The Hour of The Wolves

Chapter XXII (Alissarh)

They were in a cold dark cell covered of moss and mud. There was only a tin window where a little bit of sunshine came in in the early morning. They had one bed and one por for their needs. The door was made of thick wood and there were numerous little holes on the wall marking the activity of the rats. Carla was sleeping a feverous dream caused by her infected wounds. It has been a day since they got transferred here, but she hasn’t got any better. Alissarh was pacing around the room restlessly trying to figure something out, but her mind was fuzzy. She should have regained her powers by now, yet she still couldn’t focus.

“What could be the reason?” She wondered. “ It is either I don’t have enough food or they pu something in my food what causes the headache.”

“Yeah that’s a logical answer, to your question young lady whoever you may be. “ She heard through the left wall.

“Hmph good guess indeed. I have been through that. Need to stop eating for weeks, but it didn’t make a much difference though. There are these huge black guarding wolves behind the doors so little chance that we can get out alive.” Came from the other side.

Each voice was really familiar to Alissarh, but she couldn’t really recognize them as they were changed by the tortures and starvation.

“May I ask the young lady’s name?” Came the polite question from the left. “I am Theodore by the way.”

“Theodore? Dad, is I really you? “Blurted Alissarh out excitedly.

“Lissa? No, I can’t believe they got you. Do you hear this Endrolin ?”

“We are all doomed, so it seems.” Replied the old master. “ Our only two hope are Perc and Liam now and I don’t think they will be enough.”

“Hmph! We might as well kill our self if we wait for Percy as he is the masked man. “ Said Alissarh in an annoyed voice.

“Where did you get this information Lissa? “ Asked Theodore

“Do you remember the hunched little man I told you about dad? I went to his house. It turned out to be Percy’s old home. I found their parents as mummies and a lot of disturbing things in their house. The hunched man was Xavier who happens to be Percy’s little brother, oh and by the way he is the reason I got here.” Said Lissa sourly.

 They could hear a heavy sigh from Endrolin’s cell.

“You are right, and you are wrong at the same time. The man behind the mask is Valance I can assure you. I lost to him in a fight that’s why I am here. He is a power magician who can control the shadow. As for Xavier. Well he is utterly my fault.  I ordered him and Percy to find a way to be able to infiltrate their ranks. They came up with the idea of Xavier betraying us and turn over to the enemy. To play his role perfectly his memories were altered, thus he truly believes that he is in league with them. This magic can be dispelled by telling him the code word. When he hears I he returns to normal and can tell us everything. It is indeed a cruel twist of fate that he sent one of his allies here. “

A long silence followed his words .Alissarh just stared at to floor with empty eyes thinking about the sacrifice those boy had to make.

“Was this really necessary ? “ She asked in a sorrowful voice.

“Yes dear. It was. I am sorry for them, but it was their idea and they knew what they must do. They would have made their parents really proud. Both of them was an outstanding member of our sect. Also, you can rest assured that Percy never would have betrayed you.”

A sudden noise came from outside the cell . Wolves barked then they painfully howled. Alissarh could hear footsteps approaching.

“Darling.” She heard from Theodore. “ I want you to be really, really brave from now on and don’t forget that I always will love you. “

She could hear a door opening then a cruel voice said.

“Now it is time my dear commander to play with you a bit. Oh, sorry ex-commander.” She heard the sound of the kicks as they beat up her father and his painful grunts.

“We will have so much fun.” Laughed the prison keeper. “Take him boys to the sacrificial chamber Lord Vesphar said he wants to talk with him.”

Alissarh ran to the door and started to scream after her father. She knew that her voice did not go through, yet she could not stop until her throat became sore and she had no more tears to shed. She collapsed to the muddy ground and fell asleep. In her dreams she was in a garden full of flowers. They sit on a blanket with her family having picnic. Her dad, aunt and her friends. They were playing some silly card games with Liam and Percy when a man in uniform came to her dad. He brought him a call to arms .She could remember how she cried after him, how she begged him not to go. But he just turned to her and said.

“I must go now darling, because my duty calls away. But I will come back to you even from the depths of hell. Always and forever.”

“Do you promise daddy?”

“I do Lissy I do.” He hugged her and she felt so safe in that hug, so sure the promise is true.

But as she woke from that short dream, she realized that promise won’t be strong enough now. For the first time he won’t be able to make it back. The thought shattered her so much, all her will left her body. She just stared out of her head without eating or drinking. She spent her days looking at the door waiting for guards to open it and take her too.