Alden's face twisted with fury. Breaking free from the grip of the two other knights, he lunged at the king. "You're just like my parents!" he roared, slashing with his talons in a desperate attack. Orion intercepted him with a swift, practiced move, seizing Alden's arm and wrenching it into an arm bar, pinning him harshly to the ground. "Attacking my parents?" Orion sneered. "I detest it when people cross that line."
"Like this?" I taunted, catching their attention. The queen turned her head, only to find me behind her, gripping her hair tightly. She winced as I tugged, and I leaned in, my voice low and mocking. "I hate it when people cross the line by attacking my friends." I licked her cheek teasingly, making her cheeks flush with anger and humiliation. I realized just how much Vex had influenced me.
Alden, with a grimace of determination, dislocated his own arm to free himself, then spun around and delivered a darkness kick to Orion. He dashed to my side as the king, now furious, rose from his throne. But he paused, sensing the mingled dark aura from Alden and the light aura from me. "What—?"
Orion wiped blood from his mouth where Alden had struck him. He advanced on us, slipping on a pair of metal gloves adorned with spikes. "You're not strong enough to fight me yet," he muttered, his voice full of disdain.
Alden stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "I'm still furious from losing to Vex. He was the vessel of a powerful entity, but you," he said, drawing his feathered sword, "don't look that strong."
Alden slashed at Orion, but to our shock, the blade passed right through him. "Whoa!" I muttered, feeling the tension rise as Ember's other two brothers appeared, pressing swords to my neck. Despite this, I kept my grip on the queen's hair.
Aurelius, Ember's middle brother, glared at me, his anger palpable. "Release her, or I'll send you to an early grave," he growled.
Lucian, Ember's younger brother, pushed his sword deeper against my skin, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "You've crossed the line," he hissed.
I looked up and saw Alden's strikes passing through Orion as if he were a ghost. "This is my magical power: Intangibility," Orion explained with a smug grin. "No matter how hard you try, your physical attacks can't touch me." He raised his fist, the spiked glove poised to strike Alden.
Just then, a thin line of blood appeared on Orion's cheek, startling him. "What about magical attacks?" I chuckled, holding one of my golden feathers in my hand. Orion turned around, his eyes widening as he saw his brothers sprawled on the ground.
I tightened my grip on the queen's hair, pressing the feather against her neck, its sharp edge gleaming. "Careful now," I warned, my voice dripping with menace. "Any more of your tricks, and she gets a closer look at my feather."
"OKAY, ENOUGH!" Ember cried, struggling to her feet. Her voice cut through the chaos, drawing everyone's attention. I watched in shock as she began healing her wounds, her expression resolute. "Gaian, Alden, I led you into my trap." She smiled, and suddenly, crystal barriers—products of her power—enclosed us. I had no idea she could use her abilities outside the ark.
"Trap? What are you talking about?" I tapped against the barrier, only to be jolted by a painful shock. I yelped, staring at my finger, now blackened and smoking. "That's not good." Moments later, it healed, and I flexed it with a relieved smile. "Better."
Ember approached us, her face a mask of cold determination. "Mother, Father, brothers," she began, her voice devoid of emotion, "these two are the vessels of the Nocturne Raven and the Divine Owl."
Alden and I exchanged bewildered glances, the reality of the situation dawning on us. "Ember, what are you doing?" Alden asked, his voice laced with hurt and confusion.
The queen sneered at Ember. "You brought these threats into our kingdom, Ember?"
Ember stood tall, her expression unwavering. "Yes, Mother. And now, to protect Glimmerfen, they need to be contained."
Alden's eyes narrowed with betrayal. "I trusted you, Ember. We trusted you."
Ember's gaze flickered with a hint of regret before hardening again. "I'm sorry, Alden, Gaian. But you're too dangerous. Your powers, unchecked, could destroy us all."
The king's eyes flashed with anger. "You dare bring such danger into our midst?"
"I brought them here to protect us," Ember replied, her voice steady. "But they need to be restrained until we can control their powers."
My heart sank, a mixture of betrayal and anger swirling inside me. "Ember, why?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.
She met my gaze, her eyes softening for a brief moment before turning cold. "Because I care about power, Gaian. True power. And with you two out of the way, I can finally have it."
Alden's face twisted in rage. "You're just like Vex," he spat. "Power-hungry and willing to betray anyone to get it."
Ember's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Maybe I am. But unlike Vex, I won't fail." She raised her hand, and the crystal barriers tightened around us, the jagged edges pressing into our skin.
The queen's expression turned to one of approval. "You've done well, Ember. You've brought us powerful tools to harness."
Alden and I struggled against the barriers, the realization of her treachery cutting deeper than any wound. "You won't get away with this," I growled, my voice filled with defiance.
Ember laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "I already have. And soon, all of Glimmerfen will bow to me."
She snapped her fingers, and the crystal barrier lifted us off the ground, carrying us out of the room. Orion followed closely behind, a satisfied smirk on his face. The barrier transported us through the castle's corridors, finally depositing us in a dark, dank dungeon. The crystal restraints shifted, chaining us to the cold, stone walls, rendering us completely immobile.
"So she's definitely just doing this so we don't get executed, right?" I asked Alden, my voice tinged with uncertainty.
Alden dislocated his wrist with a grimace, slipping out of his handcuffs effortlessly. "Yep," he replied, his voice steady as he healed his wrist in a swift motion.
I shuddered at the sight. "Ugh, stop doing that. It's disgusting."
Alden smirked. "You'd think you'd be used to it by now," he said, glancing around the dungeon with a scrutinizing look. He plopped down on the cold floor, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
I worked on freeing myself, using my razor-sharp teeth to snap the handcuffs off my wrists. I joined Alden on the floor, frustration clear in my expression.
