Rahim held his revolver close to his chest, ignoring and turning away as Silver returned to his human guise and inquired about his welfare. When neither Selena nor Silver could make eye contact with the distraught Rahim, they hastened to Thor's neck injury, and through the dragon's swaying, unsteady flight, the two worked together and mended his wounds. However, Rahim's quivering hands couldn't hold the gun anymore, but he made no effort to pick it up as it fell to his feet.
"What's the matter with you?" Selena asked him when she and Silver finished their healing session. Rahim wrinkled his nose and shook his head, but he didn't reply.
Thor stretched out his neck and moved his newly healed muscles. Delighted with their work, he picked up his pace and maintained course towards Mortemholdt. Before the group knew it, Lake Peril was soon well within aerial view. Thank you. My neck feels much better, but is Rahim okay?
I dunno. He won't say anything.
Silver actually came over and put a comforting hand on Rahim's shoulder, but he shrugged it off and hurried away. "I heard you say 'dad' earlier. Was he—?" He met Selena's horrified gaze when Rahim didn't move and hung his head. "I'm so sorry. Truly, I am."
"That wasn't him." Rahim's voice was hoarse and hard for the others to hear, shattering like glass. "He couldn't have been my father."
Selena approached Rahim from the side, but he moved further down the saddle and rummaged through his bags, pulling out a scrap of paper before she could inquire further. Only when she inched closer did she realize that it was a photograph of Chaliss with a man by her side; much to her dismay, it was the same stranger they had just fought. Rahim sniffled and turned his back to her before stuffing the picture away. "Before, when you asked me what was wrong, I didn't want to admit that planning to rescue your father made me think of my dad. There, happy?"
Selena's face turned pale. "I'm never happy when you're upset. You've never mentioned a word about your father."
The grim atmosphere made the trio shift uncomfortably in their seats, and Rahim bit his cheeks. "He left my mother right after I was born, so I never knew him. The only thing I have to remember him by are just old pictures. I managed to grab one before we left Helshire to remind myself that I did have a family. Sometimes, he crosses my mind, but it never bothered me—not before now." He couldn't help but shift his gaze towards the fleeting image of the mysterious rider, and his shadow vanished over the horizon. "I didn't want to mention it because it's never been about me."
It was like Rahim had struck her across the face. "You shouldn't think like that. If something ever upsets you, you have every right to bring it up. Please, tell me everything you know about your father."
"There isn't much to say. I barely remember Arawn—my dad. He left my mother, and that was the end of it. Still, I always wished I knew what happened to him, but I never thought he joined the Order."
"Maybe he didn't have a choice."
The two were interrupted when Silver suggested asking Ulrich if there was a way to save Arawn, but Rahim doubted that the Divine would be willing; Selena, however, suspected he didn't want to face the hard truth. Eventually, he sighed and said, "I hope you're right." He finally picked up his gun and holstered it to his belt.
Only when he refused to indulge her curiosity did Selena return to her seat; Rahim kept silent even when Thor gained speed towards Lake Peril. Instead of invoking him any further, she began pestering Thor and rubbed the base of his neck where his wounds were. How are you feeling?
He snorted. I've already told you I'm okay since you and Silver healed me.
I'm just making sure.
Don't start bugging me because you can't get Rahim to talk.
Selena leaned up against one of his horns. But you would tell me if something is troubling you, right?
Of course, I would. When Thor knew his answer didn't satisfy her, he added, But Rahim isn't like me. I've always confided in you. I can't hide anything from you.
No, you can't, and nor can I.
Meanwhile, Silver pulled out the blueprints to go over the plans with Rahim once more as a diversion. It seemed to help some, and the distraction lifted his spirits; Selena grinned to see his improved mood.
Thor coasted for another day and a half, allowing the updraft to carry his weary wings. When his throat ached from thirst, Selena summoned water from the clouds and air, creating a massive bubble that Thor chomped through, taking huge gulps from each globule. Silver offered him his familiar brew: a stamina restoration elixir, but Thor declined. I am well enough to fly to Mortemholdt.
Will you be well while waiting for us? I don't believe the prison has quarters to accommodate a dragon your size, my dear.
