Chapter 5

The courtyard was a mess.  A mess that Casmir started to clean up even though it wasn’t what he’s supposed to do.

 

He picked up broken off pieces of marble and quartzite, occasionally trying to fit them back together to form the fountain.  He knew it was a futile attempt.  So much of the once beautiful and majestic fountain had been reduced to dust and tiny granules, he knew it’d be an impossible task to even try and put part of it back together.  It had to be rebuilt.

 

Wisps of smoke still curled up in the air, even as the sun rose and the wind blew past, carrying large amounts of dust away in its arms.  Some of it seemed to hold a green tint, which only confirmed his suspicions that the Unlocked was behind this.  Then his only question was who was the Unlocked and he only had one option to go off of.  He thought about Amber, who he’d locked up in a cell beneath Regia Liavis and who he’d left alone almost as soon as the lock snapped into place.  He thought about the green energy ball that had flown past his shoulder, nearly burning his face off and then tried to find some connection between everything he knew so far.  For a moment, he wondered if she was the Unlocked.

 

He almost immediately linked the energy ball and the courtyard together.  There was no doubt that the blast that had nearly killed him was similar to the one that razed the courtyard to the ground.

 

“We didn’t find anyone else except that girl,” a voice said, causing him to lose his train of thought.  “Is there anything else we have to do?”

 

Casmir turned, letting his face settle into an expression of neutrality.  “Lance,” he said, greeting the brunet.  Then he registered the question.  “Uh, no.  I’ll just ask her some questions later.”

 

“Didn’t she also go to Autarcus?” Lance asked, noting the air of slight regret around Casmir.  “She’s that girl who’s always hanging around you and Melody.”

 

“That’s because she’s my best friend,” Casmir said.  “I’m still so confused by all this.  Why was she here?”

 

“Maybe she wanted to catch the Unlocked and was just unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

“Maybe.”  Hopefully, he added silently.

 

They started making their way back to Regia Liavis, slowly walking up a paved stone path that led to the gatehouse of a blackstone manor.  Occasionally, they passed curious citizens, some asking if the danger was over while others asked what happened.

 

“We’re trying to figure that out,” Casmir said to everyone who asked, repeating the words so many times it almost became an automatic response.

 

As they crossed through the gatehouse and entered the main entrance, Lance asked, “What if the girl is the Unlocked?”

 

“I don’t want to think about that possibility,” Casmir replied coldly.  “And I don’t want to think about what might happen if that was the case.”

 

But as these words were spoken, his mind started coming up with countless scenarios in which Amber was the Unlocked, and none of them had good outcomes.  Most of them involved Amber getting caught, then put through whatever Regia Diavum had planned for her, and Casmir knew the Regias could come up with some pretty creative ways of getting people to talk.

 

His movements were puppet-like as he wandered aimlessly through the halls.  More than once he stopped to gaze out the window, hoping that he could prolong the questioning.  He didn’t want to ask Amber questions about the courtyard, the ruined fountain, the Unlocked… he just wanted to talk to her like a normal person.  The last thing he wanted was for her to feel as if she couldn’t trust him, though that ship probably already sailed.  He saw the looks she gave him when he didn’t move to help her and instead let the other Regia Liavis soldiers secure blackstone cuffs around her wrists.  He felt the anger and confusion radiating off her person when he didn’t react to her apology.  He heard the curses she threw at him when he left her alone in that cell.

 

“Casmir, I’m sorry!” Amber had cried.  “I don’t know what’s happening!”

 

When he didn’t respond, she snapped.  “My best friend wouldn’t let this happen,” she said in the coldest voice he’d ever heard.  Then she fell silent, refusing to speak or listen, even when he tried to explain.

 

It was like that thought caused him to turn and head down to the dungeon.  He passed some of his other friends, but didn’t stay to chat.  He waved a hand dismissively when they motioned for him to come hang out with them.  “I need to question the prisoner,” he said, not liking how he had to refer to Amber as such.  For all he knew, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, like Lance suggested earlier.

 

He hoped that was the case.

