Isle of Beasts and Shadows (The Forgotten Isle Saga #1)

Chapter 22

“Who is this you bring before me?” inquired King William with a mix of curiosity and authority. His jewel-encrusted crown shimmered under the torchlight as he leaned forward in his resplendent golden throne, exuding a sense of regal power. The monarch, a figure of grandeur and command, stood up and approached Sirius, the mysterious newcomer.

Jonathan and Airella stood behind Sirius as he cautiously took a few steps closer to the king. As their eyes met, a moment of significance hung in the air, charged with anticipation and tension.

“This is a resident of the island that we have brought back to you, Your Highness. He bears important information,” explained Jonathan, his voice steady and respectful. His gaze briefly met Airella’s before returning to the king, awaiting his response.

King William, a ruler known for his shrewdness and discernment, circled Sirius thoughtfully, his piercing gaze seeming to probe deeper than mere words could convey. The reaper couldn’t help but follow the king’s movements with a mixture of apprehension and intrigue, unsure of what lay ahead.

“That island, Your Majesty, is not a place hospitable to humans. It teems with malevolent forces,” Sirius began, his tone weighted with caution. Before he could continue, King William interjected abruptly, his gaze unwavering.

“Like you?” King William’s question hung in the air, sharp and incisive, catching Sirius off guard.

The reaper felt a surge of anger rise within him as he faced the imposing figure of the king, whose royal robes spoke of wealth and power. Yet, despite the disparity in their appearances, Sirius knew that power came in many forms, and he was not without his own strengths.

“You see, I command an army as vast as my kingdom,” declared King William, his voice resonant with authority. His words held an implicit challenge, a reminder of the might he wielded. “And what of your people? Do they not possess an established kingdom of their own?” The king’s inquiry hung in the air, laden with unspoken implications.

Sirius, undaunted by the monarch’s display of power, met his gaze squarely, a flicker of defiance in his eyes. As the tension in the room mounted, the fate of the island and its inhabitants hung in the balance, a delicate dance of diplomacy and strength playing out in the opulent chamber.

“Do you wish to fight against hordes of Miscreants without a chance of survival?” Sirius held back his temper.

King William laughed heartily at Sirius’s choice of words, finding amusement in the situation. “Miscreants? Miscreants went extinct centuries ago. I will do what I think is best for my kingdom. I will not take advice from an outsider. Now, get out of my sight.”

A wave of incredulity washed over Sirius, his eyes narrowing with a volatile mix of anger and disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was as if the world had tilted on its axis, leaving him in a surreal haze. That’s when Sirius snapped. With a guttural roar, he ripped the cloth that covered the palm of his hand; the fabric tearing away to reveal the raw, lethal power beneath.

His gaze locked onto the king, and without a second thought, he pounced, his emotions boiling over like a tempest unleashed. His hand, now bare and dangerous, reached for the man’s face with a deadly intent. This hand, capable of ending the lives of those who dared to challenge him, moved with a swift, ferocious precision. Sirius could almost feel the surge of energy ready to be unleashed, the power coursing through his veins.

But just as he was about to exert his lethal force, something unexpected happened. He felt two pairs of arms wrap around his own, their grip surprisingly strong and unyielding. Someone forcefully pulled Sirius back, surprising him with the sudden and powerful intervention. His momentum halted. He struggled against the combined strength of his restrainers, his fury still burning hot but now caged by their intervention.

The commotion in the throne room escalated, voices blending into a chaotic symphony that clouded Sirius’s mind as he lost consciousness.

When he finally awoke, his gaze slowly focused, meeting the familiar pair of sparkling multicolored eyes staring down at him, a mix of concern and relief evident in their depths.

“Sirius, are you insane?” Airella’s voice trembled as her eyes met his, filled with a mixture of fear and determination. She leaned over him, her heart racing as she assessed his condition, relieved to see him awakening from unconsciousness.

Jonathan and Airella had just narrowly escaped from the relentless pursuit of the castle guards, bringing Sirius along with them, but the danger still lurked close behind, their footsteps echoing in the shadows.

“Airella, we have to go right.” Jonathan whispered urgently, his grip firm as he pulled her up by the arm, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of escape.

“No, we should go left.” Airella’s voice filled with conviction as she stood her ground, mapping out their path through the dark and damp passageways of the castle.

