A tale of shadows

5

Chapter 5

Axe

I took my horse and went for a little ride. I left the kingdom and just took my usual way. It's past the lake, through the forest and then back. But today I decided I wanted to do something different. After we rode through the forest we didn't go back. We went further. I didn't know where we were. But I memorised how we needed to go back if were lost. We did pass some water, some trees but eventually we came at a piece of land where were no trees, no water. Almost nothing but sand.

So we turned around and rode back home. When we came back in the forest, we slowed down and walked. I heard something. Almost like people walking past trees. I took out my sword. But it was already too late. I was right. A group of people jumped out the bushes. They had their swords out. Before I could do anything I felt something hard against my head. I started feeling dizzy. Then my sight went black.

~

I woke up. My head hurting. My sight foggy. I winked a couple of times before I could see again. I moved my hand to where my head did hurt. When I touched my head it stung. There was blood on my head. Fuck they had hit me hard. I didn't know where I was. I was in a room that was completely empty. Only a door. I stood up and walked over to the door. I tried opening it, but it wouldn't open. I was locked up.

I yelled for someone to open this fucking door. Now someone came. I walked over to a wall and sat down. My back to the wall. Thinking how I could get out of this situation. Then the door opened. It was a man. "Get up". I guess he wasn't in the mood for a nice conversation. I stood up and walked to the man. He grabbed my arm and walked me out of the room.

We walked through halls. Past doors. There was a big door. We walked through it and came outside, there were a couple of men standing. Not more than ten. If I didn't have such a headache and could have stand normally, I would fight them. But I didn't. The man who took me out of the room put me on a horse and tied my wrists up with a rope, so I couldn't escape. The horse I was on had a rope on his neck. The rope was held by another men who was also on a horse. The rest of the men were also getting on their horses. When everyone was ready, we left.

They were taking me somewhere. We were riding for a time. I looked around me but there was nothing but trees. But then, when I looked forwards, there was a castle. A big castle. They are taking me to some king and queen I thought. We walked straight to the castle and when we arrived there were a lot of people. Just citizens. The men were stepping off their horse. One men helped me getting off mine. Well not really helping. It was more like dragging me of my horse.

When I was standing the man grabbed the rope that was tied up to my wrists and pulled me forwards. We were heading to the castle. I think. The citizens were looking at us and whispering to their friends. The men who took me were talking. But they were using words I didn't know. Words that weren't my words. They weren't speaking Ligata, my language. I was right.

We arrived at the castle. The men were speaking to the knights who were guarding the castle. The knights looked at me and back at the men. They opened the door and the knights escorted us into the palace. We came in the throne room. There were two thrones facing me, but nobody was in it.

Then a door opened and people were walking out. I think they were the king and queen. The knights talked to the king. The king spoke and the men who took me started speaking. They were talking with the king. About me I did assume. The king pointed at something and a man was heading towards it and walked through a door.

We were all waiting for him to come back. He did. With a bag in his hand. He gave the bag to the man who was holding my rope. He opened the bag and there was money in it. Fuck! They are selling me. I tried to rip the rope out of the man's hand. And I succeeded. I ran away, but there were knights standing at the door I needed to go through. They captured me again.

The men who sold me smiled at me and the knight then took me till I was standing before the king. The king smiled at me and said some words. Then the knight took me again and escorted me to go somewhere. We went to a door and a walk on a stair that went down. They did put me in a a cage.

There was a row of cages next to each other. There were men sitting on their bed in the cages beside me. The knight locked the door and walked away. I walked to the door and I tried to open it. It didn't work. I looked around, to find something. Than something did catch my eyes. All the way back where the last cages were. It was dark. Not one single light.

Later that night the knight brought everyone food. Then walked to the place where their was no light was. He disappeared in the dark. I heard him saying something. "Thought I would forget you...", the knight laughed. I couldn't hear the last part. The knight came back from the darkness and walked away. There was someone up there. Who would the king put in the darkness?

I tried to look better but it was only darkness that I saw. I gave up and grabbed my food. Not the best food I have ever had. But grateful that I had food. I went to sit on my bed but the man in the next cage started talking. In the language I couldn't understand. He looked at me weird. Surprised I couldn't understand. Then something in his face changed. Like he knew what was going on. "You are one of the Ignatios.".

"Yes I am. How do you now?" "You couldn't understand what I said, so that could be the only reason why. Why are you here?". The man asked surprised. "Here? I don't know what here is.". "You are in the dungeon of the king and queen from Loxeadi". What. The. Hell. How did I make myself end up here?