Helix

Bound in Curses

23 AD

To his surprise, the two guards stepped aside. Helix wasted no time. Keeping his expression stony he strode through the arch and down the narrow steps. Following the sounds of the alternating soft and loud cries, Helix found himself in a small square chamber. The walls were the same solid stone as the upstairs, the floor the same marble. An oak table against one wall was laid out with a variety of objects the young man could not mistake as anything but devices of torture and pain. There sat an ornate fireplace directly across from the door, its mantle laden with bundles of dried herbs. It's fire heated the small chamber to a sweltering temperature. Nauseating waves of hot, strong smelling air wafted into Helix's nostrils.

The cry sounded again, weeping and plaintive. It was loud, so loud it seemed to come from just in front of him. But the room looked empty?

It sounded again, a shriek that tore at Helix's mind and soul. It was coming from the walls! Crossing the room he began to run his hands along the stone. "Can you hear me?" His tone was frantic, worried as sweat began running down his face and trickling down his back.

An unintelligible string of words, scared words sounded. Following the sound, he found a crevice in the stone. Shoving against it he felt for any way to move the block. Nothing budged. "Hold on!"

Wrong. This was so wrong! Killing her would have been kinder then whatever they were doing to her in this chamber.

That Ynyr would do such a thing made Helix sick to his stomach. Darting back to the table he looked for anything to pry the stone free. Halfway across the small room, he spotted a line of brass levers next to the yawning fireplace. He began yanking each one. Two stone panels slid open revealing empty, cramped holes in the wall. The space was barely big enough for an average size person to sit in. Not deep enough to stretch out their legs or lay down, and not tall enough to actually sit up all the way. Two small brass vents led into or out of each hole.

Flipping the rest of the brass nobs in quick succession he finally opened then correct chamber. She slid out head first, her short black mop of hair sticking in sweaty patches to her head. Her hands were bound with thin metal shackles. Unable to catch herself she thudded the three feet to the marble floor. Her ocean blue, tear-filled eyes lifted to Helix's face as he rushed to her side. She gasped for air, body trembling like a leaf.

Not sure what he was going to do, but absolutely certain he would not leave her in this situation. Helix put an arm under her knees and another under her back. "Please don't make this difficult." He muttered quietly.

She didn't. Her body still trembling, she buried her face in his chest as he lifted her and strode toward the stairs out. Halfway up the stairs, Ynyr appeared on the top stair. Helix froze, cataloging his options.

Run? Nowhere to go and not fast enough.
Fight? Certainly going to lose.
Make-ups some explanation? Impossible and pointless.

Grinding his teeth Helix continued up to his commander. The woman in his arms, seeing who waited for them trembled harder.

"Commander." Helix inclined his head slightly.

Black obsidian eyes devoured every detail. There was no expression to read. No tells to explain what the man might be thinking. "You are going to piss her off with this. Hurry."

Ynyr turned, both hands flicked out and the servants who had been guarding the stair entrance slumped to the floor. Unconscious or dead, Helix didn't know. He lingered a moment, suspicious.