Thor snorted but only agreed once the floating jail was well within their aerial view; Silver administered his tonic, and Thor licked his chops, pupils dilated to slits, and his wing muscles eased. I'm ready, my dear.
The island prison was suspended high over Lake Peril, where the water looked like a black mirror, but, as the name suggested, dangers lurked beneath the dark surface. Nobody knew how deep the lake was, its glossy and eerily calm surface like the void. Writhing in rings around the floating skull-shaped prison was an unnatural mist, hiding Mortemholdt from any passerby; its height made it easy to miss.
Silver explained as they drew close, "No one has ever escaped Mortemholdt, except for Vulduin. Prisoners have tried in the past, but...." Upon reaching the lake's edge, Selena watched as rotting corpses bobbed up and down along the water's surface; the smell of rotting flesh laded the air and made her want to vomit. "The last person released from here was Gundisalvus before his death. Otherwise, you're here for life."
Thor tucked in his wings and shot straight up towards the skull ruins like a freshly fired bullet. His steep climb almost rendered his passengers defenseless against the piercing wind; the three and their bags would have fallen overboard if they weren't buckled and strapped down with belts and carabiners. Selena's eyes watered as the air screamed into her ears, but Thor slowed down and extended his massive wings to slow his flight, and the trio wallowed in relief and finally relaxed.
He brought his three riders to a hidden enclave with a single metal door, the platform hosting two metal docks that Selena assumed were made for ships to make port, but she had never heard of a vessel flying through the sky before—save for those carried by dragons. Rahim's eyes circled the map of Mortemholdt while Silver and Selena dismounted and pointed at their current location, clarifying this was a docking station. "I've heard rumors of sky pirates whose ships fly instead of sail. This area could be where they drop off deliveries and other goods, but I don't know when the next one will be."
Selena's heated glare almost melted the door off its hinges. "Then we must make this quick."
Thor opened his maw and spewed strands of fire and lightning towards the sky. I'll destroy them myself.
You're certainly as large as a heavy frigate, but I still wouldn't dare.
Thor warned, If anything happens, let me know. The Council can't do anything to me if I decide to destroy Mortemholdt.
No, but they can ambush us, or worse: the Nidhoggr.
No, they won't, and I don't give a damn about the Nidhoggr. I will get to Vidar before he even knows what happened.
As confident as Selena was in Thor's abilities and powers, she knew that Vidar was always prepared. A concealed revolver was belted to her waist, as Dragonheart would be a dead giveaway to their ruse; Rahim matched her caution, as their plans were never guaranteed.
Stay close. I'll let you know when we're ready.
Of course.
As Thor, their only means of escaping this floating isle of death, flew away, Selena's anticipation arose as she wrapped her metallic hand around the door's handle. There's no turning back now. It's fight or flight from here on out.
As expected, the door was locked. Silver and Rahim stood back from her single smoldering glare, not daring to oppose her involvement. She held out her index finger—a needle of fire erupting from the tip—and carved a large circle around the handle, holding the flame like a curved talon. The metal melted like a hot knife slicing through warm butter; the piece shifted when she finished, and Selena grabbed and pulled it out before swinging the door open, tossing the hunk of metal over the edge, and the three ran inside.
From the schematics, the supply closet wasn't far. After Selena, Silver, and Rahim found their way to the room, they made haste to dress in their disguises before they were seen. As dark as it was, a gas lamp was left behind by one of the guards. Silver lit it, and Selena and Rahim hunted through the shelves containing the helmets and uniforms they needed until finding what was appropriate to their size. Selena's hands fumbled through adjusting her silver buckles and breeches and clasped the center buttons before smoothing out the wrinkles upon the black uniform. Last but not least, to complete the ensemble, she donned a black helm with a flippable visor. "I hope your plan works, Rahim."
Rahim finished his costume, and, aside from his slight advantage of height, the two looked identical within their disguises. "Remember, we just need to lie low until we find your father." The two paused and looked at Silver, who refused to remove his jacket, and Rahim smacked his forehead in frustration. "We're supposed to be undercover."
Through his arrogance and smugness, Silver adjusted his collar. "I like this jacket."
