Innocent Prisoner

PART ONE

The Blackbird roared through the sky on it's way to the Amazon. Suddenly, the air jumped and the plane rocked and bounced in the air.

"I'll set her down in the landing by the river down there," Jean urged the navagation bar down and the plane lightly descended from the sky into a green field surrounded by a thick mass of trees. "Something must have jammed the central drive, somehow."

"Gambit can fix dis t'ing, chere." Remy's eyes were closed and he had leaned back in a relaxed manner. He had been snoozing before he was jolted unceremoniously out of his nap.

One by one, they left the plane and ventured out into their surroundings. Trees lined the entire perimeter and they began to feel enclosed. The afternoon sun wasn't helping much either. Gambit and Wolverine walked towards the trees and told the girls to stay there. The boys had the sense to be on guard considering what Logan was sensing.

"You still feel it, hun?" Rogue leaned up against the side of the nose of the plane and folded her arms across her chest. She looked at Jean, who had clutched her stomache once again and muted a whimper. Rogue unfolded and rushed to her friend's side.

Jean shuttered for a second before speaking. she was still bent over and wrapped her hands tightly about her waist, while forcing back her tears. "He's close."

"He..... ?"

"Yes, it is definately coming from a male. Young. And he is in so much pain. We have to find him fast, his cries for help are getting more and more scattered. almost like he is deathly afraid of something." She doubled over and kneeled on the ground, eyes shut tightly and a low groan escaped her lips.

"Jean!" Logan called and ran back to where she was crouching. "What happened? You ok, darlin?" Wolverine lay a hand on her shoulder to steady her. After a moment, he picked her up and carried her back into the plane and set her on the first chair he came to. "Jeannie? You ok?"

By that time, Remy was heading back to the plane when something struck him in the back of his mind. Since he was casually dressed in jeans and a shirt, he had to physically block the cry out by throwing his hands to his ears. He pressed them there and waited until he couldn't hear it anymore. Shaking his head and lowering his hands, he joined the rest of the foursome in the plane. Staggering into the doorway, he glanced and Jean and then at Logan, who was sitting close by. He was almost dizzy at the event he had just had.

Jean looked over to him and nodded, silently. Gambit had felt the cry too. The scream for help was coming from somewhere near them, but where?

Logan sauntered outside. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. His eyes searched the visual, while his ears and nose picked up everything else. The North. The scent was coming from the north. He walked out a ways and into the trees. It was faint but getting stronger with ever 100 yards or so.

The others had moved back outside and waited for Wolverine to come back and tell them what was going on. The sun had started beating down on them. Rogue looked at her watch, 4 o'clock.

Logan came out of the woods and called to them to join him. He turned around and watched the woods as they approached. "It's coming from this way." He growled. "The sooner we find this thing, the sooner we can put a stop to it." He led the others through the woods until they came to a trail.

They walked for about an hour before Logan stopped dead in his tracks and motioned for them to do the same. He sniffed. something wasn't right. He looked around and pin-pointed a shiny object aimed right at Remy and Rogue.

"Get down!" he yelled, and unsheathed his claws to get ready for battle.

Gambit moved the girls to a nearby bush and went to rejoin Logan. Back to back. They had both looked up and around themselves. And they both knew they were surrounded. Oh well, if that meant they were going down, they'd have a hell of a party doing it!

"Wait!" Jean called. "They might be able to take us to where the call is coming from."

"What if they don't?" Rogue said, calmly.

Jean waited for Remy to return his uncharged cards to his pocket, and Wolverine to sheath his claws before she explained. "I'm sure they can lead us to him. I sense his presence around them. Please, let them lead us to him." She called again and came out from behind the bush.

"If you say so, chere. But, Gambit don't like de odds."

The band of about 40, surrounded them and came down from the trees. Spears poked the foursome and escorted them down the path to a large, old and half decayed castle in the midst of a much wider clearing than what they had set the plane down in.

The soldiers nudged them forward to the city's metal gates, and then all the way through the near barren village to another set of large metal gates. Up through the halls with the polished marbled floors to the huge and somewhat cluttered throne room.

Each of them looked around the room and were marched before a large throne. Plushed with deep magenta velvet and framed in gold. The crest above the head of the chair was not one any of them had ever seen. A man. A knight, standing brave and tall with outstretched hands, looking forward. In one hand, a ball glowing light, and in the other was a long silver septar, topped with a large ruby.

"My my my. What do we have here? More slaves? Mmmm, they'll make a fine addition to my kingdom." A beautiful woman dressed in a long flowing blue robe said as she eyed the group. She looked Remy and Logan up and down, licking her lips and thinking about what wicked things she could do to these two, IF they were nice to her. And pleased her.

"Gambit aint no one's slave, lady! You got the wrong man." Remy spat and was hit from behind by a guard, that brought him to his knees in pain.

"Silence in front of the queen!" The guard that struck him had yanked his head back by a fist full of hair.

The queen laughed, she liked Gambit already. She had a hunger for fiesty servants, and she finally found one that excited her. She wandered up to him and stopped just inches from him. His chin came centimetres from her thin right hip. "My pet, I have a feeling we'll get along just fine. Mmm, and your friends are welcomed to watch us rule together. If you like...?" She lifted his chin with a gloved hand, for him to meet her eyes. Then, she stepped back to get a better look at the rest of the team.

"I am Queen Illyria, ruler of this island. You will bow to me or pay the price with labour. Guard, escort these three to their new quarters. This one goes with me." She motioned for 2 other guards to collect the still kneeling Gambit and follow her back through the doors from which she had come.

They were brought to a cage, set inside the wall, in a line of five cells. From the outside in, it looked too small but it was big enough for the four of them. They were unceremoniously thrown in to the metal cage and had the door slammed after them.

Logan had remained standing at the metal door, while Rogue helped Jean to the back of the cell and sat down with their backs to the cool bricks. "Where the hell are we? If I don't get out of here soon, I'll rip this place and that damned bitch to shreds!" Logan let a hand of claws scrape across the metal in front of him. He stopped and stared at a noise that had ruffled from his left.

"Mallent. You're in Mallent. Congratulations, and welcome to the city of lost hope." A young, soft voice seeped into their cell from the next. It moved from under a grey and dirty blanket. Then, suddenly a young man appeared from beneath it. His head was bowed and his voice was shaky and weak. His skin was clean but, his rags that covered his frail body were dirty and tinged with red. His dark brown hair shagged down to his shoulders, that too was clean and shiny. he crouched there on the other side of the dim cell, shivering.

Jean looked at the figure. The light was just barely enough to see his face, and his saddened and hurt expression. It was him. The voice that had haunted her for weeks and forced her to see horrible, rotten and perverse things. She had made her way to him.

End of Part 1.......