Hanif

The cot in my cell was all too welcoming tonight. After a long day of working off what the Warden called "my smart mouth," my limbs hardly felt connected to my body anymore. My whole body ached, but the pain seemed to radiate especially around my still healing nose and ribs. When the guard slammed the cell door shut behind me, I practically fell onto my bed. The hard wood and prickly straw stung my bare chest, but I was used to it. And after today, it was the best feeling in the whole world.

Sleep drew me in almost instantly, pulling me into a deep, dreamless rest. I knew I'd be out cold until the obnoxious clanging of the morning bell rung. And I only hoped nothing would disturb my sleep until then.

{~*~}

So much for restful sleep. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, I was grabbed from my cot and shoved to the floor, effectively waking me up. I forced myself to rise even though the fog on my mind encouraged me to go back to bed. To sleep, and ignore whoever was trying to wake me up.

But when a hard boot struck my stomach, I knew my sleep was done. Pain radiated up my ribs, striking so deep it felt like my very bones had shattered. I couldn't contain the moan that slipped past my clenched teeth.

I didn't bother to struggle as two guards hauled me to my feet and out of my cell. I had no idea where we were headed, but I knew they wouldn't answer any of my questions. If I was lucky, they would ignore me. If not, I'd end up with a fist in my stomach. And my ribs were in no mood for that.

The rest of the prison was silent except for the occasional moans coming from beneath our feet where solitary and the other horrors were kept. I was brought out of the cell block and past the cafeteria, the room dark and empty. The guards pulled me down a hallway I hadn't been to before, then pulled me to a stop in front of an oak door.

I waited on aching limbs as one of them opened the door and the other pushed me inside. Compared to the dim light of the hallway, it was midday in here. Pitch torches lined the back of the wall, and it took me several moments to get used to the sudden light.

Once I was able to see clearly, my confusion at being woken up so early only increased. The room was an office, and the Warden was sitting behind a desk. Beside the desk was the beautiful woman who had interrogated me several days ago. The Virtuoso, if I recalled correctly. She was cloaked in a deep blue uniform and grey cape, her golden red hair bound up in a braid over her shoulder. Her eyes were unyielding, her face an unreadable mask.

"Are you sure about this?" The Warden drawled to the woman, not taking his eyes off me. I took one glance about the room, but didn't see anything of use. The only weapons in sight were on the woman, and I knew that was a foolish thought.

"Yes," the woman replied, her tone terse. But her form and stature were loose, relaxed. The only hint of her distress was readable in her tight jaw.

"Very well. But I ask that you return him when you are done."

An alarm rang in my mind at his words. What was going on? What was this woman planning? And how in the flaming fire was I involved?

The woman gave a small dip of her head, and I was about to demand an explanation when two figures stepped out of the shadows on either side of me. "What the..." Before I could move, the two men I could only assume to be virtuosos grabbed my arms, their grips like steel.

"Get your hands off me," I growled, trying to shake their grips. I had no desire to be manhandled, and whatever this woman was planning I wanted no part in it.

"Let's go." The woman walked towards me, and her two companions steered me around and back out the door. Even though I struggled against their grips, it did no good. The men were as good as statues as they dragged me down the halls and out of the prison.

The fresh air hit me first, so clean and clear of the prison stench that I almost hyperventilated breathing it in. Then the stars, still bright in the sky even though it was early morning, met my gaze. They were so pure, so brilliant. I hadn't seen a sight like that in a very long time.

I tried to absorb my surroundings as quickly as I could, knowing wherever I was headed would undoubtedly be worse. Why else would I be pulled out of the prison barely halfway into my sentence?

The Virtuosos led me to a set of horses waiting within the prison gates, several of them nickering softly as we approached. I was ordered to climb onto one of the horses, which hurt quite a lot with my existing injuries, while one of the men held the reigns. Then they bound my hands to the saddle and mounted their own horses. One of the men held onto my horse's reigns as we headed for the gates.

I watched in muted amazement as the heavy gates opened for the Virtuosos. As we rode through, I stared back at the black walls that held such horror and pain. Part of me wondered if this was all a dream and I would wake up back in that hole. So just in case that was true, I took in everything I could.

As we rode, hours passed and the sun at last began to rise. It cast golden orange rays onto the landscape, causing the dew from the night before to sparkle like diamonds. I stared at it in silent wonder, not bothering to consider any possible escape plans. I knew enough about Virtuosos to realize any escape attempts would be fruitless.

