Torch

Chapter 1 The World outside of your Library

"Uuuh....kid?" The voice sounded concerned. 'It might be uncouth, but given my current binds...' he plunged himself head first into the pan of water. He lapped and slurped at it getting what he could into his mouth. 'God it tastes wretched' he thought, 'it must have been here since even my arrival.' He brought his head up to gasp for air before repeating his actions thrice more. He didn't feel completely satisfied, but it was about as much as he could handle before getting to the more chunky parts of the water. His stomach wavered at the thought of continuing.

"S-sorry I...it was...." The young man stammered.

"Ah wouldn't worry none. Ah mighta guessed it was somethin like that. Ya ain't gonna pass out again are ya?" She seemed to be more relaxed then the situation called for.

"No...no no, I should be alright. I'm....sorry....I can't remember much...where are we?" The young man asked.

"Ain't that always tha question? But yer in luck cause ah got the answer. Ya ready fer this? Welcome ta tha cap-e-tal city of Artrailza. If yer lookin fer somethin more specific we are in tha highest security prison tower. They got tha best ah-cu-trymonts fer us special guests. Ah say guests but ah'm pretty sure it's just me and yurself here."

"What?! I just left home not even a day ago! How could I have been transported to the captail and to a highly secured prison at that!"

"Beats tha hell outta me. Ah'd say ya got the fast track in here though. Ya sure you don't remember anythin?" The young man responded by shaking his head.

"I...I can't remember much after leaving to come here." A throbbing headache formed whenever he tried to think that far back.. "Everything a blur...I don't even know where my butler went." The woman let out a clicking noise.

"Well lookit yuu all unlucky like. Ain't got yer butler, no helpin hands, hell ya barely got any memories. But 'ey, at least ya won't have tah over think things fer long." He seemed puzzled by those words.

"Why do you say that?"

"They've been comin every day keepin ya dosed and dozin on some sorta somethin. Haven't had a taste of it yet otherwise ah could tell ya." A sense of lingering dread began to fill his stomach. 'I need to get out of here,' her thought, 'If I can't then I'll only be put to sleep again, and I'm not so sure my luck will hold out.' He pulled hard against his chains and shackles. His body started to shake from his new found adreline, he grunted and groaned against his bindings hoping his desperation would yield some sort of result.

"Nadal,Nadal rad kid! Yer only gonna hurt yerself iffin ya keep that up. Ah told ya already, this here is ah special location. If tha chains are made ta hold me back then yer sure as katran ain't gonna bend em. And if that ain't enough the disruption runes ta keep casters from usin' mana will definitely slow ya down. So unless yer an escape artist in disguise as a punk kid then ah think yer goin' ta be here awhile."

He leaned against forward against his restrains until his feet slipped on the wet floor. Defeated he laid there on his stomach. He was clearly frustrated, 'I've come all this way. It's been my dream to come to the capital city. I wanted to finally see something of the outside world that wasn't just written in my books. I get the okay to apply at the magic academy of my dreams. And what happens? I wake up in the capital in a prison cell....' he sighed hard. 'But that answers one question, there are still more I need to know.' His stomach began to roll as a nauseous feeling began to overtake him. Perhaps it was the stress of the situation? Or the more likely culprit the prison pan water.

"Kid? Ya doin okay over there? Look ah can hear ya and kinda see ya when yer standin but not if yer silent and layin in mah damned blind spot there ain't much ah can do. Ah'd rather not be alone in here again can ya can help it." She sounded genuinely concerned.