Chapter 2: The Escape

"LOCK her up. It's the king's order," said the man carrying a quiver of arrows. 

That's right. Arrows... They planned this all along! The arrows, the invaders — it was all planned in order to abduct me! 

What's the matter with my life and it's so messed up? I can't think of anyone who has grudges at me, except perhaps Alexis. But she'll never go too far to this extent! 

I crinkled my nose at the stinky wet floor I am standing on. Narrowing my eyes, I glanced at the rusty chains and bars in between the four mossy brick walls surrounding me. It has been half an hour since I woke up and this is where I found myself — a stinky dungeon. 

For the past few minutes, my ears were filled with groans and cries of agony from distinct voices behind the bars. It's enraging! How dare they seize people with no abilities to fight for themselves! 

I dragged my feet closer to the metal bars and held on to them. My hands were as cold as ice and gotten colder as I touched the rails. There is something about this place. Not just a normal stinky dungeon, I say. The place was full of mist, leaving every part of my body shiver in chills.

"Hello?! Can anyone hear me?"  I called through the rails, kneeling — unable to stand straight. 

A few cries responded from beyond the walls, some were perhaps too weak to speak. 

I swallowed a ton of saliva, gaining my courage back. If no one will at least try to make an effort and escape, we'll rot in here for heaven knows how long. Someone must stand up on behalf of everybody. 

"We ... We might be able to get through this if we'll work together!" 

I pursed my lip as a tear fell through my cheek. Not even a single soul answered me, as though the hopelessness has deafened them. It was idiotic of me to think that we'll get out of here when we're surrounded by enormous walls. 

I let myself fell over and sat on the cold floor. Specks of dust were sticking on my bare feet as I sat through them. If only I had known that this will happen, I should've readied myself. Or maybe I should've listened to Ashley's warning! Fuck this life! 

I crossed my arms, placing them on top of my knees. I leaned over it and let myself contain the panic rising in my core. A sob broke out of my lips as I pressed my eyes even tighter. Now, I'm one of them. One of the victims. Listening to their cries were sending me a terrible nightmare. My whole life, I was perfectly safe and this happened! How fucked up!

I shrieked in terror when the sound of chains banged to the metal rails in front of me. I looked up and a bruised woman met my gaze. She stared at me but it was broken out when the cloaked man behind pushed her to the ground. I stared blankly for a few seconds before the man vanished from our sight. 

Although shaking uncontrollably, I crawled in the direction of the woman who hadn't moved even a finger or a toe. 

I reached for her hand which was as cold as mine. "Miss?" 

No response. 

I called to her again and pressed my palm against hers. This gesture made her head turn but it was completely a wrong move. 

I stiffened, wide-eyed, like lightning had just struck on me. 

She stared at me, not blinking. Her eyes were plain and blank as though covered with white cloud, almost looking solid. Is she ... Is she blind? 

Just as when I was about to withdraw my grip on her hands, she blinked. She moved her hands and they found mine. As faint as a baby's whisper, she mumbled something I could not comprehend. 

My forehead creased. What was that? 

"Miss, are you okay?" Stupid, Despaire! Of course, she's not okay! 

"Yeah, I am." 

With no second to waste, I backed away from her in surprise. She startled me! If I could see myself in a mirror now, I must've look unexplainable. I am not quite sure what to feel. It's a relief that she's all right, as what she said. But it seemed like she's playing at me! 

Her eyes were still all white, but she's giving me glances as if she can clearly see me!

What's with this woman? 

"Pity for Davus. He should have at least tried to clean these dungeons, you know," she blurted out of the blue. Okay ... Enlighten me! She has eyesight, does she? And Davus — what? 

"Pardon?" I jerked my head closer but eventually drew back when she moved hers forward, too. 

She narrowed her round eyes that are now twinkling in luminous brown. What the -- how did it happen that her eye color changed!? 

I shot a mix of surprised and confused look when she went on her feet and stood up as if she's unharmed — oppose to how vulnerable she was earlier. She blew a whistle of the wind and jerked her head through the rails. 

"Sorry if I surprised you but I'm not blind," she mumbled, of all a sudden. 

I took a deep breath and get on my knees. "Who are you? Your eyes ... How did it ...?" I stopped at the middle of my sentence when she faced me, combing her shoulder-length hair with her fingers. 

"Just wait and see," she hissed, moving closer to me. "They'll be here in a minute." 

"Who?" I asked but she only smirked in response. 

I sat back down again and let her have her time. Not a minute later, a fair few footsteps marched in our direction. I looked around and saw the woman beaming at two men wearing a shredded tee underneath a black cloak. I could not see their faces for they were covered with a black whole-faced mask engraved with weird symbols. 

The other guy moved closer to where was the woman. I did not move but holding my breath, I focused my ears on their conversation, hoping to overhear some things. 

"All guards cleared," whispered the man. "How is it going here, Yvonne?" 

Yvonne ... Her name is Yvonne. 

"I made a friend." I looked away when she glanced at me. 

Just then, silence followed their conversation. I tried to move closer, hoping to hear more but instead of whispers, an explosion broke the eerie silence. 

