in Rhode Island
March 28th, 2004
This is a thing I've been working on, yes I know it's about Neopets (I'm so pathetic) but I will change it to humans (with wngs) later on. And yes, I know it's extremely long, but hey! So is the Lord of the Rings!
“Do they not know it’s raining?” A darigan Draik sneered. “Do they not know that the clouds are hurling a storm towards them? Are they such fools as to pay no heed to the bling and light coming from them?” He spat on the ground in disgust. “Pathetic.”
“They think they have won the battle, so they are celebrating. You cannot kill them for that.” His companion, a darigan Eyrie, said coldly.
The draik lifted his eyebrow slightly, a rare expression on his emotionless face. “Oh, can’t I?”
“It would be senseless also; after all they are going to be demolished tomorrow. Let them have their fun before their s.” The Eyrie replied.
“You’re growing soft, my friend. Stupid Meridell fools, their innocence disgusts me.”
“Indeed. They act as if they did not do anything wrong in their whole lives. They do not deserve to be alive.” The Eyrie said before turning and walking away.
“Who’s thirsty for now?” The cruel creature said mockingly; then he too turned away and headed the way his companion had gone. Away from the festival the people of Damen were having.
A skeith, a lupe and a kougra were sitting in a booth getting drinks when the two entered the bar. The lupe leaned over the table towards the skeith, “there they are. Those are the guys I was talking about.” He whispered.
The skeith leaned forward so he could hear what the red lupe was saying. “Which two?”
“Those in the doorway. See them, the Eyrie in the dark cloak?”
“Oh, that’s them? They don’t look so threatening.” The skeith said loudly. The kougra quickly covered his mouth.
“Do you not remember that we are in the Citadel? If they find out what we’re doing here they will surely slay us. And then you will not see the lush fields of Damen again!” She said harshly. The skeith gulped. He loved his country, and wanted to get back home as quickly as possible. So did his companions.
“So what do we do?” He asked. The bar was empty except for them, the bartender, and the two still standing in the doorway. “The bar is empty, we could ambush them. Capture them and hang them for treason back home.” The skeith said, his voice quieter then the last time he spoke.
“No. Remember what Captain Versi said about that? No fighting if it’s just the three of us. We must have more men with us if we wish to attack.” The lupe replied.
“But there is only two of the”-
“Hush! Both of you! They’re doing something!” The kougra interrupted. The three watched in silence as the Eyrie pointed out of one of the bar’s many windows. The draik followed his gaze and walked over to the window. He opened it, and reached outside to grab something. When he withdrew his paw he had something. The skeith got up.
“I’ll go find out what that is they have.” He whispered as he slid out of the booth. The lupe and the kougra watched what he did in awe.
As the draik walked to his companion the skeith bumped into him. Making him drop his possession. “Oh, I’m so sorry sir.” He said, picking up what had dropped. It was a note; he quickly read it as he gave it back.
The draik took the note, then looked at the creature suspiciously. As he met his partner at the door he whispered something in his ear. The Eyrie nodded, then moved to let his friend leave the bar.
“I don’t like the looks of this. What does he plan to do?” The lupe asked.
“I don’t know, maybe he just wants a drink.” The kougra answered.
The lupe looked at her scornfully. “We’re talking about one of the most dangerous neopets in the Neopia, Kya. He’s not going to buy a drink.”
“I was hoping for the best, Jay. Oh, please don’t let him kill Griffin.” Kya said, her voice sounded desperate.
Griffin was pretending to get some drinks from the bartender when the eyrie’s strong hand grabbed his shoulder. “Excuse me, sir, may I talk to you for a moment?” He said in a cold and dark voice. Griffin was frozen with fear. What should he do? The eyrie wouldn’t kill him. Or would it? He slowly turned around to face the winged beast. Its face was grave, serious. ly serious. Griffin could only think of one way out.
He quickly threw a punch at his enemy’s face, but the eyrie dodged it easily and caught his claw as it sailed past his head. Griffin struggled, frantically trying to get his arm back, but to no extent was his opponent going to let go of it. The darigan eyrie looked down at his arm, on which there was a tattoo of crown with a dragon coming out of it. At this point the eyrie could almost have smiled. “So, a knight of Damen has come to find out our plans. It’s about time.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Griffin said defiantly.
“Come now. Just admit it and maybe, just maybe I’ll give you a quick .” The eyrie took his other free hand and grabbed Griffin’s neck. He slowly lifted him up until he was at least three feet off the ground. “How long have you been here, and how much do you know?” He asked, his hand was closing around Griffin’s neck.
