Chapter 28 ½

Chapter 28 ½ (Jacob)

How many days had it been since he went into the woods? Jacob lost track. All he could remember was the ambush, losing consciousness, and barely waking up a few times while riding inside of something. He wasn’t sure what. His captors would give him food and drink, then dust him with something that put him back to sleep.

Whatever they used, it left him too groggy to register his fear. He could hardly feel anything. This was just a nightmare, right? The kind that lasts way longer than it should. Any moment now, he’d wake up and be back in his bed at the guild.

…

Some time passed. Slowly, his eyes creeped open. Was he at the guild? Was he back in his bed?

Awareness came flooding in. Wherever he was, it was hard, cold, and dark. He wasn’t laying down, his back was against the wall. Jacob tried to move. He barely budged. His hands were tied up behind him– behind a stone pillar. Chains rattled as he struggled to move his arms.

His heart thumped against his chest. This wasn’t a dream. This was real. He actually had been kidnapped and taken someplace he didn’t know.

“Oh no, oh no…!” He flailed, struggling in vain to break away from the chains and stone pillar he was bound to. His tailflame flared with his panicked breathing, a rush of oxygen that soon made him dizzy.

It was useless. He was stuck. Slowly, he backed away from the edge of a panic attack. His breathing slowed, and his flame dimmed. For a moment he closed his eyes again.

…

When he opened his eyes again, he swiveled his head around, observing the room.

The floor was a smooth, cold-colored marble. It looked white and frosty blue, like it was made of snow and ice. A faint light beamed in from above, with shadowy circles cast in the middle of the floor.

He peeked up at the source: the ceiling. In the center was some kind of golden ball, floating with four shiny rings, slowly spinning around it. What were they supposed to be? Whatever they were, the light behind them wasn’t the sun. Around the ball and rings were four black pillars stretching up from the ground.

 Over his shoulder, the pillar behind him was some kind of smooth, shiny black thing. Like volcanic glass. It was one of the four black pillars he just spotted. On all four sides there were solid walls. No windows, no doors, nothing but more of that cold marble. How did they put him in here if there was no door? More importantly, how could he get out? He’d need someone to help him…

Would the guild notice that he’s gone? Would anyone come to save him?

“Leon,” Jacob rasped, thinking of his brother.

“You are certain?”

A voice sounded off from somewhere. Who was it, and where was it coming from?

“Yes,” a feminine voice answered.

Jacob glanced up. Were they past the golden ball, in the room above?

“Our watchers spotted a group of six,” the feminine voice continued. “They have taken the skiff, so they are bound to have come in through the lower portal.”

“Of all places they could have entered? They could be anywhere, then…”

“Perhaps they are guild members, come to retrieve the Charmander and Scraggy.”

Jacob’s heartbeat quickened. He had almost forgotten about Aaron– they must have taken him, too. Where was he?

“Then we must rally our forces,” said the masculine voice, “and be prepared to intercept them.”

“I have to wonder how these guild members will fare against the dungeon’s supernatural defenses?”

“Their odds of survival are… slim. We will save them if we can, but our priority is the artifact.”

“Do we even know if they have brought it?”

“Caydence seemed confident about his ploy.”

“That may just be a high from his success, what with his Sunspire experiment.”

“Partially successful. Regardless, we will know not until we see them ourselves.”

“Indeed. We should go.”

Seconds passed. Silence lingered. Jacob eased the tension locking up his limbs– it sounded like a rescue team was coming. But what was that about ‘supernatural defenses’?

He glanced around the room again. To his left, he spotted another pillar. There was another captive tied up to it– someone familiar.

“Aaron,” Jacob said. “Aaron!” 

The Scraggy grunted, and the chains behind him rattled. He blinked his eyes open, then struggled like Jacob did before. “What the hell is this? Oh, you’ve gotta be kiddin’ me…”

“Aaron!” Jacob repeated.

“Eh, Jake?” He turned his head to him. “Well this is one helluva mess we’re in. It’s my damn fault…”

“You didn’t mean to,” Jacob said. “And I think help is on the way!”

“Tha’s fine an’ dandy if it’s true, but we gotta help ourselves!” He struggled against his chains, rattling them. He braced himself against the pillar, and with a grunt, the chains clattered to the floor. Aaron rose to his feet.

“How did you do that?” Jacob asked.

“Shedded my skin,” Aaron said. “Comes in handy fer situations like this.” He approached Jacob, circling around his pillar. “Just a sec, Jake. We gotta getcha outta yers, too.”

“But I can’t shed skin, so how are we gonna–?”

“Hyah!”

A metallic clang rang out as Aaron punched the chain, breaking the links. Jacob’s wrists separated and he swung his arms around. They were still wrapped in irons, but he could move.

“All good, Jake?” Aaron said, rubbing his knuckles.

“Y-yeah… Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Sorry, only way ter take ‘em off. Those shackle’s are gonna be stuck on ya ‘til we find a key. Fer now, we gotta get the hell outta this place.”

They jogged around the room, looking for any weak points they could break, or signs of a secret passage. Yet the walls seemed as solid as ever.

“There’s no doors or anything,” Jacob said. “The only way out is up there.” He pointed up at the hole in the ceiling.

Aaron put his hands on his hips. “Don’t gotta choice then. You’ve gotta jump up there.” He brought his hands together, palms-up. “I’ll give ya a boost.”

Jacob glanced at Aaron’s hands, then at his face. “What about you? How will you get out?”

Aaron shook his head. “I don’t. Not yet, anyway.”

“B-but!”

“Not the time ter argue, Jake. If you’ve got any chance o’ gettin’ outta this place, ya gotta take it. Don’t worry ‘bout me, I’ll…” He glanced away. “I’ll be fine.”

A cold chill ran down Jacob’s spine, all the way to the tip of his tail. But he nodded.

Aaron steadied himself.

Jacob took a running start, leaping onto the Scraggy’s hands. He jumped–

–Aaron thrusted upward–

–and Jacob soared, rising to the top of the pillar and clinging to it with his claws. He scrambled up, squeezing himself in the narrow space below the ceiling. Next he turned to the strange gold ball and the rings around it. With a quick leap he latched onto one of the rings, which continued to spin, indifferent to his grip. He lifted himself up, balancing on the strange object.

Finally, he reached out and climbed on top of the gold ball, grateful that he didn’t stumble or fall. Before he climbed out of the hole, he looked down.

“I’ll find help and come back to you!” Jacob promised.

“I’ll be fine!” Aaron called, though he sounded half-hearted. “Just go!”

Jacob gave one last nod to Aaron, then pulled himself up into the light.