Hidden World: The Archmages(Draft)

Chapter 11 (Draft)

DAYS PASSED SINCE Arwen has been locked away in this dusty old dungeon. She sat with her back against the wall trying to get her powers to work.
          She felt exhausted from continually trying to make real lightning bolts form in her shaking hands. But nothing happened except her energy diminishing. Little food was provided to her by the guard, at first Arwen didn’t want him near her cell, afraid he’d try to do something bad to her.
         “You wanna eat don’t ya?” The guard had pointed out.
The guard didn’t come around much, only to check on her every so often. He spoke very little to her as well, which relieved Arwen in a way.
   Her eyes shot up when she hears voices,
      “Unhand me!” A familiar voice yelled, there came into the dungeon was the guard dragging someone else into a cell.
     He shoves the new prisoner into a cell across from Arwen, and slams the door locking it “you’re right where you belong” the guard sneered at him before leaving.
      Arwen ran up to the bars of her cell, “Aurelian!?” She said shocked.
      Aurelian's head shot up his eyes widened but filled with relief, “Arwen! Thank the Archmages I found you!” He said standing up and dusting off his silky gold robe.
          Arwen watches in amazement as Aurelian shifts into a mouse and easily slips through the bars of his cell.
        He scurries over into Arwen’s cell, “What happened?” Arwen asked as she scoops up Aurelian in her hands. His little nose wiggled as he sniffed the air.
      “Well….I tried to follow that rider that took you but I was suddenly swept off my feet by this green dragon! They held me in a camp outside of this city before bringing me here…” Aurelian tells her.
    “They even captured Nóir…” he added gloomily. Arwen’s eyes widened, “really!?” She gasped.
        Arwen sat down against the wall with Aurelian in her hands still, he tilted his head as he saw sadness frame her face.
        “Are you ok?” He asked concerned.
     Arwen fought back tears forming in her eyes, she nodded her head
      “Yes….I’m...I’m kinda glad that you're here though…” she said Aurelian being here now meant that she was no longer alone and that comforted her strangely.
      Even though she wished they hadn’t captured him too, Aurelian squeaked amused by her words. “I told you there’s nothing to worry about! You are not alone anymore Arwen, I am here for you no matter what” Aurelian said wholeheartedly.
       
             Arwen was taken back by his words, he scurries out of her hands and onto the floor.
         “Now let’s get out of here and find Nóir!” He said slipping through the bars with easy in his tiny mouse form.
     “How? I think that jerk has the keys” Arwen points out.
   “just leave that to me” Aurelian's tiny body disappears as he scampers towards where the entrance was.
        He quickly reappears however as the guard appeared, with what appeared to be a higher up. The soldier was dressed in silver sleek armor, he had a scar jagging up his right cheek. Aurelian scurries through the bars back to Arwen.
           The guard became wroth when he sees Aurelian’s cell empty, “by the talons of Ziz! Where did he go!” He cried. Arwen quickly realizes that they were unaware of Aurelian’s ability to shift.
        She feels him slip under her cloak to stay hidden,
   The guard quickly turned to her she jumped when his hands banged against the bars of her cell.
       “Where is that little weasel!?” He bellowed.
     “I don’t know…” Arwen says simply.
               The soldier didn’t seem to care where Aurelian was,
         “This mage is my only concern” he says flatly.
There was something about him that made Arwen nervous, moments later the cell door was opened and Arwen’s hands were bound in tight ropes.
        ‘Seems pointless...I can’t do anything anyways…’ She thought feeling helpless. She was lead out into the open finally after days of imprisonment, the warm sun brushed her pale skin. To her surprise people of the city were gathered around watching them closely.
               “Filthy mage!” “You deserve to have your head pried from your shoulder!” More threats, insults and curses came from the people.
    Arwen didn’t seem to hear their words though, not like she would’ve when she was a child, there waiting patiently in the center of the people was a mighty silver gryphon.
       He was much bigger and looked stronger than from the ones Arwen had seen before. In an instant she was hoisted up onto the creature, the ground soon disappeared as well as the shouting people.
       The gryphon seemed much smoother in flight despite how fast they were going. Arwen watched as silvery feathers pluck off of the creature from the whistling winds.
      Arwen looked up at the soldier, “where are you taking me?” She asked unsure if she would even get an answer.
      He glanced back at her, “to our king. You better hope your little friends are nearby to help you...or else you’ll never see the light of day again once lord Dale gets a hold of you” he answered darkly.
        The city was already so far behind them dark blue mountains towered over the horizon ahead of them.
           
