Neiko's Five Land Adventure (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #1)

Chapter 58

Neiko pulled out her binoculars to get a good look at the place. The grounds were littered with the remains of tortured people and dead soldiers who had fought to overtake the place over the years. Several cages had skeletons in them, but one of them had Lydia inside of it. She was leaning back and motionless. The sun bleached her face; the wind blew, rocking the cage. "Well, guys, I got good news. She's on the outside of the fort, but I gotta get a better look at her to see if she's alright," Neiko said, putting her binoculars into her backpack.

Phoenix looked at her warmly. "I'm glad we found her. Why did Ramses do this?"

"I don't think he did it directly. I believe he wanted her to stay here unharmed, but I bet someone else wanted her dead. I bet it was Vipra. I believe all Ramses intended to do was leave her here in the dungeon until his beck and call to possible slavery. Well, I'll go and see if she's alive," Neiko said as she got a canteen of water and her tomahawk.

"We'll keep watching to be sure nothing happens," Air Hammer said. "Good luck."

Neiko slipped to the fortress in the cover of trees and bushes till she got to Lydia's cage. Lydia didn't move; she was oblivious to her presence. "Lydia, can you hear me? Are you okay?" she whispered.

Lydia half opened her eyes then shrank back weakly when she saw her tomahawk.

"It's okay. I'm here to help. The Attack Pack is here with me."

"Help me," she said with her voice rasping.

Neiko cut off the lock, opened the door of the cage, and helped her out. "Just relax; here's some water," she said, giving her the canteen, and she drank it all in one big gulp. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"First tell me who you are," she said.

"Neiko Kidd of Hawote, and I'll tell you more when we get to safety."

"I can't believe Ramses wanted to feed me to the crows," she said beginning to cry.

"Did you hear him say that?" Neiko said, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"No. Some hideous-looking woman came and said that he wanted me to be crow meat. I've been out here for two days without food or water."

Neiko gripped her tomahawk with her rage welling up. "Vipra! I knew it! I wanted to teach that witch a lesson. She lied, saying that he wanted it done, but actually she's the one—ooh. If Ramses knew, she'd be dead. Well, she got her desserts from the claws of Cheetor. C'mon, let's get outa here," she said as she helped Lydia to her feet and helped her walk.

"There's someone out there, and the prisoner's escaping!" said a sentry from the top of the wall, and they started to fire arrows at them. The pair started to run, but Lydia had to lean on Neiko because she was too weak to go on her own. Arrows dug themselves in the ground near them, and Neiko tried to keep a zigzag pattern. Suddenly a rocket hissed past them and blew up the wall. Phoenix and Cheetor flew up and grabbed the pair and flew away.

* * *

That night they camped near Piranha Lake and talked. Neiko told Lydia about all of her adventures and everything about Ramses. "That tale you heard about the girl from Earth, that girl is me," she concluded.

Lydia shook her head in disbelief and tears came into her eyes. "Oh, you poor dear. You have suffered more than I have in my entire lifetime. Now I know why he didn't come for me or hear of my capture because he was in Hawote trying to take you. I was captured in that battle that Quickstrike told you about, that Vipra person was rescued and not me. She wanted me dead because she wanted Phoenix and me out of the way, but if it wasn't for you, I would be dead in about two days."