“I told you! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The eyrie let go of the skeith’s hand and reached for his scimitar.
“Don’t make me get the information out myself.” He said coldly, drawing his blade.
“NO! Don’t hurt him!” Kya suddenly jumped upon the winged beast.
“KYA! NO!” Jay ran over to Kya who was punching wildly at the flattened creature. “GET OFF KYA! YOU’LL GET HURT! KYA LISTEN TO ME! UMPH!” Kya was kicked back by her opponent and landed on Jay. Jay quickly grabbed Kya’s arm. “Now you did it Kya! Now he knows there are more of us!”
Kya pulled aggressively as the eyrie got up. “He’s going to kill Griffin! I have to stop him!” She tore away from Jay and ran toward the eyrie again. But this time her target was ready, when she tried to jump on him he grabbed her, spun her three times then let her fly. Jay watched as she broke through the wooden wall of the bar.
“Are these the best Damen has to offer?” He said, turning around to face the furious Jay. “Aren’t you planning on charging at me too?” He said, his voice ringing mockingly inside Jay’s head. “Come, come, I won’t even move.” He spread his arms to show that he had no weapons in them.
Jay cautiously drew his sword, and slowly got ready to charge.
The eyrie nodded slowly, “yes, that’s it. Charge at me with all your , with all your despair. Strike me with all your pain.”
Jay ignored the eyrie’s comment. “I’m not doing this for myself, I’m doing it for Kya.” He said before he charged. He lifted his sword up to strike but when it came down it did not hit the eyrie’s chest, where it was supposed to go. The eyrie held the sword in his hands. Jay watched as a trickle of dripped down his fist. “Doing it for Kya!? HA! You’ll soon be joining her.” He said, and only to make his statement true he flung Jay out to where Kya was lying.
The darigan eyrie followed Jay to where he landed. But as he walked through the hole in the wall he suddenly dropped. Jay just sat there, waiting in horror for him to get up. But he never did. Finally Jay got up and checked his pulse. “He’s alive alright,” he muttered to himself, “must be unconscious.”
“He is, don’t worry. I made sure of that.” A disembodied voice said behind him. Jay whipped around. Behind him was a shadow shoyru holding a dagger. “Ezra. How did you get here, pal?” Jay asked.
“King Darius said you were taking too long, so he sent me.”
“How’d you find us?” Jay asked curiously.
Ezra nodded to the gaping hole in the wall. “There aren’t a lot of huge holes in buildings in the of night, even here.”
“But it could’ve been anyone.” Jay replied.
“Did I say I was looking for you? As far as we knew in Damen, you three were . Now, come on. Let’s take this guy to the castle before ‘e wakes up. Doesn’t look like the kind of guy who’d give ya’ milk an’ cookies, now does he?” Ezra lifted the body of the eyrie up nodded towards Kya. “You pick ‘er up. Leave Griff, ‘fraid ‘e’s a one.”
Jay did as he was bid and picked up the body of Kya. “Now what?” He asked.
“Now ya’ ‘old onta me. Jus’ don’t get in the way of me wings.” Ezra replied. Jay grabbed hold of his tail; he d flying. The last time he had done it (which was with Ezra also) he had almost fallen off.
“Ready, bucko?” Ezra asked.
“Yup. No barrel rolls this time though.”
Ezra sighed. “Aw, mate, ya’ takin’ all the fun outta flyin’!” Then they took off into the dark of the night.
By the time they got to Damen Castle the eyrie had regained consciousness. But the odd thing was that he didn’t resist at all. No biting, no kicking, and the most bizarre thing of all, he never tried to escape. But even though he behaved on the trip to Damen doesn’t mean he behaved in King Darius’s court.
“Ah, Ezra. I see you found Jay. Very good, very good. So tell me, what information do you have for me?” King Darius said kindly. Darius was a gelert who always seemed to be optimistic no matter what happened.
Jay bit his lip, how was he supposed to tell the King that he had no information on what the draik was doing. “What do we do, Ezra? I have no information for him. OW! What was that for!?” He asked his friend who had just hit him on the head.
“Don’t ya’ remember that we ‘ave that great winged beast?” Ezra replied.
“Oh, him. Um…listen I really don’t think we should be bringing him into the King’s court.”
“Gentlemen,” Darius said, “you do have information don’t you?”
