A Promise

Jungle

The ropes cut into their wrists, biting at their skin. All of them were stripped of anything extra. No bags, coats, or anything that was deemed useless or needless by their captors, leaving them only with their clothes. They had thrown all of these things away. They were quiet as the men took them away. Each one had a weapon. Even the leader. From spears to bows. The prisoners felt like they should have some weapons as well, but they were not allowed to have anything.

When they needed to take a break, feeling the heat of the place get to them, they were pushed on. Butcher was the only one that could talk with them. He communicated very little though. He only asked them to stop when Alice and Grace started to complain and wished for a break, also to relieve themselves.

The leader stalked towards Butcher, spiting at the ground. At least they had stopped. Alice was moaning. She pranced, really needing to go, but not being allowed to. Grace wasn't much better. The leader glanced at them before sneering out his order. The men crouched down, holding onto their spears. Butcher turned to them. “We are ta rest for a bit.” Lorenzo nodded. Tom twisted his head back and forth, anxiously waiting for someone to pop out at them.

Green leaves covered the trees as did vines and animals. They had never seen so many in one place before. Alice screeched, spotting a spider crawling away. Grace pulled her back, subconsciously protecting her. They were trying to find a place with a bit of privacy, but couldn't. The men kept them within the small space between the trees. They seemed to be following a path of some sort, for there was little foliage growing there.

“We'll take turns,” Grace whispered. She stood in front of Alice as her mistress crouched, pulling her breeches down. Several men glanced at them, but nothing more. Luckily Lorenzo and company turned away.

“I need help,” Alice whispered, tugging at her breeches back up. She couldn't do it easily. Grace turned, helping her quickly. Then the roles turned. Grace did her business as Alice stood in front.

The leader shouted, taking up the lead once again. Butcher said they were to move again. The group went on, tired. Tom jumped at every little noise. Even when he broke a stick. “I don't think I can walk any more,” Alice whined softly. Grace tried to stop her as she continued. “Can't we just sleep out here?” Butcher glanced at Grace, silently asking for her to stop Alice, but Grace just shrugged. There was no stopping her now. She couldn't. Not now. She would not be stopped.

Then the leader shouted at her. Alice did not want to hear it. She shouted back. But neither one knew what the other was saying. They continued on, the leader stalking closer. His hands curled into fists, ready to strike the obstinate woman. Grace reacted, pulling Alice back. “Shush,” she hissed. Alice turned on her, glaring.

“Do not tell me to be quiet!” Her voice rang in Grace's ears, rattling around. The brown eyes narrowed into slits. “I hate what you are becoming!” Grace staggered back, surprised by the push. Alice stepped forward, pushing Grace once again. “You! You should listen to me! Obey me!” Tears sprang to the corner of her eyes; she didn't wipe them away. Grace stared silently. “I hate you! I hate you with all of my being!”

The leader paused in his forward trudge before chuckling at the yelling woman. It seemed she was one that wanted respect. To be followed. He would have to report that to his king. It may just save her life. But the others would have to go. Too much power and sorcery about them. They could not live.

“Both of you!” Lorenzo shouted. “Shut it!” Alice growled, turning on the pirate captain. She stalked over to him, hitting his chest with her bound hands. He glared, not liking how Alice was acting now. He started to wonder how he ever could see anything in her. But she was good in bed.

“You!” She sneered at him. “I can not believe you would lead a woman on like that!” Her finger pointed at him, pushing itself into his chest. His pecs contracting ever single time. Ready to strike. “You are the worst!” The tears were flowing now, rolling down her dirty cheeks. Streaks of clean skin appeared as the tears rolled down. “I can't...” she hiccuped. Alice gently pulled at her own hair, crouching down. “I can't take it any more.”

Grace wanted to comfort her. She wanted to hug her mistress, but she didn't. She couldn't. Alice would just lash out at her. But the servant didn't think she was in the wrong for trying to break out of her obedient nature. She wasn't a servant out here. Alice wasn't a noble either. The sooner both of them accepted that, the better. So she stood her ground, watching the scene play out.

