The Reign of the Huntress

7. Advisor Kros

'Asaa Y'rgnovi shaluum phros eya,' Nova chanted in her brain. The spell had long since stuck in her head after her last encounter with her son and Archimedes. No one had returned to her cell except the guard who regularly brought food and water and a sense of loneliness began to creep into her heart. She had no way of telling time nor anything to do other than exert the little energy she had with physical exercise to keep up her strength. In the span of however long she had been imprisoned, people were transferred in and out of her neighboring rooms either in chains or in body bags.

"Here's your food savage," the guard of the dungeon spoke as he tossed her scraps through the bars. Nova had no dignity left and resigned to eating everything that she was given, whether it hit the floor where rats constantly ran or not. The huntress ignored the emptiness that growled in her stomach and sat back against the cell wall, only then noticing that the guard had yet to leave. Nova continued to stare at him until he finally realized that he had been motionless for longer than a minute. "Oh uh come on. The king wishes your presence."

With that he unlocked her cage and she stood up to meet him at the exit. His hands were rough as usual as the guard slapped cuffs on her wrists and pushed her in front of him. Her feet dragged as they trudged up the stairs and her chains rattled with the amount of effort needed to carry her up. Nova was tired and had no motivation to have an audience with the blood king seeing as how horrid all of her experiences had been with him thus far. "How do you sleep at night knowing that your crooked king wouldn't bat an eye to torturing the innocent men who forfeited in the ring?" The huntress asked the guard. He gritted his teeth and let out the most false laugh she had ever heard.

"None of those men were innocent. All were either threats or traitors to the king," he replied.

"Very specific. Problems for your king and not your kingdom, is that so?" She questioned further and his laughter died as quickly as it had started.

"No more questions wench," he shoved her forward and the huntress grunted in annoyance. Everything passed by her in a blur as she was swept down unfamiliar corridors. Before long they were standing in front of a new set of doors that she had not yet encountered.

"Where are we?" Her voice came on its own accord.

"I said no more questions," he snapped back and shoved her through the opening door. Nova's body smacked the edge of the frame and then rolled onto the ground as she bit back a yelp. She groaned as she lifted her body slightly off of the marble floor and opened her eyes to see only 2 pairs of boots under the table before her. A hand laid itself on her shoulder and then another grabbed her around the waist to hoist her up.

"This is what I'm talking about," a familiar voice spoke close to her ear. Her emerald eyes glimmered with the last shred of hope that she held onto as she turned her face to Captain Kros. He lifted her and gently placed the fragile huntress on the chair next to him. The King grumbled something under his breath before taking an angry long sip of wine. "We mustn't treat her like an animal or she will behave like one. If the whisperer is given respect just as any of my men, she will learn to respect us as well. Do you agree Nova?" He turned his attention back to her. Nova blinked in confusion as to what she had stumbled into but nodded once to confirm his side of the argument. King Seith gritted his teeth and scowled at the pair of them before bringing his golden chalice back to his lips for another drawn out drink.

"And you believe we can force-"

"Not force. Convince is better," Captain Kros interrupted politely to correct the King who narrowed his eyes at the brave man.

"Convince her to side with us before my brother can make another attack," he spoke with a near growl at the mention of his sibling. Nova raised a brow at the mention of a former attack but being as she was a prisoner, she kept her questions to herself. Captain Kros gave a firm nod to which King Seith responded by turning his head to the huntress and examining her with his glaring eyes, sneering at the fact that she was even allowed a spot at their table. "Fine. I'll accept your terms if they get me what I want but the whisperer is your responsibility. If anything happens I will-"

"My King, this will be my top priority and I promise that she will become a very willing soldier by the end of the month," Captain Kros interrupted once more with a confident smile. The King's eye twitched in displeasure but he dismissively waved a hand at the captain.

"Do what you want then but know this," he bore into the green eyes of the huntress, "I will set you up for torture if you step a clawed toe out of place." After his last line that was meant to sound more threatening than it actually was, he swept himself out of his regal chair and left the room in a huff. Once the door was shut, both of them released a breath that hadn't  realized they had been holding.

"Well that went well, don't you agree, Nova?" Kros asked with a grin. The huntress blinked at him, completely dumbfounded at what had just occurred before her. "Worry not. My plan is now in motion," he winked and her nose wrinkled in an involuntary response. His hand stretched out to her with a key and her chains fell to the floor in seconds. Subconsciously Nova began to rub away the feeling of the clamps on her wrists and then trailed over the raised bracelet that still clung to her skin, marking her as the whisperer. He held out his hand again to offer her support and she took it as he pulled her from her chair and began to escort her down a maze of never ending palace halls.

"Where are we headed?" Came her question. The captain ignored her until they came to a large wooden door decorated with various carvings. "Captain Kros?" She again asked and he opened the door with the turn of a key.

"Your room. I had it set up for you since I knew the King wouldn't deny the idea of his newest advisor." Her breath caught at the magnificence of the bedroom with its centered bed and assortment of fluffy pillows strewn across the surface. "The walls are also soundproof so we can talk about everything without any worry of someone listening in on us," he moved to sit on a red chair that sat in front of a vanity while Nova flung herself onto the waiting bed. A childish smile grew on her face as she buried her face in the comfort of a pillow and Captain Kros watched the uncharacteristic happiness coming from the huntress. Nova cleared her throat after a few seconds, only slightly embarrassed at her odd outburst and then looked up at the captain.

"My apologies. Let's talk then," she sat up and patted the pillow down into her lap. Captain Kros stared at her in disbelief before regaining his ability to talk while his resting grin crept back into his lips.

"Where to begin..." he started by mumbling to himself. "Ah that's right, I've gathered a few mages of sorts that are willing to help our cause. After we train for a while to show off to the King that you are what he calls tame, I will have the mages transform you into some grand being in a battle setting. Once everyone is convinced you are an all powerful idol, we overtake Seith's kingdom," he explained with wild hand motions to display his excitement.

"And these mages, do I know any of them?" Nova asked. Captain Kros sat back in his seat and his eyes wandered around the ceiling as he thought.

"Well Maylen agreed to help with her wind manipulation as well your Dracon friend Gemini. Though they aren't mages I believe that man that was imprisoned with you can also-"

"Iridian is dead," Nova interrupted with a feigned look of hurt on her face. He quieted for a second before rising to place a hand on her knee that was bent off the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry for your loss...even without him we will be victorious though. I can promise you that." She nodded hesitantly to continue on with her act of sadness. "And you will be able to live by my side comfortably after all this is done. You will still carry the role and title of whisperer to make sure that none will oppose me, but Nova," the way he said her name made her eyes wander up to meet his. There was something strange and uncomfortable glinting in his eyes but she couldn't tell what it was. "You will be free."