The two enemies glared at each other. Emma took her hand away from the lock, not wanting to open it anymore. The rather large lady in the cell stood up and walked over to the bars.

  "Hello, Olga," Emma said, a certain disgust in her voice.

  "HELLO, EMMA," replied Olga. "HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE. WHERE'VE YOU BEEN? OFF LEARNING MAGIC TRICKS WITH THAT FOOL YAJÍN?"

  "You seem to have forgotten, Olga, that I have control over your situation right now.

  Olga snarled, "I COULD BREAK THROUGH THE BARS AND SMASH YOUR PRETTY LITTLE FACE RIGHT NOW IF I WANTED TO."

  "Then why don't you?"

  Olga smirked. "BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT'S BEHIND YOU."

  This caused Emma and the three boys beside her to turn around sharply. That was when they heard a loud smash. Before they could turn around again to see who it was, Emma was thrown to the ground.

  Olga stamped her foot on the mage's forehead, knocking the brunette out cold. The giant woman smirked. She turned around to see the four standing there, hands covering their mouthes. Grian narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, clenching his staff. Olga also stepped forward.

  "YOU WANT SOME, PRETTY BOY?" she said, clenching her fists and smirking.

  Grian stepped back.

  Olga laughed. "THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT!" She stepped away, walking over to the drop-off of doom.

  As soon as Olga had her back turned, Sam ran over to Emma. He had a worried expression plastered across his face. The hybrid dropped to his knees and placed his hand on the mage's face.

  "She's as cold as the floor..." he said to no one.

  Olga turned around sharply. "GOOD, YOU'VE VOLUNTEERED," she said casually.

  "What?"

  "YOU'RE GOING TO CARRY HER OUT."

  "What?"

  "I WOULD KILL HER NOW, BUT WE NEED HER." Olga looked around. "YOU, PRETTY BOY," she pointed at Grian, "YOU ARE HER BROTHER, YES?"

  Grian was slow to answer. "I-I-" he stuttered, scared.

  "ARE YOU?"

  "Yes..."

  "HMM. THIS MIGHT BE EASIER THAN I THOUGHT."

  "What?" everyone said at the same time.

  Olga ignored them. "PRETTY BOY, STAY WITH ME."

  Grian hesitated.

  "THAT'S AN ORDER."

  Grian moved faster than lightning. He stood beside Olga, shaking with fear.

  "NOW, I KNOW A SECRET WAY OUT OF THIS PLACE. FOLLOW ME."

  Sam picked up Emma wrapped one of her arms around his shoulder. He followed Olga and Grian, Taurtis and Isabella behind him.

  "Who do you think she is?" the rogue whispered to the ninja.

  "I don't know, but she obviously had some problems in the past with Emma," Taurtis replied.

  "When I met Emma, she said she was being hunted by a powerful group of people. When I first entered the cell, Olga told me she was a Viking queen. Do you think-?"

  "That would make sense."

  They continued to the end of the dungeon hallway. Olga lead them to a small room to the left, which was filled with several small chests. Olga opened one of them and reached inside. When her hand resurfaced, it held their weapons. The group exchanged looks as Olga threw the weapons into a sack, which she also pulled from the chest. She turned around and strode out of the room, walking up to the torch on the wall and pulling it down. There was a rumbling noise, and the bricks on the wall opened up to a secret exit that led to an underground path that led directly outside.

  "LET'S GO," Olga said, and the others obeyed. The group walked down the low-ceilinged corridor, keeping up with Olga's big strides. Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel. They made their way out into the light of the setting sun.

  "Woah," Isabella breathed. "I've never actually taken a moment to look at the sunset."

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Taurtis said, glancing at Isabella. He quickly slipped his hand into hers, and gripped it securely.

  Isabella sighed, but she knew that Taurtis was more scared than she was. She also knew that holding her hand gave him a sense of security. So she allowed it.

  They continued walking along the grassy plains that surrounded the kingdom. Soon, they began to see a camp on the horizon just as the sun fell over the hills.

  "THERE IT IS!" Olga exclaimed happily. She let out an excited noise that sounded like a bear had died in her throat. She ran to the camp, trampling every weed in her path. The others had to run as fast as horses to keep up with her.

  A voice came from the border of the camp. "OLGA, MY LOVE! YOU HAVE RETURNED!"

  As the group drew closer, they saw a Viking standing at the edge of the camp. He had a flame-orange beard and the same color hair, which was covered by his helmet. He was wearing traditional Viking armor, with a chainmail kilt hanging over his trousers, and a bare chest covered by a leather strap that attached to his steel pauldron. On his back he carried a giant war hammer, which looked heavier than the man himself.

  "OLAF!" Olga yelled to the Viking. "I'VE GOT HER!"

  "Who?" Olaf asked.

  "LOOK!" She went over to Sam and pushed him forward, which caused the hybrid to stumble, but he didn't fall. Olaf gasped when he saw Sam was carrying Emma.

  "You didn't," he said.

  "I DID!" Olga exclaimed.

  "Bring them in!" Olaf said, turning around and heading into the camp.

  Olga, who looked as giddy as a schoolgirl (which looked rather disturbing with her crooked and yellow teeth), skipped after Olaf into the Viking camp.

  The group slowly walked into the camp, looking at the ground to avoid all the eyes of the Vikings. Everything was silent as they walked across the grass to where Olaf and Olga were standing.

  "WHO ARE YOU?" Olaf bellowed as they approached.

  "THE WIZARD IS HER BROTHER," Olga said. "WE CAN USE HIM."

  "Hmm, I see," said Olaf. "What about the others?"

  "Friends," Sam said simply. "Her friends."

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yes." Sam looked at Emma's face to avoid looking at Olaf's. He couldn't help but think that Olga must've hit her really hard, or else she wouldn't be unconscious this long.

  After minutes of dead silence, Olaf spoke.

  "PUT THE RABBIT IN THE CAGE. THE MAGE'S BROTHER GOES IN THE CELL OVER THERE." He pointed, then turned his hand to Emma. "Bring her to me."

  The Vikings obeyed instantly. The group didn't have time to react before the barbarians dragged Grian away to the edge of the camp, Sam to the fire, and carried Emma to where Olaf was heading. Taurtis and Isabella were pushed back so they couldn't fight. The rogue and the ninja gave each other worried glances.

  "What're we going to do?" Taurtis asked when the Vikings had walked away.

  "I don't know, but we'll think of something."

  They stayed silent as they watched the chaos before them.