Souls |Descension Book Two|

Silence

Auria's POV

I sat in a dark room with heavy chains around my neck and ankles. My head was pounding and my neck ached terribly. My hands were bound above me, forcing me to stand. I looked up as the heavy door creaked open, revealing Arlyn. Tears welled up in my eyes. "How could you do this? To anyone, to me? You've not only betrayed me, but you've betrayed Valond, Ildis and the Eagles." He grinned. "But, my dear, in the new world none of those will matter. You won't matter. Join us, and we'll make you matter. Or we will destroy you." He approached me and grabbed my chin. I shuddered at his cold hands. He cupped my face in his hands, so I bit his hand and spit in his face. He stepped back and wiped off his face, disgusted. Then, he hit my skull, knocking me out of consciousness.

Kai's POV

We trekked back to the port and reboarded the Savage Princess. I sent a letter to Aida to update her. Nina gave us some weird looks, but we were tired, so she didn't push it. We set sail for Inari, which would take us all the way around Odarga. I collapsed onto my bed and sighed. I closed my eyes and imagined her smile. Gone, because of Arlyn and his ambitions which happened to include hurting her. I clenched my fists and teeth, standing up to make some plans. Inari was a vast country. I fell asleep on the desk.

In my dreams, I imagined Auria talking to me. I realised she had used some sort of communication magic to connect our dreams. "Kai. We don't have long, as I'm sure I'll wake up soon. They're moving me. I think Arlyn plans to wage war on the countries and he wants me to help. I also think we're getting on a boat soon. I'll try to update you when we get there." I nodded. "Are you alright?" I asked. There were bruises on her neck and face, and her hands were above her, bruised wrists. "I'm fine. They won't hurt me, or at least kill me. I think we're heading to Inari." Tears shone in her eyes. "I'll be alright. Don't worry. I'll try to think of a plan." And with that, I woke up.

Auria's POV

I woke with a start. I was lying across a horse. This time, only my hands were bound. I flung myself sideways off of the horse and landed in a stream. I leaped up and used the water to freeze the cuffs. Then, I burnt the ice off and they broke. I held my arm out and a mix of water, fire, dirt, and lightning swirled around it. They subsided and my dagger appeared. I turned it into twin daggers and got into a fighting position. Arlyn and a few armed men got off horses. I easily brushed aside a few men, knocking them to the ground with a flick of the wrist. Arlyn came after and got a good slash at my cheek. I took a running start and kicked myself off of his chest, throwing myself into the woods. I broke into a sprint, tearing through the woods. I ran into a clearing, tripping over a log and hitting my head. I blacked out.