Chapter 88 Eighty-eight.

Chapter 88 Eighty-eight.
"That is all the men we have." The villager voiced out in worry as though his words would incite the sword of the hooded figure, but the hooded figure just nodded tiredly before making his way back to the entrance. However, he stopped short, causing the villager to bump into him. The villager began to apologize profusely, but the figure zoned it out as he pointed to a hidden cell in the corner.

"Who is that?" He more demanded than asked, gesturing to the crouched figure, and the villager shook his head anxiously.

"You would not want him; he is nothing." He explained, and this time, the hooded figure directed his fury on the villager, making him stumble back. Grabbing the keys off the villager, he tightened his grip on the sword.

"And who are you to deny the words of Malika Anouke's soldier?" He edged out slowly and carefully, yet this was a rhetorical question, and before the villager could answer, the hooded figure had driven the sword through his voice box.

That would teach him to talk back.

After a thorough ten minutes of cleaning his—now—impure sword, he made his way over to the cell with a smile.

Malika Anouke will definitely love this present.

~

The cell door creaked open eerily, echoing across the damp walls of the cellar. Yet the crouched individual didn't lift his head, choosing instead to keep playing with the bloody rat in his hand, making the hooded figure smile.

He moved closer until he was within a hand's distance and squatted. Even at this, the crouched individual didn't look up, and the hooded figure frowned.

He hated being ignored.

"Look at me, boy." He commanded gruffly, watching with intrigue as the boy complied, lifting his head up and looking deep into his eyes in a way that no other had dared. It pleased him.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked casually, no hint of fear in his voice, but only a dead, vacant look in his eyes. The hooded figure hadn't expected that, but he answered with ease, shaking his head in response.

"No, nothing of the sort." He answered honestly, and the boy just nodded in understanding, no sense of relief on his face. When all that his words were met with was silence, save for the squelching of the rodent in the boy's hand, he spoke again.

"Tell me, boy, why have you been imprisoned down here?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He was not one to ask many questions, for he knew he deemed little worthy enough to answer. The boy before him was an enigma, however, in all senses.

"Pickpocketing." The boy answered with a shrug, and the hooded figure grunted in confusion.

"Such a harsh punishment for a small crime?" He let out gruffly, and he could have sworn the boy's lips turned up slightly, but it vanished before he could even process it.

"Pickpocketing corpses—I was a grave robber." The boy expanded with little remorse, his eyes focused on pulling out the rodent's intestines. The hooded figure almost shivered in excitement at this revelation; Malika Anouke would definitely appreciate this present.

He surveyed the frail boy with fresh eyes this time. He looked to be around just eight or nine, but had already mastered the nuance of withholding emotion. If trained, he could prove to be a useful tool for their cause.

"What is your name, boy?" He asked, merely for formalities. After all, he planned to get to know the child, and this was the first step.

The boy raised his head yet again, but this time there was a twinkle in his eyes—those green cat eyes that pulled in his prey.

"My name is Arun." He answered, and the hooded figure merely nodded before extending his hand out. Arun only eyed it cautiously, a small sneer on his face that made the hooded figure smile.

"Well, Arun, from this day on, you are free. You will accompany me and there will be no need to pickpocket; I will give you everything you ask for so long as you extend me your loyalty." The hooded figure announced, and Arun's eyebrows drew together at this, the concept of freedom making him suspicious. After all, who would want him out in the open?

"And to whom would I owe this loyalty?" He drawled slowly, his musical voice ringing against the bars, much like the symphony of the sirens.

The hooded figure smiled at the question, ducking so he could look at the boy, who merely eyed him back.

"Why, only to our beloved Queen Anouke, of course."

My eyes drooped shut before snapping open again as my head lulled against the moving vehicle. It seemed as though the lack of sleep was catching up to me, but I paid no heed. I would rest when this was all done.

Three days.

We had trained vigorously over the last three days with little words spared. No one was in the mood to talk, and I recalled the quiet breakfasts and dinners over the last few days.

