His Dark Materials

Dungeons of Dark Despair

"Clarissa!" Bellowed a voice outside her room.
There was a loud banging at the door which drummed in her ears. Clary's head spun and throbbed with pain. She woke up awkwardly on the floor, tangled in a mess of her dress. She rubbed the back of her head and got up- falling back down to the ground as she did so.
"Clarissa!" It screamed again.
The voice became clearer. It was Amatis. She hauled herself up once more and wobbled to the door, unsteady she opened it and Amatis stomped in at once, Clary toppled over as she flew passed her. She stared down at Clary, her lips draught back in a shameful snarl.
"Clarissa, what on Edom are you doing?"
Clary narrowed her eyes at her. She clenched her teeth together, knowing if she spoke it wouldn't end well. Amatis saw this and the corner of her mouth twitched up.
"Well, there has been a- change of plans." She said slyly.
Clary lifted herself up and dusted her dress. She raised a concerned eyebrow. "Change of plans?"
"Yes. You see, Sebastian has instructed me to tell you; you are no longer going to visit the prisoners."
Clary knew who she meant. Her memory was still recovered, she still knew who the enemy was and who her friends were.
"Oh really?" Clary gasped, acting like she had no clue.
"Yes," Amatis made her way to the door. "He says, your going to Alicante."
Clary's eyes flew wide open. Amatis shut the door with a bang behind her.
'Alicante?' Clary thought to herself.

She stood almost stunned. A spark of anger flared in her, like an unstoppable forrest fire. She began to rage, she felt the power of the rune working through her veins, stopping her from feeling any emotion to anyone but her beloved brother. She screamed a terrifying scream. She pushed away all thoughts, yet they kept returning. Her head filled with thoughts, thoughts which weren't hers. Thoughts of Sebastian, thoughts of her being his. Thoughts of them hand in hand in love. Thoughts of them standing over the world, were she was his Queen. He could have anything in the world- yet all he wanted was her.
She tilted her head back, her mouth open she gasped in air and shut her eyes. The tears she cried for his dark fate, grew cold and turned to tears of hate. She screamed again, this time louder than ever and she ran. She jolted from where she was standing and burst out through the door. She needed to find Sebastian. She ran along multiple corridors, knowing not of what she was doing or where she was going. She just needed to find him. Her eyes wield with tears.
'Alicante?' She said in her head. 'But the border is closed. How do we get there?'
She shook her head and continued running. She gasped for air, her lungs hurt as she breathed. Suddenly she barged through two large doors and she was greeted by light. It was day. She spun in a circle and breathed. She had not been outside since ages, she let the moment sink in and then continued running. She crossed path to path in despair. She then saw a strange crumbling wall and stopped behind it.

Clary thought of the different ways she could go. She looked around and saw a few patios and a large tower with a window high up across a patio. Slightly, through the window she could see multiple shapes and shadows inside. She sprinted towards it and turned the corner, running away from the window knowing inside were probably the endarkened shadowhunters who were looking for her. Luckily, she saw a door carved in the broken and crumbling stones. She pushed at it- it wouldn't budge. She tried again, it moved slightly. She heard sharp voices echoing from where she had just come from. Her heart began to race. She ran and lunged into the door; it swung open. She flew inside landing face first on the ground.

Clary landed with a thud, she groaned as she jumped up from the ground and cupped her chin she sprinted down the corridor and saw her fingers were covered in dark red blood from her mouth and chin. She tripped over her dress multiple times, her legs shook with weakness. Her dress was covered in little flakes of stone and dust. It was partly torn around her knees and had drops of blood which had fallen from her face and other parts which she had cut. As she turned the corridor, she stopped and was greeted by a familiar haunting creature.
"Demons." She said under her breath.
They turned to face her. They looked almost like huge spiders. They were as black as night and each had three fluorescent yellow eyes. They made a strange squelching noise and began to chase after her. Clary gasped and spun round. She sprinted down in the opposite direction. She came to a corridor with a two paths, she felt as if her heart was going to jump out her throat in fear. She had no weapons, there was no turning back or fighting. She wouldn't stand a chance. She ran down the left corridor, she heard the demons menacing screams and bellows close behind her. Clary reached a room and swung the door open. She cried and shut it behind her. She pushed against it using her body to barricade the door, at once she felt the demons scratch and pounce against it. Clary groaned and held herself up, the door slightly moved open- a hideous, scrawny, sharp leg with small hairs which were like tiny blades reached through the door and into the room. Clary screamed as it touched her and cut into her skin, blood gushed out of her wound. She cried and with a heavy shove she shut the door completely. The demon yelped in agony- it's leg was left dangling lifeless through the door crack. The sounds of the demons disappeared.

Clary sighed with relief, her eyes wandered down to her arm where the demon got her. The skin was a crimson red and deep red blood flowed down her arm to her fingertips. She felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she looked away. Clary reached down to her dress and with her good arm, tore off a strand of material from the bottom. She began to wrap it tightly around the wound. The material soon became a darkish purple as blood stained it, Clary ignored this. Looking to her right, she saw a large plank of wood, she quickly hurried to it and placed it against the door so it couldn't be opened.
"Why didn't I see this before?" Clary muttered under her breath.
She walked through the room and saw another door on the other side. She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands and made her way towards it. Before going through, she saw under a dusty cover a glimmering object. Without thinking she removed the cover and saw a small dagger, similar to the one someone had given her. For some reason she couldn't remember who did.
"Who was it? It started with a 'J' didn't it?" She said out loud, trying to remember.
She picked up the dagger and examined it. It's blade shone through the dust and darkness and it's handle gleamed with silver. She held it tightly in her hand. Clary looked behind her and shook her head. She was now at the door, she slowly moved the handle and took a deep breath. There was no going back now.