Prisoner

Slowly regaining consciousness, the dank smell forced him awake. Looking around, Methan discovered the change in his surroundings. He was bound by strange cuffs in a small, stone cell. The cuffs weren't bound to the walls, but they were heavy and hindered his movements. There was little in the cell aside from himself and a small hole in the corner.

"Where am I?" he muttered to himself.

The cell had little in the way of light, so he attempted to create a small flame. The more that he focused on the image, the more drained he became. Finally, he had to stop. Resting against the wall, he used his time to properly analyze his situation. He had been brought to the count's manor, and after drinking a cup of tea, he had passed out. After that, he had found himself in a stone cell.

It was obvious that the count was to blame, but he didn't know why. The only clue he could find was in the questions, which seemed to center around his lack of ties with anyone. Closing his eyes, Methan pondered his situation, until he heard the sound of footsteps.

A pair of guards arrived carrying a torch and a couple of trays of food. One was placed in his cell, while the others were delivered to nearby cells.

"Oh, we have a quiet one this time," one of the guards sneered. "But don't worry, you won't be here for long. You will be on your way to a better place soon enough."

Methan shrunk away from the guards as they walked away laughing. After they left, he slowly crept towards the food. Sniffing it suspiciously, but finding nothing wrong, he nibbled on the coarse bread and drank a little of the watery soup.

"It there anyone else here?" he called softly.

He heard a few whimpers, but not much else. With nothing else to do, he sat back and tried to conserve his strength. He didn't know how much time passed, but he grew weaker with each passing moment. As he grew weaker, he slowly slipped away into a dozing state. Eventually, when he was unable to open his eyes on his own, he heard to door open and he was carried roughly and bound onto a wooden floor.

Methan attempted to open his eyes, but it was futile. The sound of horses neighing and wheels creaking could be heard. The wagon swayed gently and the sound of voices could be heard outside. Once, Methan thought that he heard Alum and Bianca, but it passed so quickly that he couldn't be sure.

Slowly, the sounds of the bustling town faded away to be replaced by the sound of gently swaying trees and chirping birds. Occasionally, a guard would mutter something, but otherwise not much changed. It was almost imperceptible, but Methan began to slowly regain his strength.

"Attack!" the guards yelled as the wagon came to a sudden stop.

Slowly opening his eyes, Methan could see that there were various humanoid beings bound in the wagon with him. Sounds of battle could be heard outside of the carriage. It continued for several minutes, until there was only silence.

The doors of the wagon suddenly burst open with the sound of shattering chains. In the door stood a tall, pale man wielding a sword. He quickly moved through the wagon destroying the chains that bound the prisoners. He grabbed a couple before heading for the door.

"You should all get out of here," he said as he left.

"Come on, I'll help you down," said a pale youth, a little taller than Methan.

Supporting Methan's arm on his shoulder, the youth helped him down from the carriage and towards the forest. The bodies of the guards were scattered around the carriage and the shadowy figures of the attackers could be seen disappearing into the woods.

"This is where we will have to part," the youth said, setting him down. "I hope that we can meet again."

Methan closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them he was alone. Unbound by the strange cuffs, his strength returned rapidly. After about ten minutes, it was as if the whole episode had never happened.

'I need to get out of here as well,' Methan thought, standing up carefully. 'I need to find a place to hide until I am strong enough to defend myself.'

Turning away from the road, he crept through the trees, doing his best to remain unnoticeable. The forest was somewhat thinner than where he had first appeared, but moving deeper, the sun light was quickly obstructed. Keeping an eye on his surroundings, Methan continued searching for somewhere safe to rest. Finally, reaching a cave partially hidden by boulders and trees, he checked to make sure that it was empty before entering and collapsing into an uneasy slumber.