Ezra stepped up. “No, my king I’m ‘fraid we don’t…”
“But we do have someone who does.” said Jay, stepping up next to Ezra. He nodded to the shoyru go get him from the hallway. Ezra nodded and ran into the hallway. The court stood in silence for a few minutes until a cry from the hallway made them all jump.
“HOLY SMOKE!” Ezra ran back inside and grabbed Jay’s paw.
“Ezra! What do you think you’re doing?! EZRA!!” Jay cried as he was pulled unwillingly out into the hallway. “What is it, Ez-Oh my, who did this?” Lying along the hallway were the guards that normally lined the hallway leading to the court.
Ezra laughed at Jay’s face. “Ha! An’ you think I’m bad! Guess, who did it.” He said in a told-you-so voice.
“I don’t know, who?” Jay answered still staring straight at the carnage. The shoyru clutched his head and turned it to a darigan eyrie.
“Oh, just a certain eyrie.” Ezra said, walking towards the eyrie that was busy wiping off his claws.
“Ezra! What are you doing!” Jay asked as he rushed out and shook the shadow shoyru rapidly. “If he just killed all of those people, then what do you think he’s going to do to us!?! Especially the one who captured him in the first place!”
Ezra swatted at Jay’s paws, “oh, come on mate. I’ve heard of this guy. He does this on an average basis.”
“AND THAT MAKES YOU COMFORTABLE!?!” Jay asked, surprised.
Ezra gave him a look that he would only give mentally ill neopets. “Heck no! But they say that no one has ever-OH WILL YOU STOP LOOKIN’ AT ME LIKE THAT, MATE?!” And with that he pushed aside his friend and talked to the eyrie. The eyrie nodded and Ezra walked by Jay and towards the great doors of the King’s court. Jay ran to catch up with him.
“So? What did he say?” Jay asked.
“He said ‘e’ll come in in a moment. ‘E needs to get ready or somethin’. Look, Jay,” He said turning so Jay could see his face. It was serious, one of the only times it was. “The guy said ‘e didn’t kill ‘em all. So you’ve got nothin’ ta worry ‘bout.”
“Oh, so he just gave them all permanent damage that will make them all die soon?!” Jay said frantically.
“No. ‘E’s a smart ‘un, Jay. ‘E knows that if ‘e kills ‘em all, this’ll be ‘is last day on Neopia.” Ezra said as he walked back inside Darius’s Court, and bowed in front of the king. “Your majesty, ‘e says ‘e’ll be comin’ in, in a moment.”
The king nodded, “it took you a long time to find that out. This isn’t a joke is it?”
Jay was about to say “no, your majesty” but was too busy looking at the huge hole in the wall where the eyrie had entered. “EZRA!” Jay shouted angrily.
“Well, ‘e didn’t say ‘e’d do that!” Ezra shouted back, the screams of the King’s subjects were too loud to talk over.
“What is this?” The king’s voice silenced the screaming, and stopped everything else going on. “Who is this?”
Ezra stepped nimbly up to the king’s side. “Um…well…sir, that’s the one me an’ Jay captured. Although ‘e doesn’t really look like ‘e’s in a good mood ta chat now…”
The king turned his attention away from the shoyru and looked at the eyrie, which was still standing in the hole he had made, cleaning the of his claws. “What is your name?” The gelert shouted to the prisoner.
“Cadaver. Cadaver Reaker.” The eyrie said coolly, holding his clean paw up to eye level. The whole room gasped at his name.
“Cadaver the traitor. Cadaver, lord of the Citadel. I do hope you aren’t disappointed with the results you got from your little shoyru.”
The king seemed shocked. He motioned for Jay to come up to his throne. “Jay,” he whispered, “I want you to get Versi. He needs to see this.”
Jay nodded, “Where is he, Milord?”
“He’s in the dungeons, checking the cells.” King Darius replied.
Jay nodded and ran off to the dungeons.
The dungeons weren’t that far from the King’s court. It was just down the hallway to be exact. The castle had been built like that so the prisoners could be easily put in cells without going a long way. It took no time for the lupe to get the knight and bring him back to the court.
Versi was a burly acara knight. The best one in the kingdom of Damen. He bowed down in front of the king, “you called, milord.”
Cadaver snorted, “I suppose he called for you to deal with me? Am I correct, Darius?”
Versi whipped around to see Cadaver leaning against the hole he had made, still cleaning his claws. “Milord, you…he’s here…how…why?” the acara uttered.
