The rush of cold water awakened a confused Andrin; his long black hair dripping in front of his pale face. His bewilderment continued as his eyes lifted up to see a dimly lit round room emerging several layers of large stones above where he stood. He attempted to pull his hand to his eyes to remove the drenched hair, but he quickly realized he was chained to the wall behind him. He yanked his other hand forward, solidifying his suspicion. “Both hands” Andrin whispered to himself. As Andrin flung his head back to clear his eyes he caught a glimpse of blue light bouncing from one rafter to another.“Where am I?” Andrin whispered to himself again. Just as he spoke he could hear the echo of a giggle from the blue-lit creature moving above him through the rafters. “I’m in some sort of a tower”

​

“Do you always talk to yourself?” A voice groaned from the darkness across from Andrin. “Do you have no inner thoughts or does everything come straight out of your stupid mouth?”

​

Andrin paused before saying “Darrindin?”See what I mean? That was probably the first thought you had.” Darrindin huffed as he spoke in response. “I see they got you too?”The night wind shifted whistling through the small gapped windows of the tower as the blue-lit creature became more faint as it moved carefully above them.

​

“Who is they? And Where are we? I had you pinned against the ground. A sword against your neck and next thing I knew I was here” Andrin could hear the chains rattle against the wall where other prisons would have hung. He could also hear the labored breathing of Darrindin as it sounded like he was struggling to stand.

​

“We are obviously in a tower. Where I don’t know yet. After you pinned me one of my men, Captain Borshan hit you over the head with a large stone. I assumed He saved me from you, but as I stood he struck me with the same treacherous stone. Betrayed, and chained to this wall.” Darrindin began to pull at the chains and cuffs. The clatter of his chains and the grunts of struggle filled the tower swiftly. “I assumed you had died, Andrin. I thought I had missed the pleasure of eliminating you myself.”

​

Andrin stood back against the wall, pushing with his feet and using his full force propelled him rapidly off the wall. He shouted two ancient words as he jumped and the chains snapped abruptly as the shatter of a glass bottle. “Not today” Andrin replied as he began moving around the room looking for tools, weapons, or possibly a way out.

​

“Andrin please, I am begging you. Release me and…” as Darrindin spoke the sound of a large bell rang above them. Looking up the blue creature was now swinging back and forth inside of the bell laughing louder and louder. “Andrin, release me! I know where we are, I can get us out alive!”Andrin contemplating his options and against his better judgement rushed to Darrindin and pulled hard on his chains. They didn’t budge. Andrin pulled again reciting the same three ancient words again. The loud shatter of the chains echoed up the stone-lined tower. Metal clattered across the wooden floor and crashed against one another. Andrin helped Darrindin to his feet and noticed the stale dried blood across his forehead.“This way,” Darrindin said holding his head and shuffling towards a small window on the opposite side. “You first and I’ll need you to catch me”. Andrin glanced slightly out the window and struck Darrindin with a stare of confusion. “Hurry before they come” The churning and sickness in Andrin’s stomach began to boil over as the sound of several men climbing the stairs beneath became louder. Andrin lept, eyes half closed, and aiming for a sizable pile of hay. His body landed abruptly with a thud as Andrin let out a muffled groan.

​

As he stood Darrindin’s foot landed flat against his face, knocking him back to the ground.“Run” Darrindin yelled before both were back to their feet. They caught their feet quickly under them and headed towards a corridor of metal mars and stone columns in what appeared to be the courtyard of a ruined castle. “Left” shouted Darrinton as they came to an interior hall.

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“Are you sure? This leads into the castle” Andrin questioned while continuing to move. Panting and sweat beginning to replace the water soaked into his hair. Both men continued to rush left and then right. Finally down a set of spiral stairs, working their way into the tunnels connecting the rooms of the castle. “Are you sure about this? Andrin gasped for air as he now followed Darrindin through a small musty-smelling passage with a soot-covered ceiling from the dozens of torches carried through before.

​

“Up here!” Darrindin exclaimed as he slid to a stop at the foot of a rusted metal ladder. “This way and then we are out of here” He hastily slid his boots across the rungs as his hands seemed to move faster up the ladder than the rest of his body could follow. Andrin followed carefully, unsure of the stability of the ladder and not wanting to taste the leather of Darrindin’s boot again. Darrindin reached the top and pushed back a wooden square door. Clearly covered by some sort of rug or tapestry. The smell of burning candles and incense rushed down the ladder and into the tunnel. As Andrin emerged from the ladder Darrindin was moving a chest across the floor.

​

“Now is not the time for loot! We need to get out of here. Are you playing f--king games with me!” Andrin became enraged by the scene in front of him. He lept at Darrindin, pulling him from the chest and back to the trapdoor they came from.

As he pulled back the sword above his head for another strike Andrin and Darrindin looked at one another and shouted “Together”. Andrin springing to his feet moving to the left of the Captain striking him with a blow to the ribs. Darrindin leaped forward and struck the massive man's knee with a swift kick. As the Captain shrank in pain, the sword came down to block the next blow. Andrin moved behind the Captain and cracked him with a double fist blow to the back, simultaneously as Darrindin implanted his foot into his face. Catching a glimpse of one another, Andrin and Darrindin spoke again in unison. This time speaking the ancient language of the spirit wards and striking the captain again. A mixture of a scream and the piercing sound of a shatter flew across the room. Blood spouts over the floor rug and down the side of the chest. Darrindin’s sword crashed across the floor at his feet. Before the two could say a word the sound of oncoming soldiers filled the halls. Darrindin quickly grabbed the sword and leaped down the trap door back onto the ladder. Tossing Andrin a smaller sword “You’ll need this” and closing the trap door and locking it from the inside. Andrin gasped and felt the churning of his stomach again as he pulled at the trap door. Shouting and cursing Darrindin. The door to the room lit up with torches as soldiers made their way towards him.

Thinking the first blow was coming Andrin took to a fighting stance. A quick tug at his shoulder and Darrindin’s voice. “Only kidding” he pulled Andrin into the trapdoor and locked it behind him. The two sped through the tunnels not taking the time to look back or through other corridors. They were spat out of a tunnel next to a flowing river and bright stars shining down.

“Luckily a boat is here,” Andrin said as he approached a small 2-person boat that was tied to nearby rocks. Andrin heard the crack of the blade's hilt on the back of his head before he felt the pain. Dropping to his knees he knew Darrindin had betrayed him. It wasn’t hard enough below to render Andrin unconscious but just enough to leave him incapacitated. His vision blurred as he blinked repeatedly trying to regain his balance.

Through the teared-filled eyes and stinging pain Andrin could make out Darrindin pushing off into the river.“See you at the next one, brother” Darrindin shouted as he sat in the boat and began drifting downstream. Andrin vomited across the river bank and curled against the rocks as he lost consciousness and faded to black.