Silence filled the entire dim chasm. Xanthy lowered her bow as the prince landed on the dusty ground with one of her arrows sticking out of his shoulder. That wouldn't hold him off for long.

"You..." Nyxis stared at Xanthy with his mouth partially open.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, princess," she launched off the stairs and landed on all fours. Nyxis followed soon after. Civil Knights froze and rushed to their fallen leader. Xanthy kept one arrow nocked as she swept a way towards their restrained friends.

The soldiers balked under her aim whenever she swept her bow in their direction. Nyxis kept looking at the commotion going behind them.

"What, he will live," Xanthy hissed. "Your brother?"

Nyxis nodded. "What is his name?" Xanthy asked, pointing her nocked arrow at the soldier restraining Jarvik.

"Adresin," Nyxis answered, his throat bobbing.

Xanthy sighed and blinked her eyes against the dim torchlight. She couldn't care less about what Nyxis's idiot brother's name was. She squinted at the blinking orbs attached to the ends of the net that was unfortunately atop her varichria friend.

She released a breath, nocked two arrows, and shot them towards the orbs. The satisfying crack of machinery echoed around the room as soon as her arrows kissed their targets. "Can you manage?" Xanthy heard Reeca grunt.

Xanthy crouched next to June who miraculously had dark hair. He groaned, clutched his head, and sat up. His eyes widened when he saw Xanthy. "What are you doing here?" he knitted his eyebrows.

"Saving your sorry ass," Xanthy snapped before moving to the Draswists. She frowned.

"Where is Malin?" she whirled to her companions.

A synchronous clicking noise ensued from the floor. Reeca slid from underneath the net and kicked it aside as she picked herself up. "I managed to get the boy out," she examined the bark greaves on her arm with a click of her tongue. "Let us hope he finds Vikara or Vikara finds him."

Adresin was still a pumkess sack at the base of the stairs while the Civil Knights floundered around for a cure. Xanthy didn't bother shielding the joy that gripped her heart upon seeing that. Behind her, Nyxis was tight-lipped and silent, keeping watch of the dungeon's entrance as she told him to.

"That is it?" Jarvik slammed his hand on his captor's helmet and the soldier withered like an unwatered vine. The same thing happened with Marin's. No other soldiers dared make a move against them.

Jarvik stepped towards Reeca. Xanthy's throat dried up at how much anger was reflected in the human's eyes. "You took my son out there with just the hope that Vikara finds him?" he demanded, his nostrils flaring. "The above world must be crawling with these golden fowls!"

Reeca crossed her arms and met Jarvik's smoldering stare. "Would you rather he dies here with the rest of you?" she snapped. Xanthy winced. Ouch.

Jarvik's eyes widened but he clenched his fists and turned to Marin. Xanthy lowered her bow and whirled to Reeca. "How much more time?"

The varichria dug around her armor until she drew out the timeteller. Her features dropped into a frown. "Half and a quarter of an hour."

Xanthy blew a breath. Still a long way to go. She slung her bow over her shoulder. "Everybody, follow me," she strode towards Marin and took the girl's hand. "We take the stairs."

"Oh, this is interesting," a weak but amused voice rang from behind the ring of Civil Knights at the base of the stairs. Adresin wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. A grin made his lips curl. "Highly interesting, indeed."

Xanthy unslung her bow and aimed an arrow at him. "Do you want another taste of this?"

"Shoot me again and you will regret it," the prince hissed. He had his hand bracing his injured shoulder. Blood dripped from his fingers. "Although, I will forgive you this one time if you choose to come with me peacefully."

"What?" Xanthy's eyebrows met. "What are you talking about?"

Adresin brushed his hair off his forehead much like how Nyxis did it. "I never thought this opportunity would come yet here you are, in the flesh," he gestured at her. "The Queen requests an audience with the one and only Virtakios, of course."

A breeze of shock swept over the dungeon.

"What is he saying, Xanthy?" Reeca gripped Xanthy's arm. "Who is the Virtakios?"

Xanthy's throat developed a heartbeat. Her grip tightened on the shaft of her bow. "Me," she hissed. She angled her bow towards the prince again. His decorated gold armor had never pissed her more than this moment. "Your Queen will not get what she wants. We have places to go."

Adresin chuckled. "Like that massive army outside the Palace you got going?"

Xanthy's stomach sank. How did he...?

The prince threw his head back and laughed at Xanthy's shock. "We have been monitoring suspicious movement across the territory for months now," he waved his arm. "It is only a matter of time before rebellion forces seeking to end the dynasty come knocking at our doors."

"And look, my little brother is with them as well," Adresin's eyes flicked towards Nyxis who shrank against Xanthy. "As much as it pains me to see you alive, I really do want you to stay dead as the reports say. I could not have you trying to usurp the throne from me again."

"Shut up, Adresin," Nyxis snarled. "I never cared about your stupid throne or this freaking godsforsaken hole."

"As you say, brother," Adresin rolled his eyes. He plucked Xanthy's arrow off his shoulder as if it was a lint dusting his suit and tossed it aside. "My patience has run out," he raised his hand at his men. "Kill everyone except the Brownie."

Xanthy had a moment to think Brownie? before the Civil Knights roared as one and charged at them.

"Stairs, now!" Xanthy yanked Marin's hand and pulled the girl straight into the converging line of soldiers. Reeca rose up with her sword going against the net shooters first. Gods, that girl could keep grudges.

Xanthy shoved Marin in front of her. "Keep running!" She drew an arrow from her quiver and shot a soldier coming for Marin. "Do not look back!"

