"Oh-oh my g-god, ANDOR!" I crawled towards the cell and looked closer. It was him!

His breathing was hoarse as he looked to me. He was hunched over on the floor, his hands supporting his weight.

"How...long has it been?" His raspy voice asked. His eyes showed he was in immense pain.

"TOM! MARTHA! GUYS HES HERE!" I yelled towards the end of the hall.
I turned back to Andor. "It's okay, were gonna get you out of this horrible place! You're gonna be fine!"

I heard faint footsteps coming from the others as they neared me and Andor.

"It hurts..." He closed his eyes and gripped the bar he was holding tightly.

I reached my injured hand through the cell and held his. My stronger hand was supporting me.
He sighed shakily.
"It feels like it's been so long...since I've touched another human being..."

I heard loud footsteps behind me. Big thuds of heavy boots.

Andor's eyes widened at what was behind me. He sunk back into his cell, still gripping my hand tightly.

"How sweet, two friends uniting with each other. Don't worry, you'll have plenty to catch up when I lock you both in a cell for eternity."

Lieutenant Al, I thought I'd seen the last of him when he fled from the taint.

"Al please, don't hurt him..." Andor pleaded in a hoarse voice.

"Shut it Prince, your opinions no longer matter in this world," his dark voice thundered.
He raised his rapier, flashbacks of my old nightmares appeared in my mind, the blood soaked rapier.

But he disappeared as I saw a figure tackle him by the waist.

"Get off me you old man!" I heard Al shout.

"It's time ye get what's coming to ye Alister!"

Steve. He saved me.

"Stevie be careful!" I heard Martha exclaim.

I couldn't see what was happening. It was way too dark.

I heard grunts and metal hitting as Steve and Al wrestled, my friends footsteps coming closer and closer.

My breathing slowed for moment after nearly having a heart attack, I felt Andor draw closer towards the door.

"What's happening?" He asked frightened.

But I couldn't tell him, I couldn't see a thing.

Finally, I heard a odd slicing sound. A thud followed after.

"St-Steve?" Wag called.

"I'm here mate...I'm here."

I felt a warm liquid begin to soak my clothes. What was it? My hands got drenched as the liquid spread further.

I heard something being lit and saw Wags face as he lit his blue flame.

"Everyone okay?" He asked.

The flame grew brighter, and I could see what the liquid was on the floor.

Blood.

Al's body was only 3 feet away from me, his head...gone.

The head was only a few centimeters from my side, blood pouring from it onto my clothes.

"Ugh...oh god..." I was covered in someone else's blood.

"Jordan? Are you okay?" I heard Andor ask, his hand still gripping mine.

"Sparklez what's the matter? I can't see anything. Are you hurt?" Toms voice chimed in.

"The fl-floor...it's covered..." My stomach was completely knotted up, I felt like I was gonna vomit.

Stay strong, don't get sick. It's just a liquid that's red. Nothing more.

"Sparklez?" Sonja asked.

"I'm-I'm fine guys. Sorry, I'm fine. How do we get Andor out?"

"We need to solve the puzzle code down the hall, we were almost done when we heard you yelling. I'm glad you did, or you would've been dead dude," Tucker's voice chimed in.

"We'll be back shortly, keep Andor company. Check him for serious injuries, and clean yourself up a bit...as much as you can anyways..." Martha replied, getting up and leading the others back to the end of the hall.

"You sure you're alright Sparklez?" I heard Tom ask. He was still here.

"I'm fine. Go help them. I'll be fine," I said shortly.

"Okay...I love you," he replied, still worried.

"As do I."

I listened as his footsteps faded into the distant hallway.

"Love?" Andor asked from his cell.

Oh yeah, he didnt know about me and Tom.

"Yeah...Tom and I are sorta...together."

"That's wonderful, you must be so happy," I saw him smile slightly.

Guilt flooded me, this past month was the happiest I'd ever been. While he was stuck in this cell, being tortured for believing in what he thought was right.
"What...what did they do to you in here Andor?"

"Things I'd rather not discuss...I will tell you some other time. I am too...broken, at the moment."

I heard a creaking sound, the door we were leaning on was beginning to rise. Andor leaned back, letting go of my hand.

The door went all the way up, a light was turned on and I squinted at the sudden brightness. When I adjusted to the light, I looked to Andor.

My chest pained at the sight.

He looked horrible.

His face was covered in black, purple and blue, his eyes both blacked and his lip busted open. His hair was greasy and it stuck to his head like a mat. His clothes were torn and ripped to shreds, cuts and scraps covered the bare areas.
He was still sitting on the floor in a ball.

My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw his back.

His wings were gone, only bloody stumps remained. They hadn't been clipped by scissors, they'd been forcibly removed by hand. Broken muscle and bone stuck out from the stumps. I saw dried pools of blood surrounding him on the floor, his entire back was covered in dry blood. His legs were chained to the wall, a bloody whip on the floor beside him.
He saw my reaction and tried to smile, his lip quivering in the process.
"I look a little rough...don't I?" He chuckled lightly.