“Silence, traitor! You will speak when spoken too!” A young mynci had been positioned to guard the eyrie until Versi had gotten there. Cadaver rolled his eyes at the order and turned on the guard, slamming him against the wall. “Listen, fool! Don’t just say it, slap them, kick them, or pull the chain around their necks! But never just say it, it makes you look so weak-not that you people are very strong-got that?” He growled, squeezing his clean paw around the mynci’s neck.
Ezra ran towards the eyrie quickly shouting, “STOP IT! STOP IT! YOU’LL KILL ‘IM”
Cadaver turned his head towards the shoyru and smirked. “As you wish.” And to everyone’s surprise, he dropped the mynci guard. He didn’t throw him, didn’t strike him, just dropped him.
Versi stepped forward and took the eyrie’s arm, “should I take him to the dungeons now, sir?”
Darius nodded, still in awe at the miracle that had happened.
Jay and Ezra were walking down to the infirmary to visit Kya. They did not speak a word until Ezra asked, “why do ya’ think ‘e listened ta me, Jay?”
Jay looked at him strangely, “What do you mean?”
“In the court, when ‘e was chokin’ that mynci an’ I tol’ ‘im ta stop…”
“And he stopped. I don’t know what happened either, friend. If you want we could ask the warden if we could visit him when we’re done. I need to take Kya down there anyway, she volunteered to clean them.”
“We’ll go when Kya’s awake ‘en.” Ezra said glumly.
“Oh, don’t be so dull, friend! Look, there’s the infirmary! Come on, Ezra, I’ll race ya’!” Jay said as he ran ahead of the shadow shoyru.
Kya had been sitting in bed nursing her broken arm when Jay burst in. “KYA! YOU’RE BETTER!”
“Jay, um…hi. What are you doing here?” She asked, startled.
“Just droppin’ by, mate!” Ezra said, winking at Kya.
“Oh, Ezra…where’d you come from? What happened? How’d we get out of the Citadel?”
“Ezra saved us…” Jay pointed over his back to Ezra. “What’s wrong with your arm?”
“I broke it when the eyrie threw me out. Talking about him, what happened to that dreaded beast? Did you kill it Ezra?” She asked with disgust.
Ezra glanced at Jay hesitantly; Jay bit his lip. Ezra sat on the edge of the kougra’s bed. “Well, ya’ see…’e is…well…we brought ‘im ‘ere.”
“WHAT!?!” Ezra flinched as she screamed in his ear (accidentally). Kya jumped out the bed and raced out of the door. “KYA!” Jay shouted after her. He looked at Ezra, “Skye will want to know what that shout was…can you keep her occupied until I get Kya back?”
Ezra’s face lit up as he smiled. Ezra had always had a thing for the nurse, ever since he first saw her face. “Gladly, mate! Now, you run along an’ catch your little ‘un. I’ll handle the dangerous part.” He said pushing Jay out of the doorway. Then shut the door just as a striped shoyru entered from another room.
“Kya? Where are you?” She said suddenly noticing the empty bed. She looked up at Ezra, “when did you get here, Ezra?”
“’Ello, Skye.” He said, ignoring her question. “Kya will be back in a moment.”
The warden had surprised Cadaver; he had expected a peaceful, oblivious, dim-witted, male creature for the job. Instead he got quite the opposite. First of all it was a female, and he was never that great with woman. Second of all it was an eyrie, another thing he didn’t cope well with at all (he was rather anti-social with them). And third of all she was one of the most independent things he had ever seen. And worst of all, she was beautiful. And from experience, Cadaver knew that those things put together made a dangerous creature.
“Here you go, Fire Eyes, a new guest.” Versi said after throwing the eyrie at a lump of red feathers. “Fire Eyes? Did you here me?” the acara said as he stood in the doorway. He probably wants to get away from this rancid place quickly, Cadaver thought. He looked down at himself and sneered. This is what he had become, a fool who got captured by the very pets he loathed. Pathetic. He had been bound in chains, legs and claws. He looked at his belt, where he once proudly wore his favorite weapon, his scimitar. Versi had stripped him of his weapon when he put the shackles on. I’ll kill that pesky knight one day, he thought to himself. He’ll regret even touching my fine weapon.
“I heard you, Ver, now git out of my dungeons!” The lump of feathers widened to reveal that they were wings.
Versi nodded, but being a knight he had to make some witty remark to Cadaver; and his was “enjoy your visit, your majesty.” Cadaver had encountered many pets that made jerky remarks such as Versi had just done. And he had dealt with them all the same way. The winged pet gave the knight his cold stare, the exact one that had made him infamous throughout Neopia. “Soon, knight, soon.” He said, his voice barely above a dark whisper. The acara shivered slightly and ran up the stairs leading to the dungeons.
