บท 10: New ally's
Jaxon's pacing had become a rhythmic accompaniment to Nienna's hoarse cries for help. His jaw was set, his hands clenched into fists, and his eyes blazed with frustration. The small, dingy room seemed to be closing in on him, the walls suffocating him with their silence.
Nienna, on the other hand, had been shouting for help for what felt like an eternity. Her voice was hoarse, her throat parched, and her eyes sunken with exhaustion. But still, she refused to give up, her determination to escape burning brighter with every passing moment.
Finally, Jaxon's patience snapped. "No one is coming, give it a rest!" he barked, his voice sharp as a whip.
Nienna's eyes flashed with anger, and she retorted, "Well, at least I'm doing something other than pacing a hole in the ground!"
Jaxon's face darkened, and he slammed his fist against the wooden table in the center of the room. The table splintered in protest, the sound echoing through the silence like a crack of thunder.
"It's always a fight with you," he snarled, his eyes blazing with anger.
Nienna's face reddened, and she yelled back, "Because that's the only way with you!"
The air was thick with tension, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words. Jaxon's hands were clenched into fists, and Nienna's eyes flashed with defiance.
Just as it seemed like the argument was about to escalate further, the door to their prison burst open. Aria strolled in, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"There's this thing called knocking," Jaxon growled, his eyes narrowing "I should teach you sometime,"
Jaxon's face darkened, but Aria enters, waltzing in like she owned the place, I mean she did but still "You're captives, courtesy isn't really ideal in this situation."
Nienna's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "You think this is funny? I can't defeat my uncle from in here, your mom is crazy!"
Aria nodded in agreement, her expression somber. "Yea...yeah, I know. Which is why I have a plan to free you from this place."
Jaxon and Nienna stared at her in shock, their faces mirroring each other's surprise. "What?!" they both exclaimed in unison.
Aria's smirk grew wider, and she said, "You heard me. But I have a condition."
Jaxon's eyes narrowed, and he growled, "What kind of condition?"
Aria's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she said, "I'll tell you, but first, you have to promise me one thing: you have to take me and my brother with you."
The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the three occupants. Jaxon and Nienna exchanged a wary glance, and then Jaxon spoke up.
"What makes you think we want to take you and your anger issues brother with us?" he asked, his voice skeptical.
"Your one to talk" Nienna grumbles under her breath
Aria's smile faltered, and she looked at them with a serious expression. "Because I know things," she said. "Things that could help you on your journey. And I'm willing to share them with you plus rain has awesome fighting skills, if you take me and rian with you."
Nienna's eyes narrowed, and she asked, "What kind of things?"
Aria hesitated, and then spoke up. "I know the layout of the village, and the guards' patrol routes. I know where the keys are kept, and how to sneak past the guards undetected. And I know where the map is, the one that will lead you to the lost city of Tamarang."
Jaxon's eyes widened in surprise, and Nienna's expression changed from skepticism to interest. "Go on," Jaxon said, his voice low and even.
Aria's smile returned, and she said, "I'll tell you everything, if you promise to take me and my brother along with you."
Jaxon snorted, his expression incredulous. "Why would you want to come with us anyway, I think you guys are pretty set here, you've got the crazy mum, the paranoid parents, kidnapper friends...the entire package." He shook his head, his eyes rolling in exasperation.
Nienna nudged him, her eyes warning him to be more tactful. "What he's trying to say is that it's not easy to leave your hometown and your family," she said, her voice softening the blow.
Aria sighed tiredly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Our parents are suffocating," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I and Rian and the other kids...we're not healers. We actually wield forbidden powers."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand towards them, and her fingers began to glow with an icy blue light. The air around her hand seemed to shimmer and dance, as if the very temperature had dropped. Nienna's eyes widened in awe, and Jaxon's face went pale with shock. Aria's hand returned to normal, but the implications of what they had just seen hung in the air like a challenge.
"I thought there was a ban," Jaxon said, his voice laced with incredulity. "How did you hide it?"
Aria's eyes dropped, and she spoke in a barely audible whisper. "My mum had us...and we had to learn how to fight on our own to defend ourselves. We've been living in secret, always looking over our shoulders, waiting for someone to discover our secret."
