A Tale of Traitors

Queen: The Newbie

      The machine hurt worse than anything I'd experienced before, but I'm freakishly self controlled. Knew they wouldn't get information from me. I suppose I came close to spilling my secrets a few times, but I bit my tongue so hard it was bleeding. Actually, the guards thought I was trying to commit suicide and kicked my shins a couple times to get me to stop. They were scanning the thoughts and memories I laid out for them to see, eating up everything I let slip. I tried to fabricate thoughts, but they electrocuted me. I'm a stubborn idiot so I only got angry and made up some more. They had to bring more people in the room to hold me down. I only hoped I had bought the others some time.
     After a couple of hours something alerted their attention and they cleared out of my room, leaving me hooked on the machine and strapped to that utterly uncomfortable chair. They spoke their language of darkness, and I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but it seemed important. I hate hoping, because it's stupid to count on something you can't see or change, but in that moment I hoped with everything in me that it wasn't Willow trying to free us. Her and her dumb feelings. She needed to move on and get over us. I jumped my thoughts back to something random, hating that I had let myself think about the warrior. Catching butterflies in the spring as a kid, pretending to hunt with my brothers, actually hunting with them later on. Lots of sun and glitter and trees. As much as I could remember about the unicorns I had learned about in school...
        The cell door opened and a new man stepped through the doorway before very, very carefully pulling the door closed so it didn't make a sound. I mean, can you move any slower? His hair was bright blue, peeking out from under the soldier's cap he was wearing, and his skin was paper-white. Something in him simply was made to attract attention and power. I hated him right away. Where had I seen—
"Oh, it's you," I glared through the strands of hair over my face. "I get to die now, Assassin?"
The man crouched behind me and started undoing the machine from my skull.
"Get away, imbecile," I growled.
"Shut up," he replied calmly as he popped the machine out of my head.
"Who are you?" I spat, thrusting my head around to see what he was doing.
"Friend of Willow's. Shut up." He pushed my head down and continued working.
"If you're her friend, why would you try to kill her, huh? You seriously think I'm dumb. I swear, when I'm out of these I'll destroy every fiber of your being."
"Shut up or I'll get caught."
"I want you to get caught," I rose my voice.
"Then you all die. Shut. Up." He was gritting his teeth now. Haha.
"Tell me something about Willow only we would know. Then, maybe, I'll shut up."
The awkward tension shot up all of a sudden as I waited for him to speak.
"Well?" I urged in satisfaction. "I'm not falling for your crap."
"She loves reading—"
"Basic knowledge."
"—about dragons. That's how she's going to kill the Fire-breather." His dark eyes were unreadable in the dim light of the cell.
"Anything else?" I replied smugly. "That's not very specific."
"When she was seven her best friend was banished, when she was ten her brother was claimed for Tormod's army, and she cradled an eleven year old boy in her arms as he died, now carrying a strap from his sword on her at all times hoping that with every victory she will make him proud."
I was stunned into silence.
"Shut up," he mumbled as he went back to work on the straps.
     I obeyed, seeing he was taking great risks to free me. He seemed to care, from what he had said. His face was empty of emotion, the eyes even more so, but maybe he did care. Seeing as I had no other options, I let him lead me through the filthy corridors swarming with rats and into Adrianna's cell, the closest one from mine. He didn't say anything else to me, or even to Adrianna. He closed the door behind us and handed me my weapons back.
"How in the world did you manage to get these?" I mumbled in shock, definitely expecting an answer. He glanced in acknowledgement but didn't respond.
"Queen." Adri was breathing too heavily, her voice too faint. They'd really done a number on her—the rookie, nonetheless. How heartless.
"We're goin' to get you out of here," I stooped down to see her face, which was turning multiple colors in different areas. Her eyes were so sunken, so hopeless. I hate to admit it, but I pitied her. She hadn't been ready for something like this after leaving the safe home she'd grown up in with Sernafin. I figured I'd talk to her about... feelings... after this was over and we were safe again. As long as everyone made it. Adresin didn't seem bothered by her physical state as he undid the last of the straps tying her down and even offered his hand to help her to her feet. She was so weak she couldn't rise on her own.