“Come on, big boy. Let’s give you a cell.” Fire Eyes said, she was an eyrie. A red one. Cadaver allowed her to guide him to a cell. She shoved him inside, and locked the door. The prisoner looked around his cell. It was too clean. All the cells in a prison should be dirty and rancid, he thought to himself, just to make the prisoner’s stay even more horrible. He ran his finger over the wall, no slime, no dust, nothing uncomfortable.
“Not fit for you, you highness?” Fire Eyes was still outside his cell, watching him.
Cadaver glanced her, “No, its fine…but it’s not dirty. It should be a rancid place.”
She started to laugh, “I can make it dirty for you, traitor. We have lot’s of dung in Damen.”
“And that’s about it,” Cadaver said to himself.
“I heard that, birdy. Kya? Is that you?” Their short discussion had been interrupted by hurried footsteps on the stairs. Cadaver watched as his captor quickly went to the landing at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hi, Miriam.” Kya said. She never called Miriam by her nickname, only the males did.
“Hi, Kya. Come down to clean the cells again have ya’?” Miriam was the one of the only highly respected female soldiers in Meridell.
“I’m afraid I can’t, I broke my arm when I was in the Citadel.”
“I’ve got someone from the Citadel…”
“I know. That’s why I came down here. Do you think I could visit him?” Kya asked ly, but in her mind she was thinking of nothing else but stabbing him in the heart with the dagger she had stolen from the armory.
Fire Eyes shrugged, “I don’t suppose it could hurt. A little company wouldn’t do any harm, after all…you know what I do to my prisoners.” She winked at Kya mischievously. She turned around and took a key from a small key rack behind her desk. She handed them over to the kougra with a smile on her face. “Take your time now. He’s the last one on the right.” She sat down in the chair behind the desk and went back to her paperwork.
“Thank you.” And then she went down the corridor. She had always been proud of the dungeons. They must’ve been one of the neatest things in all of Damen. And she had cleaned them all, every month.
She reached the last cell and peered inside. There wasn’t any furniture in the last cell, so the prisoners had to sit on the musty floor. Today, Damen’s most d enemy was sitting in the right corner, staring right at Kya.
The kougra quickly unlocked the cell and stepped in, leaving the door ajar. “What happened to Griffin?” She snapped.
“I killed him.” The winged pet said nonchalantly. “He shouldn’t have tried to strike me, or at least worn gloves.”
Kya drew her blade from the coat she was wearing and held it menacingly towards the eyrie. “I should’ve known that was what you were going to do.” She was ashamed of herself for asking such a foolish question. “But at least you’ll pay for your crimes.” She said, getting ready to throw the dagger.
Cadaver nodded towards the weapon. “You don’t know how to use that. You’ve never held a dagger in your life. Your weapon is the axe.”
“Oh, yeah?” She threw the dagger, aiming it at his head. She missed; she missed by a lot. Cadaver looked at the left corner where the dagger had landed; he slowly got to his feet and motioned to the dagger. “Proof. You’ve never held a blade in your life, let alone throw one.” He walked over to the weapon and freed it from the wall. “Thank you for it by the way. It shall prove quite useful to me in the near future.” He said as he spread his wings.
“What do you think your doing?”
“You’d best get out of the way. Unless you would like to get hit.” His wings started to beat their steady beat and his feet lifted from the ground. Kya gasped, “You’re going to escape.” She rushed out of the cell and ran as fast as she could towards Miriam’s desk. But before she could reach it the eyrie flew by, as quickly as light. She could hear Miriam from up above.
“What are you doing out?!” the drawing of a blade could be heard, then beating wings. Kya scrambled up from the ground and ran towards Miriam. “Wait! Miriam, wait! I’ll help you!” But by the time she had gotten to her desk, she was gone. Kya cursed under her breath as she ran up the stairs with no weapon.
Jay was extremely far behind Kya. He didn’t even know where exactly she was. “Maybe she’s in the armory…” he said to himself. Kya had always been picky about what weapon she chose. It had to have a golden or silver hilt with a jewel at the bottom, or a stout bow and swift arrows.
Jay turned back the way he came. He had passed the armory already, and wasn’t very far from it. It was the same hallway as the one that led to the dungeons and Darius’s Court. It was also the same hallway that led to the drawbridge.
It was late at night, which Jay could tell as he passed the arched windows. When it was night in Damen, it just turned pitch black, none of that dark pretty shade of blue you see outside your window every night. Just pitch black.
