Dark Hunger

"There is no use spending your energy, Vadin!" said Arryn. "Prepare them. My father shall feed on them soon." 

Caleb yanked on his chains. "You are foolish!" 

"Shut up!" Vadin growled. 

"Where is Laurel? Is she dead yet?" asked Caleb, not backing down. He yanked against the chains and they dug inside his flesh. 

"She is where she should have been," said Arryn. "We have traded her in exchange for information about your wife." 

Caleb's body froze. "Then whosoever has given you the information about my wife has fooled you." 

Arryn smirked. "You would never know, Caleb. Because you will die before we get her here. Once she is here, my father will regain his body and his magic!" Saying that Arryn gave him a cold stare and walked out, gesturing to Vadin to follow her. Caleb was left in stunned silence. Exchanged Laurel with information regarding Elize? Who could have done that? More importantly, who knew where Elize was? A thousand questions bounced in his mind. Panic gripped him like a vise around his chest. It became difficult to breathe. He looked at Auril but his eyes were full of fear. He had to get out of here. He had to. He needed to protect his wife. The thought made him shove his panic down. He couldn't let himself give into that fear, a haunting shadow of which lingered at the back of his mind. Either on his own or with Auril's help he would get out of here. He wondered what Elize must be doing now. She was too fragile. She was too naïve. And he hoped that she wasn't searching for him. He wished that she was going to stay in the settlement which he had created for her. No one except Daryn knew about it. No one except those twelve soldiers and the servants. What about Daryn? He could only wish that Daryn would start searching for him. If he started searching for him, he was sure that his brother would find him. 

He would get out of here, but first he needed a weapon. He needed to wake up Auril. 

Bracing himself for more pain, he stretched his hands to wake up Auril. However, the moment he stretched them, the bindings became tighter and dug further into his flesh. Excruciating pain burst through them. "Auril!" he called him. "Get up!" But Auril was still unconscious. He turned his head to see the chains where they were attached to the wall of the cave. To his surprise, he couldn't see the hooks. It was as if the chains were a part of the wall. 

A wooden door creaked somewhere in the cave and Caleb stopped his attempt. Disregarding the pain in his arms, he gathered his hands back on his sides and fresh blood oozed out. He pierced his gaze in the darkness in front of him, straining to see who had come, and he heard the beating of wings. The eagle had entered and Caleb heard every beat of its wing. He braced himself for the attack. Right after him, heavy footfalls sounded and Arryn appeared with a lantern in her hand. She placed the lantern in a corner and Caleb could now see the eagle perched atop an iron rod that was jutting out of the opposite wall. 

Arryn crossed the distance between them. "My father is here to feed on you." 

"What the fuck?" Caleb said. "Are you fucking out of your mind?" 

Arryn clucked her tongue. "Do you want a sleeping draft? Because it can be very painful." 

"Do you wish to die?" Caleb shouted. "Get out!"

Arryn shook her head. She looked at her father once and then walked out of the cave saying, "Enjoy!" 

The moment Arryn left, the eagle swooped on Caleb. It attacked him on his right shoulder, tearing a piece of flesh from him and flying back to the pole. Caleb yelled in pain. "What the hell are you doing?" he said. But the eagle gobbled up on the flesh that he had grabbed in its claws. Soon it attacked him again and tore flesh out of his left shoulder. Caleb screamed in pain once again. He started panting as he watched the eagle gobbling up that piece of flesh. Blood dripped out of his shoulders, which the eagle watched with greed, with hunger. "You bloody son of a bitch!" he spat. He pulled against his chains, tried to bring his magic to the surface, but nothing happened. The eagle attacked him again and again and tore flesh out of him. Once it was full, it flew out of the cave, screeching with excitement. Caleb was left with blood dripping from his body which had gaping holes now. 

Auril woke up to a gory sight. Caleb's body was slumped in the corner, covered with blood. Putrid smell of flesh had filled the room. He was unconscious. "Caleb!" he called him as he looked around to adjust his vision. How did they land up here? All he remembered was that the demons had outnumbered them and he eventually collapsed. Where were they? In the demon lair? And what had happened to Caleb? He yanked his chains to pull free, but they dug in his flesh all the more. Magic. "Caleb, get up!" Shock rippled through him when his vision adjusted and he saw that Caleb's body was wounded horribly. It was as if someone had removed flesh out of him. 

Caleb groaned with pain. 

"Caleb!" Auril called him. "What happened?" But Caleb couldn't answer. Auril stretched his legs towards him even as his hands remained tied behind to prod him. But the man was in too much pain to get up. How much time had passed since they were here? Was it hours or was it days? Every part of his body was aching. He felt a heavy burden over him. He tried to find his magic but couldn't do anything. It was as if his magic was sealed in his body. "Caleb, get up, man!" he shouted. Caleb groaned in pain in response. All at once, Auril heard the beating of wings and stilled. A woman entered the room with a lantern. She was the same he had seen in front of the cave when he was fighting the demons. And perched on her shoulder was the eagle. It looked at Auril and then to Caleb. The woman kept the lantern in the corner of the room. The eagle spread its wings and flew to sit on an iron rod. It used its claw to sharpen its beak. 

The woman looked at him coldly and then turned back to leave. "Wait!" he shouted, but the woman just left. And then the eagle screeched excitedly. It swooped over Caleb and pinched his flesh. Caleb groaned. His mind was too numb to even move. Auril watched this horror with wide eyes as his breath lodged in his throat and goosebumps lined his skin. "Wh— what are you doing?" he asked the eagle who he saw was gobbling up Caleb's flesh. The eagle ate it and then swooped down again at Caleb. Auril launched himself at the eagle but his chains pulled him back. The bird tore away more flesh from Caleb.. "Stop it!" Auril shouted in pure terror.