Freedom and Captivity

"Who are you?"

There was no accusation in Ora's voice; only mild curiosity.

John avoided her gaze but he knew he couldn't really avoid the question.

"I am John Bernardo…" he said, then he added softly, "I think."

Ora sighed and felt a wave of empathy to the confused man before her.

"You are not sure? I have heard your voice before and it gave me the impression that the man behind it is as implacable as the tides," she prodded.

"I also vaguely know you. From some corner of my hazy memory. I was not sure before but it slowly came back especially when I focused on the words 'Keeper of the Frozen Flame'. You are the daughter of a terrible beast," he said with a shudder.

"That, I am, I guess," Ora agreed mildly. The description was apt. Her father, in all manner, is indeed a beast. She also still loved him. The opposing emotions of love and hate washed upon her completely and her face showed suppressed grief.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it that way," John apologized but Ora waved it off.

"You were right. I am the daughter of the Eastern Dragon, the most ruthless crime lord this world has ever seen," she met his gaze and John did not see shame; he saw a mixture of fear and pride. He wondered if the man they call the dragon was truly the beast people think he is if his daughter showed deep respect and devotion despite the hate she equally harbors.

"I seem to remember a very dark but large chamber with mirrors on all sides. I know your face and it was the only kind image I remember from that place," John said, struggling with every word. It was like he was trying to summon the memories as he labored to express them.

"Thank you," Ora said simply.

John offered a brief but sincere smile.

"But you could not have heard my voice. I did not speak a single word while I was there."

"If you say so...but why were you there, John?"

"I thought you knew. It was your father that had me abducted."

"I was not part of their organization. I was part of the family, yes. Mainly for my connection with the Frozen Flame. I won't blame you if you think I'm just making excuses," Ora searched John's face for any reaction and was relieved when she saw no guile or resentment.

"I do not know, either. They actually asked me about this game, 'Cradle of the Valiant' and someone kept referring to me as the architect but I did not understand what they meant. I didn't even know about the game at that time."

"I believe you. There was no way anyone could have endured the torture and not break but you simply withstood it. Whatever it was they were looking for, you did not have it."

"What are you talking about? They did not torture me. If being kept in a large glass cage was torture, I guess that was it but apart from asking me strange questions, they did nothing to me until you finally helped me escape."

Ora looked out the window and said nothing. She heard about the brain's amazing capability to protect itself from trauma. It is a wonder that John could still function like this after what was done to him.

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Six months ago.

Ora insisted to be let inside the Inner Sanctum of the Dragon Fortress. The guard was extremely rude and if not for the intervention of the Claw, that one would have lost a limb or two that day.

"The Dragon asked not to be disturbed, my Lady," the guard stressed the 'Lady' part and Ora detected malice.

She let her mind reach a certain plateau of icy calm and dismembered the offensive guard in her mind. In a split second, it would become a reality.

A hand interrupted her concentration and the blood lust was quelled by the quiet but powerful voice of Jian, The Dragon's Claw.

"Let me handle it, My Lady," he barked a command in the ancient language and the guard stood in attention. He was still trying to protest but the Claw held up his left hand.

"Thank me later. I just saved you from becoming a cripple. Now, open the goddamn door before I, too, shall lose my temper and you lose more than your stinking hands!"

The door was immediately opened.

"Smooth," she smiled.

"They understand their own language My Lady. You know how to speak it too but I'd rather you keep your being a lady a while longer," he grinned.

The Inner Sanctum was carved out of massive stones but a touch of technology here and there created a surreal merging of old and new.

No one interrupted them anymore and they proceeded in a relaxed manner. No one dared to talk, as if they were inside a holy cathedral and any sound would be blasphemy.

Then a faint scream emanated from deep within the chambers.

They looked at each other but no one said anything.

They reached the door to the innermost room. There was no guard but the massive iron door was guarded by the most sophisticated security system consisting of multiple biometric locks and a laser so lethal it can shred a man's body in two in mere seconds.

"Identified two bearer of the Dragon Crest. Lady Ora and Master Jian," said a robotic voice and an eye scanner extended towards the two of them.

After that, a window opened near the door and they took turns putting their right hand in.

"Very cumbersome," Jian said as he sucked on his bleeding finger.

The room was dominated by a gigantic glass cage called the Nest. Ora never got the significance of the name.

Inside is an almost naked man sitting in a corner. He was sitting with his hands wrapped around his knees. He was bleeding but what striked Ora was the way he was holding himself up. He was quietly observing them; neither showing pain nor fear. His face was obscured by his arms but his eyes were boring into them like a miniature x-ray machine.

This didn't disconcert Ora. She also did not feel fear or sympathy towards the man. This one did not need it.

"I told the guards not to let anyone in," boomed the voice of the Dragon. He was talking to a small man in a bloody smock. The little man was putting away his implements for torture.

Ora shivered at the look the man gave her. They call him Dúshé - The Viper.

She tore her eyes away from his repulsive gaze.

"I insisted, Father. It is a matter of great importance. I wouldn't have otherwise intruded," she formally answered.

"Insisted? You? The guards would not have listened to you. I guess Jian here opened the door for you," he glared at the Claw.

"That I did, Great One. As Lady Aurora said, she wouldn't have troubled you for something small," he answered, unafraid.

"Speak," the Dragon said curtly.

She glanced at the Viper whose back is now turned to them.

"Mother's condition is worsening, Father. Maybe we should postpone the ceremony and do all we can to make sure she gets better," she pleaded.

"You came here for something so trivial? Have the doctors look at her. There is nothing I can do for her."

She was dumbfounded. Her mother was dying. Trivial? It made her head spin in disbelief.

