Fan Fiction ❯ Vailla ❯ Chapter 10

Trigger and the others still sat around the fire, each talking about today's events. His or her concern for Vailla had faded a little but was replaced with confusion and out of everyone Jads was the most baffled. The pain he had felt was like nothing before, except maybe the pain he felt once and had soon after discovered that scar. The scar, possibly one of the strangest things that may of ever happened to him. He remembered feeling as though someone had sliced through his skin but no one was there, he was alone and walking up to the village, and then it appeared. Across his face like an ugly pest it had appeared without blood or even a scab, just a normal looking scar that had had years to heal. Maybe there was a connection! Vailla had a scar in the exact same place as he, and if what she had told them was correct, she had also felt pain at the same time he did. "Are you ok?" Galdine asked her voice was soft and gentle. Jads looks up at her and smiled, her face smiled back, her brilliant green eyes dazzling.

"I'm alright, whatever it was it is gone now." He reassured her.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Vailla?" Trigger asked quietly, he was hardly loud enough to be heard.

"I don't know lad, but I suppose we'll ask her next time we see her. I think we've been standing here for long enough, don't you? Shall we get moving?" Jads asked softly, knowing that Trigger was even more shook up by what had happened than he was.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Trigger agreed reluctantly. Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement (even Hayley) and started to pack up their stuff.

Vailla rode out of site with her annoying new companion close by her side. "See those people over there?" Vailla asked sharply. The demonic creature at her side had never been her favourite creature in Wrendore; in fact they had both tried on a regular basis to kill each other.

"Is that what's for dinner then? They don't look all that tasty but of course they haven't been cooked in the Wrendore sun and…" He probably would have carried on in his pointless and totally irritating speech about the differences in the taste of human flesh but Vailla bonked him on the head with her Staff. He spun round ready for a fight but he caught a glimpse of the crystal and instead he turned to nursed his bruised head. "You know, just because you have that damn crystal doesn't mean you can pick on me." He replied sulking voice.

"You cannot eat them over there, they're my friends and we're going to protect them, got it? If you try to eat just one of them, even Hayley I'll torture you terribly before sending you back to the Abyss. Understand?"

"Not even Hayley, eh? Oh well, you wouldn't let me eat her when I first met you so I pretty much guessed that I couldn't eat her now." He sighed at looked hungrily at the small cluster of friends. "I take it any form of human is out of question while I'm on this little trip?"

"Yes!" She snapped, and was about to bonk him on the head once more but he managed to avoid her swinging Staff. The Staff seemed to growl and sneakily gave him a quick, sharp electric shock. "Any human is out of the question, you eat what I eat."

"Rabbit food." Morge snarled and then spat on the floor. "Fine, whatever. You know if your father kills you I'm just going to laugh and probably eat your remains."

"I truly hope you would, then maybe I'll have the Gods permission to haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Then I'll laugh even more, and then I'll eat your friends, starting with Hayley." He snarled.

"If I die before I've completed my task, so does your freedom. Remember that when you're laughing the same time as my father."

"Don't remind me, I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be here. Lets just find food, okay?"

"You can find it, I've already eaten." Vailla replied smugly. "I don't think you want bread, or do you?" Vailla smiled at the disgusted look on his face, she knew he hated the taste of anything that wasn't raw meat. Her smile was victorious as she rode away, leaving her demonic companion following behind her and mumbling swear words that nearly made even her blush.

Chapter Ten

Laces was only hours away and Vailla had begun to get nervous. Morge went of fairly often in search for food (for himself, not her) leaving Vailla on her own wondering what was in store for her in Laces. The demon hadn't been bad company and even though she didn't trust or like him she was glad to have him along. They had pasted a small village on their journey and Vailla was now eating some of the supplies she had bought herself in that small town. Vailla couldn't help but think of her past and more importantly her future. Do I have one? She thought to herself, she always knew she had a future, a life to lead but now she wasn't so certain. Where will she be a day from now? She felt the scar on her face; it was as real and as cruel as mortality. "Or is mortality cruel as I think? When I die, will I welcome it? Or will I fight for my last breath even in knowing that death will be the outcome." She shivered as she thought of the pain her father had probably had in store for her. Her body held many scars and although she was kind of proud of each one she still remembered the pain each tattered scar had caused her. Alone she could think of these things without letting her feelings for anyone else get in the way. Of course she will put her friends first and would even give up her life for one of them, but she found herself thinking about only herself, not Galdine, Laurie, Jads or even Trigger crossed her mind. She didn't mean to be selfish nor did she realise it as a cold lonely tear ran down her cheek. Vailla heard a swooping sound from above and she looked up to stare dangerously at Morge. "Petty human, what are you doing trailing behind these others? We could be ahead of them by now." Morge commented as he licked the fresh blood from his fingers.

