Oren stared at Nyssa for a long moment, then sighed. "Is it ironic that he can defeat magic?"
"Obviously," Nyssa raised her hands in the air.
Oren then turned to look ahead. "From what I've deduced and understood about that man…his aim was just to have more power and more power. And more power," he blinked, "But magic…was just above him. Probably he was threatened by it and then sought out to destroy it."
His eyes went back to Nyssa, "From within."
Her brows creased. "Huh?"
But before he could reply, there was a sudden zap and ripple in the air, and the next second, Nyssa's behind hit the cave's ground.
"Ouch!" She winced.
Oren dropped to the floor and then sat up, as if feeling no impact, dusting the dirt off his cloth.
Nyssa's head whipped to him. "What just happened?!"
Oren stared at his hands. His power was still weak, and they had appeared back in the cave.
Suddenly, a violent cough tore from his throat and he spat blood.
Nyssa gasped and rushed to him. "Oh dear! I totally forgot about your predicament. I'm so sorry!"
She held him gently and then, he sat down calmly on the ground.
His tired eyes went to hers as he heaved for air. "It's okay," he took a pause, "I'm fine."
"No, you aren't," tears began to spill from her eyes, "I shouldn't have let you do that."
Oren softly smiled. "It's okay. It's nothing."
Then, he sighed and cleared his throat.
"We were saying something, weren't we?"
Nyssa blinked. Then, nodded, "About Damon."
"Let's take you for example. He came in the guise of marriage and infiltrated the Kingdom, probably placing spies too. In the past, most kingdoms have failed to invade others. Attacking from inside, now that's the charm."
Nyssa said nothing, just staring. Oren knew she understood and knew her pain and hate had probably quadrupled.
For a brief moment, there was silence and calm. But suddenly, the cave groaned.
A deep, unnatural sound rolled through the stone, vibrating through the ground beneath them. Dust rained from above, sprinkling their hair and shoulders.
Nyssa gasped. "Did you feel that?"
Another tremor answered her, even stronger this time. Pebbles skittered across the floor, and somewhere deeper within the cave, stone cracked with a sharp, echoing snap.
Oren was on his feet instantly. "That's not natural."
The ground shook again, violent enough to throw Nyssa forward.
"Ahh!"
Oren caught her just as a chunk of rock broke loose from the ceiling and smashed where she had been sitting moments before.
Then they heard it, voices. Men were shouting; orders being barked with authority and impatience. The sound of metal clinking against stone could be heard. Torches flared, their light flickering against the cave walls from the entrance.
Nyssa's blood turned cold. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no…"
Oren's jaw tightened. "Damon's men."
The cave shook once more as a heavy object slammed into the outer rock, tremendously this time. They were collapsing the entrance. Forcing them out.
"We have to move," Oren said urgently. "Now."
Oren immediately ran to a corner. But before he could react, a large debris from above fell on him.
"Oren!"
Nyssa screamed in shock.
Oren scrambled up, with Nyssa assisting him and they began to run through an opening.
"Shit! They found us," he cursed, holding Nyssa's hand as he sped through the rocky grounds.
Nyssa gulped, fear clawing up her throat as she followed him deeper into the cave. The air grew more uncomfortable with dust thickening with every step. Rocks fell behind them, cutting off the path they had come from.
"There!" a voice echoed faintly. "They're inside!"
Oren spotted a narrow opening ahead, barely visible behind a curtain of hanging stone and moss. "That way!"
They squeezed through just as another section of the cave ceiling collapsed, sealing off the larger chamber in a thunderous crash. Nyssa coughed, her lungs burning as she ran. It was a bit uncomfortable with the long trailing gown, but she gathered the skirts in her fists, sprinting as far as she could.
The passage sloped downward, uneven and treacherous. Light vanished behind them, replaced by darkness and the relentless sound of pursuit.
"Oren," she whispered in between breaths, "I know this isn't right but…can you teleport again?!" She exhaled loudly, resting for a bit. But, Oren took her hand almost immediately.
He shook his head without slowing down. "Not yet. I need time and I don't have one."
The shouts pursuing them grew louder. Torches bobbed through cracks in the rock, with their fierce light stabbing through the darknes.
Then it happened. A sharp whistling sound. Nyssa gasped, her eyes widening.
She turned just in time to see Oren jerk violently forward.
"Oren!"
An arrow jutted from his side, dark with blood almost instantly. He stumbled, his breath leaving him in a strangled sound and then, crashed to his knees.
Nyssa screamed, dropping beside him. Her hands immediately pressed against the wound. "No, no. Stay with me, please—"
Oren's teeth clenched as pain ripped through him. First was his shoulder, now this. He really hoped it wasn't poisoned.
