Find a way out, or die trying

You and Dilancia are dragged back to a prison cell like you were briefly held in before. The gate is closed but at least this time you're not chained to the wall. Your hands and feet are still bound by chains.

"Sweet dreams lovelies. They'll be your last."

The two of you collapse next to each other, the Colonel resting her head on your shoulder.

"Why dont they just kill us now and get it over with?" It feels like a whole other life since you last spoke, despite the moments in the castle only having been a few hours. You feel her brush your leg as she lets out a low groan.

"Why is it that the young are in such a hurry to die?"

Though her question was rhetorical, you still feel compelled to answer, though far be it from the answer desired.

"You seemed pretty ready to throw your life away. Someone holds your life by a thread and you dare them to take it!?"

She has less energy than you but is no less defiant " I refuse to give her the pleasure of seeing me cower and beg. If this is the time to die, so be it, but I'm not going to invite it."

"Could have fooled me!" you reply back "you were practically asking her to cut your head off!" The fighting quieted down, as each of you struggle to find something to say. The next words struggle to get out of your throat, as tears start to come through.

"I don't want to lose you" Eventually comes out, quietly.

Dilancia lifts her head up and moves so that her head hovers only a few inches from yours "You never will. Even grim **** in battle or disease will only delay us." Your feelings overwhelm you, as tears start to flow freely. Anger, sorrow, fear, and guilt that you weren't the model of faith that Dilancia was. It is clear that you are still the young recruit and convert. You tried to collect yourself.

"Well" You start as you get in a deep breath between sobs "I'd rather not do that. If this is true love, I'd like to live it, and live it together."

Dilancia laughed gently "So would I. We need to get out of here, but we need to wait, at least for a short while."

"Wait!?" The love of your life continues to baffle you "Why would we waste another second here that we don't have to?"

"Because if we can make it out by daybreak, that accursed Vampire can't pursue us."

"Right" You nod, feeling embarassed for not seeing the obvious. "We only have to break out of a prison without a key and kill every guard between here and freedom."

"Take faith, young one" She said "You have experience in this arena."

"I can't" you replied, moving your arms to the degree that you can "with how my hands are bound, forming any kind of weapon would only hurt myself."

"You lack vision," She replied "Thankfully, I know you don't lack resilience. Sit up straight, and push your arms back as far as your body and the chains will permit, than try to conjure the weapon. That will help break my bonds, and I'll be fully able to do the same for yours. This is going to hurt, but we both need you to be strong and work through it."

You take a deep breath and nod "Okay Dilah. Let's do this." You position yourself to face the gated door, so that any passing guard wouldn't be able to see what's going on behind you. As the Colonel instructed, you raise your arms back behind you so that your bound hands point straight towards the floor. Refocusing your energy, your passion, and your fury, you're able create another claymore of fire. Naked, you can feel the heat more clearly than you did through the armor, and start to panic. The weights of the chains and shackles are already exhausting your body.

"I hope you've got some kind of trick to make this move quickly." As you try to look back

"Doing all that I can. Come on Demi, you can hold out on this. Our lives hang in the balance here. Marshall all the strength I know you have."

Buoyed by her confidence and given a singular focus, you bring your eyes to a single point on the floor and try to take long controlled breaths to withstand the growing pain. It helps slow the pain from getting worse, but can't prevent it. The more it grows, the harder it is for you to get those full breaths, and it quickly feels like you're about to lose it. Just as you feel yourself about to give up and drop your arms, you feel two strong and soft hands grab your arms beneath your elbows and wrap around.

"Easy now Demi" Dilancia says "Good job, you did what you needed to. Relax for a moment." Her hands clearly freed, she eases you down so that you're leaning back, your arms holding your body up from behind. She moves behind you, giving you a kiss as she does. The touch is reassuring and very welcome. This is still a strain, but far less severe. It seems to take far less time, before the chains are cut on both sides. Being able to move your arms freely again, having your freedom back, is more refreshing than you could possibly know. That accomplished, each of you go to work on the chains binding your feet together, keeping a close eye on the door.