Kael had instructed us to eat, saying we needed the energy. Even then, I don't remember him actually eating, but rather just discussing the plans again, his plate untouched. Maya, on the other hand, had stopped talking altogether. She would eat and train, yes, but without her usual fierce tongue. Kael had told her to eat and she would comply. Rhydian hadn't turned up to eat or train for the last three days, and I hadn't even seen him or Kael converse as they usually would.

So, that was how the dining hall situations usually went. With Abrax, Ayla, and me exchanging mere words as we ate; Maya eating somberly to herself; Kael discussing the plans, his knuckles coated in blood from his own solitary training sessions; and Rhydian not even showing up.

I had to stop myself from gazing at the empty seat beside me where Arun would sit. I would recall, many a time, where we had sat giggling and pinching each other, and—now—the mere mention of his name had Maya clutching at her fork and Kael uttering promises of death. My heart would lurch every time. I knew it was wrong to feel like protesting, but this was our Arun we were speaking of. The loveable and whimsical boy who was scared even of spiders.

I had thought to myself often about why he had done this, something that no one even dared to speak about. I had tried to bring it up to Ayla, but she seemed too fragile to even hear his name, so I had dropped it. Instead, I sank further into myself, thinking about the many possibilities. He could have been forced or threatened or even blackmailed. We couldn't oust him just yet.

I didn't, however, bring this up with the group. They only sought blood and, in a sense, they were right to want it. So, I kept mute.

My head lulled again against the carriage door, and I grimaced when I opened my eyes to see the shining light of the sun peaking in through the arched window.

The plan was still the same as it had been before—to travel to Althueben province where Anouke resided and take the fight to them. However, none of us had been there before, including Ayla, so we had to resort to other means of travel. Ayla had taken us to the outskirts of the Centaurea province, which was the closest to the North that she had been. After that, we obtained a carriage, which was now traveling across the dirt road.

When we had first gathered in the courtyard for Ayla to take us, Rhydian had made his first appearance. His hair was wet from his shower and he wore his signature black tank top and shorts, his glaive in hand. He spared no glance at any of us, just touched a hand against Abrax's back as we warped.

We were set to travel for Withania province, which was north of Centaurea province and the closest to Althueben. It was also where Rhydian was born, and I watched as he notably tensed as Kael relayed the plans again when we settled in the carriage.

Kael had glanced at him from his peripheral, but no other words were spoken, and the carriage fell back into silence.

I looked around again, rubbing my eyes tiredly. We had been riding for many hours now. Abrax and Maya were sat in the front, steering the carriage, and I looked around at Rhydian and Kael, who sat opposite, one sharpening weapons and the other analyzing a map. I turned then to Ayla, who was napping beside me, making me falter slightly. Usually, the carriage would be packed at the back with Arun complaining about nausea, Maya reading her book and snapping at us, and the boys joking and laughing with each other. It was emptier now, and I took a breath to gather myself. There was no use crying over spilled milk.

The sudden cast of shade from the outside made me peer toward the window, and I stilled as I took in the view.

The ground was cracked and barren, with only a few dead trees sprouting out and looming over the land like a clawed hand. The distant housing wasn't faring any better, with missing windows, broken roofs, and splintered doors.

"We're here." I heard the deep sound of Rhydian's voice after three days, and my gaze snapped to him in apprehension. He, however, was sitting and staring ahead at the carriage wall in front of him, his gaze vacant. Thankfully, Kael finally turned to speak to him at this, and I turned back to the window, giving them privacy.

The road was rougher now, something I could tell by the unsteady movements of the carriage, as though we were traveling on jagged rocks. The surroundings were eerily silent, making my eyebrows furrow at the strangeness of the village. It seemed as though Kael thought the same, as he knocked on the carriage wall, signaling it to a halt.

"The only way to Althueben is through the valley of these villages. We need to scope our surroundings," he instructed, and with that, we were stepping out. I gave Maya a smile, as it had been a few hours since I had seen her, to which she smiled back, albeit it being small. She was faring better than I had imagined her to, and I wondered how much that had to do with her quest for revenge.