"What'd they do to you?" My voice was nearly shaking in fury as I pulled her arm over my shoulders and bore most of her weight.
"I'm... not sure," she responded sadly. "The others..."
"We're going to get them now."
I had nearly forgotten the assassin was there until he closed the door behind us and I flinched. He led the way to Bob's cell next, which was much larger than either of ours. Probably because he's a giant. Duh. Bob's face when we entered was priceless.
"And the doofus is here!" He exclaimed cheerily before Adresin rushed to tell him to shut up.
"The gargantuan idiot is alive after all," I let myself smile.
"Adri, you okay?" He looked worried seeing her, and shot me a nervous glance. I returned it.
"Yeah. You?" She spoke with visible effort and then swallowed hard.
"Better than you, I guess," he almost started laughing before I glared. "They're giving me poisons and wondering why I'm not dropping dead." He chuckled. "I can take a lot more but, like, this wonderful realm hasn't turned me back to myself yet. One of the guards left, like, an hour ago to get more but I low-key don't think he's coming back. He said someone broke into the facility."
"You understand the dark tongue?" I made a disgusted face. "That's sick. You're going to teach me later. Why, though?"
"We had to speak it a lot, 'cause, like, there's a lot of business with the king that goes through our realm. Dwarves are the best craftsmen, giants are the best miners. Lots of business with the dark sorcerers."
Adresin nodded in agreement.
"Hey, where have I seen you before, bro?" Bob finally addressed the assassin.
"He's chill. For now," I whispered the last part as darkly as possible.
Adresin popped the final strap in response.
"Looks like you had it easy," I commented on Bob's cell as we were about to leave.
"Yeah, they only beat me for a bit. I think they were probably focused on you, you're the most annoying."
"Uh-huh and you're welcome." I rolled my eyes. "Why do you think they targeted Adri over you?"
"She totally has the seal of Syrnafin on, like, the base of her neck. They probably recognized it as a rebel symbol, or maybe they didn't know what it meant and wanted to know. I just look like your average dude... who can swallow a TON of poison without showing any symptoms. Just had to get it out there I'm an actual super-human."
I smiled.
"Shh," Adresin responded as he led us through a series of corridors until we found the professor's room. As soon as the door was shut and we knew we were safe, I addressed him directly.
"No 'shut up' this time? I'm disappointed in you."
He simply glared at the darkest corner of the room until I followed his gaze.
"Is that the professor?" I sat Adrianna onto the ground and bounded to his side. "Help him!"
Adresin didn't budge.
"Bob, get your lousy self over here and help me," I responded, taking in the sight of the innocent old man under a pile of equipment and cords and straps. I hated seeing him like this, all hooked up to the machines. They were harvesting information out of his memories and thoughts. Rage boiled over in my veins and I tore the straps to shreds, being as vicious as I could without hurting him. Bob shoved me aside at one point so he could pull out the professor's IVs. I was so furious I couldn't think straight. Who would hurt this lovely man, who would dare attack my friends, who had the audacity to cause them pain? Oh, I'd hurt them. I'd hurt them all.

They hadn't seen the last of me.

"Time to go." Adresin said ever so calmly.
"Help me take the professor, then," I settled on a civil comment. There were a lot of things I wanted to say to him.
"No." Adresin eyed the man distastefully before picking up Adrianna, who was falling unconscious as we spoke.
My blood was boiling over now and I tasted the left over skin in my mouth from when I'd bitten my tongue.
"Follow me, don't split up. Don't die." Adresin pretended not to notice how obviously enraged I was.
"Thanks for helping, dude," Bob answered. Adresin ignored this too.
"Hold up, where're we going, Ignoramus?" I glowered.
Adresin smirked at me. Actually smirked like an absolute—

My thoughts were cut off as he opened the door and we filed through the corridor, the shadows of guards popping all over the walls, the echoes of their shouts vibrating off the walls.