Hey, everyone that's read this far, I just wanted you to know that I have changed Dusk's name to Briar! I think it sounds and fits her better! Hope you're still enjoying! Thanks for reading this far!
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Saphira cautiously placed her hand on Mike's forehead once more, but swiftly jerked it back. He was just too hot to touch. It was like he had stepped into a fire then jumped out. Sweat dripped off his face and dampened his now cream colored tunic. His hair was soaking wet with sweat. She had to cool him down.

   "Hey, Saphira!" Priella called out to the Princess. Saphira lifted her tear stained face towards Priella. She didn't say a word. "We have to think of some way to get out of here." She gripped the bars. "We need to find Snyder!"

   "How?" Saphira asked, her bottom lip quivering. She just couldn't bare to see Mike in such a state. How did he even end up here in the first place?

   A sound of metal clanging together sounded from Priella's prison. Saphira looked over at her, clearing her eyes from the tears. Priella was messing with the lock on the outside, her shackles making it hard to put her hand around the bars. Saphira studied her to watch what she was doing.

   A sound clicked and her cell door squeaked open. Saphira stared amazed. "What did you do?"

   Priella couldn't yet stand or leave her cell. Her shackles made sure of that. "Snyder and I use to lock ourselves up in chains as children to see who could break free first." She straightened up in pride. "I still hold the record." She looked down at her bounds. "Now, if I could just get these off of me."

   Footprints began to echo the dark hallway leading into the caves. Priella swiftly grabbed her door and shut it making it appear undamaged.

   Sealisa and Harro entered the chamber. Neither one of them spoke to each other. Saphira could see Harro was trying the hardest he could to hide the clay bowl of water he had in his grasp from Sealisa's sight. It was dark enough through the halls that she probably had not yet seen it.

   Sealisa strode up close to Saphira and the unconscious boy while Harro stopped at the entrance. She looked down at Mike, who still laid silently on the table with sweat dripping from his hair. Sealisa gripped his chin and turned his head towards her. She grinned widely. "I told you the pain would become unbearable."

   "Let go of him!" Saphira demanded with gritted teeth and clinched fists. She wasn't going to let anyone touch her friend ever again!

   Sealisa smirked. "What are you going to do about it?"

   Harro had no intention of hiding the bowl any longer. He trudged over to Saphira and handed her the bowl slowly. He glanced over at his master from the corner of his eye. By the looks of her expression, she was angry with him for giving the Princess that bowl of water.

   Saphira graciously took the bowl. She tore off the bottom of her yellow shirt and dipped it into the bowl. Saphira then laid the cold, wet cloth on Mike's forehead. It was almost as if you could see steam rising from his body.

   "Harro," Sealisa began, gesturing with her finger. "I must speak with you." Harro sheepishly began to walk over to his master until he stood a foot away from her. "Why did you remove that girl from her cage?" she demanded with the least amount of kindness in her voice.

   "You act as if she were a dog," Harro said with a little more confidence in his voice. He paused for a moment. "I didn't want to see her in the cage any longer."

   "What does it matter to you!?" Sealisa shouted. "The dark girl is still in her cage."

   Harro shrugged and lowered his head. "I just thought if I showed her a little kindness we could get her to cooperate easier."

   Sealisa chuckled before sighing. "How many times have I told you? You will never have a friend! I am the only person you will ever need." Harro's frown deepened. "And the water?" she continued.

   "She just asked for it," Harro answered turning his gaze back up toward her.

   "And if the boy wakes up, he is going to try to escape," she argued. "We need the boy weak so he won't ruin our plans."

   "But the girl might not leave with him if we can show her kindness," Harro insisted. "We could maybe even get her to join us in our cause!"

   Sealisa thought for a moment. Maybe his plan wasn't all that bad. She stepped closer to him and jabbed her finger on his chest. "You better hope this plan works. Or you won't live to come up with a new one." Sealisa turned and stomped off out of the chamber with a temper hotter then when she arrived.

   Harro stood by the entrance staring at the dirt ground. He didn't move.

   Saphira decided she would try to get a conversation out of him. "Why do you help her?" she started with, continuing to wipe the sweat from Mike's brow.

   "The same reason you help the lad," he replied. He raised his head. "She's my friend."

