The Arena

To meet again

Tellor blessed his luck as he continued ascending further and further up the building. He only encountered a few guards patrolling, as he walked, and never more than two at a time. With almost everyone under lock, Baruing probably didn’t believe it was necessary to increase the guards everywhere. He passed a lot of stairways and took a lot of turns, but he wasn’t entirely sure where he was exactly and, thinking back, he wasn’t even sure he made the correct decision. He managed to get out, but what now? He didn’t know where Asendriel or Alera were. The plan was to try to find one of them, since they would probably know the other’s location, but this proved to be more like finding a needle in a haystack.

It felt as if he had been walking for almost thirty minutes now, when he finally came across a window and could clearly see the night sky. He breathed deep, taking in the fresh air, as if he had been imprisoned in the Black Chamber for days and he thought how it must have been for both Alera and Asendriel when they got taken there. Alera mentioned that she was just a girl when she was taken there for around three days and, while Asendriel was older, he did stay there for roughly two weeks.
The sky was black and full of stars so he assumed it might be a few more hours until sunrise. Hours that may prove efficient in hiding him until he finds the other two blood elves.

A soft sound coming from a corner snapped his trail of thoughts. He gripped the sword he took from one of the guards earlier and pressed his back against a wall, listening closely. He didn’t want to make a bigger commotion than this, hoping more to sneak around than fight his way out.

The steps seemed hasted as they got closer and closer and Tellor could tell it was a single person coming in his direction. And as soon as he took a turn and got into his line of sight, the blood elf stopped him in his tracks with the sword at his neck. It was a guard.

‘I would prefer it if you were silent’, he whispered into his ear, pressing the blade. ‘And I think you would prefer it as well.’

‘Wait, I’m here to help you! I know where the female blood elf is!’, the guard whispered back, lifting his hands, showing him he was unarmed. He did have a sword at his hip, but he wasn’t using it.

‘Do you really think I would believe Baruing’s men?’, Tellor asked as his blood started boiling at the mere thought of Alera. If Baruing thought of using her…

‘I am not loyal to that monster. Your general sent me! He told me to guide you to the woman and get you both out. I know about the key buried in the Black Chamber.’

‘If you lie, I will kill you without hesitation’, Tellor said in a low voice while he freed the man. ‘Where is Alera?’

‘Below the whipping chamber’, the guard responded, massaging his neck where the blood elf pressed the sword.‘ Baruing has another dungeon there and your friend told me they took her there.’

Motioning him to lead the way, Tellor followed as they both turned and started running towards an unknown destination. The blood elf weighed the guard’s word and decided that the knowledge about the key was enough proof for now. Baruing couldn’t have found out so fast about it.

‘Why are you helping us?’ he asked, uncertain.

‘Because we also want to be free of Baruing’s tyranny. If you can escape, maybe you can bring help from the outside. Inside, we are all prisoners.’

Tellor suddenly felt sorry for them. Of course there were others who were trapped here besides the fighters.. The healers and of course some of the guards. Everyone was at the whims of the sadistic lord. One word from him and, it wouldn’t matter if you’re a guard or a fighter, it would surely spell death.

‘Where is Asendriel?’ the blood elf asked.

‘He said he was going to free the other prisoners and face Baruing. We will create a diversion, while you and the woman sneak outside. He said to head to Kargath, in the west and seek help there.’