Chapter 7: the hidden city

Thinking hard, Leopold made his way down the stairs. After talking with Delilah he was determined to see what Titus was keeping in that dungeon. He walked out of their building into the dark night. The stars were already shinning brightly and he knew the turn was late, but he walked down the street in the opposite direction from his apartment. His heart was beating hard and he felt a little jumping. The streets were dark expect for the glow illuminating from a few cottages still awake. It was a warm summering night and the crickets sung loudly in the quite night air. A gate slammed loudly and Leopold turned sharply, but he didn’t see any thing. Leopold tried to take a deep breath. He wasn’t really doing any thing he wasn’t supposed to. Still he felt like he was creeping along like a thief. A quite whoot from a night owl sent shivers down Leopold’s spine and a eerie breeze picked up and swirled around his soft blond hair. The tall metal buildings loomed around him menacingly. Taking a deep breath Leopold shook off the spooking feeling and kept walking. He felt foolish letting the night get to him and told himself to think rationally. The city was not any different at night then it was during the day.

Still Leopold couldn’t help but turn sharply around as he heard another small noise behind him. He scanned the streets searching in every corner, but seeing nothing, he hesitantly turned back around. After no more then two steps, Leopold heard footsteps running hard toward him. He turned around just in time to see the man named Apollo running straight at him.

Apollo grabbed Leopold’s chest and barreled him into to the ground. While holding him down Apollo started punching Leopold in the face. Leopold grunted in pain. In his confusion Leopold didn’t react at first, but as Apollo held his hand back getting ready for another punch, Leopold got to him first, hitting his fist against Apollo’s check. Unprepared for this Apollo fell back wards, but before he hit the ground Leopold diving out from under his leg and Apollo hit the dirt road.

Surprise Apollo shook his head and looked up to see Leopold ready to fight. Quickly he stood up, taking his stance and faced Leopold. Each had his fist up ready to attack at any time. They drew closer in and Apollo made the first move, lunging his fist forward, but Leopold divide side ways and Apollo stumbled past him. Standing up straight again Apollo faced Leopold.

This time Apollo lunged with his opposite fist, but Leopold dodged it again avoiding the punch. Turning to face Leopold, Apollo grunted angrily and came at him straight on. Leopold however extended his leg and kicked Apollo in the chest knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to the ground.

Leopold waited patiently for him to stand back up and get ready to fight. Once he had, Leopold swung his leg in the air and kicked him hard in the head and Apollo fell over once more. A little more slowly this time he stood back up and faced his competitor. Leopold gave him once last punch and Apollo swirled on his feet and black out on to the hard road.

Leopold heart was racing and his breath came in short shallow gasps. He stood up, watching Apollo’s lifeless body on the dirt road. Leopold looked around at the tiny houses looking for faces in the window or any one peeking around corners. He didn’t see any one, but he knew that meant little. After getting back his breath, Leopold grabbed one of Apollo’s arm slinging it around his shoulder and dragged him toward one of the little fences and threw him to the ground.

Leopold bent down and slipped one of Apollo’s hands into the fence. Calming himself, Leopold started twisting his hands around the metal fence while quietly muttering under his breath. Slowly the metal started to shift its shape and meld its way around Apollo’s wrist. The metal shrunk and tightened, gravitating around Leopold’s hand. Leopold kept coaxing the metal around Apollo, working the metal like clay. Once Leopold was satisfied that Apollo couldn’t move, he stood up straight wiping off his hands. He sighed and turned back to the road toward the building and dungeons that held something worth fighting for. Leopold’s brain beat loudly with the sound of his own pulse as he walked quickly up the street. He no longer felt the eeriness of the night, but only a burning to know what was going on. He slowed down as he came to tall government building and walked under the terrace and up to the tall doors closed shut. He stood a moment at the doors catching his staggering breath and the feeling that he was doing something wrong crept back into his belly.

He took a deep breath and opened the smaller doors carved into the bottom of the larger ones. He knew he wasn’t doing any thing wrong, but he couldn’t help but be nerves. The small door creaked loudly and echoed down the metal hallways. He frowned, but walked in and closed it loudly behind him. He hadn’t been in the halls that late at night for a while, the dark halls and the moon light shining eerily off the metal walls made him a little tense. His own shadow was cast against the pale blue walls, and the decorative dark green sculptures hung hauntingly above, casting their own strange shadows.

Trying to calm his racing heart Leopold stood up straight and confident and took a right. His shadow followed him along the walls and rose in and out of door ways. With a jump of his pulse he heard steps walking toward him. A lower ranking soldier on guard came into view and looked very alert when he spotted Leopold.

The soldier’s booming voice sounded loudly in the halls, “Who are you?”

Leopold breathed easy when he saw who it was, “Fredrick, it is just me Leopold.”

Fredrick didn’t back down or relax, “Do you have some sort of ID, sir.”

Leopold nodded his approval of the night guard’s wariness and replied, “I do indeed.” Leopold pulled out a thick metal medallion with his name sealed across the front and a number burned onto the back.

Fredrick took the extended medallion and looked it over. After examining it fully, he returned it and causally said, “Every thing seems to check out. What brings you here so late at night? I thought that you had dinner with Titus?”

Leopold nodded his head, “I did, but I had some unfinished business here I needed to finish up before tomorrow.”

Fredrick eyed him suspiciously, “Sorry, sir but I find that highly unlikely and irregular. I know Leopold well enough that he never leaves work unfinished at the office, and if he does have unfinished work he never forgets to bring it home.”

Leopold laughed a little, “I am very predictable, but there is some work here that I can not bring home other wise I would have and I know you are aware I wouldn’t leave work undone that was needed tomorrow.”

Fredrick nodded his head, “I see, well sir if you wouldn’t mind finding a guard before you leave and letting us know you are headed out we would surly appreciate it.”

Leopold started walking past Fredrick and replied, “Of course. Keep up the good work.”

Fredrick walked the other direction to finish up his rounds, “Thanks.”

Leopold caught his shaky breath again as he walked away from Fredrick. He didn’t dare look back in case Fredrick was watching him. He kept his head straight and tall. But once Leopold was in sight of the dungeon, he cautiously looked behind him. His sharp eyes scanned the hall way looking for any spies. He scanned the other side of the hall looking at every nook and cranny especially the spot he hid as he watched Titus come up from the dungeon. From what he could see no one was there, he swept across the hall and made his way down the stairs of the dark dungeon. The magic sphere lights hanging on the walls similar to those in Titus’s house and his own, flickered dimly. He walked carefully constantly checking his back side. Leopold tiptoed toward the first open hall way and peeked his head inside. Nothing was there but rock and darkness.

Leopold cocked his brow and tilted his head. He heard sounds coming from another dungeon. After registering the soft sound as whispering, he furrowed his brow and thought, “Since when has any one been kept down here?” He backed out of the room and headed toward the whispering, he stopped directly outside of the hallway making sure his shadow didn’t cast into the room. He heard a women’s voice calming saying, “How do they ever expect any one to sleep in a place like this.”

A rough and tired sounding male voice responded, “It is a prison cell, Ellaway, what do they care.”

A little agitated the female voice retorted, “It is inhumane and that’s all there is to it.”

The male sighed, “You already have my stomach as your personal pillow what else do you want me to do.”

The women simply answered, “Nothing, I was just mentioning how wrong it is.”

The man answered, “Well, all your complaining wouldn’t change the fact.”

Sounding a little agitated herself the women said, “I wasn’t trying to change anything.”

Leopold felt for this poor fellow trapped in a cell with this woman for company, as he said, “Right just filling the void with the noise of your voice.”

The women’s soft laughter echo quietly in the room and lapsed over Leopold, filling his heart with joy and quickening its pace, his pity for the man turned to jealousy. That happy laughter could only belong to something beautiful.

Taking a deep breath Leopold rounded the corner. He casted a long shadow on the floor across a man and women curled up on the floor. The man laid sprawled out on his back with the women indeed, curled up on her side, using his stomach as a head rest.

The women sat up as the man lifted his head to see who entered. Curiously and very abruptly the man asked, “Who are you?”

Leopold cocked his eye brow, he may not have put these people here, but none the less he didn’t like the way this man question his captor, “I believe I am the one to be asking questions here, so I must ask who you are?”

The man still laying on the floor propping up his head with arms and said, “Well since you are the one keeping me here, shouldn’t you know that already.”

Leopold didn’t like this man at all, his tongue and cheek answers irritated him, “Seeing that I am the one with your life in my hands, I don’t think that much matters. Now tell me who you are.”

The man finally sat up and looked at Leopold with confusion, “I am Ripple son of Asin home of Gartha.”

The women started to say, “and I am El-”

But she was cut off by Leopold’s surprised gasp, “Ripple? Ripple the one who had come here so many years ago.”

Ripple smiled cockily, “Yep that’s me.”

Leopold shook his head, “No you couldn’t be, you died!”

Ripple lean forward, “Died!”

Leopold nodded, “Yes some tragic accident happened that killed you and Titus’s Ali.”

