The Unbidden: A Nocuous World (3)

Chapter 2 (Part 1)

opened after some time, I found myself inside room made of stone walls and floor. In fear, I looked for the distinct metal bars of my cell, believing myself to be back in the dungeon. Looking around, however, I found no bars, but a wooden door on one side and a closed window on the other. I had also been lying on a roughly made bed with actual linen.

The window shutters rattled lightly as wind outside blew. Loose sand from the other side flew through the gaps in the shutters, gently landing on the floor and leaving a thin layer of scattered sand about. As my mind came closer and closer to full consciousness, I licked my lips realizing how thirsty I was.

Instinctively, I looked around for something to drink. To my surprise, there was a pitcher of water on a small table behind me with a few empty cups. I picked up the pitcher weakly and examined the contents hesitantly – not that I could've identified any poisons. The lightheadedness from being so thirsty made me think it wouldn't have mattered if it was filled with poison anyways. Thus, I poured a glass and chugged the life-sustaining liquid.

There was no single feeling more gratifying and pleasurable in the world than drinking after becoming dehydrated. The desperation of the body to fill itself with the one thing no living creature could live without was a powerful feeling. I poured another glass and drank it as quickly as the first, and as I began filling a third, the door to creaked open.

I must've been hallucinating. Coming through the doorway was the tall figure of a dark elf whose eyes sent me back to a time years ago.

"Felt?" I asked in disbelief.

The corners of his mouth rose in a slight smile, but only for a moment. My eyes truly must have been deceiving me, as he was back in Tora'Balh when I was captured. Following behind him was a feminine figure with two magnificent silver horns poking out from their lustrous, silken hair – a person I was starting to think I'd never see again. Her head was held low in a subservient manner.

"We are indeed real," the all too distinctive voice of Hargen rang from outside the room.

Felt moved to the window and pushed open the shutters as Hargen's looming shadow blocked the view. One of his piercing green snake-like eyes leveled with the window, locking with my eyes. Before I could even open my mouth to ask the question burning most in my mind, Felt spoke up.

"There were a lot of logistics involved, really. Right after the fight started, I rushed in to help, but someone had used barrier magic. By the time I got through, you were gone and the remnants of those you fought with were all that was left."

He came to the small table and poured himself a glass of water, taking a drink before continuing.

"Afterward, I scoured around the town for information. I had a feeling it related to the merchant we talked to before, and after digging further, I had a lead. The ship you were on had already departed, however."

"I was of no use. When Felt told me of the situation, it became clear that unless you dropped the morph upon me, I was to be stuck in that humanoid form. How good it is to be true once again," Hargen sighed.

I furrowed my brows, recalling the spell used to morph him.

"We eventually figured out where you were headed and appropriated coin to sail here," Felt continued.

"How did you find me?" I asked, thinking back to the arena.

"Several merchants mentioned an exceptionally large caravan of slaves that had arrived not too long before we made land. They spoke how unusual the sight was as it was not a military movement despite the amount of personnel. 'Twas easy to find out their destination as we asked the caravans along the way," he responded.