Frosted Ranger: Time's Illusion

Chapter 9: Caged Hope

Times passes on, but how much time is the real question that lingers in the dark underground prison in which Melina is held captive.

What feels like months could only be a few days. What feels like days could on be a few months.

The prison holds more than just it's multiple race captives. It holds an outer reputation of being a cruel prison. Executions are held in front of the cells by The Dark Queen herself. No race is safer than the next, those that are still alive that worshipped Saren are often killed by other prisoners before The Dark Queen gets to them.

She sacrifices captives at random times to Syvic, the god of death. Something she also claims to be inevitable and unescapable. Other than her executions, she pays them no mind. She'd rather watch the prisoners kill themselves.

As for the young and tortured Melina, she rests in her dark and rotting cell. Resting against the stone bricks with her shackles keeping her legs bound together.

No point in cuffing her arms. Melina hasn't taken her eyes off her missing hands since being thrown in the commoners cell. The singed edges of her wrists have begun to slowly heal over, but no new hands were being formed.

Melina lays down on the ground, her dirty black hair disgustingly matted falls over her eyes and into her face. She just lies on her sides with her eyes peering through the gaps of her hair at her wrists.

The sounds of loud and obnoxious prisoners were not enough to distract her. But a guard comes by in her black armor and opens the cell. Melina stays motionless and soundless. Alone to her despair and pain. Wishing Dayton would break in and save her any minute now.

"Eating time, Ice Flake." Melina shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath at the comment Ice Flake. She sighs and sits up.

"Yea, have that attitude!" The guard starts mocking her and Melina clenches her jaw shut as much as physically possible. "Come on girl, let me see that rage." The guard blocks her exit from the cell.

Melina steps up to the elven guard and his smug elegant face looking back at hers. She knows this elf wants a fight. He has his hands on his sword's hilt.

"Do it. I dare you." He whispers into her ear. Melina doesn't move. She waits for the guard to move and once he does, he grows a smile on his face. "I like you. You understand obedience. It only gets ya so far down here."

The guard bends over and unlocks the shackles from her feet. Melina then walks off to get her meal.

Once gathered her stale bread and rotting fruit she sits down alone to keep to herself. No thoughts on the prison. Only thinking of home and the snow.

Someone sits next to her at the table. "How does anybody expect us to see in here?"

Melina turns her head with her eyes wide. "Kywin?" For once in what feels like forever, she had some hope fill her eyes.

"Shhhh." He holds a finger to her lips. "The Ruby Archer is also a thief. I know prisons." His clothes may have been matching the prisoners set, but he had his armor underneath.

Melina wraps her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "It's just nice to see a friend in here."

Kywin pats and rubs her back. "I heard the stories of what happened to you. Killed, beheaded, mother like daughter scenarios..."

"Get me out of here and I won't leave you alone at a campfire again." Melina pulls away from Kywin with her tears rolling down her cheeks. Tears of joy, of possible freedom. Such an overwhelming feeling.

"It won't be easy to get out." Kywin begins to talk about the prison. Ten guards on each floor and they are on floor three. From here and up, they would face thirty guards and whoever else is stationed outside the prison.