"They clearly have a plan for us. We should bide our time and figure out what they want. Besides, I can't let those who mistreated Ember go unpunished," Alden said, lying down with a thoughtful look.
I yawned and rubbed my wrist, a hint of amusement in my eyes. "You're just eager to fight better opponents and get revenge on Vex."
Alden rolled his eyes and smirked. "So what? I'd rather improve than keep losing."
Meanwhile, Ember walked alongside her three brothers, finally perching on Lucian's shoulder.
Orion, leading the group with visible anger, turned to face her. "You came back after Father banished you, and now you claim to have captured vessels of celestial beings? This is just a desperate attempt to win back their favor."
Ember's eyes flashed with anger. "You don't understand, Orion. If we can break them, they can become our strongest weapons against the three major kingdoms."
Orion took a step back, startled by her intensity. He had never seen Ember act like this before. Regaining his composure, he dusted himself off and smirked. "Then you have no problem with us putting them in… the tiger's den?"
Aurelius, standing beside Ember, raised an eyebrow. "The tiger's den? Are you sure that's necessary?"
Ember's gaze hardened. "Do it. Let them see what real fear is. It's the only way to ensure they understand their place."
Lucian, who had been silent until now, looked at Ember with a mix of concern and curiosity. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
"Yes," Ember replied, her voice cold and resolute. "This is the only way to secure our future."
Lucian, who had been silent until now, looked at Ember with a mix of concern and curiosity. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
"Yes," Ember replied, her voice cold and resolute. "This is the only way to secure our future."
Three days later
Alden and I had spent three long days in the dungeon. At first, I thought Ember's betrayal was a ruse, but she had been relentlessly cruel, feeding us mud and worms. She knew how much I hated that stuff. We almost escaped, but those damned crystals thwarted us every time. Alden is... let's just say, not in his right mind.
"Gaian!" Alden's voice called out, breaking through my thoughts. I turned to see him with a manic gleam in his eyes. "I found it! The secret to curing the avian flu." He bit his finger, using his black blood to draw erratic symbols on the floor. His laughter echoed through the dungeon, a chilling reminder of how far gone he was.
My eye twitched as I grabbed his shirt and smacked him with a skeleton bone lying in the dungeon. "Snap out of it, Alden!" I yelled. He stopped laughing, touching his cheek as his expression shifted to one of seriousness. Leaning back against the wall, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Gaian. I don't know what came over me."
I lay down and closed my eyes. "Sagea, can I do anything about these crystals?"
{Sorry, young Gaian, I can't do anything. Emberlyn's crystals are impenetrable. If only she hadn't… she could've saved us from the shadow flock.}
I sighed and put my arm over my head, then heard chewing and sat up to see Alden sitting in the corner with his back turned. "What are you chewing on?"
Alden fake coughed and turned around, holding something behind his back. "Nothing," he said with a smile, his mouth full.
I stood up and tried to get closer. He backed up. I sniffed the air, my heightened senses catching the scent of something tasty. "You're eating those pastries from the tavern!"
"They're mine!" he yelled, trying to stuff the rest into his mouth. "Share!" I shouted, jumping on him. We wrestled until I managed to pin him down and grabbed the crumbled pastries. "I've eaten mud while you've been enjoying delicacies!" I exclaimed, shoving the pastries into my mouth.
Alden stopped struggling and sighed. "I'm sorry, Gaian. I don't want a few measly meals to ruin our friendship." He pulled out tiny bags of delicacies, and I smiled, but he suddenly engulfed them in flames, disintegrating them.
My eyes twitched with rage, and I stood up, my fists clenched. "I hate you so much!" I grabbed his collar and punched him against the wall. He groaned, then kicked my leg, flipping me upside down and driving his elbow into my chest. We grappled, exchanging blows and kicks, each trying to gain the upper hand.
With a burst of strength, I managed to push him back, but he countered with a swift punch to my jaw, sending me reeling. "You think you're so tough, huh?" I growled, charging at him again.
He sidestepped, grabbing my arm and twisting it behind my back. "You're not the only one who's been training," he hissed, but I broke free, and we both began swinging wildly at each other.
Suddenly, a group of winged knights burst into the dungeon, two of them stepping between us. "Hello, young men," one of them began, but I punched him, sending him flying into Alden as we continued our brawl. "That was a cheap shot!" Alden yelled. He grabbed the other winged knight by the leg, swinging him around like a pair of nunchucks and using him to strike at me.
I dodged and ducked, narrowly avoiding the flailing knight. "You call this a fight?" I taunted, grabbing the knight mid-swing and tossing him aside.
The other knights tried to intervene, but we were too caught up in our own battle. Alden lunged at me, and I countered with a swift kick to his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. He stumbled back, but recovered quickly, a fierce determination in his eyes.
"You always have to make things difficult," he growled, launching himself at me again.
"And you always have to show off," I retorted, meeting his charge head-on.
Our blows echoed through the dungeon, each strike filled with pent-up frustration and anger. The winged knights, now wary of getting caught in the crossfire, watched from a safe distance, uncertain how to break up our fight.
Suddenly, Lucian and Aurelius appeared before me, their faces twisted with anger. "You two again?" I muttered, glaring down at them.
Orion materialized in front of Alden, a smug grin stretching across his face. "You!" Alden's eyes lit up with a fierce grin, clearly eager for another bout with Orion.
Orion's voice dripped with malice as he continued, "Gentlemen, you're about to be thrown into the tiger's den." His smile was wickedly mischievous, hinting at the danger that awaited.