The darkness of Shiv's steel prison was illuminated by the yellow glow of the melting wall, thanks to his wonderful adopted daughter.
The glow, however, was reminding him of foul things… memories of pain and helplessness. Memories of bright lights being shined in his face and familiar faces with unfamiliar voices asking questions he didn't have answers to. A memory of feeling found, at home, and completely safe… that was ripped away immediately to be replaced by sorrow and hurt.
But he couldn't think about that right now. Blaze was about to release him and his comrades from the darkness, and they had a city to destroy.
GLOP
The metal parted easily, making a gaping hole to reveal a cute little face scrunched up in concentration.
With a choked-up laugh, Shiv launched forward and wrapped his arms around Blaze.
"Father, look over there! She's a princess." Blaze smiled and pointed up at a girl with a gentle smile and a regal air about Blaze's age. Next to her was a distraught looking man who was quite familiar to Shiv. A plan quickly formulated in Shiv's mind, and he glanced at Duncan, to find him already looking back at him and nodding.
"Good job, Blaze. Now hang tight for a bit." He gently let go of her and pushed her gently to the side, then threw his powerful body forward. He could sense several insanely powerful entities approaching, and that princess was his safest bet for getting himself and his allies out alive.
He wasn't surprised when the jailer came in between him and the princess, but the jailer was surprised when Briggs slammed an ice hammer into him from the side, getting him out of the way.
He was surprised, however, when he reached the princess and found hundreds of tiny vines with needle-point ends rushing toward him from every frontal direction and originating from the princess.
'I'm not going to use that skill.' The thought was the only one to cross his mind before he locked it down and gritted his teeth whilst continuing his physical attack.
All too soon, his body was riddled with holes and screaming in pain, but he managed to push forward and grab the princess by the wrist as Duncan made his appearance to sever all of the vines so Shiv could push forward. He did so, then jerked the princess toward him and wacked her on the back of the head, sending her into unconsciousness.
He whipped around with her and stuck an earthen knife to her throat as the powerful entities entered the room.
There were four of them. A woman with a small crown and a shiny dress, a man, another woman, though this one was in a robe and had striking brown eyes, and the Jaqueline lookalike.
"Hey!" Everyone froze, staring at Shiv, who had shouted to cause just that.
"Unhand the princess." The only man, wearing a bejeweled crown and fancy clothes spoke with fear in his eyes and desperation in his voice.
"Briggs, get everyone out of here." Shiv ignored the demand and gave the order in a level tone.
"Daddy! Please don't hurt her! She's my new friend." Blaze yells across the room with tears and shock in her eyes.
Shiv sent a meaningful look Briggs' way before turning his attention to the intruders.
Briggs got Duncan and a quietly protesting Blaze to follow him to the opposite side of the room, where Duncan then sent a current of air at Shiv to get his attention. Shiv had been staring at the intruders, but now he glanced at his team and manipulated the earth so that there was a passage in the thick wall for them to retreat through. They did so promptly while he returned his gaze to the three intruders.
'Three?' Shiv's eyes narrowed and he reacted with speed only possible with his enhanced body by shifting slightly so that the blade aimed for his throat was now moving toward the princess' head. The blade immediately reversed and Shiv took several steps to the side, trying to keep his back from facing anyone.
"Do as the king said, and unhand the princess." The robed woman was to Shiv's side, wielding a stone spear that sparkled with miniscule green fragments of some precious stone scattered throughout its form. Her voice was surprisingly pleasant and had a faint accent that Shiv found attractive, even with the fact that she was using it to threaten him. It was also… familiar? "It is the only outcome that ends with you dying quickly instead of through extensive torture."
"Don't test me. I will release the princess once I've confirmed mine and my team's safe exit, and not a moment sooner." Shiv kept his voice level while his eyes switched between the robed woman and the supposed king whilst backing toward the exit he had made for his teammates.
The robed woman frowned at the princess and looked at the king. "I wasn't aware that your daughter was being leveled up. Did you gain permission for this from the Holy Council?"
The king was distraught at the sight of his daughter's unconscious form being dragged away from him, and responded with a tone and expression that showed this. "Warrior Priestess Esmeralda, we can talk about that later! Please, just save her!"
'She said that so… casually.' Shiv was disconcerted by this. It made him more wary, and he tensed up when the Priestess' attention returned to him.
"Why would I trust you, a known murderer and felon?" Her piercing blue eyes showed no fear.
Shiv scowled. "My name is Shiv. I am not this retarded Mackey sucker. I give you my word that that, and the fact that I'll release this princess once I'm free, are both true."
Esmeralda was now walking along casually, keeping the same distance between her and Shiv. "Not good enough." She abruptly dropped into a fighting stance and readied her spear."
Shiv grimaced, and glanced to the side in search of something that might be of use. His eyes alighted on the hole in his former prison that Blaze had burned, and he returned a steady gaze to the spear-wielding woman. "I swear on my daughter's life that what I say is true. If you won't believe that, then there's no point in continuing to put off this fight. Attack me and watch her die, then watch as I kill you and the royals over there along with that fake Jaqueline."
Something in the woman's aura changed, though there wasn't any visible change in her stance or expression. She abruptly stood straight and looked to the side, biting her bottom lip. Then she nodded at Shiv. "If the princess is not back, safe and unharmed, by nightfall…"
"Yeah, yeah, bad things will happen to me. Great. Now back off, lady." Shiv tried to put on a brave face and act dismissive to hide the relief he was feeling. 'There is no freaking way I could have taken her down. Her level must be through the roof.'
"Yes, bad things will happen. But they will not only happen to you, but to your companions. As for your daughter, I will take her across the sea to the holiest temple and she will be taught to see the error of your ways. She will become a priestess, and will dedicate her life to god while you will become the epitome of evil in her mind."
Shiv didn't respond. He was too busy taking deep breaths to control the anger that was bubbling up within him.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on the princess, and his blade penetrated ever so slightly into the girl's neck. She winced, and he came to with a start. He unconsciously loosened his grip on the girl while Blaze's teary eyes and heartfelt words about the princess came, unbidden, to his mind. "Sorry. Didn't mean to cut you." He muttered and began moving again.
"Please! You must release my daughter! I'll give you anything you want. Just please… let her go." The queen of the kingdom was sobbing and stumbling toward Shiv with the king just a few steps behind.
Shiv regarded them in silence for a long second before speaking. "Make it so that I am innocent of all charges."
"Done!" The queen sniffled and said with wide eyes.
Shiv shrugged and let go of the princess. He felt sick to his stomach.
Abruptly, Not Jaqueline attacked from his right while Esmeralda attacked from his left. The former was wielding two knives crackling with red lighting, and the latter was thrusting the same spear as earlier toward Shiv's face.
With faster-than-a-lighting-wielder's reflexes, Shiv used the earth to grab him by the ankles and jerk him below ground, effectively dodging both attacks.
He was shocked when the earth almost immediately betrayed him and spit him back onto solid ground. But not so shocked that he wasn't able to barely roll out of the way of a flurry of electrified knives thrown at him.
He wasn't so lucky when it came to the spear of the Warrior Priestess stabbing toward his face.