The royal guard hadn't moved since he woke. In the same position he sat, hunched over in his cell, not speaking a word. He didn't touch any of his food and he didn't ask to relieve himself.

As expected of a royal guard, their bodies were altered to withstand torture and starvation. But as Vay gazed at him, she noticed that he was no ordinary guard. Regions of his body were more wires than nerves.

She pressed her palm into the rectangular scanner beside the door. The door beeped and screeched open. Vay stepped through and the door fell close behind her. "How are you feeling?"

He remained silent.

"I'm sure you're wondering how your friend is, aren't you?" No response. "He isn't dead. He refuses to answer me. And I'm about to trade him off to Dhulka's scientist prince."

His head flicked up. "You're bluffing?"

"So you do speak?"

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Are you trading me off as well?"

"As far as I know, the prince only wants your friend."

He released a breath. A sigh of relief?

"But," Vay added, "I suppose he'd want to know who's been harboring a fugitive."

"I'm just a guard. Anything you could get from me would be next to nothing compared to him." His placid tone held a hint of fear.

"Or do you just want to save your own ass?"

He had no reply.

"I get that." There was more to it then that, Vay knew. "I might just keep your secret. But my favors aren't free. Who is he? Why were you with him? What's the story your hiding?"

"What happens if I do tell you?"

"That depends on the story."

He dropped his head. For a moment Vay thought he'd returned to his shell. "I found him," he said. "Along the caves of the upper folds. He was injured, I saved his life, and I only wanted to return him to the surface."

Vay waited for the punchline. When he said nothing else, she mocked a laugh. "Very funny. Now tell me who he really is."

"There's nothing else to tell. He's from the surface and I saved his life. It's up to you to choose what it is you'd like to believe."

"I believe no one can survive under the sun's pure light. I believe you're not telling me the whole story. And I believe, you care alot more about him then you let on."

"You could kill him right in front of me and I wouldn't bat an eyelid."

"Let's see if that's true." Without another word she was out the door and strutting down the hall. Someone came round the corner. She immediately recognized his gait, pompous steps that went along with his air of confidence. Just the man she needed. "Bai—"

"Vay you won't believe who I found walking the streets of the Underbelly!"

"Baido, not now," she grunted. For all she knew he must've dragged in another stray cat. "I need you to bring over the fugitive to be executed."

"We're killing flame boy?" He might as well had been pouting. "What about the bounty?"

"We can pass up a few Sols. Besides this was never about the bounty."

"Alright, alright." He shrugged. "Guess I'll earn more from the princess's ransom."

Vay bristled. "Princess?"

"Now you're listening, aye?"

"Baido, what have you done?"

"She was wandering the streets when I found her. It was easy, easier than I already thought was easy. But the Quincies might, perhaps know she's here as—"

"Which princess?" Vay held her breath.

"Zemlya, I believe is her name. Dhulka's last princess. The blind one."

Memories flooded Vay. Memories of a time marked by a never ending pain. A time when a little girl and boy was her only joy.

"Did you hurt her?" Depending on his answer Vay would've snapped one of his fingers.

