The Forbidden Compass Trilogy: Book One- Caged
Chapter 5

Krade

Krade watches his small fire flicker, the flames reflecting off the golden leaves of the trees in the copse where they are camped, making the world seem on fire. The past week has been tiring, full of chores ordered by the Hunters, especially since the addition of the beautiful girl, who has unexpectedly and unexplainably grown wings. The other Hunters are gathered around a larger fire, the light peeking through gaps in the wagons that block his view. He can hear their deep voices, but their words are inaudible. He pulls out his sword to pass the time, unable to sleep despite his exhaustion, haunted by nightmares of fire and screams.

He hasn’t seen anything in it for a long time, but tonight the smokey surface changes. He sees a winged creature flying through the trees, a pack of wolves at its heels. It has brown hair, a feminine figure, and its wings are similar to a sparrow’s. In its arms it carries a bundle. It stops in the fork of a tree, catching its breath, the wolves pawing at the trunk. It unwraps the bundle, places the thing inside gently on the branch, tying it in place with a piece of fabric it rips from its skirt hem. It wraps a branch it breaks off the tree to look like the bundle then flies away again. The image moves closer to the thing tied to the branch. It is a baby, small fists pawing the air.

The scene changes back to the winged creature, flying with the wolves still on its heels. Its wings suddenly give out, and it tumbles to the forest floor. The pack of wolves surround it, and they change grotesquely into men, the Hunters. Alpha picks up the bundle, realizes it’s a branch, and throws it angrily into the woods. After a short scuffle, they bring the winged creature to the cage.

The scene changes to an arena, a chain-linked dome separates the crowd from what is inside. The winged creature fights a big dragon that changes into its war-form, even more terrifying than the tales make it out to be. The battle ends with the dragon standing over the winged creature’s broken body. Krade tries to comprehend what he has seen as the sword changes back to its burnt and strange state. He doesn’t know who the baby and the winged creature were, but he is certain the Hunters are vjorc, and that they are bringing their captives to a fighting arena, not the king.

Krade sheathes his sword, creeping to a wagon and hiding behind it, straining to hear their conversation. He hears Psi’s deep growl, “What are we going to do about the boy?”

“We’ll see if we can get a price for him, he’s strong, but if not, we’ll have some fun.” Alpha’s deeper growl answers. The Hunters laugh as Krade backs away. Everything in him tells him to bolt, but something in him holds him back. How Irelle’s steely resolve had fallen away when Alpha had ordered the villager’s massacre to reveal a vulnerability he can’t forget. He doesn’t think any of them deserve to be forced to fight to the death, not when he can do something. He hadn’t been able to save his village, but he can save them.

He approaches the cage, fishing the key Alpha had given him and never asked back out of his pocket. He sticks it in the lock, turning it, and winces as the door creaks. He checks to see if the Hunters had heard, but their laughter still drifts through the cracks in the wall of wagons. He breathes, realizing he had been holding his breath.

“What are you doing?” A voice asks. Krade jumps a little, seeing the shape of the winged girl silhouetted against the dark walls of the cage.

“I’m helping you escape, but we have to hurry. Wake the others.” He can see her face is conflicted in the flickering firelight, but she turns and shakes the others awake. Fenn and the girl are already out of the cage when Irelle stops.

“Why should we trust you?” She asks, her voice dripping with disgust. Krade can’t help groaning. He doesn’t have an answer.

“Come on, Irelle. If it turns out to be a trap, you can kill him yourself. We might never get a chance like this again.” Fenn whispers. Krade feels grateful, but he doesn’t like the idea of Irelle getting angry.

Irelle swings her legs over the side then she stops again. “Why now? Why are you helping us now?”

“Because before I thought they were taking you to the king, but it turns out they’re bringing you to a fighting arena. And they were planning on selling me too.” He glances in the direction of the Hunters’ fire. “We need to go, now!” He whispers a little more loudly. Clearly hearing the urgency in his voice, Irelle sighs and jumps out of the cage.

Krade leads the way, hoping they can make it to the trees, where they can hide. His shoulders ache; they had gotten infected and hurt whenever he moves. He can feel the dark presence in his back growing, and he doesn’t try to push it down, too concentrated on escaping. He feels it pushing out, trying to break free, and a pain like a knife being pushed slowly from the inside causes him to fall to his knees. He hears a scream of pain split the silent night, only to realize it was his own. All he can see is fire, and all he can think of is the burning pain.