The Arena

The bargain

Alera could barely notice the glee emanating from Baruing’s being, while his diabolical smile was stretched, covering almost half his face, his eyes going from her to Tellor and back again. Instead, her gaze was glued to Asendriel’s, trying desperately to understand what was happening. Silence grew between them, only to be interrupted by Baruing’s chuckles.

‘Oh, my! Well this seems awkward..’, he added, laughing like a small child at his own prank.

Alera’s lips parted, but only to be closed again, as her words refused to leave her. Even her mind went blank, as if refusing to process what she was seeing. How was it possible for him to be outside, alongside Baruing? But the question that got stuck on her lips and made her throat dry, came from the cell next to hers:

‘What have you done?!’

Tellor’s voice hung heavily above the silence, his tone almost pleading and Alera realised she was scared of the answer.

‘He struck a bargain with me.’ replied Baruing, smiling slyly.

‘I wasn’t aware that I have to justify myself to you, lieutenant. Has our hierarchy been reversed?’ added Asendriel coldly.

‘Indeed, you should listen to your general!’

Asendriel’s words were harsh, but what triggered an alarm inside her mind was the fact that Baruing was now aware of their military ranks.

‘I am asking this as your friend’, said Tellor, his tone growing more worried. ‘What did you do?!’

Asendriel smirked and Baruing answered this time as well.

‘As I said earlier, he struck a bargain with me. Your freedom …. for his.’

Alera’s eyes widened, but Baruing continued: 

‘An escape on the next new moon? Impossible!’

At this point, the entire dungeon was filled with his loud, maniacal laugh, while Alera felt her blood run cold.

‘He told me all of your little plan, which, by the way, was a terrible plan!’, he added, gesticulating a ‘no’ sign with his fingers, mockingly.

Alera couldn’t believe her ears. It was a lie. It had to be!

‘Now, what should we do for punishment?’ he continued. ‘I’m starting to believe the whipping won’t be enough for this. Any suggestions, my friend? Should we torture them some more? Cut a few extremities? Kill them? I’d have to take care of...a few things with my beloved Alera, in this case’.

She flinched as she felt his icy fingers across her own and her eyes went in a flash, from Asendriel to his. The grin on his face disgusted her to no end and she refused to succumb to him any longer.

‘I’d rather die than let you touch me again!’ she said slowly, glaring at him with all the hate she could muster. And, at that point, a pool of it seemed to seeth inside her.

Baruing’s smile left his face for a second and he added menacing:

‘I find it amusing you think you have a choice in this.’

‘Don’t touch her!’, Tellor threatened, but Baruing laughed in his face:

‘And what can you do? A lowly soldier...’

‘Holy Sho-’

Asendriel moved so fast that Alera could barely see it and Tellor couldn’t even finish his words.

‘It would be wise to keep your spells to yourself...my friend’, he added in the same emotionless tone as always, while his hand was grasped tightly around Tellor’s neck, overwhelming him.