The Enchantments: Book 3 - The Key of Sorcen

Chapter 39: Shadow into Light

The Soul Shadow stepped from the room in more pain then he had ever felt in his long miserable life. Welts, still forming on his back throbbed with every step he took. He hated it here in the realm and as the huge metal door close behind him and the enforcer disappeared from view he sighed and limped away. It seemed every time he did not return with the most appropriate souls for his master he was punished, harshly.

This had been going on for hundreds of years now and sadly an end was nowhere to be seen. Eternal life had its disadvantages and he knew all of them. No mater how long you were alive, they had you imprisoned forever.

It killed him to give those kids up to his master, but what else could he do. Everyday he was away from his family was one more nail in the coffin of ever leading a normal existence ever again. He would have given up immortality in a second for one lifetime of mortality with his family.

Those days of being a normal person in society had been taken away years ago. Now his only way of releasing himself from this hell was to have someone kill him. But that was not forthcoming any time soon. They kept him alive to do the bidding of the great master himself. They knew they had him and if he ever wanted to see his family again he would keep on doing what he was doing.

Feeling some of the welts on his back pop with the sudden movements he was making he slowly placed his dirty shirt back over his shoulders and waited for the sharp pain to subside. He entered the grungy stairwell that led to the dungeon and made him self step down ever so slowly on the first rung.

The stepping motion hurt him more then he thought and every step down from the top of the stairwell was another dimension in pain. It was like knives forever being plunged into his spine and with every groan he wished this whole ordeal would end.

After ten agonizing minutes he reached the final wrung and sighed. He trudged over to the entrance to the dungeon and groaned again as he leaned his head against the wall. 'Will this ever end?' He thought then pulled open the large metallic door that hung loosely on the frame in front of him winching as it sent fresh pains throughout his body.

The door let out a small squeal of protest as he waited to get to the hallway beyond. He always hated coming down here, it reminded him of how bad he had screwed up in the past. He could handle the pain his actions had caused him, but there was more then just him self he had a vested interest in.

He stepped through the open door expecting another silent corridor but he was mistaken.

'What's going on here then?' He asked himself as just down the hall at least twenty minions were gathering at the front of one of the cells. For some reason, known only to him, he decided to keep quiet and not let them know of his presence. Something told him that events weren't right and he really shouldn't get involved, he would do much better in just holding his peace.

Being as stealth as possible with his body feeling the way it did he set forth across the hall to another door that sat deeper in the shadows. From this vantage point he could see everything that was going on and hear almost as well.

"The master has been summoned, he will know what to do." One of the minions stated in a clear monotone voice.

The Soul Shadow cringed at the thought of Roudem coming down here. He resisted the urge to run from the gloom and forget about seeing him again, but a nagging feeling at the back of his head told him to stay and see how this played out.

Down the corridor he could hear whining from some of the other prisoners and he felt his heart sink at the thought that he was mostly responsible for many of them being down here. Many he knew would love to get a piece of him whenever he came by but he did his best to ignore their constant jeers. He just hoped for the time he could release 'them' and beg their forgiveness, but who knew when that time would come.