{~*~}

When we crested the last hill, Eynsworth came into view. The large outcropping of warm colored buildings were stark against the mountain background and the smattering of clouds above it. Even from this far away I could smell the spices of freshly cooked food and hear the sounds in the early morning air.

It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

We rode down the grassy hill, picking up speed until we entered the city and the roads became too packed. Townspeople stared up at the Virtuosos in awe, their gaze turning to disgust when they ran across me. I knew I was a sight, wearing only a ragged pair of pants and my body covered in injuries both old and new.

Think what you want. I didn't care for their opinions. In fact, I didn't care much at all about what anyone thought of me.  If they wanted to sneer and act all high and mighty then who was I to stand in their way? It didn't bother me either way.

As the towering gates of the Citadel rose up before us, I couldn't help but crane my neck to try and take it all in. Despite the grand building belonging to the Anax and his haughty Virtuosos, it was still brilliant. The glittering marble reflected the rising sunlight, streaming off the brick in quite a brilliant display.

As we rode beneath the towering gates and into the courtyard, several hostlers rushed out and took the horses from the Virtuosos. They dismounted, one of them undoing my restraints and forcing me off the horse. I landed on the cobblestone with a dull thud, my bones groaning in protest.

"Stand." The first word I had heard from the male Virtuosos, and the tone wasn't pleasant. I hauled myself up, barely able to remain standing as the man clamped heavy manacles on my wrists and a metal collar around my neck, the chain connecting to my hands.

I balked at the treatment, but didn't try to fight it as I knew there was no point. The lady Virtuoso approached me, taking my arm in her small hand. I smirked down at her as she led me forward and away from her companions. We entered the Citadel through the wide doors, and it was all I could do to keep from gaping. Parts of the old building remained, but they had made many changes.

The columns lining the entryway hall were... towering. It was the only word I could use to describe the enormous and elegantly crafted marble supports. Long, draping flags hung from some of them, displaying the crest of the Anax, a silver white wolf, raised up as if it were howling towards the moon. the backdrop was a mix of blood red and rich purple fabric, both a contrast to the wolf.

"You are to remain silent unless given a question," the lady Virtuoso spoke all of a sudden, though her gaze remained forward. I glanced down at her, half amazed at the callousness of her tone.

"Do you understand?" This time she deigned to look at me, her green eyes sharp.

The corners of my mouth tilted up slightly, but turned into a grimace as I stepped weird and a spark of pain flamed up my chest. I kept walking though, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of knowing I needed to rest. Instead, I swallowed back the pain and asked, "What's your name?"

She didn't answer at first, and I started to wonder if she'd even heard me. But then a small smile crept onto her face, much to my surprise, and she said, "Endana."

I pursed my lips and nodded. "I'm Hanif."

"I know." She sent me a glance, her expression still unreadable.

"Right." Well, that was awkward. I hadn't forgotten our last meeting at all, but now I seemed like a fool. "Well, formalities and all." I tried to shrug, but my ribs ached too much for that. In fact, the pain only seemed to be getting worse. Everything breath I took felt like my very bones were scraping against one another.

"Wait here." Endana stopped before another set of doors, these no less grand than the others we had passed. One of the soldiers stationed on the inside opened it for her when she approached, and she slipped inside. Much to my surprise, I was now alone.

I glanced about the corridors, debating the possibility of escape and the chances of my making it out of the citadel before they caught me. From the security I had seen upon arriving, the chances were slim. Too slim, even for me.

But what other choice did I have? Indeed, whatever I was doing here couldn't be good. The most likely reason was that the Anax had decided to change my sentence. Perhaps I was going to be sent to the labor camps in the Isles until I died of Lupus. Or maybe they would just speed along the process and send me to the chopping block.

None of those thoughts sat well with me. So I turned towards the hallway we had come from, my muscles tensing in anticipation. But before I could make my move, the door behind me opened and a wry voice called out, "I'm going to assume you were just enjoying the architecture and not planning to make a run for it."

I turned around slowly to face Endana who had an expression of disbelief on her face, like she couldn't understand for the world why I would try to get away. Really?

I gave her a cocky grin and tilted my head. "The architecture is very intricate."

She crossed her arms, but didn't seem to want to bother with responding as she beckoned me forward. I followed her into the room, schooling my expression so I was ready for anything. If escape wasn't an option, then perhaps words would help. Maybe even bargaining.

I held on to that thought as I was led before the Anax of Udor.

A/N: Heyooo! So, this update isn't so late! Woohoo! One day late only, and that's because I simply didn't have enough time to finish it yesterday. But I'm glad I finally got it out. I hope you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed writing it :)