"You didn't touch them did you?" Vailla quickly demanded. Morge landed on his scaly feet and began to walk beside the horse.

"Much to my own disappointment, no I didn't. I did however find a rabbit, he wasn't very tasty but what can I expect in a freezing climate like this one?" His look of disappointment and disgust turned to curiosity as he gazed up at Vailla's face. He hovered slightly so he may come face to face with the red-haired human and looked at her intently. "What is this?" He asked strangely as he traced the tear down her face with one bloodstained talon.

"It's nothing, so why bother asking?" Vailla replied after a few moments.

"I've never seen some one's eye leaking before." He touched the tear and then licked his hand. "Leaking salty water. Do every human do it, or is it just you?"

"You've never seen a human cry before? What about demons, or is it below you to cry?"

"Cry? Except you and your little friends over there, I've never been around a human long enough to see anything thing interesting before I eat them. As for demons, we don't `cry'. What causes this strange thing?" Vailla thought at first he was mocking her like he had done countless of times before but she saw the looks of questioning in his face.

"Emotions make humans cry. Sometimes it is happiness or sadness or even fear. Every human does it; so don't look at me like that. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She wiped away any offending tears that may have been left so that her companion could no longer dissect them.

"So you're crying because you're happy to have such a delightful and charming companion during these hard times. See, I make every body happy, even stuck up, annoying little human things like you." Morge laughed. Vailla was glad of the sudden change of conversation because she needed a laugh. Nothing made her laugh more than insulting demons.

"I am happy to have such a dim-witted idiotic demonic slug but only because I know that I can send him to the Abyss any time I feel like it!" Vailla threatened. Morge grunted his quiet, sulky reply and she smiled. "Come on, you know I won't do it unless you betray me. I'm cruel, but not that cruel. Anyway, I got a job for you if you want to get ahead of the other humans."

"I'm listening…"

"I need someone or something to distract them. That something is you, now all you got to do is to go up and scare them a little, the men might attack but if you attack back I will hurt you very, very much. Besides I think you can handle a few arrows and daggers."

"What about the little witch?" Morge snorted. Vailla was taken back at first but then quickly recovered.

"How do you know about her?" Vailla knew by `witch' he meant sorceress as he called herself that on occasion.

"She knows where I am, every move I make she is watching me with those invisible eyes." He explained as if to a child and this just aggravated Vailla even more.

"What?"

"You don't have them, actually only two humans I've met has got them. Those eyes watched you, every step you make they can see, but at the same time they can see other things like change in weather or a tavern brawl on the other side of Sambi. She is strong, maybe stronger than you but I don't fear her."

"Well if you don't fear her, go and distract them. I can't be bothered with you rambling just now. After you're done meet me at the border of Laces. Now go." Vailla snapped. What he had just said hadn't bothered her but more confused her more than anything. She would worry about this later, right now though she had to get ahead.

Nyme had galloped about a mile out of the way until Vailla pulled her in closer to the trail. The others were far behind by now and somehow it felt good to be free for now. She had been able to listen to what was happening at the camp since Trigger still held at talisman close, so if for whatever reason Morge betrayed her, she would know the second it happens and she would destroy him. Vailla had now slowed Nyme down to a gentle trot and they grew nearer and nearer to Laces. The pale orange sun seem to be waiting for her at the top of the hill, beckoning her to come until the winter's twilight settled in. It was still cold, as it normally was this time of year but Vailla found herself getting warmer and warmer every step closer, it was a comforting feeling that she welcomed.

Vailla couldn't help but let out a small gasp when she seen the great city. Stone buildings were among the tallest and grandest things she had ever seen, the sun settling in made the city look almost golden that sparkled in all its glory. But as well as the shinning city she saw the darkest bit, a dark shadow breathed over the slums were people like herself live poor lives. She will earn the right to live in the city, but no matter how beautiful it was she new the true heart of the city was as cold and as hateful and the soul of her father.

