Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 12 | Debt

GRETA

My eyes hurt.

A hard crust keeps them sealed shut. My hands rub them. They sting horribly when I open them.

Something rotten and gross fills the air around me. My back hurts. Bars of metal stand before me. The last I remember Zard had entered my bedchamber...

Where am I now?

The ground is made of filth and dirt. The tall metal bars in front of me remind me of my limpnut's cage.

Outside the barred wall, another barred wall stands. A strange light source hangs between the gap dividing our seperate...prison.

My heart hammers seeing large pale eyes observe me from the shadows of their own cage.

It must be a person. A heavy chain link keeps me from moving too far from the back corner of my own space. A rock lays beside me though.

I pick it up and throw it at the light source. It swings back, revealing the tall form of my god tied up against the wall. Dark trails of liquid stain his tunic and neck. Strange strips of material keep his body from thrashing around against the wall.

Chains keeps his arms and legs spread, but immobile.

Why are we down here?

"Adler?" I whisper.

"I'm feeling very warm over here, little pearl. Can you bring me some of your water?"

A large bowl rests near me. The surface of the water inside is still cold. My clothes are clean I find in its reflection. How come my god's aren't?

He's been tortured, but I haven't.

Has he done something horrible again?

"Little pearl? Don't back away, I just want a drink. Enoch sent us here because he thinks we're lesser than shelliv. He's treated you much better since you have his favor as you can see."

Enoch sent us here? I do remember Zard telling me about Enoch and how he came to kill his parents. We are not dead though.

My god is not perfect. He must have done something to get sent down here. What did I ever do wrong to Enoch though?

"Little pearl?"

My hand naturally goes to my shoulder, but finds nothing but air. Tears well up in my eyes as I remember Zard's men hurting my Fluff.

I miss it dearly.

"My Fluff! Zard killed it," I whisper-yell.

Adler's voice soothes my worries, "He is a terrible man. I'll get you a new limpnut, little pearl. Now, I know your wrist is too tiny for that clamp. Can you slip it off and bring me a drink?"

The light swinging comes to a slow shrouding his form back in complete darkness.

The heavy clamp falls to the ground near my feet.

Water drips slowly from the ceiling of my cage into the bowl by my feet. It is a very small bowl. I pick it up and slide through the gaps between the bars.

A sob bubbles out of my throat seeing the amount of horrible straps constricting his movements. I stand on my tip toes to feed him the water. Then I put the cup down and start unclasping the thick leather from around his body.

"Good, little pearl. Keep taking them off."

The last one hits the floor. I clasp my hands together with excitement seeing him move around a little, but the chains still keep him suspended.