Chapter Twelve
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Capture
Orphenn was pinned. Between the cold metal floor, and the poisonous head of Dacian’s lance. In an instant, it would have been lodged in his chest, had it not been for a shout from the other end of the corridor, followed by a cacophony of rapid footfalls.
“Dacian! Intruder!” the voice called. “Catch her!”
Dacian straightened, replacing his lance in the holster on his back.
Orphenn quickly retrieved his pistol from the ground, only for Dacian to again knock it from his grip. He made to dash to the side, but Dacian caught his shoulder in an iron grip and pinned him again, against the wall. “You’re not going anywhere.” He growled.
“Catch the intruder!” Wynne beckoned.
Cinder shot out of the steam and sped around the corner.
“You again?” Dacian mused. He almost let her pass by, but in a blink, he had raised his fist up to meet her. Her head collided with his rock hard knuckles, and she collapsed at his feet. She was still conscious, but only slightly.
Wynne came to a sharp stop at the corner. He was filled with rage at the sight of Cinder writhing on the floor. Yet again, Dacian had overdone it. But he held his calm façade.
“Nicely done.” He feigned. His voice was placid, though his teeth were grinding furiously.
Dacian turned his glare to the infuriated Orphenn, pinned like an insect under his arm. Orphenn’s breath came as hissing through clenched teeth, like an aggravated snake in a cage. Dacian grabbed a handful of the boy’s dark hair and pulled him from the wall. “You deal with this little angel.” He ordered, and shoved Orphenn into Wynne’s much gentler grasp. Then he knelt down beside Cinder. “This little angel deserves special treatment.” He picked Cinder up and flung her over his shoulder, standing and turning toward the dungeon door across the corridor, but then looked back at Wynne to add, “Do with the boy what you will. He is no concern of mine.”
Cinder gave Wynne a last beseeching look from her perch in the tall man’s lift. Her eyes said Protect my brother. Please. Then Dacian proceeded and they disappeared behind the steel-bolted door to the dungeon.
Wynne stared after them for a moment, then remembered the boy in his grasp.
“This way, vermin.” He instructed, just in case Dacian still listened. He led Orphenn back to the boiler room in soft, but firm hands.
“No! Please, wait-Cinder!” Orphenn struggled. “My sister!”
Wynne admired the love the siblings shared, sad that any similar bond he shared in the past was lost to him now. Despite Orphenn’s squirming, he managed to drag the boy back to the large drainage pipe, effortlessly lifting him above the open hatch.
“No! Please!” Orphenn grabbed Wynne’s uniform collar in begging fists. “What will he do to Cinder!?”
Wynne looked at him sincerely in the eyes, and spoke with hard certainty. “Young One, I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to your sister.” He held Orphenn’s wrists. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” He took a deep breath, his face full of sympathy. “Forgive me.” He pried Orphenn’s fingers from his collar, and let them go. Orphenn lost his balance, catching the hatch lid for support. For a moment he could only stare at Wynne.
“I’m sorry.” After one last apologetic gaze, like an expert martial artist Wynne kicked Orphenn’s boots out from under him and pushed his shoulders.
The youth fell back, and down into the pipe.
Wynne heard him land with a spatter at the bottom. He closed and locked the hatch, apologizing again.
For a moment he stood there, leaning against the pipe. He knew Orphenn was still in there, the stubborn boy. If he remained much longer, he would be caught, either by obedient slaves or brainwashed guards, and then there would be no hope for him.
Wynne would not let that happen. He knew what he had to do, because he knew Orphenn would not willingly leave with his sister still trapped inside the castle. But he was reluctant. Cinder came to replace her brother, to keep him safe. If Orphenn got hurt, then what would have been the point in trying to protect him? If Wynne opened the spill gate, the water would force Orphenn out the drain, and into the moat. His comrades outside would be sure to notice and come to his aid immediately. And if he didn’t open the gate, Orphenn would surely be stuck in prison with his sister.
He took a moment to weigh the options.
“Anything is better than prison…” Wynne decided. He flipped up the cap to the bright blue button on the end of the plumbing control panel, and with a deep breath, he pressed it. “I just hope you have the sense to run.”
Orphenn stood slowly, surrounded by darkness after hearing the hatch clamped shut, almost in shock. “I can’t leave!” he shouted, his voice cracking with the effort. His words traveled down the cavernous pipe and echoed back to him. His throat tightened. “Cinder!”
A rush of damp air blew from deeper down the pipe, and brought with it the cold scent of wet metal.