"I don't know what God we need to thank for absent guards, but we'll be sure to make an offering to them as soon as we can." Dilancia's smile fades instantly into fear as the sound of metal footsteps quickly approach. You look behind you to see through a narrow window, and see the stars are beginning to fade; it's almost dawn.

"It's not yet morning" You warn "She might come for us still"

"We don't really have that choice anymore. It's now or never" She grabs you by the shoulders as she stares deep into your otherworldly eyes "No matter what happens, I'll see you on the other side." She kisses you intensely on the lips before letting go quickly, facing the door. Your mind is in a whirlwind; you are scared at the prospect of dying here, but you are terrified even further at the prospect of surviving and leaving Dilancia behind. You hear the door begin to open, and brace yourself for what is about to occur. You won't permit that to happen, no matter what! The moment there's enough clear vision to see the guard, you form your fire claymore in both hands and charge at him with energy you didn't even know you still had. Startled, he doesn't have enough time to draw his own weapon. He's able to do little in fact before your attack kills him, but what he does do, shout loudly through the echoing halls, is enough. Dilancia behind you, you make your way out, trying to navigate your way out of the castle quickly.

More soldiers quickly come towards you. Side by side, the two of you are able to keep them at bay and defeat them, though not without difficulty and injury. The two of you still being completely naked, even grazing blows from their blades would cut your flesh. Thankfully, standing next to each other, you're able to prevent most of that from happening. It won't last for long; there's no way the two of you can fight off an entire castle, so there's a fair amount of running as you fight, hoping you don't get lost or trapped in the process. Moving down one corner, you see that there's an intersection, with the hallway to your left showing a glimmer of natural light from outside. The two of you make a run for it, only to see that a squad of soldiers are coming your way from the other side, trying to cut you off.

"I'll hold them off!" Dilancia yelled "Make a run for it. I'll catch up with you!"

Your heart drops into your gut, and your hooven feet feel like stone, incapable of moving. You know what this is.

"I won't leave you! I can't!"

"Damnit Demi! This isn't up for discussion! What did I say earlier!"

Your throat chokes up "That we would see each other on the other side, no matter what."

"Right, now get moving!" The Colonel of the Watch, possessing a courage and heart greater than you feel you could ever possess, runs with everything she has towards the soldiers. Distracted and blocked, it permits you an opportunity to run for all that you can. Exiting the castle, you see faint glimmers of the morning sun; meaning you're protected from the Baronness for now. Your luck grows further, seeing a stable not far off, and unattended. There's a few saddled horses inside, and while you have almost no experience with them, the risk is worth the gain. You single out the horse steeped in irony, of pure white complexion in this den of evil and debauchery. The beast seems almost happy to see you, and permits you on the saddle, though moving out is a clumsy affair. Soldiers pour out from the other side by the time you get moving, providing just enough time for them to see you gallop off. Moving down the hill, you're able to see enough of the city to chart out a pathway to escape through, with the rest of kingdom too drousy in sleep and contentment to get in your way. The soldiers stopped chasing after you shortly after you exit the city's walls, where you can easily be lost in the thick and dark woods.

Feeling safe, you bring your new borrowed horse to standstill. You look at the castle through the copse of trees, never having felt so relieved to see an alleged civilization far away in the distance. As eager as you are to make it even smaller in your eyes, your heart pains to know what you've left behind. An overflow of emotion hits you, after you're finally allowed an opportunity to feel the feelings you've had over two arduous, traumatic days. Nonetheleast of which, losing the love of your life. You sob uncontrollably, until you start to hear the faint sound of a man yelling, and a carriage.

Looking around, you quickly see the first happy man you've seen in days: Xandria, alive and well.

"Demetria!" He shouts "By the Gods! I'm so glad I found you!"

"Xandria!" You shout, beckoning your horse to move towards him "You're Alive! I didn't know what had happened to you!"