MAYBE WRITE SOME MORE ON MORGE DISTRACTING THE OTHERS AND SO ON…

She rode into the city with her head down, trying her best not to catch any unwanted attention. She soon discovered there was no point in all this plotting along quietly as her tatty clothes and dirty face instantly told passer-bys that she was peasant and therefore no concern to them. Vailla thought about resting in an inn before going for the trail but deep within her she wanted to get this over and done with once and for all. Her father already knew of her arrival, there was no doubt about that but she would surprise him every way possible. Vailla laughed silently to herself as she tried to imagine the man with a missing hand; will it be just a bandaged stump? Or has he fixed it with his magic? She looked at an extra little map she had been given, this was a map of Laces and circled in blood-red ink was the courtroom. She made her way silently to the dreaded building, knowing that it may be the place her father was waiting for her. "Oh well, this is it. It might be fun, uh?" Vailla asked her Staff cheerily.

"Let's go knock `em dead!" The Staff replied enthusiastically.

It was almost pitch black by the time they reached the courtroom. Stars shone encouragingly and Vailla couldn't help but look at them with disgust. Stars were pretty but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were mocking her at times. She no longer had to worry about the others and it a way she was felling the excitement she normally felt at the start of a fight. This had been her biggest and most exciting adventure ever, and it was now reaching its climax! She walked up to the huge solid oak doors where two guards stood watch for the night. Two men dressed in black armour, both holding a sword and shield looked at the girl as she approached them. "I'm here to stand trail, what do I do?" Vailla asked meekly, she would try for the innocent approach first.

"State your name and reason for standing trail and we'll report to head office. It's late though little girl, I doubt that they'll see you tonight." The man with the darkest hair told her gently. He was obliviously a kind man, the other man however had the stern, un-laughing face of a strict man who lived by the rules that shared no compassion.

"My name is Vailla Hillan O'Dell, I come to stand trail for witchcraft, a crime my mother was exiled for and I am here in her stead."

"I'll go and tell the council, I will arrive with their decision soon." The kindly man replied. He politely bowed and then knocked on the door twice. A man on the other side opened a slot in the door, and seeing it was the guard he gladly opened for him. While the other man was gone the one left sneered at her, and she felt like punching him in the face but did not. This man may have been one of her father's followers for all she new, she didn't want to start any trouble yet. It was nearly half an hour later when the other man returned with a baffled look on his face. "It seems they want to see you right away young miss. In fact I got the feeling that they had been looking forward to your return for quite some time." Vailla nodded her thanks, not trusting herself to speak and walked into the building. She smiled as she walked pass the nice man but glared at the other, who had not been very nice at all.

Her footsteps echoed as she entered into the main hall where many men sat on either side of the room, glaring down at her. Vailla raised her head, gripping with all her might to her dignity and her Staff. "Vailla Hillan O'Dell, you return to us after many years of exile. You have accused of the crime of witchcraft, how do you plead?" Came a loud bellowing voice, a loud and familiar voice. The owner of the voice sat at the front of the room. He wore heavy white robes, which matched his thin white hair and ageless grey eyes.

"Not guilty. I would swear on my soul and the soul of my mother's that I Vailla Hillan O'Dell is innocent of the crime of witchcraft." Vailla replied in a loud and proud voice. There were small murmurs from around the room, but they quickly died out. Vailla was searching for her father as soon as she walked into the room and she had found him. He was dressed in black robes and was sitting on the right side of the Head of the Council.

"Since we have no actual evidence against you in person so I will let you of with a warning. If you are ever caught practising any form of witchcraft, the penalty is death, do you understand?" The white-robed man asked.

"I understand," Vailla nodded.

"You are to report to the church within the hour. There you will talk with the Priest, after that you may do what you pleased. I will have someone escort you, please wait he arrives."

She did not had to wait long before a man walked into the courtroom. He bowed in front of the council and then knelt in front of the Head. "Sir Laric, you are to escort this girl to the Head Church where she will stand an audience in front of the Bishop. Please make sure that she arrives safely. Understood?" That same familiar booming voice filled the room. The man stood up and nodded.