Ripple sat up even farther, “Ali died!”

Leopold replied, “Yes I am afraid so.”

Ripple started to stand up, “Who are you?”

Leopold stood up a little taller, but standing in front of his childhood hero he still felt only two feet tall, “Leroy’s Leopold.”

Ripple eyes grew wide and he shouted, “Little Leroy’s Leopold! No, you were no more than past my hip last time I saw you! Now look at you all tall and warrior like.”

Leopold shyly added, “Actually a captain.”

Ripple smiled, “A captain! Congratulations!”

Leopold cocked his head and brushed it off.

Ripple laughed and said, “Hey do you still remember how to huk a loogi?”

Leopold laughed loudly, “Are you kidding me!? If my mom had caught me doing that again I think she would have burned me at the stake!”

Ripple shrugged his shoulders, “Ah well, I guess I will just have to teach you again. So what’s all this about me and Ali dying?”

Leopold sighed, “Well from what I remember you and Ali had gone to the lake and a little latter Apollo, the man courting Ali at the time, had found both of you drowned. Titus and Delilah both had a private burial and you were never spoken of again. Obviously that it is not true.”

Ripple shook his head, “That’s the story that Titus dished up to you guys huh? That we died! The nerve of him to twist our story into some lie and trap people here like stupid animals that he had to protect!”

Leopold interrupted, “Then what really happened?”

Ripple looked at Leopold with his eyes all a light, “You know the legend of Cameron’s great escape?”

Leopold back away from him, “Ripple you know that is a forbidden legend.”

But Ripple ignored him, “I found the tear, Leopold, the rip in the spell!”

Leopold backed away from him even farther, “Ripple there is no tear.”

Ripple’s eyes grew wide and he smiled ear to ear, “No Leopold, I left! Ali too I traveled with her for a while and last I saw her she was married and had a kid.”

Leopold eyes brow furrowed so low they almost reached his eye lashes, “Then how did you get here?”

Ripple took a step forward and explained, “I was traveling with this women,” Ripple point to her and introduced her, “this is Ellaway of the house of Sanchez and I guess we got to close to the borders and Titus knew it was me so kidnapped me and brought me back here. Ellaway followed to rescue me and got in the same way I did before.”

Leopold stepped toward Ripple, “Ripple there is no tear and you can not convince me that this is Ellaway Sanchez.”

Ripple graded his elbow and squeezed it gently but firmly, “It is true Leopold, Titus has trapped me down here because he is angry I lead Ali out, I don’t know why he is keeping Ellaway here.”

Leopold tried again, “Ripple this is not Ellaway, and Ali is dead-”

Ripple leaned away from him, “How can you say that? Even as a child you needed evidence for everything. I could never tick you because you were to smart. You haven’t even seen a dead body and one of the people you proclaim to be dead is standing in front of you.”

Leopold spoke very firmly, “No, but I have the evidence of Titus’s word and that is good enough for me.”

Ripple looked at him seriously then burst out laughing, “Titus’s word! Titus’s job is to lie to you, to lie to everyone; his work is only to deceive. Don’t you know that by now.”

Leopold took another step back, “Ripple I think you are very sick. I am not sure, but you will be ok.” Leopold turned to the women and said, “Miss are you ok? Who are you really?”

The women smirked a little and said, “I am who he says.”

Leopold walked out a little farther, “You will both be alright. I am sure we are doing all we can to help.”

Leopold finally got to the door way and he left hurriedly out of the dungeon. He clamored up the stairs and back into the moonlight hall ways. A little out of breath he stopped at the top to the stairs.

Leopold’s thoughts started chasing themselves around and around in his mind. Ripples alive! How can this be? What is going on? Did he go insane and Titus lied about it? But why would he do that? Maybe Ripple is right, maybe all Titus does is lie, but he has been such a good friend could that really be true? He had so many unanswered questions, and he didn’t know what to believe. His entire world was being flipped upside down. He wished he could go talk to Delilah right then, but he knew it was best to go without Titus there. He still wanted to believe that Titus was in the right, that although he had lied to him, it was for a good purpose, but in case he wasn’t in the right Leopold needed to talk to her alone. For now he would have to have a sleepless night, tossing and turning, thinking about why Ripple and some girl are sitting in a prison cell in their city. It just didn’t make any sense! Why would Titus not go to the authorities and take care of it properly instead of imprisoning him himself?

Leopold found a guard, Fredrick again and told them he was going home. As Fredrick thanked him for finding him before leaving Leopold looked up and said, “Could one of your guards do a little job for me?”

Fredrick looked at him curiously, “Sir?”

Leopold sighed, “I ran into some trouble on my way here. A man started following me and attacked me.”

Fredrick became very alert, “Should I report it immediately?”

Leopold thought a moment, “No I think he was just in a little rage, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I may look into it more tomorrow, but I left him bound to the fence. I need help escorting him home.”

Fredrick replied, “Of course sir, we have too many guards on duty any way. I will have two of my men pick him up, that way you can go straight home sir.”

Leopold nodded, “I will still have to come unlock the bound, but that would be very appreciated.”

Fredrick stood up straight and said, “Wait one moment sir,” and ran off to find two guards.

Leopold sat alone with his thoughts again, but tried to silence them, knowing he could never figure out what was happening, till he talked to Delilah. Fredrick came back with two guards in tow. Leopold thanked Fredrick again and lead the two silence guards to Apollo’s body still out cold from Leopold’s punch.

Leopold undid the ring moving the metal back into the fence till no one would have ever known he was there. He left the guards to find his home from the directories and started on his way home. His thoughts were still cramped tight into his brain. He had room for nothing else. Automatically he walked back to his little apartment and got ready for bed. His body was so tired and his head hurt from thinking to much, but still his mind went a hundred miles a minute shuffling through the things he had seen.

The night ticked on leaving Leopold wide awake on his bed. What if Ripple is right? What if he really left and came back? What would that do to the city? What would that mean about Titus?

Chapter 1: of the hidden city

Authors note: so this isn't really chapter 1 of the story of Ellaway, but this is chapter 1 of the part of the story about the hidden city.

That afternoon Ripple and Ellaway walked silently, through the forest, eating juicy berries they had picked earlier. Ellaway broke the quite through a mouthful of berries, “Jerrt said that there is a creature that lives here called Bolbart. He said that he runs about sucking people’s blood.”

Ripple laughed, “I wouldn’t worry too much about Bolbart, I have never seen any thing of the like. I would worry more about the Kin, you heard of the bounty on your head and they would do any thing for money.”

Ellaway gave Ripple a sarcastic look of alarm, “Dear, every ones out for me.”

Ripple smirked, but in spite of themselves, both jumped at a noise behind them. They turned and peered in to the dense trees. Ellaway whispered in a mocking voice, “Bolbart’s come to suck your blood.”

“Sh. I hear something.” Ripple unsheathed his sword and Ellaway did the same. From what they saw, everything was still. All Ripple could hear was the leaves rustling in the trees, but felt no breeze. He looked up and there staring back at him was hundreds of Kin faces. They were all crouched on branches like jag wires ready to bounce.

Ellaway let out a gasp of surprise. Their cat like eyes turned on her and with a sly grin, they started to crawl towards her. Ellaway heard a hiss and the Kin jumped simultaneously to the ground, landing soundlessly on all fours. Then they rose to stand to their full height. Each Kin soared a foot above Ellaway and Ripple. All of them wore a strap around their huge muscular chest and pants of soft leather. Their angled eyes with cat shaped pupils warily watched the pair. Every flatten nose, quietly sniffed the air and snarling mouths revealed fang like teeth. One of the men growled, “Catch them both, but leave them alive, especially the female.”

Ripple made ready and growled, “See? I knew Bolbart was the last of our worries.”

The Kin waited for the signal of their leader, another Kin grimaced, “This is going to be too easy.”

Ellaway turned to who had said this, she broadened her stance and glared at the Kin, “You’re mine, come kitty cat, come meet your doom. Come on! Let’s see how easy it is!” The Kin growled and charged at her without command, the others stayed in position. With one swish of Ellaway’s sword the Kin was flung to one side and laid up against a tree in a heap. Ellaway turned to face the rest. The leader hissed again and they moved in on Ellaway and Ripple.

Ellaway lost sight of Ripple, as his fight drew him farther and farther away from her. She fought nonchalantly with warrior after warrior, but the army seemed to continuously grow. Ellaway’s glass blade sung as she waved left and right. She was nothing but a streak of light, dancing gracefully under the trees leaving a trail of fallen Kin. Suddenly a massive man taller than the rest stood bravely in front of her with no weapon, as though challenging her to a fight him. As she moved toward him he made no move in defense until she was a foot away. Then he clenched his hands together like a club and smashed her in the chest, throwing her off her feet.

She lay a while catching her breath, but merely grimaced and stood up. The man had a stupefied look as she stood up ready to fight back, he clench his hands again. This time Ellaway was ready. When he came down on her she moved to the right and he stumbled into a tree. When he turned, Ellaway swiped at his chest, but the giant shielded himself with his arms, leaving a gash across his forearm. The kin stammered backward holding his wounded arm, unready to sword fight.

