The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 132

#132 The Cells
She couldn’t fight Vrehan, but she could win some time and even better, perhaps find a decent weapon to use. She remembered some of the shows had warriors fight between themselves. Though they were willing or not, they ought to get their weapons from somewhere; Maybe someone would have left some inside the cells…
Cassandra rushed there, trying to forget about death running after her. She knew Vrehan would kill, probably slowly and painfully too. Kairen wasn’t there to stop him, no one was. Her only nearby ally was a dragon, fighting the two horrid creatures inside. Cassandra knew she had to fend for herself. This time, there was no one to protect her.
As soon as she reached the cell, her memory came back vividly, like a nightmare hitting her. She remembered being dragged here like any slave. Being thrown in a cage, on the filthy ground, with no water and no hope to survive. The weight of her chains on her limbs and neck. She took a deep breath and chased her fear away
Those were nothing but empty cells now. The ground part of the arena was all stones, with only a few openings to bring in some light here and there. Prisoners destined to die had no use for light, there was only the bare minimum. Cassandra had to squint her eyes to find her way inside, to know where to go. She couldn’t have remembered where exactly to go, everything in there was the same. Each cell was the same size as the other, the only change was its content.
A putrid smell hit her as she hurried between the cells. It was like everything in there was rotten and decaying, added to the excrement left there. She felt like throwing up. This was the absolute worst. Everything she saw looked filthy, yet she had no choice but to hold on to the bars to keep going without falling.
She heard the steps running after her, making her heartbeat accelerate. Vrehan was closing in on her, following her. This was a horrible place to die, Cassandra.couldn’t fathom dying in here.
“I swear, once I get you, I’ll hang your limbs on the Palace’s gate for all to see! No more of the white witch of the mountain!
His mix between her nickname and his hatred had something bitter about it. Cassandra barely listened to him, she was bent on finding her way out of there, any solution to survive this hell. Where were those weapons? She clearly remembered some people waiting to fight, and their jailers handing weapons to them! They were not slaves, but trained fighters, yet they had insisted on giving them different weapons, telling them something about the arena’s security. Cassandra knew it was all a lie. She had heard some jailers snicker about the real reason for that later. They didn’t want to let them have properly sharpened blades, but ones that would make the fights last longer, and get bloodier. It was horrible to think those people wouldn’t even be granted a swift death.
Cassandra had no need for a properly sharpened weapon though, she didn’t even have the skill to fight an Imperial Prince. Something that would at least allow her to defend herself would be enough. Anything.
“You’re so pathetic… You can’t do anything without a man to protect you… You’re nothing without him, just a slave. You should have died quietly like the rest of your filthy people.”
Vrehan’s words were echoing along the walls, like a shadow threatening to devour her at any time. There was so much echo, Cassandra couldn’t even tell where he was, how far behind her. She didn’t want to even think about it, fear slowed her down. Hope got her faster.
Finally, she spotted it. A pile of weapons, randomly thrown against a wall. Cassandra ran towards it, and started rummaging through the pile. She even cut herself a couple of times in her frantic search, but she needed to find one she could hold. Many of those were too heavy for her to wield, and she really couldn’t afford another handicap while fighting the Prince off… Just as she heard his footstep get close, she settled on a little sword. It had a different shape from the one men used, it was thinner and lighter. She had no time to find another weapon, too.
Cassandra kept pretending to look through the pile, but she was paying close attention to the sound of his steps. He was coming closer, and she ought to be ready for it. She had to take him by surprise, that was her only chance.
She tried to calm her heart, and focus. She couldn’t afford to panic now. She couldn’t die like this, not here, not
there…
“You damn witch, I…”
When he started yelling, she was ready. Cassandra dodged to the side, and in the same movement, turned around and swayed her weapon towards him. The Prince screamed horribly. She saw something fly away, but she had no idea what it was until she saw Vrehan’s hand, covered in blood and missing fingers. (3)
“You… Bitch!” He uttered between his teeth.
She had managed to hurt him just enough he’d lose focus a few seconds. Cassandra retreated until her back hit a row of bars. She was against another cell, and for a second, despite the screaming, she heard something else. She turned her head, and surely, there was something in there. Something big, breathing very slowly. What she had taken for some airflow from the long corridors before was actually a breathing. A dragon’s breathing. She felt a drop of sweat run down her spine. More of Vrehan’s monstrosities? Or…?
“…Sire?” She called out.
The dragon moved. She could barely recognize the magnificent creature. He had lost so much weight! The blue dragon opened his eye to look at her, but she could tell the sadness in it. So this was where he had been. How did Vrehan even get the first Prince’s Dragon in there? This cell looked so cruelly small for the dragon! 2
Cassandra extended her arm to try and touch him. She felt his scales, barely warm under her touch. The Dragon looked like he had given up on life… Just like Glahad when she had found him. They were bound to despair once their masters were gone.
