Despite, or maybe because of, the paralysis, Inessa slept. She was vaguely aware of it being nighttime, then dawn. She felt herself fully waking up during the warm sun of midmorning, hearing the strange Kiamese language. She twitched her fingers, feeling enough to know she was bound hand and foot. She opened her eyes, moving her head enough to think the paralysis was wearing off. Her arms moved weakly as she struggled against the ropes against her.
She should have been hungry, but she wasn’t. It was strange how quickly her body adapted. She had gone days without eating when she was desperately poor, so her body simply fell back on habits. She barely had anything for dinner, and she had no breakfast, but the thought of eating anything made her want to gag.
The cart stopped, and soldiers shouted in Kiamese. They were meeting up with another group. Someone pulled a small tent out of the back of the cart, spreading it on the floor in an empty section of the forest before they grabbed her. Though the paralysis was wearing off, she still had little control over her muscles to fight back. She landed on her knees on the tent, barely giving a groan. It wasn’t set up, but Inessa assumed it was because they didn’t want her to connect with the ground.
“So, you are Inessa.” Her eyes shot up to see another grey-eyed Kiamese soldier. He was about forty years old with brown hair. It chilled her to the bone to hear his perfect Santollian. No one knew Kiamese in Santollia, yet somehow this man knew her language without a hint of an accent. The man seemed to read her mind. “Surprised?”
“Your Santollian…” Inessa started to say before her muscles demanded a break.
The man smirked. “My name is Drenai,” he said as though that was all the answer she needed. When Inessa made no comment, Drenai’s smile grew. “You know so little of our culture.”
“You’re not exactly helping,” Inessa said quietly.
“That is true, yes. I see you’ve been drugged. And punched?” Drenai looked at the men behind them disapprovingly. They gave a hasty reply in Kiamese. Drenai and his men had a short conversation before focusing on Inessa again, grabbing the edges of his sleeve before wiping the dried blood from her chin. “Forgive my men. They wanted to make sure you were presentable for the Warrior.”
Inessa couldn’t help it and winced. Was this all a trap for Indenuel? Drenai smiled in a knowing manner. “I don’t know what you mean,” Inessa said, hastily trying to save the situation.
His smile grew. “I shall teach you an idiom from my culture, and you should count yourself lucky. Eyes always speak truth. The Warrior loves you. Once we kill him, Santollia will fall soon after. And the gossip lines say his weakness is you.”
“He’ll come with an army,” Inessa said, trying to sound certain.
“Even a concubine should know by now that Santollia doesn’t have one. At least, not enough to spare for someone like you.”
Inessa stared at the floor. Drenai again spoke to his men in rapid fire Kiamese. It was impossible to understand it. The language was so strange, so different form her own. At least with Oramin she could pick up some words that sounded similar, but this language had nothing similar at all.
“My men are right, of course. We must convince your Warrior to come out of the city, therefore you must play your part.” Drenai pulled out a dagger before hitting her eye with the hilt. Inessa gasped, the muscles in her body still not back to what she needed to move. Inessa breathed steadily, pretending this was Jina returning home too drunk. She could take it. Drenai spoke again in the language and a solder handed Drenai a vial of some liquid. He spoke again before kneeling before Inessa. “This should hold you until tonight.” He sliced her side with the dagger. Inessa gasped until he poured the liquid onto the wound. Inessa’s entire body seized up like she’d been hit with corrupted pain. It wasn’t long before everything went black.
***
Navir had his hand against the tree, concentrating as Martin, Fadrique, and Dalius sat around Martin’s gardens. Navir shook his head, cracking an eye open.
“This Kiam soldier is incredibly skilled at tree talking,” Navir said.
“What’s he trying to say to us?” Fadrique asked.
“I am making sure he says nothing.” Navir closed his eyes again. “But if he had his way, he’d be showing Indenuel exactly what they are doing to Inessa.”
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“Is she alright?” Martin asked, a spike of concern for the girl who was supposed to be in his care.
“They are taking her farther away from the city. And they’re using corrupted means to torture her. Heightened senses, making her feel every little movement and bump in the road.”
“Have they…” Martin started to say, feeling awkward. He shouldn’t, considering what all three of these men have done to her, including himself, but he still couldn’t help but feel concerned. “Have they tried to…”
“No. They haven’t tried to rape her,” Navir said.
Martin nodded. It wasn’t like he himself was necessarily free of this particular sin, but he was at least relieved Inessa hadn’t been raped by the Kiamese soldiers.
“Are Captain Luiz and Indenuel on their way yet?” Dalius asked.
“No,” Navir said. “But I’m confident Captain Luiz believed us. He’ll get Indenuel to leave. I am certain of it.”
