Hidden World: The Archmages(Draft)

Chapter 10 (draft)

THE EARLY MORNING CAME as Arwen and Aurelian wonder around yet another abandoned village. This one however had more of a pleasant vibe rather than a dark one.
       Arwen still didn’t like it here, the still silence that filled the empty streets and not so broken down houses was still eeri.
    Arwen gazed up at the morning sky, the stars were beginning to vanish beneath the light blue forming in the dark blue sky as the sun rose higher in the distance.
        The cold breeze brushed Arwen’s skin, Aurelian came up beside her.
          “See over there?” Aurelian asked pointing out at the vast lands still awaiting them.
        Arwen looked to see in the far distance dark blue lumps peeking over everything else.
       “Yeah...what about it?” Arwen finally says.
     “That’s where we’re going, a few more days and we'll be there!” Aurelian said seeming full of joy.
          “The passway to the Archmages is in those very mountains” he added. Arwen eyes widened slightly surprised not really expecting to get to see the Archmages so soon.
         Arwen began to follow Aurelian out of the village they found themselves out in more open fields.
      Arwen was starting to feel tired however, they had been traveling all night with minimal resting stops. Arwen felt the wind suddenly whip through her cloak and clothes, her stomach drops when she gets swept off her feet. A scream tore from her lips as the grassy field she was walking in safely became the sky as she’s whipped around in the air.
      A strong grip was wrapped around her waist, and a loud roar erupted through the eerie silence.
          “Arwen!” Aurelian cried, wingbeats filled the air.
     Arwen looked up in shock to see that she was in the grasp of the red Dragon they encountered before.
        “I finally found you!” The dragon rider shouted over the wind.
The red dragon whips up through the sky, Aurelian and the ground disappeared within seconds as clouds covered Arwen's vision.
       Her heart was pounding within her chest at a rapid panicked pace. It was hard for her to catch her breath, the dragon bursts out over a cloud layer, stars still dotted the sky here and there.
        Arwen's hood to her cloak whipped through the wind over her head along with her black hair. Arwen began struggling in the dragon’s talon.
          “Let me go!” Arwen cried as she tried to grab a hold of one of the dragon’s claws. The dragon was obviously much stronger than Arwen and refused to allow her to pry its talon out from around her.
          Arwen heard the soldier laugh from the safety of his saddle,
       “Are you sure you want me to do that!?” He says.
     Arwen realized that if his dragon did decide to let him go she’d go plummeting down through the clouds to her death.