They found themselves enveloped in a maze of twisting tunnels, with each turn leading them deeper into the unknown, and their only hope of freedom lying ahead. Vigilant guards had sealed every known exit from the king’s throne room off, leaving them with no choice but to navigate the labyrinthine passages in search of a way out. Voices of men and loud footsteps echoed off the walls, coming from behind them.

“We have to move, now!” Jonathan urgently shoved both Sirius and Airella ahead of him, their hearts pounding in sync with the rapid beats of their steps.

They dashed in random directions, no longer concerned about the trivial arguments about whether to turn left or right. The relentless sounds of footsteps were gaining on them, and the surrounding air grew thick with tension as they struggled to catch their breath.

“Dead end,” Airella declared in defeat as she halted the group, her eyes fixed on the seemingly impenetrable brick wall that stood before them. It felt as though they were trapped in some twisted maze of fate, with no clear path to escape the impending danger that lurked behind them.

“We can’t turn back now, they’ll catch us,” Sirius muttered, his voice tinged with a sense of resignation, mirroring Airella’s growing despair.

But amidst the suffocating fear, Jonathan’s sharp eyes caught a glimmer of hope. He pointed towards a crumbling hole in the top corner of the tunnel’s ceiling, where a faint stream of light beckoned from the outside world. The passageways were shrouded in darkness, but the dim glow guided them towards potential freedom, albeit through a perilous crawl upwards.

“How are we supposed to reach up there?” Airella’s gaze shifted upward towards the small opening, her voice laced with uncertainty. Before she could voice her doubts, a pair of hands grasped her waist, lifting her effortlessly onto Jonathan’s sturdy shoulders. “Whoa! What are you doing?” Her heart raced as she clung onto him for dear life, the weight of their predicament settling heavily upon them.

“You’re going to crawl out,” Jonathan stated as he lifted Airella toward the opening. She hesitated, realizing that the gap was only wide enough for those slimmer than Jonathan’s muscular build.

“No, are you crazy? I’m not leaving you. We can help fight them off!” Airella’s fists clenched as she looked down at him with determination.

“We don’t have time for this,” Jonathan’s voice was firm, sending chills down Airella’s spine. It was a tone she had never heard from him before. With no other option, she crawled through as he nudged her forward. “Don’t worry, I’ve picked up a thing or two from your father back when I was a kid,” Jonathan reassured her, trying to lighten the tone of the situation.

Next, he turned to Sirius, who was also hesitant to leave. Before coaxing Sirius to crawl through, Jonathan whispered something inaudible, a moment that piqued Airella’s curiosity. However, her focus shifted as the voices of the approaching men drew nearer, urging them to hurry.

Airella sat beside Sirius, their figures silhouetted against the castle walls as the lush green grass surrounded them. She gazed down the gaping hole, her heart pounding in her chest as Jonathan, arms raised in surrender, kneeled before the soldiers who swarmed around him. The clatter of weapons being confiscated echoed in the air, while the search for the remaining two fugitives intensified.

As Jonathan was led away in chains, his eyes met hers one last time, and Airella felt a knot form in her stomach. She turned to Sirius, whose expression mirrored her concern. Their next move was critical, but Airella’s thoughts lingered on rescuing Jonathan.

“We have to save him,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion as she remained on her knees.

Sirius hesitated, his gaze scanning their surroundings before he spoke. “We need to handle a few matters first.”

Airella’s eyes bore into his, silently demanding answers, but Sirius remained cryptic. With a resigned sigh, she wiped away a tear, knowing their current location was far from safe. The weight of their actions hung heavily in the air, marking them as outlaws since Sirius’s failed attempt on the king’s life.

As uncertainty clouded her mind like a dense fog on a moonless night, Sirius took the first step, setting off in a direction unknown to both him and Airella.

Intrigued and wary, Airella hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow him, her heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Their fates seemed inexplicably intertwined in the shadows of betrayal and intrigue, casting a veil of uncertainty over their every move.

“Where are you going?” Airella’s voice was hushed as she trailed after Sirius.

Sirius remained silent, his gaze fixed ahead, but a glint of determination flickered in his eyes, hinting at a deeper motive driving him forward. Airella sensed a hint of revenge in his demeanor, a resolve to fulfill the promises and threats he had made in the heat of the moment towards Duran.