Jay walked by the guards as he calmly walked into the armory room. They were sitting with their backs to the wall and their heads down on their chests. Jay sighed; some of the soldiers in Damen were so lazy! He bent down to one of them, a red draik, and lifted its head with his paw. “Come on, buddy. You’re on duty. You can’t sleep on that!” Jay whispered to him. The draik didn’t wake up. “Hmm…must be new to the job.” Jay said to himself as he walked into the armory.
The armory was big. Real big. The room was bigger than the Court. Weapons were scattered here and there. A few were on hooks, most likely the soldier’s favorite weapons, but most were thrown upon the floor. There was a bulls-eye in on the far wall, which the soldiers used to test arrows and throwing knives. There weren’t any recent arrows on the bulls-eye. So that means she probably took a dagger, Jay thought. Swords were too noticeable, which is why Jay had ruled out that suggestion.
“Kya! Kya!” Jay shouted. He waited until the echo faded until he shouted her name again, “Kya!” He scanned the armory for her, but it was much too big to find someone by first glance.
“I don’t believe she is here.” A melancholy voice said from behind. “She was in the dungeons last time I saw her, but I have this feeling that she’s following me.” Jay could feel the cold tip of a blade on his neck.
“Tell me where my weapon is, Jay.” The voice ordered.
“Cadaver?”
“Tell me where my blade is, Jay. Let us not waste precious time on names.”
“So, it is you then.”
Jay could felt a tiny in his neck, as if his mind was telling him that he shouldn’t have said that. Jay bit his lip, “What if I told you I don’t know where your weapon is?”
“Oh, come now Jay! You must’ve seen where Versi put it! He must’ve told you! Let’s not play silly games, lupe. I don’t have time!” The sword’s point pushed deeper into his fur.
“I don’t know! Honestly! You may kill me if you want, Cadaver, but that will just waste time won’t it?” Jay whispered softly but loud enough so his captor could hear.
“Tell me where he sleeps then!” He said curtly.
“Why!? He won’t be there anyway!” Jay shouted back.
“He doesn’t have to be. Just tell me.” The eyrie said. His was voice back to his polite-yet-deadly tone. Jay turned around and faced the escapee. His eyes met with the eyrie’s ice cold ones, as he said softly, “no.” Jay watched as Cadaver’s eyes burned with fierce loathing.
“Why don’t you just use the weapon that you’re threatening me with?” he whispered. Jay waited, but he got no reply. “What’s wrong, Cadaver?” He asked. Cadaver was facing the hallway but being wary to stay behind the doorway.
“Quiet!” He snapped, “Listen!” Jay did what he was bid and turned his ear towards the hallway. It sounded like air moving out of its way for something, fast. Air, moving out of its way for wings; Jay thought. “Lady Fire Eye’s wings!” Jay whispered to himself. He glanced at Cadaver, the eyrie was at his mercy…so what should he do?
“Come on out, Big Boy! I know your there! Come on out and I might spare your sanity and give you your normal cell!” Miriam’s voice echoed through the hallway. She didn’t need to worry about being quiet, all the soldiers, subjects and every other inhabitant of the castle were in their nice, cozy beds. Jay cast a worried glance at Cadaver. The eyrie was hardly breathing. “I would run to the kitchens if I were you, Fire Eyes starves her fugitives once she gets hold of them.” Jay whispered to Cadaver. The escapee ignored his advice, or he had heard it but was just in too much danger to reply. The beating of air had stopped, and now footsteps could be heard as Fire Eyes drew closer to her prey.
“Come on out, birdie! I always catch my fugitives!” She called tauntingly. Her voice had a ly tone. It sounds a bit like Cadaver’s voice, Jay thought. Her footsteps were drawing closer. Soon she was staring through the door, her fiery eyes aglow yet again. Jay gulped, this was the way the warden had gotten respect, and her nickname. “What happened, Fire Eyes?” Jay said, his voice quivering.
“Is he in here, Jay?” she said, her voice struck him as an arrow would.
“Who? Who are you talking about?”
“Cadaver. The traitor. The lord of the citadel. Shall I go on with useless titles?”
Jay looked around hesitantly. Why hadn’t he told Fire Eyes where the eyrie was? It’s not like he liked him, did he? “I don’t think he’s in here…” Jay said. He d lying to the warden, he didn’t know why but her eyes just made him feel horrible. Of course that was what every other male neopet in the castle did when they looked at her flaming eyes.