Sternly, he griped the sword of the man next to him and ripped it out of his unwilling hands. With new determination he swung the blade at Ellaway’s chest. Awkwardly, Ellaway tried to block his attack, raising her blade above her head thrusting downward on his sword. As Ellaway forced him downward, his sword grazed against her leg, leaving a wound. She hollered in pain and doubled over.

Her attacker made ready to strike a blow at her in her weakened state. With out a second to loose Ellaway blinked herself behind him and stabbed him in the back with her whole swords length. Pushing him forward, Ellaway pulled out her sword, letting him fall to the ground.

Ellaway gritted her teeth in pain as she turned to face another charging Kin, but as he charged, he fell to an arrow from behind. Ellaway searched for the source of the arrow and saw a steed caring a large rider. Behind him, more riders in sliver armor joined in the fight. In awe she watched the strange warriors come in from every direction. She looked around and saw Ripple fighting. With her head pulsating from the pain in her leg, Ellaway walked towards him in a daze, but lost sight of him and stood, unsure of what to do.

Ripple fought hard against the never ending wave of soldiers; throwing his weight skillfully so each blow of his blade had full power. He leaned his back up on a tree using it to help give him better balance while waving his sword left and right in defense. Meanwhile he scanned the scene for any sign of Ellaway. Suddenly he felt a powerful force[E1] to the back of his head. Ripple lost his footing and fell to the roots of the tree.

Slowly, he shook off the pain in his head and started to stand up, but in a flash he saw a Kin bearing down on him with his sword. Ripple rolled away from the tree as his attacker hit the ground with his weapon. Quickly Ripple scrambled to his feet. Without hesitation the the gaint kin lifted his sword and swung it at him with all his muscle only to wedge it in a tree. The giant went to pull the sword out of the tree, to find his blade stuck. Ripple made a rapid strike at the beast’s back and the man slanted backward and fell with a thud.

Ripple smiled cockily down at the corpse with admiration at his work, but a raging cry from behind him awoke him from his delight. He turned and lifted his sword ready to strike. The aggressor thrust his sword towards Ripple’s chest, but Ripple blocked the blow.

Both Ripple and his attacker stopped as the leader of the Kin jumped up into the trees and yelled “Gazanyn, Gazanyn! Gazanyn!”

With the command, the Kin started to take to the trees in a mad dash. In one bound the Kin in front of Ripple jumped onto the branches above and started scurrying from tree to tree. With grace and style the Kin flew threw the air looking more and more like jaguars. Their nibble feet always landed on the next branch which they leapt from to the next. Ripple looked around in search for the cause of retreat and saw sliver figures skillfully fighting on horse. The silver warriors! Why had they come to fight? He looked for Ellaway to make a run for it in the chaos. He rasped out Ellaway’s name, but no reply came. He ran in the crowd of fleeing Kin and hoofs and caught sight of her looking confused, but a sudden rush of Kin threw themselves on Ripple. In disarray the invaders grabbed for Ripple’s flinging limbs. Ripple scuffled as he tried to set himself free screaming Ellaway’s name all along.

Ellaway found herself unable to stand, she sank to her knees, as the commotion of the battle whorled around her. She heard her name being hysterically called from some where but it seemed from a far distance. Her eyes were covered in a mist and everything seemed to be a smear of color.

In a moment of panic she realized that it was Ripple’s voice calling her, but he was getting farther and farther. She turned this way and that, searching desperately for the location of his voice. But there was so much noise about her it seemed that Ripple was every where screaming for her, all she saw was a blur of silver armor. She tried to stand, but a surge of pain ran through her leg. She fell face down in the blood soaked mud. She raised her head in one last effort to find Ripple and saw him far from her, being dragged away. Her voice was able to whisper his name, but not loud enough for even her to hear. A last flow of pain ran up her wounded leg, her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Everything became dark and Ellaway felt blackness pulling around her, she tried hard to find her way out, but let go and an inky black covered her eyes.

Ripple kicked at any Kin that he could reach. Then in front of him he saw Ellaway face down in the mud, “NOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO! ELLAWAY, GET UP! DON’T BE DEAD! WAKE UP!” Ripple fought harder against his captors[E2] trying to get to Ellaway. Her body lied lifeless on the forest floor, and despite Ripple’s determined yelling, she never moved. She seemed to be miles away from him and getting farther away. He lashed out as hard as he could, but he was overcome with Kin, and finally he gave up and relaxed murmuring, “Don’t be dead, please, just don’t be dead.”

In the rush of Kin scrambling away from the sliver riders, Ripple found tears cleansing his filthy face. He closed his eyes in distress, stammering along with the pull of his enemies. Time seemed to quicken its pace as he got farther away from Ellaway. The Kin ran in a panic as the silver riders pursued them, hustling Ripple along with them. One of the Kin threw Ripple to his back [E3] and jumped into a tree along with the rest of the Kin darting over the forest floor.

Kin flew among the tree tops scattering away from the riders and even though the kin were fast they were no match for the riders aim with a bow and arrow. Ripple watched as Kin fell to the ground from the shots of the riders. Suddenly he noticed how exposed he must be to any arrows, but Ripple did not care. He had given up. He only wanted sleep. Ripple closed his eyes and muttered silent prayers to every god he had heard of, hoping against all hope that some how Ellaway was alright,free [E4] and safe.

As Ripple jostled along, an arrow whizzed by his ear, and caught in the Kin’s back that was caring him. The Kin stumbled as he climbed from branch to branch, but he did not falter. But as they flew threw the air another arrow priced the Kin in his gut. He grasped for the next branch, but it slipped threw his nimble hands. Ripple tumbled to the ground and laid in a heap. Helplessly, he stood.

But just as he did so, a hand grabbed the rough of his shirt, and slung him over a horse. Ripple went limb once more wishing it was over, he closed his eyes and knew no more…

Every thing hurt from head to toe, especially her throbbing leg, as Ellaway dazed out of sleep she laid on the rough forest floor. Her whole body ached and a ruthless something was continuously poking at Ellaway’s side. She feebly groaned and brushed away the nuisance when a quite raspy voice spoke to no one in particular, “Oh, the thing lives! We will not eat it then, no no she will do us no good alive.” The raspy voice growled in reply, “No, but we could kill it. We are so hungry and need food, she is so fresh,” A longing desire creped in to the voice, “we have not had fresh meat for so long… so long. I say we kill it, and eat now!”

The raspy voice brought Ellaway to consciousness, but she kept quiet. Her breathing was slow and unsteady. She squeezed her eyes shut too scared to see what thing she was to encounter next in her never ending nightmare.

“Bolbart, Bolbart, now, we do not kill no no. We are too old for that sort of thing, and we do not kill, not even in our younger years. We feed off the victims of others,” but Bolbart was cut off by none other but himself, “No! That’s not true why lie to our selves?,” His voice changed in and out from a murderous mood to a poor weary old man, “[E5] We know of the others we have mercilessly killed for our pleasure, why lie now? Why change now when we have already been so bad?”

He slowly scuttled toward Ellaway, seeming to have made up his mind that he was to make her his lunch. Ellaway was ready. As he nervously stretched out his hand toward her, Ellaway slit open her eyes to see what resembled a black hand more like a claw creeping to her neck. Slowly, she took out her dagger from her belt. Ellaway calmed her breathing as best she could, pretending to still be asleep. When the claw brushed against her cheek, she snatched it and held out her dagger to ward off farther attacks.

Ellaway repulsed back at the sight before her. The figure scarcely resembled any human body, it was no taller then past Ellaway’s knees, and had a mangled black body with a shell on its back, that was blacker still. His arms were long, thin and frail ending with sharp lobster-like claws. It looked like a turtle on its hind legs. Its thick neck arched out from its shell, which abruptly ended with a snake like head. The only features on its face were two pale blue, glowing eyes.

Its skeleton thin arm writhed in Ellaway’s grip as he tried to free himself her grasp. Ellaway, completely unready for such a sight, could only stare in surprise holding out her weapon.

A completely overpowered Bolbart, lowered his head and whimpered, sobbing like a lost child. The only sign of a mouth was a thick bright red tongue slithering as he spoke, “Please, we- we meant- we meant no harm to you. No harm, no, no harm. Only- we only try to wake you up.” He collapsed totally. Bolbart bent his short thick legs and thumped down on the ground. He rested his free elbow on his knee and covered his eyes to have a good long wail.

Ellaway was shocked and a little more than unsettled. She thought to herself ‘This could be a trick, a way for me to feel sorry for him and let go.’ But his stammering breath seemed quite sincere to Ellaway. However she did not let go, but said in a soothing yet stern voice, “I’m sorry to have startled you, but you did say you planed to eat me.”

Bolbart suddenly stopped crying and glared at Ellaway with now fire red eyes, “She eas drops on us, that is no good, no good at all. We no like eas droppers, but she is to strong to kill any how, to strong.” He stopped speaking and merely sat there.