   Saphira frowned, and Priella snorted. "Sounds like a pretty bad friend to me," Priella said. Saphira dipped the cloth in water once more.

   Harro nodded slowly. "Yes, but... she's all I got. She's usually not so bad when people like you stay away."

   Saphira furrowed her brow. "What do you mean people like us?" she asked.

   Harro took a step closer. "Well, she goes all crazy when people start talking about ultimate power- like the Cup of Life for instance. As if that was the only thing that mattered. With that chalice, she would be able to live forever. Infinite youth, never growing old."

   Saphira stared at him for a moment before saying, "I didn't know it could do that. I thought it would only heal someone close to death."

   Harro ripped the bottom of his own tunic and strode over towards the Princess and her unconscious friend. He dipped his own cloth in the water and began rubbing it up and down Mike's arms. "If you want to get him cooled down you have to get more then just his forehead."

   Saphira cocked her head. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. "I thought you were suppose to be one of the, you know, bad guys?"

  "Because if we don't get the lad cooled down soon his temperature will continue to rise and it will kill him." Saphira quickly dipped her cloth. "Plus," Harro continued, "you seem like a really nice young lady." Saphira couldn't help but smile.

  Saphira turned towards Priella. "Will you let my friend go now?"

  Harro nodded his head rapidly. "Of course!" He left his cloth in the bowl and swiftly ran over to Priella's cage.

   "Don't bother," Priella told him before he reached her. She pushed the cage door open and her shackles fell to the ground in front of her. "I could have easily escaped without your help."

   Harro chuckled. "Dark Beings," he said below his breath. He shoved Priella forward towards Saphira. "I want you help you girls. This isn't a place you should be. You must save the Prince."

   Priella turned around to face him. "The Prince?! Where is he?" she questioned with wide eyes.

   "He's in Sealisa's chambers. You just turn a couple corners to the left and one to the right. Then it's straight down the hall. Now go fetch him!" Priella took off down the hallway. Saphira prayed that she would hurry. "We don't have all day. My master could be back any moment now."

   Saphira rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're "master". Harro, she is not your friend."

   Harro pushed the subject aside. "Never mind that now. Let's get out of here before she returns."

   Saphira didn't argue. Harro unlocked hers and the boys shackles with a key and went to lift the boy in his grasp. "Wait!" Saphira shouted skeptically, making Harro back away from Mike. "How do I know you are not fooling me? I overheard every word you told Sealisa. You just want to turn me into one of you. Make me your "friend". Well, it's not going to work!"

   "I had to tell her something," Harro stressed. "I don't want that anymore. Not at all! You're different than most people. There is no way I would ever want to change such a kind spirit."

   Saphira didn't buy it. "How do I know you are not lying to me?" she asked backing away from Harro.

   Harro sighed sounding frustrated. "If I was lying to you I would not have helped you get this boys temperature down. I am not an idiot! I know more harm could come to me if Sealisa knew what I was doing."

   Saphira was confused. "What are you doing?"

   Harro rolled his eyes. "By lowering the lads temperature, he should wake up in a couple minutes and be perfectly fine! Sealisa knew that's what would happen when I handed you the water bowl."

   "So," Saphira began still puzzled. "You were trying to help us escape this whole time?"

   "Yes!" Harro yelled. "I don't want this life! Sealisa has made me her slave! I don't want the same for you three. Once the lad awakes, you'll have a better chance in escaping."

   "I'm not going anywhere without Snyder," Saphira added.

   "You can escape with the Prince," he reassured her.

   Saphira and Harro stared at each other for the longest time. She didn't know whether or not to trust Harro. After torturing Micah and imprisoning her and Priella? Saphira glanced from Mike to Harro. But, after all, he was helping Mike, he did free Saphira from that cage and was going to Priella if she hadn't already freed herself, and he was trying to help them escape.

   Saphira decided to trust him after all... for now at least. She knew there was no chance of finding their way out of here without his help.

   Saphira nodded her head, trusting Harro. She glanced down at her wrists that were a little sore and had been rubbed raw, but it didn't bother her. That was not what was on her mind right now. All she could think of was getting out of here alive.

   Mike began to stir slightly, muttering something under his breath. Saphira leaned in close to listen. "Briar," he said again.

