Ocean Flow

"Stop making excuses" Ocean Flow shut her eyes for a moment, trying to regain her determination. 

"If you don't get this job done, Scorpion will be allowed to claim you."

She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and sorted through her things, making sure she had everything.

A large sack, a handkerchief, a sleeping draft and a knife.

Then she waited.

She waited for hours, silent and still as a statue as the sun sank down.

Finally she crept silently down from her perch on the tower roof and peered inside the window bellow her.

There the three princesses slept peacefully. Her target was in plain view. The task couldn't have been easier.

Perfect. She smirked.

Deathbringer

Deathbringer eyed what more of the dungeon he could see as his eyes grew accustomed to the dark.

It was large. Far larger than any he had seen before, and his was not the only cage, neither was it the only one which wasn't empty.

There were, from what he could see, at least one hundred people stuffed in the cages. Some slept, some just lay there with their eyes open, and others, Deathbringer couldn't tell if they continued to lived.

Manatee filled him in with what little knowledge that he had gathered, and Deathbringer filled in what the Seawing couldn't tell him with common sense and soon had a reasonably good idea of what was going on.

"If you're here that means you're useful to 'em in some way" Manatee said sagely.

"Or if they think you're a danger to their little organization."

"What organization?" Deathbringer asked.

"The New Age or some other vague pile of horse crap." Manatee said, scratching his chin.

"The New Age" Deathbringer repeated, frowning. It wasn't much in the way of telling him about his captors.

"And who are these delightful creatures who have captured us?" he asked.

"Dunno. Never seen 'em when I was in the SeaKingdom."

"But what tribe are they from?"

Manatee shrugged.

"Can't tell."

"Well then what do they look like?" Deathbringer pressed.

Manatee stood up and used his hands to illustrate with large, goonish motions what he was describing.

"Big, heavy set, at least most of the ones I've seen, usually brown hair, I guess now I thinks of it they look a good deal like Mudwing soldiers. Been a while though, can't be sure."

"I highly doubt the Mudwings are holding us hostage" Deathbringer said. "Has there been anyone else?"

"Yeah, now you mention it. That one time, few years back when I was taken 'outa my cell for torture, there was this bloke, I remeber him 'cause he was the one who held the barbed whip see. Tall, lithe, blond, with really black eyes that glittered with malice and evil."

"Torture?" Deathbringer asked.

"Oh yeah" Manatee said enthusiastically.

"If you was brought 'ere for information, 'an trust me, they may be goons but they got very persuasive tactics. I'm talking poison in your food and water, cutting off your ears, barbed whips that are coated in a deadly stinging venom, oh and then of course if they really want to get you yapping, they'll wrap wire around your hands and feet and then slowly pull each wire away from you until-"

"Yes, thank you I think I know where this is going" Deathbringer sighed. He pulled his knees up to his chest and crossed his arms on top, resting his head upon them, trying to think.

As an assassin, torture had always been a rather common threat. Every time you took a mission, you knew that there was a great chance you would get captured, and tortured.

But this was different.

When he was an assassin, if he was in captivity, he would have done away with his life and spared himself the pain. He had nothing to lose but his life, and that was worthless.

Now he had things he didn't wish to let go of.

Things that made his life worth something.

The thought of loosing it all was worse than any torture.

So I'll bare through it. He thought. No matter what, I won't tell them anything.

"I know what you're thinking boy" Manatee sighed.

"You think you'll keep your mouth shut, no matter what they do to you. I don't need to be a Nightwing in order to know that. I had the same thoughts. Trust me, give them the information they want and the rest of your life may be only a second degree living hell."

Deathbringer lifted his head.

"You gave away information about your tribe?"

"Yeah" Manatee said in an offhand way, but Deathbringer could see the furrows of guilt on his face.

The SeaWing sighed.

"I was young. Younger. Brave, loyal. I lasted three months withought saying anything, then one day I realized, even if they didn't kill me, I would never get 'outa here. I would never see the sunlight again, I would never feel the wind on my face, or feel the ocean waves pulling at my feet.

"I would never eat roasted crabbs again, or see the glittering turrets of the Sea Palace, and worst of all, I would never see my family again."

Deathbringer saw the Seawings eyes glimmer wetly, and felt a stab of sympathy.

"I was married to a young Seawing named Persephoni. She was . . . very beautiful. Deep Sea green eyes, white blond hair that had been bleached by all the time she spent in the sun. And two children, Seahorse and Seal. Little girls at the time, I suppose they must be all grown up by now" He blinked several times and then shook his head.

"Oh well. Can't go back now. What about you, you look too young to be a father, do you have anyone back where you come from?"

Deathbringer hesitated, then said,

"I've never met my father, and my mother was struck by lightning when I was a child. I never knew any of my other relatives."

"But what about that girl? Manatee nodded at the necklace still glittering in Deathbringers fingers.

Deathbringer looked down.

"Are you two togther?"

"In a way" Deathbringer answered. "Circumstances are . . . complicated."

"Ahhh" Mantee grinned.

Then he grew serious.

"Listen to me boy, if you tell them what they want to know, there is a chance that they'll let you go, then you can go back to this lady friend of yours. Isn't love more important than saving a Kingdom?"

Deathbringer let out a dry laugh.

"If only it were that simple. I'm afraid that, if the Kingdom falls she will fall with it."

Manatee frowned, then realization dawned on his face.

"You mean-"

"Yes, she is the ruler of the Night and Rain Kingdoms, or at least, shall be."

"So that Queen you mentioned earlier-"

"Yes." Deathbringer ended the conversation.

"Well you are in a spot of trouble then" Manatee chuckled.

"I wish I knew what these people wanted from me" Deathbringer said, frowning.

"I think you're going to find out-" Manatee nodded behind Deathbringer, who glanced in the same direction just in time to see three men open a door and file in, each with matching scowls on their faces.

Deathbringer jumped up as they opened the cell door and came inside.

Two of them held him immobilized, and the third chained his hands together. They lead him out of the cell and back towards the door.

"Good luck, boy" Manatee said softly.