Nienna's expression softened, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on Aria's arm. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice filled with empathy. "No one should have to live like that."
Aria's eyes lifted, and a spark of determination flared to life within them. "So you see...I can't live like that anymore. And neither can Rian. When we heard all the adventures you've had...I decided we had to be part of it. We want to explore the world, to discover our true potential, and to fight for what's right."
Nienna nodded, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Well, glad to have you on board, but if we will leave at all, we must leave now, before the crazy chief keeps us here till we rot."
Jaxon muttered, packing up the little belongings they had in that place. Thankfully, they were lucky enough to be thrown in here with their bags. "Hey!" Aria said, her nose scrunching up at the name Jaxon gave her mother.
"No offense, sparky," Jaxon mumbled, not looking up from his packing.
Nienna's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed in concern. "But wait...the bandits say they're coming back, and if we leave now, they'll be defenseless."
Jaxon rolled his eyes, his expression exasperated. "Curse you and your sense of justice," he muttered.
Aria chuckled, a wry smile twisting her lips. "I'm with grumpy on this one," she said, nodding in Jaxon's direction.
Nienna sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Aria, can you tell us more about your mother? Why is she so determined to keep us here?"
Aria's expression turned somber, her eyes clouding over. "My mother isn't the type to let go of her ideals. If she believes that you, Nienna, should be held hostage till the war is over, then that's what will happen. And everyone else will follow her blindly."
Nienna's eyes narrowed, her jaw setting in determination. "Then we just have to make her see...show her we want to help."
Aria shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "There's really no making her do anything. The only way that can happen is..." Aria trailed off, snapping her fingers as a mischievous glint sparked to life in her eyes. "A bet!"
Jaxon's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Nienna's eyes lit up, a grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, a bet! We'll tell her to do it her way, try to negotiate with the bandits, and if that works, she's free to keep us for as long as she feels. But if it doesn't work...we resort to our methods...fists and bam bam!"
Nienna made punching gestures, a fierce glint in her eye. Aria chuckled, a wicked smile twisting her lips.
Jaxon raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "Easy there, what do we do if the bandits grow a heart and listen to her?"
Aria scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Those guys are hard as steel...and even if they do, miraculously grow a heart, we'll just sneak away in the dead of night and possibly give my mother a heart attack...no harm done," Aria finished, shrugging nonchalantly.
Nienna chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're a wicked one, Aria."
Jaxon shook his head, a wry smile twisting his lips. "You two are a pair, I'll give you that."
Aria grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hey, someone's got to keep things interesting around here."
Later that night, the group made their way to the large meeting hall where the chief and her elders were gathered for dinner. The room was filled with the savory aromas of roasting meats and steaming vegetables, and the sound of laughter and conversation.
As they approached the table, the chief looked up, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Who let you out, guards?" she called, trying to appear calm.
Aria stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. "We did," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And we're here to make a proposal."
The chief's expression turned skeptical, but she nodded for them to continue. "I am fair and just, and if my children are involved, then I should hear them out."
Aria smiled, a wicked glint in her eye. "Good, because we're only going to make this offer once. We'll let you try to negotiate with the bandits, and if that works, you can keep us as hostages for as long as you want. But if it doesn't work..." Aria trailed off, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
The chief's eyes narrowed, her expression unreadable. "Go on," she said, her voice dripping with skepticism.
Nienna stepped forward, a fierce glint in her eye. "If it doesn't work, we'll take matters into our own hands. We'll fight the bandits, and we'll win. And when we do, we're leaving this place behind, and we're never coming back."
The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the occupants. The chief's expression was unreadable, but Aria's grin seemed to grow wider, as if she knew a secret that no one else did.
"And just to be clear, you won't fight when you inevitably fail" the chief says, her expression smug and nienna sighs
"Of course, I was raised by respectful people, a deal is always a deal, whether it goes in your favour or not" she nods then turns the question back to her "and you, will you be alright with letting your children come with us when we win because that is part of the deal" she shrugs and the chief bristles visibly her lips curling into a snarl.
"You can't be-" one of her advisors lean in and talk to her and his words seem to calm her down "very well then...challenge accepted" she nods
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