   Saphira cocked her head. What did that mean? Was Briar here? Did Sealisa have her locked up somewhere too?

   Harro swiftly grabbed Mike by the arms and flung him over his shoulder. "We must leave at once. My master may all ready know of our escape. I know the way out." He started sprinting towards the entrance. "Follow me!"

   Saphira quickly took off after Harro. "Is there another girl here?" she asked the man carrying her friend.

   He looked confused. "What girl?"

   Saphira slowed her pace. "Micah called out my servant girls name. Why would he say that unless she was here?"

   Harro slowed down to meet her side by side. "He's probably just hallucinating," Harro answered. "There is no one else here except you three and the Prince."

   Saphira wondering why Mike would call for her if she wasn't really here. Something wasn't right.

   There were so many twists and turns. Sealisa definitely designed it to where no one would ever make it out alive. The cave was so dark. You could easily run into one of Sealisa's men while trudging through this darkness.

   Saphira shook her head. "I don't know how Dark Beings do this," she whispered. "It's very... dark. I can hardly see a thing."

   Harro held a finger up to his lips in a silencing way even though Saphira couldn't see his motions since he was in front of her.

   "We may not run into my master," he told the innocent girl that followed him. "She likes to stay in her chambers. She says it gives her freedom from all of us stupid men." Saphira tried so hard to stifle her laugh. "I've never really talked to any of them. I was never allowed. My master didn't want me associating with the others."

   "Harro," Saphira began softly with a sad tone. "To me, it sounds as if Sealisa is using you. She wants your life to be miserable."

   Harro shook his head swiftly. "She's been good to me. I know she's only doing what's best for me." Neither one said another word.

   The exit came into view. The only thing standing in their way of fresh air was a large stone door. And then suddenly, out of no where, Sealisa stepped out from behind a huge mound of dirt that took the form of a wall. Her face was full of anger and hate, her fists clenched at her sides.

   "You disappoint me, Harro," Sealisa said sternly with rage burning in her voice.

   Harro froze with fear. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I was only taking them out for a breath of fresh air," he said pathetically, hoping that she would buy his story.

   Sealisa snorted. "Oh, come now, Harro. Surely you wouldn't think that I would fall for such a dumb excuse. I have become one of the Great Masters. You cannot fool me. You were one of my most trusted servants, and now..." she paused for a moment to look at him. "Now you are nothing."

   The part where Sealisa had called him her servant really hit Harro with disappointment. He lowered Mike from off his shoulder and passed him over to Saphira. "Take care of the boy, my lady," he whispered to her.

   Saphira placed Mike's arm over her shoulder. His eyes fluttered open ever so often and he placed a hand on his head while shaking away the sleepiness.

   "What are you going to do?" The Princess asked Harro. "I can't let you do this alone." She gently set Mike down and leaned him against the cave wall.

   Harro didn't reply. He simple smiled at the Princess before turning around to face his former master. Harro drew out a small dagger that he had from behind his belt. "I wasted four years with you," Harro said to Sealisa. "Four years I was your slave! I once used to help people and you turned me into something I'm not. You truly are a wicked being." Harro began stepping forward.

   Sealisa laughed in a high pitched voice- one that did almost sound like a witch. "You seriously want to fight me?" she question Harro. Her expression turned to pure hatred. "So be it."

   Sealisa extended her hand and then drew it back close to her with her hand formed into a fist. Saphira and Harro suddenly felt themselves lift from off the ground and zoom towards Sealisa. The sorceress quickly flung her hand forward again, and the two went flying backwards slamming into the ground on their backs.

   Saphira withered on the ground. That really, really hurt. She looked over at Harro, who was already jumping up to his feet acting as if this hadn't been the first time she's done that to him.

   "My lady, you must stay with the boy," Harro demanded. Harro extended his dagger towards Sealisa's throat and ran towards her.

   Saphira tried rolling on to her stomach, but found that she hurt too bad for such actions. Then Mike knelt down over her. "Micah!" she rejoiced weakly.

   Mike took her hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Saphira! I truly am! I should have trusted you instead of being angry with you!"

   Saphira frowned. "No, I'm sorry for not having told you sooner." Saphira was lifted off the ground to her feet to be embraced by her best friend.

