Element Of Surprise

Chapter 17 - Endless nights, loveless skies

"So we've figured out our powers," said Ash, querying over his thoughts, "now what?"

"I thought that was obvious," Laec said as he rolled his eyes. "WE'RE GETTING ENYA BACK."

"But we still don't know where she is!" Aura's voice rose as she began to panic slightly. Laec however, grinned and took out a piece of faded yellowing parchment out of his pocket.

"Problem solved."

"What's that?"

"Only an original map of the whole of the land."

"But I studied maps and -" Aura was cut off by Laec interrupting.

"You never studied a complete one; I realised that very quickly. This one shows us our four kingdoms, but includes the kingdom of Quart."

"We owe you one," Ash smiled.

"Let's stop talking and get moving then shall we?" Laec saddled up Toothless and hopped onto his back. "Go Toothless!"

                               ***

A week she had been here and there was nothing. Somehow she was so thin that she could see her ribs, so dirty that she couldn't even bear to look at herself anymore. Hope was beginning to fade. The fire was slowly being quenched.

"If you just give me that medallion," Nori whispered through the bars of the dungeon, "this will all go away. You'll be happy, healthy again. You can be the beautiful princess that you've always been pressured to be. The pride of the family."

Enya didn't answer his monologue, just sat in silence as those thoughts ran through her head. She saw herself being free and happy like she always was before, but immediately felt defeated that she couldn't be in those moments.

What's the point? She thought to herself, a tear running a grimy streak down her burnt and bruised face. Laec's not here. I'll die here unless I give it to him. There's no point fighting anymore. Resistance is futile.

"You win," Enya's voice was hoarse and cracked. "But why didn't you just take the medallion off of me anyway?"

"I can't." Nori hissed. "The enchantments on it forbid it. I can only take it if you," his voice became excited and quickly his black eyes lit up with a madman malice that could never be matched, "if you give it to me out of choice."

"Just take it," Enya whispered, "take it and let me leave. I can't stay in this hell hole any longer"

"Take it off," Nori's face lit up in evil ecstasy.

Enya lifted her thin arms to her bony neck and unclasped the medallion from her throat. She rose her hand and as the medallion was about to change hands -

"ENYA!"

A crash and a cloud of smoke filled the dungeon as Laec, Ash and Aura smashed their way into Nori's lair. Laec was riding a dragon black as night, and Ash and Aura were - why were they flying?!

"Laec?" Enya choked, she couldn't see and the dust was surrounding her. In the confusion she had dropped her medallion, she was searching across the ground but to no avail...

"Enya we've smashed the bars down. You can get out," Aura shouted into the dust.

"I can't! I can't find my medallion!" Enya shouted, panicking.