I muttered a small thanks as Abrax handed me my double sword before gazing toward the vast village from where we stood at the outskirts. Strangely, there were no sounds of hustle and bustle, just an eerie silence, and I turned to Kael with a frown, who was looking ahead with an expression of focus. Finally, he spoke, his gaze still fixed in place.

"We need to find a way to enter without being seen," he announced, confirming my suspicion that something was wrong. I turned my gaze when I saw movement as Rhydian passed and walked ahead.

"This way," he merely said, taking us to the right side of the outskirts. It took me a moment to recall that he had been born here, and I looked to Kael, who notably tensed before following after him. We followed quietly in their steps, and I smiled as Ayla took hold of my hand.

"Sleep well?" I asked in a small whisper, and Ayla nodded gently before looking back and glancing warily at Abrax, who was walking in line with Maya. My eyebrows furrowed at this, and I tightened my hold on her hand at the sad expression that graced her face.

"What happened?" I asked, and she looked back to me before sighing deeply.

"He's been pushing me away," she whispered somberly, and I rolled my eyes at her words, nudging her arm with my own.

"You don't know that," I responded, to which she sighed again, nodding.

"Yes, I do. He told me so himself," she uttered out, and my eyes widened at her words as we neared the desolate buildings.

"What?! When?!" I whisper-shouted, my gaze flitting slightly to the surroundings, and she leaned her head against my shoulder slightly.

"Two days ago, when I asked him if he was okay. Aeryn, he regrets not focusing on the battle and getting distracted with irrelevant things. He thinks if he was focusing, he would have been more vigilant on that day," she explained, her eyes glossing slightly as she spoke of the dreaded day, and I shook my head, stroking her hair with my free hand.

"Ayla, when something like this happens, we begin to overthink our actions. Everyone's blaming themselves in a way. Just give him the space to get through it and it'll be fine," I reassured her, and she looked slightly unsure, but she nodded nevertheless.

We turned then when we reached a stone stairwell between two buildings. Rhydian led us up, and we followed suit in silence. The staircase was dark, and I traced a hand against the rocky wall for support.

At long last, we reached a door that Rhydian pushed open with a creak, and I looked around at the roof we were now standing on. It was tattered and full of crates and white tarps. Rhydian moved forward, crouching down behind a crate and signaling us over. Kael moved first, crouching to Rhydian's left, and Abrax and Maya followed suit, coming to Kael's side. I chose to move then, crouching down by Rhydian's right with Ayla by my side.

We peered over the crates then, and I let out a small gasp at the sight before me. From our vantage point, I could see that all the female and child villagers were rounded in the center, but not in the ways in which I would see in Penta province. They all had rags pulled over their mouths, effectively silencing them as they worked away carving wood and metal.

"Making weapons?" Ayla whispered worriedly beside me, and we exchanged a brief look of shock before turning back.

My eyes landed on the familiar white veil of the Chigaru, and I saw how they surrounded the center, whips and long sticks in hands as they commanded the villagers in their native tongue. Slightly north from the center of the village, the male villagers had been tied up to trees by their hands, their muffled screams emanating as they were whipped, making me wince. I looked away from the gory sight, my eyes settling to the far side of the village, where a few fifty Chigaru soldiers were congregated in a meeting of sorts, making me seethe. They had no remorse for any of the victims. How could they, when they were the creations of Anouke?

"We hadn't even heard word of this," Abrax muttered out, a look of shock and anger on his face, such a contrast to his kind smile. Kael nodded, his eyes clouded with emotion.

"With how close it was to Althueben, it must have been easy to keep it subdued," he commented, and Maya let out a small grunt: the first sound I heard from her in three days.

"What are we to do?" she asked, her voice dark, and I felt somewhat glad that I could still hear the fire in her voice; that it wasn't fully extinguished.

We all needed to be strong to fight.

___________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Let me know all your thoughts in the comments! Like, subscribe and add to your library so you never miss an update!

See you in the next one!