         The air grew much colder, the lush green fields turned into covered lands of white cold snow Arwen felt Aurelian squirm underneath her cloak.
        She nearly forgot he was still with her, a thought sprang into her mind.
        “Aurelian...shift into a gryphon again we could escape now!” She said to him in a quiet tone.
       Aurelian climbed up onto her shoulder,
      “I think we should let them take us...we need to know what’s going on and why they are killing mages right? Well it’s risky but here’s our chance!” Aurelian points out.
    Arwen didn’t want to be a prisoner any longer than she had to-but Aurelian was right they needed answers,
          “Get prepared-we’re here” The soldier announces.
   The wind picked up as the silver gryphon drew his wings in and went into a nosedive, there standing in between the valley of mountains was a large castle its tower tops were covered in frost and snow.
        It felt as though it had grown even colder, the gryphon shoots through a large opening in the black bricks big enough for him and others to go through.
        The coldness of the outside world soon vanished, darkness was all that filled Arwen’s vision as they went through the strange tunnel.
      They soon burst out into an large open room full of the sun’s light, Arwen was awestruck by the beauty of the room.
      The windows were a array of sapphire blues and ruby reds, on them was a gryphon that towered over the lands it walked upon and skies it flew across it was shown in one its wings covering the sun.
      ‘What kind of gryphon is that big?’ Arwen wondered growing nervous.
       The gryphon landed softly on the pale white floors,
              “My lord I have fulfilled your request!” the soldier said dismounting the gryphon.
         He brings Arwen with him, Arwen looked up at what she instantly recognized as the king.
    His gaze felt as though it was piercing her heart, he wore a silver crown on his head that had gryphons engraved in it, and the pelt of a large wolf draped over his shoulders.
           The one thing that captured her eye was the staff he held in his hands. There was a glowing blue gem incase in it that gave off strange energy waves.
        It made Arwen feel odd, King Dale stood from his throne holding his head up high.
           “Are you one of the dark mages in alliance with King Morles?” He asked flattly as if getting to the point of why Arwen was brought here.
   Arwen was confused she didn’t know what to say or do, King Dale seemed to become wroth with her silence.
      He lifted his staff and pointed it at Arwen, the blue gem glowed brighter in its case.
     Pain shot through Arwen’s body causing her to crumble to the ground as she cried out, “Answer my question!” King Dale bellowed.
     His voice echoed throughout the throne room, Arwen’s head was spinning.
    “No! I’ve never met King Morles in my life!” Arwen cried, it was as though the pain set upon her had forced her words from her lips.
     “Where are the dark mages that escaped from Dragania?” King Dale continued to question.
        Arwen felt her words forced out of her again,
      “I don't know! I don't know these dark mages!”
     “I am no dark mage! I swear!” Arwen clutched her head as the pain increased.
    The pain and pressure Arwen was feeling within her body suddenly drifts off of her.
   She laid on the pale white floor breathless, sweat runs down her forehead.
     “She's lying! She has markings like the others!” The soldier bellows.
       