***
Indenuel paced the entryway of his home, waiting for news. Tolomon stood by the door, most likely to make sure he didn’t leave.
“Do you need to go to the training grounds? That always helps me with my nerves.”
“No, Tolomon, I do not need a bunch of recruits to destroy me in something I should already know. That will not help me with my nerves,” Indenuel snapped. Tolomon sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Whose side are you on, anyway? Why do you listen to them?”
He frowned, looking at Indenuel. “Listen to the High Elders?”
“Yes. Why did you stop me?” Indenuel asked.
Tolomon gave him a pointed stare. “You mean why did I stop you from running after a hundred and fifty trained Kiamese soldiers? To face alone? Do you need me to answer that?”
Indenuel glared at Tolomon as he continued to pace. “The High Elders are nothing but liars. You shouldn’t defend them.”
“I’m not defending them. I am stopping you from doing something that will get you killed. Someone needs a clear head in all this,” Tolomon said.
The front door opened, and Pablo was there, moving aside to let Captain Luiz walk in. He smiled, giving Indenuel a bow.
“Are we going after them? Do you need me to help lead your army to get her back?” Indenuel asked.
“The High Elders will take care of everything,” Captain Luiz said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Indenuel asked.
“It means we leave the city and meet up with the rest of the militia. The High Elders will take care of things here at home,” Captain Luiz said.
“No, they won’t. They are just feeding you a line to get us to leave. I’m not leaving until Inessa is back home with Martin,” Indenuel said.
“This is the end of the war we’re talking about, Indenuel. This is where you go to fulfill the prophecy,” Captain Luiz said.
“I will not leave her in danger!” Indenuel said.
“Think about it, Indenuel. The prophecy even says you’ll suffer great losses if-” Tolomon was cut off as he grabbed Indenuel’s fist to stop him from punching his jaw. Indenuel glared at his bodyguard. He had of course thought about Inessa being that person the moment he woke up from his dream, but he refused to believe it. He mentally prepared for it to be Tolomon and Nathaniel, but there was no way he could handle it if it was Inessa.
Indenuel went for another punch that Tolomon easily stopped before pinning his arms around and forcing him up against a wall.
“It’s not her!” Indenuel screamed.
“We’ve got to ride out today. You cannot go after an army of a hundred and fifty by yourself,” Tolomon said.
“So, I leave to face an army of five hundred? If I can face five hundred, I can face a hundred and fifty!” Indenuel said.
“The circumstances aren’t right!”
Indenuel struggled in Tolomon’s grip, feeling like his arm was about to break. Tolomon tightened his hold, using a free hand to keep Indenuel’s head in place. He was completely at his bodyguard’s mercy.
“She can’t die! I won’t let her!” Indenuel said.
“The High Elders are capable of saving her, Indenuel,” Captain Luiz said.
“They’re not going to save her! They fed you whatever line they needed in order for you to come convince me everything was fine. They’re going to leave her to die!” Indenuel screamed.
Pablo walked in again, looking embarrassed at the scene before him. “Forgive me, sirs, but… but lunch is being prepared. Is Captain Luiz going to stay for lunch?”
“Does it look like I care, Pablo?” Indenuel snapped, still pinned to the wall.
“I have to ask, sir,” Pablo said.
“We are going to leave by horseback as soon as Indenuel comes to his senses,” Tolomon said. “I will not tie you to your horse, Indenuel. You are going to leave by your own free will.”
Indenuel gave a pathetic laugh. “So, you’re going to pin me here until I do what you ask? What kind of free will is that?”
“You need a moment to come to your senses. The practical side will return once the shock has worn off,” Tolomon said.
“You better be prepared to pin me against the wall for a long time, then,” Indenuel said.
“I am, yes,” Tolomon said.
Indenuel glared, then tried to break out of Tolomon’s grip. It would be easier to break out of irons. Captain Luiz gave a sigh. “I humbly accept the offer for lunch.”
“Of course.” Pablo pointed toward the dining hall. “This way, Captain.”
“Thank you,” Captain Luiz said as they left down the hall.
“We are wasting too much time!” Indenuel said.
“Yes, we are. We are waiting for you to decide.”
“Waiting for me to decide the thing that you want me to!” Indenuel screamed.
“A decision that isn’t going to wind up with you dead in the middle of the forest!” Tolomon shouted back. “Rescuing Inessa is a hopeless cause. And I am sorry about that. I really am. I know how much she means to you. I cannot imagine the pain this is causing you, but you must understand when you’ve been beaten. As much as this hurts, they have her, and there is nothing you can do to help her.”
“That is not comforting.” Indenuel tried again to break out of his grip.
“That’s the thing about truth. It can hurt, whether you’re hearing it, or you’re the one giving it,” Tolomon said.