Butcher sighed heavily. “We be 'eadin' out.” He glanced at the leader, seeing the pleased expression as he turned, giving Butcher a look. The man ordered everyone to go, to head towards the main city: Maxultanha.

They started to move, leaving Alice to one of the warriors. They prodded her, but she lashed out, hissing and growling out curses at them. Soon they left her to her own devices. She walked towards the back, annoyed. Grace glanced back every so often, making sure she was still there, alive.

One of the warriors said something. Two of them walked into the bushes, pinning something to the ground. They shouted and more came. The bushes rattled and shook as they continued to do whatever it was. After a few moments, there was silence. Then they came back.

Alice cringed and backed away as she saw what they were carrying. Between the three men was large snake. A dark colored reptile that was rounded with age. Grace looked back, only to let a squeak of surprised out. She clutched her hands to her chest, fearing what the warriors had. The snake was limp. Neither of the females knew if it was dead or not. For all they knew, it was knocked out.

The leader commended them. He gazed approvingly at the snake. Gesturing to it, he began talking. The warriors explained something that only Butcher could understand. Butcher though, wasn't saying a word. He looked solemn. Grace wanted to know why. Her heart clenched at the thought that he was sad. That he was hurting. She didn't want him to feel such pain and sadness. It just wasn't in his nature. But she started to wonder why she cared so much. Grace didn't know. She thought it was because he helped her this whole time. Besides the one time he tricked her into getting his soul back. She still hadn't really forgiven him for that. Not really. She may have said it was fine, but it wasn't. He had tricked her into doing something for himself. Grace had to remind herself that he was a pirate, that is what they do.

Continued on their way, the snake was carried before them. Only two warriors were in the back now. Lorenzo was thinking they may have a chance to escape. But he had to make sure the others knew. That would be difficult. Although that may be true, he started to plan. He started to see what he could do.

Then they heard it. A rustle in the trees. It was soft, but it was there. Most brushed it off as the wind. Tom didn't. He stared and muttered. He shook, waiting for whatever it was. He knew something was coming. It had to be. He was pushed and prodded to move, but he stayed where he was. The warrior told him to move, agitated that this young male wasn't moving. Something made him stay in that spot.

It appeared, jumping from its hiding spot. Tom ducked. Claws and teeth ensnared the warrior. The male had no idea. Tom whimpered, holding his head. He could hear the screaming of the man as the creature tore into the man, ripping flesh from his arms and cutting into his muscles.

The others came over, staring. They didn't think they could save the warrior. He was not going to survive. The creature growled at them, showing the bloody fangs as it finally killed the man. The others paused. They couldn't kill this creature. Fearing if they did, they would bring something terrible upon themselves. The black furred creature growled before running off, leaving the mangled corpse of the man on the ground. Alice and Grace gawked, gagging as it settled in their mind what they were looking at. Turning away, the two tried to push the image out. They had to. If they didn't, they would remember it forever.

Grace leaned over her knees, heaving the contents of her stomach onto the group. She couldn't keep it in. The dead white eyes haunted her mind as she crouched there. Alice wasn't much better, but she didn't empty her stomach. She did look pale though, sickly pale.

Butcher and Lorenzo grimaced. They could hear Grace as she started to dry heave. It wasn't pleasant. Even worse than looking at a bloody corpse. The others muttered prayers before kneeling upon the ground. The snake was set before them, unmoving still. Butcher glared at them.

Grace wiped her mouth, not having any more strength. Her legs were shaky beneath her. Alice stared at the tree. She just seemed to be staring off into space. Butcher appeared at Grace's side. “Grace,” he whispered. She turned to him, startled. “Ya okay?” It took her a moment, realizing he was asking her a question. But once that registered in her mind, she didn't know how to answer. She wasn't okay. But was she really bad? She was alive. She had a chance of getting out of this. Hopefully.

