Captives

Several footsteps echoed through the darkened hallways. With only torches lighting up the path, Aliester could barely see the prisoners being housed in their respective cells.

Some were looking up with hopeless blank stares while others were begging to be released.

There was an instance where several hands tried to reach out and grab him, but the guards would lash at the hands and hit the steel bars.

The sharp vibrating clang would prevent the inmates from acting up.

Aliester kept walking while being held by the guards…

'To think that I would be captured.' He bitterly swallowed.

He was surprised that Malerna was still alive. Marlene was taken by Holly but it seemed the older witch was able to make a comeback.

'How was it possible that she is alive?' he thought to himself while he was being dragged by his captors.

[Answer: Witches can be revived. Malerna seemed to have been resurrected using a forbidden spell.] came Zarame's replied.

'Well, Holly did say that they could be brought to life.' He had remembered her saying something similar.

He glanced at the other prisoners who were taken with him.

Among the surviving knights, only Terrano and Euclide were being transported together with the young lord.

The two young knights were badly beaten up, hence they were not able to fight back. The guards had to half drag, half tow them.

Aliester had learned from the two before they lost consciousness that there were five knights who had died in the skirmish. A couple were able to escape along with Ertz.

'I just hope that they were doing well.' Aliester said to himself.

They stopped and the captors had thrown both Euclide and Terrano in an empty cell.

Terrano, who finally stirred and gained consciousness, looked at the young lord and tried to say something.

So, the young lord tried to stop and draw near, but the guards would harshly push him to keep him walking. They would not allow him to have a chance to talk to the other captives.

Before he could leave, Terrano groaned. "Take heed… quisling…"

Those were the only clues he was given.

"Quisling?" Aliester muttered as they trudged on. 'that meant someone betrayed us.'

They had reached the dungeon's innermost chambers where the most dangerous lawbreakers were being held.

Aliester grunted as he was pushed inside one of the darkened chambers. Stumbling on the cold floor, he grimaced as he caught a whiff of the pungent odor.

The dungeon in itself reeked but the prison cell was even worse.

Before he could get up, the thick steel door was shut behind him with a resounding creak and a loud thud.

"I could not believe that even you were captured as well, Lord Aliester." A baritone voice filtered through his ears. "I thought the duke was able to allow you to escape in time."

Rising to his feet, Aliester took note of the other gentry, who shared the cell with him.

Images flashed and information about the person seemed to come to his mind.

[Earl of Cayenne. Member of the Duke of Alcove faction.]

"Vince." Aliester muttered in acknowledgement. This young noble is one of his predecessor's friends.

The earl looked far from the image of the lord that he is. It seemed that he was not able to shave for a few months and his clothing still had blood stains he had acquired from fighting prior to being captured.

"I was able to get away but we got caught. It seemed that someone sell us out." Aliester gritted his teeth, as he sat on the worn-out cot.

"So it is hopeless." A wizard drew near the duke's son. He was housed in another cell. "Almost all of the nobles under our faction were captured."

Aliester looked at the wizard. For a man of craft, he was quite young-only in his mid-twenties. Just like the earl, the wizard's robe had dried blood stains.

Information about this caster flowed in as past memories from his predecessor resurfaced.

[Verbena's court mage, Count of Rueben] Zarame provided.

Zarame further added with a loud ting. [Notice: Items needed for the spell almost complete].

Aliester could not believe that he would be able to find the caster this fast. He was able to secure the chalk and candle so they were not taken away. All he needed would be the sacrifice.

But before that he needed to ask. "Can't you defeat her, Conrad? You are one of the strongest casters in the entire kingdom."

"Are you kidding?" the wizard replied. "If I were to compare our level, I am just a mere toddler while that old hag is already a high levelled professional. If I am capable, I would have done something, but my skills had been sealed."

'so he could not cast spells right now.' Aliester deduced.

"We have counted on you to lift the curse but you also got caught." Vince chimed. "After all, you were the only one who were least affected by her spells."

"I apologize for the disappointment." Aliester muttered. "But due to the curse, I was unable to use my skills."

"That curse is troublesome. It is strong and it may belong to the forbidden orthodox magecraft. Mostly, its caster would be the one capable of breaking it." Conrad explained.

"How are we going to break out of here and defeat her?" Conrad's inmate could not help but butt in.

"Prince Blaze, we cannot defeat her. Most of the heirs do not have enough power." Vince was the one to answer.

Aliester took note of the redheaded prisoner.

[Information: judging from his features, he is most likely a prince from Thyme.] came Zarame's explanation.

'he is not my main target from King Lennox's quest. But he is still an Enclave's heir.' Aliester mused. 'I have to figure out a way to save them.

"More than half of the heirs of the Enclave were held captive. Some in this stinking dungeon. The others were thrown elsewhere." Vince continued addressing the prince.

'so it meant that my main target may not be here.' Aliester said to himself. 'now the challenge would be to get out.

Aliester snapped out of his reverie when Blaze asked. "Can't we do anything? We cannot just wait here and die. The young Duke of Alcove had been captured and he was the one you placed your faith on."

Aliester was silent. An image flashed before his eyes.

That innocent smile, the strong aura, determination and the will to never gave up without a fight… he shook his head to shake the thoughts away.

The duke's son then gave the other captives a once over before he opened his mouth. "There is one other person who will be able to set things right. And that person is strong enough to stop the old hag."

With creased brows, Vince asked. "Then who is this person? Where is this person you speak of?"

"Innocia." Aliester's reply made his fellow inmates perked up. It is just a mere name, but it made his other companions uncomfortable.

"Innocia! How could you place your faith on a dead person." Vince commented with a hint of bitterness.

"Dead?" Blaze repeated. "I thought that Verbana's heiress only went missing a few years ago."

"That was a sham!" Daxton said. "That news was released to cover the real reason why the princess vanished."

"She was not missing… she was killed." Aliester retorted. His face turned sour at the reminder of his real mission. "But there is a way to bring her back. The guardian has spoken."

"If the guardian had said so, then maybe we have chance." Conrad said. But the wizard was a bit skeptical.

"But how are we going to get her back?" Blaze asked his companions. "You are not going to revive her like an undead, right?"

"We need a few requirements and the perfect timing." Aliester said. "I found a loophole for the curse but we need to be able to clear the conditions."