entrance and fell to a mucky pool below. Torches set in sconces along the walls illumined this morbid prison.
To his left, Dalton could see the main entrance of the cave—a dark tunnel. On the far right, four lean and vicious canines were devouring the carrion of some creature. Their hairless hides were covered with large blotches, and the largest was the size of a small bear.
Not far from the hounds was a large, jumbled stash of swords. Dalton looked at Si Kon and then motioned toward the weapons.
“Drox calls them his hounds of despair,” Si Kon said with a smirk.
“Not the dogs,” Dalton said. “The swords.”
They are ours.
“But they are practically unguarded,” Dalton said with surprise. “There are many knights here, and only one Drox.”
“Drox is as powerful as a hundred knights,” Si Kon said. “We would be fools to try…dead fools.”
Dalton was stunned by his response and marveled at the apparent power Drox possessed over the minds of their fellow knights. Then herealized that he too was Drox’s prisoner and dared not condemn his brothers and sisters just yet.
“Besides,” Si Kon continued, “there are the hounds, the death ravens, the guards, and Drox’s Vincero Knights. They will do little to stop you from leaving, but once outside you will be hunted again. Hunted by them like sport. And if they don’t get you, Drox will. Then when he finds you…” Si Kon’s gaze dropped to the floor. “It is hopeless to try.”
“This shouldn’t be,” Dalton said in exasperation. “We are Knights of the Prince!”
“No!” Si Kon said. “I told you. You cannot speak that name here!” He slowly backed away from the cell opening as a sinister growl sounded.
The hounds had all stopped their feast. They looked Dalton’s direction and lurched to their feet. The largest ran toward his cell, and the other three followed close behind. Now Dalton wished his cell had a door, for there was nothing to stop them. He backed away as the hounds approached the cell opening. All four snarled viciously, revealing yellow, bloodstained fangs.
“If they attack, give them your good arm,” Si Kon said in a hushed tone. “The chain mail will help.”
The pack leader lunged for Dalton’s neck, and he raised his right arm just in time for the hound to clamp its jaws down on his chain mail. It held, but the force of the hound’s bite was powerful. Another hound attacked, and Si Kon intercepted it with his own arm. The other two hounds guarded the cell opening as if to keep their prey from escaping.
Dalton felt the teeth of the hound pierce his flesh, though not deeply. The animal growled and yanked backward, opening the wounds further. Dalton knew his arm would be a mangled mass of torn flesh were it not for his chain mail.
The hound released its grip and poised for another attack. Dalton heard Si Kon fighting with the second hound.
“Release!” a voice commanded from just outside the cell.
The four hounds ended their attack and slunk away from the cell. A knight in black armor stood at the cell opening. He crossed his arms and glared at Dalton.
“Si Kon, you should know better than to join yourself to fresh meat.”
Si Kon scowled at the knight as he cradled his arm.
“Back to your own cell,” the knight commanded.
Si Kon went to the opening of his own cell, and the knight shoved him from behind. “Keep quiet!” Then he moved away.
Si Kon went to the iron bars between their cells and sat down. Dalton leaned against the bars close to him.
“I’m sorry,” Dalton whispered as he took a deep breath. “I didn’t know.”
“I will die before I become one of them,” Si Kon murmured.
“What do you mean?” Dalton massaged his arm with his left hand, thankful the attack of the hound had left only minor cuts.
Si Kon turned and looked at Dalton with narrow eyes. His straight black hair had grown so long that it nearly covered his eyes.
“He was once one of us, but Drox turned him into a
To his left, Dalton could see the main entrance of the cave—a dark tunnel. On the far right, four lean and vicious canines were devouring the carrion of some creature. Their hairless hides were covered with large blotches, and the largest was the size of a small bear.
Not far from the hounds was a large, jumbled stash of swords. Dalton looked at Si Kon and then motioned toward the weapons.
“Drox calls them his hounds of despair,” Si Kon said with a smirk.
“Not the dogs,” Dalton said. “The swords.”
They are ours.
“But they are practically unguarded,” Dalton said with surprise. “There are many knights here, and only one Drox.”
“Drox is as powerful as a hundred knights,” Si Kon said. “We would be fools to try…dead fools.”
Dalton was stunned by his response and marveled at the apparent power Drox possessed over the minds of their fellow knights. Then herealized that he too was Drox’s prisoner and dared not condemn his brothers and sisters just yet.
“Besides,” Si Kon continued, “there are the hounds, the death ravens, the guards, and Drox’s Vincero Knights. They will do little to stop you from leaving, but once outside you will be hunted again. Hunted by them like sport. And if they don’t get you, Drox will. Then when he finds you…” Si Kon’s gaze dropped to the floor. “It is hopeless to try.”
“This shouldn’t be,” Dalton said in exasperation. “We are Knights of the Prince!”
“No!” Si Kon said. “I told you. You cannot speak that name here!” He slowly backed away from the cell opening as a sinister growl sounded.
The hounds had all stopped their feast. They looked Dalton’s direction and lurched to their feet. The largest ran toward his cell, and the other three followed close behind. Now Dalton wished his cell had a door, for there was nothing to stop them. He backed away as the hounds approached the cell opening. All four snarled viciously, revealing yellow, bloodstained fangs.
“If they attack, give them your good arm,” Si Kon said in a hushed tone. “The chain mail will help.”
The pack leader lunged for Dalton’s neck, and he raised his right arm just in time for the hound to clamp its jaws down on his chain mail. It held, but the force of the hound’s bite was powerful. Another hound attacked, and Si Kon intercepted it with his own arm. The other two hounds guarded the cell opening as if to keep their prey from escaping.
Dalton felt the teeth of the hound pierce his flesh, though not deeply. The animal growled and yanked backward, opening the wounds further. Dalton knew his arm would be a mangled mass of torn flesh were it not for his chain mail.
The hound released its grip and poised for another attack. Dalton heard Si Kon fighting with the second hound.
“Release!” a voice commanded from just outside the cell.
The four hounds ended their attack and slunk away from the cell. A knight in black armor stood at the cell opening. He crossed his arms and glared at Dalton.
“Si Kon, you should know better than to join yourself to fresh meat.”
Si Kon scowled at the knight as he cradled his arm.
“Back to your own cell,” the knight commanded.
Si Kon went to the opening of his own cell, and the knight shoved him from behind. “Keep quiet!” Then he moved away.
Si Kon went to the iron bars between their cells and sat down. Dalton leaned against the bars close to him.
“I’m sorry,” Dalton whispered as he took a deep breath. “I didn’t know.”
“I will die before I become one of them,” Si Kon murmured.
“What do you mean?” Dalton massaged his arm with his left hand, thankful the attack of the hound had left only minor cuts.
Si Kon turned and looked at Dalton with narrow eyes. His straight black hair had grown so long that it nearly covered his eyes.
“He was once one of us, but Drox turned him into a
Similar Books