"I understand Sir." The head of the council waved a hand of dismissal. The knight took Vailla by the arm gently and led her out of the hall. Before they walked out of the door however Vailla managed to peek over her shoulder, she saw her father smiling at her and she couldn't help but shudder.

They walked to the Church. Vailla first felt a little awkward being `escorted' but once she found out it was the nice man who was standing guard she relaxed a little. Sir Laric was an excellent conversationalist. "So was your mother really a witch?" He asked casually but seeing the dangerous glint in her eye he tried another approach. "Not that it bothers me or nothing, I'm just wondering. It seems to me there is a lot of things in this world that can't be explained, and when something like that comes along, the Church gets scared and starts calling it evil. A wise woman saved my cousin's life using her knowledge of the `ancient arts', every one starting calling that witchcraft and she was drove out of her own hometown. Quite sad really."

"It is sad when people spit on the things they can't explain. My mother was not a witch, not a witch by their definition anyway and she was anything but evil. I just wished she hadn't of died an outcast." Vailla replied sadly.

"I wouldn't worry about it young Miss, where your mother has gone, there are no social classes except good and evil and if she was truly good, she is happy." He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"She is happy." Vailla repeated softly, so soft that her voice was nearly lost in the gently night breeze.

"We'll be at the church any minute now, just round the corner. Do you want me to come in with you? It's just that in my opinion, the Priest is a little scary. But it's up to you…"

"No. Please once I go in, go back to your post. I'll be alright on my own." The knight was about to reply with a coarse and terrible coughing interrupted them. They both spun round to see a hunched-back figure stumbling slowly towards them. It was almost as if he was unused to walking.

"I'm ever so sorry to bother you two lovely couple, but I wished to speak with the female." Rasped a familiar voice. Vailla almost had to conceal her smile; she would be able to tease him for years yet to come.

"Sir Laric, this is a friend of mine and I regret to say that he suffers from a disease that is easily spread. I'll be able to make it to the church from here, you can return." Vailla told the man pleasantly. The words `easily spread' seem to worry this man greatly and he backed away, probably without even realising it himself.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to venture so close yourself? No offence meant of course Sir, but you understand my concern."

"I understand perfectly hum… I mean sir. This is female has known me for many years however and I do believe she may even be immune to my sickness." Morge replied in his gruff voice. Vailla was impressed; he certainly was in a very good disguise.

"Well if you're sure young Miss, I'll leave you here. Like I said, the Church is just round the next corner, you can't miss it. Just walk in there, the Priest is expecting you." Sir Laric explained, eyeing the `diseased' Morge very carefully.

"Thank you kind Sir. I will remember your kindness this night." Vailla bowed politely.

"Only following orders young Miss. I hope your meeting goes well." He too bowed and then left Morge and Vailla alone.

"So, did you delay them?" Vailla whispered eagerly.

"Yes and no…" Morge now spoke in his normal hissing voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I did delay them, but not for very long. The little male human said something about you I think. They he went crazy at me and started attacking me! I escaped, without hurting them and they all seem to gallop off. I was going to go after them, but I'm not willing to risk my life on a silly errand for you." He scoffed.

"What did the boy say?" Vailla asked in a wary tone. She should of known that Trigger would find some way to involve her.

"Something like, `AH! Demon! We need to find Vailla!' All I was doing was stealing some of their food. They had a rabbit, and after all why hunt your food if you don't have to?"

"You're lazy. Well I need to go into the Church, I have a feeling that I may meet him in there." Vailla replied coldly.

"A church? No thank you, I hate those places. There is no way I'm going in one of them." For some reason all demons, Vailla had noticed, objected violently to churches.

"I wasn't asking you to join me in there, just walk with me until we get there and you can go back to Wrendore and plot my death."

"If I said it once, I've said it a million times. Your life isn't worth plotting a death for! If I wanted a skinny knobble-knees human female to munch on I would go after one a lot less annoying!"

"It's so nice to know you care." She laughed and patted him on the back surprisingly softly. "I could have worse company."

"Humans are strange, I think you are as weird as they get. Just hurry up and kick your father's ass. If you want I'll wait here and fly you back to Wrendore after."

"No thank you, I can barely imagine how you're going to fly me back. Besides I don't plan on returning to Wrendore for a very long time. Just go if you want, I promise my father will regret enslaving your cousins."

