She was a huntress, they made her the prey. The village of Kapok sits quietly in the conflict-ridden land of Falargimea. However, when Sapphire's life is overturned by The Butcher King's unprecedented march, she finds herself thrown into a world fo...
Everyone but the Draeked Master filed out of the throne room and Carya stepped back, melding into the ceiling above. And then, all of a sudden, she was pummelling down, some invisible hand clutching her arms and tugging at them with greater force than she could resist. The stone floor caught her with a loud thump. Her head stung and she could feel the pain in her jaw, radiating outwards to her skull. She was sure her knees would be bruised. She'd have to get Sassafras to heal it. That woman was going to be insufferable.
She lifted her head, her vision swimming before it cleared lightly to bring the face of the Draeked Master into sharp focus for a moment. It was enough to send a shiver down her spine and her heart into a nervous frenzy. She tried not to quail under the sharp look.
"A dryad!" the man whispered, voice silken, slithering like the whisper of a snake and Carya tried to get up, only to be pushed down by a sting of Draedech from the man. "Sire, we've stumbled upon gold." He turned to Carya and she bared her teeth in a growl. "Oh! How long have I been itching to get my hands on you. She can't be allowed to run free with all that she has heard."
The next thing she remembered was the darkness and anguish that took over each and every nerve of her body. She tried to lash out. But her body wouldn't respond to her commands. She burned. Burned bright and stinging till she felt the water run down her eyes. When consciousness returned to her, she found herself on a damp stone floor, dark viridian cheek pressed into straw, her dress of leaves and vines crumpled under her light weight.
She sat up as slowly as she could, trying not to worsen the headache that pierced the side of her skull. Her stomach and chest felt sore from the earlier assault of Draedech. The muscles were taught and painful in her neck. She felt an incessant probing at the back of her mind and sent one back, knowing it would let all her pain descend towards her companion. She felt Ileeyan's presence recoil a bit. His answer came in an angry jab.
Carya knew he would track her down but she had to try to free herself at the very least. She shuffled over to the barred doors of the cell, knees burning as she did so.
Oh, they were more than bruised, then.
Her nimble fingers traced the place where the keyhole would have been. The burn at the tip of her finger came sharp and sudden and she jerked back, a small hiss escaping her parted lips as she observed the smoking skin with her head tilted. She wouldn't be able to do much of anything if truth be told. Her Draedech wouldn't work. So, instead of making a fuss and wasting her energy, she settled back against the wall, playing absentmindedly with the bushy leaves and vines on her head.
It was past midnight when she heard footsteps descending the steps leading to her humble abode. Her grin threatened to split her face when Ileeyan came into her line of sight.
"What took you so long?"
"I couldn't sneak in during full daylight, now could I?" he replied, unsheathing a blade he had hooked on his belt. For a moment, his concerned gaze lingered over her figure before the man's burning green gold eyes focused on the gate as he started dragging the dagger across the iron bars. The metal burned vermillion where the blade touched them, splitting in its wake.
"They're sending out the Bindyr," she said and saw as Ileeyan's sandalwood skin turned a slight shade lighter and his hand slipped, forming a jagged cut in the bars. He showed no sign of distress otherwise.
"Where?" he said, resuming his work.
"Somewhere south," she replied. "I arrived quite a bit later than I had imagined. Never quite caught why they're being sent south."
She visibly saw him relax. He gave one final wound to the bars before the entire door leant outwards and the giant of a man caught it, hauling it away making way for her.
"Though, he has sent word to Toluer," she said as an afterthought as they rushed through the narrow hallways, dodging servants and leaving a trail of unconscious guards in their wake. Ileeyan cursed.
"You could have said that earlier."
"I forgot?"
She got an unimpressed gaze in return before her elbow was clutched and they disappeared into thin air, leaving only a few leaves in their wake.
.·:*¨༻ ༺¨*:·.
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