          The dragon soared calmly through the sky, his wings beat only every so often, Arwen tried summoning her lightning powers, but they still sparked in her hands as weak small blue static.
        ‘Darn you Aurelian!’ She thought as she gripped her hand in a fist.
   She began scanning the white fluffy clouds below her, Aurelian was nowhere to be seen. Had something happened to him as well?
     And what of Nóir…?
A long time passed it was now midmorning, the stars in the blue sky had vanished. The air became even colder, the dragon began tilting his body downward descending into the misty clouds.
      When the clouds cleared there in the distance was a city coming up on the horizon.
        The wind picked up again in a loud whistle in Arwen’s ears as the dragon thrusts his wings more frequently now to pick up speed.
     It wasn’t very long before they were soaring over the towering Stone white wall that circled the city, Arwen could see clearly far below them guards gazing up at them.
          The city had lots of dwelling people within it on the streets, realization kicked in Arwen as they land in a clearing near what appeared to be an old worn down building.
        “What do we have here? The son of King Morles brings us a present?” A man dressed head to toe in armor said as he came out of the archway that lead into the building.
       Arwen was pinned to the tiled ground by the dragon, his pressure wasn’t enough to hurt her however but to still keep her down.
      “I didn’t just bring any prisoner this time” the rider sneered at him as he climbed down from his dragon.
       The Berunda guard looked down at Arwen and crossed his arms,
      “Is that a mage?” he asked a bit stunned,
   “She’s a dark mage” the dragon rider corrected for the first time since Arwen’s encountered this soldier, he finally takes off his helmet that kept hidden his identity.
       As Arwen laid on her stomach her eyes widened, this soldier looked to hardly be any older than her. He had long messy dark brown hair. His brown eyes glared down at her with disgust as he approached her.
         Arwen closed her eyes to keep from seeing that look in his eyes-it badly reminded her of the people that tortured her. Their evil glares and their wicked treatment filled her head sending a panic of fear coursing through her.
         ‘What are they going to do with me?’ She wondered in fright.
      She had taken on this man despite not having her magic abilities to save Aurelian’s life...but now she was here alone an unable to do anything to stop them from doing whatever it is they had planned for her. 
    “A dark mage!?” said the Berunda guard shocked. Arwen opened one eye to see them approach her.
       As the weight of the dragon’s talon was lifted off of her back the dragon rider pulls Arwen to her feet. Arwen stumbled slightly as she tried to comprehend that she was on solid ground again.
          The Berunda guard looked Arwen up and down, the dragon rider gripped her wrist tightly as he rolled the sleeve of her cloak back revealing to the guard her strange black markings running up her arm.
       Arwen could see the guard’s eyes darken with anger, “you really are one of them!” He cried seeming shocked to see her markings.
       “The King will be most pleased to see her himself” the guard said raising his head up high.
            The rider pulled Arwen closer to him suddenly, “My father will be the one that decides her fate not King Dale!” He snapped at the guard in a burst of anger.
        “Then why bring her here!?” The guard shot back.
    “The last dark mages did quite the number on our dungeon-I just need a temporary place to keep her until my father says otherwise” the rider explains.
         The guard however didn’t seem too pleased by it
     “So you just expect us to hold her for you!?” The guard sneered at him.
      “We may be on the same side in this battle-but that doesn’t mean we hold each other's prisoners!” He added boldly.
     The young rider smirked at him, “All your king is going to do is have her head separated from her shoulders without a second thought in his worthless brain!” He mocked.
                The guard greatly offended by the rider’s disrespectful words towards his king drew his sword.
      The rider’s dragon became greatly aware of the guard as he rose to his talons with a hiss.
     Arwen somehow didn’t sense that the rider was scared or worried about the guard. He stared at the guard with no hint of fear or worry in his dark brown eyes.
        “I wouldn’t try anything I would regret” he warned.
   The guard was very hesitant, he had a towering red dragon to worry about should he swing his blade at his beloved master.
       The young rider knowing this suddenly shoved Arwen over to the guard, she stumbled forward the guard hesitantly grabbed a hold of both of her hands as he sheathed his sword with a sigh.
      “Now do as I ask and keep her here, I will most likely have her off your hands in a few simple days” the rider ordered walking away from them.
       With not much more to say the rider mounted his dragon and took off into the sky once more, the wind whipped through them from the dragon’s mighty wings.
        
                “Come on!” The guard yelled already irritated, Arwen tried to break free of his grip but to her dismay she was practically dragged down into a dungeon, torches were lit on the walls casting orange-yellow glow over the rundown old cells.
       The guard shoves Arwen in the first cell they came by.
                  “That filthy Prince thinks he can demand anything from us! Well believe me mage our King will be the first to see you personally!” He said slamming and locking the cell door.
       His words frightened Arwen even more as he storms out of the dungeon leaving her alone.
        Arwen was deeply scared, she gripped the bars of The cell door and tried to pry it open. Despite The bars seeming old they were still very sturdy, they didn’t budge at all.
         “Filthy mage! You’ll regret ever being born!” Memories plagued Arwen’s mind of the last time she was imprisoned. She was beaten, tormented and nearly starved. But overall...she was brought down until her powers became stronger and she escaped.
                 “Let me out!” She cried as tears began trickling down her cheeks. But no one heard her, no one came...no one hearkened to her. Her heart was beating in sorrow as misery filled her emotions.
      She slumped to the ground trembling, The bitterness of reality struck her like the cold winter wind.
               She was alone….