“Stop.” Airella’s hand shot out, grasping the sleeve of Sirius’s cloak, bringing him to an abrupt halt. “We can’t leave Jonathan behind. We must go back for him; everything else can wait.” Her voice was urgent, laced with a sense of responsibility and loyalty to their friend. Airella met Sirius’s gaze, his yellow eyes piercing through her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. “We have to find Jonathan.” Her words hung in the air, a silent plea for understanding and cooperation.

Sirius regarded her for a moment, his expression softening slightly as he processed her words. With a nod of acknowledgment, he signaled his agreement, a silent promise to stand by her side on this precarious journey they had embarked upon.

Rather than attempting to retrace their steps through the labyrinthine passageways, Airella and Sirius opted for a riskier approach, seeking out a clandestine back entrance into the palace. Their footsteps were soundless as they navigated the hidden corridors, avoiding the grand rooms and evading the vigilant eyes of the palace guards. The air was heavy with anticipation, the thrill of the unknown guiding their every move as they pressed forward.

“Shh.” Sirius brought his finger to his pale lips as they hid behind a wooden door, side by side, their breaths synchronized in anticipation.

After ensuring the coast was clear, he gently seized her hand with his clothed one, guiding her into the open hallway with a silent urgency. Airella could feel a rush of heat creeping up her cheeks, but she willed herself to focus on the task at hand, pushing aside the self-consciousness that threatened to overwhelm her.

“Who goes there?” the booming voice of a soldier, accompanied by others, shattered the stillness behind them.

With a shared glance of determination, Sirius and Airella wordlessly agreed on their next move and bolted in the opposite direction, their hearts pounding in unison.

“Go, go, go,” Airella chanted inwardly, her mind a whirlwind of fear and adrenaline as they sprinted through the corridor. As they reached a junction with two diverging stairways, one ascending and the other descending.

“Find Jonathan.” Sirius’s urgent command cut through the chaos, directing her towards the path leading downward, presumably to where the dungeon lay hidden. Despite her reluctance to part ways with him, the urgency of their escape left her with no choice but to comply, the weight of the unknown consequences hanging heavy in her mind.

With a last look over her shoulder at Sirius engaged in diverting the guards, Airella descended the worn brick steps, the distant sounds of muffled moans and echoes of distant grunts growing louder with each passing moment.

Airella froze in surprise as she collided with a taller, brunette-haired girl who appeared slightly older than her. The brunette’s wide-eyed gaze met Airella’s, who then noticed a black-haired maid standing beside her. Strangely, Airella sensed an air of difference about the maid, with her pale skin and a mysterious smile playing on her blood-red lips as she fixed her gaze on Airella.

Feeling a mix of curiosity and caution, Airella drew Dawnbreaker from its holster, ready to defend herself.

“Step aside,” she commanded, trying to exude confidence.

The brunette girl, clad in a loose cloak and a silky purple gown adorned with gems, crossed her arms defiantly. It was clear from her attire that she was of noble birth, far removed from the life of a commoner.

“Who do you think you are?” she retorted, her tone haughty and dismissive.

Airella’s gaze hardened as she avoided the question, her suspicions growing. “What is someone like you doing down here?” she challenged, her voice tinged with defiance.

The brunette’s response was cutting, her words laced with condescension. “That’s none of your concern. Do not raise your weapon against me! Are you some poor excuse for a palace guard? How unladylike of you,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes in disdain.

Reluctantly, Airella lowered her weapon, deciding to bide her time and gather more information about this unexpected encounter. As she observed the girl more closely, a realization dawned on her—this could very well be Princess Thea, the king’s daughter, disguised and exploring incognito.

“I apologize, Your Highness,” Airella muttered with a deep bow, her voice laced with a mix of reverence and unease. Princess Thea’s piercing gaze lingered on her, and Airella could sense the weight of disapproval in the air.

“Hmph. Come, Anya.” Princess Thea’s tone was dismissive as she motioned for her handmaiden to follow. Anya’s gaze lingered on Airella, a subtle smile playing on her lips, hinting at hidden meanings and unspoken alliances.

Feeling a surge of frustration, Airella clenched her teeth and closed her eyes briefly, steeling herself for what was to come. With a determined resolve, she turned on her heels and made a beeline for the dimly lit corridor leading to the prison cells.

