“We were justlucky, I guess, and Edward is very powerful.”
“Not toopowerful for the queen though.”
Moro’s eyeseemed to burrow into Cyrus’ soul.
“We were double-crossedby a coward,” Cyrus said, thinking of Ungur.
How could hehave been so stupid? How could he have fallen for such a clumsy trap?
“What hasbecome of the hune?” he asked, shaking off the anger.
“I do notknow. Dead maybe,” Moro replied.
Her gaze driftedto the chalky floor.
“And what of thehune alves?” Cyrus asked,“Are they truly dead?”
Moro lookedrocked by the question.
“The WarriorWitch told you of such things, then let you escape?”
Cyrus nodded,feeling exposed.
“She murderedmost of them long ago,” Moro said, “It was my duty to guard the lone hune in the years following.”
“Most?” Cyrusasked, “She said she murdered them all.”
Moro closedher lone eye and slowly shook her head.
“She gave thema choice, die, or join her army. Most chose death. That is how I lost my righteye. There was a small girl. She was so young, so innocent. I couldn’t let herdie like that. I took her and hid her away from the Warrior Witch. I thoughtthat if I could just save one of them…”
Moro looked tothe floor, a single tear running down her face.
“The WarriorWitch found us, took the girl, then took my eye for my treachery.”
She looked upat Cyrus, accusingly.
“No one crossesthe Warrior Witch and gets away whole.”
“Are the waterklops following the Sea Zombie’s orders now?” Cyrusasked, “Is she the one controlling them?”
“I do notknow,” Moro replied, “You are sure no one else aided you on your journey? Noone else that could help us escape?”
“No, I wish,”Cyrus lied.
“That is badnews,” Moro said, “When the torture begins, you will want something to give themto ease the pain.”
“Torture?”Cyrus said.
He knew it wasprobably coming, but still, some part of him was in denial.
The chamber’siron door crashed open. Agulha and three water klops, armed with crossbows, marched down the stone stairs.
“Be brave, child,”Moro said.
“No, getback,” Cyrus shouted.
He raised hislegs, threatening to kick. The klops unlocked thecell and barged in. They whipped Cyrus’ legs away with iron shackles and pushedpast.
“Wait, no,what do you want with me?” Moro shrieked.
Cyrus watched,confused, as they unlocked the froskman andre-shackled her hands behind her back.
“I have nothingmore to tell you. Please no!”
Cyrus wantedto help. He wanted to stop the klops, but he just satthere as they dragged Moro kicking and screaming from the cage. Fear andshameful relief washed over Cyrus. It was Moro, not him, that was being pulledinto the grips of some unthinkable torment.
“Give them whatthey want!” Moro shrieked, “Or they will kill us both!”
Chapter 28
MORE TENDER THE MEAT
FOR AN HOUR, the screams echoed downthe corridor. Cyrus strained against his chains. What were they doing to Moro?Were they going to do it to him as well? He pulled and jerked at the shackles.The iron was too strong.
The screamsstopped. Cyrus watched the chamber door. Much time passed. No one came. Was shestill alive? His head began to slump.
The doorcrashed open. It hit the wall with a rattling echo. The three water klops dragged the beaten and exhausted Moro back within thecell.
“What have youdone?” Cyrus shouted.
The chalky klops snorted in reply. Agulhawatched from the entrance as the three klops threwMoro against the bars and shackled her neck. They pushed, kicked and slappedCyrus as they exited the cell, locking it tightly behind them. Then they mountedthe stairs and left the room. Agulha slammed thedungeon door and secured the lock. Cyrus and Moro were alone.
“Are you allright?” Cyrus asked.
The froskman looked up. Her back was slouched and her eye wasdull. Cyrus studied the creature’s body for injury. Her brow was blackened andswollen, and her cheek was lacerated and bloody, but like Fibian,she was already healing.
“What did theydo?” he asked.
“They wantedto know if I knew who you were and how you had gotten here.”
Moro’s voicewas shaky and weak.
“What did youtell them?”
“What could Itell them? I know nothing. It will only get worse for us the more you holdback.”
“There’s nothingmore to tell. I promise,” Cyrus lied.
“I doubt thequeen will believe that an alveling and a blodbad survived the Warrior Witch, sailed across the NorthSea, and mounted the northern pass, unaided, just to rescue some yeti?”
“Tier helpedus up the northern pass,” Cyrus said.
His wordssounded pathetic.
“If you cannotconvince yourself of your own lie, how do you expect to convince the queen?”
Cyrus couldfeel his will being tested. He would not betray Fibian.
“It’s thetruth, we’ve been very lucky,” he said.
“I don’t thinkending up here is what I would call luck,” Moro said, cringing as she shifted herbody, “Do not make them do to you what they have done to me. Do yourself afavor. When they come for you, tell them the truth immediately. Save yourselfthe suffering.”
“What are theygoing to do?” Cyrus asked.
He heardfootsteps coming from beyond the chamber door.
“You’ll findout soon enough,” Moro whispered.
Again, thedoor crashed open. Cyrus sat as still as he could manage, holding his breath.The three klops poured into the room, followed by Agulha.
“Take theboy,” the councilor ordered.
“No,” Cyrusshrieked.
He ripped athis chains.
“Come near meand I’ll kick your teeth out.”
The klops tore the door open and swarmed Cyrus. They threw hislegs aside like tangled weeds. Cyrus punched and kicked, his bruised ankleburning. The klops unlocked his shackle and chainedhis hands behind his back. Then they dragged him off like a mad dog, up thestairway, and out the chamber door.
“Make it easyon yourself,” Moro called after him, “Tell them what they want to know.”
“Pleasedon’t,” an armored klops grunted, “The harder thebeating, the more tender the meat.”
Chapter 29
STICKS AND STONES
THE KLOPS DRAGGED CYRUSBACK througha long dingy hallway, past a staircase leading above, and into a seconddarkened room. The frigid hollow smelled of sweat and sour rot. Strange devicesinhabited the shadows within.
“Get out ofthe way,” the shortest klops ordered, pushing past Cyrusand igniting a wall lamp.
The chamberwas shaped much like the previous dungeon, but with a large iron furnace builtagainst the far wall. A cauldron of steaming hot water rested on top of thefurnace.
“Move,”growled a klops in a steel helmet.
The creature wasmissing all but
