Chapter 106

"Hydrangea, it wasn't your fault." He said as they sat on the ground.

"Yes it was." She replied quietly, "I was the one who told you to climb, and I didn't see the two guards. I thought…"

"You thought it would work. As did I. But now we're here. It's my fault, I should've taken them down."

"No, you shouldn't have."

They sat in the dark silence. Both enveloped in their own thoughts.

After a long while Hydrangea asked, "Do you think the Primals will save us?"

He took his time to reply, "I don't know."

After sitting in the dark room that smelled of sap and trees, the muddy ground was beginning to become uncomfortable. Hydrangea had just stood up to stretch her limbs when the door opened and torchlight streamed in.

"Grab 'em." A voice said harshly and Hydrangea found herself being yanked out of the room. Bastian followed, forcing the rough hands off and walking on his own. A few seconds later Hydrangea did the same thing.

They walked quite a ways and eventually they arrived at a gate. On the way Bastian spotted many things that concerned him; crates of a grey powder, weapons of every kind. He looked at the soldiers' waists and he almost stopped in his tracks when he noticed the long, cylindrical tube strapped to them.

Fire lances, or guns as the Viskogornies called them. How had these soldiers acquired them? He now kept a keen ear and eye for any dangers attributing to the fire lances.

Once the three large wooden beams were removed through a pulley system the large, five metre tall gates opened. The walls themselves were at least seven metres tall. A soldier elbowed his back and he began walking forwards, his eyes watching Hydrangea along with the many fire lances.

Once they'd crossed under the two foot thick archway they were led to a covered wagon. He gave one last glance over his shoulder at the wall, it was lit by torches and pyres all along the top and base. It glowed magnificently.

Beyond it were the mountains, the mountains that led to freedom. He swallowed his bitter anger and frustration and ducked into the wagon after Hydrangea.

'This was it.' He thought as he rested on the rumbling floor of the wagon. Hydrangea sat across from him, her fingers clenching and unclenching, her eyes darted fervently around them. He sighed and rested his forehead on his bound hands that rested on his bent knees.

He'd failed her, she was going to die. Both of them would die. It would most likely be a public execution, Lord Stone and all the others would watch proudly as their heads rolled.

He grimaced and rested his head against the dark canvas that encompassed the wagon.

He'd failed everyone; Hadok, Hydrangea, Dimitri, Ariston, all of Hydrangea's siblings, his parents, and every single life that dwelt in Cadarama. He'd failed every single one of them. The Lords would join with Mathuba, and Mathuba would eventually betray that trust and destroy all of Cadarama.

He pictured his palace burning, his library and the gardens. His ship, the venerable, destroyed. The fire of the desert would burn from Waxingville to the farthest corners of Crescent. He felt despairing when he saw images of Hydrangea's farm in ruins, her poor siblings lives lost. Lost because of him.

The wagon drove for the rest of the night, and when they stopped they could depict a thin line along the brightening horizon. The sun would soon rise.

"Blindfold them? Did he say why?" One of the soldiers asked outside of the wagon.

"He didn't say, but he wants them blindfolded." A smoother sounding voice answered.

"Alright." The soldier answered and then proceeded to sniff.

Bastian met her eyes and did his best to comfort her. He could hear the soldier tearing fabric and deduced that he had only a few minutes before he would lose his sight. He shifted his weight and moved as quickly as he could to where Hydrangea sat. He made a fair bit of noise but luckily he wasn't stopped. Once he'd settled himself by her, an inch separating them, the flap of the canvas opened and the soldier stepped in.

Hydrangea looked at him and he could see such fear in those grey orbs. He wished he could hold her hand but the infernal bonds kept him from that. He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the forehead, he was relieved when she didn't object.

"We'll be fine." He said in as calm a voice as he could manage. She nodded and the soldier grabbed her chin and forced the strip of fabric on. The moment after Bastian was blinded as well.

The soldier then disembarked the wagon and the reins were whipped and the vehicle moved forward.

"Are they going to kill us?" She asked in a whisper. He moved his head to look in her direction, all he could see was the dark red fabric, no light shone through.

He decided that she wouldn't appreciate it if he lied to her, "Most likely. I'm sorry, Hydrangea."

"It's not any of our faults. Things just didn't work out." She said in a quiet voice with strength behind it.

"No… no, they didn't." He replied as they rattled down a road. Soon sounds of people and animals reached his ears. They had reached the city. He swallowed when the wagon stopped.

He closed his eyes and silently pleaded that Hydrangea's life would be spared.

The flap of the canvas was torn open and Bastian could see faint light through the blindfold.

"Take the girl, he's going to the main hall." One of the soldiers said.

He heard Hydrangea gasp, but before either of them had a chance to say a final goodbye he felt Hydrangea removed from his side.

He could hear sounds of struggle and some shuffling. He stiffened when he heard a whimper, "Take her to the cells." A soldier said.

Bastian wanted to yell for them not to hurt her but he knew it was futile. Their lives were now to be ended at any moment.

"Bastian!" He heard her say from a distance.

"Hydrangea!" He called back only to feel a punch to his jaw.

In a few quick moments he felt his feet being dragged on the ground. He shook his head to remove the dizziness but he still didn't find his feet.

He heard doors open and he was dragged through what he guessed were halls from how they echoed. His knees began to ache and burn from being dragged over the stone and wood.

Hearing a loud, deep creaking he assumed a large set of doors had been opened and he was now in the main hall. The hands that had been on his arms released him and he sat on his knees.

He still could not see and his ears heard small whisperings floating around him.

His blindfold was removed and before his eyes could adjust to the brightness a voice asked, "State your name."