Ellaway’s leg surged in pain, but she could not attend to the hurt now. “Listen,” Ellaway inquired, “I was walking through here with a friend when we were attacked. Did you happen to see any sign of where he might be? He is uh… tall…um brown hair with sharp green eyes, and very human looking.”

Bolbart seemed back to normal , “Ah, we saw battle here with kin yes and silver warrior, mmm I have not tasted their blood in many years, but no dead do they leave behind for poor hungry Bolbart.” His eyes glimmered a sad blue.

“Yes, well,” Ellaway stammered slightly uncomfortable, “did you see Rip- this man I mean?”

“The man yes, yes the kin got him. Took him to the trees and ran.”

Ellaway grew nervous, “The Kin have him?”

“No, no the Kin that carried him fell. We thought the man would be left for poor Bolbart to eat, but no, a silver warrior picked him up yes, yes, took him fast away, to city.”

Ellaway looked at him anxiously, the thought that Ripple was almost left as prey for this writhing creature made her stomach churn, she tried not to think of it, “What city was he taken to?”

Bolbart’s eyes turned a darker blue as he accounted the city Ripple had been flung to, “It is a hidden city, yes, yes, in the heart of the forest, the silver warriors live there, poor Bolbart haven’t tasted them in so long.”

Ellaway grew more excited with hope of finding Ripple, “How do I find this hidden city?”

Bolbart stood up on his stubby legs, “Oh Bolbart’s been there. Been there many times, used to steel babies in their sleep we eat good!” Bolbart’s eyes turned blood red, “Used to rip them up for our supper, the sweet raw fresh bloody meet.” Bolbart’s tongue curved around his lips in delight.

Ellaway let go of Bolbart’s hand and held her own to her mouth trying to keep her stomach settled, she made sure her knife was extended before her, when she felt able to open her mouth without puking, she continued to question Bolbart, “Can you take me to this city?”

Bolbart seemed to grow angry, “They put spell on Bolbart. If he come near city he dies, we hurts so much no more babies for breakfast he hurt to much.”

Ellaway suddenly started squirmy slightly on the ground as a sharp ache pulsed through her leg, “Take me to the city.”

Bolbart looked at her wide eyed, “Bolbart can’t go to city. It hurt to go to city, can’t do it.”

Ellaway rocked back and forth and started to breathe deeply, tears swelled in her eyes. Bolbart walked closer to her, “Is she hurt?”

Ellaway looked at his cold blue eyes, “My leg is wounded, but I will be fine. I need to heal it. I am going to put this dagger down to try and heal my leg but if you come near me you will regret it. Do you understand?”

Bolbart shook his head.

Ellaway moved back her ripped pant leg to reveal a bloody wound, it was pretty deep, but she thought she could heal in so at least it wasn’t in as much pain. Ellaway concentrate on her task, ignoring the staring Bolbart and the pain in her leg. She curved her hands around her leg inches away from the skin, but not touching it. Once she summoned enough energy, a blue glow illuminated from her hands toward her leg.

Slowly the cut started to heal together as she ran her bright hands up and down the lesion, until it was only a shallow cut. The blue glow dissipated from her hands and she leaned back closing her eyes, regaining her strength. As Ellaway took deep breathes she felt something brush the back of her neck.

With lighting reflexes, Ellaway turned and thrust her hand against Bolbart’s meshed stomach and a beam of red light burst from her hand flinging Bolbart back till he hit hard on a tree. He crumbled to the ground and laid there whimpering.

Ellaway calmly turned to her satchel that laid near her and rummaged through it till she found some bandaging cloth. She rapped her nearly healed leg and started to stand, testing its sturdiness. It was suitable enough, till she found a better fix. She picked up her bag and dagger, found and sheathed it back in her belt, and limbed over to Bolbart.

He lay rocking on the ground, weeping pathetically. He was not hurt but very frightened. As Ellaway stood tall above him, he looked up at her determined face, and if his skin could pale with fear he would have surely done so now, but his eyes certainly turned the palest blue with fright. She demanded, “Take me to the city.”

Bolbart dared not argue.

Ellaway had seemed to be following Bolbart through the woods for a life time. As he lead, Bolbart’s manner changed, he grew bitter, continually muttering atrocities under his breathe assuming his follower could not hear him.

Many times Ellaway couldn’t tell if he remembered she was even there and often called out asking, “Are we getting any closer?”

Bolbart would reply fearfully, “Yes, yes almost there, I feel it.” Then he went on cursing her for forcing him to take her to the city.

Ellaway started to get frustrated, feeling like Bolbart was taking her in circles trying to get her thoroughly lost. The sun started to drip closer to the horizon getting dangerously dark, but Ellaway didn’t want to stop to camp with this deranged creature, no less sleep with him near. She ached for Ripple to be near her again, he would have known what to do. Finally Bolbarts stopped a little ways in front of her.

He bent down leaning against something she could not see because of the darkness. As she got closer though she realized he was leaning on air. She studied him closer and indeed there was nothing there for him to rest on. Bolbart pointed to the air he was supposedly leaning on and said, “You go in there.”

Ellaway looked at him puzzled, “I don’t see anything.”

Then Bolbarts did something that irked her more than any thing he had yet done. He smiled. Sharp red teeth lined his mouth and lead to a dark hollow, his tongue lolled slightly out of his mouth and he chortled, “Bolbart so clever. Bolbart found way to hidden city and the fool can not even see it.” He looked at her with his dazzling blue eyes, “Bend down here,”

Ellaway bent down and cocked her head to look where he had pointed. Amazingly enough there was a tunnel made of woven branches tangled into an arch that rose two or three feet above the ground. It was wide enough for both Bolbart and Ellaway to kneel side by side in. She stood back up to look for the out side of the tunnel, but couldn’t see anything except for the ground and rotting leaves. She squatted back down, looking clearly impressed.

Bolbarts looked at her happily, “See, this is way to hidden city.”

Ellaway looked at it cautiously thinking this tiny hole could be a trap, she didn’t want to act to hastily, she nodded her head toward Bolbart, “You go first.”

Bolbart quivered with fear and he frantically shook his head, “No! No! Silver riders promise we die if go through tunnel. Can’t go Bolbart can’t go.” He slumped down and started wailing again, “Don’t make Bolbart go. We die.”

Ellaway would hate to get caught in the small crawl space with Bolbart following her to kill , but it might be a risk she had to take. Crawling anxiously toward the magical tunnel, she kept a wary eye on Bolbart. On all fours, she stuck her head in the cave, dirt and undergrowth stuck to her hands and knees as she inched forward. With only her head extended in, she already felt claustrophobic in the tight dark area, it was stuffy and smelled strongly of rot. She popped back out from the hole and asked, “How far do I have to go till the city?”

Bolbart shrugged his shoulders moving his hole shell and hissed, “Bolbart there in no time, but we very fast in short tunnel, yes very fast.”

Ellaway took a deep breathe, taking in the clean fresh air before plunging in the tunnel again. But as she slowly crawled on hands and knees into the tunnel, Bolbarts dived in after her, jumping on her back and started clawing madly at her, looking frenetically for her neck. His claws ripped at Ellaway’s back making it burn. She panicked and started racing down the tunnel hoping the spell Bolbart feared so much was real. She finally turned on her back and tried to fight off his attack, holding back his flimsy, but surprisingly strong arms.

Ellaway kept crawling crab walk on her back, when Bolbart started to cough, sounding like a cat hurling a hairball. He backed away from Ellaway and held his hands up to his throat as though he was choking. His coughing and sputtering grew worse and he started scarping at his neck to fend off some unseen hand squeezing on his wind pipes. Bolbart finally paced backward out of the tunnel, back into the open.

All Ellaway could see of him was his dark shadow and glaring red blood eye. She shivered openly from the irksome sight, and hastily turned around. Looking down the straight tunnel that curved with the forest floor, she sighed.

Taking a deep breathe that smelled of wet ground and earth, she started her way down the dim, wearisome path.

---

Chapter 2: of the hidden city

With heavy labors breaths, Ellaway curled up on the ground, frighten and alone. She had crawl on all fours up and down her path for what seemed like days, but it couldn’t have been more than an hour, since dim twilight still streamed into the gloomy tunnel. Her legs and arms were scratched raw from endlessly dragging them on the ground. Dead leaves and twigs were tangled in her hair, along with a few spiders.

The last peak of the sun started to dip down below the horizon. Old, stuffy, humid air suffocated Ellaway. It felt as though she had layers and layers of clothing wrapped around her that she couldn’t get off. The smell of rotten leaves and musty air made her nose twitched with irritation. Beads of sweat clung to her clammy skin. The tall trees around her swayed in a luxurious breeze, but she felt none of it through the thick tangled branches.

Ellaway sat back up. She was too exhausted to crawl any farther that night. So she dug through her pack and brought out the little rations she had left, strips of jerky and dried fruit. She tore off some chews of jerky and had a few dried apples and deiced that that would have to be good enough for the night.

