Princess of Swords 2 (Sword of Darkness)

Chapter 15

Cold stone surrounded them; cold, black stone and the stench of stale air. A light flickered up ahead, bobbing up and down in time with the step of its wielder. Darkness filled the tunnel with mist licking up against the walls. Death hung back, hidden in a crack of the walls, mumbling incoherent words and laughing at the two brothers.  Death knew what lay ahead, he'd been there; leading people away from their hollow bodies to the afterlife. He had danced as the King brought new  Creatures down into the clutches of Death himself. Poor Creatures. Death's eyes gleamed in the flickering light as the brothers reached the door to the room. That room. The room. If only they knew what lay on the other side of the old blackened door, they would have never come. But then, Death did not care if they came or did not, the only thing that mattered is if they stayed. By their will or not. 

Henry followed Tobik down the tunnel. It was so dark. The only light they had brought with them was one small torch. Henry had decided it best that they only bring one torch that evening; they didn't wanted to draw attention to themselves. But now Henry was regretting his decision not to bring his own torch as he stumbled on the uneven ground. All he could do was watch the torch in front of him, trying helplessly not to fall. Tobik suddenly stopped and Henry stepped into him.

"We're here" Tobik whispered, even though they were deep under the castle where no one could hear them.

Tobik turned and made room for Henry, pointing towards a large black door; "Should we open it...or go back?" Tobik looked nervous. He licked his dry lips with his tongue, his eyes jittering around the tunnel.

Henry breathed and placed an encouraging hand on his brothers shoulder; "We came this far Tobik. You did well to remember the way. But we cannot turn back, we need answers."

The door opened. They stepped forward.

Henry's hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword. His brain screamed at him to run, to turn round and get out of the horrendous room. But he didn't. Henry stood his ground, resisting every natural urge to run, and stepped further into the room. Cages hung from the ceiling and rose up from the ground occupying every empty space. People, or what was left of the people, filled the spaces. Eyes followed Henry's every move but no one spoke. No one moved. Who were these people? Was Tobik right? Was the King really capturing creatures and torturing them.

"Henry we should leave" Tobik stuttered from the doorway, clearly petrified. 

Henry ignored him and walked towards a cage that held an odd black object. He squinted in the dark, his hand rising up out towards the cage. 

"I would not do that" a voice croaked. 

Henry pulled his hand immediately. He stepped back just as the object lunged towards the bars of the cage hissing and wailing uncontrollably. Henry fell backwards and skidded away from the cage only to bump into another. A hand reached out and grabbed his shirt. The black object continued to shake in front of him while a new threat screamed behind him. Henry ripped himself free from the hand and moved towards an empty space breathing heavily. 

"Help us" a voice chorused in with the other noises before being joined by other pleading voices. 

Henry looked around him helplessly, his throat closing up and his eyes moving quickly from one cage to another. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't free these people, his Father would know. If he didn't already know that Tobik and him were down here already. Henry's eyes stopped on one individual figure who sat slumped in her cage. She had bright blue eyes, the only hopeful looking element of her hapless appearance. He frowned and moved forward towards the woman. 

"Excuse me" Henry whispered gaining the attention of the woman "Does the name Cole mean anything to you?"

As he said the name Cole the woman sat upright and shifted towards the bars of the cage. It appeared that one of her legs was broken, or had been at one point. Black stray hairs surrounded her extremely hollow face and she wore a shred of faded blue material which had probably been a beautiful gown. Bony hands curled around the bars as she pushed her face forward; "Did you say Cole?" Her eyes swam with tears that eventually escaped their blue surroundings and cascaded down her narrow face.