Forlattena Prison, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

Somehow, the forest felt darker and more foreboding than it ever had before. Todd surveyed it, strapping his shield to his left arm for protection. He expected the Veiled Lady to emerge from the shadows at any second, holding her gleaming sword. The place was desolate, covered in a light dusting of snow — the snow had only started to fall recently, so his brief idea of finding Anthony's tracks was useless. He wanted to call out, but the idea of breaking the silence with a shout felt like walking out on thin ice: dangerous and asking for trouble.

"He's not in the shed, and his crossbow is gone," Andre declared, coming back around the front of the house with Annabella on his heels. Both of them were carrying crossbows. Annabella handed hers to Adrianna and promptly pulled out her own sword, not hesitating a moment before she started toward the forest.

"Let's go, then," she said.

"Annabella, wait," Stephanie ordered, putting out a hand. She stood beside Todd, carrying her recurve bow under her arm. "Shouldn't we have a plan?"

"Maybe we should split up and search in groups," Jessie suggested, shuffling closer to Todd.

Matthew shot her idea down at once. "Bad idea. The Veiled Lady is out there and none of us are a match for her."

"Except for you," Annabella said.

Todd looked at Matthew, who seemed to mull over Annabella's words carefully. "I don't know my own strengths and weaknesses," Matthew admitted. "Maybe I could take her on if I knew what I was doing, but I don't."

Adrianna spoke up. "Anthony is out there somewhere."

"We'll find him," Annabella said, waving at her parents as if to act assured. Todd knew by her tense posture that she was worried. Very worried. He shared it.

"We work as a group," Todd said. "Everyone stays in sight. If you see anything or even think you see anything, let the others know, understood?" At everyone's solemn nod, he continued. "Okay, let's go. We're not doing anything just standing here."

"We are accomplishing the fine art of not dying," Stephanie replied, but she was the first to start moving.

"We've been accomplishing that our whole lives, Steph," Matthew remarked.

"Yeah, keep it up, won't you?" Annabella called over her shoulder as she took the lead. Despite himself, Todd smiled as he hurried to fall into step beside her. The situation was grave, but the small comments exchanged encouraged him. They were all finally willing to work together, and despite the circumstances, it made him hopeful.

Maybe they could do this. Maybe they really could change the world.

They walked through the trees on silent feet, eyeing the growing darkness with careful scrutiny. Every once in awhile Annabella was bold enough to call her brother's name, but each time it was met with silence. No one else dared to speak. It was as if the fog above them demanded their absolute silence. Todd kept expecting the Veiled Lady to snatch one of them away like she had the other time, yet nothing happened. He still remembered how the burst of pain had exploded in his mind when she had touched his sword, how he was thrown back in time; he had been standing and staring at the wreckage of his parent's vehicle, the grief an impossible weight on his chest, and then he was in the alleyway, cradling Michael in his lap, watching the life drain out of his best friend's eyes. Then he was crouched in the tunnel, fire raging around him as Jessie mercifully ended Colette's life.

Todd swallowed hard now thinking about it. The Veiled Lady had somehow tapped into his memories, drawing up every memory of death his mind possessed. It made sense. She was coupled with death. It was no wonder she had targeted those specific memories. It unnerved him, knowing that he was vulnerable to her mental attacks. He held his sword a bit tighter, held his shield a bit closer.

It was getting darker. Todd found himself walking several yards to Annabella's right, slowly drifting away from her as they walked — to cover more ground, he told himself, always careful to keep her in sight. Jessie was right on his heels, and Matthew and Stephanie were somewhere close behind. The king and queen were taking up the rear. It was all so silent. Too silent. Todd thought he saw movement to his right, but it was just a rodent scurrying through the bushes. His own breathing felt too loud.

Jessie grabbed his arm, making him jump. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, freezing him in place. He listened, straining to hear the slightest sound. There was nothing.

And then there was a voice, whispering directly into his mind: 'What you seek lies in the clearing ahead. Lay down your arms willingly, and there won't be a need for bloodshed.'

It was her. Todd looked down at Jessie, wide eyes meeting wide eyes — she had heard it too. He looked up quickly, spotting Annabella through the trees.

"Annabella," he said, his voice slicing through the silence like a knife.

She stopped, looking back at him questioningly. She showed no signs of hearing the voice.

Todd swallowed hard. "She's here."

As soon as he uttered the words, Annabella was gone. His heart staggered, his breath catching in his throat as he heard her scream, distant and echoing. Then he was running, dragging Jessie behind him as he crashed his way through the trees to where she had been. She was gone, her scream still echoing. Andre called for her. Stephanie yelled Todd's name. Todd pivoted, dashing toward the clearing the voice had spoken of. Stumbling into the clearing, he stopped short, breathlessly raising his shield.

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

A row of soldiers waited for them, all of them fully armoured and branded with Motch's symbol on their helmets. Most carried crossbows, each arrow aimed right at him and Jessie, while two of them carried swords. Anthony was kneeling on the ground before them, hands bound behind his back and his mouth gagged with a cloth. Todd couldn't tell if his face was bruised or just shadowed, but it was dark all the same, his eyes sparking with restrained anger. The two soldiers held the swords at the young prince's neck, promising death should Todd or Anthony provoke it. Todd gripped his sword and shield tightly, breathing in heavily through his nose.

