Fallen Angel

Dungeon

Leira awoke instantly, spitting dust out of her mouth. The room was rather dark, so visibility was low. The only light came from the moon shining through a barred window. From the numb feeling in her shoulder, she guessed that she had been sleeping on the floor all evening with her hands tied behind her back. She managed to ease herself up into a sitting position by pushing off of the floor. Her muscles screamed in protest, still sore from before.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was able to make out other dark forms across the room from her. It was difficult to make out, but she knew that there was a staircase in the far corner leading to another room. The door was most likely locked tight. She was in a dungeon that held prisoners. Are we in the enemy’s stronghold? She wondered. For an instant she forgot how she ended up in such a place, but then it hit her. The castle, the summer festival, Minerva…  Rage flowed through her as she thought of that woman. Next time she saw that winged monster she would defeat her.

 The next thought on her mind was where her companions had disappeared to. There was no one else in her vicinity, but she saw the dark forms in the distance that resembled people. She pressed her bound hands against the wall and used it as support to lift herself onto her feet. She winced at the pain that shot through her shoulder and the soreness in her legs. She wobbled a bit on her feet, but managed to steady herself.

 “Kyle!?” She yelled out into the darkness. Her voice echoed for a while before disappearing. This dungeon must be larger than she thought. No response. Her heart sank, praying that her companions were alright. She took a few small steps forward, her feet kicking up years of dust that lined the floor. If she could just find something sharp to cut the rope that bound her hands, she could use them to feel her way through the darkness.

 She scanned the area, finding only an unused torch that had fallen from the wall, and a pair of shackles. Had they been too lazy to bind her with those? Whatever the case, she was glad they didn’t. She rubbed the rope against the spiked part of the torch a few times, but to no avail. It was too dull with age.

 “You want out that badly, girl?” a voice spoke. It cracked and shook, as though the person speaking was terribly weak and ready to die.

 “Yes. Who are you?” she replied, turning in the direction the voice came.

 The man who the voice belonged to sighed and said, “I am nothing, just another soul to wander these halls soon.”

 “You mean to give up and die here?”

 “What other choice do I have? All my people died here in this dungeon. I can still hear their cries of pain. Now that demonic woman uses them as her lackeys. Maybe it is punishment for our sins.”

 “No, that’s not it. She uses the dead as a weapons against those who oppose her, and to wreak havoc just for amusement. She is a demon that needs to be stopped.”

 “Such bravery for one so young. If you must escape, there’s a torture device behind you with sharp points.”

 “Thank you,” Leira finished and stepped carefully towards it. Her knee bumped into it, sending a rattling noise through the dungeon. She cautiously felt around for a sharp edge. When she found it, a smile crept across her face at her success. The rope cut easily and fell to the ground in the dust.

 She thrust her hands out in front of her to feel around, making her way into the depths of the prison. She passed by the form of the man who helped her. He was horribly thin and malnourished so that he looked like a living skeleton. He was slumped against the wall, not moving an inch. He had to be no older than thirty. Poor guy…

 “Kyle!?” she called again, hoping her voice would reach him if he was down here. She could make out other prisoners in the darkness, watching her with curiosity. They probably wondered what she was doing, thinking she could escape. She probably was a fool for thinking so, but she had to try.

 She accidentally bumped against someone, hearing them groan in protest. The person was lying on the ground, probably sleeping until she had woken them. Looking down, she thought she recognized the features on this person. It was dark but she could make out a military coat and light hair…

 “Will?” she muttered, staring at the form on the ground.

 “Who..?” he whispered, looking around. She knelt to the ground and began untying the rope around his wrists. “Leira?” he said.

 “Yes.” The knot was being rather stubborn, taking longer to untie than she anticipated.

 “Where are we?” he asked.

 “I can’t say exactly where. A dungeon of sorts,” she replied. The knot came undone. She pulled off the ropes and tossed them aside. He pushed himself up and sat so he was facing her.

 “Better?”

 “Much better, thank you. So what’s the plan?”

 “First we find Kyle and Marissa, and figure out how to get out of here.”

 Together they made their way through the dungeon, looking around for their companions. The darkness made it difficult for such a task, but they persevered regardless. Leira’s only fear was that something bad had happened to the two of them.

 “Hey Leira?” Will said, breaking the silence. It was strange that they were the only ones speaking. The other prisoners remained silent. They lost interest in the two newcomers and returned to their own thoughts. Some of the people in the area were dead, their corpses leaning against walls and laying on the floor. It added a foul stench to the already musty air.

 “What is it?” she replied, frowning as her foot accidentally bumped against someone’s leg.

 “I want to apologize, about before.”

 “Forget about it; we’ve got bigger things to worry about,” she muttered back. That doesn’t mean I forgive you, she thought. It seemed to put him at ease, though. She was above holding grudges, and besides, worrying about such trivial things in times like these was foolish.

 “Leira?” a new voice called out. Both she and Will stopped in their tracks, looking around for the source of the sound.

 “Kyle? Is that you?” she shouted back.

 “Yes! Oh thank goodness you are alright!”

 “Where are you?”

 “In the corner by this window.”

 She instantly spotted it: another barred window through which moonlight entered. From that small source of light, she could make out Kyle’s shaggy red hair and Marissa’s slim form leaning against the wall. Kyle waved eagerly and attempted to stand up, only to fall on his rear.

 Leira and Will ran to their companions, and began to untie their bonds. Marissa was beginning to wake up at the ruckus they were making.

 “Do either of you know where we are?” Leira asked as she finished freeing Kyle.

 Marissa was first to speak. “We might be in the enemy’s stronghold. They keep prisoners of war here.”

 “Then we better escape as soon as we can,” Leira added.

 The four of them stood and made their way to the staircase Leira had noticed earlier. The other prisoners eyed them curiously again. No one had ever escaped from this prison before, so naturally they wanted to see if it was possible.

 Marissa turned the knob on the door. “Locked,” she declared in frustration, though it was to be expected. Leira went with her method and forcefully slammed her foot into the door. It was composed of wood, so it wouldn’t hold against much force. After several kicks, the wood bent outward and some pieces of the door went flying into the hall outside.  Marissa stuck her hand through the hole created and fussed with the knob on the other side. Her hand found the locking mechanism underneath the knob and turned it. The door swung open with ease.

 Escaping the dungeon was one thing, but leaving the fortress was another matter entirely. If this was indeed the enemy stronghold, Leira wanted to find that Minerva and destroy her. It was about time the war was brought to an end.

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A/N: Please tell me what you think!