Lunars of the Caribbean

Prison Riot (30)

Thorne led Cinder down the narrow pathways of the prison's underground and the two kept quiet. Though there was only a slim chance that others could be hiding or loitering down in the tunnels with them, Thorne refused to take that chance. It was better to be extremely cautious and succeed, than to be careless and get caught.

The tunnels themselves were clearly man made. The walls were formed by pickaxes and manual labor. Cinder could see it in the angles and widths of the flat surfaces of each section of wall. Thorne held a small torch to light their way. Other than that, the tunnels were in complete darkness.

Some of the walls were cracked. From even fewer, the cracks seeped with water, letting it dribble onto the floor. If anyone slipped down here by themselves, they were in for trouble and long, distasteful pain. If only there was some kind of system that let people contact someone to help them if they were injured and were all alone. What a revolutionary idea.

The further down they got, the smaller the tunnels became. Soon, Thorne and Cinder were hunched down, their heads brushing the ceiling of the tunnel. Cinder despised the idea, but they had been walking around for what seemed like hours. She had a sneaking suspicion that they were lost.

Tentatively, Cinder asked Thorne for the truth. "Thorne, are we lost."

"No," he immediately retorted. "We're getting closer. I know it."

Cinder sighed. She had her answer. Thorne was lost and was too ashamed to say it. Stars, if they kept walking around like this, they'd never find Crescent.

Thorne kept going like nothing was the matter, and that he was perfectly aware of where they were. They came to a fork in the tunnels and that's when his confidence visibly wavered.

He looked back and forth between the different tunnels. To the left, then the right, then the left, and the right again. His shoulders caved. "I don't know where we are," he mumbled.

Cinder nudged her friend lightly with her elbow. "Can I try?"

He shook his head to himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It won't matter. We'll be stuck in here forever either way."

"No we won't," Cinder assured. "Trust me. I can get us out of here."

"How?"

Cinder rolled her eyes and explained to him something she - in retrospect - should have told him a long time ago. "I can remember almost everything I see. I know exactly where we are on the map. And I know how to get to the tunnels you said Crescent is probably in."

Thorne got so excited he dropped the torch and tackled Cinder with a bear hug. "Cinder, I could kiss you!"

"Please don't," she winced. Thankfully, the torch was still lit and burning brightly. She squeezed Thorne back and got him to let go of her eventually. Picking up the torch. She led the way to Crescent.

Yeah, she should have told Thorne about her memory ability days ago.

........................

Kai watched in horror as two canine-like people rounded the corner and attacked two of Levana's guards. They ripped into the men like they were little more than paper mache. Rather than stay frozen in fear, Kaito did the most logical thing and ran.

Levana was not as quick on her feet, and one of the soldiers leaped after her. Sadly, one of her Thaumaturge goons. Acted as a human shield and chanted some kind of voodoo to tame the monster.

Kai ran for his life, down corridors and past Lunar beggars and guards. The further he ran, the more he saw from the prison that he knew would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.