Rahim growled, his eyes blazing from under his helmet. "Argh, we don't have time for this—"
Selena pressed her fingers to her lips when she heard footsteps approaching the door. "Shh." The three pressed their backs against the shelves, praying the guards didn't detect them; the footsteps continued past the closet and faded down the corridor.
After sharing a sigh in relief and when it was safe to do so, Rahim gritted his teeth and pointed a finger in Silver's face. "Okay, fine. Why don't you shapeshift into something useful if you won't wear a disguise?"
Silver shrugged, and, as if to humor Rahim's suggestion, his appearance transformed into a correctional officer; however, his formal captain's jacket remained unchanged, save for the colors to match the proper uniforms. Rahim closed his eyes and mumbled what Selena could interpret as inappropriate under his breath. "This tosser, I swear by the Divines...."
After making final adjustments to their masquerades, the three left the closet one by one in single file. The metal interior trapped the heat and the smell of festering sewage; Mortemholdt was as bright as the gathering gloom of dusk. Selena flinched from the piercing screams of the tormented inmates echoing through the corridors. They eventually reached an open area; the metal corridor with railings circled the prison's interior, with cells lining the walls. The rooms were solid concrete cubes with only one way in and no windows, utterly disorientating by design. Based on her harrowing experiences from Snowhaven, Selena assumed the prisoners had no concept of time, and the confinement alone would make a person forget their name.
She leaned over the railing and saw that they were on the second floor, whereas above them were many more; it was as if Mortemholdt never ended. Rahim walked up to one of the cells and tapped lightly on the door but flinched when a shrilling scream answered his knock. "How will we find your father?"
An idea brightened Selena's thoughts when she heard multiple voices speaking to one another from down the hall. "I can ask one of the guards. Follow me." She gestured for Silver and Rahim to follow as she chased down the voices.
As the three turned a corner, they paused before colliding with a correctional officer amidst the vilest creature whom Selena swore she would kill with her bare hands if she ever saw him again: Ashur Bel. His sleek, crimson hair pulled back over his pointed ears, showcasing the arrogant sneer upon his narrow face. After ditching the usual attire worn by those sworn to protect Armageddon, he donned the comparable uniform the trio wore: the differences were the gold trimmings, buttons, and buckles, and both arm sleeves bearing an unfamiliar insignia of a serpent slithering in a circle with its mouth around its tail.
"The Lich's mark," Silver hissed under his breath, and Selena and Rahim shuddered upon seeing it for the first time.
The similarly dressed Vidar Helios himself was following them, a putrid plump half-elf who was as loathsome as rotten cheese. His shoulder-length white hair and matching eyes made him look like a ghost, contrasting his slightly tan skin tone, not nearly as dark as Selena's or her mother's. As short as she was, Vidar stood to her shoulders; given Ashur's height—matching Silver's—if he wanted to, he could easily overpower the Council leader like an adult to a child. Seeing the two made her stomach curdle.
Silver grabbed her shoulder to keep her from acting out of impulse. Selena swallowed hard, but the three remained calm through the guidance of Silver's unworded gestures; Vidar and Ashur took no notice of their group as they passed each other.
The guard following Vidar and Ashur lifted the visor of his helmet. "Can I ask you a question about the prison?"
"No, you can't sneak off to the wine room and get drunk," Vidar lazily said, "I can't tell you how many times you new people get caught."
Ashur sneered when the security officer recoiled and cleared his throat. "Must you be too hard on the boy? Listen, if you decide to go in there, don't let the Warden catch you."
"Oh, come off it. Captain Dante Battleraven of the Blood Diamond delivered that wine. I'm not about to waste it on the guards."
"I still don't trust those sky pirates—"
The guard interrupted their bickering. "No, that's not it. I heard about a dangerous prisoner brought here not too long ago." Selena's ears perked up as she came to a halt. Rahim and Silver kept motioning forward and urged her to turn at the next corner so they could eavesdrop.
Vidar's beady-eyed expression fixed upon the recruit with great curiosity as he rubbed his chin. "Dangerous prisoner? I think you mean Vulduin."
Ashur's bellowed laugh drowned out the prisoners' tormented screams. "I believe the new guy is scared. I wouldn't bother about Vulduin. The Warden keeps him in a special cell far away from the other prisoners below the first floor: you won't have to worry about setting eyes on him."
