Four men galloped their steeds across Librona's countryside; their saddles bore Asmar's emblem. The man in the lead searched the land carefully as they rode, searching for any sign of the witch's whereabouts. They came upon the hut that Cain had mentioned to them, where the journal was found. The leader beckoned for his men to follow as he approached the hut and dismounted his horse. He made his way inside, stopping at the sight of the tree that had grown through the roof.

He knelt down to inspect the roots of the tree as the dogs sniffed around the room. They barked to their masters as they picked up the magical scent around the tree; just the scent they needed to track Calliope. The dogs barked and growled anxiously; their noses twitched as they found their scent marked trail. The dogs took off, noses to the ground, following Calliope's scent. The men hurried out of the hut, mounting their horses and pushing forward into gallop, following close behind. The dogs followed the trail as it lead them across the kingdom and towards the woods.

The men followed in silence with only the howls and barks of their dogs to guide them. They made their way into the forest and darted through the trees as the dogs continued to run on, hot on the trail. They made it to the ruined castle just before dawn and continued onward. The scent was stronger now; they were close. Even the dogs crept quietly along, noses twitching, careful not to scare off their prey. The dogs ran ahead as they drew closer to their victim. The men readied themselves and listened.

The horses that grazed quietly nearby whinnied in surprise as the dogs leapt forward out of the shadows of the forest. The horses reared in panic and dispersed amongst the protection of the trees. Calliope jumped to her feet when she heard the commotion and shouted at the dogs in an attempt to shoo them away. Maria and the soldiers hurried to her side; they recognized the emblem that hung around the dogs' necks and pulled her away, but they were too late.

Two hands grabbed at the witch and pulled her backwards, out of their grip. Librona's soldiers lunged at the kidnappers, swords drawn and knocking them to the ground. Two more of Asmar's men grabbed Maria as she screamed to Calliope. Calliope thrashed her arms and legs in panic as her captor held tightly. She heard Maria's voice in her ears, but before she could react in their defense, she felt a hard blow to her head, and her world darkened.

*****

Calliope's stomach churned. Her head felt light. She opened her eyes and let them adjust to the dim lighting. She tried to move her arms, but they were restrained behind her back. Her eyes came in and out of focus as she searched the room. She soon realized she was behind bars, in a dungeon. Her arms were chained to the wall, her feet chained together. She heard voices in the distance. She must have been in Asmar. The king's spies must have kidnapped her.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Her heart raced as she grew more aware of the circumstances. She had to get out. She tried to summon the magic within her to free herself, but nothing happened. She felt drained. Something wasn't right. Her mind rushed as she began to panic, unaware of what had happen to her. The voices grew louder. She held her breath, listening.

“She's of no danger to us,” the first voice said. It was deep and rough sounding.

“Are you sure?” another voice questioned.

“Completely, your highness.”

A light grew from around the corner. Two men entered. One, a large built man, the other smaller and slender, with shaggy auburn hair. He appeared to be much younger than the bigger man. The large man grinned wickedly at Calliope as they approached. The younger man's expression remained unchanged and unamused.

“So, this is it,” the young man said.

“Yes, sir, that's the witch living in Librona.”

Calliope's eyes darted back and forth between the two men, panicked. She struggled to lunge at them, but the chains held her back. The larger man laughed and spit at her.

“That's enough, Landon,” the smaller man said, holding his hand up. “You're not going anywhere,” he said to Calliope.

“What have you done to me?” she growled.

“Oh, yes, of course. You're powerless, aren't you?” The expression on the small man's face finally changed into a small smile.

“Yes,” he continued. “Thank you, Landon. That necklace worked just as you promised.”

Calliope looked down at her chest where a small stone rested, tied in the leather that was around her neck.

“What is this?” she demanded.

“That is a lovely piece that my men have found just to keep you in our control. They found it in some peasant’s hut. It's cursed, it seems. And, when activated, makes a witch useless.”

Calliope's heart raced. He must have been referring to Samus's house. The spies must have seen her. How could she have missed the necklace in her search?

“Which is perfect for us,” the man continued. “You will give us no trouble tomorrow morning when we burn you at the stake.”

“Fool,” Calliope spat at him. “Librona's army will come.”

The man laughed. “Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure they won't. They will pay the price for what they did to my kingdom.” His face grew stern. Without another word he turned and left Calliope alone in the dungeon.