How to be of shadow and light (bxb)

Chapter 29- Captives but not for long

It was dank, dark and above all else smelly. Water dripped from the smooth stone walls creating stagnant, putrid pools on the floor which mixed with the filth there to create something vile. Mixed in with that was the stench of tons of beings crammed tightly into one space their breath, body odour and waste clung to the already stale air.
The only light in the dim rooms were torch brackets on the wall which filled the room with a blood red glow. Spiders seemed to be permanent residents and their thick, dirty cobwebs hung from every corner. The other residents stared out forlornly from rusted iron bars no longer dreaming of freedom but hoping simply for an end to their misery. Each was grubby and pock marked by bruises from rough treatment especially around their long chains. The clink of chains, whimpers of discomfort and low whispers were the only noise to break the otherwise eerie silence. It was like they were waiting for something...or someone.
The only place that was clear of the filthy conditions was the corridor that connected the cells. It was pristine and emphasised the owners wealth and power. At the end of it was a thick iron door emblazoned with a strange emblem, a magpie clutching gold coin in its beak with a scar cutting diagonally across the feathers around its eye. There was something horribly ominous about that door, it was an object that held a lot of dark history.

Alec woke with a start then immediately like he'd been hit around the head with a merman's tail. "Ugh," he groaned as a pain shot through his back, he was in a crumpled position on the ground. Opening his eyes was a challenge and brought with it lots of questions and confusion.

Alec watched Fai wake a few seconds later with a gasp. He looked wildly around his eyes rolling in his skull like a frightened horse. The first thing he had seen upon waking was the bars which shot a bolt of white hot panic through him, he couldn't stand the thought of being in captivity again. He moved back trying to put as much space between him and the door as possible so that whoever came through it would have a harder time reaching him. His breathing got more and more laboured which spurred Alec into action.
Grass green eyes appeared in front of Fai's violet ones. Alec's strong climbers hands gripped Fai's giving the illuceo something dependable to cling to. A kiss was the thing that made Fair realise how to breath again though because he was no longer thinking about it. "Your okay," Alec assured him.
"Thank you," Fai whispered.
"Are you two done its just some of us were sleeping before you two woke up." Came a voice uncomfortably nearby. On closer inspection of the cell was rather more cramped than first thought. It was probably seven foot by seven foot but that space was made considerably smaller by the three other inhabitants.
The first was rather small so didn't take up too much room. She was a sheep sized silver hare with two fangs that went down past her chin. The swirling green patterns that went up and down her body along with the slight hole in her ear made her easily identifiable. "Nesta, warrior hare," she chirped. Warrior hares were famously brilliant fighters from their mental and physical strength made them the perfect fighters.
The second inhabitant of the cell was a rather peculiar one. From the neck down she had the strong and supple body of a lioness whose golden fur was messy from the muck on the floor. However from the neck up she had a woman's head that was surprisingly beautiful because of its regal elegance. Still her beetle black eyes and razor sharp canines were very intimidating. She looked pretty irritated and was likely the one trying to sleep being part cat and all plus sphinx's were naturally easily agitated. "She's Lyra and a little grumpy since she's not had food in a while. She's not very cooperative," Nesta put in sounding sympathetic if a little exasperated.
The final cell mate was a boy of around thirteen who on first inspection appeared pretty average looking. He had feminine features with his high cheek bones and long lashes, had it not been for his short hair Alec would have mistaken him for a woman. The hair was a thick, auburn mop of curls that contrasted nicely with his ash grey skin and sky blue eyes. Something about him called out in a way Alec found a little disconcerting like the boys beauty. In their world a beautiful face was often a mask for something that very much wanted to kill you.
"I'm Hog your friendly neighbourhood hybrid though it looks like I'm in good company," he said with a wink. "What are you guys bye the way."
"Well as you say I'm a hybrid of an illuceo and a royal vampire but i took mostly to the illuceo side. My friend here is a leshy but he has castor blood in him as well as his mothers bloodline which is unknown. What's the deal with that name out of curiosity," Fai asked. That made Hog look a little uncomfortable but he answered anyway.
"I'm part werewolf on my fathers side but I took a lot more to my mother who was half banshee, half siren. So I grew up a bastard and all my brothers, of which there were many hated my guts. They're favourite thing to do was frighten me until I let out a screamed a natural banshee defence. That earned me the nickname hog as I quote unquote, squealed like a little pig. Anyway they called me it so often as a young kid it stuck and I forgot my old name. Then one day I was old enough to do some real damage with my voice and I accidently killed my eldest brother as well as maiming another. That's how I ended up here."
"I can relate us bastards have it tough even in the castor world and on the killing relatives front I'm with you as well unfortunately."
"Who'd you kill," he said with earnest interest as if they were discussing the weather.
"My dad and a bunch of other guys out to kill me...well technically anyway. It was some sort of magic that killed them while keeping their bodies animated."
"My, my a regular badass nice to meet ya and may I welcome you to Salem's pit home to the finest of slaves."
Fai snorted while Alec cursed. How could they have been so stupid. They trusted a trickster and here they were. He tried to put that aside though and think of the positives. He found none so he instead focused on an escape plan. It would seem a simple issue, just use your powers to escape but Fai had informed him from his time in cells like this that they used suppressors on you. That way you couldn't use your abilities. For some like the sphinx Lyra they had fangs and claws to defend themselves but Alec would need to be more cunning.
He was in the clothes he'd been wearing the night before and nothing seemed to have been removed from his pockets. Their captors seemed to be pretty darn confident that as they had their magic and the slaves didn't they could handle any attack. It was like they were daring Alec to try something which he didn't like.
Searching his pockets Alec found little that would be of use. The only weapon he had was a slingshot but he had nothing to load it with. There was the fragment of stag horn from Olin but he wouldn't sacrifice that under any circumstances. By the time Alec had got to his last coat pocket he had almost lost hope but then he pulled out a small tub of multi-coloured powder that he had bought from the first market. It was the emotion bender which could ignite any emotion Alec wished in the person who inhaled it.
"Fai do you still have that tub of powder from the first market," Alec asked in a low whisper hoping that nobody would overhear and snitch on them. The illuceo dug around in his usual practical clothing and brought out a vial of silver-blue powder. A huge grin engulfed the boys face.
"Are we making a plan of escape," Fai asked hopefully.
"Yep pack your bags candle stick we're getting out of here. And you guys can tag along too I suppose."