As Aushen came to, he gagged. His head was spinning, and he felt horrible. He blinked, trying to keep his head steady and collect his thoughts. 

Torchlight flickered against the wall- he was in a cave. It was cool but not bitter-cold like it was outside. It was a relief, too; Aushen had been stripped down to just a shirt and thin pants. Even his shoes had been removed. 

He still felt very feverish, though now it was hard to tell if that was due to his illness or to the fall he’d taken off the horse. He remembered only as far a strong wave of vertigo causing him to fall backwards off the horse, along with a rough collision. He assumed it was the fall that had knocked him unconscious. 

He was sore in various places, again presumably due to the fall, but perhaps also due to being transported to wherever he was now. Judging by what he could see of the sky from his spot in the cave, not much time had passed. He hoped that meant he was close enough to be found before too long. 

A rag was tied around his mouth to act as a gag, and his hands were tied up, one on either side of him, to suspend him in an upright position. Luckily, he was still seated, but his arms were already sore from the position they were in. 

Steeling himself to stay conscious, Aushen looked around the area he was in. There was a torch on either side of him, and the wall of the cave was behind him. In front of him was a small, crystal clear pond. It reminded him of the Altar back home. In the middle of the pond was a stand that somewhat resembled a birdbath. Laying in the middle of it was a bright red crystal, about the size of two fists. It seemed to almost glow in the dim light of the cave. Besides himself, the cave was devoid of anyone else, though it could probably hold two or three dozen people. 

Aushen figured whoever had attacked the caravan had taken him here, and he hoped that meant they’d left the rest of the caravan alone. He wasn’t eager to die or whatever else this mysterious group had in store for him, but he was hopeful that Odessa, Olef, and the others were safe.

Given the distance they had left to the Northern Castle, it wouldn’t be long before the Northern Knights were alerted and swept the area to search for him.

‘With that in mind… Why have my assailants brought me here? Since not much time has passed, we can’t be far enough away that we won’t be found within a few hours’ time…’

The more suspicious Aushen became of their intentions, the more nervousness built in the pit of his stomach.

He was definitely too weak to free himself from the bindings; he hoped that whenever his captors showed their faces, he could get some information from them, and perhaps try to talk his way out of things. 

As if on cue, a line of people, one by one, entered the small cave. Each wore a fearsome dragon mask, and held a small candle. After about fifteen people entered, a man followed behind them. He wore a brightly colored robe in comparison to the others’ all-black attire, and his mask was larger. Lastly, he held a large, jagged knife. 

Aushen’s eyes narrowed as he studied the man. This turn of events did not bode well. 

The black-robed people formed a small circle around the pond, breaking the circle just to allow the brightly-clad man to enter the pond, then closing the circle once more. The man stood before Aushen and raised his mask. 

He was not young- he looked to be in his fifties or sixties. He had a long, thin beard, and dark, beady eyes. The way he looked at Aushen was akin to a snake sizing up its prey. 

“Prince Aushen,” he said, his gravelly voice betraying no emotion. “It’s quite a pleasure to finally meet you.” As he spoke, he untied the gag around the prince’s mouth. 

Aushen glared at the man in return. “So you do know who I am. Then you must know how much trouble you’ll be in if this continues any more. Your punishments will merely increase if you do not let me go at once.” The prince had been taught at a young age to speak in a commanding tone no matter how fearful he was inside. The lessons had served him well. He could see a few of the black-robed people flinch as he spoke. 

However, the man before him simply chuckled. “By the time we’re done here, no one shall be in a position to punish us; least of all, you.” He raised the knife to Aushen’s left hand and loosed the bind on him. 

Because of the blood being drained from the area, and his fever getting worse, his arm lay limp in the man’s grasp. All he could muster was a glare. “Whatever you think you’re doing, it won’t go the way you— AUGH!” Aushen’s sentence was cut short as the man laid the blade on Aushen’s palm and made a deep slice. He then pushed the young man’s palm into the red crystal. As he did so, the crystal glowed brightly. 

The man’s chuckle built into full laughter, and the black-robes people around him began to chant. “It’s working! It’s really working! The Heart of the Dragon is waking from its long slumber!” 

Aushen shivered from the pain. The loss of blood, coupled with his fever, made him feel delirious. The chanting, the flames dancing on the cave walls, the cackle of the wicked man before him– it all began to blur together. As he lost consciousness, Aushen thought he heard someone call his name.