Honoria's voice drifted through his nightmarish flashback. "Asher, are you with me? Asher."
His dragon also spoke up. I'm here, too. You're not there, when I couldn't reach you.
Shaking his head to clear it, he glanced quickly at Honoria. "Sorry. I'll be fine now."
Curiosity burned in her blue-eyed gaze, but she merely nodded and whispered, "Then let's keep going. Maybe one of them is the male we're looking for."
"Be careful. This could still be a trap."
As they walked and checked each of the cells, Asher did his best to focus on his assignment and not the prisoners. They all looked clean, well-fed, and not the least bit tortured, like what he'd seen during his five-year-long imprisonment.
All of the prisoners crying out and acting were probably part of their task. If they discovered not, then he'd find a way to free them. But first things first, they needed to search for the red-haired male from the photo. The instructions required them to find and rescue him first, before they tried to help anyone else. Otherwise, they'd be disqualified.
The hard part would be keeping his memories at bay. For all he knew, this set of cells was only the beginning.
His beast spoke up. You have me and Ria. We'll help.
At his dragon's words, Asher's small panic faded. Because even if he saw something else that triggered a flashback, Honoria would undoubtedly bring him back. As long as she was with him, he would find a way to carry on.
And so he did.
~~~
Honoria wanted to take Asher's hand as they went down the row of prison cells for both comfort and a reminder that he was here and not back in the past.
However, she might need both of her hands in a split second. So, she merely followed close behind him, doing her best to scan the cells and not let any of the pleading prisoners distract her.
Of course, that was easier said than done. The young children and teenagers were the hardest to ignore. Even if they were only playing a part, they probably shouldn't be underground in such a damp environment.
Her dragon spoke up. I'm sure everything is closely monitored, if this is indeed all for the trial.
It had better be, both for the monitoring and for this to be a task. Otherwise, we have no way of contacting the clan if this is a real hideout.
We do, as a last resort.
The emergency button sat heavy in her trouser pocket. If it comes between a choice of saving these people or winning some task, I'll save these people in an instant.
And give up?
No bloody way. The others back home will get a persuasive earful. Because if the Stonefire and Lochguard leaders think following the rules to the letter is more important than saving lives, then they aren't the males I thought they were.
They reached another door, and Asher paused, glancing at her and raising his brows in question. She shook her head, letting him know she hadn't spotted the ginger-haired male from the photo yet.
He shook his head once, saying the same. So she motioned with her chin toward the door.
Asher gently pried it open, but unlike before, no sounds emerged. That could be good news, but it could also be quite bad.
For all they knew, the first corridor contained the healthier inmates, meaning the sick and injured could lay ahead.
Her dragon said softly, Even if that's what happens, we can manage.
I hope so. Blood and injuries have never been my thing, hence me studying business and technology.
When Asher moved, Honoria and her dragon stopped talking to focus on every scent, sound, and sight for the tiniest clue of what could lay ahead.
However, the same damp smell didn't tell her much, nor did the near-silence. Only the hum of old lighting and a distant fan for ventilation drifted to her ears, which wasn't overly helpful.
The oval-shaped room was empty, save for a few broken chairs and other rubbish that was probably older than she was.