 

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Casmir slowly made his way down a dark stone hallway lit by candles, the waxy torches evenly spaced along the wall.  His destination was a single room at the end of the path with a heavy wooden door blocking the only entrance in or out.  There was one window near the middle-top of the door, and it had iron bars placed over the opening, preventing the prisoner from escaping.

 

He could hear her, even through the thick plank of wood that separated them; soft muttering and the occasional thwack of something hitting the stone walls.  She was — at least that’s how it sounded to him — confused and upset; just like him.

 

He paused in front of the door, wondering if he should even go in at all because he knew that Amber would have several questions for him, just like how he had several questions for her.

 

“I know you’re outside,” her voice carried through the open barred window.  Then her face appeared, most of it blocked by the iron bars.  She seemed calm, though he knew her long enough to know that that was likely not the case.  Still, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him and casting the room in darkness once again.

 

He could just about see her.  She was sitting on the small cot that had been placed in a corner and was staring right at him.  Her hair was disheveled, her clothes rumpled.  Instead of her normal air of confidence, she was silent and cautious.  She also kept fiddling with the cuffs around her wrists, hiding the occasional wince.

 

“Amber,” he said slowly, taking a step toward her.  She still didn’t move.  “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

 

“I didn’t either.” she said stiffly.  She raised her head, giving him an accusing glare.  “What did these cuffs do to me?”

 

“They’re just blackstone cuffs,” he said, hoping his confused tone would prompt her to elaborate.

 

“They’re burning me.” she snapped.  She waved a hand, motioning him to come over.  “See?”  As she moved the cuffs aside, Casmir caught sight of a thin band of red that wrapped around the circumference of her wrist where the cuff touched her skin.  “Can you do something about it?”

 

“Try tying some fabric around your wrists, maybe it’ll help,” he ended up saying as he had no idea how to explain or come to a conclusion about the burns.  Then he thought about what to say next.  He couldn’t just deliver an onslaught of questions.  No doubt that’ll overwhelm her even more and the end result wouldn’t be beneficial to either of them.  After a few minutes, he dug around his bag and handed her a roll of bandages and some multi-use ointment.  “For the burns,” he said when she seemed almost confused.

 

“I’m gonna ask you a few questions, okay?” Casmir continued, carefully scanning Amber’s face to see how she would react.  She didn’t react much at all.

 

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” she said, her voice quiet and monotonous.  “Ask away.”

 

“Are you the Unlocked?” he asked.  At the same time, he took out the green necklace that had been removed when she was caught.  He let the stone dangle from the leather cord, the glassy surface glinting in the weak candlelight.  Beads clinked as he turned the necklace around, studying it more.  When he saw it after it had been examined by Regia professionals, he thought it looked like some green gemstone; maybe an emerald or something.  He’d been corrected almost immediately: “It’s labradorite,” one of the researchers had said.  “Emeralds are much darker in color and don’t have the opalescent sheen to them.”

 

What kind of gem the stone resembled was forgotten when he had left the research wing and he only thought about how it could very well be an arkey.

 

Amber’s eyes snapped to the stone so fast, Casmir thought he’d imagined the movement.  She still didn’t move from her spot, though he could tell he had her attention.  He also caught a glint of something much darker in her eyes and he swore they became green for a moment.

 

“Give me the stone,” she said, ignoring his question.  Her voice sounded different than before.  It was more strained and if he listened close enough, it held a hint of desperation.  “Casmir, give me the stone.”

 

“You’re dodging the question,” he said, moving the necklace out of her reach.  “Are you the Unlocked?”  He hated this.  Hated the questioning, the confusion and the whispers that would surely follow the next day.  He knew those working for the Regias loved to gossip.

 

“Give me the stone,” Amber repeated.  This time, her eyes flashed a green that was so bright it was visible even in the darkness.  It was slightly unsettling.  She stood, extending a hand toward him.  “Please, Casmir, I-I need it.”

 

“Amber—”

 

“Casmir, give me the necklace,” she said, louder this time and with more anger.  “Give it to me.”  She squeezed her eyes shut, her face contorted in pain, and when they opened, her right eye was completely green.  He gaped.  He was pretty sure her eyes weren’t a solid green only moments ago.