She gently shook her head. Grace couldn't say she was okay.

Butcher sighed. This was his fault. Or at least most of it.

“Don't worry. We'll get out of this,” Lorenzo said. He glanced at the three. Tom was behind him, still crouched beside the corpse. The warriors stood up, muttering things over the body before picking it up. They moved it into the foliage. Pulling branches down on it, covering the man.

After that, they began to move once again. Tom was being pushed every so often, for he wasn't moving that much. Muttering to himself, he kept his eyes on the scenery. He didn't trust the world around him. He also was saying things that made no sense to anyone. They didn't connect at all. From talking about trees to moments in time.

They finally got through the jungle. It opened up to a large clearing that held a city. Maxultanha. A stone palace with wooden huts in the outlying places. Closer to the palace were stone houses, they were stacked on top of each other. The group was taken to the outskirts.

The group was rattled. Tom especially. He was twitchy, jumping at every loud sound. He had broken mentally. Grace feared he might not make it. She took a deep breath, trying to put on a brave front. She had to. Grace believed someone had to be a calm figure in this group. But she didn't think it was really her. Lorenzo was doing that better than her. Butcher was looking at the city with a mixture of sadness and disgust.

Alice was keeping to herself, ignoring all of them. Grace wondered if Alice was doing this out of indignation or because she thought she had nothing to say.

The leader walked to a stone building, square in shape and only one entrance with a metal grate. He gestured to it, talking quickly. Butcher growled lowly. Apparently it wasn't something good. One of the lean men guarding the entrance opened it, shoving each one inside before pushing the grate shut, locking it with a push of a stone on the side. Something started grinding against the walls until a stone slab came down on top of the grate, keeping it in its position. It created a T. The grate was just wide enough for them to stick their arms out, but nothing more.

Grace was the one to try. She wanted to be out of here. She did not want to stay here any longer. Grace wiggled her arm, trying to measure how much she could squeeze through, but found she probably would get stuck. She was the skinniest of them. Alice had the “noble” figure of having meat on her bones. Grace wasn't so lucky. The noble woman was sitting in the corner, glaring around their cell. Tom was rocking back and forth in the other corner. Butcher and Lorenzo were conversing softly with each other. “I can't get through,” Grace muttered, turning to the others, feeling her dread start to show.

Her hands trembled as did her spine. Everything was settling in; she might not make it out alive. Her knees knocked together before buckling, sending her to the floor. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. She couldn't be strong forever, and everything was hitting her now. She couldn't be the one to get them out of this. Because in some small part of her mind, she had believed she would be that person. But in reality, she wasn't.

“Grace,” her name slipped from the lips of the captain. Lorenzo crouched in front of her. He could see how troubled she was, how fearful she was. He was amazed she even had the strength to do what she did in the jungle. What she showed while in the jungle; a quiet strength had formed in her. “It will be fine.” But now it was breaking. “We will figure out a way to get out of this.” Grace lifted her head, looking at him, hopeful because all that was in her now was dread and despair. “We will get out of this alive.” Butcher opened his mouth, being the practical one, but decided not to voice his opinion when everyone was frazzled. He couldn't do that to them. Even when he knew what was going to happen.

Alice glared at Grace, knowing she was getting most of the attention, again. It annoyed her that her servant was getting more attention that her, a noble. But she said nothing.

She glanced at Butcher, wondering what secret he was hiding. She knew it because that was what her life was built around. Lies and secrecy. He was hiding something. Something that may change things.

“Just be strong. We need you to be strong,” Lorenzo whispered, grasping her shoulders. She stiffened under his touch, but relaxed as he stayed there. Grace ducked her head, knowing he was right. She did need to be strong and not just for herself, but for everyone else. They might need her. Wiping her tears, she started to gather herself together. Now all she could do was wait, preparing for whatever fate that descended upon her. And everyone else.