Matters of the Crown Continued(Zak)

[Ramona]

Ramona’s eyes slid open, slowly, though the darkness that surrounded her was so intense, that even her emerald orbs, accustomed to darkness, had a hard time figuring where it was she was. She moved to stand but was restrained by something not allowing her to rise. She could tell she was on the ground, her back against a hard cold surface and the smells that surrounded her could only mean that she was someplace, within the Web. Her head throbbed with excruciating pain, and she noticed now, as she became more fully aware, that her hands were bound above her head with metal clamps that seemed a bit too tight, as she cold also now feel a trickle of warmth slowly making its way down her arm, a sign that it could only mean that her wrists, at some point had been cut. She tried to speak, but then realized that her mouth too, had been gagged and so was reduced to an almost silent growl. She could barely make out a couple voices in the room who seemed to be pleased with themselves.

”You did well, I can’t believe you actually stole her out from under her guardians nose, and it only cost us the fat nobleman in the process.” a rough male voice said.

”You realize, that we’ll have to keep that blind on her the entire time, what ever you do, and no matter what, do not take it off, those eyes are said to have led many a thief astray to their death before.”

“Yes, yes, well just don’t let her talk you into taking it off, its that simple.”

She realized now, why it was she couldn’t see, and though that she could just make out, through the medium weight material, their movements and at this moment, could only hope that Zak would find her. She let her head fall back down now, for the duel purpose of the throbbing and to make her captors continue to think her asleep as she listened to them talk.

[Zaknafei Stalak]

Zak followed the warm trail for seemingly miles. This was very well planned, indeed. The trail doubled back at certain places, took false passages, secret passages, and generally tried to throw him off. His sense of duty kept him from being shaken.

Eventually he came upon what seemed a small fortress built into a large cavern. It looked moderately guarded and the guards were carrying some strangely fine weaponry.

He climbed down into the cavern staying behind stalagmites to get closer to the front gate and get a good look at it. To better plan the break in.

[Ramona]

The gate that concealed the Spiders Queen within its walls, some place, somewhere in the Web’s fortifications, was swiftly made, though strong, obviously, these thieves, or assassins, which ever they might be, had access to one of the very few maps of the Web as this was indeed perhaps further into the tunnels and corridors that lead deep down into the belly of the earth.

There would be four guards, two to either side of the gate, one on the tower to each the right and left, likewise the ground, all heavily armed and quite capable looking. What was beyond the gate, could not be seen from any vantage point, as just behind the towers, the ceiling of the caverns concealed all beneath it’s walls, so what ever lay beyond the gates, would be a mystery, to any who had not been there before.

Ramona started to drift off again, despite the throbbing in her head and the aching now in her wrists as the Spider Queen’s blood continued to flow freely down the length of her arms, now soaking her gown, this had seemingly gone unnoticed by her captors who obviously were far too busy with further planning to have a look, so long as she was quiet, they paid her little attention, but he blood loss was beginning to take it’s toll.