Arthur's Point of View

Underground Tunnel System

Earlier

“Hmm.” I hummed out, annoyed as I landed on my feet before his strung-up body.

Kine meant nothing to me. He was a student of Arceana and Elincia, which wasn’t much. However, I do believe he and Cass were friends. Maybe they were just fellow students, but they still had a relationship. I honestly forgot about him for a bit. Well, until I saw him like this.

I didn’t care that he was dead. However, it mattered because of the situation, and how he looked. Aside from being dead for a while, his wings had been cut off. Kine was also clearly tortured. These wounds weren’t from the battle up above, but instead were gained once he had been captured.

“Find her.” Turning from him, my eyes looked to one tunnel where I sensed my orb. “Find her.” Many different magical auras danced throughout the tunnels, but none were distinct.

A coughing grabbed my attention from a doorway. Whipping toward it, I readied myself, but there was no attack. Instead, a wheezing could be heard as someone struggled to breathe. Moving to the door, my eyes widened when I saw Alwin in some manner of rig with his hands above his head. They were encased and likely preventing him from using his magic.

The Elven General saw me, and he coughed in surprised. “Arthawck…” The Elf began hacking as I approached him.

For a moment, he looked glad to see me until I grabbed his neck tightly. Some of my energy poured into his throat to ease some of the pain. He clearly had been malnourished. The man was gaunt, with dry lips, and no doubt cracks all up and down his throat. Alwin had been starved and denied water.

“Where is Lucia?” I asked him coldly.

His teeth grit in pain as he spoke in a choked tone. “Down the third tunnel on the right. She’s in the room at the end. Help her.”

Letting go of him, I replied. “Why do you think I’m here? For you?” Opening a portal, he gasped when I broke his chains and picked him up. “You couldn’t even protect her.”

“Arth-“

Hefting him up unceremoniously, I cut him off. “Are there any more survivors?” He shook his head no. “Jesus. When you fuck up, you go all out, huh?” Without waiting for a response, I tossed him into the portal and then closed it. “Third tunnel on the right.” I repeated. “Find her.”

Leaving Alwin’s holding room, I moved back to where Kine’s body was still up on display. My gaze lingered on him for a moment, but the living held more priority to me. Moving through the tunnel as my feet left the ground, I flew as fast as I could to Lucia. Even though it felt like my orb was in the other direction, Alwin would not lie to me about this. I trusted that he wanted Lucia to be rescued as well.

“No…” I said breathlessly as I entered the room.

The smell of blood filled the air, and at the center of it all was Lucia. My body trembled as I rushed over to her. Her hair was no longer pink as it had been dyed by her blood. Two of her fingers were missing. One from each hand. Cuts covered her body along with horrible lacerations across her stomach all the way up to her neck.

Lucia barely looked alive as I stood in front of her. A chill rang down my neck as I thought maybe the worst had happened. After all, it appeared as though all this blood was from her. How long had she endured this? Why didn’t my orb notify me sooner? Did it and I just couldn’t tell?

My hands shook in front of her as I was scared to touch her. “Lucia?” I tried softly. “No. No! Lucia!” My calls went silent as she was in a daze or worse. “Lucia!” I tried again louder, and her head twitched before Lucia’s gaze slowly found my own.

“Arthur?” She let out in a weak sob.

A shaky laugh of relief left my lips as I nodded. “Yeah. I’m gonna get you out of here.” I told her as I broke her restraints. “You’re gonna be fine.” As I picked her up, she yelped in pain, but moving her caused a disturbing amount of blood to pour from her wounds. “You’re gonna be fine! I’m gonna take care of you!”

Opening a portal, we appeared in the Hollow Forest. “Arthur?” Lucia called out to me painfully.

“Camoa!” I called for her desperately.

“Arthur.” She said my name again through quivering lips as her jaw clattered.

“Yeah! I’m here!” A weak, and forced smile spread across my lips as I tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry baby girl…” I didn’t know tears were falling from my eyes until they fell onto her. “I’m gonna get you help.”