 

“I can’t do that,” he said, not liking that he had to do this to her.  “I’m sorry.  Just answer the question and—”

 

“Yes, alright?” She glared at him, still not moving from her spot.  “I’m the Unlocked.  I’m dangerous.  Now give me the necklace.”  Sarcasm dripped from her words and he couldn’t tell if she meant what she said or not.

 

“Amber, what were you doing in the courtyard?” he asked, even as she pleaded for him to return the necklace.  He didn’t, not knowing what sort of consequence that might result in.  “Last question, I promise.”

 

She remained silent and kept her steely glare on her fists.  He wondered if they would suddenly burst into green fire if she had her necklace.  That’ll only happen if she is the Unlocked like she claims, he added silently, keeping the thought to himself.

 

“Amber,” he prompted, his tone more gentle than before.  “Please, I don’t like this either.  I just… if you answer the question, I’ll give you the necklace back.”

 

“Promise?” she asked hoarsely.  Her dual-colored eyes focused on him, narrowing as she calculated the probability of him lying.

 

“Promise.” he said.  “Why were you in the courtyard?”

 

“I went there because…” Amber started, though she fell silent again.  “I was there, I-I…can’t remember.”  She paused and seemed to think hard but ended up slumping onto the cot.  “I can’t remember,” she repeated in a quiet voice.

 

Casmir moved, slowly making his way to her and sat down beside her.  She didn’t react at all.  “You sure?”

 

“I’m trying to remember,” she whispered.  He noticed how her voice was thick with emotion and sorrow.  “But I can’t, I don’t know why.  I remember sitting by the fountain, then you showed up.”  She exhaled shakily and hung her head.  “I’m sorry.”

 

“Try to remember, alright?” Casmir said gently.  “If someone else comes to ask questions…”  He didn’t need to finish.  He knew that Amber had an idea of what would happen if she couldn’t give an answer that was considered to be above satisfactory.

 

“I know.”  Her quiet response only confirmed what he already knew.  “I’ll try, I’m sorry.”  She looked like she wanted to say something else but stayed silent, her attention focused on the necklace that Casmir held.  “Can I have my necklace back?”

 

He stood, leaving the necklace behind as he exited the cell.  He could hear Amber scramble to put it on and heard her breathe a sigh of relief.  As he was about to walk away, he heard her call out, “Wait!”

 

She was by the barred window again, no longer staring blankly or with confusion and disbelief.  

 

“Thank you.” she said quietly.  “For the necklace and the bandages.”  Then she disappeared from view.

 

“You’re welcome,” Casmir said, though she probably was out of earshot.

 

He didn’t like how their dynamic had changed so much.  He could hardly believe that only hours ago, they were teasing each other lightheartedly and exchanging joking banter and now they were barely speaking to each other.  The distrust and suspicion he saw in Amber’s eyes and body language hurt more than anything else.

 

He managed to avoid any other Regia soldiers as he emerged from the dungeon and slipped into his study.  Finally able to relax, he set to work writing a report on “the prisoner”, as everyone in Regia Liavis had been calling Amber.  He didn’t like that, but at the same time, he had to figure out what to put on paper and what to keep to himself.

 

His hand moved out of its own accord and he wrote the day’s date, followed by [Updates on new prisoner] along the top of the page.  Then he wrote about the questions he asked, writing everything down except for the fact that Amber was the Unlocked.  When it came to that, he wrote [She isn’t the Unlocked.  I even let her wear the necklace and removed the stone cuffs.  Nothing remotely close to supernatural powers happened.]  

 

It wasn’t exactly a lie.  

 

He did let Amber wear the necklace; he gave it back to her, even, and she didn’t have any moments of epiphany when she put the necklace on.  It was either that, or she knew that using her powers in this current circumstance wouldn’t benefit her in any way.  The stone cuffs probably had something to do with it as well, since she said that it burned her.  He felt a pang of guilt at the thought of the cuffs; he never considered what side effects they might’ve had on her.