The air turned electric as Nyxis and June yelled the same spell at once. Light flashed in Xanthy's periphery just as she loosed another arrow. A soldier grunted, stumbling backwards while clutching his leg.

Xanthy cursed. If not for the restrictions, she would have killed these people a thousand times over. Sadly, her bow was made of magic and one cannot use magic for murder. If she wanted to kill, she would have to choke the lights out of each and every one.

Or she could use the Virtakios.

Xanthy ducked and rolled, swiping the tip of her bow against an ankle. She wedged her weapon and plunged it deeper. Armor crunched like a can underneath the force of Reeca's weaving. She grunted as she pulled her bow, hit another soldier on the shins with it, and slam her foot into a chin.

She eyed the ceiling as three soldiers groaned in her wake. If she lost control of her power, she could bring down the entire cavern over them. So, no. Virtakios was not the answer either.

Marin ran forward, almost reaching the stairs. A sword shrieked behind Xanthy. She turned just in time to parry it with her bow. Sparks flew and almost set her hair on fire. Wow. This was one strong bow.

The soldier bore down on her. Marin, she's...

"Reeca! Cover Marin!" Xanthy tightened her grip on her bow and pushed against the soldier.

"Got it!" came the varichria's answer.

Sounds of scuffling were loud in Xanthy's ears. She bared her tellet me know if you have suggestionset me know if you have suggestionseth. She lowered herself and just as the soldier loomed over her, she jammed her foot against the soldier's knees. Metal crunched. Xanthy drew her arm back and drove her fist into the soldier's helmet. The soldier landed on the ground with a metallic thud.

Xanthy gritted her teeth and turned. She shot arrow after arrow, met blow after blow. Her lips formed spells to throw nets off-course. Her legs swept and stomped on every gold-plated body she encountered.

However, it seemed like for every one she knocked down, three more took their place. Overhead, Reeca soared and dived, slashing her sword. Blood sprayed but not enough to kill. June and Nyxis tumbled and rolled, spells flying against different colored shields. Jarvik's blond head was barely visible from the ring of gold armor crowding around him.

Xanthy reached the base of the stairs. Marin leaped over the broken gaps. Good.

A stray spear of magic sped for Xanthy. Her breath left her throat as she whipped with her arms. "Cover!" she screamed. A blazing, transparent barrier expanded in time for the spell to explode against it.

That was close.

A shriek tore her attention from her temporary success. Up ahead, Adresin had an arm around Marin's neck and a dagger pressed to the girl's throat. Xanthy gasped and nocked an arrow.

"Let her go," she growled, aiming at the prince.

Adresin laughed. Fighting raged around them. June was grunted nearby. Nyxis's spells were growing weaker, as well. "Shoot me and she dies," he answered.

Xanthy clicked her tongue. How could she let this happen? Letting Marin go ahead? So stupid! "You would not even dare kill her," Xanthy hissed. Her fingers gripped her bow tighter. "Magic will just heal the wounds and you will incur a drawback."

If anything, Adresin's grin grew wider. "Want to see how you are wrong?"

Xanthy cursed. Even if magic would heal them, she wouldn't want to see Jarvik's daughter get hurt. They were trapped into this loop. Her heart throbbed. Her thoughts raged inside her head. What could she do?

"What do you want?" Xanthy leveled her gaze at the prince despite the numerous steps between them.

"I thought I told you?" Adresin's high-pitched voice irked Xanthy more than ever. "The Queen wants an audience with the Virtakios. Which happened to be you."

"What would she want with me?" Xanthy narrowed her eyes. Her fingers were the only thing keeping the arrow back.

Adresin shrugged. "That is for her to answer," he nodded at the commotion beyond the stairs. "Look at your friends. It will be a short time before my soldiers finish them off."

Xanthy glanced as he instructed but kept the arrow aimed at his head. Down below, a soldier punched June in the gut. The half-blood sank to his knees and wheezed. Nyxis was backed into a corner where a dozen spells and nets aimed at him. His barrier cracked and at least two nets dropped upon him.

Jarvik swung a stolen sword but he clearly didn't know how to use it well. A soldier swung an ax and its curved head tore the sword out of the human's hands. The next blow sent him tumbling unconscious.

Reeca was still up and fighting but a spell clipped her wings. A cry escaped her lips as she was forced to land. Soldiers were waiting for her as she did. Hands grabbed her limbs and pinned her down.

Adresin chuckled and Xanthy turned back to him. The human prince pressed the blade deeper into Marin's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. Stop. Enough.

"Promise me you will let them go if I agree to come to the Queen," Xanthy said against her tongue's refusal. What would even happen to her after all this? She didn't know. All that matters was that she was here to save her friends and she would do just that. Even if she's the one who'd be hurt.

"Xanthy, no!" Nyxis screamed before a knee greave slammed into his shoulder and sent him to the floor. "He is not to be trusted! No!"

"Promise me," Xanthy searched Adresin's scum green eyes for a shred of humanity. She found none.

"What did we even come here for?" Reeca shouted only to earn a resounding slap across the face. Xanthy's heart stopped. Enough. This needed to stop.

"Promise me!" Xanthy screamed that startled even Marin.

The prince ducked his head and inclined his head side to side. "Fine, whatever," he said. "I promise."

"Let her go," Xanthy pulled the bowstring tauter.

Adresin withdrew the dagger and raised his arms. Marin stared wide-eyed. With her churning stomach and drying throat, Xanthy raised her eyes to Adresin. "Take me to the Queen."

Something struck the back of her neck and she lost feeling on her limbs. Soon, she lost her senses and her world, too.