"Whatever you say dumb human, let's just get you to that stupid church, eh?"

Vailla walked into the cold, empty room with white marble floor and thick red drapes covering the walls. The colours from the stained-glass windows shone dully as the pale light from the moon shone through them, giving the only source of poor light. Dark corners and threatening whispers filled the entire hall. This was not a holy place. The ugly altar stood hauntingly at the front, feebly decorated with decaying dead flowers and stagnate water. The dusty, polluted smells that hung in the air, that eerie death feeling made this room feel very much like a crypt. "Welcome." Came a voice.

"Welcome…" A voice, a different voice lost in the other's echo. The first voice was a strong dominant one while the second had came across timid.

"Who's there?" Vailla demanded, trying unsuccessfully to hide the fright n her own voice.

"Help me… help us… I'm your father…I'm your mother…friends…family…" Came a million voices all at once, each with their own personality.

"Stop that!" Vailla cried out into the darkness, a few whispers reminded, but they were too quiet to understand. The others had stopped.

"Hello my dear daughter, it's so nice to see you here." Vailla froze, for an instant she was suddenly aware that she was not ready, not prepared.

"C-come out and show yourself…" Vailla stammered. "Or are you too ashamed of the fact that I blew you hand off?" She managed to add with a hint of humour in her voice. Out of the shadows, behind the altar stood a tall man in a black cape appeared. It was hard to tell where the shadow ended and the man started. His skin was a golden crackle of thin paper; yellow serpent eyes replaced the once dark sunken human eyes. His bony claw-like hand was attached firmly to his long wooden Staff; the silver runes that marked his cape glimmered slightly without hope. Vailla smiled silently to herself when she saw that he indeed did only have one hand left, where the other hand had been an armoured claw took it's place but there was no motion in this alterative hand.

"I do not have to care about the petty needs of a mortal no more, for I have become something much greater than any human." He hissed. He just stood; he did not move an inch.

"Let's cut the pleasantly and get right down to it shall we? Come on, I want to kill you, clear my mother's name and save the world, and I would like to do all of this before morning. So what to you say if we-" Vailla just about dodged a huge ball of ice hurling her way. She leapt to the left and then smiled coldly. "Now that is what I'm on about." She was about to launch a counter attack when she felt a heavy blow to the black of her head. She stumbled forward; the pain in her head was making her feel very sick. She spun her head round as fast as her head would let her but did didn't see anyone there as she was struck with another damaging blow to the head. This time she just collapsed to the floor.

Vailla awoke with a headache and feeling very nauseous. She opened her eyes to the very cruel and bright light that shone that pierced through her eyeballs like daggers. But once everything had blurred into place she looked at her surroundings. The light came from a window above her, the morning sun struck mercilessly down at her, the damp cold stones, on which she laid, felt of grime and dirt. Slowly she sat up, trying her best to remember what had happened. She heard a loud clinking sound, a sound that was cruelly loud and she lifted her unusually heavy arms to discover she was chained to the wall. Fearfully she jumped to her feet and started yanking her chains like a trapped animal she screamed and struggled even though she knew it was no good. What scared her even more though was that her Staff was missing; she would not be able to use her magic to escape unless she was willing to chance her death. "Let me out of these chains and fight me like a real man!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Clink, clink, clink came the sound of keys banging together. Someone was opening the door! Vailla stood back and stood up straight, trying to regain what little dignity she had left.

The doors opened and her father stood there with that same sickly smirk on his face. Before walking any more into the room she closed the door behind him and locked it. "Hello my daughter, my young pretty daughter." He greeted her with a nauseating smile. He walked slowly up to her, the sound of his black velvet robes dusting the grimy floor. He reached out a hand to touch her face but she started snapping at him with her teeth and he wisely pulled his hand away. "You shouldn't behave like that towards your father!" His hand slapped her hard on the cheekbone, making her almost lose her balance and topple over. She was about to say something when he roughly grabbed her face and squeezed her cheeks together. "Join me Vailla! Together we shall world this world, you wanted to earn you freedom in Laces? I'll give you Laces; I'll give you the whole of Sambi if you want it! So what do you say? Partners?" Vailla couldn't believe what she was hearing! Partners, with him? Of course her answer would be no, she would rather die then become partners with him! She spat in his face as if to reply to his dumb question. After he wiped her saliva from his un-human face he pulled his hand back and punched he in her face. This did knock Vailla off balanced and she tumbled to the floor, landing in a puddle of stale water and before she could recovered he repeatedly kicked her in her stomach. He bent beside the gasping girl as she clutched to his stomach in pain and roughly jerked back her head by grabbing a handful of her flaming red hair. Vailla couldn't help but let out a small whimper of fear and pain but seeing her father find amusement in this she got a tighter grip on her emotions. "I'm sorry, but I didn't hear you answer." He laughed.

