My hands, raw and moistened from the damp earth, barely supported me with just enough strength to sit up. I tried to move my leg, still stuck in place with the iron shackle, though it dug through the first few layers of skin. Every time a sharpened point rubbed against the opened lesion, shooting pain stabbed at my legs. Someone poked their head into the light that wasn’t Neyr’s shape. Panic threw my heart into a race as the person used a key to unlock my bondage and then held a rough hand out to me.
I tried to glimpse some features of his face, but none came to me. His face was far too shadowed from the torchlight behind him to make any features discernible.
“It is alright. I will not harm you.” His voice was gruff and accented. I couldn’t understand what he said. After running his words over a few times in my head, I realized what he meant. I gently slid my raw hand into his as he glided his past my palm to wrap his fingers around my wrist and then turned while hauling me onto his back. The movement happened too fast for me to scream, to which I was grateful. This seemed like the rescue mission Neyr had spoken to me about previously, but I couldn’t be sure or afford myself the hope. Where is Marren?
“Who are you?” I forced out in a whisper. My throat was too dry from gasping for what seemed like years inside the hidden tomb. All around us, sandstone, carved into different sized rectangles and laid with mortar formed tall walls leaving a narrow space to walk. Ever so often metal plaques engraved with a strange symbol and a number topped the walls. If I looked closely as we passed, the cracks in some of the mortar formed the shape of a door.
“I would love to introduce myself once we get you to safety, my lady.”
After focusing on his words and processing them enough, I decided that was best until I caught a glimpse of his face.
“You’re a cat.” It was meant as a question, but my surprise and my body’s energies weren’t communicating well so it came out as a poorly stated comment.
“Would you prefer if I was someone or something else?”
“N-n-no,” I stammered.
“Marren has told me this world is new to you. I’m sorry, but I must insist on your silence now. I have to get us out of here safely. To do that, I must have complete silence.”
I nodded and then resumed taking in the stone as it changed to dirt and rock that crumbled away, leaving only remnants and faded memories of what had been. A cool breeze started blowing around us, moistening the air with the fresh scent of water mixed with stone and iron. A slight whisper of water rushed nearby us. I lifted my head to view the tunnel we ran down opened up into an underground room with large bowls of lit oil resting on monoliths of stone appearing as though they grew from the side of the rocky wall behind them.
Ahead, a thin, stone bridge stood balanced on precariously stacked stone blocks that had been etched away over time. The rushing sound below us was hidden within a black chasm. On opposite sides of us were large dragon heads, carved from the stone. Their mouths hung open with streams of water pouring out and into the river below us. Above, the roof of the cave was opened on one side, showing a thin line of torches and stars in the clear sky above. They twinkled like tiny beads of light. And for the first time in however long, I had my sight back. Everything started to glow of bluish-green aura. Despite the torchlight behind us, in front of us remained a blackness that caused my heart to drum so hard in my chest I worried my rescuer felt it.
He slid me off his back. “We have company. Do as I say.”
I nodded quickly as he slipped off a coiled rope draped over his shoulder and head. He tied one end around my torso tightly.
“When I say, jump off the edge and swing yourself over to the other side. Quickly untie yourself and do not turn around. Run until you reach a fork in the road, then turn left. Follow the stairs out of this place. On the outside, someone will be waiting to take you to Marren.”
His green eyes, with a slit pupil, stared at me in a cold and impatient manner. I cleared my throat and nodded while looking over the edge of the small bridge. I let out a heavy sigh. This time I was able to hang onto many of the words he spoke through his accent, as if him facing me made the difference in my understanding.
He nodded once then turned to face our upcoming foes. He started to run with one end of the rope in his hands. I ran, surprised to be able to keep up with him. A large group of cloaked and armored creatures charged onto the bridge. They stopped as my rescuer kept charging. He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder, “Now!”