Avandor's Gift
Citadel

It was unknown to me how many hours or days passed since we were captured. Time had no meaning in the dark. Night and day were replaced by routine. There was a time for feeding and another for relieving oneself. Every so often one of these strange men, who moved with unsettling grace, would come and speak to me in a language which for some reason I felt I should know the words, but as soon as the meaning came to my mind it was immediately lost. They wanted to know something and when the answer didn’t come, there was a time for beating.

Time I had too much of and it was often engaged in wondering how Sonis and the other guards fared. Finding no solace or hope for a better outcome, I wandered even further into the recesses of my own mind inflicting another sort of torture in the form of reflection and introspection.

Pride had always been my greatest companion and also my worst enemy. Too many times it had led me down this road of death, punishment and loss. I would never learn it seemed.

“My dearest Noräin, I wondered what ever did you ever see in me?” I muttered miserably.

“More than what I see apparently.” came the reply. I lifted my head from between my knees.

“You are one of them, yet you speak our language.” I said surprised.

“You are one of us and it is our language you speak.” said the stranger who bent down and seemed to be examining the manacles on my hands. “Friea!” he said. The locks clicked and my hands freed.

Friea meant to free. “I understand what you said!” I said astonished at this new and sudden knowledge.

“That is no wonder, I did tell you that you spoke the tongue of the Alkarbrafä.” He said sounding very unimpressed. “You have some human blood, so some thickness is to be expected I suppose.” He said after freeing the manacles on my feet. He pulled me up to stand. I feared that I was not up to the task but my body surprised me as it felt slightly more energized than it did moment ago. “We leave.” he said taking me by the elbow.

He looked along the corridor twice before we emerged through the cell door. He pulled me along briskly causing me to nearly trip over my own feet more than once.

“Where are you taking me?” I said.

“You were told to replace me, as it is I found you. The only place we have left to go, is out.”

“You are Roland.” I said.

“Maybe there is hope for your chumanity.” He said.

Chumanity? I would have to question that later. “We can’t leave without the others.” I said pulling to an absolute stop.

“If you speak of your human companions, they are already dead. We will be the same in a moment if you delay any further.” He said flashing me a cold solemn stare. He looked away instantly and I turned with him as I too heard the sounds of oncoming footsteps. “Run!” he said.

We ran straight up the corridor and then veered right suddenly. He took out a small satchel and after whispering a few words over it fizzled with bright light. He then flung it down the corridor. The walls around us shook and the air was filled with dust and the sound of falling rubble.

“Let us move,” he said again taking my hand and we ran up the nearby stares. Breaking the corner we were met with a startled cry as another being in white appeared. Roland pulled his sword and in seconds the being was no more.

I could only catch glimpses of the room around me and it was nothing less than beautiful. The ceilings were painted with scenes of nature and at the front there was an altar created from deer antlers. Ornaments of gold were littered about and a serene glow was cast by phosphorescent lights floating above silver candelabras.

The scenes of the room were forgotten as we plunged through the great door and stood in cool darkness. We were outside and the rush of the nearby river bursting forth was interrupted by another explosion as another blazing packet was flung through the door.

“This way,” said my companion.

I was led into the nearby brushes where standing and waiting were two horses. Without any encouragement I mounted one of the beasts and together we pounded in a northward direction, leaving the desert citadel in our dust.