Shattered (Part one)
As we rode for Dambrishe, night fell and we made camp. The sages had gotten something from the coven for us to eat before we left, so we all ate, and soon enough everyone slept off, including Giselle. Only Doya and I remained awake.
"Why aren't you sleeping? I'll keep watch," Doya said, his tone gentle and full of care.
"I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about my parents. I hope they're alright," I replied, guilt stabbing through me. I felt like I was the reason they had been taken.
"I'm sure they're fine," Doya assured me softly.
I sighed. "Alright, enough about me. Tell me, what's your story?" I asked, genuinely curious. I realised I knew almost nothing about him.
He looked at me, and for a moment his eyes flickered with something almost hidden, as though he was reluctant for me to know too much.
"There's nothing in particular about me," he began. "I come from the Labyrinth. I've lived for centuries, trapped in the loop ever since the Labyrinth was lost."
He paused, lost in thought for a moment. Pain crossed his expression, a flash of hurt in those sharp blue eyes before he continued. "My parents were caught in the cross fire during the war in the Labyrinth. They didn't survive. I've been alone for so long. The only thing that gave me comfort during the loop was the hope of seeing the guardian one day. When the loop ended, I waited for you every day until you finally showed up. I've been by your side since then, you just didn't notice."
He stopped there, but I could tell he was holding back more. I chose not to push him further. Instead, I asked,
"How are you so young? You've lived for so long. How didn't you age?"
"We were trapped in a loop where there was no time, no season, no date... no ageing. Everyone in the Labyrinth stayed the same," he explained.
"Alright then. What about the forsaken that escaped the Labyrinth before its disappearance? They came to Earth. Why are they still alive?" I asked.
He smirked slightly. "You know very little about the people from the Labyrinth. Naturally, we age slowly. We can live hundreds of years, the limit is about four hundred. Many of the forsaken who followed the god of destruction haven't aged because he promised them immortality. They remain exactly as they were when they swore allegiance."
That explained why Giselle's father still looked young, and why Grand Master Valkin was extremely old. They had both crossed over before the labyrinth disappeared, but Valkin had been a child then, ageing through centuries until he died.
"How did you know I was in trouble the day you saved me at the coven?" I finally asked the question that had haunted me for so long.
"You called for me," he said simply.
"I didn't even know you. How could I have called you?"
"We're connected in ways you cannot comprehend. I can feel you. I can feel how you feel. I hear it when you're in danger. That dreadful feeling you get when something bad is coming, it happens to me too, but only when the danger is toward you."
I blinked, shocked. "Wow. This explains a lot." I grinned, feeling oddly shy. Why was I shy? He lived for me. It was overwhelming. And frightening. And yet, comforting.
A silence grew between us, awkward and heavy.
"I think you should rest. Tomorrow will be a long day," he finally said.
"Um… yh. I think I need to rest now," I replied, avoiding eye contact as heat rose to my cheeks.
I lay down and fell asleep. I didn't go to the Labyrinth that night. Instead, I dreamed. In the dream I saw Doya as a child, playing in a beautiful field. Innocent. Peaceful. It filled me with warmth.
---
I woke the next morning feeling surprisingly rested, ready to rescue my parents. I glanced at Doya and he met my eyes with a warm, gentle smile.
"How did you sleep?" he asked.
"I slept good." He had no idea how good. "How about you?"
"It was okay," he replied plainly.
Everyone else was already up, so we continued our journey to Dambrishe. Before long, we reached a cliff overlooking the dark bastions of the forsaken. The horrible place where I had once been held hostage, and where my parents were now imprisoned.
We needed a plan. We couldn't just barge in.
Giselle stepped forward proposing a suggestion. "I know the layout. I can get us inside, but I can't guarantee safety," she began. "We should divide into two groups."
She gestured to illustrate her point. "Half of us go underground through the sewers. Dana's parents are most likely kept in the dungeon. Our goal is to get them out first before any fighting starts. The other half will stay outside and keep watch, just in case something goes wrong. And if we get caught, do not engage with weapons. No noise. No alarms."
She paused, thinking, then continued.
"There are ten sages and the three of us. Thirteen in total. I suggest Dana, Doya, three sages, and I go inside. The remaining seven stay outside. There will be guards at the dungeon gates. We'll cast a spell to knock them out, but it won't last long. Long enough to grab your parents, though."
I was impressed by how well she strategised, but I still had questions.
"What if my parents aren't there?"
"They will be. They always keep their captives in that dungeon."
"Okay. When do you suggest we go in?"
"Late at night, when most are asleep or preparing to sleep."
"How do I get Bali? And my scroll and compass?"
Giselle shrugged. "The horse won't be a problem, but the scroll and compass might. I don't know if I can get you into that room."
"Alright," I sighed. "We'll figure it out. Our main mission is to save my parents. If things go wrong, we must be ready to fight."
---
As the night settled in, we entered the bastion through the sewers. Seven sages stayed outside, alert and ready. Inside, we moved through cold, dripping tunnels. Only the sound of falling water echoed around us. I raised a firebrand to light the path.
We reached a small gate separating the sewers from the dungeon. I whispered a spell and the door creaked open.
Giselle led the way. After several turns, we reached the dungeon guarded by two armed forsaken. I whispered a silent spell that knocked them out instantly, though I knew it wouldn't last long.
We hurried to grab the keys. I looked inside and saw my mum. The moment her eyes met mine, hope lit up her face.
"Dana," she whispered.
"Mum, we're getting you out," I said, my hands trembling.
But she shook her head quickly. "No. No no no. It's a trap. They want you." A tear slid down her cheek. "They used us to get to you."
"We're ready for them. It's fine." I unlocked the door, swung it open, and scanned the room. "Where's Dad?"
"They took him someplace else. They kept me here. I think they're torturing him," she cried softly. "We searched for you while you were gone, we were worried sick, until they came to our shack and attacked us."
"Mum, we have to find Dad and get out."
I signalled Doya to help her, then turned toward Giselle with a glare sharp enough to cut.
"Where is the torture room?"