Armageddon

Chapter 15: Promises to a Loved One

She stood up and continued pacing towards her cell door, only to realize that the pirates may have rummaged through her clothes for treasures as they did to Silver and Rahim. She traced her neckline, now devoid of her obsidian wolf necklace; her hand sunk into her pocket, and her face drained of all color when she couldn't feel Revelation. She fished through her other side and patted herself down as best as she could with one hand, but her pocket watch was missing. Selena cursed and swore, only stopping to look down the dark and damp corridors and note a shadow of a whelpling dashing across the rickety floors.

Upon noticing the small dragon's different mask as it moved closer, Selena asked herself, Why is a baby Nidhoggr onboard a pirate ship? Is he smuggling the whelplings?

It looked up at her and paused. The youngling sniffed the air, and without thinking about it, Selena reached out from her cell to pet the curious creature. Her hand almost made contact with its snout before it opened its mouth with dark Aether boiling within its tiny maw. She stepped back as the hatchling exhaled its blast over the metal bars but abruptly stopped and fled the way it came.

The bars slightly bent to her touch when she inspected the creature's handiwork, and Selena understood the whelpling was assisting in her rescue. However, heavy footsteps shaking the floorboards interrupted its mission, and from the end of the corridor emerged Captain Battleraven. Selena moved back from her cell bars, but she was not intimidated by the commander's towering shadow. Instead, her eyes remained fixed upon the massive mercenary like a dragon ready to strike.

Keeping his hands clasped behind his back, Battleraven sneered when he reached her prison. "Well, well. It is such an honor for you to grace us with your presence aboard my ship, Your Majesty."

"I'm assuming Vidar set you up to this. Where are you taking the smuggled Nidhoggr and me? What's in this for you?"

"As they are no longer under Vidar's command, we capture ferals to compete in my arena fights, as those beasts make worthwhile entertainment. However, I have different plans for you. Everything comes at a price, and believe me, I intend to collect the rest of my promised reward. No hard feelings, and nothing personal—it's just business."

"What about taking me to my family? I'm sure they would offer you more than Vidar is paying you; even Lord Godfrey of the Shadow Templars will make you a deal."

"With what gold? Your family no longer holds the throne." Captain Battleraven spat on the floor. "I don't do business with vampires. There's quite a large bounty on that lord's head that will soon belong to me. My crew and I will be set for life between you."

Selena furrowed her eyebrows, and her chest swelled. "My offer meant your life. That sounds more valuable than gold to me."

The pirate captain laughed and mocked her. "You're funny. I like that." He leaned down until his crooked nose touched the metal. "Maybe before we make port in Alfheim, my crew and I could use a little fun. Perhaps we'll all share you."

"Then I will show you Death's mercy by making sure you die first."

"That's the spirit. If you'll excuse me, I have a tournament to host. It would be rude of me to keep my guests waiting any longer. Oh boy, do they love the bloodshed." The captain spun around and made his way back down the corridor as he continued with his bellowed laughter.

Selena bit her lip until she tasted blood, unable to withstand his thirst for animal brutality and his threats of rape; she made a silent vow not to allow Battleraven to survive, no matter the cost. The world would be much better off without him and his band of brutish mercenaries.

When she was sure the pirate leader was out of sight, she reached out to the metal bars again, and her hand burst into flames—hot as dragon fire but only tickling against her skin—her magic sizzled against the steel. Her cage bent to her will as she pried it open, but a familiar voice called her before she slipped out. "I suppose you don't need us rescuing you, my dear."