"And so they arrive, as she promised." Todd glanced over at the man who spoke. He was emerging from the line of soldiers — a general or commander, it seemed. He was more decorated than the soldiers, bearing a crest on his chest far more intricately designed than that of the soldiers' crest. With a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, he held an air of importance that was hard to miss as he stared Todd down. "The Deliverer, I assume. And company."

A whispered curse behind him informed Todd that Matthew and Stephanie had caught up. Andre and Adrianna were not far behind. Even with the six of them, they were no match for the unit of soldiers facing them. Annabella was nowhere to be seen.

"Let him go," Stephanie said, stepping around Todd and brandishing her bow, aiming at the commander.

The eerie voice spoke in Todd's mind once more. 'Lay down your arms willingly, and there won't be a need for bloodshed.'

"If it isn't the traitorous waif," the commander sneered, clearly unafraid of the threat Stephanie posed. "You speak with authority you don't have. Can't you see you cannot win? You're outnumbered, and—"

In a gust of wind, Annabella appeared, tumbling across the clearing. She rolled to a stop in front of Anthony, and she fought to sit up, her hands trapped behind her back as she kicked her legs in clear frustration. She huffed through her gag, seething.

The commander, undisturbed, gestured to her and Anthony with his sword. "We have your Prince and Princess at our mercy."

Todd bit down hard on his bottom lip, squeezing his weapons until his hands ached. In his mind, the voice spoke again, oh so gentle, oh so soft: 'No one has to get hurt, Todd. Just lay down your weapons.'

"What happens to us if we surrender?" he asked carefully, keeping his voice steady.

Jessie's hands tightened on his arm. He heard Stephanie take a deeply controlled breath.

"I have orders to escort you and your companions to Zusia," the commander replied. "No one will be harmed."

"And if we don't surrender?" Stephanie asked icily, her bow unwavering.

The commander turned his steely gaze on her. "Tell me, soldier: how much would Motch care if the young Prince died today? He doesn't have the privilege — or curse, perhaps — of being an Oddity like you."

Todd had heard enough. He avoided Anthony's fiery eyes, that defiant gaze, knowing the boy would have been more than willing to die for their cause. Todd did not share the will to be sacrificial. It would have been a sacrifice made in vain, as they were already outnumbered and outmatched. He wasn't about to be the cause of Annabella losing her other brother. With a numb hand, he slid his sword back into its scabbard and lowered his shield. He gently pushed Stephanie's bow down.

"We surrender, then," he said, his mouth dry. He slipped off the shield and unbuckled the sword from his belt, setting them both on the ground. His hands shook. His heart pounded. Straightening up, he looked at Stephanie. She was grinding her teeth, but she tossed down her bow and unbuckled her sword. Jessie dropped her dagger.

Tense silence reigned as the soldiers advanced, grabbing each of them and forcing them to their knees. The soldier binding Todd's hands behind his back yanked the rope tightly, and he grimaced. Annabella was watching him, and he struggled to look resolute and sure of himself as the soldier shoved a cloth in his mouth and tied another strip of cloth around his mouth to gag him. He nearly heaved. He was not resolute or sure of himself, not at all. He wanted to run, but that was impossible now.

The commander gave several orders, and they were all hauled to their feet and pushed through the forest. They soon came upon a machine in a much larger clearing that Todd could only describe as some sort of aircraft. It had a body and wings and was made out of slick, shiny metal. Stephanie had mentioned that they had been designing an aircraft. This must be it.

The commander turned, lifting his torch high as he surveyed the group. He motioned to the aircraft proudly. "Impressive, is it not? However, we have limited room, so we'll have to take two runs. Private Astrid!"

"Yes, sir!" a soldier called out, stepping forward.

"You will escort the first load. Make sure they are promptly delivered to Iliescu. I will remain here with the second load."

"Yes, sir." The soldier turned around, barking out, "First group, load up!" She sounded as commanding as the commander himself.

Todd watched in growing fear as Stephanie was pulled toward the aircraft. Annabella was as well, as were Andre and Adrianna. Annabella looked over her shoulder at him, seeking some kind of assurance that he knew what he was doing, that he had some kind of plan.

He didn't.

The aircraft blinked to life, as silent as a ghost, the lines etched into its metal side glowing purple as several soldiers climbed inside after the four selected prisoners. In seconds, the machine whirred like a giant fan, creating a strong gust of wind and rising up off the ground and into the fog above them. It was gone in an instant.

"Set up camp!" the commander ordered the soldiers who remained. Todd counted ten of them as the soldier holding him pushed him to his knees. Jessie grunted as she was shoved down beside him. She breathed heavily, pressing close to him for warmth. Matthew was terribly quiet as he was forced to his knees on Todd's other side. The boy hadn't said a word since they had left the cabin, but Todd could feel the warmth he radiated. Anthony completed their line of captives, sagging a bit against Matthew as he hit his knees. Todd could see now that there was a bruise on his cheek. He must have been punched. Anger and helplessness churned inside of him. He couldn't even whisper any words of encouragement to his companions — not that he had any in the first place.

'Don't worry, Todd,' the Veiled Lady whispered in his mind. He tensed, unable to see her but knowing she was very close by. 'I promise to ruin your mission as much as I plan to ruin you.'

What had happened to the friendly, helpful voice in his mind that had saved his life and didn't promote nightmares?

It was going to be a long night.