They had walked through a giant dungeon-looking place with cage doors that lined the walls. Most of them were empty, but the ones that were full . . .
The Bojack bear's cage door was bigger than most, its iron door rusted from age. Gwenn didn't want to know what was in that cage before the Bojack. Panthin pulled a pair of keys off a belt - full of little pockets and packs - that was strapped around his shoulder. Gwenn wondered if the others noticed how his hands shook slightly when he slid the key into the lock before turning it and pulling the door open.
When she stepped through the doorway, the smell of basement mixed with wet animal and death breathed it's breath into Gwenn's face, blowing her hair back. She tried not to breathe through her nose - although tasting the smell wasn't much better. Panthin pulled out a small, round object with a plethora of screws and bolts hammered into it. He tapped the back of it and a light shot out, revealing the inside of the dark cave-like cell.
Gwenn's stomach jumped into her throat when the white beams of light fell over the small space. The Bojack bear was on the far end of the cave, cuts and scrapes decorated his whole body. Heavy iron chains were clamped around his giant paws. Gwenn took a step towards him but Panthin's arm shot out. You, sir, are not going to get in my way- not when I'm so close. She glared at him, a look that she rarely ever used unless she was really feeling agitated.
For a quick moment, she thought she saw the proud confidence in his eyes flee. But he regained himself, straightening his utility belt and squaring his shoulders. Even though he stood a few heads taller than her, Gwenn wasn't scared of him.
She marched into the cave, settling down in front of the Bojack bear. His big brown eyes stared up at her, pain and wisdom swirled in them. She wanted to gag at the smell of the cave but the overwhelming stench melted away when she realized how hurt he was. How the centaurs could hurt him so badly in a day, she didn't know, and thinking about it only made her angrier. Panthin was by her, handing her the key.
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"Here, I have the key," but she didn't need it. She wasn't really thinking about it but the strange fire came to life inside of her for the umpteenth time.
She glared at the chains that bound the Bojack bear, cracking the metal in half with her mind and throwing it carelessly behind her. It clattered against the wall and floor, scaring the people nearby, but she wasn't done. Panthin silently pulled his hand away, tucking the key back in its place without a word.
"It looks hurt, maybe we should . . ."
Kiwi was by her side now, towering over her but she didn't bother turning to face him.
"It is a he." Why did they keep calling him it!? Anger burned inside her, boiling her insides and reddening her vision. Someone said something but she couldn't hear it. She needed her anger to go somewhere else. Unaware of what she was doing, Gwenn pushed the anger out of her, not caring about where it went.
The moment was timeless, lasting forever, and yet only for a second. A hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to her feet. She stumbled back, her knees suddenly weak. Someone - probably the person that yanked her back - caught her before she fell to the ground.
The world around her blurred, her body felt completely drained. The last thing she remembered seeing was Kiwi's face, his icy blue eyes staring down at her with worry.
As she drifted in endless sleep, the familiar voice of the Bojack bear echoed in her head. When she spoke, it was almost like it wasn't her speaking at all.
What is your name?
Gwenn Mordredae, my name is Oz.
For everything she'd just been through, the name was a little underwhelming. But at the same time, she found herself quite fond of it. Then any clearness of her thoughts melted away, and she dreamt of centaurs modeling in a bunch of different outfits.