Ancestral Dragon

Chapter 32

Frozen to the spot, Jak watched as the powerfully built guard stood with a slight smile on his scarred face. Their attempt to break free of the prison cell did not phase Gronk the guard at all. Zachario wasn't giving up and continued to say the unlock spell while holding on tight to the barred door.

Jak crumpled to the floor as the realization that their plan had failed sank in. Back when he had passed through the town with Rory, she said that using the metal as a barrier like this would be a waste because it doesn't keep Aunsi from manipulating magic. This was not an expected flaw in their plan which meant that the old couple wouldn't be rescued nor would Jak go home through the World Gate. He would be stuck in this dark and muggy dungeon forever or until Von Chiemer realized Jak was there. He wrapped his arms around himself as the cold seeped into his skin.

"Don't give up," Zachario said as he came to sit with Jak on the floor. He glanced over his shoulder at Gronk standing on the other side of the small room and spoke quieter, "Rory will be back and she'll take care of both guards. You'll see."

That was a good point. Releasing the dragons within the tight corridors of the castle wasn't an option. They realized this ahead of time and accepted the risk. Even though she was not as powerful with her dragon trapped inside the Dragon Stone, she was still a capable warrior. Jak's sparring match with her proved as much when she purposefully held back. Regardless, his mouth was dry as he thought about her having to fight the two guards alone.

Jak took this time to get as good of a look as possible down the corridor. Their cell was right at the entrance of the dungeon but the others were down a wide hallway occasionally lit by torches. How could anyone stay sane in a place like this; isolated in cold, humid stone rooms? There were no windows that allowed prisoners to know anything of the world that existed outside their cell. A moment of weakness had Jak wishing he had just left Kaolin through the World Gate instead of attempting this fool hardy escape plan.

Loud yelling echoed down the staircase. Jak recognized one of the strained voices as Rory's. The other must have been the female guard that left with her. Their plan was completely falling apart. If Rory was in trouble, then there was no hope in escaping themselves, much less rescuing the old couple.

Rory appeared at the bottom of the stairs first being pushed from behind by the short, female guard. Rory simply shook her head in shame. A bruise on her face confirmed that there had been a fight.

"Keep moving!" the female guard said as she dropped Rory's sheathed sword next to the stairs and shoved her into the corridor of jail cells.

Jak and Zachario pressed their faces up against the cold metal bars trying to see where they went without any luck. Moments later the clang of a metal door slammed closed and the guard reappeared from the dark hallway.

"They're spies," she said to Gronk. "Keep an eye on them. She tried to use magic on me."

"They tried to open the door with magic," Gronk said with his monotone voice.

The woman turned to Jak and Zachario with a sneer. "We've started experimenting with revar as bars in our jail cells. Seems like it was a god investment after all." She turned back to Gronk, "I don't know what the chaos they're doing here but the king should be told about them. It's not every day we catch Aunsi breaking into the castle." The woman left with such fervor in her step that her sword swung from side to side as she took the stairs two at a time.

"Rory!" Jak yelled down the hall.

"She got the jump on me," Rory answered the unasked question from an unseen cell.