Chapter 9 Rhianelle
“Show yourself,” I whisper, my voice echoing in the chamber.
Nothing stirs in the dark.
I steel my nerves to climb over the platform. The shadow slowly retreats with every step I take. There is a figure at the very top of this rise. Anxiety pools in my gut as I take a step closer to the statue.
My feet stagger over the darkened silhouette of a man.
He is shackled by his wrists without a single thread covering his body. The chains suspending him are stretched and spread in such a way that he will hang with no hope of reprieve. His jailers wouldn’t even allow him to kneel properly. It’s cruel and barbaric.
I wonder if this person is even alive. I venture closer towards him. It’s impossible to check for a pulse with the metal binding his wrists. I hunch down to press my head to his chest.
A heartbeat.
The slow and steady rhythm thunders in my ear. I close my eyes, listening to the beautiful sound.
He’s stuck here with no way to fend for himself. If the Ashmedai manages to break through, he is as good as dead.
I’ll have fun dicing you to pieces, little elf.
A crushing terror grips my heart at the demon’s promise. I need to get out of here fast. But I can’t leave this person to die.
“Hi,” my soft voice filters through the silence.
The prisoner makes no response.
I cradle his face in my hands to have a better look. My fingers move to trace the sharp outline of his jaw. I continue brushing them slowly on his brow and lips.
His eyelids slowly part.
Air disappears from my lungs the moment his eyes settle on me. The storm and dark fire in them are the kind that belong to ancient warriors or gods. I struggle to breathe under the piercing weight of that gaze.
The chains around the prisoner suddenly stir. There is something about them that just feel wrong.
Tendrils of shadow appear from the metal.
I shrink away from the strangeness of the sight.
The inky materials pulse and morph into phantom hands.
I gasp as they latch on to the prisoner, consuming him into the dark.
As if the cold, iron fetters weren’t enough, his captors placed a spell to bind him to this place.
A living, breathing curse.
My heart sinks over the horrors they put him through. The prisoner closes his eyes again in despair, resigned to his fate.
A surge of determination goes through me. “I’m going to save you.”
I set my torch to kindle the lanterns on the pillars around him. The flame is keeping the shadowy wisp at bay. They are shifting and moving like sentient beasts.
“I need them gone, Un.” My patrons happily oblige. Dark curses such as this one are their specialty—their food.
It’s a temporary measure but I just need them to buy me enough time to free the guy from this unholy binding.
“I’m going to cut this off now. Tell me if it’s hurting you,” I whisper to him in the dark.
A low groan leaves his throat as soon as I sever the iron on his left wrist. His body sags with the other hand still raised. I carefully place myself in front of the prisoner so I can catch him after cutting the final chain.
“Ready?” I ask him.
His eyes open to slits and he manages a nod. With another swing of my blade, he is free. The full weight of him comes crashing down on me.
“There we go,” I say, bracing him from falling. A sharp gasp rushes out of me as his hard form is pressed against my body. He is so much bigger than I thought. I feel completely overwhelmed.
“You’re alright,” I say repeatedly, stroking his back. His warm, uneven breath rolls over me.
I keep holding him for a long moment. He’s so weak and drained. Gods know how long he has been imprisoned here in the dark without food or water.
“We have to go now. Do you understand?” I attempt in several tongues common to mankind.
No word, but he blinks. The only sign that he can hear me.
“Can you stand?” I try to lift him. He doesn’t seem to need my help to rise to his feet. I let out a nervous whimper. By the gods, I am so dwarfed by him. I’m surrounded by tall fellow elves all the time, but I don’t know why I find his height intimidating.
I tilt my head to look up at the human.
“Come stand closer to the fire,” I say, reaching for his hand in the dark.
His fingers are as cold as ice. I bring his hand to my mouth, warming him up with my breath.
The lack of clothing doesn’t seem to faze the human.
“Forgive me, this is all I have,” I say, handing him my cloak. The prisoner makes no move to cover himself.
I wrap the cloak for him, at least over the lower half.
It’s awkward but I have little choice in the matter.
Otherwise, I’ll be blushing every time I look at him.
My heart paces faster when I accidentally brush my hand against the hardened muscle of his abdomen.
The fabric barely fits as a loincloth. It will have to do for now.
His face becomes more alert as he studies the surroundings.
