Meanwhile, Jorge and the two other Laxer soldiers (as they were called by the enemy) ran deep into the Lucierna Forest, followed by ten Xers armed with arrows and blades. The three escapees were equipped with only one sword each and based on their battered and bruised appearances, they were in no condition to be using them. Even though they had little energy to spare, they all ran like the devil himself was after their souls.

One Laxer, named Travis, plunged into the Sirene Lake despite the fact that his sickly body lacked oxygen after running for so long. He felt light-headed under the water almost immediately. The other Laxer, Jole, vaulted into a large collection of shrubs while Jorge managed to swing himself into a tree.

The Xers weren't too far behind. They saw and heard Travis dive into the lake, but they failed to see Jorge and Jole hide in their chosen spots. Together they waded into the lake to find and attack Travis, but Jorge wouldn't have it. He pounced onto one of the soldiers, smashing the Xer's head into a rock when they hit the ground. A sword-fight ensued and Jole didn't hesitate to join in with the knowledge that Jorge had no chance on his own.

One soldier ignored the action going on behind and continued to trudge after Travis with his sword ready for action. At this point Travis was unable to prevent his lungs from extracting a new breath. He lifted his head from the water and more than willingly relinquished control of his diaphragm. Almost immediately he noticed the Xer soldier fiercely plodding towards him with a sword thirsty for Laxer blood. He felt terror coat his body, yet he brought his own sword to position and waited for the Xer to strike.

Travis and his opponent found it irritatingly arduous to cross blades in the lake. As a result, they did more pushing and punching than actual sword-fighting. When the Xer succeeded in knocking Travis's sword out of his hand, all that was left for Travis to do was to bravely tackle his enemy into the water. Travis managed to bend the Xer's wrist back to get him to drop his sword as well, only after receiving various cuts to his face. With both of them unarmed, they fought to drown each other for the remainder of the fight.

In the meantime, Jorge and Jole had difficulty fighting the six Xers left over after having perforated two. The enemy did well in protecting one another, which was news to Jorge and Jole as they were used to Xers failing in technique and strategy. Clearly the Executioners had learned something during the past month. Nevertheless, Jorge and Jole still proved to be more educated and imaginative than these sorry excuses for soldiers as they found ways of incorporating rocks, sticks, and even plants into their fight. Forget the fact that it was against standard sword-fighting etiquette; this was war and they were fighting for their lives.

Jole was fortunate enough to have found a fallen tree branch to use as a shield as well as a bludgeon. Jorge had to be a bit more innovative as branches so sturdy were difficult to come by. Instead, he threw a rock whenever he could, or waved some foliage in the faces of his enemies to momentarily distract them. Of course, the Xers soon caught on and copied these methods, making Jorge and Jole fight that much harder.

One Xer paused, figuring that while Jorge and Jole were temporarily occupied with five of his friends, he could rid his other comrade of Travis. He took his bow and aimed an arrow at Travis's heart, then waited until he felt certain he would hit his target. However, keeping aim proved a challenge since Travis refused to hold still. The Xer finally released the arrow at the exact moment Travis jolted right, yet the arrow still found its way into his shoulder. Travis wailed in pain and almost drowned as a result.

The Xer who had been fighting Travis used the arrow as leverage to submerge his victim back beneath the lake. The tool also proved useful to hold him there. Even still, Travis desperately fought to be the one above water, but with every move he made, the Xer rammed the arrow deeper into his shoulder. Eventually he was able to fight against the searing pain and he brought his head above the lake, only to scream and be shoved back below the surface. Once again he found himself straining to not inhale lake-water, but it was a special challenge to ignore the arrow that now peeked through his back. Just as the struggle became enough for him to admit defeat, he managed to bring his head up once more to inhale half a breath of air before being forced back down. At long last, he broke free of his enemy's grip and swam deeper into the lake to retrieve his sword. As can be expected, the Xer followed closely behind.

Travis couldn't find his sword through the murky darkness of the Sirene lake-water and he was quickly suffocating. Soon he had no choice but to swim back to the surface for more air. He found himself face to face with the Xer and kicked him in the chest right before he had a chance to strike. Then Travis dove back underwater for one final search. He had to retrieve his weapon this time; he wasn't going to survive this conflict without it. Travis frantically kicked and paddled through the muck, squinting his eyes as he searched for anything shiny. To his relief he finally spotted his sword stuck in the lakebed and he snatched it into his hands. Without much thought, he twisted around to face the Xer who was directly behind him by now, and he drove the sword straight through his abdomen. A red fog seeped from the wound and surrounded the body. Travis swiped the blade back out and the Xer floated to the surface with bubbles drifting from his mouth.

