Vidia

Vent

Vidia and her dad walked out of the palace with four other guards. The guards holding me bowed.

"Is Elian okay?" Dain asked.

"He-" Vidia began but her dad cut her off.

"This Nyx does not have the right to know." He said.

Dain was already sick of her dad treating him like a slave.

"Father, Dain helped me. He saved my life from a boar and from drowning. He means no harm" Vidia said.

Vidia's dad slapped her. "You must not help this Nyx! He killed Iris and half of our kingdom. Vidia, he killed your mother." He said.

Dain has never heard Vidia talk about her mother. Now he knows why. He truly was a murdurer and Vidia would never love him.

Her dad stormed over to Dain and the guards let go of his arms. His cuffs were already digging into his skin.

He stared him in the eye and kneed him in the stomach. Dain doubles over and her dad said, "Take him to the dungeon."

The guards escorted Dain into the palace.

———-

The dungeons were nothing different than a prison. However, they were inside a palace, had two guards guarding you constantly, and if was far more disgusting.

Dain sat against the slimy wall and floor. It had been hours since he got in here and the guards never moved an inch. No prisoners were in the cells next to him.

"Guard." Dain said but none of He guards flinched. "I'm starving. How long has it been?"

Still no response. Dain leaned his head against the wall.

More hours passed and still no one had moved.

Dain didn't know what time it was or if it was the next day. When he cooked the boar, he gave it to Shea, Vidia, and Elian. He didn't know they were coming when he cut it up and he didn't cut up enough for everyone. So he ate nothing.

"May I have some water?" Dain asked. One guard just glared at him.

Dain grew weak from hunger and his ankle began to bleed. It was chained to the floor and Dain had been trying to break the chain by kicking his leg.

The guards bowed to someone in front of them but Dain couldn't see them from the ground.

"Vidia?" He asked. However her dad entered Dain's cell with another guard.

"No, she is receiving news about survivors." He began. "I see you've tried to escape. With no luck." He glanced at Dain's ankle.

"I've heard from my guard that you haven't eaten. I'll give you food if you cooperate. If you don't, I'll come back in six hours."

"What?" Dain asked, his voice raspy.

"Is your army coming here?" He asked. Dain didn't know so he didn't respond.

He stepped on his ankle and Dain yelled out. The metal dig farther into his wound.

"I'll ask again. Is anyone coming for you?" He stepped down harder.

"I don't know!" Dain said truthfully.

"Vidia has told me that you saved her life. Why?"

"I wanted to protect her. She has a good spirit and deserves to live."

"So you protected her for no reason?" He asked.

"I protected her because I love her." Dain replied.

He stepped off of Dain's ankle.

"I'll come back when you tell me the truth." He turned to walk away when Dain said, "Does Vidia know you are doing this? Or did you tell her that I left the kingdom?"

He stopped for a second and didn't bother to turn around to say, "Vidia knows what she needs to know." He walked away.

His door slammed with a loud bang and Dain watched as Vidia's dad left up he stairs.

An hour later, or so it felt like, Dain closed his eyes to sleep but none came.

Dain opened his eyes when he heard his door open with a creek. Vidia ran to Dain and kneeled beside him.

"Dain! Are you okay?" Vidia asked.

"How did you find me?" Dain asked.

"I knew you didn't leave. My dad must've put you here."

"Yeah I'm fine. Vidia, you're dad is going to kill you if he knows you saw me." Dain said. "The guards are here as witnesses."

"The guards knew I was coming. Plus, my dad scares them so they like me better." Vidia and Dain both laughed.

"Vidia, you know that you can't free me. I can't live in your kingdom. I'm stuck in this prison."

Vidia thought about it before adding, "There has to be a way. Maybe tonight I could sneak in here."

"Maybe. Your dad would know it was you." Dain said.

"Unless I make a distraction..." Vidia thought about her plan.

"Ok, whatever you're thinking, bs safe." Dain smiled.

Vidia smiled and the guards shut the door once she left. Dain knew Vidia was going to do something completely barbaric. However, he couldn't let Vidia take the blame.

Dain fiddled with the metal card in his fingers. Dain stole Vidia's ID from her pocket. He pried the card between the chain on his ankle and lock.

With a snap, his lock broke open and he rolled his ankle. The guard shouted and opened the gate.

But they were too late.

Dain swung his leg, despite his ankle, and knocked the first guard on the ground. He hit his head and was unconscious.

The second guard began to speak into his Walkie when Dain slapped it to the ground and stole the guard's bow from his hand. He hit it over the guards head and he fell down next to the other guard, still.

Dain ignored his ankle pain and ran out of his cell. He didn't dare go up the stairs.

He looked around until he saw a vent. He put his hand up to it and cold air came out. A light shone through. The event led outside.

Dain didn't hesitate to climb into the vent.