The Fall Of The Guardians

Chapter 4

Jack was bored. 

He had no sense of time other than the distorted clock on the wall, but it hurt his head to look at so as soon as he was well enough to walk he had taken it down and stashed it in a drawer. Ever since then, he had paced, alternated between lying on the bed and on the floor, even glanced at one of the books left on the desk. 

Jack hated books. 

He wanted out of this room. That's where the confusion was; if he wanted to leave the room, he had to be compliant. He had to be civil. He had to listen to Azazel, who had apparently been put fully in charge of him until he accepted that this was his 'home' now.

Leaving the room meant facing Pitch again. Jack wasn't sure if he could handle that. 

"You on the verge of gouging out your eyes yet?"

Azazel's voice, once again, came out of nowhere as she slipped out of the shadows. Jack dropped the book he was reading onto the ground with a thud.

"Stop doing that," he growled. 

"I'm just asking if you're ready to get the hell out of this room. Surely staring at the same four walls for so long is driving you insane by now." Azazel cocked her head to the side while she waited for his response.

Jack wanted out. God, he wanted out. 

"I'm fine."

"Just 'cause you leave doesn't mean you can't come back. Pitch said it's cool if you're overwhelmed at first. You can come back after five, ten minutes if you need to."

"Why does it sound like you're trying to persuade me?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She groaned loudly as if she was a student being reminded of school the next day. "Because I'm 'sposed to watch you, remember? Believe it or not, I'm sick of being in here, too. Just come out of here for a while."

Okay, even though he wanted out of this room, Jack wasn't going to pass up a chance to irritate Azazel.

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"Pleeeeaaaase."

"Nope."

"I'll take you outside the lair for half an hour."

"N- Wait, what?"

Azazel grinned when she realized that she had his attention, and though Jack was bothered by this, he knew that she had won. There was no way he was going to pass up a chance to go outside. Maybe he could get away long enough for a head start. Maybe he could escape.

"Half an hour outside in exchange for half an hour out of this damn room," Azazel said firmly, "It's that or no deal."

Jack thought about it. Really, he had no idea what he was agreeing to. If Pitch had won the war and actually recreated the dark ages, who knew what it was like out there?

He had to find out.

"Is Pitch going to be there?" He asked uncertainly.

"No, he's out today."

"Then we have a deal."

***

Now that he wasn't sick and half out of his mind with pain, Jack was able to fully comprehend just how big this place was. It was a palace. Dark, evil, and cold, but still a palace nonetheless. 

Azazel led him down the hallway to the main hall, and gestured for him to follow her towards the massive room in the back. Jack knew that her siblings would be there and wondered if it was too late to turn back.