I couldn't take it. My best friend was nearly killed by something I couldn't protect him from.

I ran to him and hugged him, sobbing into him as I picked him up from the bloody floor.

My arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him tightly into me.
His arms went around my neck, as he sobbed too.
"I-I was s-so sc-scared..." He sobbed.

He was trying to be brave before, but it hadn't lasted long. My reaction must've set him off I guess.

"They're never gonna hurt you again, I'll make sure if it," my teeth clenched as I said the words.

Nothing will ever hurt him again.

Never.

I heard footsteps enter the cell and the chains being smashed. Tom held a gigantic piece of scrap metal in his hands, bringing it down on the chains. Andor finally scrambled away from them as they broke and hugged me tighter.

"Oh my...oh Andor sweetheart..." I heard Martha squeak sadly behind me.

"My god dude...are you alright?" Tucker asked.

"Of course he ain't alright! The lads been ripped of his wings for gods sake!"

I felt Andor flinch from the words and I held him closer.

"Steve, aren't you in pain too? They ripped yours off as well didn't they?" I heard Tom ask.

"They clipped them, which doesn't hurt...they didn't rip em' off...the bastards..."

They had wanted Andor to suffer.

"We must go, guards might find us in moments. Can you stand sweetheart?" Martha asked Andor affectionately.

"N-no..." He whimpered.

"I'll carry him. I want to." I lifted him off the floor and he sunk deeper into my chest, hiding from the gazes of my friends.

"Okay...let us go forward."

We ran out of the prison and out into the white hallway. Martha pulled up her hood again and we followed. Although I'm not sure if it would help our situation, Andor was a dead giveaway if they saw him.
As we ran down the hall, I began to fall behind. I wasn't as strong as I thought.

"Jordan...I can try to walk, but I'll need your assistance. It will be faster?" He pressed.

"You sure? You don't need to if you can't," I asked.

"Yes, it's quite alright."

I stopped for a moment, while the group peeked out of the hole looking for guards nearby.
Andor stood shakily as I sat him down, I held his arm as he tried to stand straight up. He winced when he moved his back but stood up perfectly, his posture was still a prince's.

I pulled his arm over my neck to help ease the weight, which seemed to help him a lot.
Steve turned to us, a serious expression on his face. "Alright, the place is empty. But keep ye eyes open, they're everywhere on the other side."

We moved stealthily out of the hole and into the broad daylight. The grey clouds had cleared and the sun was shining on our faces.

Everyone stopped for a moment, looking at the beautiful sky. It was a nice change from the cold and dark cave.

Andor's face raised to the sky and he smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen him have. He took in a deep breath and and closed his eyes.
"Air..." He sighed blissfully.
Everyone smiled sadly towards him, feeling immense guilt for the pain he'd suffered.

"Oh my jeez Sparklez you look worse than he does..." Sonja pointed at my clothes with a sick expression on her face.

My clothes were completely soaked in blood. My arm still throbbed from the guards blade slashing it. I guess I did look pretty bad, since I had every inch of myself covered in blood.

"My bad mate...I should've been a bit less violent when lettin Al have it..."

"It's cool Steve, let's just get out of this place. I never want to come here ever again."

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" A different voice chimed in.

Oh no.

All of our eyes looked up and met Helgrinds.

"Um...yeah?" Tucker answered.

"Hi dad. I love you." Andor smiled as he gleamed at his father.

Did he finally lose it or something?

Helgrind sighed and rubbed his temples with his hand.

"You still haven't changed, have you son?"

"No." Andor smiled wider.

"Are you on crack?!" Tom asked Andor.

"Brother...what have you done to him? Your own child...Spark would be so disappointed..."

I expected Helgrind to come up with some snark remark on Spark, but he just stared at his son, gazing over his disheveled body. And then at me.
It was making me slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry Andor...I am corrupted...I love you as well. Please leave...I will no longer keep you from your destiny."

The king pushed past us, and walked into the dark cave.

"No brother! Come with us! I will not leave you here, you can change! I believe you can!"

"I do not have the choice to change sister...Mianite will smite me the first chance he receives if I leave. Go, before the guards return."

"Goodbye Dad."
Andor waved weakly to his father, Helgrind cringed at the sight. Ashamed at what he'd done to his only remaining child.

"Goodbye son. Take care of him please..." He said to me as he turned.

He disappeared into the cave, leaving us in a surprised state.

"He is not corrupted...Mianite is corrupted. He was just confused...I remember when he loved Ianite just as I did. Pain has caused him confusion. I'll love him no matter what happens to him or me." Andor looked into the cave, longing for his father to come back.

But he wasn't going to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE FEELS ARE SO REAL!
It's ssooooo cute!
I have so much planned for this book...MUHAHAHAHA!
Leave a favorite if you enjoyed....
GOODBYE WORLD! *flies away*
Oh and thanks for reading!
- Lee