WARHAVEN

Thirty-One

I stairs descended for what felt like hours, at least while having to endure the fire in my throat. I rubbed it as I twisted and turned with the dirty stairwell. I could see somewhat fresh blood on the walls, just a few spots here and there. I saw several partial boot prints that were bright red.

    The closer I got, the more restless I felt. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, and that terrified me. There was a good chance this was a place the King didn't want me exploring, but it was too late now. I needed to see...something.

The stairs came to an end and I came to a long, dimly lit hall. There were two stools near the entrance, a couple books and some empty beer bottles. I assumed this was where the guards I passed were stationed.

I took a few cautious steps forward and heard whispers. It was a low, eerie sound, almost like it was coming from one person, or possibly it was just in my head. Something was fucking with my mind.

As I walked into the hall, I noticed something that brought bile to my already burning throat. Cells. There were cells along the long hall. Each was separated by a thick stone wall, and had a candle sconce between, so things were very dim. I heard a dark chuckle from within the cell to the left of me, a voice from within spoke, "What's a pretty thing like you doing down here?"

A creature I had never seen before crawled to the cell bars. It reached out for me, its filthy hands were boney and broken. Long black fingernails promised to shred anything within their grasp.  I took a large step away, my back hitting into the bars of the cell across the hall.

A large pair of dirty hands gripped my shoulders and held me tight. My heart started to race as I attempted to pull away. A head appeared behind my head and whispered low, "Has the evil King sent us a treat?" The voice snickered and licked my ear.

I thrashed and escaped the creature's grasp, while trying to calm my racing breath. I scurried away, wrapping my arms around myself, for some kind of comfort. I kept going down the long hall, passing many creatures who made similar comments. I still felt a calling, or else I would've been rushing out of the dungeon.

I came to a cell on the right side of the hall. I didn't see anything within, but I knew that what had been summoning me was inside. I searched the cell with my eyes and dared to get a bit closer. When I found nothing inside, I dared to speak.

"Hello?" My voice was a broken whisper. I wondered if whoever was inside could even hear it. I took another step closer and that was when I saw her.

She was an elderly woman with erratic hair. Her locks were black and gray, reaching out in every direction. It was like even they were trying to escape this place. The woman smiled when she saw me. She rushed to the cell bars and I didn't flee. I stood my ground as she observed me with her unnaturally glowing blue eyes. She cocked her head every which way, as if she couldn't possibly stay still. She took a deep breath in through her thin nostrils and sighed in satisfaction at the end of it.

"Welcome home, Davina. Great woman of peace." The woman's voice sounded like thousands of creatures speaking at once. Layers of different voices and experiences weaved together to create the sound.

"This isn't my home." I told the woman, I wasn't sure what she could possibly be talking about.

"Alas young dreamer, it is. Go, make your preparations. You shall restore what was once lost. What is still lost." The creature told me.

"What preparations, what are you talking about?" I asked, I was incredibly confused.

"You shall-" The woman stopped as a blood curdling scream shook the dungeon. Goosebumps rose on my shaky skin and I looked to the woman. She was back in the corner, it was clear our conversation had come to an end.

I decided to head toward the scream. It was clear someone was in danger, and I felt the need to do whatever possible to help. I rushed the halls, taking lefts and rights until I stumbled upon something sickening.

There before me, in an open section of the dungeon, was Simon. He was chained to the ceiling, hanging off of the floor by his shackled wrists. His dirty body was shaking as he screamed again, this time I saw why. Nargue was there with her fancy blade, pulling it out of his stomach.

His blood gushed out of multiple spots, pooling into a metal bucket. It was clear that she had been torturing him for a while now, as the bucket was nearly full.

"Davina! Please...help me! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, Please...HELP!" Simon screamed as Nargue licked the blade clean and buried it in his right thigh this time.

"Davina, what are you doing down here? Leave. Now." I had never seen her so animalistic. What I caught at the breakfast table had only been a glimpse of what laid beneath. Before me,  her eyes were full snake. She had several patches of scales on his dark skin, they glowed a bright green, almost iridescent.

I felt incredibly sick. I ran to the corner and emptied my stomach. Several times over. I didn't realize through Simon's continuous pleas and the blood and the smell, that tears were spilling out of my eyes.

All of a sudden, there was a rage within me. But it wasn't mine.

The King rushed in and the look on his face was pure fury. "What the fuck is going on here?" His voice boomed, filling the halls and the cells and everything went silent. No creature dared to make a sound.