Curling back on to the ground, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep. Her thoughts wondered aimlessly, wondering where Ripple was now…

Light shone gently on Ellaway’s eyes as dawn awoke the world. The rustling of a squirrel squirming in the under brush, brought her softly to life. Ellaway sat up and looked around, with a sigh she slumped back to the ground. She gave a little irritated grunt and moaned, “You better appreciate this Ripple. Crawling on all fours all through the forest, ridiculous.” After a good stretch and a wide yawn, she sat back up.

Groaning, Ellaway searched through her pack for water and bandaging cloth. She drank deeply from her skins, but was careful since this was her last supply. Putting the skins down she looked at her bleeding hands and knees, covered with dirt. Hesitantly, she poured a little water on her hands. It burned as water seeped into her cuts. Gently she wiped off as much mud and muck as she could and started to tend to her sensitive knee. Once she cleansed her wounds as best she could, she wrapped them a few times, in hopes that they wouldn’t get worse.

Begrudgingly she climbed onto all fours and started to crawl. Her limbs felt a little better, but were still sore. She lolled her head downward and dragged her body across the floor. As she did, she felt that something was wrong. Everything around her looked slightly familiar. She stopped and looked around more carefully.

‘Surely this is the way I just came from.’ she thought. With her forehead furrowed in confusion she turned around and looked down that way of the tunnel, but it looked no different. Ellaway dejectedly sat on the ground searching for something different between the two sides, glancing at one, then turning to the other, examining the edges and ground, hunting for her own trail. But nothing seemed to signify which direction she should head. Finally she turned around and walked the opposite way.

She crawled on and on, over the coarse surface and unfortunately she felt more and more uneasy that she was going the wrong way. Every once in a while she would stop and look behind her. After crawling for at least a half an hour with no avail over the growing terror that she was lost, she fixedly turned the other direction and tramped off that way. Nothing seemed right, she couldn’t be going the right way.

Aggravated, Ellaway threw her self up against the tunnel wall, breathing deeply. She rested her elbows on her knees and started to rub her head, wondering how she got into this mess. With a sign she pulled her back pack on to her lap and grabbed some of the few dried barriers and started munching while she tried to choose the right path.

As she studied the tunnel, a small singular bird stood atop the invisible cage right above her. It jumped on the roof and twittered as it went. Ellaway wondered how it saw its perch as it scurried from branch to branch. Fascinated, she watched the bird, finding a glimmer of joy watching its blue chest and dark eyes. It suddenly perked up and stopped its singing to listen, and as quickly as it came, it flew off. Ellaway looked down at her pruned berries and picked out a fat one. Inquisitively, she stared down the path and took notice of the placement of the sun, trying to figure out where north was.

The forest seemed oddly quietly after the solitary bird flew off; she listened intently and noticed that not a single bird could be heard.

Out of the silence came a soft unearthly moan looming down the tunnel. From the still air, a rush of wind caught Ellaways breath. A stench of death clung to the air making Ellaway’s eyes water.

Hesitantly, she started toward the moan. Her whole body was tense and wary, but she moved forward. With every step the moaning grew louder and sent shivers down her spine. Ahead she saw a lump laying on the ground. As she moved forward the smell of rot grew stronger. The sound of the moan reverberated off the tunnel walls. Ellaway finally crept close enough to see the lump was an unsightly scene of a weathered human carcass laying huddled against the tunnel wall. Ellaway gasped and with wide eyes and repulsed back.

Flesh was still rotting off the bone of the corpse. Ants and insects crawled over the decaying muscles. His back was to the tunnel, exposing his sunken face and empty eye sockets. Ellaway shivered as another whiff of decay lapsed over her.

The moaning seemed to come from the tunnel, as though it was warning trespassers to turn around before they met the same fate. But since she had defiantly not passed a dead body the night before, she knew she was going the right way.

Shakily, she got back on hands and knees and with all of her will, she moved forward. Her face skewed up in disgust. She slowly passed his head, telling herself it was just dead, like a chicken.

But the hand of the corpse shot out and grabbed her wrist! Ellaway shrieked and tried to pull off the decayed hand. The moaning grew louder, pulsing in her ears and head. The grip on her hand tightened. In the moan she distinctly heard a whisper, “Turn back, turn back, turn back…” It faded out, but the moaning continued and the wind picked up, swirling her hair around madly. Ellaway felt her panic rise as the dead rose it’s head and two glaring red lights shone back into hers. Barely breathing with panic, she kicked him hard in the head. Slowly he let go, Ellaway crawled away side ways, watching the carcasses huddle back onto the floor. He made no sign to follow her.

Hurriedly, she crawl down the tunnel till the moaning died out. Catching her breath she rested her head between her knees. Her whole body was trembling. She tried to take deep breaths, but they kept coming in short gasps and a lump jumped to her throat. Squeezing her eyes, Ellaway cried in loud rasping breaths.

Ellaway sighed and whipped at her tear stained cheeks. With stuttering breaths she tried to calm herself, “Oh now, that wasn’t so bad, just got to get a grip on myself.” With a few more sniffles, she started back down her path muttering, “Just got to keep going.”

Noon fell upon Ellaway as she shakily shook a water snake from her hand. Like her it was stuck in this trap, never to escape the woes of this tiny space. It was a harmless snake ensnared in this confinement. She stood still watching it till it slithered around a branch and curled up in the sun to nap.

She marched by watching it carefully to make sure it wouldn’t snap at her at the last minute and crawled on. Once she had past, she let her head loll downward again, staring at brown earth and dirt as she trudged on. Her bandages tied around her hands and knees were now speckled with blood and smeared in dirt. Aggravated, the wound on her leg stung painfully. But she crawled on.

With no warning, Ellaway plunged forward a half foot deep in boggy water.

Shocked, Ellaway leaped back, away from the waters edge and looked up. There in the middle of her path, a lake rippled out from where she had fallen in.

The tunnel’s branches twisted down the depths of the lake till it was swallowed in the darkness of the murky, thick water. It appeared that, for some reason, the tunnel was built straight through the lake, all the way down to its sandy floor. Like everything else in the heartless tunnel, the water with in the branches couldn’t escape, it couldn’t even splash between the spaced branches. Instead, the water waved against the tunnels walls like the ocean upon towering cliffs, trying to join the rest of the lake that extended far past the tunnel.

Fishes and snakes swam in the tunnel, trapped like the water they were bathed in. Startled, Ellaway sat looking at the lake in awe as the strange water lapsed on the walls that kept it.

Dauntingly, Ellaway realized the massiveness of this obstacle. It was not a small lake. She could still see the other side through the dark tunnel, but stretched far enough to be quite a swim. Ellaway examined the surrounding area for any way around the dirty waters; she would hate to have to continue her crawl, not only hungry and tired, but wet and cold as well. Plus the trip across would be one to worry about, diving her wounded leg in dirt fill water didn’t necessarily seem a wise thing to do. Then there was the issue of keeping her pack dry.

However the more she looked it over, the more convinced she was that there was no other chose but to swim. She removed her shoes, placing them in her satchel and carefully threw her knotted hair in a rough pony tail. With one more overview of the looming tunnel, she dove head first into the lagoon. Cold water chilled her whole body, making her tingle with goose bumbles. However the next patch of water seemed relatively warm.

Her wounded leg stung from the exposure of the dirty water, but there was nothing for her to do about it but swim on. Her side hit against the woven branches. She redirected her swim to the middle of the passageway, taking it slow so not to waste her energy. She splashed lightly as she swam on the surface of the lake. In her trouble-free swim, she saw a strange dark shadow starting to emerge out of the dark gloomy waters below.

Ellaway couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but unconcerned, she paddled on. But as it drew closer to her, Ellaway started to be more wary of its presents.

Gradually it started to get larger and take on more shape. It was longer than Ellaway and darker than the mucky water surrounding it. It was shaped like an over sized shark, with a fat, thick tail, and huge fins.

Ellaway’s mind started to race, a thing that size needed something comparable to feed it, and she had a feeling that she was that something. Panicked, Ellaway picked up her pace as the beast kept floating higher.

Her legs started kicking harder, the monster below took notice and weaved his body faster in the water. Oddly it wasn’t just trying to follow her it was attempting to get ahead of Ellaway. Soon her swim turned into a fatal race with the fish.

Ellaway glanced at the beast swimming below. With a shock, she glared at it once more, the fish was swimming backwards! Ellaway watch it more closely and indeed its head was at her feet. His tail lashed madly in reverse while his fins were flopped toward his head instead of toward his tail. It’s body must have been to long to turn around in the narrow passageway.

It was a very strange sight to see a fish swimming backward but Ellaway didn’t have the time to watch the funny movement. Slowly the creature made his way in front of her. He was rising to the surface of the water. Ellaway’s heart was beating hard against her chest and each breath was more laborious then the last. Her ribs felt like they were collapsing in on them selves. She stopped mid swim and frantically darted back toward shore.