When Travis had clambered back onto shore, he spotted the archer who had shot him lying lifeless in his own blood. Jorge and Jole were down to two Xers now, but there was no way Travis would be able to join the fight. Once he was a comfortable distance from the lake, he fell to his knees and slumped over to concentrate on catching his breath. It wouldn't have mattered anyway since Jorge soon ended his opponent only moments before Jole pinned his up against a tree. Jole's Xer dropped his sword in surrender, but Jole didn't feel like granting mercy. He raised his sword above his head with a hunger for vengeance and was unmoved when his victim flinched and gaped in terror at the weapon.

"Wait," came Jorge's voice.

Jole hesitated but reluctantly lowered his sword. Jorge approached, eying the Xer closely. He continued to speak to Jole.

"We're not like them. He surrendered and unlike the Executioners, we will spare his life." He then addressed the Xer. "I must say however, I'm very disappointed. Do you realize that three of Emperor Plake's weak, tortured, and weary soldiers defeated ten of your Executioners? Let that sink in for some time, and then tell your emperor to train you in the art of battle."

The Xer was set free. He hurried away, glancing over his shoulder now and then, feeling confused. The Laxers didn't know it at that time, but the Xer never returned to the palace. Instead he ran home and fled to another country with his family.

When the Xer was out of sight, Jorge and Jole rushed over to Travis who was now seated up against a tree, still gripping his shoulder.

"Hey, Brother," Jorge said. He put his hand on Travis's good shoulder. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know," Travis replied through clenched teeth. "I would swear something from Hell shot me."

"It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case."

"Great griffins! It came out the other side!" Jole exclaimed examining the wound.

"Incredible!" Jorge said with fascination. He picked up the dead archer's bow and studied it. "Such powerful bows!"

"No, the Xer pushed it through," Travis explained. "Like the monster that he was. Good riddance!"

"I see." Jorge dropped the bow and Jole examined the wound. "Think you can remove it?"

"No! Don't remove it!" Travis objected trying to move away from Jole. He only succeeded in pressing himself harder against the tree.

"Why not?" Jorge asked.

"You wish to increase my suffering?"

"We must remove it, Travis," said Jole. "If we let the wound heal around it, you'll live the rest of your life like this. It's best to simply remove it and allow your arm to heal without obstruction."

"Then-then-then-then just wait! - Just allow me a moment to prepare, please?"

"No, we must remove it now so that we may start back to Noelle," Jorge explained. "It can't wait."

"Please, Captain! Just grant me a small sum of time!"

"Travis!" Jorge snapped. "Get a hold of yourself! You're a soldier for God's sake, show it!" He quickly changed his tone to an ironic calmness, as if he was speaking to an infant. "Now, we're going to remove the arrow. Otherwise the wound will worsen and we'll have to remove your arm completely."

Travis took a deep, long, nervous breath. "Understood, Captain. But please hurry and remove it quickly."

Jole examined the arrow further. "I'll snap off the arrowhead and you remove the shaft."

"Understood," said Jorge turning to Travis. "Take a deep breath. Once I begin removing the shaft, exhale slowly."

After several breaths to prepare, Travis inhaled deeply and held it as he braced himself. Jole snapped the arrowhead off, and Travis hollered in agony as Jorge began to pull the arrow out. Little had been accomplished when Travis stretched out his right hand towards Jorge.

"Stop, stop, stop!" he cried.

Jorge stopped and frowned at his panting friend. "Do you wish to be done with this or not, Travis?"

"Yes, just have some mercy on me!"

"Well you got your mercy, now brace yourself and release your breath slowly."

Jorge finished removing what was left of the arrow and Travis grabbed his arm to try and endure the remaining misery. Jole used his sword to cut a slit in his shirt and ripped a strip off to use as a bandage for the wound. Jorge scowled at Travis. If Travis couldn't handle being shot by an arrow, how much information had he given to Emperor Mentir's servants during the month the three of them had been tortured?

"There, that should do it for some time," said Jole after he finished bandaging Travis's arm.

"What about Gerry?" Travis asked while Jole helped him to his feet.

"What about Gerardo?" Jorge spat.

"He freed us from prison" Travis replied. "Don't you think it only right to return the favor?"

"Did he not leave with us?" Jorge asked.

"Do you see him around?"

"No, I figure he went elsewhere. Why, did he not make it out?"

"You closed the door before he could escape."

"Ah," Jorge said with a wry grin. "Well that's unfortunate, isn't it?"

"Especially for us who now have to live with the fact that we didn't rescue the one who rescued us."

"So what do you suggest we do, Travis? Return with what little fortune we have left only to be recaptured and thrown right back into prison? Is Gerry really worth it for you? To be sure, I suspect Mentir has done away with him already. We all are aware just how cruel he can be."