"Not a scratch."

~~~

Time ran on and on and Zemlya had no clue of how long she was out. Or where she was. But she suspected who her captors could have been. The only reason Harran wouldn't have responded to her calls was because he was rendered incapable. And that meant someone was holding him captive. And took Lua in hopes of a bounty. The same people would gladly kidnap a lost blind princess roaming their streets.

She wasn't certain. And she sure hoped she hadn't walked right into the jaw's of a beast. But she was safe for now. They wouldn't want to exchange an injured princess for ransom.

A door opened. Footsteps approached.

Zemlya swiveled to the source. "Who's there?"

"Your Highness." The voice was light and wispy like a woman's. And sparked an old memory in Zemlya. "Forgive me. We never meant to take you."

"Will you let me go?"

"I promise you will be returned safely."

Zemlya recognized her voice. But she had to be sure. She reached out a hand to her. "You swear?"

Her hestiance came with a silence. As soon as her hand was in Zemlya's, Zemlya didn't let go. Her palm was hard and flaky. Zemlya slid her thumb over the back of her hand, were she found  scar tissue in the shape of a heart.

The woman pulled her hand away.

"Vaya?" Zemlya couldn't believe it. "Is it really you?"

A silence ensued.

"I never thought we'd meet again," Vaya said.

When they embraced, Zemlya felt like a little girl again. When they were test subjects trying so desperately to be the normal little girls they were.

"We looked for you, but we were never able to find you." A tear streaked past Zemlya's cheek.

"I never wanted you to."

They pulled away. Zemlya always felt safe near Vaya, and even after so long that feeling remained. When she was with Vaya, the agony that came with every breath faded, bad days would turn around and hope blossomed in her heart.

"Why are you here? What happened to you?" Zemlya held her hand in hers.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Zemlya suddenly remembered why she was here. "Harran, I'm looking for Harran."

"Why would Harran be here? How," Vaya faltered. Mused. "Did he get the surgery?"

"He did." Three barely beating hearts laying on beds beside each other. That was how it all started. "He even joined the Royal Guard Academy. He became my personal guard. I asked him to do something for me and he hasn't returned since."

"Your Highness," Vaya hesitated. "Did he come here alone?"

Zemlya shifted uncomfortably. She wondered how Vaya would take the knowledge that she had been harboring a fugitive from the surface? But if she could trust anyone in this world, she'd trust Vaya. At least 10 year old Zemlya could. But what could 10 years change?

"Vaya, I'm going to tell you something. And this is going to sound absolutely absurd, but it's true. I don't know who else to ask help from." And so Zemlya told her everything, from the night they found Lua to the second they parted.

When Zemlya was done Vaya didn't respond for a moment. An uncertainty hung in the air. Zemlya didnt know if Vaya believed her.

"I think," Vaya said, "I may have taken them both captive. But you need not worry, I mean them no harm. One of my man was there when the surface dweller collapsed in the streets. He brought them here and we were able to treat his wounds. But Your Highness, I hope you understand that we couldn't simply trust them. Especially the surface dweller."

A million questions filled Zemlya's mind. But she suspected the answers would scare her more than it would satisfy. Still she had to know, what had happened to Vaya when they were separated. "What do you mean by we?"

Muffled footsteps thundered towards them. The door screeched open. Heavy breathing filled the silence. "Vay," came a male voice, "Quincies have blocked all our exits and are causing a commotion. They say Vermillions trespassed on their turf and took out their men."

~~~

5 Hours Earlier

There were men in the ceilings, unbeknownst to the occupants of the warehouse. Crawling through vents at the command of Lau Tayo who relayed directions from the protection of his inn room.

Lau Tayo didn't dare take his eyes off the pulsing red dot on his screen for a minute. Afraid that if he did, the princess would disappear under his watch, again. If this operation failed she wouldn't be the only one to disappear.

Two of the four green dots neared the red. On the edge of his ancient grungy seat, Tayo brought up the live footage of the operation. In what looked like an old closet sat two men, one with blue hair and the other black hair, immersed in a game of cards. Before them laid the princess's malamute in a cage.

"What's the order, sir?" The soldier's voice came through the radio.

"Take the dog," Tayo said. "And see if they know where the princess is."

The soldiers communicated with each through hand gestures. Without so much as a creak the vent cover was uninstalled. The first soldier fell through. As soon as his boots met the table, his gun was in his hands and a bullet was sent through the blue-haired thug's shoulder. A scream ripped through the narrow space. The soldier spun, landing a heavy kick to the thug behind him, knocking the gun out of the thug's hands. The second soldier followed suit. The next bullet released went through the black haired thug's thigh. A second scream electrified the air. The soldier nudged the thug's gun into the dog's cage with his foot.

With guns held up against their foreheads, the gang members didn't dare move. 

"Who the hell you?!" The blue haired man roared through gnashing teeth.

"Princess Zemlya, where is she?" Said the first soldier.

"How the hell would we know!" The other thug howled. "We only took the damn dog!" 

Tayo studied each gang member through the cameras on each soldier. However earnest both men were, they were only low lives who killed, kidnapped and stole for a living in Tayo's eyes. Their lives revolved solely on how they could please their leader. Even if it meant losing a few limbs for it.

"Scour the whole building until the princess is found," Tayo instructed. "Eliminate whoever gets in the way."

A/n: ewe I'm sorry for the cringe operation scene. I am not well versed in the lingo and the technicalities of such so I only ask u forgive me for that embarrassment😳 also if u find plot holes go ahead point them out, because i know I can easily look over them...hehe