Stuck

"Are you going to wake up… Hey!"

Osric recognizes the voice screaming at him. He opens his eyes to a stone floor, cold and damp.

He springs onto his butt, looking down at his stomach. A hole in his black shirt, but no wound.

"Finally."

A blue-haired, shoulder-padded demon stares at Osric through the bars. The same demon who shot an icicle through him.

He’s trapped in a stone-brick box with metal bars at the front — a cell.

"What did you do to me!" Osric jolts up and slams his hands on the bars, glaring at him.

"I healed you. You’ve been out for several days," the demon explains.

"Why?"

"I need you alive, that’s why... Have you ever seen this?" He reaches behind him and shows Osric a book.

A very old, leather-bound book. The title is inscribed in gold symbols Osric can’t read.

"No. What is that?"

"Hmm… I was hoping you would know. This book is what’s left of the Demon Lord — or so I believe. When that Sage struck the final blow on him, he turned to a pile of dust. In the dust, I found this book."

"You — what do you mean? That was thousands of years ago!" Osric scoffs, raising his eyebrow.

"I was there."

Osric’s eyebrow drops instantly.

"The Grand Sage created this book. So, you can activate it, yes? As you can see, the pages are blank." The demon flips through the book, showing him the pages.

"I can’t," Osric says.

"Is it because you need your assistant?"

"How do you know about my assistant — What did you do to Elayne!" Osric shouts.

"Nothing. My idiot brother failed the simple mission I gave him and got himself killed."

"I can fix your book! Just let me go!" Osric pleads.

The demon laughs. "And why would I believe that?"

He turns and begins walking down hallway, as he does, the lantern on the wall behind him extinguishes. "You will restore this book. I’ll give you some time to think about it."

"I'm not scared of you! You're pathetic. Where's your red skin and snake tongue!" Osric yells, trying to intimidate the demon, but the figure simply continues down the dark stone hallway.

"You can't keep me here. The kingdom will do anything to rescue the Sage!" He yells down the hallway as the footsteps fade away.

"What could they have done to Elayne?" Osric mutters to himself.

"Oh my god… Catalina!" He falls to his knees, wrapping his arms around the back of his head at the realization.

"No, no, no!" he belts out, pulling down on his head, forcing his chin into his chest. "No, it wasn't supposed to be like this. Why did she charge the demon like that? We didn't always get along, but I — she better be okay."

He falls to his side, hyperventilating. Am I really stuck in here? Who says he'll let me go even if I can fix his book?

>>>

After many failed attempts to steady his breathing, he finally gets himself under control.

"I can just blast out of here." He raises a palm and starts chanting.

A flicker of fire flashes in his palm and immediately disappears. The bars of his cell light up as it does.

"No... what is this?" He examines the sides of the bars. Each one has a magic circle etched into it. 

His heart sinks.
I can't use my magic. I'm stuck.

***

Helen, Elayne, Alec, and the blonde girl trudge through the thick forest just outside the capital.

Crunching on leaves, they reach a more open area of the forest — fewer trees, with a vast patch of grass. Atop the grass sits a small log cabin.

Leaves float in front of Elayne. A figure drops down from the trees — a black-hooded overcoat with a high collar, black pants, and boots. Splashing dead leaves in Elayne's face.

"We’re clear. No one followed us," A young boy's voice comes out of the hood. Speaking to the blonde-haired girl.

"Hey, watch it!" Elayne shouts, swatting at the leaves.

The girl nods at the black-hooded boy. "Lead us inside." she gestures to Helen.

>>>

The group surveys the small cabin. It has one main room with a kitchen and table on one side and a sofa across from a bookshelf on the other. A hallway leads to two bedrooms.

"There’s not much room in here. Where are we going to sleep?" the hooded boy asks.

"Caden and I will sleep out here, right?" Alec points to the sofa, then slaps the hooded boy on the back.

"Wait, we’re all sleeping here?" Helen asks.

"I hope you don’t mind our intrusion, but our last hideout has been compromised," the girl explains.

"Who exactly are you?" Helen questions.

"We need you to explain how you know the Sage, first." The girl points at the long table.

>>>

Elayne does her best to explain everything that’s happened, with some help from Helen, from meeting Osric until the last time she saw him.

The girl presses her hand against her chin, nodding. "The Sage and a half-beastkin assistant, peculiar." She clears her throat. "If what you say is true, then the Sage must have known this was going to happen. So he tried to gather allies in the Aurelith... That would make him quite the tactician." She adjusts her glasses. "I’ve made up my mind. We will plan a rescue mission."

Elayne springs up from her chair, delighted. "You’ll help save Osric?"

The girl nods.

"Okay, let’s go!" Elayne bolts toward the door.

Helen grabs her by the arm. "You said you’d explain who you are..."

The girl plays with her glasses for a moment. "I suppose I should start by saying the Kingdom can't be trusted."