As she navigated the maze of narrow passageways, the haunting pleas of the incarcerated echoed around her, their desperate voices tugging at her heartstrings. She pressed on, her steps quickening as she neared the cell that held the key to her mission.

“Jonathan?” Airella’s voice cut through the somber air, causing a ripple of anticipation among the other prisoners. Their eyes, filled with a mixture of hope and longing, followed her every move as she approached Jonathan’s confinement.

Jonathan, with his back turned towards her, froze at the sound of her voice. As he pivoted to face her, the dim light revealed the weariness etched on his features, a stark contrast to the fiery determination in his eyes.

“Airella, you were supposed to get out of here! Where is Sirius?” Jonathan’s words spilled out in a rush, his worry palpable as he took a step closer to the cell bars.

“He stayed back as a distraction,” Airella replied, her gaze scanning the surroundings in search of a means to free him. The absence of keys left her momentarily stumped, but a flicker of determination sparked in her eyes as a daring plan took shape in her mind.

With a silent prayer, Airella gripped the cold iron bars of the cell, her muscles straining with the effort as she exerted all her strength. The metal groaned in protest, but gradually yielded to her relentless tugging. Inch by inch, the bars bent, creating a narrow gap.

Breathless and exhilarated by her small victory, Airella turned to face Jonathan, whose eyes held a mix of admiration and disbelief. In that moment, as the echoes of their hasty escape reverberated through the dungeon, a glimmer of hope ignited in their hearts, fueling their resolve to defy the odds and forge a new path together.

“Can you squeeze through?” She asked tentatively, unsure if her strength would bend the bars any further.

“I might,” he replied, his voice strained as he contorted his body to squeeze through the narrow gap. With his hands still bound behind his back, he wriggled through, narrowly escaping the confines. Upon emerging on the other side, she swiftly severed the rope binding his hands with Dawnbreaker, granting him freedom despite the raw rope-burn etched into his wrists.

“Maybe Sirius has lost the guards. We have to find him and escape this place for good,” Airella urged Jonathan, tugging at his arm.

“Hold on, we can’t just leave. We have to convince the king about the dangers of the isle.” Jonathan declared adamantly.

“They won’t listen to us. Perhaps the soldiers will challenge Duran and demonstrate to the king the unsuitability of the isle for habitation,” she exclaimed passionately, pivoting and leading the way out of the dungeon in a race to find Sirius before he encountered further peril.

Airella and Jonathan had been navigating the labyrinthine corridors of the dungeon, their breaths shallow and rapid, the air thick with tension. The flickering torchlight cast fleeting shadows, causing their anxiety to spike at every turn. They were so close to the exit—freedom was almost within reach. But suddenly, a soldier emerged from the darkness, a glint of malevolence in his eyes as he charged towards Airella with a raised dagger.

Jonathan didn’t hesitate. With a swift, desperate move, he thrust himself between Airella and the assailant, their bodies crashing together with violent force. The dagger found its mark, plunging deep into Jonathan’s chest. He gasped, a harsh, wet sound escaping his lips as the pain seared through him. His knees buckled, but he maintained his stance long enough to meet Airella’s horrified gaze.

As the soldier withdrew the blade, intending to strike again, Airella’s shock transformed into a raw, primal rage. With an almost inhuman speed, she clutched Dawnbreaker and swung it with all her might. The axe connected with the soldier’s skull, a sickening crack echoing through the dungeon. He collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his own dagger clattering beside him.

The moment of triumph was fleeting. Airella lowered Dawnbreaker, her hands trembling violently as she stared at the fallen soldier. Guilt and revulsion washed over her, the reality of what she had done sinking in. Her breaths came in frantic gasps, eyes widening in panic as she turned her attention back to Jonathan.

He was on the ground, hand pressed weakly against his wound, blood seeping through his fingers.

“Jonathan!” Airella screamed, dropping to her knees beside him. “No, no, no, Jonathan, stay with me!” Her voice broke, and she tore at her cloak, trying to fashion it into a makeshift bandage. Tears streamed down her face, her mind racing for solutions, but sheer terror clouded her thoughts.

Jonathan’s eyes fluttered open, his breath shallow and labored. “Airella,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over her sobs. “You have to... keep going...”

She shook her head violently, refusing to accept his words. “I won’t leave you,” she insisted, her hands desperately working to stop the bleeding. But deep down, the horrifying realization that she might lose him was taking hold, making her actions even more frenzied.