HOSTAGE

The heavy heat of the scorching sun weighed down upon the young summoner. Every step was a battle, her body struggling to maintain its composure. She could feel the life draining out of her, more and more, as each second passed. Yuna was fighting a losing war.

Carrying her wobbling body up the unstable ground of a sandy hill, Yuna peered around, absorbing her surroundings. She licked her moist less lips. On the far horizon, the young summoner targeted a shadowy silhouette off a tall manmade structure. I don't know if I'll be able to make it. She thought to herself.

Making the decision to head out for the far off sanctuary, Yuna effortlessly slid down to the bottom of the hill, using her arm as a shield against the blistering heat which was like a burning fire upon her face. Finding her body lying on the burning sands, she didn't know if she had the strength to pick herself up. It's so far away.

Using her last reservoir of strength, Yuna picked herself up unto her hands and knees, and raised her head so that she could see her fleeting hope. It's hopeless. She thought as looked at the tower. It seemed to pull away from her, becoming further and further away the more she stared.

Letting go, she sat down on her knees and watched the sand absorb her dripping sweat. She couldn't think. It was like a dream. A dream that she would never wake up from. A dream that could only end with her eternal sleep.

Breathing in the hot, heavy air, Yuna stared at the sand before her knees, waiting for the last of her energy to drain away, allowing the winds of fate to carry her away from this pain. She wished she could see her friends and family one last time. To tell them how much she loves them, and how much she appreciates everything that they have done for her. The thought that she could never express what was in her heart bought a blanket of regret over her.

The fatigued and chainless thoughts that Yuna was deeply absorbed in were suddenly interrupted. A long and powerful shadow covered her from the heat of the sun, closing in on her, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. She felt a pair of arms slide their way around her waist. She was lifted onto a portable desert machina, used for light transport.

Yuna didn't have the strength to fight.

Through a dehydrated blur, her vision told Yuna that she was swiftly gliding over the restless sands. Shortly after, the young summoner fell free into a dreamless sleep.

…..

A cool breeze whispered gently against her soft, fair skin. Yuna opened her eyes. The first image that implanted itself into her vision was of a rich crimson curtain. She stared at it for a few minutes, until her brain could figure out what it was that she was looking at. Once everything fit itself into place, Yuna cautiously spread her gaze around the rich room that she woke up in.

She found that she was laying on a deep pink round bed, with an upper frame by which crimson drapes enveloped her in a sleeping privacy. On the other side of the exceptionally spacious room, a well polished coffee table sat comfortably before a noble couch. Well crafted mats, placed all over the floor, bought life to the strange nest.

She twisted her neck over to the bed side table next to her head. Her muscles felt stiff and sore. A tray of food and water had been prepared for when the guest awoke from a long and enduring sleep. Yuna scrambled up towards the tray in such a hurry that she almost sent it all crashing to the floor.

Fatigued by hunger and dehydration, Yuna balanced the tray on her lap and quietly devoured everything on it.

….

Peering out the small, round window, Yuna found herself within a high tower. A rich and noble red city spread itself out below her, reaching out to the horizon in all directions. She knew where she was. The capital of her failing world; Bevelle. Drawing away from the faint light that rested peacefully on her face, Yuna headed for the door.

As she reached out to twist the doorknob, she was suddenly stopped. The door wouldn't open. Yuna shook the door, trying to force her way out, but to no avail. Why won't it open? She asked herself.

Suddenly a feeling of hopelessness weighed itself down upon the young summoner, as a new realization dawned down upon her. She was trapped!