Chapter Fifteen - Chains that Bind and Blind

Ailith refused to struggle as the Knights dragged her away, even when their grips tightened until her skin bruised. Every time her mouth opened, ready to begin her plea of innocence, her eyes would dart down and focus on the weapons strapped to their belts. The Marshal's threat repeated in her mind. So she complied, hoping it would be enough to convince them she wasn't a threat. Her confidence scarpered when she felt ice-cold metal lock around her wrists, keeping them entwined behind her back.

''What are you-,''

Before she could finish her question, she felt another strip of metal wrap around her eyes, turning everything black.

With her vision obstructed, Ailith felt the time for passivity was gone. She lashed her head from side to side and the aching muscles in her arms blazed as she tried to break free of her chains. Despite being blind to the world around her, Ailith knew that the Knights had stopped walking. They waited while she struggled.

Her head pounded painfully and her arms were pushed tighter together. Ailith feared that her body would explode as the metal locks constricted, causing her to grow faint and drop to her knee in exhaustion.

It was a full minute before Ailith realised her efforts were futile. Even her magic, something she had trained to come easily to her, was out of her grasp. Sweat flowed down her forehead and flooded the top of the strip attached to her head. Sensing the fire in her dull, the Knights resumed with their commands and forcefully escorted Ailith down a hallway.

Even if she could pry herself free from her subjugators, her chances of escape died the moment she was blinded. She'd gotten herself lost in the castle with her eyes open. How could she expect to find a way out of this mess with nothing but darkness? Then, there were the cuffs bracing her arms. The metal was light, almost relieving to lift, but near impossible to pull apart. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

All she had to guide her were the sounds that reached her ears. For a while, she could only comprehend the rushed footsteps coming from her and the Knights. It remained that way until a muffled noise drifted in their direction. It started as a quiet hum before Ailith was carried closer until she could understand the noise was a choir of gurgled singers, unorganised and unrefined.

The Knights grasping her arms and shoulders halted. Ailith tensed as she heard the loud creak of a metal door. Wherever the singing was coming from, she was heading there. She could hear the volume of voices rises before stopping, making way for curious and confused whispers. There was no time for the young warrior to guess the nature of her surroundings. A hard shove in her back caused her to stagger forwards, not helped by the uneven and muddy floor. An awful odour overwhelmed her, forcing her to seal her lips and stop her breakfast from coming back out the way it went in.

Ailith felt dozens of eyes upon her. Her urge to fight and escape returned, fearing what she was being hauled into. She couldn't even tell if her eyes were open or closed underneath the metal strip because her head was numb by this point. She had to rely on her hearing for now, as her nose could no longer aid her with the foul stench flowing in all directions.

Suddenly, she was stopped and spun around. A gasp quickly escaped her as her hands were yanked backwards. The cuffs on her wrists jerked and clanked against what she guessed was the wall. Ailith tried to force herself away, but she could only go so far before the cuffs pulled her back, refusing to let go. A metallic hiss pierced her eardrums.

She heard footsteps slowly disappearing into the distance. Were the Knights leaving her? Was this a prison?

''This is a mistake!'' Ailith cried out. ''I was trying to help!''

The only response she got was the loud slam of the door.

Once more, she tried to break her magnetic chains, but to no avail. Ailith twisted her body, thinking she could slither free. As if responding naturally to her every move, the metal tautened like the claws of a hungry predator clutching its prey.

''So, what are you in for?'' a harsh, gravelly voice growled.

Startled, Ailith ceased all movements. She already had a sense that she wasn't alone, even if the Knights had seemingly left her to rot. ''Where am I?'' She asked.

An unsympathetic scoff followed. ''We'll be asking the questions here.''

Without missing a beat, a second, more feminine, voice revealed itself. ''You're in one of the castle dungeons.''

''What are you doing?'' the first voice shrieked.

''She asked a question, and I answered,'' the second voice responded with a hint of deadpan sarcasm.

''It's supposed to be the other way round!''

Ailith shook her head in dismay. ''The dungeon? You're prisoners?''

She heard a mocking chuckle come from the man who first addressed her. ''I prefer the term temporarily incarcerated. You, on the other hand, I don't think you have that luxury. Considering you were brought in blindly and have a cell all to yourself, you must have done something truly corrupt.''

Her head turned in the direction of the man's voice, sneering defensively. ''I didn't do anything. I was trying to protect...'' She froze, unsure of what she should reveal to faces she couldn't distinguish. Holding her tongue for a few seconds, she groaned and clenched her fists. ''I was trying to protect someone from an assassin, and the Knights think I was a part of it. They wouldn't even let me explain myself.''

''Yeah, that sounds about right,'' he hummed. ''I know what it's like to be accused with my plea of innocence falling on deaf ears.''

An amused cackle slipped from the other prisoner. ''I don't know how far your pleas could have gone when you were caught in the act.''

''I was drunk and I thought it was my house!''

''How could you get a noble's house confused for your own?''

''It was dark...''

''It was the middle of the day!''

''It's the winter season! Dusk approaches faster this time of year.''

While the two of them bantered like rambling children, Ailith heard more commotion coming from different directions. She studied the noise, discovering multiple voices and laughs. ''How many are here?'' she called out.

A new voice bellowed, surprisingly joyful despite the bleak circumstances. ''Enough to change this horrid hive into a place of wonder, filled with blissful voices who yearn for freedom and justice. Don't be shy, you're welcome to join our growing choir...''

''Not a chance, bard!'' the first voice snapped. ''I'm going insane listening to you and every prisoner you corrupt into joining your musical group.''

''But the world must hear my voice.''

''The world listening to your voice is what got you arrested in the first place.''

The bard huffed dismissively. ''In my book, shattering glass with my voice is a sign of progress.''

''Not when that shattered glass is the window of nearly every home in the Kingdom. When I become a free man again, the first thing I'm going to get is a dog muzzle for your trap.''

More arguing commenced, leaving Ailith forgotten. She rolled her wrists against the cuffs, hoping to find some weakness in the metal that she could exploit.

''I'm guessing you've never dealt with Shuguatum before?'' the female voice whispered close by, causing Ailith to stop and listen. ''It's light but extremely sturdy metal. You're magnetised to a panel on the wall for added effect. If you want to escape, you'd have better luck ripping your arms off than breaking through those locks.''

''But I don't belong here.''

A soft sigh came from the woman. ''That's what everyone says.''

In the darkness, Ailith was beginning to see flashing spots. A dizzying sensation caused her to become nauseous, and as tiredness blanketed her body, she was tempted into unconsciousness.

A/N: Hello, I hope that you're all doing well. I'm sorry about the slow updates lately, this website has been a bit funny, but hopefully, that'll be sorted out soon. In the meantime, is there any hope of escape for Ailith? Find out next time. Thank you to everyone who has commented and voted so far, you not only encourage me to continue but always help me to improve. Until next time, take care and thank you.