The monster followed her and started to open his wide mouth ready to gulp her in a single bite. Ellaway looked around for an escape, the shore was too far to reach. She was trapped inside the lane of the tunnel. Hopelessly, she looked up. With one last effort, and the fish drawing near, Ellaway jumped up as swift and as high as she could and latched onto the hovering branches. She caught it and as she rapped her legs around a free branch, the fish dashed by, biting down on nothing but water and dirt. Ellaway let out a sigh of relief and panted heavily hoping the fish couldn’t jump. The fish disappointedly swam beneath her, but never made an attempt to reach her.

Ellaway sighed heavily. She held on to the wet branches like a leech to it’s prey. The dark figure of the beast paced below her. She watched it as in swam back and forth beneath her, waiting for her to fall.

She glanced back the way she had come and towards her destination; she had only swam a third of the length between both shores. The only thing left for her to do was climb. Her head, fortunately was already facing the opposite shore. Steadily, Ellaway moved toward the distant land. She carefully searched for a strong hold for one hand than the other, then moved her legs in pace. It was slow and tedious work like climbing a horizontal cliff. Her wet hair and pack back swung underneath her as she moved from branch to branch.

She had thought crawling was strenuous, but now she would have taken creeping on all four limbs compared to this, any day. Her cracked and bleeding hands stung profusely as she held onto the branches, especially as salty drops of sweat burned her wounds. The only relief she had was her cold wet clothes clinging to her body, cooling her in the sweltering tunnel.

All she could see was the bars of her entrapment and the leafy tree tops above with a few specks of the blue sky far beyond her reach. The wish to be out of the dark tunnel and woods swelled with in her chest ready to spill out in rage and fury. However taking deep heavy breaths, she calmed herself and climbed on.

Noon past by as Ellaway made her climb, her arms and legs trembled and shook with pain as she held on, threatening to give way and drop her into the depths below, into the belly of the hungry beast. Her hands bled profusely through her cloth. She was a few lengths a way from the nearing shore and the waters edge started to be more in focus, but it was far enough that it made Ellaway weary to look at the distance. To motivate herself she kept telling her tired body that they only had to make to a small ways more.

The beast glided beneath her, patiently waiting for her expected fall. Ellaway’s shirt and pants had dried from her earlier dip in the waters, making the tunnel even more hot and stuffy. Beads of sweet rolled down her fore head and dripped into her hair.

She kept moving her body, but had to stop to rest. He arms trembled from climbing. The soreness that enveloped her hole body was almost unbearable. She had to keep moving. She had to get to the other side. But she had nothing left in her, her eyes slowly closed and tears squeezed through her eye lids. Not an once of her could move on.

Darkness over came her and with a start she fell towards the water below…

Chapter 3: of the hidden city

Delilah sat on top of her bed in a soft pink silk night gown, waiting for her husband to come in to bed. She was so worried about him lately, he had let such little things stress him. Even the petty work from day to day caused him such strife. And now the day’s new developments had put him on edge. He snipped and snapped at everybody, even the passerby couldn’t get away from him without a trite remark.

The transparent drapes blew gently in the breeze . Their luxurious room, shaped like a large wedge of a pie, was brightly lit by spheres of magic light hanging from the walls. Despite the darkening outside, the room was bathed in brilliance with the bright blues and light beige that decorated the walls. The room was simply designed, with only a few pieces of smooth metal furniture, including their wide bed, a dresser and two night stands. On the wall hung traditional hand made delicacies from their people.

Her husband’s first fan from childhood hung on the wall next to his brightly colored octha that his oldest son hand made for him. Each was made with the smooth dull metals that her people used with mastery and skill. Hung on the opposite wall, Delilah’s own fans were tactfully displayed on a simply metal shelf. The lights reflected off the metal drowning the room in more radiance.

She looked longingly out the window, past the trees and shining city that surrounded their house, up into the sky where a night owl roamed over head. The stocky short build of the owl was silhouetted against the bright full moon that dreamily floated by in the frosty dark blue sky.

Free. That was the only word she could think of to describe the moon and the owl, free. All she could think of was the free wind, the free leafy tree tops, the free mouse scurrying through the woods, all free.

But that was something she could not think of, if not for her sanity then for her husband’s. He had enough on his plate, no less to let her thoughts of escape weigh on him. She sighed heavily and watched the door, conscious of the freedom wafting from the open window, but she kept her eyes away from the tempting shooting stars and the sensuous black night. Finally he walked through the door.

She softly smiled at him and he gently returned the favor, obviously distracted. He walked up to the dresser in the far corner and started taking off his fine jewelry draped on his neck and hands. He unwrapped his elaborate designed silk shirt and leaned his hands on the short dresser, looking at himself in the mirror above. His built body, was withered slightly with age. His hair grew more and more gray with each passing day. Small wrinkles creased under his glossed-over eyes. Glossed-over from exhaustion he assumed. He mutter to himself, “Titus you are getting to old.” His wife’s hands appeared softly around his tight belly and her head rested tenderly on his shoulder.

She frowned, creasing her many wrinkles as well, “Um… to old? I think not, you are at the peek of your youth.”

Titus chuckled and put his hand gently around hers on his belly, “You think so.”

Delilah smiled widely, “Oh, of course.” But as she gazed at him in the mirror she saw the lines of time spread across his face. He was so tired. She wished she could make all the petty fears disappear for him, to make themselves disappear. Teasingly, the wind blew at her back with the whisper of escape. She shivered, “Mmm… it’s nipped. I think I will close the window.”

As she pulled away, Titus grabbed her hand “I like it open. Can we?”

Helplessly she nodded. She couldn’t say no to those weary eyes.

He rested on the dresser, looking deep into the mirror. Delilah leaned her back against the dresser next to him, turning her head to face his. Looking at this sagging profile, she sighed, “You look so tired.”

He took a deep breath, “That’s cause I am.”

“Daringly?”, she questioned him, “Why don’t you let him go?” As soon as she said this, he stood up straight and paced a little away from her, but she went on, “Or at least stopping hiding that he is here and hand him over to the government, it was years ago that he was here and he had no intention of coming here again.”

As soon as she said this, she could almost feel the anger build in him, he tried to keep his voice calm, but his bitter words did nothing to conceal his anger, “So you think I should just let him go, happy and free.”

Free, she hated that word more and more. Hushed, she answered, “Well, you could at least give him to the right authorities, and why not?”

Facing her, Titus spat, “To make him pay, that’s why not.”

Delilah shook her head, “How is that our place?”

Titus took a step closer, “It was my daughter-”

Angrily, Delilah interrupted, “He was doing what he thought was best and maybe that was what was best!”

Titus flared, he yelled out, “You were always on his side! You wished your fate with Ripple and our daughter, more than you ever did here!”

She folded her arms around herself, “We are not talking about what was, we are talking about now and revenge is not the way!”

Titus threw his hands up in frustration, “How can we not talk about what was. It was my daughter! Our daughter!”

Delilah had lost control on her tongue, “Don’t let stupid pride blind your view just because you are not man enough to let it go!”

Delilah knew she had gone too far, but Titus put his arms back down and took a few deep breaths and softly said, “Oh Delilah, I know my pride is too big. I am just not as good as you to let something die. But I can’t let it die, when my ache still lives.”

His dark eyes stared longingly at her, imploring for something, but she didn’t know what he expected.

Quietly she hugged him, rapping her arms around his waist and back, encompassing as much of him as she could, “Oh my love, think of it no more tonight.”

Ripple groaned as he dozed out of sleep. He lay on his side, with his cheek pressed against hard rock. Thick, wide metal cuffs dung into his hands. His head pounded in pain and his wrists ached. Slowly Ripple opened his eyes. Darkness closed in around him, except for some dim light that shone from a corner of the room. The floor and walls were made of flat jagged rock and the ceiling rose high above his head. The room was long and thin, shaped more like a rectangle then a square, but the most peculiar thing about the room was that there were no doors.

The dim light came from a passageway that quickly turned left, so he could not see into the dark hallway.

Exhausted, Ripple was content to lay there a while till he could get up the energy to stand. As he laid, his mind slowly recalled how he got there, and with a jolt of memory he saw Ellaway unflinching, face down in the mud. He squeezed his eyes shut and sat up. Where was she now? Surly the Kin had her lifeless body, ready to hand it over to an exuberate Greenda. He had to get out of here.

Ripple gazed at the corridor with no door. He looked around the room making sure no guards sat watching him. The room was empty. The lack of safe confinement irked Ripple. They hadn’t even tied his legs! What made them so sure he couldn’t just walk out?

He listened for noise and could hear people, talking quietly as they passed. Ripple stayed still until their voices faded away. When silence returned, he push against the floor and stood. Wobbling a little, he regained his balance, widening his stance. Gently he tiptoed to the doorway.

Cautiously, he examined the doorway, checking if there were any means to keep in their prisoner, but nothing seemed to be there. He wondered why a people would put him in a room tied up him, with no guards or locked door. Did they think the simple cuffs around his hands could keep him?

There was only one way to find out.

