It happened all too quickly.
The sound around her blended with the blankness in her heart and she told herself severally that it was impossible.
She felt Anok pull her around as he grabbed a bag and took her down the hallway of the castle.
They had ran, voices of people coming from the distance. Then the gongs of bells.
It sounded like it was coming from a distance too and she staggered as someone ran into her.
She halted in her steps and looked around at the chaos.
There were people rushing around, voices of people clashing together as they called to one another in a desperate search, and her mind raced through it all to process it.
Impossible.
A hand held her wrist in a firm grip and quickly she was pulled out of the hallway.
Her steps were too slow and with a mutter of "please forgive me for this" Anok had carried her.
It was blur and it kept getting blurrier.
This was impossible.
They had been together and nothing had been wrong.
He just couldn't be dead, just like that.
She refused to accept that.
She had sunk into her mind and her thinking had held her captive till someone had bumped into her again.
"Watch where you step." A man had said gruffly behind her.
She had turned back only to realize that the man wasn't talking to her but to the person that had bumped into her.
He was an averagely tall, lean guy who held his sword with a grip that showed that he had more strength than his body might mislead one to believe.
"My apologies, My Lady."
"Who are you?"
"Seb at your service, my Lady."
"Where is Anok?"
"The General left you in my care. He has rushed down to the Castle to check on something very important, and he will be back with the next batch."
"We are going underground." She observed, her legs mindlessly following him. "The dragon's den is underground. Why are we going underground?"
"I don't know. It is the King's orders. The King will never let us come to harm. If the king believes that it is safe, then it is."
Belladonna furrowed her brows.
For a dragon that was chained in her den, the first chance at total freedom that Pamela would get, she would want to spread her wings, she would soar above, she would fly into the sky. Not dig deeper into the earth.
That must be why.
Belladonna turned up the stairs and started walking, pushing through the crowd to get out of there.
What was she doing here?
Why was she running away?
Eli must be there, alone in that den.
She should be with him.
He could be alive.
No one had really checked to confirm
What if the mask had just been flung outside by some accident?
What if he had not given them the sign?
"My Lady." Seb tried to call out to her without yelling as she walked quickly through the crowd.
Where had her legs found this strength?
Why were they not as fast as this a while ago?
Why was her brain not processing things this fast before?
She reached the top of the stairs and climbed out. When she walked into the forest above, she knew she didn't know the way back.
Seeing Seb peek out through the stairs, his torch in his hand, she said to him sharply.
"Take me back."
His eyes widened in shock and he shook his head.
"I have strict orders, my Lady. I must take you to safety."
She didn't have time for this.
"How would you like to present a corpse?"
"Pardon, My Lady?"
"You heard me. Take me back to the castle or I will kill myself right now."
Seb gave her a one-over, one hand on his sword as he looked around frantically like something would jump out from the words and attack them at any time.
"You have no weapon, my Lady."
He was right but she remained unfazed, her hand reaching for her gown like she had something underneath it as she stepped backward, as if to ensure that when she was done pulling her weapon out, he would have little time to stop her.
"How sure are you of that?"
He gulped, his frown deepening and without even trying to read him too much, she knew that she had won.
Anok would have never believed her.
Where did he find this warrior?
"The dragon can attack at any moment--"
"Take me back!"
She could sense his hesitation and she was quick to realize that he wasn't scared for her, not directly, he was scared for his life. Scared of what Anok might do to him if something were to happen to her, since like the others, if they already believe that the King was dead, there would be no need to fear him.
Belladonna knew she was of no special importance to Anok, for him to go on a rageful killing for her. They shared no deep connection, all that was there was a sense of duty.
Anok's felt a deep connection with his sense of duty and failure on his part would drive him mad with fury.
Seb was also scared of what might happen to him if he went back to the castle and the dragon caught him.
He was terrified, the sweat that broke across the pores of his skin made it obvious and the way his shirt dampened as the second passed by, didn't help in finding that.
"I could die." He finally whispered.
She pitied him.
"You will leave once I sight the castle. You will be fine, I will ensure that."
"I could still die." His eyes were filled with tears.
"Tell him I threatened you."
"I could--"
"No more stories. Take me there already."
He nodded.
"The castle is not far. I will lead you till you can see it. Once you do, I will run, my Lady." He did not meet her eyes. "Perhaps, I will be running my whole life."
He shrugged and although she took pity on him, she really needed his help and her desperation outweighed every emotion she felt.
"I'm sorry." She said following behind him.
At the first sight of the castle, he had taken to his heels and she had walked right into trouble.