Renegade

Chapter 1

The keep stood on a high mountain looking down on the southern border of Ether. Life in the south was tough, tougher than the people that was said to reside there. The land harsher than the coldest winter in the north, laid barren due to the sun's light, nothing could be seen for miles but sand; that and the large mountain ranges that traversed the horizon line. The sky seemed to hate clouds for they were a rarity. But for the keep, it stood tall overseeing all that Ether offered. Like a sword sticking out of the sand it promised protection, and that was it's primary ambition. There were sparse travelers far south of the mainlands, especially from humans. The sparsity wasn't due to the lack of resources, it was because of what resided there.

"Are we ready?" Leon said, looking through thick bronze bars, he could see the sun giving way. "Do you really think you can escape? Look around us," Lutius replied. Leon observed the cobblestone surroundings, it was dark, but a small torch helped light the dungeons to reveal the sadness that laid in its jaws.
"Well we certainly have to try don't we? Look, once we get the guard's attention be sure to grab him by the legs and then we'll knock him to the ground, and grab the keys." Leon said with stern eyes , it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep that face; the face of a man who knew he had a future.
Lutius brought his hands up revealing the dried blood all across his arms, the rusted chains dug deep into his wrists. "Do all that with these keeping us down, we can't even stand up Leon, what makes you think we can possibly-
"They're not going to let us go. You know it, I know it," Leon motioned over to the corpse up against the corner left wall, "and he knows it too. They don't care about us, they'd probably forgotten about the two lonely travelers heading to Karthe."
"Don't you mean thieves?" Lutius smiled with his head down.
"Never admit that, you hear me? We're simple travelers, I've been saying that so much I can almost believe it, and that's a good thing." Leon said, he stood while stretching out his backside. He looked again, towards the great plain of desert that rested outside of the prison. It was vast and all consuming but he knew that just behind that great plain was Arcadia, The Kingdom of Man, there he'd be safe. If only he knew of a way to get back. Everyone knew that men who traveled south of Ether wouldn't come back, alive at least. For these were foreign lands governed by the Elves of Ether. This was their home, and they've never liked the scent of men.

Leon should know, he could remember the stories his father told him; well, at least when his father was around. It could scarcely remember his father's face, one thing he could remember was the harsh wrinkles that scarred his face. And the Arcadian native eyes; bright green. The words he spoke ran true even now, they were louder too, maybe it was the the prison that he resided in or the heat that scorched his skin. But he could still hear his father's words "Whatever you do my boy, never traverse the southern border, for it will swallow you whole and consume you're spirit. Listen to a man who's seen what the elves can do." His father's voice began to echo in his mind.
"Contemplating something?" Lutius smiled, "So it would seem you've come to the same conclusion as I have huh?" Leon looking confused and then watched Lutius point his finger at the desert scenery that was behind him. "It would seem," Leon said courtly.
"The moment the guards see us galavanting out there, they'll ride us down with their shin, and if they don't, well you know what happens."
"We die of thirst," Leon finished, "or heat exhaustion, that's more accurate." Leon tugged against his chains, he'd had become accustomed to them so much it almost felt as if they were apart of his own flesh. "We just have to wait until supper, that's all," Leon said, his stomache felt like an empty pit that needed to be filled.
"That might be in a couple of days, we've been rationing the water and the stale bread for almost a week, they have forgotten about us friend," Lutius said.
"Elves, never forgot. You're forgetting who we're dealing with, if I wasn't so clever I'd suspect they're observing us right now in fact," Leon looked around the dungeon the thousandth time.
"We're not that important Leon," Lutius' tone strengthened, his sense of humor seemed to have died long ago, unlike Leon's.

Before Leon could reply footsteps gave way from outside the cell,and then they were getting closer. Leon looked at Lutius and sat back on to the rigid hard floor. He went into a pose that resembled someone who had reached the end of the road, he didn't have to try hard to pretend. Lutius simply waited patiently for the guardsmen to arrive. It felt like an eternity before the tall narrow face guards shown themselves to them, two stood straight forward with a torch lighting the side of their faces, their eyes were green and the most peculiar thing about them was their long ears that where the size of small dagger protruding outward and a strange angle. Seeing them now was like seeing the elven people for the first time again, but this time Leon didn't feel curious about their foreign features; he felt fear.
"Humans," the guard began. The sound of his tongue was that of disgust, and his expression revealed itself honestly. "You've been summoned to by the High Regent of Karthe, Faelar Magra." The guard finished his statement with opening the bars of the cell.
"Don't try anything funny, or we will strike you where you stand humans. For such lowborn, you people sure love wasting life, more so your own," the other guard said, he had a sick smile on his face. One could tell that he had no place for humans in his heart. He grabbed Leon by yanking him up, pulling on his wrists that have been badly mangled by the harsh metal chains. As he did so, Leon stood at least a foot higher then the elf, the elf's ears were at the same level as Leon's forehead.
"What does the Regent want with —
The guard quickly smacked Leon across the face causing him to stumble backwards, the guard yanked the chain that was around his neck in order to balance him. It worked, but for Leon the pain was excruciating. "No one prefers to the mighty Faelar Magra like that, especially an imbecil such as yourself!" The guard looked him squarely in the face, their eyes were aligned, for a split second Leon could see the thirst that this elf had for him, he then nimbly apologized by nodding his head.
"Good, unchain them, and bathed them we mustn't offend our dear Lord Faelar Magra." The Guardsman said.