True Colors

"Ugh," Szeina tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her eyes blinked several times before she realized that she was bathed in total darkness.

Slowly propping herself up, she heard the chains before feeling the cold metal against her skin.

"Great," she muttered. 

A faint smell of old blood and something else infiltrated her nose, making her nostrils flare.

She wrinkled her nose. The sound of dripping water coming from the distance.

Remembering that she was with Yvann when she was abducted, she opened her mouth to call out to him.

"Yvann?" she whispered and then listened.

"Who's there?" A voice replied, startling her. But it wasn't Yvann's. It was someone else's.

It sounded feminine if she heard right.

"It depends on who's asking." Szeina immediately countered. She has trust issues. Her brain pictured out a possibility of the person speaking to her having an ill will and was merely trying to get information.

She knew how absurd that sounded, but there was no harm in being cautious.

"Girl, we are locked up in a cell in a dank place. Who knows where this is. You do not want to have an attitude right now."

Szeina shook her head.

"Listen, whoever you are, I'm not having an attitude. I need answers. I don't know what's going on and to say the least, my companion is missing."

"Well, boohoo. We've been here for what felt like an eternity. Now, either you tell us who you are or you better shut up."

"If I were you," another voice joined in the fray. This time, male. The deep tone reminds her of Queedor. "I'd cooperate. There's no telling when it will be your time. If you give us your name, rest assure that you'll be remembered."

"Us? My time? Remembered? What the hell. You guys are inviting death."

"Yes, Miss Attitude. Us. There's quite a lot if you consider the whole place. There's a reason what they gathered us here. One by one, they dragged us off and poof. You're gone. For good. So, yes. Whether we like it or not, death is a frequent here."

"Why are they doing this?" Szeina inquired, her curiosity coming out.

"Why do you think so?" the male voice replied. 

A creaking noise sounded from afar, catching Szeina's attention as a small pint of light appeared from the distance.

"Crap,"

Szeina didn't know what was going on, but the faint source of light allowed her to see that she was indeed in a cell.

The whole place looked like a forgotten prison. Her eyes widened. In every cell enclosed by the hard metal bars was a person.

Male and female, young and old, goosebumps crawled on her spine.

After the initial shock wore off, fury thundered inside of her.

'This was madness. This was inappropriate. This was not fair.'

Heavy footsteps echoed with the light coming close. An array of cloaked Rebels formed a single line. The first and last persons held the torch, its flames steadily on fire.

Stopping by Szeina's cell, they parted ways to reveal someone who wasn't cloaked. He looked normal and reminded her of Xeruz, her grandfather.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He crouched, leaning his face on the metal bars, and took a good look at Szeina.

Bloodshot eyes and a pale complexion, Szeina didn't have to second guess that the man wasn't really a man.

He was something else.

"You and your goons need to change your tactic. This whole suddenly appearing thing and chase? It's getting old."

"Is it? If it was, dear girl, you wouldn't be here in this cell, don't you think?"

"Then, by all means, get on with your plans. Do you want to kill me? Kill me. Don't delay the inevitable."

The stranger clicked his tongue, his expression amused.

"I'm afraid I can't do that yet. Your head is too precious to be cut off. It would do me no good if you're dead."

Szeina laughed sarcastically.

"How nice of you. I appreciate your mercy. But please, spare me the details. Go on. Do what you want with me."

The man hissed, his eyes glinted with pleasure.

"Don't worry, child. You are the spitting image of your mother, and just like her, you are going to die."

--

YVANN

"Nnghh."

Yvann gasped awake. He choked on the sand-like taste that he had invited to enter his mouth when he inhaled a huge amount of air.

His eyes instantly opened, and his surroundings were the last thing he had expected himself to be.

The setting brought him to a time when ancient Greeks lived for tournaments or shows which usually happens in their arenas. 

In the middle of a vast circle, bleachers looking like gigantic steps in succession, Yvann wondered where on earth he was.

Did he get transported? The sand sure was no joke though. He had to cough the second time to remove it from his system.

"Oh, fancy you woke up in time for the show."

Yvann caught sight of a man hovering over, his back facing him. His voice was dark and somehow familiar.

"You have grown into a young man, Yvann." Slowly, the man turned to face him and, in that instance, Yvann forgot about ethics or holding his motion back.

"You!" He bellowed, getting on his feet and attempted to lunge at the being.

Chuckling at his failed attempt, the shackles ringing behind him along with the sand; the stranger clicked his tongue with pleasure.

"You're just as feisty as your woman. What a powerful couple."

For a minute, Yvann had to recall who he might be referring to. It took him a good few seconds before his memory clicked.

"If you lay a finger on her--" the man clicked his tongue once more. This time, his expression matches the annoyance of his tone.

"Bring her in." 

Yvann spotted two cloaked figures coming out from a small opening in the far corner. A bit later, Szeina came out, her hands were bound by chains just as he was.

"Let her go!" Yvann pleaded. "It's me you want, so let her go."

For the third time, the man whom Yvann remembered was the same man responsible for his mother's demise clicked his tongue.

He grinned devilishly as he crouched to level his gaze with Yvann, lifting his chin.

"Aww. That's so sweet of you, boy. Too bad. It's not you whom I want." He pointed a finger at Szeina before turning his attention back to Yvann.

"Her. She's the one I want."