The Dragon has lost interest in her and was eyeing the bloody man in the cage.

The man met the Dragon's stare and Ora was startled to hear roars of savage animals. She glanced at the Claw but he appeared oblivious to what she heard.

"I will take my leave, then, Father," she bowed, disappointed to the core.

"It's not your place to disapprove or approve of me, Aurora," her father must have noticed her stiffness.

"It isn't, Father. I'm sorry if it appeared that way," she bowed lower.

The Dragon waved his hand at her dismissively.

She turned to leave when the man in the cage, without looking up, suddenly said, "We have met in the heart of the Lost Isles and we will see each other again, Alab, Daughter of the Flame."

Those words shook her to the core but she did not acknowledge them. To turn to the prisoner now would incur the Dragon's wrath.

She would speak to him on two occasions after that; first when she asked him about what he said earlier and second when she helped him escape.

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John lightly tapped Ora's hand and that brought her back.

She stared hard at the man before her. Her mind is tricking her. This could not be the man in the cage.

The man in the cage seemed more free than this shadow in front of her. The eyes of this John are full of doubt and indecision.

This John is weak.

This is how bad they have broken him.

"You are thinking of a different person. You will meet him again someday but not now." His eyes are back!

Her heart skipped a beat. These are the eyes of the man inside the Nest.

She blinked and shook her head.

"What are you doing?" There was concern in John's eyes.

She was crestfallen. The powerful gleam in his eyes are gone. Maybe she imagined it.

But she did not imagine hearing the words.

"What did you say?" Ora asked.

"I asked if you were okay," he said.

"No, before that!" she insisted.

"I did not say anything before that. I'm sorry...I sometimes have those memory gaps." He looked helpless and her heart went out to him.

Her father did that to John.

She held back her tears.

She excused herself to get water for John but more to compose herself than anything. She glanced at the other room and saw that it was partially open. The kids are out, she thought and went to close it.

She saw Ice's bed and there was a small bottle near her bag. It was an unfamiliar potion with a purplish looking liquid .

She closed the door and went down.

After John drank the water she offered, they passed the time with small talk. She learned that he was a game developer and programmer living with his sister and nephew. He briefly recounted how he met Ice a day before they met at the Gate of Transformation.

Not long after that, the kids came back and she decided to resume their talk some other time.

The mirror showed the two teens coming out of the gate. They must have seen what was behind the immobile people in front of them and horror clearly registered on their faces.

"Don't be afraid, there is another way to get back," Ice said to the mirror and the two inside were startled to hear a disembodied voice.

"Who...who's there?" the thin boy asked.

"I am your conscience…" Ash butted in and Ice elbowed her.

"We came here the same way but we were guided by someone. Now I guess it is our turn to guide you," said Ice.

When she was doing that, John noticed that she was not her usual shy self. He felt pride for the kid.

"Can we trust you?" The girl asked.

"Of course you can, baby…" It was Vince who cut in and it was Ash's turn to elbow him.

"Don't mind him," Ice said and gave Vince dagger looks.

"Are you the people we see in here?" The girl pointed at the five people in front of them.

"Yes. We are the Shadow Warrior, Keeper of the Frozen Flame, Small girl, Old Guy and Wetpants," Ash introduced them.

"Can I do the introductions next time?" Vince said acidly.

"Shush!" Ice said and returned to address the two persons in the mirror.

"Go back inside the gate into the lobby and there should be two doors there for you," she instructed.

"There were something like those inside but we did not know that we were supposed to go inside them so we went back out the big door instead," the boy said.

The view in the mirror followed the two as they went back. There were indeed two doors floating in the air inside the Gate.

"What do they say?" Ora asked Ice of the markings on the doors.

"One says 'The Runner' and the other says 'Chained Bride'," Ice said and their two new acquaintances exchanged amused looks.

" I guess that would make you the Fast and the Furious, then," Ash added.

"Do you mind?" Ice glared at her and she grinned.

"Get inside the doors. Let's talk again when you get back out," Ice told them and they went inside without hesitation.

"Contract? What do they mean contract? This is a weird part of the game!" the boy exclaimed as soon as they got out.

"Maybe it was just programmed that way. The next level would only open for you if you agreed to the deal." Ice explained.

"The deal to accept whether I want to level up or not? Of course, I would. Isn't it the objective of the game in the first place?" the boy shot back.

"We can't answer all your questions right now. We don't know all the answers either but i guess we will tell you all we can when we meet. We assume that you'll come out the same way we did. Just walk towards the far wall and don't follow the Santelmo."

"The what?" the boy interrupted.

"It's a floating ball of flame that the stupid will summon," Ash helpfully informed.

"It was an accident," Vince said between clenched teeth.

"No, I think your stupidity was inborn," Ash corrected.

"I was talking about the flame!" Vince threw his hands in the air and walked away muttering.

Ice rolled her eyes and continued.

"You will wake up in a clearing near a walled town. Register and we will meet you in the lobby of the Traveller's Inn. Good luck and see you in the morning," Ice concluded.

The mirror turned normal after that.

They all decided to spend the rest of the afternoon going on normal quests since it is now near late afternoon.

They checked their gear and supplies then headed out on the nearby forest.

They did not notice several malevolent eyes following them.

The two massive trees near the entrance looked like giant sentries guarding the dense forest and they all paused to admire this majestic sight.

Large butterflies flitted here and there and bunnies peeked among the bushes but this cute scenery did not fill them with confidence. Just beyond the two redwood is a darkness that seemed filled with ferocious beasts.

They all breathed deeply and entered the forest,

Not long after that, a group of heavily armed men followed them.