Tides

Chapter 13- Apollo

The light neared me, coming down the long hall to where I sat in chains. No voice came with it, no mocking taunts to remind me how trapped I was. Instead there was the face of a young boy, who gasped as the light finally fell upon me. For a second time stopped. He shook as he held the fire up to see me for what I truly was. My eyes gazed upon him but I did not move, my body could not no matter how much I tried to make it I was simply to weak.

“By the gods.” The boy breathed, he could be no more than fifteen. He took a cautious step forward before a voice spoke from behind him.

“Another dead end?” another boy’s voice said. “Come on Heston we’re looking for treasure not rocks.” When the young boy with the light, Heston, did not move the second boy stepped up besides him. “Hes what…” But immediately the second boy stopped.

They both stood there, staring at me. I knew I sat on much dried blood, I knew it covered the wall where I sat where I’d written all I could with it. The second boy seemed to come out of the daze quickly and snatched the lamp from Heston’s hands before stepping around me to read what I’d written.

“Apollo,” He said with a frown. It was by now gouged so deeply into the wall it stood out from the others that I’d simply written in blood. “May whoever find me tell the king, the true king Eric that I was happy to suffer so that Orpheus may die, may he ever burn in hell though even that will not make him suffer for his crimes enough.”

“Carl,” Hester whispered as he looked into my eyes, holding my gaze.

“God, this guy must have been down here for near five hundred years. Why is he not rotted?” Carl said stepping over my leg and starting back down the hall.

No, I thought desperately. No please don’t leave me here, please don’t leave me here in the dark and the cold and alone. Please.

“Carl.” Hester said again before his friend could get to far away.

“What?” Carl growled turning around to glare at the kid.

“He’s still alive.” Hester whispered.

Carl paused a second before laughing. “You’ve got quite the imagination, now come one. Let’s get out of here.”

I knew I could not let them leave. The chains bound my body, they bound my magic but they did not bind my spirit. I called out then, using my spirit and had Hester not still been staring at my eyes he would not have seen it. But he was and he did.

Seconds later he was crouched down, my head now in his lap as he dug his fingers into my neck trying to find a pulse. “Hester…” Carl started before his eyes met mine and he gasped. Immediately he felt around my shackles and collar to see if he could undo them only to find they had no clasps.

His eyes wide he felt up the chain that attached to my color his eyes widening when he got to the wall and realized there wasn’t so much as a weak link. “These are made of StarFire.” He said looking down at Hester. “This stuff, this stuff can hold a god.”

Hester looked down at me. “Is that what he is do you think? A god?” Then he realized I was right there. “Are you?” I only whished I could answer.

Carl seemed to ignore him as he examined where all five chains attached to the wall. I’d clawed at it, the whole thing was covered and surrounded by blood but I’d dug deep, a lot deeper than I’d thought I had. Carl took hold and pulled it, for a second it did not budge then it moved. Not out but to the side a bit.

“Hester help me.” He demanded the younger boy as he took out two daggers to dig into the stone. They were there a long time, having to top up the lantern twice before they managed to pull it out an inch, then another and they more they dug the further it came out until it fell. Clattering onto the floor besides me.