"We need to get going," Allyria said as she stretched her body and sat up, her eyes still closed. But one thing she noticed was the floor seemed too cold and hard for her touch. She opened her eyes and gawked, surprised and unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Kaius!" Allyria shook his body, "Kaius!"
"What?"
"You need to wake up."
"Why? What's happening?" he rubbed his eyes, "Is there something wrong?"
"Get up and see it for yourself."
Kaius sat straight, his eyes still adjusting from the deep slumber. He let out a gasp when he was finally aware of everything, "Where are we?" he asked, his face stuck in an incredulous expression.
But even Allyria couldn't answer that. Just last night, they slept restfully with the comfort of banana leaves in the forest and now they wake up behind bars.
The prison cell was barely six feet by four. The walls were nothing but a hollow cube of grey concrete, one way in, no windows. Allyria couldn't tell how much time had passed or even if it was night or day. The isolation was total and the stimulation was zero. No sound, no light, no furniture or cloth of any kind.
They weren't in the Windamere dungeons either. She familiarized every part of the castle enough to think it was. Also, it would be irrational for her to think she's being imprisoned in her own home.
It just doesn't make sense. Allyria couldn't think of any reason how they got here. Also, she couldn't remember anything from last night.
"It looks like the captives are awake," a man spoke from the distance on the opposite side of the bars. She couldn't see him clearly as the dark covered his face but he sure was a man of her age guessing his figure.
"Why are we here? Who are you?"
"You're inquisitive, that's good."
"Who are you?" she exclaimed.
He let out a chuckle, "I should be the one asking you that."
"Ask me? You literally took us hostage in our sleep and you are the one to ask me that?" she snarled, Allyria was already simmering with anger, "Don't you know that I am the—"
Kaius covered her mouth before she could speak. She removed his hand and turned to him, her forehead creased, "What?"
"Don't give out your identity, we don't know who this guy is," Kaius informed.
Allyria nodded. He was right. Identifying themselves as the missing royal children would do more harm than good. Also, this guy didn't seem like the type to help them. He wasn't Silas and by the way he talks, she's convinced he'd only put them in danger, if danger still wasn't equivalent to abducting them.
"You are who?" the man asked again.
Allyria didn't answer and remained still on the floor. The bars were made of steel so it would be difficult to escape out of it. She didn't have any tools to break it open either. She scanned for her sword inside but it was nowhere to be found, as well as Kaius'. They must have taken it too.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Take a guess."
"Are you kidding me?"
"I'm not."
Allyria rolled her eyes even if he couldn't see it, "How are we supposed to know?" she asked but it sounded more of a scorn, "Lunatic," she said under her breath.
"Just take a guess."
"Don't take me for a fool."
"I'm not taking you for anyone; I was just telling you to take a guess."
"We're in a dungeon, obviously."
"Wrong."
"It is."
"Nope."
Kaius tugged on her shirt, "Stop answering him," he said in a low voice.
"Why?"
"Just… don't."
Allyria couldn't understand what game this man was playing. As much as she wanted to tell him who she was and trust on the fifty percent possibility that this guy might be of help, she didn't want to take the risk. What if they've been missing for weeks already? Months? Years? What if her memory of last night wasn't last night at all?
"You have spirit of a warrior despite your size," he uttered even if no one seemed to be interested in his small talk.
Allyria swore she'd break his neck once he shows his face. The voice was already infuriating enough; she wouldn't want the face of a demon lurking into this world.
"No one's ever hit me with a rock like that," his chuckle echoed on the four corners of the prison cell, "You're one hell of a woman."
Allyria's eyes widened at the first mention of it. Yesterday, there was a man who hunted for the deer. Was it him? Was that the reason why he's taken them? For a single deer? He could've just asked for a portion of it if he needed it so badly.
But wait. She already hit him before he could react. She was wrong on that part.
"Yes, that was me," he said as if he heard her thoughts, "And no, it's not the reason why I took you captive. Holding somebody against their will for such a shallow reason? That wouldn't be right."
If the deer wasn't the reason, there wasn't anything she could think of that made this man furious to put them into jail. As far as she could remember, Allyria never had an enemy in her entire life nor has she done anything to people for them to plant grudges on her.
Allyria would've spoken when he continued, "I'll need a woman like you in my camp. Your companion too, he seems well-built for arduous work."
"And you think we'll let that happen?"
"You'll do it whether you like it or not," he said and footsteps thudded on the floor. A minute later, he was already gone.
Allyria imagined he must be rejoicing seeing the situation they are in right now. She wasn't sure about anything anymore—about this place, about him, about everything. The only thing she's sure of is that they were nowhere near the castle or safety.
Everything about this screams danger.