Orchid

Fathomless Eyes

We emerge in the grand hall. Powerr is grinning and brushing his camo pants off.

"C'mon. I can sense her aura." Powerr motions toward a side hallway, where two guards stand alert, but they're distracted by something else. Something that makes them look away from us.

"Roots, suck them boys in." Powerr waves his hand happily, and the guards sink into the ground with a cry as long and thick roots wrap around their knees and jerk them in a hole that wasn't there before.

Powerr sets a steady jog as he navigates us through a spinning hallway. "She's close," he promises. "Not too far...."

We reach a dark and dirty cell entrance and I peer in. Hero is lying on that little prison bench-thingy with her hands chained to the wall. A plate sits by with strewn bread crumbs and so does a cup. At least she got food and something to drink.

 "Hero!" I tap the metal, which makes a clinking sound. "I'm breaking in, guys." I concentrate, and a wisp of flame starts scorching the metal.

 "You can't burn it." Powerr hunches over in thought.

 "How would you know, Mr. Smarty-ass?" I ask, spinning around.

 Something's off about Powerr. How would he know how to direct us here, to the darkest place in the universe, and know how it's operated, too? And what about those eyes? They're emotionless and devoid of any kindness, unlike Angel's. This guy is making a bad impression on me. This is suspicious, but if Solara really trusts this guy.....I swallow my suspicion down and channel Spirit to at least wake Hero up. A white tendril leaves my fingers and twirls toward Hero, who jerks awake when it touches her.

 "Oh my gawd!" Hero gawks at our group of four. "How did you get here without being killed?" She jumps up. Her eyes are nervous.

 "My warrior helped me." Solara smiles brightly as Hero studies Powerr. 

 "Err...hi, Powerr," Hero says flatly. We lock eyes and I know what she's thinking. She must see the blankness, the fathomless eyes that Powerr owns.

"Hide!" Powerr urges, and we creep into a corner. His timing is right, and Lycaeon herself, in all of her glory, stalks down the hall with a pair of menacing guards behind her.

Though she's evil, she's definitely pretty. Her hair has been let loose in glamorous waves and her hands are ungloved this time. She's switched from elegant marriage attendee to teenage girl prom style. Her gown is as black as an abyss and twinkling coldly with jewels I suspect are genuine diamonds. She would've been the most breathtaking homecoming queen in the entire world had her hair not been decorated with mini-skulls. That just makes her look like a Halloween freak.

 Lycaeon turns her eyes on Hero. "Ahh, awake, aren't you?" Her tone is as cold and melodious as I remembered.

 "Stay away from me, you bitch," Hero threatens. "Go back to hell or else."

 "Tsk, tsk. We better start with a manner lesson. Maybe if you behave, we'll have tea tomorrow. Sound fair?" Lycaeon curls her lip distastefully. "Bring her out."

 The guard on her left salutes and walks forward.

 "And oh, have some fun with her," Lycaeon adds.

 The other guard salutes and goes to help the left guard. The left guard unlocks the cell with a simple silver key and the right guard brings Hero out by dragging her. Hero, to all her credit, resists, and kicks him in the belly, yelling, "For FOD and Vidalia!"

 "You do know Vidalia is a type of onion," Lycaeon snarls, disfiguring her face. "That's why I will name this planet Chacal after I have destroyed it." A smile belonging to a psychopath curves her lips and glints her eyes.

 I crane my head forward. Those eyes.

 Blank, empty, and fathomless.

 Exactly like Powerr's.

"Chacal?" Hero yells in disbelief as the left guard captures Hero. "What the hell is that?"

 "It's french for jackal, imbecile." Lycaeon turns her nose up, a common gesture Jenna and her gang used. She walks forward. 

 Powerr jumps up, suddenly, blowing our cover. The sound of him makes Lycaeon turn her head and lick her lips.

 "My servant," Lycaeon purrs.

 "My lady." Powerrmaster emerges and jerks Solara with him.

 Hero seems to have relaxed her grip and smiles up at the guards. When the guards relax their grip, too, Hero karate-chops them on the arms and breaks free.

 Lycaeon's smile of delight is replaced with a terrifying sneer as she lifts Solara's chin up. "What a pretty girl. This is the girl you seduced?"

 "Yes, my lady." Powerr keeps his head down.

 "Hmmm...." Lycaeon brushes her own chin.

 Hero strides to the traitor, but the guards keep her down. "Let go of me!" she screams.

 "Follow me to the Scan Room." Lycaeon turns her back. "Bring the girl. And guards, capture the other two as well."