The Elemental Chain Saga Book Four: Demon Wrath

Chapter Three: Interrogation

Archibald shuffled into the cramped space of the cell, without warning Tucker shot to his feet, startling Archibald who reached for the hilt of his sword only to fumble while grasping for it.

"Calm down, he just stood up" Sybil told him while placing a hand on Archibald's shoulder. With a sigh he stopped his fumbling only to be met with a scoff from the prisoner

"Feigling" the prisoner voiced with a smirk on his face.

"Quiet!" Archibald yelped "whatever you have to say, say it in the Common language!"

Tucker seemed to appraise Archibald, his nose wrinkling in evident disgust. He then turned a inquisitive eye on the young noble before him, still saying not a word. From her glistening hair to her slim frame, he could tell she was blessed with a natural beauty and grace. Yet in her eyes, he could feel hardship and pain. And behind that pain, a fierce burning light of determination.

"So who are you?" he said, directing the question towards the girl.

"Hey! I am the one asking the questions here" Archibald glared angrily. The gaze he held against Tucker paled in comparison to the burning stare he threw back. "Ph-Philla?"

Philla's humorous reply reached the cells "Oh no, You got yourself into this and you can get yourself out!"

Sybil and Tucker nodded in unison. Tucker's lips curled in a slight smirk.

"So, Princess, what do you think you're going to do, torture me?" Tucker chuckled.

Sybil locked eyes with the foreigner, gathering her thoughts.

"Why did you do it!? Why did you resort to such destruction?" Sybil's fair voice wavered slightly as she spoke, her throat clenching "innocent people were hurt, Tucker"

The Vlaggish man seemed to pause, his eyes flashing briefly with- guilt? Surprise?

But then he snorted with contempt, the moment gone "I could care less about what you think. I did what I had to do and nothing you say will make me think otherwise."

Sybil reached out to him, her voice light "Don't you want to explain yourself? It could only make things better."

With a wave of his hand, Tucker dismissed her. But, in the same moment, he lurched over in pain.

Sybil dashed forward, falling at his side.

Archibald drew his sword and ran towards the two with a cry of alarm.

As he reached them, Tucker groaned, clawing at his still burning chest.

"Somebody help! Get water! Something!" Sybil shouted, her voice breaking like a rock crashing through glass.

Philla seemed to materialize in the room, her face twisted, one hand clutching her fiery hair, twisting it tight and corded like rope.

Just then, a man dressed in the Alerdreamian colors stormed in, saluting what seemed to be everyone "Most royal Princess, you have visitors from Vlaggon. Too be frank, they refused to take no for an answer."

Sybil turned to the worried looking soldier "Do you have a name or title to give me?"

He cleared his throat twice, before shaking his hands of their sweat. He stammered a hoarse reply "It was their king, my lady. You and the prisoner are needed in the throne room. Immediately."

"Took them long enough," Tucker coughed "looks like they finally made it. And not a moment to spare, cause this bodies about used up."

Sybil stood and dismissed the soldier without a second thought. She turned to the dying man "You knew your king was coming!?"

"Of course," Tucker chuckled, grimacing as he did "I have powers you could only dream about. I told him to come, and so he has. Damn him for taking so long though"

The Alerdreamians were speechless. Philla glanced toward Archibald, who could only shrug helplessly, sword still clutched in his meaty hand.

Philla was the first to recover "Tucker, what will he do when he gets here?"

With sweat streaming down his face, he smirked "Feel free to ask him when you see him. This will be a riot."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Archibald groaned for about the thirtieth time as he and Philla struggle to carry the larthargic Tucker to the throne room.

A moment later, the stressed party emerged into the expansive chamber, sunlight streaming down through the stain glass windows, each beam casting myriad light on the chamber floor below.

Before them were five figures, not including the royal guards who lined the back wall.

In all her splendor, Queen Phoebe glowed in an emerald dress of fine silk, her hair pinned back in a bun. Her royal circlets hue like a halo upon her head.

Before her stood a rather burly man. He had neck length brown hair that shimmered like copper. His rust speckled beard was clean cut and worked well with his royal garb of a fiery orange and coal black. He calmly spoke to Sybil's mother in a hushed tone, his words indistinguishable.

To his immediate right, a man with neat brown hair stood beside the king, a silk band secured around his head, as if to cover something. His armor gleamed like the night itself, his stature calm but sure, as if he could handle any threat thrown at him. Onyx leather loops clung to the back of his cuirass.

To the king's left, a man stood tall, his arched shoulders and stiff posture all indicative of an animal ready to lunge.  Shoulder length, stark white hair graced him. His whole body rippled with might, muscles seething with proud strength. A dark scabbard was strapped into a chain that wound around his waist multiple times. Everything about the man screamed dangerous.

Sybil's eyes glanced across the room to a lone man standing further away than the rest of the group.  He was much shorter than the rest of the Vlaggish group. He wore leather armor blanketed in iron studs, two empty scabbards hung on either side of his waist. The man seeming to notice her gaze and turning to throw back a piercing stare, his eyes a burning crimson the rest of his face hidden by a mask made of silver, a black tricorne upon his head.

Sybil took them all in as they strode towards the middle of the room, Tucker in tow.

The king was the first to turn, his eyes flashing with alarm. The heavily muscled man turned next, a look of extreme anger on his face as he started walking towards Sybil. Archibald dropped the prisoner and started towards the towering man, intercepting his charge at Sybil, going so far as to draw his sword. But no sooner was it out of its scabbard, before it was set spinning away, landing with a echoing clang of steel on the ground.

Archibald cried out in pain as he sunk to his knees, clutching his arm to his side. The black armored knight pulled back his fist and threw a punch that seemed it was like to take off Archibald's head, muscles bulging with hot fury, only for it to collide with something that was not quite there. It seemed as if the air itself had stopped his fist however, there was a queer looking light surrounding his fist.

Sybil looked past the large man who seemed to be stuck in place, now surrounded by guardsmen, spears leveled at his chest. Other guards surrounded the remaining knight who was holding his fingers to his temple with a small aura of light surrounding him and the king. The same light that seemed to be constricting the massive knight in front of her, and she wondered if it was his aura. With a shock, she noticed someone was missing and in that moment of realization and a shout, she felt her head yanked back by the hair and something horrifyingly cold pressed against her throat.

"Everyone put the weapons down and nobody has to pick up itty bitty pieces of  princess"

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Greg: sup nerds

DragonDog1: finally, it is here, the time for change and danger. Sorry his moment has taken so long, but it is finally here. Get ready, cause things are heating up.

On a side not, thank you to my editor for letting me borrow some of his characters. Cheers!