Andor –
"Hey lizard lips, how is your broken nose?" I ask proudly as I scoff at his injuries from our fighting.
Cadma –
"How's your broken arm, stinky mutt?" Laughing as I got the better punches in.
Andor –
"Listen in all seriousness thank you for setting me straight. So, when is Irlas giving me a ride to save my mate?"
Cadma laughs, "It is more likely your mate will have to save you once you get there."
Jasper, my wolf, growls and is pushing to come forward to rip out Cadma's throat. I laugh at my wolf because he does not want to fight a real dragon.
Jasper –
"Whatever, I can take that dragon down and fry his guts over a fire."
Andor ---
"Yeah, right Jasper, I know you are, tough man, but you will end up a flaming Wolf by his dragon. Which, by the way, would fry me as well. Not happening, leave the nice lizard alone."
Jasper –
"I am not a man! I AM A WOLF!"
Andor –
"What??"
Jasper—
"You said I was a tough man! I am not an inferior being, I am a strong Alpha wolf and don't forget it!"
Andor –
"Okay dude." I grinned at Jasper, whose growl was a reaction to my verbiage. At his irritation, I laughed.
"Listen cuz, Cadma, let me get my bag packed and let's go save my mate."
As my cousin dusts himself off from sitting on the cave floor he jumps up from his spot, shifting into his wolf form, we all run back to the packhouse to prepare for departure.
Back at the castle-
I was crawling through the vents until I found a room with several guards and a chained man inside. As entertainment, the guards poked him with the sharpened tips of their spears. Regardless of who this was, my heart went out to him. His hair was white, his face was staring at the ground, and he held himself up as he sat against the cold, damp stone walls.
In this room, there must have been four guards at least. I don't understand why the king felt he needed so many guards to torture this poor man. The defeatist countenance of the man who has been here for an extraordinarily long time makes it obvious he is not a threat. From the vent, I couldn't see the whole room, so I had no idea how many more guards were inside.
A guard must have just entered the room when I began listening to the conversation in the room.
'Marco, we need to move this dirtbag again. Malcolm wants us to bury him up to his neck in the dungeon below the cellar. He wants red ants to settle inside that dirt on top of him."
"Jake, who is this guy we have to relocate around so much. Torturing him for King Malcolm is fine with me but keeping him on the move seems like a waste of time."
"Marco! Saying the wrong thing could result in your decapitation. This was the previous king, who was the mate of the queen. It doesn't seem like he looks like a king anymore, does it? He hates him but is kept by Malcolm to keep the queen in line."
After taking a deep breath, I gasped for air; this was my father, and he needed medical attention immediately. It breaks my heart to see him in such a state. No human or animal should be treated in such a manner.
As I couldn't reach my men electronically through my earpiece, I decided to jump down and follow those guards to wherever they were moving my father. These men were cruel. How could they do such a thing?
I rethought the notion of following the cruel guards out of the room, as it may be necessary to remove them before they leave the room to ensure that I do not end up locked inside without any furniture or a chair to help me get back to the vent.
The fireworks I have started to create are a sign for my army and that we are at war now, so I hope the fireworks I produce are a signal for them.
Jumping down, I throw a dagger straight into one man's head while I use another dagger, slashing the closest guard's neck. I only have two more guards to go.
The man, I assumed was Jake, cut off the other guard's head, which shocked me. The shock was overwhelming as I stared at him, wondering what I should do next. Was he a friend or a foe? Maybe he's just trying to make me believe he's, my ally. I can't take too long, since I need him to help me carry my father out of this dungeon. Furthermore, I did not use magic, so Malcolm has not discovered me yet.
"Your highness, my name is Jake, and I'm loyal to your queen. She mind-linked me to let me know you'd be arriving soon. Having told me that I needed to find some loyal men that would help me get the King out of here."
"Jake? How about my mother? She needs to leave as well."
"Princess, we can do one thing at a time, but I promise you that I will fight alongside you to save her. We must hurry, though! I have strategically placed my men throughout the hallways. Our time is running out!"
My mother had to be protected from Malcolm now, so I wanted to scream; I wanted my mother to be safe. The moment he discovers I am here; he may decide to kill her.
"If you can hear me Ashina, this is Andor… STOP hurry, let's kill those arse holes!" Then my earpiece quit working. My heart stopped. My mate was there, and he was in trouble.
"Jake, I need you to hurry and take me and my father to the underground tunnels immediately! We need to get out of here now!"
Jake bows his head, "Yes princess lets go", and he signals his men, and I could tell Jake is also mind-linking someone by the glaze over his eyes.
"Dad, can you hear me? It is Ashina. I am here to save you daddy. Please try to walk. I know you are in pain. You can lean on us, but we must get you out of here."
I could hear a very low gravelly voice that could barely speak. "Not without your mother!"
"Don't worry dad, we will save mom. Just try to walk while leaning on Jake and me. Okay?"
As he leans heavily on Jakes and my shoulders, my father picks up his swollen feet one at a time. His feet are covered in red sores, bruises, and broken bones. Despite my desire to cry, I must become his strength, just as he was mine when I was a child.
I kept talking softly to my dad repeatedly. "Don't worry dad. I got you."
My soul now was feeling heavy with guilt. Why had I taken so many years to come and save them? How could I ever forgive myself?