The dreams were getting worse.
Something- someone is torn from him. He reaches forward, fingers closing around air. He cannot see those eyes anymore. He cries out, wanting to follow. He cannot make a sound.
Cain twitched under the covers, still unconscious. His breathing ragged as he struggled with the nightmare.
It took Markus a while to notice but not to react. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, hovering at his side.
"Cain?" Concern mixed with hesitation steeped his voice.
He didn't respond, his fingers digging into the blankets as he shivered.
"Hey, wake up!" He debated slapping him awake when the warlock jolted into a sitting position, panting heavily.
Neither one spoke, Markus's hands still frozen in mid-reach. Cain glanced at him sharply before running to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
"What the hell?" He breathed, turning around in surprise when Noah poked his head into the room, out of breath.
"Markus, is everything okay?" He pressed the side of his head. "I felt like Cain was-"
"Yeah, no," Markus cut him off, not wanting him to find out. He pointed at the opposite door. "Acute bathroom distress."
"Oh." Noah blushed considerably as he mumbled apologies, closing the door behind him.
Markus shook his head. 'What the hell, Cain?'
***
"Your tummy doing okay?" Alexis inquired as she joined them at the table for breakfast.
Cain looked up from the journal he was reading, casting a dark glance at Markus, who was very interested in talking to Noah.
He was spared further indignity when he caught the eye of a man seated near the door. He looked like a traveller, wearing a dark green cloak. He tried to play it off by drinking from his mug but it was too late.
He had been watching him since he entered.
'Noah, don't turn around but there's a man spying on us.'
Noah stiffened, leaning closer to Markus to convey the message.
"Are you sure?" The guard asked quietly, filling Alexis in with a look.
"Cain, no offence," She leaned on her elbow, twirling her hair with a finger like she was flirting. "He's probably after you." She smiled, her face in profile as she talked to ward off suspicion.
Cain mimed her action, one hand casually over his left eye as he grinned, turning to face her.
His eye glowed softly lilac as he scanned the man.
'Not a warlock.'
Noah looked at him in confusion before repeating it.
"So what does he want?" Markus's shoulders tensed slightly as he heard the scrape of a chair somewhere behind him.
Alexis glanced up briefly; the man was already leaving, making her sigh in relief.
"Shit, that was weird."
"We should leave now." Markus went over to the counter to settle the bill while Noah exchanged a look with Cain.
'I don't have a good feeling.'
The boy nodded slightly, agreeing.
******************************
They were halfway to their destination when the feeling surfaced again.
Noah froze in his tracks, an overwhelming sensation in his head, making him nauseous.
"What's wrong?" Alexis turned to look at him.
Before he could answer, a strange smell pervaded his nose. Something sickly sweet.
Alexis sniffed the air, her thoughts muddled before it became shockingly clear why it smelled familiar.
"Don't breathe!" She called out to the others but it was too late. She felt herself slipping out of consciousness as they all fell prey to the vapours of a sleeping draught.
*************************
Alexis woke slowly, head pounding as she tried to adjust to the torchlight. The first thing she saw was a crowd of burly men with weapons and her heart threatened to burst.
Then she noticed Markus next to her and her breathing slowed. She associated him with safety and his presence was enough to calm her, even though he was glaring daggers at their abductors.
"Look at this one," one of them, a skinny man with a pudgy stomach poked Noah with the hilt of his sword, scaring the poor boy out of his skin.
If they weren't all tied up, Alexis would have ripped his beer belly off for touching Noah.
"He looks like a softie." The man announced, earning sounds of agreement. He then turned to Cain. "Pretty boy here will fetch a high price. Him and the girl."
Alexis didn't react, turning her head casually to look at Markus as if they were in a park.
"Didn't you hear me?" Beer Belly leaned in closer to her. "I said-"
He was rudely interrupted as she jerked her head forward, catching him squarely on the forehead.
"You bitch!" He sputtered, drawing a weapon as she simply sat back, her arrogant smirk masking how she really felt.
"Mal, that's enough." A heavy voice commanded, making the crowd turn. A large, musclebound man made his entrance, clearly the leader of the group. His tattoos rivalled Cain's although his were just for show. He walked up to them slowly.
"Don't waste time with her." He looked at her briefly. "Yet."
A chill ran down her spine. If it weren't for Markus's arm pressing into hers, she wouldn't have been able to remain coherent.
"One of you is real special. Any guesses who?"
Noah froze up, aware of how Cain's skin prickled against his own. None of them turned to look at the warlock, not wanting to give him away.
