The Black Cat

Chapter 43 Cape and All

Even when I woke up, I was crying.

Everything on my back skin ached with pain. I felt my wound through my frail dress.

"Erilye?

I hadn't even opened my eyes yet and already I'm tortured with life. Even so, I opened my eyes to two radiant green ones.

"Oliver," I sighed putting my weak arms around him. "Do you know what year it is?"

"What?" Oliver pulled back and looked at me. "Has what he done messed with you? Let me see it-."

"No," I pushed away his hand, but he persisted.

Oliver pulled down the back of the dress and said nothing. "I need to check how deep it is Lye." I didn't protest. He was gently enough tracing the gash. "Delicate skin to fierce. You are brave."

I wiped my tears and pushed his hand away. "No I'm not."

I faced the opposite direction of Oliver and found myself sitting next to the other six captured warriors. Our side has fallen.

"Is there no one to come?" I whispered to Oliver. I turned halfway towards him, but only looked at the bars in front of us. Thin and tight.

Oliver's hand grasped my shoulder, "I nor they, nor anyone else can get us of here. We're in Montregon territory."

"Stop it young soldier!" Mark shot up and came towards me. "Do not give fear to her! That's an order. Princess Erilye," he took my hand and deeply bowed. "we will get out of this."

I didn't believe him for one second. I preferred truth.

"And just is what lying going to do?" Oliver hissed while standing up to match his superior. "Be honest."

"Oliver, you have no call. Back of or I will report you. You are already a suspect in the disappearance of our lady."

Through the bars of the box framed bars sat a table with a sleeping man in the chair behind it. Behind him was a spiral of darkness leading up.

We are underground with a lone guard-no. Along the shadows of the stairs stood two more.

"We have to get of here," I mumbled. "Coyote, we need you."

I flinched as something sharply stabbed my hands. I brought them to my chest and my arms shrank. My body contorted alike and my skin turned to fur.

My familiar tail licked the now friendly bars as I easily passed by them.

"Erilye."

I glanced back at Oliver and then turned back toward the task at hand. "You didn't help Coyote."

A shift in the air brought in a voice, "want me to turn you back then? Be grateful."

"I like directions," I mumbled as I approached the wooden desk.

"How about left, straight, right, left, and then right?"

"Leads where?"

"Somewhere helpful," his small voice mused to.

The room at the end of the directions was very cold. Its walls were frigid. Everything was wrong with it.

After a few seconds I heard a swift click. I instantly lurched and dodged a sleek small object that was thrown.

"I hear a birdy," a raspy voice hissed.

I lowered closer to the ground and listened to the ever so slight footsteps of someone walking around the room. I listened carefully, but the steps were so uneven.

"You hearing things? Little deaf, you came off me to. I'm just happy we're sittin' in the dark."

A loud clash of heavy objects exploded in the center of the room.

"Coyote," I barely uttered. "Shed some light on this."

Coyote answered in a slight whisper.

Rionar, Arum, and Bataeus were in the room along with their guard. Getting them out would be easy, but their captor is basically a deadly feather. A light is necessary to get them out. A flame.

"I love your humor Bataeus," the raspy voice chuckled getting farther away from me. A sudden spark of fire lit the far end of the room. In it, I saw three figures and a skinny, bone thin woman.

If I followed Coyote's directions, the guard would be soon eliminated.

If  I did it right.

If I did...I'd be the hero.