"If Mentir is so cruel, then I'd expect him to torture Gerry before killing him," Travis said. "Worse than what we were put through."

"Much better him than me," said Jorge. "God knows why he went through the trouble of getting us out in the first place. He understood the risks and at this point, there's nothing we can do."

"There is much we can do. We're clever enough to organize a plan together. Captain, he saved us from years of torment in a confined space of retched conditions and you are so easily willing to simply leave him behind to suffer the same horrors?"

"I am more than easily willing to leave that lunatic behind. And as far as anyone else knows, when we return to the battalion, Gerry did not rescue us. We escaped that Hell on our own. We'll piece together a story during our journey." Travis scowled at Jorge. "Why are you letting this upset you so much?"

"The honorable thing to do is to go in there and get him out, Captain. If he had saved us from being shot in the middle of a battle, it'd be different. But he went through the trouble of somehow sneaking into Mentir's palace to free us from prison. I may not understand for what reason he did it, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't return the favor."

"Well perhaps this will help you to feel differently," Jorge replied. He took a step toward Travis so that he peered down his nose at him. He was the tallest of the three of them, standing about half a foot above Travis. "If we do find our way back inside and are thrown into prison yet again so that we may relive the nightmares of all those razors ripping into our flesh," Jorge rolled up one blood-stained sleeve to reveal the scabs that spotted his arm, "the hooks tearing into our muscles," he lifted his shirt to show bruises and more cuts that hadn't healed yet around his waist and abdomen, "the bludgeons baring down on our bones," he rolled up his other sleeve to reveal yet more cuts and more bruises, "while we plead and cry and scream and bleed, hopelessly praying to whatever omniscient being for a miraculous escape or even a quick and merciful end, all of Gerry's efforts are put to waste. Do you really wish to do that to him? To you?"

Travis couldn't answer as Calder had approached and stood over Jorge. Travis and Jole slowly backed away from Jorge and the unicorn behind him.

"Captain," Travis whispered looking over Jorge's head. "Move toward me slowly without saying a word and don't look behind you."

Jorge did exactly what Travis said, except for the not saying a word part.

"Why, what is it?"

"What are you doing?" Calder asked. "It's not as though I plan to eat you."

Jorge spun around and frantically backed away with his sword in hand.

"What do you want from us then?" Jole asked. "We're having a private conversation and you have nothing to do with it."

"I wouldn't say that," Calder replied. "I actually know Gerry of Liko."

The Laxers glanced at each other.

"How do you know him?" Jorge asked.

"I met him as he was on his way to the palace. He told me how he had to retrieve someone by the name of Jorge. I didn't see him with you when you ran out, so I thought that you'd know what happened."

"He didn't escape with us because –" Travis began, but Calder interrupted him.

"Yes, I heard. Our most grateful target closed the door before he had the chance. If I'm not mistaken, that was intentional."

"Who gave you the right to trot over here and spew accusations without proof?" Jorge snapped as he waved his sword at Calder.

"Captain," Travis said. "Maybe he can help us rescue Gerry."

"Listen, if you are so fond of Gerry then you are more than welcome to play the hero on your own!"

"I never said I was fond of him," Travis growled. "I'd argue that I despise him more than you do!"

"Then forget about it!"

"What's wrong with this man?" Calder asked the other two.

"Simply that I've been starved and tortured for over a month!" Jorge exclaimed. "I have been poked and prodded, burned and abused, sliced and stabbed! And it's being suggested that I return and risk my life for someone who I don't find even remotely worth it. That is what's wrong with me. Why am I even explaining this to you? You have absolutely no business being here."

Calder had enough. He threw Jorge against the base of a tree with his front hooves, and set the tip of his horn at Jorge's neck. Jole and Travis didn't care enough to intervene.

"I have plenty of business here," Calder explained. "Gerry saved my life too, and as is tradition I am obligated to return the favor. It has taken much longer than I'd anticipated and there are a number of other things I'd rather be doing. Until he has left that palace dead or alive, my debt remains. You, and only you, will go back in there and get him out because you left him behind. Do you understand?"

Jorge showed very little reaction to any of this. "And how exactly do you expect me to do that?"

"Don't treat me like I'm naïve, Captain. I'm well aware that you're not human. Figure it out."

                                                            ~~

The Laxers made their way back to the edge of the forest with Calder and peered at the palace wall from behind a cluster of trees. This was the time of day when the changing of the guards took place.

Jorge crept closer to the gate and waited patiently with his sword drawn for the guards to trade shifts. When they began to enter the palace, Jorge ran silently to the guard at the end of the line. He immediately covered the guard's nose and mouth and drove the blade straight through him. Then to the surprise of his comrades watching, Jorge's form morphed into the guard's image and he casually entered the palace as one of the others. After being a prisoner there for so long, Jorge had more of an idea as to where the prison was located than Gerardo had when he came for his rescue mission.