"You," The leader growled, pulling Markus's hair, forcing him to look at him. "Isn't it?"
"That's him," the man in the green cloak, the one they had seen at the inn, spoke up. "The royal guard."
"Hmph. I can tell. Not many come by here since the Great War but we still hate your kind, don't we?"
He was backed up by noises of approval.
"They come here hunting those Arts freaks and end up hunting us. How's that fair?" He continued, ignoring the looks Markus was giving him. " "So we have a little fun of our own."
He stepped back, opening his arms as if showing off. The room they were in was more of a civilized cave. There was a fighting ring in the middle and a stash of goods no doubt looted. The only visible exit was a narrow pathway leading upwards from behind the ring, letting in sunlight.
"Easy to brag when we're tied up." Markus smirked, trying to appear confident. "Why don't you cut me down and we'll see who's in charge."
The room went quiet as the leader, Rath, as someone had called him, turned slowly towards him.
"You think you can take me, boy?"
"Fuck. Yes."
His friends widened their eyes, incredibly surprised and slightly intrigued by this change in the stoic guard.
"Alright, let it be known that Rath-" he gestured to himself grandly,"-Is nothing if not considerate.
"But if you lose, I'll kill you and let my men do whatever they want with your friends. How's that sound?"
Markus felt Alexis's fingers grasping his and he answered. "When I win, you let all of us go, unharmed."
"You mean 'if'."
"You heard me."
"You got some balls for someone who's not even full grown."
Markus shrugged. "Well, I'm young. What's your excuse?"
Despite the intensity of the situation, Alexis patted him gently, half to calm him down and half to express admiration.
Rath said nothing, only pushed Mal forward to cut him down.
"Two of you can tag team. We'll keep the other two as insurance. Feel free to discuss."
Cain raised his hand, looking at Markus. In an actual fight, he would have the upper hand; no one could even get close to him.
But there was a slight problem.
"The only thing they hate more than guards are Arts users," Alexis hissed in his ear. "Stay with Noah."
He saw determination and anger in her eyes and decided not to argue.
The crowd snickered as the pair stepped up, eyeing Alexis.
She grimaced. 'Glad to see the rules are the same here.'
"Three rounds. If you lose even one of them, you're done. Got it?"
Neither of them replied, playing the part of sullen teenagers. Then again...
The first opponent was Mal, with his skinny limbs and crooked teeth. Alexis immediately volunteered to go first.
"Alexis.." Markus held her hand briefly, checking if she was certain about it.
"Lovebirds, get a move on!" Someone screeched from the rabble. The half a dozen men around the ring guffawed.
"I'll go easy on you." Mal grinned, swiping at the air with his eyes closed, his version of how a girl fights.
Alexis calmly stood across from him, waiting for the starting command. As soon as it was given, she kicked him between the legs.
Mal stumbled, doubling over, only to be grabbed by the back of the neck, her knee coming into contact with his nose.
As a finishing touch, she threw him halfway across the ring, daring him to continue.
He tried to get up, not wanting to lose face. She strode up to him, kicking him again.
"I'm doing the world a favour." She announced as she crushed what was left of his...area.
Every man in the room shivered as she finally let up, claiming her victory.
She high-fived Markus on the way back, thrilled that he finally returned it. He stepped out next, his opponent taller and more serious than Mal.
There was no option of underestimating him either.
That didn't matter. As soon as the command was given, the man advanced on him, fist drawn back. Just before it connected, Markus stepped to the side, pulling his arm behind him as he went. He grabbed the back of the man's collar to keep him in place while he kicked his legs out from under him.
"Surrender now." He calmly ordered.
"Fuck you."
Markus rolled his eyes, dislocating his arm before slamming his head into the ground.
The man wasn't done, however. He rolled around, kicking Markus in the chest hard enough to force him back.
A dull pain throbbed from where his heel had been forced into his stomach.
He stooped in a defensive stance as his opponent charged at him, eyes wild.
Mistake.
Markus drove his head and shoulders into the man's torso, twisting around as he body slammed him onto the floor. Not taking any chances, he slammed his fist into his jaw until he gave up, face bloody.
Markus stumbled off of him, breathing heavily. He turned back to check on his friends. Noah looked terrified, if it was from the hostage situation or the blood on his knuckles, he didn't know. Cain stood next to him, arms folded, eyes never wavering.
His breathing went back to normal, his years of training coming in handy. He walked over to Alexis, nodding slightly.
Two down. One to go.
"Not bad for a city boy and a girl," The voice boomed, bringing them back to reality.
"But your last opponent is me." Rath smiled, a warhammer in his hands.