My Princess

Chapter 18

Clara POV
As I release the arrow it flies through the air, then embeds itself into a guards eye socket. The other man guarding the entrance to the dungeon runs over to his dead comrade. After realizing it is too late to save him, the guard turns and unsheathed his sword, but he had no chance. By the time he had his sword out and into his hand an arrow pierced him through the neck. He fell to the ground gasping for breath. Bleeding to death.
My heart aches. I have taken away the most precious gift from these men, their lives. They must pay the ultimate price for performing their duty. A single tear runs down my face, I force myself to stop crying after that. The word of my father telling me I am weak keeps entering my mind. He wouldn't think twice about killing.
I briskly run through the courtyard, past the men I have slain and push past the heavy doors. Inside all you can hear is the moans of the starving, the beaten, the dying. The smell of rotting corpses is enough to make me gag.
"I must keep going. I have to be strong." I mumble to myself.
"Who's there?" A booming voice asks.
Shit. I curse myself out for being so stupid. I quickly ready an arrow, pulling back and waiting. I only got a glimpse of the man before I released the arrow. Hitting him in the chest, not instantly killing him. I shoot another and this once again hits him in the chest but this time he falls to the ground.
I pull the hood of my green cloak closer around my face. Trying to shield my identity from the prisoners looking at me as I start to walk down the corridors. Briefly glancing into cells.
I look over countless people too fatigued to even look in my direction.
I can feel my heart stop as a hand clasps over my mouth. I try to struggle my way free from my capture, but he managed to slam me against the wall. I hastily grab for an arrow and try to stab him with it but he saw this attack coming and grabbed my wrist, squeezing it so hard that the arrow fell out of my hand.
"Holy crap, Clara. Calm down."
I look up at Cronus who has now released me. I sigh a breath of relief. I honestly thought I was going to die before I saw Myra again.
"What the hell are you doing here?"I ask in an angry whisper.
"Trying to rescue Myra. What about you?" He says matter of factly.
"Likewise," I reply. "How are you not in one these cells yourself? You did betray my father and fight against your own fellow knights."
"Well, I was pardoned because I help bring you back safely." He sighed. "When the King told the knights about your whereabouts, he also offered a reward to the knight that could bring you back. Many set out to find you but were killed or gave up. And those who reached the prison where you were being held that discovered you were already gone."
"Because Myra had already saved me."
He nodded. "But your father told everyone that I was the one who rescued you, he is giving me the reward."
"What is this reward?" I ask.
"Let's find Myra first and then I will explain everything to you." He says. I nod.
We continue to search down the rows of cells but she is nowhere to be found.
"Maybe she already broke herself out," I suggest.
"It's got to be damn near impossible to do. But if anyone can manage to escape it would be her." Cronus replies.
We head out the dungeon and finally walk back outside. The air is so fresh I take it all in, allowing it to fill up my lungs. Being in there only reminded me of being trapped in that cell. I shiver at the memories. I was so scared and helpless. I couldn't even defend myself, and then Myra showed up. Saved me when I needed her most. And I couldn't return the favor. She could have been scared and alone and I couldn't help her.
"What the matter?" Cronus asks, noticing my uneasiness.
"She has done so much for me. This was my chance for me to save her. I failed her." My head hangs low.
Cronus stops walking and turns to face me putting his hands on my shoulders, looking down at me.
"Myra doesn't ask for help. She feels she has to do everything on her own. If someone would of had to go to her rescue she would have never forgiven herself." He tells me.
I know this is true. I just hope she was able to make it out okay. I just hope she is sitting around somewhere, looking up at the sky. Looking at the same stars I see right now.
We keep walking and there are dark shadows in our path. A can make out 5 figures. I ready my arrow and Cronus takes out his sword. Three of them rush towards us. I shoot and hit one in the leg and he didn't seem to be phased. Cronus plunged his sword into another one's chest.
Then I am face to face with the last of the three. I look into the man's face and notice that he was one the guys that Cronus was traveling with. But something was different his eyes were lifeless, all black. I stab an arrow into his neck and he just falls down. No emotion on his face. What was wrong with him? He wasn't even human.
"It's a form mind control." Says a deep voice. "We torture our subjects to the point where they can no longer feel anything. They only listen to my commands."
The two other figures come closer. I can see under the moonlight, the larger shadow was my father. Next to him was fairly slim, small figure. The dark cloak around him made it impossible to see his face.
"I knew you would go behind my back to try to save the worthless wench." The king says. "But you are too late. Myra is gone."
"She dead?"I cry.
"No." I feel hope fill my heart again. "But it's too late..."
The cloaked figure slowly walks toward Cronus and I. I feel everything in my soul being torn apart when I see the hood fall from her head.
Myra is standing in front of me. Looking at me, but no emotion on her face. Eyes no longer a beautiful green color. Just black.
"Myra is under my little puppet. She has been ordered to kill you. And if she is to fail then she will take her own life." The King chuckles.
"Myra! Wake up." Yells Cronus.
"Remember who you are. You love me, I love you." I scream out to her.
"Love is for the weak." A voice growls. The sound came from Myra but it's not her voice, it's the sound of a monster.
She comes barreling towards us, ready to kill.