Chapter Four

There were few survivors, a soldier here and there laying in the mud bleeding out, the labourers quickly put them out of their misery. A few of the labourers lay in the mud too, some beyond recognition, Flynn passed a young woman holding another woman who looked like it could have been her sister in her lap, she was whispering something to her as tears drew tracks through the dirt on both their faces. Nesryn walked with Flynn, her blue eyes scanning the ground ahead of them, she hadn't shed a tear even though Flynn knew she was in pain, a gash on her leg made her limp but she refused help from the others until the people who needed it more had been treated first. She kept searching, Flynn didn't know for what or who. A cry left her as she saw a body in front of them, she rushed to the side of the man who lay covered in mud and blood. She knelt and took the mans hand in her own, the man had the skin tone and face shape, the mans hair was a mop of frizzy curls that stood up in every direction.

"Ravi?" She whispered, the man opened his eyed, they were the same blue as Nesryns. He tried to smile but pain was written in his face, a soldiers body lay across him and Flynn heaved the dead man off the dieing one. His face paled as he beheld the wound on Ravi, a sword had slashed his torso open, from his collarbone down to his bellybutton, bone peaked out of the bloody mess. It was a wonder he was still alive.

"Nesryn." Ravi croaked, tears now slipped down Nesryns face, she knew there was no saving him. "I'm sorry, Nesryn. You have to keep going, you have to kill the King." Ravi coughed and scrunched his face together a tear slipping out the corner of his eye.

"Ravi fight it, we'll get the healers, just hold on. Please!" Nesryns voice broke. "HEALER!" She shouted with all her might.

"You have to let me go." Ravi said his voice quiet, Nesryn shook her head.

"I can't, Ravi please pull through." Ravis eyes fluttered shut. "No! NO!" Nesryn screamed but Ravi was gone and she knew it, she broke out in heart wrenching sobs, clutching her brothers limp hand to her chest, she rocked back and forth. "Ravi please! Come back!" she begged but Flynn knew it was no use. He laid a hand on her shoulder, but she turned her head to glare at him through her tears and he backed away, she turned back to Ravi stoking the hair out his face. Flynn continued along the bodies and let Nesryn mourn. Vultures already circled above waiting for them to leave the bodies. Waiting or their feast.

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Wind whipped through the courtyard, tearing Yuanas curly brown hair free of her braid, her eyes began to glow a bright violet, all traces of her irises had disappeared.

Jay looked petrified, the dragon riders scattered running for shelter. Clouds gathered above, lightning flashed, Jay ran towards the entrance of the dungeons, but a gust of wind pushed him back towards Yuana. Yuanas eyes were closed and her hair crackled with electricity, when she opened her eyes they were no longer violet but a bright green, she smiled and as she did a roar split the air. Whether by accident or not she had summoned a hurricane demon.

~

He roared, he was furious, why had he been summoned? He was needed in his own world, it was dieing and he couldn't be there to help. He roared again, pouring all his rage into it, he saw the male human on the ground cower before him, as he should, they should all cower before him, he was the King of all beasts in his kingdom, no one crossed him, the demon landed before the female, her eyes dimmed and when she looked up at him they were a bright blue.

"I'm sorry for summoning you." She breathed, he could smell that she meant it. "I wasn't aware what I was doing, I didn't even know I could summon a demon."

She bowed her head, the demon blew a puff of smoke out his nose, what was done was done, there was nothing they could change about it now. He forgave her, she was still young and ignorant. There was nothing that could be done to take it back.

"Please, you have to leave." She begged. "If you don't they will catch you and make you their slave or kill you!."

The demon huffed, kill him? No one could kill him, not these weak humans, he could smell the fear of the ones hiding in the stone castle like cowards, but the girl had summoned him and he had to obey her, he spread his mighty wings, he launched himself into the sky and flew off toward the mountains he could see on the horizon. the storm following him.

~

Yuana watched the demon take off, the wind calmed and it began to rain, she lifted her face and let the rain wash away the tears that stained her face. She truly was sorry for summoning the demon, she knew he didn't want to be here, but she had no idea how to get him back, gods she didn't even know how she had summoned him, she felt weak and drained, she had never used her magic like this, she hadn't even known she was this powerful. A boot scuffed the ground behind her, she spun round but it was too late, Jay pressed a rag filled with chloroform over her mouth and nose, she didn't even have the energy to struggle, she was exhausted, she sagged against him as her vision darkened, she welcomed the darkness as she would an old friend

~

Jay pressed the cloth over Yuanas nose and mouth, she didn't even struggled, he felt tears splash onto his hand, she sagged against him and went limp.

"Ben!" Jay shouted. "Get over here."

Ben who had run inside as the demon had turned up, hurried over.

"Take her to her cell, the guards will keep and eye on her."

Ben slung Yuanas limp and motionless body over his shoulder and headed for the dungeons.

