“It stings!” Illias groaned.

“Then you should take her advice.” I sighed. “And stop trying to get out.”

The two of us had been brought to the Artemisium by Atemu and her elven entourage. We now sat back to back just outside the temple’s rear, with a gorgeous view of the valley and the grassy mountains that surrounded us. Chains of corrupted light bound our hands and feet, which burned us every time we tried to escape them.

“So what happened to getting us ‘the Hades out of here,’ eh?” He fidgeted around in the fetters to receive yet another burn on his wrists and ankles. “Where’s your determination now?”

“The situation with Atemu kinda stumped me.” I carefully swung my feet over to let them hang over the first stair of the staircase. “What do you think is wrong with her?”

“I’m no expert on magic.” He shrugged. “But maybe corruptive magic quite literally corrupts other people when it doesn’t kill them.”

“So you think Artemisia bent her to her will?”

“Probably.” He fidgeted again and winced as the light chains sizzled against his wrists. “Though she probably had an easier time than normal ‘cause you already planted the corruptive seed to begin with.” 

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“No problem.” He glanced at me. “You deserve every bit of guilt you’re feeling right now.”

“Get your pretty hands off me!” A voice echoed from within the temple behind us, and next thing I knew, Damien was tossed outside in the same binds as Illias and I. He landed next to me and slid forward a bit on the marble, falling down a couple of the massive stairs. 

“Damien.” Illias said coldly.

“Illias.” The dwarf glanced at him, then me. “Theo.”

“You got captured too, huh?” My friend raised an eyebrow. “Can’t say I’m too broken up about that.”

“I was too busy recovering from Theo’s assault to resist Artemisia.” He got to his feet, climbed back up the stairs, and sat three columns away from me. “Guess we all lose.”

“Not all of us.” Atemu walked out of the temple, brushing either of her hands on the columns as she exited. 

“Why are we prisoners and not dead?” Damien snapped. 

“The queen wishes to keep you all alive until the day after the blood moon.” The corrupted priestess strolled past us to stand at the edge of the stairs. “So you may witness that which you have tried in vain to prevent.”

“So she wants to gloat.” The dwarf slammed his palms onto the marble floor and his bindings sizzled in response. “Ow.”

“Enjoy your stay.” Atemu breathed deeply, then turned around to go back inside. “We will be moving you underground just before evening prayers. Don’t get too comfortable.”

As soon as she went out of sight, I heard a meow.

“Ugh.” Damien scooted further away from me. “I hate cats.”

The same orange, black and white cat that escorted me to the underground hideout scurried up the stairs to the Artemisium and stopped right in front of me, staring.

“You again?” I muttered.

“Awww.” Illias said sarcastically. “You made a friend! I guess the cat hasn’t seen you murder hundreds of people yet.”

The cat pranced over to him, scratched his calf with a hiss, then came back to me to resume its staring.

“I definitely did not expect that…” My friend mumbled.

The cat meowed at me again, and this time it also waved its paw at my corrupted light chains.

“Yea, I know.” I sighed as I nudged its snout with my knuckle. “You got any idea how to get outta these things?”

“You’re talking to a cat.” Illias blurted. “Did your striking success with horse-talking prompt you to try your luck with felines now?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that one.

“What’re you laughing at?” My friend grumbled.

“Your joke.” I suppressed my smile the best I could. “I guess you still can’t help yourself, even when you’re angry at me.”

“I’m not just angry at you, Theo.” His eyes turned glassy. “I just watched my best friend slaughter hundreds of my brothers and sisters in an extremely harrowing manner. Anger does not even begin to describe how I feel.”

“Illias…” I tried to say something, but I didn’t know what to say.

Another meow from the cat, who, once again, waved its paw at my fetters.

“Just answer your damn cat.” He looked away.

“What’re you trying to say?” I leaned into the animal. “Can you try being a little more specific?”

It seemed to glare at me after that comment.

“I swear to Zeus.” Illias glanced at the sky. “This corruption magic is really adding an extra layer of pain every time I try to get these dumb bindings off me.”

Wait a minute.

“That’s it!” I exclaimed. “This isn’t just light magic! It’s corruption magic as well!”

The cat smiled.

At least I think it did.

I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose, then exhaled softly through my mouth. I continued doing this until the corruptive power surged upwards through my body, and I exhaled one more time, breathing onto the fetters around my wrists. My breath condensed in front of me in a light purple cloud, then vanished as it made contact with my bindings. Slowly, the tendrils of corruption that surrounded the light swallowed up the light magic completely, then dissipated. 

“It worked!” I laughed breathily. “It worked!”

I did the same thing to the fetters around my feet, then moved to assist Illias, who remained silent during the entire process.

“Thanks.” He rubbed his wrists and ankles which had been burn-scarred. “I guess.”

I helped him to his feet and we each hid behind separate columns to avoid being seen by any possible elven guards from within the temple.

“What about me?” Damien extended his bound hands towards me. 

“Fool me once, shame on you.” I turned my back to him and descended the stairs. “Fool me twice…”

Illias followed me to the base of the Artemisium. He knelt down and set his hands in the grass, letting the blades brush the skin between his fingers.

“Now what?” He looked up at me.

“We get the Hades out of here.” I smirked.

“Without helping Atemu?” He stood up. “Is there even a way to help her in her current state?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “But I have to be back at a certain spot in… uh… by the looks of the sun, I’d say ten minutes? I guess we could try kidnapping her and bringing her with us. Gonna be a lot of elves in our way though.”

“Two of the prisoners have escaped!” One of the elves shouted from the top of the temple. “Fan out and find them! They couldn’t have gone far.”

“The bushes.” I leapt into one of the closest shrubs to hide and Illias followed suit.

And so did the cat.

Around two dozen or so elven guards funneled out of the temple, descended the stairs, and started searching for us. Atemu came out last, though she remained at the top of the staircase with folded arms. Damien, who sat next to her, struck up a conversation with the priestess, and then pointed in our direction.

“Bastard.” I growled.

“Maybe we shoulda let him go too.” Illias massaged his temple.

“No time to dwell on that now.” Corruption swirled around my fists. “Get ready for a fight.”