The Higher Plain Ch 18: Bound By Chains, The Determination To Follow!

(Faylina)

The cold iron of the shackles clamped around my wrists with an audible click. A dozen knights surrounded me, their weapons drawn as if I were some kind of wild animal about to break loose. I glanced down at the cuffs and gave them a small tug, feeling how laughably weak they were.

I could snap them like twigs.

But I didn't.

Instead, I let them sit against my skin, feigning compliance. If breaking free would only send these men into a panic, then what was the point? They were already afraid of me—acting out would only confirm their worst fears.

So I played along.

With slow, measured steps, I made my way toward the door. The knights kept their distance, their gazes sharp, as if they expected me to suddenly grow to the size of a mountain and crush them beneath my heel.

I paused at the threshold, turning back to Krelzor. He stood stiffly by the hearth, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw set in anger. I hated seeing that look on his face.

I offered him a small smile. "It was a pleasure getting to know you, Krelzor," I said softly. "If I can, I'll return to help with the farm. Don't slack off while I'm gone."

His scowl deepened. He didn't laugh, didn't make some sarcastic remark like I had expected. Instead, he took a sharp breath, and then, before anyone could stop him, he marched straight toward Gavron Hailford.

"I'm coming with you."

The entire room fell silent.

The knights exchanged stunned glances. Even I was taken aback.

Gavron turned to face him fully, his expression one of pure disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Krelzor said, standing his ground. "I'm coming with you."

I stepped toward him, lowering my voice. "Krelzor, you don't have to do this. This could be dangerous."

He looked up at me, his green eyes filled with something I couldn't quite place—anger, determination... something else.

"I don't care," he said, firm and unwavering.

I sucked in a breath. Why? Why would he willingly throw himself into this? He barely knew me, yet here he was, willingly walking into something that had nothing to do with him.

Gavron looked down at Krelzor, amusement flickering in his gaze before he scoffed. "If you can keep up, you're more than welcome to come. But we won't slow down for you."

Krelzor's eyes never left mine.

"I'm coming," he said again.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked away, focusing on the cool air outside as I stepped through the door.

This was a mistake.

But for some reason, I wasn't telling him to stop.

***

(Krelzor)

I don't know why I agreed to this. Scratch that—I do know why. I was exhausted, my legs felt like they were filled with molten lead, and the knights ahead had no intention of slowing down for me. But as I now found myself perched on Faylina's shoulder, towering over the landscape like some kind of tiny, unwanted king, I was starting to second-guess my choices.

The moment she started growing, the knights had nearly jumped out of their armor. Their horses reared up in panic, and their hands flew to their weapons as they stared, wide-eyed, at the sight of the woman they had just handcuffed now standing as tall as the trees. The metal cuffs snapped right off her wrists like brittle twigs, and her clothes stretched in ways that had me questioning physics before a few unfortunate rips forced me to quickly avert my gaze.

And then she'd picked me up—just plucked me off the ground like I was a stray cat and plopped me onto her shoulder.

"What... what are you doing?" I asked, gripping onto her as if my life depended on it. Because, well, it did.

Faylina grinned, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "You were struggling, so I thought I'd help. This way, we'll move faster."

I couldn't argue with that, but still—being this high up was unnatural. The wind hit differently up here, and every step she took was enough to make my stomach lurch. "You could've just asked first," I muttered, shifting slightly to find a more stable position.

Faylina chuckled. "Oh? And would you have said yes?"

I opened my mouth, closed it, then sighed. "No."

She laughed again, shaking her head. The knights, meanwhile, were still in various states of disbelief. One of them, a younger knight whose helmet was slightly too big for his head, whispered, "She really is a monster..."

Faylina's smile faltered for a split second, but she didn't say anything.

Co-Captain Gavron, to his credit, didn't lose his composure for long. He straightened up in his saddle and let out a deep breath before turning his horse around. "Fine," he said. "Just don't crush anyone, and try not to scare the locals when we pass through towns."

The other knights exchanged uncertain glances, but when their captain started moving forward, they had no choice but to follow.

Faylina turned her head slightly toward me. "Hold on tight," she warned before taking her first step forward.

And oh did I hold on.

I'd been on a horse before—rarely, but I had. This was nothing like that. Every step was a small earthquake, and I had to cling to the fabric of her shirt to keep from sliding off her shoulder.

Faylina must've noticed my discomfort because she reached up and gently nudged me into a better position. "Don't worry," she said, her voice softer this time. "I won't let you fall."

I wasn't sure whether that was comforting or terrifying.

The knights picked up the pace, and now, with Faylina striding alongside them, we were finally making good time. The once-endless dirt road stretched on ahead, and at this rate, we'd probably reach wherever they were taking her in a day or two.

I glanced up at Faylina, who was staring ahead, her face unreadable.

"This isn't exactly what I expected when I said I wanted to help," I admitted.

She smirked. "What? You don't like being carried like a prince?"

I groaned. "Please don't phrase it like that."

She let out a giggle, and despite everything, I found myself smiling. Maybe this wasn't so bad. Sure, we were heading toward an uncertain fate, I was essentially useless in this entire situation, and at least one of these knights was probably itching to stab her the second they got the chance.

But at least I wasn't walking anymore.

Small victories.