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Daniel in Distress [Part 4]
I was the first time since my capture that I woke up acknowledging where I was, which left me barren and depressed. I was fairly sure that it had something to do with the voice. What was it about that voice? It was so plain, so ordinary, yet… the words it had spoken flipped my entire world upside down. Why?
I just lay there, wondering why for the longest time, but I was extremely tired and a hunger gnawed at my stomach, so I imagined that it was the middle of the night and I had never eaten dinner. I glanced to the cell door, and a plate with cold bread and water proved my suspicions. I picked it up, dunking the hard bread in a small cup of cold, runny gravy that tasted like gruel. Still, it made the stale and hard bread slightly softer and edible. I quickly polished off the bread, followed by the cup of water, then ran off to the small side room to relieve myself.
I was still hungry, and growing dangerously thin, but I was becoming accustomed to my new accommodations. I reached for my magic, once again only able to grasp the hem of it. Still, I felt a wave of joy and serenity pass over me as I did so. I worked on healing my bruises and hunger, finding myself able to reach farther in as I did so. Still, I couldn’t grasp the center even when I felt almost whole again. Thusly, I could only perform small spells, which might be best. I needed to save my energy and let my magic store itself up so I could make my escape easily.
I lolled around lazily for a while, too awake and excited to sleep, which it was clear the guards were. At first, I was waiting for the voice, but slowly I became unsure of whether it really existed and what it was exactly that I was waiting for.
Just as I had given up hope and laid down to go back to sleep, I was startled by a voice behind me.
“What in the world are you doing? You have to get out of here before they…” It hesitated, and I bolted upright and turned around, though I of course saw no one.
“Before they what? What in the world is this about?”
“How am I supposed to know? You’re the one in the cell!”
“Well you’re the one who’s here to save me!”
“How do you know that? How do you know I’m not just a hallucination?” The words I heard were true; how did I know? Maybe I was just going mad like people who get stranded on islands.
“I thought so.” It said after a moment, sounding smug. “Still, I’m not. I don’t know who you are or what your name is, where you come from, or even how I got here.”
I started to speak, but was cut off again by the odd voice. “Nor do I care. I’m not here to be your friend or answer your questions, I’m here to help you out of this place. Reach for your magic.”
I did so obediently and without protest. I figured that if I did, I’d just be yelled at, so why bother? My fingers brushed past the core, and I could feel the familiar comfort it brought, but I still couldn’t perform any useful kinds of magic unless I could wrap my hand around it and pull myself in. After several moments of struggling, I sighed and pulled arm back, opening my eyes.
I shook my head before answering. “I can’t quite reach the center. That means I can’t perform any particularly useful spells.”
I heard a deep sigh before the voice started again. “Hmm. You’re not good for much, are you? I suppose I’ll just have to come break you out myself.”
I gasped, eyes wide. “You exist?” The words just sort of came out, and I knew that the voice wouldn’t like them, but oh well. It’s have to live with it.
“Of course I exist, you buffoon! Didn’t I already tell you that?” Another frustrated sigh. “You use a sword, right? You look like you’ve been trapped for a few days, but you still have quite a built. You’re a knight, right?”
“Well, I’m not a knight, but I use a sword. It’s been stolen, however.”
“Broadsword?” The voice asked simply.
“Yeah… Why?”
“I’ll bring one with me. Lucky you, I recently acquired one.”
“When will you be here?”
The voice didn’t answer for a long time, and for a while, I thought it’d left again, but just when I was about to roll over and fall asleep, it finally answered. “I don’t know who you are, where you are, who your captors are, or where to start looking. It could take a while. But I’ll be there as soon as I can. While I’m working on it, stay in good shape and please try to reach your magic. It would help a lot, though I suppose it’s not necessary.”
I just nodded, and started wondering if whoever the voice belonged to could see me. While I mulled it over, I came to assume that they had left, though I didn’t feel the strange sensation of a magic being lifted I had the first time. I thought nothing of it until I was startled by the voice once again.
“What’s your master’s name and where can I find him?”
“Um… Oscar and probably in Rodyle. He lives on the outskirts, and doesn’t leave much this time of year. Only in the winter and the fall. I never under…”
“Thanks.” And with that, I felt the same thing I had yesterday. Like a spell being lifted from the cell. I tried to reach my magic one last time before I went back to sleep, but I hadn’t made any progress. Oh well.
I felt the welcoming darkness of sleep consume my consciousness within five minutes.
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