His vision blurred. But he forced himself to look at her. He could see her eyes water and he immediately held her hands again.
"I'm okay," he lied again, his voice coming out strained. "We're not stopping."
Behind them, the horses' hooves thundered closer and the cave shook once more, as if they wanted to bury them inside.
Nyssa clutched Oren's hand, her fingers slick with his blood and her lungs screaming as the uneven ground injured at her feet. The cave narrowed and widened at corners and as she ran, she could feel stones scraping her shoulders and jagged edges catching her gown.
Behind them, the men shouted again.
"Don't let them reach the end!"
Arrows hissed through the air numerously and Nyssa felt like cursing them with all her life force.
As she turned her head to the side, one arrow struck the stone beside her head, shattering into splinters.
She cried out, stumbling, "They want to kill us!"
But Oren pulled her forward, trying to be calm in a tumultuous situation like this.
His teeth were clenched and body was already betraying him with its weakness. She could feel it in his grip. It was weak and trembling slightly.
"Oren, slow down! You need to rest!" she pleaded.
"If we slow," he panted, "we will die."
Nyssa bit her lip and was about to say something when another arrow flew.
This time, it didn't miss.
Oren jerked violently as it pierced his back. "Damn it!"
The impact stole his breath and a strangled sound tore from his throat, but he did not fall immediately. He staggered forward two more steps, his sheer will dragging him along.
Nyssa screamed. "Oren!"
Her heart began beating erratically, her mind in different directions. She didn't know what to say, do, act, she was just helpless and confused. The whole situation was overwhelming, scary, heart-wrenching and disastrous, all at the same time.
More arrows followed, relentless in their attacks and aim. One grazed his shoulder and then another struck lower, sinking deep. This yielded a sharp cry from him.
"AHH!"
Nyssa's face paled. That was when she realized. The arrows weren't shot randomly, their target was Oren.
His body finally gave up the lie he had been telling it. And he collapsed.
Nyssa fell with him, her knees slamming hard onto stone as she caught his weight. The world shrank to the sound of her heartbeat and the warm, horrifying trail of blood soaking through her hands.
"Oren, no, no, no—" Her voice broke, splintering apart. "Please. Please get up."
Heavy tears began to fall from her eyes. At this point, she didn't care if she was captured or not. She just wanted to help Oren and make sure he was okay.
He coughed, a wet, choking sound and blood spilled from his lips, dark and smudging his skin. His eyes fluttered, unfocused for a moment, then slowly found her face.
And he smiled. It was crooked and weary looking.
"Shit," he rasped, his breath rattling. "They got me."
Nyssa shook her head violently, hot tears blurring her vision. "Don't joke. Don't you dare joke right now."
His hand twitched and his fingers curled weakly around her wrist. "Hey, Princess," he murmured. "Look at me."
She did, though it hurt like tearing something vital out of her chest.
"You made it this far," he said softly. "We did something, at least."
The men's voices were closer now. Their lit torches flickered at the far end of the passage, light soaring into the darkness, painting the stone walls gold and red.
Nyssa pressed her forehead to his, sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't leave you. I won't. Oren, please, don't do this to me."
"You will," he whispered, his strength fading with every word. "You have to."
"I don't know how," she cried. "I don't know how without you. I don't want to lose anyone else. For how long, Oren? How long?!"
Oren's smile faltered, then steadied. "You don't have to worry. You're stronger than you think. You always were."
The hunters were almost upon them, their distance closing in, in every hurried step.
Oren's gaze shifted past her, then back again, urgency sharpening his features. "Listen to me. If… if I can still do something—"
His breath hitched sharply as pain tore through him again. Nyssa clutched him tighter, as if her arms alone could hold him together. He coughed, then took in a deep breath.
"Promise me," he whispered. "Promise you won't stop running. Nyssa, you have to be safe."
Nyssa sobbed, shaking her head. "Whatever I'm doing, you will be with me."
Oren exhaled shakily, his gaze never leaving hers. "You will and you must."
"No. Oren, we will make it together," she pressed her hands against the wound, trying to apply pressure but Oren withdrew her hands.
"Save yourself. Tontine needs you."
"And they need you as well," her lips trembled.
He chuckled and the coughed, before sniffing. "Princess, your life is of utmost –"
"I don't care what you say, Oren," her eyes hardened and then she stood up, removing the scarf on her hair, letting the strands flow freely.
"But I will not leave you here," her eyes locked on Oren's, "my duty is to protect my subjects and I will do just that."