~

When Yuana came to Ben was still carrying her, she moaned her abdomen felt like someone had stabbed it and was twisting the knife with every step Ben made. Ben must have heard her or felt her move because he put her down, they were deep in the dungeons, the only light source was a lantern hanging on the wall a few meters away.

"Look who woke up." Ben sneered.

Yuana tried to stand up, she gasped, the pain grew worse. Ben hauled her to her feet and pinned her wrists to the wall with one hand, with the other he tore her shirt open, then with his knife he cut the elastic fabric she wore around her breasts.

"No, please!" Yuana begged.

Ben just laughed. "You can scream if you like, no one will hear us down here." Yuana sobbed. Ben smirked and began to unbuckle his belt.

~

Yuana felt sick, not only had she just been raped but her cycle had started, she ripped the sleeves off her already torn shirt and washed it as best she could with the water she had been given to drink, then once it had dried she folded it and stuffed it down her pants. The mood in Koro was getting more and more excited, all the guard would talk about was the Hunt, Yuana didn't like the sound of it. All she had figured out so far was that she and the other prisoners would be part of it whether they wanted to or not and she certainly wanted no part in this so called Hunt.

"Lunch is here." A voice said and Yuana cowered in the corner as Ben stood on the other side of the iron cell bars. He set the tray of food down.

He smirked. "If you want it, you have to come here."

Yuana hissed, the pain in her abdomen grew worse as she inched closer to the tray of food. Just then a blood chilling scream echoed through the dungeons, Ben glanced over his shoulder toward the sound, without hesitation Yuana shot forward ignoring the pain and grabbed Ben through the bars, pulling him towards her, he struggled but she wrapped her hands around his neck and didn't let go.

A few minutes later Yuana stood over Ben's body, she smiled the keys to the cells in her hand and two knives in the other.

"Yuana!" Kallos cried, stretching her arms out to her, through the bars of her cell.

"Hush!" Yuana exclaimed, she didn't want any guards to come running, she clutched her stomach as she let Kallos out he cell.

"Go find Falia! And let anyone out you find on your way, Falias cell is that way." she pointed up the corridor. " She whispered handing Kallos the keys and one of the knives. Kallos nodded and ran off to find her girlfriend. Yuana headed in the direction the scream had come from. It was deathly silent, she moved like a shadow, without a sound, she rounded the corner and saw a guard on the ground, his guts spilling onto the cold stone floor. In the cell behind him Yuana saw a woman, she was very beautiful with her mismatched eyes, she had slightly pointed teeth and pointy ears poking through her silver-blond hair. Yuana picked the lock with the sharp point of the knife the elf grinned at her. Yuana grinned back, the swiped some keys off the dead guard, why hadn't she looked for the keys before picking the lock, she didn't know. She went from cell to cell letting the other prisoners out who made sure not to get too close to the elf.

"Does anyone know where the armoury is?" She asked, most of them shook their heads but one man stepped forward, she nodded at him and he led the way out the dungeons. She didn't know if she could trust him but she didn't have much choice. She was pale as they climbed some stairs each step sent a stab of pain through her, at least she didn't feel like she was going to be sick. They reached a corridor and the man pointed to the first door.

"That's where they keep their weapons." He pointed at the second door. "That's where they keep the prisoners weapons." She looked at him dis-trustingly.

"How do you know?" She asked sharply, her knife at the mans throat, he smiled at her.

"I used to be a rider, they weren't always like this you know, they used to be good and they used to protect dragons, until he took over." She wanted to know more but they didn't have time, the elf reminded them. She opened the door, inside were racks filled with all kinds of blades and bows hung on the walls, the elf took a beautiful bow from the wall, it had to belong to her, no mortal could make such weapons. The elf tied a quiver full of arrows onto her belt, the took a sword in a dark green sheath from a rack. Yuana strapped her own sword and daggers to her waist, she then slung her bow over her shoulder. Her satchel lay in a corner and she hurried over to it, she sighed in relief all her things were still there. She swallowed the contents of a vial from her bad and the pain relief was almost immediate. Weapons were passed out into the corridor where the other prisoners were waiting. Yuana reached for the mental link she shared with the hurricane demon. We need you! she shouted in her head, no words came back but she knew the demon understood, she wasn't quite sure how the mind link worked.

"OK, let's go." She said to the others. "We might have to fight our way out so be ready."

The elf stepped up next to her as the others who had been in the room filed out. "Do you have a plan?" The elf asked, her voice was soft and quiet, Yuana gave her a sidelong look.

"You'll see."

They strode down the staircase, a passing rider saw them as he walked by, he took a double take not realizing what he had just seen, the elf leapt onto him and slit his throat but not before the man let out a warning shout. As the man body dropped Yuana heard horns sounding the alarm. The riders knew they had escaped.