“We can’t linger here for long. There’s a demon hiding in the shadow of this labyrinth,” I say quietly.
He simply stares at me. Are all human this intense? My first encounter with his kind has not been pleasant. There is something about the way he looks at me that makes my skin tingle. I swallow back the unease.
The prisoner suddenly stalks closer, leaning his face to me. He dips his head to the nape of my neck, inhaling deep. My heart is racing with a simple brush of his lips against my skin.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my hand pressing against his bare chest.
He doesn’t answer. I hold my breath as he nuzzles me, sniffing my scent.
I’ve seen dogs and wolves do this to strangers.
But aren’t humans supposed to be more civilized…
like us? I’m surprised to find that he smells good despite the imprisonment.
Before I can take another inhale, a rumble sounds from his chest. The sound sends a delicious shiver down my spine.
“I am Rhianelle.” I point to myself. “Rhi-a-nelle. And you are?”
He gives me nothing as he continues to study me curiously. I don’t pull away because his touches are innocent.
“Are we good now?” I ask him once he’s done.
I grab his hand in mine and a torch with the other to find our way out. We push onwards inside the small tunnel into the unknown. I can feel his gaze on my back as we walk.
The flame from the torch crackles violently, fighting against the rippling darkness of the cavern. We trudge silently through the secret passageway. I keep glancing back at the nothingness behind us. There seems to be no end or beginning to this void.
The human has been so quiet that it’s starting to unnerve me.
“Can you keep going? You can tell me if you need to rest,” I say softly. But he doesn’t make any request to take a break. We only stop every time I feel too exhausted to go on.
My left leg is starting to ache now. It feels like we’ve been walking for ages. There’s an ominous presence shrouding this place. The human might not notice this, but elves are more attuned to their surroundings. I hope his mortal sight will spare him from seeing the scratch marks on the walls.
“Wait.” I balk at the entrance to the next tunnel.
Skeletons of fae, humans, and elves litter the floor before us, smooth with age. Others have tried to escape this labyrinth before and failed. I can almost hear their haunting, dying screams.
Despair begins to seep into me slowly. The prisoner clasps my hand a little tighter. It’s a small gesture, but it reminds me that I’m not alone.
I squeeze back, giving him a reassuring contact too.
“We’re not going to end up like them. Don’t worry,” I say quietly, more to convince myself. “We’ll find a way out.”
The passage opens to a series of winding staircases filled with writings on the wall. I run my trembling fingers over them. Some of the words are too faded, eroded by time. I don’t have to understand the ancient lettering to know what it is.
“It’s a warning,” I breathe.
The prisoner moves beside me to read it too, though his main interest and focus remain to be me. My heart paces faster because he is still giving me that strange look.
The carvings seem to dance under the light cast from my torch. They describe dangerous creatures much like the Ashmedai but far worse. Each omen is more dire than the last. It’s making my hair stand on end.
“Stay close to me,” I murmur. The human is near enough that I can feel the heat of his body. At least he’s warming up. That’s good.
I notice the bright walls are made of Elven Crystals the higher we climb. The better illumination doesn’t change the fact that this place is a puzzle. It’s almost like an underground graveyard with the number of uncounted dead bodies.
“Rhianelle,” the prisoner suddenly rasps.
“Yes!” I whirl on him excitedly. He then mutters something intelligible in a strange language. His voice is hoarse, as if he has forgotten how to speak.
“I don’t understand that—”
I don’t finish my words when his warm body slams into mine. An arrow hisses right past us. I lock eyes with two heavy spears arching straight towards our heads. He pulls me again and we narrowly evade the sharp tips.
My heart beats so fast I can scarcely draw my breath. The man grunts his frustration in that unknown language as he glances over the endless stairs.
“That was dangerous. Good catch.” I tap his back.
One wrong move and our lives are ended. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this catacomb alive. But if I give up now, it means giving up on this human too. He will never get out of here on his own.
“You have to step exactly where I do, alright?” I tell him.
He nods, taking my hand again.
I lead him carefully on the marbled tiles, showing him exactly where to plant his feet.
“We’re getting out of here,” I chant the mantra repeatedly.
He brushes his thumb on the back of my hand. The movement brings comfort deep into me. Even the pain in my feet doesn’t complain much anymore. At least I’m not doing this on my own. Time loses its grip as we continue our ascent.