was a small trickle of water. He tried to crawl to it, but the chains binding him wouldn't let him reach it. His tongue was like sandpaper as he sat back and watched water continue to trickle down, just out of reach. He mentally cursed Byden and his cruelty, as he figured this was probably down on purpose.

What felt like days passed, though it was probably only a few hours. He got a severe headache, and eventually he started seeing spots. His limbs felt like weights, and he started fading out of consciousness. But just as he almost lost it completely, a flood burst around him. Water flowed and entered his mouth and he drank greedily, not caring about the why or how. It was sweet, and it carried the faint taste of...

He bolted upright just as a tangle of vines ripped his cell door off of its hinges. In burst three boys that he thought he'd never see again. They stood in the doorway, mouths gaping.

"She said you were alive, but actually seeing you... man, it's like you're back from the dead." Trixan's voice was full of awe.

"I never thought I'd see you guys again," Zarreil said as he tried to stand. The chains were making it difficult however.

Ajax immediately set to work using various plants to pick the locks to Zarreil's chains while Leo summoned more water for him to drink.

"Where's Ashen and the others?"

"Ashen, Nathyn, and Nyque are searching for Connor, and the twins are with Kaleb. We came to find you after Ashen told us you were alive. Now, if you can move, we need to get out of here immediately."

"How are you guys here? I thought you were back home, at the camp."

"When we woke to find Kaleb and Ashen had run away we knew we had to follow. We left the next night, though it was difficult to follow the trail they had left behind. The twins have mastered the art of tracking though, so we managed."