   The teens were snapped back into reality when Harro came flying backwards almost knocking them over.

   "What happened to you, Harro?" Sealisa hissed. "You have turned into a pathetic pest!"

   Harro gritted his teeth, jumped to his feet, and charged towards her with his dagger in grasp. He swung towards her head, but she swiftly ducked under his blow.

   While both of them fought, Harro yelled back towards Saphira. "Run, my lady! Save the Prince's life! Run to safety! Run as far away from here as you can!"

   "But what about you?" Saphira called to him.

   Harro sliced Sealisa's arm. She stumbled backwards in astonishment which gave Harro some time to catch his breath. "I'll be fine," he continued. "I'll find a way out. I'll find a way to contact you. Just go!"

   Saphira gripped Mike's hand and pulled him along with her. She went back in the direction they had come from, knowing that there was no way to get past Sealisa.

   Before she completely disappeared, she looked back at Harro. He wasn't doing too great. Sealisa's magic was greater than Harro's fighting skills. Saphira didn't like having this thought, but she believed that this would probably be the last glimpse she would ever see of Harro again. She wanted to help him fight, but Harro told her to run. There were more important things at hand.

                                                      ☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

   A dark, red, wooden door came into Priella's view as she stumbled her way along the hallways who's walls and floor had turned in to white marble as she turned the corner. The red door had cracks running throughout it, showing its age. Priella placed her hand slowly on the knob and began to turn it. She didn't know what would be inside. Surly Sealisa would not have left Snyder in here by himself... definitely not with the door unlocked.

   As the door opened, Priella cautiously stepped inside. Here eyes grew wide at the sight she walked into.

   "Priella!" a female voice shouted in excitement.

   Snyder was on the ground on his knees in front of a cage that held the servant girl, Briar, captive.

   Priella stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her. She shook her head as she tried to understand what all was happening. She turned to the Dark Prince. "Snyder, you're okay?" Then she turned to the servant. "Briar, how did you find us?"

   Snyder placed a hand on his spinning head. "Whoa, Priella, one question at a time please." Snyder grimaced as he held his stomach. "I'm not exactly "okay" like you asked," Snyder explained turning to look at Priella. "There was this sorceress who said her name was Sealisa. She gave me some sort of magic boost I guess."

   Priella shrugged. "Why would she do that?"

   Snyder appeared to be looking for an answer. "She said... she said something like her magic would prolong my time before death to make me suffer." He climbed to his feet grasping his stomach tightly. "Guess she didn't realize that all that magic was making me stronger."

   Priella took a few steps closer to him. "But you are still..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

   Snyder knew what she was going to ask and nodded his head. "I'm still dying." Priella lowered her head as tears weld up in her eyes. Snyder stepped up to her and embraced her warmly. "Everything will be fine, Priella," he told her. "You'll see."

   "Excuse me?" Briar interrupted, banging her shackles against the iron cage. "Can I get a little help please?"

   Priella glanced up at Snyder. "You haven't freed her yet?"

   Snyder chuckled. "I'm a little rusty at the moment."

   "I think you'll losing your touch," Priella argued. Snyder smiled and rolled his eyes. It had only taken Priella about two minutes to get the lock and shackles unlocked.

   Briar crawled out of the cage once she was free. "I know of another way out," she told Priella.

   Priella raised a brow. "And how would you know that?"

   Briar pointed over towards a spruce wooden dresser with a tall mirror hanging on the wall above it. "I saw that woman- Sealisa I think is what Snyder said- put a scroll in the top right drawer." Briar shrugged slightly. "I kind of got a good look at it while the sorceress was studying it. It was like a map but with strange writings."

   Priella smiled as the corner of Briar's mouth curled up into a grin.

   "So, how can you find another way out?" Snyder asked, his hand still clenching his side. "Did you memorize every inch of this... wherever we're at, to get us out?"

   Briar shook her head to answer. "But I saw something on the scroll and we went passed it as one of Sealisa's men were bringing me here to be locked away." She pointed her finger up and the other two teens turned their heads in that direction.

   Directly above their heads, dangling in midair from nothing, was a sliver key. "Sealisa must use her magic to keep it afloat. Because other than that, there is nothing keeping that key up there."