Orphenn’s eyes widened in a jolt of realization. “He’s forcing me out…”he said with a startled gasp. He spun on his heel and took off at a sprint, desperately attempting to flap his wings and flee faster, but he couldn’t seem to catch the air in this tube. He’d have to keep running.
Finally, he could see the opening, a circle of rain, but just as it came into his view, his boots slipped on the slick metal.
The water caught up to him. Soon he was encompassed, and all he could see was foam and bubbles. His throat and lungs were burning.
The water poured into the moat, and Orphenn was dumped into its dark waves, and tossed about underwater like a kite tail in the wind.
Thankfully, he made it to the surface, sucking in a breath of chilly air as he clung to the bank. Coughing violently, he climbed onto the muddy land, raindrops crashing all around him. When he stood, he saw that Cinder’s bike was lying on its side among the rubble. Then he spoke as if Wynne would hear him. “If not for you, I would be more persistent.” He glanced back at the massive pipe, still sprouting water.
Sopping wet, he lifted the motorcycle onto its wheels and kicked the switch for the wings to snap out. He tried to speak to his squadron through his communicator, but the water had shorted out its circuits. He had no choice but to fly on Cinder’s bike and return to the Day Star as quickly as he could. Everything about this was completely against his nature, but what else could he do now?
The instant Wynne had pushed the button, he turned back and dashed for the corridor, intending to make sure Orphenn made it out. Halfway down the hall, a gleam caught his eye. It was Orphenn’s gold pistol, shining in the dim lighting. Wynne picked it off the floor and examined it.
There was a bolted window set into the wall beside him. He hastily gazed through the cracked glass into the moat, stories below. With a surge of relief, he watched Orphenn crawl out of the moat and fly away on a sky ride.
And now with a new determination, Wynne held the golden pistol to his chest, as if renewing a silent oath, then slipped it into his belt.
Orphenn tried convincing the others to go back with him and rescue Cinder, to no avail.
“Celina!” he protested. “I watched the traitor Dacian drag her into the dungeon! Who knows what torture she’s going through right now! We have to go back, we have to help her!” his voice was raspy from nearly drowning.
“It’s not possible, Orphenn.” Celina said. “I can feel her through our link. She’s not in any real pain. We’re not risking the safety of the entire squadron.”
“But doesn’t it piss you off, that it was Dacian who captured her?”
She didn’t respond.
Orphenn slumped into a chair and held his face in his hands.
Eynochia came beside him and draped a blanket over his shoulders. “Orphenn.” She sympathized. “You’re soaked. You should rest.”
He shook his head silently.
Sven laid a hand on his arm and said, “We will rescue her, Little Bird. Soon. Remember, we love her too.”
“There was a man.” Orphenn said, looking up at him. “His name was…Wynne, I think.”
“Wynne…” Sven was wide-eyed, as if he’d heard the name before, but couldn’t recall where.
“He was there at the warehouse yesterday…And he told me where the shortcut to the dungeon was, but Dacian had interfered. When Cinder came, he forced me to escape back through the pipe, like he meant to protect me. And he was apologizing the whole time. He promised me he wouldn’t let anything happen to Cinder. I know he’s an Ardaran, but I saw his eyes, he’s Enma too. And…I trust him.” He hesitated. “I even avoided shooting him back at the warehouse.”
“Well, if he helped you escape safely…” Eynochia stated, but Orphenn interrupted:
“You mean made me escape, somewhat safely. He kind of flushed me out. But even so….I have every reason so far to trust him, and I believe what he promised was honest. I know Cinder isn’t in any immediate danger, but…” emotion made his voice crack. “But it’s my fault…I insisted on continuing the mission…” his voice lowered to a whisper, “And now she’s trapped and she’s defenseless…”
Xeila looked up from her map to gawk at him. “Orphenn. What Cinder did was her own choice. It was her own decision to go after you, and the stubborn ass wouldn’t have taken ‘no’ for an answer! She took your place to save you. And, if anything, she felt the blame was on her for being hindered by that freaky device and forcing you to go in her stead in the first place. So really, the blame should be put on Ardara. Again. Don’t blame yourself. She’ll be okay. Especially if what you tell us about this Wynne is true.”
Orphenn managed a teary smile.
“That name sounds so familiar, doesn’t it Dad?” Eynochia queried. “Wynne…..”
“Yeah,” Xeila concurred, “Wynne, Wynne….”
“Criminey, girls!” Sven remarked. “You’re memory’s just as bad as your daddy’s! Can’t even remember what I had for breakfast this mornin’. Did I even have breakfast? Cripes I’m hungry again.”
Orphenn could feel the love between this family, however broken they were by loss. He could take comfort, at least, in that.