“Just tell me, Jay. Is he in here?” She asked. Her voice was softer now, soothing almost. “Where is Cadaver, Jay?”
“I don’t know! I was just looking for Kya okay!” Jay shouted; he couldn’t stand looking into Miriam’s sweltering eyes any longer.
“Kya’s behind me. She should be catching up with me any moment now. And when, if, she finds Cadaver, she’ll attempt to kill him. And she might succeed. You don’t want that to happen do you, Jay?” Her voice was calm and hypnotizing. Jay tried to resist, tried to fight against telling her where the fugitive was.
“I don’t want that to happen as much as I want you to starve him to .” Jay said defiantly. The warden smirked knowingly.
“So, he is in here. Very well then.” Her voice regained its ly tone as she spread her wings and flew above Jay’s head. Her wingtips almost touched the ceiling as she reached the top and looked around the armory. It was only then, when silence had fallen among the room, that Jay heard the wings beating out in the hall. He looked towards the corner where Cadaver had watched Fire Eyes approach. The eyrie wasn’t there. He must’ve slipped out while I was talking to Miriam, Jay thought. He looked up at the warden; she had heard the wing beats too. Now, Jay could see, she was bracing herself for a quick flight. One that might catch her prey.
Something inside of Jay told him to go then, to warn Cadaver, to protect him. He didn’t know why he wanted to do this, but he just felt he had too. So he ran. He ran as fast as he could out of the dungeon and into the hallway. And there he was, the great winged beast. His wings were flapping furiously and his speed was amazing, as he flew determinedly towards the exit. Jay ran after him, hoping he would get to the drawbridge before the angered warden. But, when an eyrie wants to fly fast, they can fly fast. Miriam swooped out of the armory, quicker than lightning. But Cadaver was almost at the drawbridge.
Cadaver could see his goal, ever so close, but he could also feel his opponent gaining on him. He had snuck out of the armory while Jay was being interrogated. When he had gotten out he half-heartedly flew to the exit, not wanting to leave his precious scimitar in Versi’s filthy paws. But while escaping he had managed to assure himself that he would get it back. He would.
He arrived at the drawbridge in a matter of seconds. He chanced a glance behind him, just to see how far away the warden was from him. She wasn’t that far. Cadaver cursed under his breath as he forced all his weight and strength against the drawbridge. The wood creaked under his mighty strength while Fire Eyes shrieked with anger.
“NOBEAST EVER ESCAPES ME!”
The bridge was moving too slow, and the warden was coming closer. Cadaver stepped back and rammed the drawbridge with his shoulder. That did the trick. The drawbridge collapsed onto the opposite bank with a loud noise. Cadaver waited a moment to listen to the consequences of the noise. He heard shouts. Not good. He also heard footsteps coming from the second level. Worse. The soldiers had awakened. He looked behind him and ducked. Miriam flew over his head and out in the open air. Archers had assembled on the castle wall; their bows ready to fire.
Up above their heads, Miriam Fire Eyes pointed at her fugitive and growled, “wait till I get you, Birdie, wait till I get you!”
Not chancing to fly, Cadaver ran across the drawbridge. Arrows zipped by his body; he had to hand it to the Dameners. They had good aim. An arrow pierced his wing; Cadaver winced. That would prevent him from flying for awhile. Solid land looked so far away. How could he make it?
Jay stood gaping at the battle going on outside. He watched as the from the eyrie’s wound splattered against the wood. Jay felt the urge to run out and help him, but he resisted. A grave expression on his face as he watched the fugitive run, dodging all the arrows that came his way. He watched as Fire Eyes watched, her sword at the ready, just in case her prey decided to fly. The archers were firing flaming arrows now. “Probably an order from Fire Eyes.” Jay muttered. Miriam always controlled a significant part of the army, especially for a female.
“Second rank, fire! First rank, reload!” Miriam barked.
A hail of fiery arrows was upon Cadaver in an instant. He dodged them all. The wood behind him, scorched.
“Second rank, reload! First rank; fire! He will not escape me!” Miriam barked. She smiled down, evilly at Cadaver, suddenly realizing his wing injury. She flew down and landed softly on the end of drawbridge. She held up her paw and the archers ceased firing. “You have nowhere to go, Cadaver.” She said her voice had no sympathy, no pity, no feelings in it whatsoever. The darigan eyrie stopped abruptly, “I won’t go back.” He stood defiantly, stock-still, then did something nobeast had thought he would do. He dived into the castle’s moat. And if there is one thing eyrie’s can’t do, it’s swim.