 

But you didn’t know the cuffs would do anything because you’ve only seen them used on humans, a part of him argued.  Amber… has supernatural abilities, apparently.

 

That doesn’t even make sense, he thought.  Unless there’s some science behind it that I don’t understand… Why am I arguing with myself?

 

He shook his head to clear his mind, scribbling some more in the report and checked it over several times, making sure he never stated anything about Amber being the Unlocked.  Then he dropped it off in his father’s office, hoping that it’d make its way to Regia Diavum and the rumors about Amber (if any were to arise during her short stay in the Regia Liavis dungeon) would cease.

 

It was nighttime when Casmir headed back down to the dungeon, and there were little to no people in the hallways, providing an obstacle-less path from his room to Amber’s cell.  She was asleep when he arrived outside the heavy door, at least it seemed that way.  She was silent, and part of her face didn’t appear behind the barred window.

 

He unlocked the door, closing it behind him quietly.

 

He jumped when Amber suddenly said, “What are you doing here?” and almost dropped his keys.

 

“Letting you go,” he said once he recollected his composure.  “As far as the others know, you’re not the Unlocked.”

 

She yawned and sat up, wrapping her arms around herself.  “But it’s the middle of the night,” she mumbled.  Almost hastily, she added, “I think.”  Then she seemed to realize something else.  “Won’t they ask questions?” she asked.  “And they’ll wonder why the cell is empty.”

 

“I could say that I accidentally left the door unlocked and you slipped out.” Casmir said, and he meant it.  “Or that you managed to break out.  I’ll let you go right now.”  He hoped he didn’t sound impatient and continued, “Besides, don’t you want to get out of here?”

 

“Why?” she asked after several minutes of silence.  She didn’t sound angry or upset; only confused that he was asking.

 

“Amber, you’re still my best friend,” he said quietly.  “Even if you take this whole “Amber is the Unlocked” thing into consideration.”  He took a leap of faith and moved to sit beside her, feeling more reassured when she didn’t immediately try to push him away.  “And I’m trying to make up for what I did.  For telling my father about you—I-I mean, the Unlocked and…”

 

He felt her hand close around his and his words came to an abrupt halt.  Heat rushed to his cheeks and he was grateful that the darkness of the cell hid it.

 

“Thank you,” she murmured, and it did sound like a genuine word of gratitude.  “And I’ll think about it.  The leaving part, I mean.”  It sounded like she was smiling when she said, “Besides, it’s not that bad here.  If you take the constant darkness and occasional draft out of consideration.”  She even laughed, which made him feel better.

 

“The offer stands for as long as we’re both here,” he said.  He paused by the doors, one hand holding it open.  “I’ll unlock the door again if you’re still here when it’s my turn to stand guard.”

 

“And when will that be?”

 

“It depends on when I’m assigned to take this shift.”

 

“Okay,” Amber said quietly.  “I’ll see you then.”

 

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“I have something to ask you,” Casmir said when he arrived a week later.  Like the last time, he left the door unlocked and stood across from her, leaning against the stone wall.

 

“Okay,” Amber sat cross-legged as her interest and curiosity piqued.  “This isn’t for Regia Liavis, right?” she added almost fearfully as an afterthought.

 

“No,” he laughed softly and shook his head.  “This is purely out of my own interest.”

 

“Good.” she muttered before she smiled, the first time since she had been locked up as a prisoner of the Regia.  “What’d you want to know?”

 

Casmir thought carefully, running through different questions to ask, but eventually settled on, “What’s it like, being an Unlocked?”  He could tell that the question caught her off guard, based on how she gave him a look that was a mix of confusion, shock and horror which disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

 

“Why?” she ended up asking.  Her features were set in a mask of calmness.  “Being an Unlocked isn’t anything special if you’re wondering.”

 

“What about your powers?” he asked, not giving up despite her vague answer.  “Are they just green energy?”

 

“It’s corrosive energy, and it has the ability to burn away anything, like acid.” she said quietly, one hand moving to grasp her necklace tightly.  “At least, that’s what it seemed like when I used them.”

 

“Can you show me?” he asked.  “Your powers, I mean.  I get it if you don’t want to.”  