She had not time to console him, though. Vrehan had lost a few fingers, but the red scales appeared quickly on his skin to seal the injury, and his rage hadn’t gone down after that. His face was so deformed by the anger and the injuries, he didn’t look any more human than his horrible creations outside. Seeing him approach from her, Cassandra tried to get to the side, holding on to the metal bars to keep herself from falling. She heard Sire growl from behind her, recognizing her assailant too. The Blue dragon got a regain of energy from seeing the second Prince, its anger rising. Cassandra retreated until her shoulder hit a wall. She bit her lip, desperate. She was cornered between the wall and Sire’s cell!
“Here we finally are…” Hissed the mad man. “A perfect place for you to die… In a filthy cell… It suits a slave!”
He raised his sword, and Cassandra raised hers, but he got rid of it in one movement. Just as she heard the piece of metal cling away on the stone floor, she crouched down just in time to hear his blade violently dig into the wall, right above her ear. She was completely cornered down, weaponless and her arms up to shoulder herself. Although Cassandra knew she just couldn’t possibly resist another assault, this was futile resistance.
“You… You’re finally going to die, you b…!”
This time, he didn’t have time to insult her. Cassandra raised her head, feeling something hot dripping on her hands above her head. Vrehan was stuck in a shocked expression, a dragon’s claw coming out of his throat. Cassandra was so shocked by that gruesome sight, she took a few seconds to realize his shoulder was pierced too. She slowly glanced to the side.
From his cage, Sire had suddenly jumped to stick two of its claws between the bars. Vrehan had been focused on Cassandra and screaming after her, he may have not even realized the dragon’s presence in that darkness. There he was now, strangely pinned by Sire’s claws. He began making horrible sounds with his throat, gasping for air and making some animalistic groans, as if he was about to cough his blood.
Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand. Was he going to…?
However, the dragon started getting agitated in his cell, and moving around violently. Cassandra saw the walls behind them suddenly shaking under the pressure. Could he open this? If she managed to get Sire out, he could help Krai!
“Sire, keep pushing, please!” She yelled to him, while she ran for her little sword.
As the dragon had pulled back his claws, Vrehan was left holding the gaping holes on his throat and shoulder with his hands; Although the Dragon blood was trying to keep up to heal him, the pain had to be so bad he couldn’t stand straight and stumbled to try and get to Cassandra. He was in a nightmarish condition, but his bloodshot eyes were clear about what he was about to do next.
The young concubine didn’t even have time to be scared. She took her sword back, and when he approached, she held it up to defend herself. Vrehan had dropped his sword, but he was still coming for her, with his bare hands and clearly murderous intent. The situation was horrible, with the dragon going berserk behind them in his cell. Sire’s cries and screeches were deafening as he threw himself against the walls of his cell. Cassandra, while slowly retreating, kept an eye on that wall. The gushes of dust coming out between made no mistake; that wall could be burst out by the angry dragon. It would just take a bit more…
“Uuuugh… You….”
It was all going to be about the timing… If she could survive, resist him just a couple more seconds…
Vrehan approached slowly, looking nothing human anymore. He was nothing but wrath, a monster begging for blood, covered in blood himself. She tried to hold her sword and agitated it in his direction when he came close. She silently begged Sire to hurry. She had one crazy idea, maybe her last chance to survive this…
“You… Die!!!”
He threw his hand at her, still missing half of his fingers, but Cassandra raised her blade right in time to protect herself; The second Prince violently cut his hand on it, making another horrible screech, and grabbed the blade. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she felt no control over her weapon. Vrehan tore it away from her hands and threw it across the cell.
Cassandra realized she was about to die. Her eyes went towards the wall, and the bricks starting to give up. Even the roof above them was now spatting dust and little rocks, about to collapse…
She felt his hand suddenly grab her throat violently. She gasped for her, feeling the violent pressure of his grip. He was strong, so strong she was sure her nape was about to give in. She heard a furious growl somewhere far from them.
…inally…” he gasped with his throat still damaged.
The evil grin painted on his face, with his exhorted eyes and ravaged figure, was the worst sight to die to. Cassandra put her hands on his wrists, struggling, desperate to have him lessen his grip. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t feel a drop of air, and her lungs were painful already. Her throat was so painful, she felt tears in her eyes…
Suddenly, a horrible ruckus resonated behind them. She saw Vrehan turn eyes, panicked, right before the wall behind them started to collapse. Cassandra closed her eyes, for a split second that lasted very, very long. She saw her son’s adorable face, frowning like his dad and staring at his little dragon plushie. She saw Kian, jumping around the water, and running to Krai for play. She saw Shareen and Kareen, sitting together in a garden and laughing. And she saw Kairen, lying next to her in a bed, whispering some words she wanted to hear again.
Cassandra opened her eyes back, determined, and in a desperate attempt, she held furiously onto that wrist and pushed them both under the crumbling down stones.