Jorge successfully made it just outside the jail where he "accidentally" bumped into a servant whom he remembered being the one to ask the questions while others inflicted pain due to his lack of answers. When no one was around, Jorge took on that image and continued down the long corridor which led to the jail. Since this particular servant had been coming from the direction of the jail, Jorge assumed he had just left it. He had to work accordingly. So he descended the stairs as naturally as he was capable and put his plan into motion.

"I just received orders that this Laxer is going to spend the night in the IR," Jorge said gesturing to Gerardo.

"You just brought him back," a guard replied.

"I know; you'd think someone would've thought to tell me beforehand. Especially since I just lent my shackles to another guard. I'll have to use yours."

"Who works the night shift in the Interrogation Room?" another guard asked while the first one shackled Gerardo. Gerardo grunted as the guard was less than gentle.

"Not me, thank God," Jorge answered. "But perhaps His Majesty himself. Who could blame him for wanting a taste of his blood too, eh?"

The first guard roughly handed Gerardo off. "Hopefully he learns a lesson from him this time."

"Indeed," Jorge said. "I'll have him back tomorrow. Let's go, Laxer."

Jorge escorted Gerardo out of the prison and it didn't take Gerardo long to notice that he wasn't being taken to the Interrogation Room. He was about to ask where they were going, but the servant answered before he could speak.

"I'm Jorge." Gerardo squinted his eyes in disbelief. How was that possible? "I'll explain everything later, but for the moment just act along. I'm going to try to get you out of here."

Jorge continued to drag Gerardo along to exit the palace. By the time they reached the gates, both suns had set and the moon had just begun to rise. The palace guards stopped them before they could exit the gate.

"Where do you think you're going with this Laxer?" one guard asked.

"I'm taking him to the Lucierna Forest to be executed," Jorge answered. He immediately realized that the lie was an incredibly awful one, but he had no choice but to continue with it. "They are my orders."

"Whose orders?" another guard challenged.

"That has never been done before," added a third. "His Majesty's prisoners are always executed in the morning and in public."

"His Majesty wants this one to have as few witnesses as possible," Jorge replied firmly. "Fewer mourners. If you have a problem with it, take it to His Majesty. Goodnight."

With that, Jorge walked away and fought to remain calm. He pulled Gerardo towards the forest line and when they couldn't be seen, Jorge unshackled Gerardo and they sprinted full speed into the Lucierna Forest. However, the guards heard the pounding footsteps and chased after them. Jorge morphed back into his original appearance and motioned for Travis, Jole, and Calder to follow them deeper into the forest where it was difficult to see into the darkness. In fact, it was so dark, they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces, let alone where they were going. Thus, they figured it would be a better idea to hide than to run in this situation.

Unfortunately, all of the guards were nocturnal creatures and they found Jorge, Gerardo, Travis, and Jole in no time and with minimal effort. The escapees attempted to fight, but without the ability to see it was useless and they were lucky neither of them got killed; although a couple of them might have preferred death. In the end, the guards swiftly apprehended them and confiscated their weapons before any more blood could be spilled.

The captives were bound with their hands behind their backs and their arms to their sides. Even a rope chain was formed and tied around the captives' necks to keep them all in line. Finally, the guards led the Laxers to the throne room where they were forced onto their knees before the emperor.

Jorge wasn't about to let the guards get away with man-handling him, especially as he was infuriated beyond what he could handle. Had he not warned everyone that this would happen? They had been freed, they were finally out! But everyone wanted to save Gerardo for some reason and he, the only one who didn't care, was forced to be the one to try and free him. In the end, Gerardo had not been worth the effort, just as Jorge had predicted. And now here they were, all bound and standing before the ruler of the enemy. Someone was going to pay and pay now while he could still use the vent.

Jorge bounced back up onto his feet, head-butted the guard who had put his hands on him, and kicked him into one of the pools. This only provoked the remaining guards to inflict more physical discipline onto Jorge. Even Gerardo took a couple blows to the face and stomach despite the fact that he was the most cooperative of the four. His attacker wasn't satisfied when Gerardo hadn't returned to his knees and he continued the beating until he got what he wanted. Of course because of the rope chain, this brought the other three down with Gerardo so that they were all kneeled before the emperor again, including the rowdy Jorge.

Gerardo remained in this submissive position coughing, panting and praying that nothing more would be done to him tonight. Travis and Jole bowed their heads to the emperor with the hope that respect would earn them some mercy. Jorge was the only one to look straight into the emperor's eyes with fury and loathing emanating from them.