Hesitantly, Ripple took a step into the exit. Proudly, he looked the around, e HeHksdfhskjdhfkhuehfksdjbutsdfsdfdsfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsfefbut he found himself facing the opposite wall of the room he just left! Disoriented and a little confused he shook his head and turned sharply toward the passageway. A befuddled look scrunched his eye brows.

Once again he headed toward the narrow way and not even a step in, he found himself back in the middle of the room. He couldn’t explain how it happened; it was like walking around in a circle without realizing it. He didn’t feel himself being pulled back in the room or being transported in any way, but some how he was there. With new determination he went at the door in a run, but almost ran straight into the opposite wall. He tried every thing he could think of, he walked out back wards, he ran out backwards, he jumped out and crawled out, he slid out against the wall, then the other wall, but nothing worked. Every time he took step into the hallway he ended up in some other location inside the room.

Frustrated, he turned and glared at the passageway, but instead of staring at rock he glared into a face he knew all to well. The dark figure and Ripple stood facing each other in a fierce stare down. With dark glowering eyes the man at the door spoke first, “Why have you dared to come back to our woods?”

Ripple cocked his head in shock, “Your woods? I was not near your woods nor had any intention of entering them.”

The man calming explained, “You were on the outer rim of our city, close enough for us to feel you, and reach you. That is pretty close for not coming here. Why are you here?”

Ripple let loose his civil tongue, “I am here because you brought me here! I had no chose and I would have definitely not chosen this fate if it were up to me!”

The figure folded his arms in front of him and simply said, “You know the destiny that lies with you here.”

Ripple looked at him cold, “So death is my sentence.”

The dark form took a bold step towards his prisoner, “Oh no Ripple I have a sentence much worse then death for you here. You, the free bird that flies from nest to nest with a trail of destruction behind you, will be trapped here till your far distant death. You will eat here, sleep here, live here,” he paused and delightfully added, “die here. With the door always open, beckoning you to escape, you will go insane here.”

Ripple felt a flicker of fear burn inside of him, he had already felt the suffocating truth of being trapped in one place, but he didn’t let it show, and chuckled, “Is that the worse you can do?”

His enemies’ eyes flickered with hunger and lust, but a smile played across his lips, “You are brave to show no fear, but I know better than that, you will feel the pain.”

Angrily Ripple spat out, “Oh yes! You should know the pain! She felt it every day here, didn’t she?! You know of the pain because you caused that upon your own flesh and blood! You punish me, but you should thank me!” The bold, firm, figure started to waver, “What!? Can’t handle hearing about her anguish?”

The man recomposed himself and smiled devilishly at Ripple, “Goodbye Ripple.” He turned and simply walked out of the room with no trouble. Quickly Ripple tried to follow, but found himself in another corner. The figure laughed loud and clear as Ripple looked around confused. As the man march off, his laugh echoed and rang in Ripple’s ears.

With unstoppable despair he sunk to the floor. A life time in this cell caved in on him, and the walls closed in around him. But he had been threatened to many times with death and entrapment to give up now. Somehow, he would get out.

Ripple sat…

and sat…

and sat...

With no company but his never ending thoughts, he sat. He didn’t even have a friendly fat rat to keep him entertained. There were no windows to watch the lonely world pass him by. He didn’t know if it was night or day and slept on and off, depending on his mood. He was unsure if a life time had passed or a minute since his last visitor.

Every once in a while a quiet man dressed in simple elegant silk shirt and a shimmering wrapped skirt, brought in wooden bowls’ of thick, dark brown mush, and of dirty, slimy water. He chuckled when he first saw the two bowls, and no spoon or cup.

They were trying to insult him. But he changed his mind, not “they”, but “him”.

Ripple remembered telling him about pet dogs, about keeping bowls of water and food for them to eat out of. He thought it was so ridiculous! Keeping a filthy, dumb, stinking animal locked up in your house! They didn’t think that highly of animals. Now his captor was keeping his own filthy, dumb, stinking animal locked up and feeding him out of bowls. But it didn’t bother Ripple, let him poke and insult, if it truly made him feel better, which he doubted.

His thoughts to often turned to the unmoving figure of Ellaway, but he tried not to think of it. Not thinking where she might be, or who might have her now. It was all his fault! If had kept closer to her, he knew she was the one they want, if he knew she was hurt…

When he couldn’t handle his thought, he attempted the haunting door way, trying to at least figure out its magic, but that only made him more frustrated. So he made an effort to climb the flat but jagged walls, but there was no part uneven enough for a good foot hold. But he couldn’t just sit! The tension in his legs from doing nothing was more then he could bear. To use spare energy he ran little laps around the room, then did a hundred awkward push up, crunches, sit up and any other exercise he could think of. Dejected and out of breath, he would crawl back to his position and… sit.

And as he sat, he was going crazy.

The whole ordeal was so frustrating! He didn’t understand at all about his daughter! He sees nothing! Nothing! And he didn’t even try! Didn’t even hear him out! It was maddening to be locked up for letting an innocent girl go free! If he could see her now, how happy she is! Then he would understand, surly then…

Chapter 4: of the hidden city

Ellaway woke up on the shore, sputtering and coughing up lake water. Rejuvenating her lungs, she gulped down big gasps of air. She laid on her stomach on wet earth with her legs still dangling in water. She pulled them out and sat up, still sucking down oxygen. Looking back across the lake, the huge fish that swam so dangerously beneath her, now stuck his nose up close to the shore. Ellaway crawled cautiously forward, slowly she put her hand forward, but the big fish made no movement to attack. With tenderness Ellaway rubbed the dark blue skin between his eyes. The fish closed his eyes and hummed quietly in obvious pleasure.

Softly Ellaway smiled, “You saved my life. Thank you.” She stayed awhile rubbing him gently. He basked in the soft caress, humming louder. Soon the fish started backing into the water. With grace and grandeur, he did a flip under water and jumped up tipping his nose against the tunnel ceiling.

Ellaway watch him in awe. Then he sunk back into the dark murkiness, and Ellaway knew that it was time for her to go. She knew that an animal that intelligent surly lead her to the right shore. She flopped back down onto hands and knees. Still tired and drained she smiled, finally something good had happened to her. It reminded her that there were good people every where, be it man or beast.

The happiness from earlier had worn off and Ellaway laid on her side trying to calm her staggered breathing. Her shoulders and arms shook from the strain of pulling her body. Her wounded leg ached from being continuously rubbed against the rough floor. She closed her eyes, but fluttered back open as sleep threatened to overcome her.

Ellaway turned back on to her tender hands and knees and slowly made her way down the path. She slid down the angled ground and in a daze, continued her droning crawl. Ellaway felt very little and small as the trees towered above her on both sides, she felt like ant among human legs and feet, threatening to be crushed by her very size. Never before had she felt so vulnerable in the woods that surrounded her and for the first time on her journey away from her enslavement, she missed what she used to have. She laughed out loud to herself. To miss that old ugly inn! She must be going mad! But she could not rid herself of longing for the wide open spaces and large blue sky that used to encompass her, compared to the twigs and branches of tall trees and the tunnel that trapped her now.

After a while, the sun sank behind the horizon. Darkness overcame the light that played between the branches of the enchanted tunnel. As shadows dominated the light, sudden fear clenched at Ellaway’s heart. The twisted branches reminded her of the corpse’s hand. Pictures of his head rising and staring her in the face blared in her mind. As night ensnared around her, every sound around seemed to be intensified in Ellaway’s ears. She turned frantically this way and that to find the source of every tit and tat. Fear overwhelmed her every cell and her whole body tensed.

Listening to the night, she was unable to move and, loudly, her heart raced. She crouched there in fear.

Ellaway couldn’t take it any longer. Like a mad man, she pulled out her sword and started to hack at the tunnel, wanting out of her prison. Gritty her teeth she chopped at everything around her, trying to make an escape, but the branches over her head stayed sturdy. Items flew out of her pack in her rage. With determination she kept on smacking the cave, and finally broke off a single branch, but as soon as it broke off, a new branch quickly grew to cover the small hole she had made.

Screaming hysterically into the quiet night, Ellaway kept whacking at her surroundings, but to no avail and started sobbing in frustration. Dropping her sword, Ellaway curled her knees up to her chest and fell to the ground, wailing.

Eventually, sleep besieged her…

Ellaway woke to a surge of pain ripping through the back of her neck. It felt like two knifes were splitting into the sides of her throat! Tearing herself from the grasp Ellaway turned to find two glowing red eyes staring back at her. Ellaway screamed, “YOU!”

Ellaway might have been infuriated, but so was Bolbart, he snickered, “Yes, my Breakfast! ME!” With impressive speed, he scrambled atop the tunnel and reached through the holes, searching for Ellaway’s throat to choke. Ellaway dived down, but Bolbart caught the lobe of her ear.

Bolbart’s sharp claws pierced through her skin. He held on tight. With a strain, Bolbart started to pull her head towards him and reached his other claw through for her throat.