"Bite me." She managed o smirk even though she was still finding it hard to breathe. A flash of anger crossed those serpent eyes but he quickly recovered his composure.

"Very well daughter. I shall return in the evening to discuss this matter further. If you're alive or dead, it doesn't matter to me, but either way I will gain control of your Staff." He spun round, unlocked the door and slammed it shut behind him. Vailla felt the heavy chains and her aching body and wept.

Trigger and the others reached in into the city of Laces just before sunset, the demons they had encountered had gone. Shortly after that Jads had suffered from a very painful headache, but he managed to carry on without concerning anyone, he shortly vowed that he would stop drinking as much and begin to live a healthier lifestyle. "Where do we go from here?" Galdine whispered to Jads, as she was too afraid to interrupt Trigger, who had a stern, unfriendly look on his face.

"We're going to the courtroom first, after that I don't know." He looked at Trigger and shook his head sadly. "It's a shame, he wasn't like this when we first met. Since Vailla has gone he is one sad little boy."

"Galdine?" Laurie looked at the woman with huge damp eyes.

"Yes little one?" She replied gently, feeling pity that such a young child should be caught up in all this.

"Vailla is in trouble, the bad man has got her." Laurie started to cry and Galdine wrapped her arms around the small child.

"Shhh… don't cry Laurie, she'll be alright. We'll help her." Galdine tried to calm her down but it didn't work. Trigger quickly tied up his horse and came over to Laurie and knelt beside her and was about to say something but Jads fell to his knees, clutching his stomach as if somehow the wind had been knocked out of him.

"What's wrong?" Galdine fluttered. Jads slowly stood up, he was still clutching his stomach but most of the pain had gone.

"It's Vailla. Remember what she said back there? And this scar." He pointed to the ugly jagged scar across his face. "I think she is just realising it though, because the pain don't last long, I think she is disconnecting what tie there is between us. I can't say how I know this, I just do. Wherever that girl is, she is not getting the best treatment." His voice was deadly seriously and his eyes were unblinking.

"We better hurry then, come on let's go." Trigger gently picked Laurie up and started walking with Galdine while Jads tied the remaining horses.

Vailla must have fallen asleep again because when she opened her eyes it was dark; the sun that was once there had disappeared into the night sky. She slowly rose to her feet, her skin was bruised and her muscles ached. She thought about contacting Trigger but decided against it, she didn't want to get the others involved. "Vailla!" Whispered a voice. She shook her head, could it be her imagination? "Vailla?" Again! It couldn't be her imagination; the voice was so real, so close.

"Morge?" She whispered back.

"You showed him, eh? By the way, if this how you always win fights or is it just today?" Vailla groaned she was not in the mood for Morge's jibes.

"What do you want Morge? I gave you back that dumb stone thing. Where are you?"

"Above you if you can be bothered to look." Vailla looked up. She couldn't anything at first but as she squinted deeper and deeper into the darkness she could make out a vague shadow, the wings sticking out of it's back indicate that this was no human.

"Did you betray me?" She demanded.

"No. I came in after you if you must know. This place isn't a church, it's an illusion created by darkness, and it is not in any way holy. I sensed that after you left me outside and discovered as I walked into the church it wasn't going to turn me to dust. Anyway when I crept in one of my ugly relatives was dragging you out of the room, and after I laughed I followed you two happy couple to this cellar place." He paused as if he was thinking. "You sleep too much." He complained.

"I hardly call that my own fault, your cousin got be from behind when I was attacking that ugly creep in the black cape. Can you help me out of here?"

"You have no idea how funny to see you locked up like this. But alas I will sacrifice my amusement so that you can escape and kill your father."

"Thanks." Vailla replied dryly.