"Look who's talking" He said, rubbing his eyes gently, holding back a few of his own tears. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for the two of you."

"What happened?" You asked again.

"I don't know if you call it premonition, or luck, or just trusting your gut, but I couldn't sleep. Had this really bad feeling going on. Gotten out of bed just in time to see those brutes coming for the two of you." He looked down on the ground. "I chickened out, I'm sorry. I crawled out of the window and hid where they couldn't find me. I watched them as well as I could. After they left, I went into your rooms, grabbed your armor, and stole a carriage, hoping to find you and the Colonel." He looks around briefly "Where is she?"

You feel devestated to try and convey the bad news, admitting out loud what you know in your heart, reliving in your mind everything you went through, only to find yourself spared.

"Here I am!" you hear a shout, turning around on your horse, to see Dilancia on her own stolen horse, a beautiful creature with a greyish tone and dark spots. Dilancia has cuts and bruises and possibly even broken bones. As happy as you are to see her, panic sets in again as she slumps off the beast into the ground, uncontrollably.

"No!" You call out as she hits the leafy carpet of the forest. You and Xandria both hurry off your steeds and run over to her. Face up, she still draws breath, but her eyes are narrowing, her breath short. Still, she smiles at you.

"I told you I'd see you on the other side"

"Yes you did" You say, through a confused laugh, deathly afraid.

"You doubted me" She added

"I'm so sorry Dilancia" You respond as you reach down as you touch her cheek, covered in dried cum, dirt, and blood. "I'm sorry I've failed you!"

"You didn't fail Demi" She replied as she started to cough on blood "You have much to learn young one."

Suddenly, she grabbed your arm with hers, holding it tight "For all that you are, for all that you proclaim to be, you still lack faith." Her arm goes slack, and her eyes shut. Stunned, you stare at her, unable to admit or cope with what just happened what you just lost.

"She, she can't be dead!" You cry out to none. You close your eyes in disbelief, weeping uncontrollably. Dilancia's words ring in your head like the bells in a cathedral.

Faith.

Taking a deep breath, you brush the tears from your eyes and look up, seeing the sun poking through the trees above, and begin the morning prayers.

Mastro, watch over me as I begin this day.
Allow me to be your faithful servant, so that I may carry out your will.
Carry my feet so that I may venture to where I am most needed.
Guide my sight, so that I may clearly perceive the world and administer your justice.
I swear now and forever to defend the innocent and condemn the wicked.
I pray for your wisdom great Mastro, so that I may always know the difference...

You continue in your mind, with your own improvised prayer.

Great Mastro, hear my words.
Dearest Dilancia of the Watch was your most ardent followed, and fiercest soldier.
Return her to life so that she may continue to carry out your will, and that I may better learn from her.
Please, right this injustice, and bring my love back to me.

You scarcely believe your own eyes, as the ground around you begins to glow faintly, as the embers from a fire. Dilancia's eyes spring open as breath fills her lungs and life once again returns to her body. The open wounds of her body start to disappear. Unknowing of what is occurring, you slowly back away. The Colonel, was less surprised, if only slightly.

"So that's what that feels like!" As her hand comes to her breast, fascinated by the rush she just experienced.

"What, what just happened?" You asked

"Laying of Hands" She said as she slowly rose to her feet, bringing you to yours as well. "One of the greatest blessings of the Paladins of the Watch, and a mark of one who possesses true faith."

At a loss for words, you wrap your arms around her and hold her as tightly as you can. "You said I lacked faith" You cry into her torso.

"I have never been so happy to be proven wrong." She replied as her hand coursed through your ebony hair. "You just needed a push."

"I don't mean to interrupt, ladies." Xandria began, being respectfully distant and quiet "But I have your things. I think you'd prefer to get dressed and get as far as from here as we can, than we discuss what in ten hells is going on around here. "

"Thank you Xandria" Dilancia replied "That sounds great. Please, lead on."