Julio was scared, to say the least.
The plan had gone haywire, and now he was stuck in a dark, cramped cell with people he didn't know.
Where was Ravi?
Someone was holding his hand, shivering and crying next to him - a girl named Ara, who'd been bought with him what felt like weeks ago, even though it had only been days.
"It'll be alright," he said quietly, eyes searching the darkness for something to hope for. But there was nothing.
"Really?" He looked back down to Ara, and she looked hopeful. He had to swallow down his doubt.
"Yes."
There had to have been at least a dozen other people in this small cell. The air smelled of mildew and sweat and blood. Someone had had their arm broken, right? For disobeying the guards? Julio couldn't recall.
Ravi was supposed to be here by now. To get him out of here. No one knew what was going on, but the dried blood on the floor wasn't an encouraging sign.
They were supposed to investigate people going missing. What was Julio's grand plan? To go missing as all the other people had.
He'd stayed out, wandering a little too far from camp, when something hit the back of his head and darkness fell.
Next thing he knew, he was on some sort of raised platform, chained to those next to him. Someone shouted in a language he didn't understand, he was brought forward and summarily sold. Or so he thought. He didn't really know.
They were all thrown in a cart and brought to wherever they were now.
Someone was crying, but it wasn't Ara.
"Shut up in there!" A guard hit the door of the cell with the hilt of his sword, the resounding clang louder than his gruff voice. The crying died down to little more than a whimper.
"Doesn't matter. The witch needs them soon anyway. By soon, I mean now." It was another guard - probably the captain of the guard. Julio slowly rose from his sitting position, the chain on his ankle jingling some.
"Alright. Stand clear." The first guard slid something - a key? - into the lock, turned it, and pulled the door back towards himself. There was an immediate rushing towards the opening, but the captain stood in the way, sword in hand.
"No rushing. Let's do this with some civility, yes? Madeora won't mind some early blood, I'm sure." The captain grabbed whoever was closest - a boy no older than ten. Someone, presumably his mother, cried out and lunged for him. The captain's blade got to her first and she fell to the ground.
Ara screamed at this, and Julio frantically covered her mouth, but it was too late. The captain looked in their direction.
"Protecting your little sister, hm? How noble." He looked to the other guard and gestured, his grip still on the boy. "Let's go, Grieg."
It was a tight squeeze out from the cell. Julio was pulled away from Ara, the other end of his chain attached to someone in the crowd he couldn't see. He kept his eyes down, trying to memorize the layout of this dusty dungeon. There was another guard at his side, escorting the mass of prisoners out.
There were no windows.
Not until they were forced down steep stairs. His chain abruptly tightened as whoever was attached to it - from the looks of it, an elderly woman - tripped and slid a few feet down. Someone helped her down the rest of the way without any rebuke from the guards.
The room at the end of the stairs was spacious, with a high ceiling. There were spires, and an outcropping with someone standing at the top. He could barely see that far, but Julio thought they were blindfolded..?
But why?
Ara was next to him again, clutching his arm. Her face was wet with tears as they were forced onto a circular section of the floor, inscribed with runes and things he couldn't read. He knelt down to wipe her tears away.
"We'll be okay, Ara. We'll get through this." He murmured softly. She hiccupped, trying to say something, but someone started singing first.
"What the hell?" Someone around them muttered. The hubbub drowned the singer, wherever they were, out somewhat.
That didn't stop the tremors, though.
Julio was knocked off his feet as the ground underneath him and Ara began to shake. She screamed as she hit the ground, huddling close to him. Someone else hit the ground close to them, the sick snap of a bone breaking following. Rubble flew, and a dark roar came from beneath them.
Shit, even he wouldn't be able to survive an earthquake.
He tried to get up, to no use. The ground was falling away beneath him. Ara was pulled away, falling into the void below without a sound.
"Ravi..I'm sorry.."
The plan had gone haywire, and now he was stuck in a dark, cramped cell with people he didn't know.
Where was Ravi?
Someone was holding his hand, shivering and crying next to him - a girl named Ara, who'd been bought with him what felt like weeks ago, even though it had only been days.
"It'll be alright," he said quietly, eyes searching the darkness for something to hope for. But there was nothing.
"Really?" He looked back down to Ara, and she looked hopeful. He had to swallow down his doubt.
"Yes."
There had to have been at least a dozen other people in this small cell. The air smelled of mildew and sweat and blood. Someone had had their arm broken, right? For disobeying the guards? Julio couldn't recall.
Ravi was supposed to be here by now. To get him out of here. No one knew what was going on, but the dried blood on the floor wasn't an encouraging sign.
They were supposed to investigate people going missing. What was Julio's grand plan? To go missing as all the other people had.
He'd stayed out, wandering a little too far from camp, when something hit the back of his head and darkness fell.
Next thing he knew, he was on some sort of raised platform, chained to those next to him. Someone shouted in a language he didn't understand, he was brought forward and summarily sold. Or so he thought. He didn't really know.
They were all thrown in a cart and brought to wherever they were now.
Someone was crying, but it wasn't Ara.
"Shut up in there!" A guard hit the door of the cell with the hilt of his sword, the resounding clang louder than his gruff voice. The crying died down to little more than a whimper.
"Doesn't matter. The witch needs them soon anyway. By soon, I mean now." It was another guard - probably the captain of the guard. Julio slowly rose from his sitting position, the chain on his ankle jingling some.
"Alright. Stand clear." The first guard slid something - a key? - into the lock, turned it, and pulled the door back towards himself. There was an immediate rushing towards the opening, but the captain stood in the way, sword in hand.
"No rushing. Let's do this with some civility, yes? Madeora won't mind some early blood, I'm sure." The captain grabbed whoever was closest - a boy no older than ten. Someone, presumably his mother, cried out and lunged for him. The captain's blade got to her first and she fell to the ground.
Ara screamed at this, and Julio frantically covered her mouth, but it was too late. The captain looked in their direction.
"Protecting your little sister, hm? How noble." He looked to the other guard and gestured, his grip still on the boy. "Let's go, Grieg."
It was a tight squeeze out from the cell. Julio was pulled away from Ara, the other end of his chain attached to someone in the crowd he couldn't see. He kept his eyes down, trying to memorize the layout of this dusty dungeon. There was another guard at his side, escorting the mass of prisoners out.
There were no windows.
Not until they were forced down steep stairs. His chain abruptly tightened as whoever was attached to it - from the looks of it, an elderly woman - tripped and slid a few feet down. Someone helped her down the rest of the way without any rebuke from the guards.
The room at the end of the stairs was spacious, with a high ceiling. There were spires, and an outcropping with someone standing at the top. He could barely see that far, but Julio thought they were blindfolded..?
But why?
Ara was next to him again, clutching his arm. Her face was wet with tears as they were forced onto a circular section of the floor, inscribed with runes and things he couldn't read. He knelt down to wipe her tears away.
"We'll be okay, Ara. We'll get through this." He murmured softly. She hiccupped, trying to say something, but someone started singing first.
"What the hell?" Someone around them muttered. The hubbub drowned the singer, wherever they were, out somewhat.
That didn't stop the tremors, though.
Julio was knocked off his feet as the ground underneath him and Ara began to shake. She screamed as she hit the ground, huddling close to him. Someone else hit the ground close to them, the sick snap of a bone breaking following. Rubble flew, and a dark roar came from beneath them.
Shit, even he wouldn't be able to survive an earthquake.
He tried to get up, to no use. The ground was falling away beneath him. Ara was pulled away, falling into the void below without a sound.
"Ravi..I'm sorry.."
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