The Prince of Ilios

Seventy-Three

Alyn heard the door of the dungeon creek open, waiting for the familiar hiss of the vents, but it did not come. Apparently, the guards were already beginning to get lazy. It had been a full night since Ellora had been taken to see Cyrus. He had a bad feeling about it. He watched as two guards dragged a limp Ellora between them. Alyn raged. His fists immediately gripped as the men opened the cell door.

River grabbed his arm, giving him a look that said calm down, "Now is not the time."

Alyn grimaced as they threw her into the cell. He moved forward to catch her before her head could hit the ground. River moved beside them. Ellora was unconscious and in a bad state, dried blood crusted over her dress at the back, "Let's get her into the light and see what we can do."

"What happened to her?" Ava asked, terrified as she came forward. When she saw the wounds on Ellora's back she gasped, ready to scream.

Alyn grabbed her to muffle her scream, engulfing her with his massive frame, "We cannot draw anymore attention to this, or everyone will be scared. It could cause massive panic, when we need to have cool heads." He swallowed his own cry as he watched River do what she could.

Ava nodded, tears forming in her eyes. When he released she immediately buried her face in his chest, seeking solace where she could. Nothing like this had ever come close to happening to Ava ever before. She felt like the whole thing was some nightmare that she just could not wake up from, "Prince Nicola will come to save us right?"

Alyn hugged her back, letting her cry the tears into his chest, but not really sure what he ought to do at the same time. He had no advice, no plan, "I am not sure that we have enough time for that." He gave a pointed look to Nissa.

"We need a few more days. The plan is set and we need to trust that it will work, but the resources are slow. We cannot move too quickly without causing suspicion." She glanced up from the small group huddled in the corner.

Alyn nodded, turning defeatedly back to River, watching her move over Ellora.

River didn't know what else to do. They had extremely limited resources. Once a day they would receive enough food and water to care for half of them. She had no ways to make tea, no salves, and no plants. Ellora was in bad shape. Her pulse was weak, face pale and unmoving, and her back was slashed five times by a whip with barbs. On top of all this, they must have left her there for a while. The blood was mostly dried. Unfortunately, the curse attached to her veins seemed to thrive in her weakened state. She wiped the sweat from her brow, she looked at Alyn.

He moved to her, leaving Ava to finish collecting herself, "How bad is it?"

"Bad." River looked him in the eye, "I am surprised she has not already died. I can't do anything more. If she stays here she will die for certain." She swallowed.

"There is one who could heal her." Tiara piped up from the side.

River and Alyn looked at her desperately for the answer.

"Cyrus."

Alyn grimaced, "Look what he has done already. If we send her back to him, he would kill her."

River raised a brow, "He did seem to take an earnest liking to her. I don't know what happened today, but I do not think that he would truly kill her."

"No, River, you will find something. We will find a way." He turned back to his sister, holding her hand.

"Do you see where we are, Prince Alyn? A dirty dungeon." Tiara answered her own question, "We don't have much else. At this point even trying to overthrow Cyrus would be impossible. The best we can even do is escape. If you continue in your stubbornness she will be dead. The only thing that seems possible is to convince Cyrus to care."

River nodded to Alyn in agreement with Tiara, "Alyn..." Her voice was soft, trying to console him, "I can take her there."

He turned sharply away from them, "No, continue with the plans. I will take her and you all be ready for our return." He cradled her limp body in his arms, and yelled to the guards, "I am the Prince of the Southern Isles, and I will see Cyrus. Take me to him!"

The guard looked at him. To the mad, Alyn was a giant, with a demon's expression. He glanced around, "Sir, Your Highness, I cannot take you to him."

"Then, find me someone who can. I have something very valuable to negotiate with him." Alyn's face was set.

A few minutes, two guards came down and opened the cell, "Cyrus will see you now."

Alyn glanced back at Ava, who was crying in River's arms. I'll be back. I promise. He stepped out of the cell and followed the two guards. Two more guards followed him, ready to strike at any moment.

He carried Ellora carefully into the Throne room. He despised himself for what he needed to do, but there was no way around it.

Cyrus looked down at him lazily from the throne, but then Ellora caught his attention. His gaze remained on her frail frame, "What is it you want?"

"I am Alyn of the Southern Isles, son of the Chief. I have come for my sister Ellora. She returned to us gravely injured, and in need of medical attention." His voice was flat as he spoke, reciting the script he had planned on the way up.

Cyrus stood. His jaw clenched and he looked away, "What of it to me?"

Perhaps Cyrus did not care for Ellora as much as the girls downstairs seemed to think. Surely, he should have been moved by now. Alyn thought he would have to change tack, appeal to his arrogance, "My sister is the most powerful water-bearer that our Island has ever seen. She has the power to yield water wherever it is found. From the smallest in the body, to the greatest riptides and whirlpools in the ocean. We have a place in the Southern Isles where 3 currents collide. Every ship that has ever tried to pass through the place has sunk, no survivors. We call it Dead Man's Pit. Before she came to Ilios, my sister was actually able to reverse the flow of these ancient currents. You have seen the massive amount of destruction she has caused, even here in Ilios."

"Yes." Cyrus began coming down the stairs.

"I am my sister's teacher. We could be of use to you."

The man's eyebrow raised. He expected Ellora to eventually surrender to him, but not the soon-to-be Chief of the Southern Isles. The guards were not lying. This would be very valuable to him. He hesitated, "You would never work with me. Why are you here?"

Alyn shook his head, not believing what he was about to do. He lay Ellora on the floor and bowed in front of Cyrus, "Please, she is dying." He gulped.

Cyrus paced up to them looking down at Ellora and her brother, baring the back of his neck, his head down. Cyrus laughed aloud.

Alyn watched as Cyrus' foot came into view. He heard the man's voice, "Fine." The boot kicked him, knocking him to the ground. Cyrus took out a short sword and pointed it at his face, "But if you dare betray me, you will both be dead."

Alyn's fists clenched, "Yes, Milord."

"You will be my personal guard. Should be effective enough. And it will at the very least be interesting." Cyrus couldn't wait to break this man's moral uprightness and then unleash him on Nicola. He wouldn't even have to bend a finger. He adjusted the fur on his shoulders, "I will take the very best care of her. Philip!"

Philip materialized from the shadow as Alyn stood. He picked up Ellora.

"Have the doctor heal her wounds. Make her presentable. She will need to be awake when I tell her that she will soon be my bride." Philip bowed and left.

"Bride?"

"How else would she be of use to me?" Cyrus turned back to him, his face dark.

That was not what I was agreeing to, "Surely, I am enough, to be your personal guard."

Cyrus chuckled, "Guards, take Alyn to the barracks and get him settled in."

Two guards flanked Alyn. The conversation was over, and Alyn was in for more than he bargained for. He spat on the ground before he left. This was the day where he truly learned what sort of man Cyrus was, and it would not be forgiven easily.