Miriam stood still, shocked at what her enemy had done. The soldiers on the walltop couldn’t hold their laughter. It was the first time Fire Eyes had missed her prey, and it was such a simple mistake! “Shut your blabbers!” Miriam snapped, her anger taking over. “You think it’s so funny, you’ll be joining him soon enough! Just wait till I get up there!” The soldiers hushed, fear had frozen them to their spot. No one wanted to mess with Fire Eyes when she was in a bad mood.
“Good! Now, git back to your posts!” Miriam barked. She walked up to Jay and sighed. “Shut the bridge, will you? I’ll be busy telling the king about my…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. Jay couldn’t help but feel pity for her. Cadaver was an important prisoner, and for loosing him, she might loose her position. He closed the drawbridge and then marched up to his dormitory. It had been a long night.
Miriam Fire Eyes stood before the king, his subjects and Versi. Her head was bowed low, she couldn’t bring herself to look into the king’s eyes. She had packed her things up, just so she would be ready to leave, which was what she was probably going to do.
“What have you to say for yourself, Miriam?” Darius asked, his face was grave. But his eyes showed dissapointment. He liked the red eyrie.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t think he would dive.” Miriam replied; she still didn’t look up.
“And why, may I ask, did you think that?” Versi asked, dissapointment in his voice.
“Eyrie’s aren’t very good swimmers, sir.”
Jay, Ezra, Skye, and Kya stood in the crowd of the subjects listening to their friend’s punishment. Kya forced Jay to take her along after he told her what had happened. She hadn’t listened to anything Jay said about it not being her fault. She knew it was, after all, if she hadn’t left the cell door open Miriam wouldn’t be standing in front of them with her head facing the floor.
“Is that a proven fact, Fire Eyes?” Versi asked.
“Yes. The eyrie’s wings are too heavy for the eyrie to pull when they get wet. They drown.” Miriam answered.
“Is there any chance that he will survive it?” King Darius asked.
This time Miriam looked up at the king. “No.” She said softly. A loud raucous ated from the crowd when she said this. Kya bit her lip as light tears fell down from her eyes. “It’s all my fault. She shouldn’t be up there. They’re going to throw her out!” She started to cry, tears streaming from her eyes. Ezra held her close, and patted her back. “It’s okay, mate. Good ol’ Fire Eyes’s smart. Wouldn’t do ta worry ya’self ‘bout her.” He said softly.
“I see.” Darius said when the crowd had silenced. “You know what this means don’t you?” He asked.
Miriam nodded, sadly. “Yessir. I got me things packed up already. I’ll be out of here as soon as you want me to.” She said, tears were breaking through her tought eyes.
Darius nodded. “It grieves me to say this, Miriam, but I’m afraid that Cadaver was too important for him to esca”-
“NO!” Kya ran out to Miriam and held her arm tightly. Tears were pouring from the kougra’s eyes. “It’s my fault, sir! I left the cell open! Don’t send Miriam away please! PLEASE!” She said pleadingly.
Darius waved his paw. “Even though you might’ve freed the prisoner, Miriam did not catch him. Thus I must”-
“BUT IT WAS ONLY ONCE! ONCE! SHE HASN’T LET ANY OTHER PRISONERS ESCAPE! PLEASE, SIR! PLEASE!” Kya screamed.
“I must ask you to leave.” Darius said, ignoring Kya’s outburst.
“NOOOOO! PLEASE, SIR! PLEASE!” Kya shrieked through her tears. Ezra ran up to her and tried to escort her back to Jay and Skye, but she wouldn’t allow it. “PLEASE, SIR! HAVE MERCY! IT WAS ONLY ONCE!” But the king was already getting up out of his throne and walking away, with Versi following him.
“NO! PLEASE, SIR! WAIT!” Kya cried. “BANISH ME! I FREED HIM! PLEASE, SIR! NOT MIRIAM!” Kya cried. The ex-warden hugged Kya, tears falling from her face to the ground.
“It’s okay, Kya. It’s okay. Visit me, will you?” She whispered, her tears running down Kya’s spine.
“NO! MIRIAM! YOU’RE NOT LEAVING! NO!” Kya said pushing the eyrie away from her. Her eyes were watery. She backed away shaking her head, “no, you won’t go. You can’t!” She ran out of the court, shaking her head, stumbling and crying. “NO! YOU CAN’T!” Jay, Ezra, and Nurse Skye followed her.
Miriam stood in the center of the court, shaking her head slowly. “G’bye guys. I’ll remember you.”
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