      King Dale lowered his staff,
  “The Condor Gem has never fail us before—why would it now?”
       Arwen sat up looking up at them still breathless.
      King Dale glared down at her— “I wasn't expecting to get the truth from a mage like you so easily” he said.
          Arwen gathered herself up onto her feet, 'a mage like me…?’
     “What do you want with me?” She asked.
      “I wanted to know about your kind—but if your words are true…then you are useless to me…” he sighed seeming frustrated. He looked exhausted and hopeless in Arwen’s eyes.
         “I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you, child” King Dale says dipping his head to her.
          Arwen’s eyebrows shot up, “re-really?” She stuttered.
     Before King Dale could respond to her one of the ruby red windows suddenly shatters the beautiful image of the giant gryphon displayed on it was torn apart into red shards.
           Arwen’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the red dragon that stormed into the throne room.
         “Thought you could just get your grubby hands on my prisoner!?” Bellowed the prince of Dragania.
     The soldier came in front of Arwen drawing his sword.
     His gryphon let out a mighty screech that filled the entire throne room.
      “Don't let him take her Phoror!” King Dale ordered as he raised his staff.
       The prince’s blood red dragon circles them, growling deep within it's throat.
     “Get on Sylian, now!” Phoror demanded.
      Arwen hesitated looked up at the silver gryphon as he lurks forward, strange low cooing sounds came from deep in his throat.
    His neck feathers puffed out with each coo he made and his dark eyes were locked fiercely on the dragon and its rider at hand.
      
      Arwen reached out to the gryphon and grabbed a handful of his soft silver feathers, she hoists herself up onto his back.
       Sylian whipped his head back eyeing Arwen, “Sylian! Go take the mage as far away from here!”
    Phoror commanded his gryphon.
      Sylian flicked his ear as he turned his attention back to his master, they met eyes for a split second but in that moment…Arwen could’ve sworn she felt a spark of energy surge through the gryphon's silky feathers.
     Arwen happens to look up to see the whole underside of the red dragon light up in bright contrasts of red, orange and yellow.
      The jaws of the winged reptile came open—and out bursts a bright stream of flames.
    The gryphon whips forward causing Arwen to grip his feathers tighter.
     Sylian headed for the busted window, the cold wind rushed through Arwen but the cold was the least of her worries at this point.
    The winterland valley filled her vision as Sylian rocketed into the sky, Arwen stole a glance back to see the prince and his dragon coming after them.
       Arwen's heart was pounding at a rapid pace, “Aurelian we have to do something now!” She cried.
      Arwen didn't know how to control the gryphon, she only hoped that he knew what he was doing—or where exactly he was going.
    Emerald flashed in the corner of her eye, before she knew Sylian was in the talons of another dragon—one that Arwen did not know of.
   The gryphon's feathers scatters across the sky as he cries out clawing at the green dragon.
    It's talons were gripping his throat, Arwen was whipped around with the gryphon through the sky.
    Sylian pried himself of the dragon’s claws crimson red stained his ruffled neck feathers.
     Arwen’s eyes widened at the deep gashes the dragon had made in the poor bird’s neck.
     His wings flapped more harshly as he began losing altitude—the emerald dragon hovered before them its gold eyes gleaming down on them knowing that it has the upper hand.
     “You ain't going anywhere you filthy dark mage!” The dragon’s rider sneer.
      “You got that right, Ghaist!” Arwen's head snapped back to see the prince right behind her.
          Panic began to set in Arwen’s emotions, she begins to feel a strange tingling sensation in her finger tips.
       Strange but familiar, her mind flashed with realization.
     Arwen glared back at the prince—she focused on the energy heating up in her finger tips.
    Blue sparks snap around her hand, she lifts her hand from the feathers of the gryphon as he was still losing altitude.
     “Arwen no! Don't!” Aurelian warned in her ear.
     But it was too late—Arwen raised her hand at the prince and his dragon and shot a brilliant blue bolt of lightning.
    Arwen felt slicing pain in her hand and energy strip from her body.
   Darkness cornered her vision, loud roars erupted from the red dragon as Arwen struck his wing.
      Arwen felt dizzy, her vision became blurred.
           She didn't remember anything after that.