Ellaway screeched out as her neck stretched up ward toward Bolbart. Her ear stung as it was use to haul her closer to his pinching claws. Blood dripped from her pinched ear onto to her arms and shoulder. Ellaway reached down to her pack, looking for her dagger. With Bolbart inches away from her throat, she felt out for the handle of her knife. Skimming the ground, Ellaway finally felt its smooth finish under her fingers. She couldn’t get a grip of it! Struggling, she reached out her arm till she thought it might pull out of socket while her ear dripped more blood.

Bolbart’s claw started to skim against her jugular. crawling to puncher her vain. With one last stretch Ellaway finally grabbed her knife and flung it above her head, cutting off Bolbart’s extended arm. The severed limb fell to the ground next to her as Bolbart let out a shrieking scream.

He pulled back out of the tunnel, to nurse his lopped off arm, cradling it against his thick stomach, he clambered off the tunnel. Dark red blood oozed from his stubbed extremity.

Enraged, Ellaway seized his elbow before he could scamper away. She pulled the knife through the tunnel and pressed it on Bolbart’s throat. She leaned her face against the branches looking like a fugitive hungrily squeezed against cell bars.

Ellaway warned, “If I ever see you again, I swear on Una’s name, I will kill you on the spot! Understand!”

Bolbart shook feebly.

Ellaway screamed, “Do you understand!? Say it Bolbart, I need to hear you say it!”

Bolbart sobbed, “We- we never see you again.”

She thrust him backward and he ran off into the shadow of the trees. Ellaway pulled her hands back in the tunnel and pulled them to her chest. Quivering, Ellaway sat trying to calm herself. Taking beep breaths she slowed her heart rate. Her stomached rumpled loudly, she hadn’t eaten the night before. With shaking hands she gathered up her pack and the things that flew out of it in her rage last night. Still taking beep cleansing breaths, Ellaway took out a small breakfast and nibbled gratefully.

Slightly rejuvenated, Ellaway put back her supply of food. Catching her breath, she slowly turned back to her position and crawled through the forest on hands and knees.

Her heart started to pace back to normal and her breath steadied. Her scattered mind began to calm.

Her thoughts slid back to Bolbart’s third attack on her, how did Bolbart see her? Was she not invisible like her cage? Did it appear that some random girl was merely crawling through the woods for no apparent reason? She laughed at herself, imagining what it would look like to see her scuttling on all fours through dead leaves and dirt. She played with that thought as she made her way down the tunnel.

Ripple yawned luxuriously. He just woke up from a refreshing nap on the hard stone floor. He had had a marvelous dream about a woman he had known in Treshiv. He smirked, she was quite a woman. Grunting he sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. With another yawn, he stretched as best he could with his hands still linked in metal claps. He rubbed at his hairy face. That was the only way he could tell how much time had passed, by how long his beard had grown. He was grieved to feel it still so short. Only a couple days could have passed, but it felt like a life time.

The food man, as Ripple liked to call him, came in with the same mush. Ripple had been trying to devise some plan to get out. He concluded that the food man was the only way. If he could just get buddy buddy with this chump, maybe he would help him out. However, every attempt at conversation so far had failed. This time Ripple had a new tactic. The man gently placed two bowls at Ripple’s feet and turned to leave.

Ripple muttered, “You know I have seen her since she left.”

Startled the man stopped. This was a good sign. He never had stopped to listen before. Ripple went on, “I know where she lives and she is happy, with a husband and two kids. It might even be three or four now. They were talking about having another one, when I last saw them.”

The man turned around and watched him, but remained silent, so Ripple went on, “They love kids you know, Ali and her husband. Nothing could make them happier then to have a wild two year-”

Quietly the man cut him off, “I wouldn’t talk of such things if I were you.” With out another word he stalked out. Ripple shrugged his shoulders, it was worth the effort. So many had loved Ali, surly they would like to hear about her whereabouts.

After another good run around the room and more jingling with his cuff links, Ripple had the privileged of an extra visit. Titus stood at the door way, his face scowled in anger.

A good humored Ripple greeted him graciously, “Oh, my good friend, welcome to my-”

But before Ripple could greet his guest, Titus plunged him in the stomach with his fist. Ripple gasped and keeled over. Winded, he muttered, “No niceties then, uh?”

While Ripple was doubled over, Titus kneed him in the gut. In a trembling voice, Titus yelled, “Don’t you ever, EVER talk about my daughter again!”

Ripple groaned, “Is that all?”

Enraged by his taunting, Titus forced Ripple to face him and spat him in his eye. With adrenalin pumping in his veins, Titus punched him repetitively in the face, splatter blood across the floor. With a thud, Ripple fell hard to the ground. Shaking, Titus kicked him in the face then a few more times in the gut, staining the dark stone floor a crimson red. Each blow forced a sharp grunt out of Ripple as he became more and more disfigured.

Whipping sweat from his brow, Titus spat at Ripples crumbled form and snared in disgust. Recomposing himself, he stately walked out of the room. As he passed the guard, he grunted, “Clean him up.” Titus walked into the hallway of the gloomy dark dungeon. It was so dismal compared to the rest of the glimmering city. His people thought that here, they would never need use of a dungeon. But they were wrong. Even in a hidden city, scoundrels still found a way in.

He strode up the steps and into the brightly light hallway above. Stained blue steel walls reflected sunlight, brightly illuminating the rounded hall. Titus’s hands were still shaking slightly form adrenal and anger. He stretched out them out and bowled them into fists trying to stop them from trembling. Nausea played at his stomach as he thought of what he just did, so he tried not to think of it. Any way, Ripple deserved it. Titus breathed deeply calming himself back down. Distracted, he barley noticed the fairly busy hall. Doors nosily slammed shut and in corners people quietly whispered in groups. He nonchalantly passed under the row of duplicated fixtures that hung like chandeliers from the ceiling. Each fixture was a wide deep green spiraled cone that came to a sharp tip made to compliment the pale blue walls.

He acknowledged passer bys, nodding his head in a small greet. Upon seeing him, many replied in indignant, shocked stares. Perplexed, he kept walking, tracing the familiar steps to the exit. The hall opened into a large lobby where arched doors stretched the height of the tall walls and lead to the out side. As he walked passed the shadow of the terraced entrance, tall, cylinder shaped buildings rose high above his head. Pale reds and brilliant greens covered the amazing, tall buildings. Each giant tower was topped with a different colored doom. The building he just walked out of soared above him and the drowning sun cast long shadows to his back. But he didn’t look at the glorious city; he had had a long day and was ready to see only his wife and a hot meal. More people in the street stared at him as he went.

He figured it was because of his high standing, but this was different. Jaws gapped open at the sight of him and neighbors whispered behind hands. What was the matter with all these people!? Now, he was more then ready to get home. He hurried his pace.

A tall silver building loomed in front of him, with a bright yellow dome top. He walked in and ran up a tight spiral stair case, till he reached his floor. Anticipating Delilah to be in the front room cooking, he threw the door open and smiled widely at his wife, who, as expected, was working over the open fire pit. She looked up at him smiling, but it faded away and was replaced with wide eyes and a shocked stare. Frustrated, Titus blurted out, “What is wrong with everyone today!? They couldn’t stop staring at me in the street!”

Mesmerized by the sight, Delilah muttered, “Is that blood?”

Horrified, Titus looked down at his silk shirt and indeed blood was splattered across his chest and skirt. He looked down at his hands and blood was smeared across his knuckles where they made contact with the side of Ripple’s face. Titus stammered that he must have cut himself with out realizing. He stumbled to the wash water and scrubbed at his hands.

Delilah set aside her cooking and stood behind Titus with her arms folded, “What happened?”

Abruptly he answered, “I told you, must have cut myself.”

Irritated by his lie she replied, “A cut that splattered across your face, chest, and legs and you didn’t notice!”

At this he started to scrub his face, but didn’t answer her. Then he grunted, “Got to change for dinner.” He headed toward their room.

Delilah blurted coldly, “How is Ripple?”

Titus stopped dead in his tracks and turned, “I told you I wouldn’t visit him, but for that once!”

Anger boiled in Delilah, “Titus I have seen you at your worst, but this! I won’t have it Titus! I won’t have it! And if you don’t stop, I wont stay!”

Titus hollered, “He was talking about Ali! Talking about where she was!”

Delilah roared back, “Good! I would like to know where my daughter is. Maybe I will go and have a chat with him! That way, I can join her!”

Titus leapt toward her and grabbed both her shoulders, squeezing her skin, “Don’t you dare Delilah! Don’t you dare!”

She looked down at his hands still stained a bright red, “Are you going to beat me too?”

Appalled, he let go of her, stammering, “I would never. You know I would never even-”

Bitterly, she cut him short, “Do I know Titus? I am not so sure any more. How do I know your anger won’t turn on me?”

Titus desperately pleaded with her, “Delilah you are my every thing! I love you! I could never dream of hurting you.”

Tears swelled in Delilah’s eyes. She drew back away from him and muttered words that stung, “You already have Titus, you already have.”