The Girl with the Changewing Cloak (RTTE Fanfic)

Thirty

??? POV

I groaned. Beneath me, the floor was cold.

Why am I on the floor?

My body felt heavy. Blinking rapidly, I tried to familiarise myself with my location. Beside me, other men lay motionless. I couldn't tell if they were unconscious or dead.

Coughing, I placed my palms on the metal and pushed up. The amount of effort required to simply sit was embarrassing.

Why am I so exhausted?

I tried to remember what happened. We were sailing, taking our humble stock to Beserker Island and then -

My blood ran cold.

"No," I breathed.

No no no no!

I leapt to my feet, pushing through the immediate dizziness. I threw out my hands to steady myself.

The Dragon Hunters had attacked us, kidnapped us, hypnotised us, enslaved us. How long have we been puppets? So much time had passed. I winced, trying to ignore how I'd been forced to obey Boss' every order. The memories from when I was hypnotised were blurry, but there. I pushed back the guilt.

As far as I could tell, no one else was conscious. They were either in the cages, still knocked out from the battle, or walking around like empty vessels.

Maybe that's what we are.

I counted ten, eleven, twelve guards that stood like statues at their posts. Narrowing my eyes, I searched for Boss. A flicker of hope flared in my chest.

Did the Riders succeed?

Was he gone?

I took a deep breath and stood up. Leaning against the wall - or rather, bars - I hobbled to the gate. Muttering to myself, I investigated the lock. It wasn't fastened well.

Relief swamped me. Grinning, I grabbed at the metal bar and pushed upwards with all my strength. It moved with a slight creak and I froze, glancing around nervously. Nothing happened. I lifted it over the edge as my muscles gave out. With a clang, it landed against the door.

There was a sound from the Captain's Quarters. I paled, rushing. Leaning into the gate, I heaved, making it move. I slipped through the gap and darted for the steps.

So close..!

Before I could reach them, a strong hand gripped my shoulders. I froze.

"Where do you think you're going?"

**

Freya's POV

Cooing, Swiftstrike stole my attention from the night sky. Her red scales seemed purple in the low light. Even the jagged cliffs seemed picturesque just after sunset. Scratching behind her horns, I hummed, closing my eyes.

Everything seemed so simple, so peaceful now. I felt safe.

Even without my cloak.