   Snyder grimaced at a sharp pain in his chest, making the girls turn their heads swiftly towards him. Snyder smiled sheepishly. "I'm alright. So how are we going to get the key? And what does it do?"

   Briar scooted a chest under the floating key and climbed on top of it. She reached up to grab the key and pulled it down. The key resisted the tug at first, but came willingly after a little while. Briar made a "Ta-da!" motion. "That's how we're going to get it down. Now, as far as what it does, you'll just have to wait until I show you."

   She began marching towards the door, Priella and Snyder following closely behind. She grabbed the map from the drawer- deciding that it may come in handy. Briar pointed towards a purple blanket that laid on the floor, something was obviously wrapped inside. "Those are our weapons. I suggest we don't leave them."

   Priella quickly grabbed the blanket and unrolled the weapons that were inside. A set of daggers, two swords, and a bow with a quiver full of arrows fell out into her palm. She wasn't able to hold them all and dropped a dagger and the bow.

   Snyder picked up one of his daggers from off the ground and took the other from Priella's hand. He placed one in his left boot and the other in between his belt and pants.

   Briar came over and slung the quiver of arrows over her shoulder and held the bow in her grasp.

   Snyder was the one to open the red door slowly and be the first one out. They headed through a corridor that Briar didn't recognize- then again in a cave you wouldn't notice if you'd been through the same corridor or not- leaving behind all the marbled walls and floor.

   Priella suddenly heard a scream from afar off, which made her jump out of her skin. Her heart started pounding inside her body. It was a male cry. Sealisa must have found the others, as she sadly knew she would. She would be after them shortly.

   The three teens kept running down the corridor, Briar in the lead, until they came to a dead end.

   "Where are we at, Briar?" Snyder asked her in a fierce tone.

   Briar placed her hands on her head. "It was right here! I don't understand!"

   Footsteps sounded from behind them. The three teens spun themselves around to see the form of two shadows coming towards them.

   "No!" Briar shouted in a whisper while pounding her fist on the wall. "Where could it have gone?" she questioned herself.

   A bright, blue glow suddenly appeared in her split-skirts pocket. She turned her gaze towards her pocket and yanked out the glowing object. It was the key! She squinted her eyes, it was burning so bright it would burn anyone's eyes who looked at it for too long.

   The ground and walls began to shake. Priella grabbed on to Snyder by the arm tightly so he wouldn't fall as the floor moved. Briar looked around wondering where the source of the earthquake was coming from.

   Suddenly, the wall began to trace the outline of a large door in bright blue. Once it was formed, the ground and walls settled. The door itself looked to be made out of a type of wood- oak wood maybe?

   She glanced down at the key, then back towards the door. She placed the key in the lock and it turned easily. She opened the door slowly and peeked through it.

   Green grass, maple trees, and a well-dug, dirt path lay ahead of her. This is what she had seen while being dragged through this corridor earlier.

   Briar placed the key back in her pocket and quickly ran out, Priella and Snyder hot on her heels. The door began to close slowly. The two shadows that had been behind the three teens came into view.

   "Wait!" Mike shouted when he noticed Priella's golden hair.

   "Keep it open!" Saphira yelled after him.

   Briar panicked. How could she keep the door opened long enough for her friends to enter through? There was no longer a key hole in which to place the key.

   "Run, Saphira!" Snyder shouted into the cave. "You two can do it!"

   Mike, knowing he could run a little faster then Saphira due to his Knight training, grasped Saphira's arm tightly and dragged her along with him.

   The door was about to close!

   Mike squeezed himself through the crack that was left in the door to the outside, Saphira sucking in her gut as she, herself, squeezed through. The two teens toppled out and landed on the dirt path side by side, the door slammed tightly shut behind them. Briar watched as it closed behind Saphira, nearly snagging some of the Princesses hair.

   The ground and walls began shaking again, and the door quickly began to disappear. It must only activate when the key is close by. Briar did not want to stick around to see if the sorceress Sealisa had yet another key.

   "Let's get out of here before Sealisa can get through!" Briar told her friends. Mike leaped up to his feet, pulled Saphira to hers, and the five teens quickly ran away from the cave through the forest.