Still unsure of his safety, the guard followed his two superiors down the corridor and up the stairs leading to the next level; Selena restrained her shaking fists but couldn't contain her blood from boiling. Rahim caught her attention, interrupting her poisoned attitude; he scratched his head in utter confusion about their search being more straightforward than they thought. Silver, however, watched their enemies vanish above them like a hawk and snarled in a warning. "I feel like that was a set-up. Perhaps Vidar and Ashur know we're here."
Still sour, Selena spun her head around. "How, if we're in disguises?"
Rahim pulled out their map and unrolled it. "Regardless of whether it's a trap, there is something down there. I think it's still worth looking at."
While the trio deeply discussed their next course of action, they were wholly interrupted when the halls were filled with running guards. Through the alarm and sudden panic, Rahim rolled up his map and stuffed it away before the three were caught, but the security officers paid no attention to their awkward idleness.
However, one guard stopped and confronted them, pointing to the three with shaking fingers that matched his trembling voice: "We need your help. One of our guards was attacked by our prisoner downstairs." The officer hissed through clenched teeth when the trio didn't follow his immediate command. "Come on, and move your arses."
Upon exchanging glances, Selena, Rahim, and Silver finally followed the beckoning officer and rushed below past the different identical and disturbing levels; Mortemholdt grew darker, and the air turned thick as they made their descent.
"The prisoner snuck up from behind," the guard explained through their haste, "I always warn our recruits to be wary of that Vulduin. There's a reason why the Warden put him down here."
The stairs led the group to a single cubed room with a metal door when they finally reached the bottom of Mortemholdt's nearly endless abyss. Selena and her friends met with a pell-mell mass of uniformed soldiers forming a circle around the door, and her group pushed their way through the human barricade only to see a tangle of chains thrashing wildly like a rampaging beast in the air. Two unconscious guards lay sprawled on the ground, but the others couldn't remove them from harm's way without Vulduin striking them down.
The Shadow Emperor stepped forward with his hand extended, ready to attack at any moment. Stripped away of the usual attire of his formal crimson jacket, breeches, and boots, to the trio's dismay, the barefooted Vulduin now donned tattered clothes; his dirty and tangled raven feathered hair hung plastered to his chiseled and broken face. "Come any closer, and I will rip you all to shreds. I hadn't done anything before that one provoked me." He pointed at the first soldier he brought down.
Dad, it's me. Selena wished to speak up, but she couldn't without jeopardizing their rescue operation. Her heart sank to witness his psyche break, as Vulduin always remained calm and collective; she believed him incapable of losing his temper before now.
The guard who led the group down to Vulduin's cell stepped forward but recoiled when Vulduin whipped a chain, lashing it near his legs. "Take one step closer; I dare you." The circle of guards squeezed in, and Selena was involuntarily pushed forward only to fall victim to his merciless attack, and one of Vulduin's chains wrapped itself around her. "I will rip you apart."
Rahim and Silver were about to intervene, but Selena yelled at them to stand by; she tightened her muscles as the chains constricted her body like a massive boa squeezing the life out of its prey as the desperation to fight back crept forward. Yet, she did her absolute best to keep calm while working up the strength to say, in a cracked and shattered voice, "Dad...."
It was all she could muster. None of the guards heard her, but Vulduin's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped; he immediately released his chains, and Selena collapsed to the ground, heaving and gasping while holding her almost crushed sides.
Among the frenzy of guards rushing over to subdue the frozen Vulduin, Silver dashed through and assisted Selena to her feet after ensuring no physical damage other than severe soreness. His inspection was wholly interrupted when one officer pointed at him and ordered, "You, help me take him in."
Hesitant in leaving Selena and Rahim behind, Silver, through choking on his saliva, obediently marched forward and grabbed Vulduin's stunned arm while his officer comrade snatched the other. As if to play his part, Silver spoke in Vulduin's ear. "The Warden will deal with you, Phantom Dust." He whipped his head around to face Silver, instantly seeing through his disguise. "Don't worry. We will figure out a better plan."
Rahim tugged on Selena's arm and beckoned her to follow him with the others as they dispersed, but she watched a small smile crease Vulduin's scruffy and greasy face as he was taken away.