Protector

weak

I woke up in the dark, a single lantern the only source of light. The first thing I thought was that I was dead. If that were true, I had apparently been claimed by the devils. Then I realized I wasn't alone. A figure stood in the middle of the room, head hanging, hands in chains suspended from the ceiling. Focusing on the figure, I saw that it was Roden.

"Hey, soldier."

His head snapped up and he turned to look at me.

"You're alive!" he cried, the relief in his voice clear.

Sitting up, I nodded, throughly sick of being knocked out. "Where are we?"

"Farthenwood. Do you know it?"

I nodded again and creased my brow. "How did we get here?"

He sighed. "Avenia attacked during the night and killed almost my whole army. I was left alive because I am the captain of the guard, and they took you because..." He wavered. "Because you're Jaron's sister."

I met his eyes, my own confirming his statement.

He continued, "And she was already here when we got here."

Gesturing with his head, he brought my attention for the first time to the fact that there was another person in there with us.

"Imogen?!" I said in disbelief.

She couldn't be here, she was dead! Right?

Smiling softly at me, she spoke, "Hey, Hunter."

We talked quietly for a time, the three of us, trying to push away reality. It worked, if only for a short while. We were forced into silence when a handful of guards entered, with none other than Kippenger at the lead. In no mood to be injured further, I shrunk further into my corner and didn't make a sound. One of the guards approached Roden, and, before any of us could react, slammed his fist into my friend's gut. Roden doubled over, struggling for air.

"Stop!" I shouted, completely forgetting my goal to be quiet for once in my life. Kippenger turned his beady eyes on me and advanced. I took a deep breath and sat up straight. I would not let my fear be visible to this man ever again. He knelt to meet my eyes, and then whispered to me, his words full of malice, "You have no authority over anyone, Princess. You should have been dead long ago and I'm still not over your pitiful escape. You have been stripped of your title and your kingdom and are now as worthless as the lowest servant, worthy only of cleaning the muck and mire off the pigs."

"I happen to have a lot of respect for pigs and would be happy to help them out," I responded. Then spit in his face as hard as I could and cursed his mother with words I didn't even know I knew.

He snapped at me. "Weak."

Then he drew his sword and hit me hard on the head with the hilt, sending me drifting away into nothingness.