 

Amber nodded once and he reached out, unlocking her cuffs.  She gave him a grateful smile as the thin circular bands of blackstone clattered to the ground and a small pulse of green energy immediately radiated from her fingertips.  She yanked her hands away from him, hiding them within the folds of her clothes in an attempt to conceal the energy from his view.  Her attempts were fruitless and the glow became brighter.  He could tell that it clearly bothered her.  She opened and closed her fists several times before snatching up the stone cuffs and slamming them on her wrists.  The energy faded almost instantly and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“I…still need to work on controlling them,” she mumbled.  “Especially when I’m running on high emotions.”  Casmir noticed that she had strips of fabric wrapped around her forearms and hands, creating a half-length fingerless glove of sorts, and she was no longer twisting and fiddling with the cuffs as much as before.  “Anything else you want to know?”

 

“Are there any dragons?” he asked.  “Have you met any, I mean?”

 

Amber nodded wordlessly.  “Sorry I lied about that too,” she whispered.  She bunched up her shirt in her fists and averted her gaze.  “But I did meet a dragon.  She’s… interesting.”

 

“Can I meet your dragon?” Casmir asked, his voice taking on a twinge of excitement.  “What’s she like?  What kind of dragon—”

 

“I don’t know what kind of dragon Crimson is,” she cut in.  “She spews green fire and is red, that’s about all I know.”

 

“She sounds cool,” he said lightly.  “Was she in the courtyard as well?”

 

She didn’t respond to that question and instead, stared down at her hands while her fingers played with the blackstone bands around her wrists.  He knew her long enough to know that she meant to say yes.

 

“I told you I don’t remember what happened in the courtyard,” she said… no, snapped.  “I’ve tried, but I can’t.”  She turned away, curling up on the small cot, ending the conversation.

 

He left as well, now at a loss of words.  This was how their conversations, when they had one, went; they were short and brief.  Their interactions now mainly consisted of a greeting (because humans in Liavis believed in mutual respect) and then polite small talk.  Nothing remotely close to the banter and teasing that close friends would exchange happened and he didn’t know if this change was good or not. For a moment, he thought it was good, because he didn’t have any answers to his growing list of questions and therefore couldn’t give away any important information.  But at the same time, he wanted those answers to those questions.

 

Another two weeks had passed when Casmir went to speak with Amber, and he made sure it was dark outside before he even left his room.  To his surprise, she was still in that cell; even though he made a point to leave the doors unlocked, sometimes for more than a day, she never left.  Even though he continually hinted at it during their past conversations, she never gave any indication that she heard or was going to take his suggestion.

 

“Why don’t you leave?” he asked, finally unable to keep the question to himself.  “The doors are unlocked.”

 

Amber mumbled something incoherent under her breath, and all Casmir caught was “talking”.  He motioned for her to repeat her statement and she looked away, hiding her face behind a curtain of auburn hair.  She played with the stone bands again.

 

“I missed talking to you,” she said, her voice still quiet, though it was louder than before.  “I missed my best friend.”  She lifted her head and continued, “But if you want me to leave, I’ll go.”  She stood, about to push past him and he let her.

 

“I’m not gonna stop you,” he said when she stood by the doorframe.  “You’re free to go, they all think you’re not the Unlocked.”

 

“Really.”  She said it like she wasn’t sure if she believed him; her words sounded condescending, almost.

 

“Yeah,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile.  “Just promise me one thing.”

 

She tilted her head; a silent inquiry.

 

“Don’t ever get caught again.” he said as he unlocked her blackstone cuffs.  “I don’t want us to meet again on opposite sides of that door.”

 

She laughed this time, a clear, amused and happy laugh.  “I’ll try.” she said once her laughter ceased.  A smirk grew on her face as fragments of her former self peeked through.  “But where’s the fun in that?”  Her demeanor seemed to change almost instantly from before as she stepped out of the cell, and with a single glance back, she disappeared into the dark tunnels ahead.

 

Amber had already been gone for several minutes before Casmir remembered that he never asked her if she knew how to navigate the tunnel systems.