Forlattena Prison, Desmond, 10416 P.C.

Stephanie scaled the rope down to where Matthew stood. It was a few feet short from touching the bottom, and she dropped down, dusting off her burning hands. "I'm down!" she called up. Looking around, she could see that Matthew's assumption was probably very true — it was no normal prison, but it was a prison nonetheless. Its tall walls would be impossible to climb. The fog had been a decoy, hiding the prison from view. There was a whole other world beneath the mist, it seemed.

"What do you think is down here?" she asked Matthew, stepping up beside him as she spoke. He was still, his arms folded across his chest as he looked out over the forest. He seemed undamaged from his fall, which was impressive. It had been quite the drop. His healing abilities had clearly sped up.

"I'm unsure," he replied slowly. "The magic isn't as strong down here. It feels like it's closing in, though. I don't know how to explain it. It's like... a pressure. It's growing."

Stephanie frowned, looking up to study the fog. "Is the fog getting closer?"

Matthew glanced up as well. "I don't know. I don't think so."

As Stephanie watched, Jessie appeared through the fog, climbing down the rope with proven expertise. The girl dropped the last few feet with ease, straightening up and looking around. "I'm down! Well," she added, her voice soft as she looked around. "This is weird."

"Yeah," Stephanie replied. She glanced at Matthew, who was watching Jessie closely. He looked away. The tension was still high between the two, and Stephanie couldn't understand why. Jessie ignored Matthew, which seemed to be her new thing, and Stephanie couldn't help the odd, bitter feeling she was starting to have for the younger girl. She was disliking Matthew for reasons that weren't his fault. It was unfair, and she wished she could somehow clear the tension between them. It didn't seem possible any time soon.

Soon enough, they all stood at the bottom of the cliff. Annabella had carefully secured the rope above, leaving it for the purpose of escape. Stephanie hoped that Matthew was wrong on the belief that the Veiled Lady was following them — it would be terribly easy to trap them in this prison just by cutting the rope. The thought made her anxious, and yet Todd had strongly disagreed on the idea of splitting up. She understood why.

Whatever they faced, they would face together.

"So, now what?" Stephanie asked Annabella, who seemed to be taking a fair amount of time brushing off her hands after climbing down. She was stalling, clearly.

"It's fascinating," Annabella finally stated. "This place doesn't really seem like a prison, now does it?"

"What do you mean?" Todd asked.

"The stories said that the king and queen of the south betrayed Motch's trust somehow — that's why he took their children and that's why he imprisoned them. And yet here we see something more of a... a little underworld paradise down here."

"I wouldn't call it that," Matthew stated flatly.

Stephanie sensed the bitterness in Annabella's words. "We can't jump to conclusions. We have no idea what's down here."

"I don't think I want to know." Annabella turned to them. "I don't want to see them."

"You're being selfish." The words were out of Stephanie's mouth before she had thought them through, but she realized they were true. "Here we are, having come all this way, and you don't want to see your parents because they made some mistakes? Everybody makes mistakes. So maybe they were cowards. At least you have parents! None of the rest of us do!"

Annabella took a breath, glancing at Todd, opening and closing her mouth quickly before looking at the ground and folding her arms. She didn't respond.

Stephanie felt a bit bolder. "If you don't want to see them, fine, stay here." She shook her head and started down the slope. She was glad when Matthew followed her without hesitation.

"Come on, Annabella," Todd said quietly as he, too, followed Stephanie. Stephanie glanced over her shoulder, relaxing a bit when she saw Annabella take a deep breath and follow. At least she was coming. Stephanie faced forward, marching for the forest with confidence.

She got two more steps before an arrow struck the ground in front of her. She froze, throwing up a hand to stop those behind her. The arrow had been impeccably aimed, embedding in the ground right where she had been about to step. It was not an attack, but a warning. One she was very willing to heed.

"Who's there?" she called, peering into the trees as she quickly reached for her bow. She couldn't see a thing. The fog above them shrouded everything in shadows.

"We come in peace!" Todd called from behind her.

"Then lower your weapons!" came the response.

Stephanie glanced behind her, seeing that both Annabella and Jessie had pulled out weapons of their own. She lowered her bow, waving at the other girls to do the same.

There was movement in the trees several yards ahead of them, and then Stephanie saw the familiar shape of a crossbow emerging from the brush. It was being carried by a scrawny-looking boy who looked to be around Jessie's age. In the shadows, Stephanie couldn't make out much, but she decided it unwise to underestimate this stranger, small or not.

"Who are you?" she asked calmly.

"Who are you?" the boy countered deftly.

"Look, we mean you no harm," Todd said, suddenly bold. "We're looking for the king and queen of the south.

"We've never had visitors like you. What is your business with them?"

Stephanie was puzzled by this boy. Who all was in this prison?

Todd replied, "We're on a search for the Immortal One's son. We need to know if the king and queen have information on his whereabouts."

The boy was unwavering. "Father said to trust no one, not even those coming in the name of the Creator."

Todd slowly stepped up beside Stephanie, his hands raised. The boy visibly tensed at the movement. "We want to gain your trust," Todd said, slowly and clearly. "My name is Todd, and these are my companions." He paused, and then said boldly, "I am the Deliverer."

For a moment, Stephanie thought the boy was going to shoot Todd. After a moment, the boy lowered his crossbow. He held it defensively as he stepped out of the brush, revealing himself fully. He was thin and wiry, with a head full of red-brown curls. Stephanie flinched at the sight of his face — it was mutilated with deep, ugly scars, many of them, and she knew none of them were accidental. His eyes, dark with concern and shadows, were unscathed. This boy was a victim of torture.

"The Deliverer," the boy murmured as he studied Todd. This boy possessed wisdom, Stephanie could immediately see. He pondered Todd's words carefully, looking at them with deep consideration. Stephanie barely dared to breathe.

He lowered his bow completely and stuck out a gloved hand to Todd, giving a small smile rendered crooked by a scar travelling through the left side of his upper lip. "Anthony LaKline, sir," he said as Todd fumbled in surprise to accept the handshake. "Welcome to Forlattena Prison, though you were foolish to come here. No one escapes this place alive."