Small but Divine (Old)

Chapter 28 - Angel of Death

"Yes."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes," I repeated, more firmly this time. "We'll split up. Mari will go left, you'll go right, and I'll follow the stairs down to the dungeon."

"Aria, all the guards are down there right now," Marigold argued, "you're going to get yourself killed. You yourself just said that we have no chance if we're caught."

"I tend to agree. It's too dangerous for you. Let me go." Lanny nodded.

I glared at both of them. "I'm a better fighter than you two, and you know it. If we get caught, we're not getting away uninjured. But I might still be able to get away alive. You two won't."

I sighed at Lanny's tearful face. "I really don't want you to get hurt..." he whispered, voice breaking.

I kissed his forehead, then pulled my two friends into a hug. "I don't want you guys to get hurt either," I murmured. "That's why I'm not letting you go down there." We stayed in a comfortable silence for a few seconds, before I broke away. "I'm gonna get going then," I said, "You two should go too. We'll meet back up here if anything happens, alright? Stay safe, you guys."

They nodded, and I waved, starting down the stairs in front of me.

It was a least another ten minutes before I reached the bottom of the stairs, and was met with a door. I could hear the sound of metal clunking and the guards laughing among each other.

Cautiously, I peeked my head around the corner, facing myself with the first section of the dungeon. To my left, there was one single cell that ran the entire length of the wall. On my right, the wall was lined with chains, with one single door towards the back of the room, which presumably led to another part of the dungeon. The room was surprisingly empty. The guards' chatter was louder than before, but they were nowhere in sight.

Keeping an eye out for any traps that could get me caught, I took two steps through the door, then immediately flew upwards towards the ceiling.

"This was the wrong day to wear a dress," I thought to myself, holding my skirt up so it wouldn't be visible to people walking though.

The cells against the wall were empty except for a few strange looking creatures. They were about the size of a small goat, with the head of a mouse and the body of an elephant, although they appeared to be fluffy. They made a loud screeching noise, which made me jump in surprise.

I peeked my head through the door, and was faced with a room that was seemingly identical to the first. Again, the guards' chatter was louder, but they were nowhere in sight. Just like in the other room, one wall was lined with chains, the other had a cell.

The differences weren't very extreme. There were also boxes all over the floor along the chain wall, and there was one lone prisoner in the cell.

She turned to look me directly in the eye, and I ducked back out of site. "I can see you," she stated curtly. "You don't have to worry. It's not like I can do anything to you."

Slowly, I flew into the room, and up to the cell. The girl in prison looked to be in her late teens, maybe around the age of seventeen. Her hair was a deep burgundy, and fell to her shoulders. She had a deep gash in her forehead.