Like A Steel Trap

[Atzar]

Solo.

Atzar woke up, and immediately wished he hadn’t.

His head pounded without mercy, every pulse bringing with it a new wave of pain. Crows called to each other somewhere nearby, each shrill caw exploding in his skull like black powder. His own plaintive groan rumbled like an earthquake in his ears. He tried to reach up to massage his temples, only to learn that his wrists were bound uncomfortably underneath him.

His eyes snapped open, but he only saw darkness. He felt the first twinges of fear bite at his stomach, well up in his throat. What is this? Have I gone blind? He thrashed at his binds, ignoring the lances of pain that stabbed through his brain as he did so.

The mage winced in agony as rusty hinges shrieked their protest. The sound of footsteps on stone ricocheted through his head as they made their way to him, growing louder than Atzar thought possible. Finally they stopped.

“How are you feeling?” The words carried none of the excessive cacophony around him; instead they sounded concerned, almost caring. Only then did the mage notice the burning in his throat, and he ran a parched tongue over dry, cracked lips.

“Water,” he croaked.

“Of course, hon.” That female voice came with that same kind, gentle tone. A soft hand slid beneath his neck to lift his head, and cool glass pressed to his lips. The liquid that poured down his throat was cool but cloyingly sweet, and he coughed.

“Easy, it’s okay.” The voice was low, soft, seductive even. “I’m here to help.” He drank deeply from the sweet fluid. It was so refreshing… so, so refreshing…

But he ignored the voice that nagged him from the back of his dazed mind. Something is wrong…

[Atzar]

She left him then, and a feeling of languor washed over him. The noise of the crows and the echoes of her footsteps all faded into nothingness as he fell into a dreamless slumber.

He had no way of telling if he slept for minutes or hours. When he awoke he was still blind, and his arms were still trapped underneath him, but at least that accursed headache was gone. At least he could think.

After a few futile tugs at his binds, Atzar gave up and considered his situation. What am I doing here? …Where the hell is ‘here’? Silent and motionless now, he listened to the darkness that pressed in all around him. The crows had long since moved on leaving him in eerie tranquility, interrupted only by an intermittent whisper of wind.

The mage yanked at his restraints one more time. Maybe I could just free myself with magic… He could feel that the handcuffs were metal, but with a frustrated sigh, he decided against it. He might as well search for four-leaf clovers in the dead of night.

The girl. She had helped him, had given him a drink when he had asked for water. Maybe she would come back, maybe she would free him. Or at least tell me where the hell I am. Oh, and why I’m tied up like an unlucky pig just before a feast.

As if on cue, he heard the familiar echo of footsteps on the stone floor some distance away. They sounded normal this time. If anything can be considered ‘normal’ when I’m tied up and blind, Atzar noted sourly. But at least they didn’t carry that same ear-shattering intensity.

“You’re awake.” It was the lady’s voice. “Good.”

Kellon turned his ear toward her. “I’m glad you’re back,” the words tumbled out of his mouth. “Help me, I don’t know where I am, I can’t get o-“

“All in good time, hon,” she replied with only a chuckle. That nagging voice buzzed once again in his subconscious. What? Why don’t you just free me? This was wrong…

Atzar tried again. “Please, I need your help. I don’t know why I’m here, I want to get out.”

Another low chuckle. “Easy. You’re here because I brought you here, Atzar.”

The nagging voice no longer buzzed; rather, it shouted itself hoarse.

“Who… are you?”

Yet another chuckle; that sound was quickly beginning to irritate Atzar. Two more footsteps echoed through the room before he felt her touch again. Once more it was that curiously light, gentle caress that lifted his head before pulling free the shroud that had blocked his vision. For the first time, the mage could see his surroundings. For the first time, the mage could see his captor.