I stood up in a panic and dragged my feet to the corner of the wall. But to my surprise, Yvonne grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer as the bars creaked open. My jaw dropped when the other guy took out a golden sword.

W-where did that sword come from? It wasn't there earlier. I swear! 

A strong force thrust against our body, making my brown hair flow with the wildness of the wind. The surrounding walls and rails went blurry as my body went less heavy. 

Another explosion convulsed the area but all I see is in haze! Though, I can still feel Yvonne's hands on mine. It's as though my eyes were covered with clouds. Screams and agonizing cries were resounding in my ears. Followed by curses of men with deep voices, all sounding the same! 

I blinked and blinked and blinked but nothing has gotten better. My eyes ... Oh please, no! 

"Yvonne?" I called out. "Yvonne, I can't see! What's happening?!" 

Her grip tightened but I did not receive any response. This can't be! 

"Please, answer me!" 

Still, no one responded. I blinked once more as I started to see silhouettes of towering trees. 

Wait, what? 

Trees? In the dungeon?

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. I must be out of my mind! I'm seeing things. 

"You can open your eyes now," said a soothing but deep voice of a man. 

A man? Yvonne was with me! 

Hoping to catch a glimpse of silhouettes once more, I slowly opened my eyes. And to my gratitude, everything is clear now! As clear as crystalline ice! I roamed my sight and I was taken aback when I realized I'm not in the old stinky dungeon anymore. Surrounding me are trees and shrubs, and a bunch of flowers. 

How? How did I get here? 

I looked around as I heard several footsteps heading in my direction. From afar are two figures of a woman and a man marching towards my way. 

I narrowed my eyes and pressed my lips together, hardly recognizing them. 

It was Yvonne, together with a masculine man holding a silver sword as sleek as his blonde hair tugged over his ears, exposing his fine jawline. 

"Hurry up," the man beside me spoke. 

So, he was the man with a soothing deep voice? His perfectly shaped jawline complements his mid-parted hairstyle. A ray of sun was beaming through his captivating deep blue eyes, like a skilled master of hypnotism. 

"Staring is rude," he spoke up, pursing his pink plumpy lips.

I looked away in discomfort. Yeah, that was rude. So stupid of you, Despaire!

Yvonne and the long-haired guy stood in front of us, both having smirks on their faces. And all I could do what to stare and wait for somebody to explain what's going on. 

"Done?" asked the blue-eyed man again, facing Yvonne. 

The latter return a grimace and spoke, "Game over." 

"IS THAT—," I paused with an awed expression. "Is that a flying horse? I mean— a pegasus?" 

A chuckle from Yvonne and the long-haired guy, Exi, responded. 

Yvonne looked up to where I am staring amazed at. "You think?"

My head nodded automatically, without effort, while my eyes are still locked at the three flying horses above the carriage we're into. They were all shaded in rusty orange, pale yellow, and white skin, along with their shiny pointed horns that glow when meets with the ray of sun. 

How could this be possible? Creatures like pegasuses are myths! I'm not going mental, aren't I?

"Where are we?" I asked, breaking the silence. "What's this place called?" 

I unfixed my stare away from the fascinating pegasus and shifted my gaze to the wide lawns, towering trees, and brick made houses surrounding us. Despite the bumpy ride of the wooden carriage, my eyes can't seem to contain an awestruck look while giving my earnest stare at the stunning place. 

Unfamiliar, yet pleasingly odd. 

There is certainly no place like this in our town, living all my life there, there surely is nothing as astonishing as this one. 

Where the hell am I? 

My eyes went on Yvonne who's consciously fixing her hair, messed up by the blowing wind. 

"Where are we?" I asked, again. 

"Hmm ..." she hummed in a singsong tone. "Can't you tell?" 

Can't I? Well, this place fits the exact description of a fairytale world. 

Yvonne gave me a weird stare. "If you're thinking about fairytales, nope, this is not." 

My forehead creased. "So, exactly where are we, then?" 

"You'll know when we get there," Exi replied and tugged his hair behind his ears. Beside him is the blue-eyed guy whose eyes are fixed staring at me blankly. I cleared my throat and avoided his gaze, breaking the eye contact. 

"And where are we heading to?" I asked, not looking at any of them. 

I waited for Yvonne's response but nothing came. Instead, the baritone voice of the blue-eyed man echoed.

"Audowin," he said, still having his blank stare. "The heart of Terralona." 

I jerked my head forward. "Terra—what?" 

Yvonne clapped her hands in all of a sudden, which took me by surprise, I almost fell off of my cushioned seat. She fixed her eyes on mine with an ear-to-ear smile flashed on her face. 

"Terralona — this world," she acknowledged.

My brows narrowed even more. 

World? Terra—something is a world? 

I stiffened. 

"Hold up—" I clasped my hands over my mouth. "Are you aliens!? That— that's not possible! Am I not on Earth?" 

Yvonne patted my shoulders while pressing her lips, holding her giggles. 

"This world — Terralona," she restated, "and Audowin — your new home."