07-08-2011, 01:20 PM
Part 2
It wasn't actually as bad as I had first imagined. Tekaran Toi was the sole master and leader of this group as he called it.
I was only getting more information slowly but from what I could piece together after a month was that this group really didn't need all the secrecy. Members were usually out in the woods to hunt various animals for food or monsters for whatever items they may be carrying around. Others would gather lumber from all around the keep or mine in the caves a little ways to the west.
To me this group mostly seemed to be stocking up on materials and trade goods but I couldn't figure out who received all the goods. The keep was big with plenty of storage room but the stocks never grew. Someone was clearly getting the materials we were gathering.
During the past month I had talked quite a bit with Heru. He wasn't exactly here voluntary either but unlike me he had simply been trying to mine in the same mine as this group was. His entry had however not taken him through 4 days in the dungeon of which he seemed quite happy. He had been here for almost 2 years. I didn't plan on staying that long but didn't talk to anyone about that.
Heru had come to accept his place here. He did sometimes admit to longing to leave but he was clearly not ready to accept the risks involved in that.
Heru was out as an accomplice.
I had chatted a bit with Thea when doing work in the keep. She was also not here by choice. In fact no one I talked to seemed to have been one of the founders of The Group as it was known.
Thea had been here for just over 4 years. She had been picked up by Mokar on the road between Trinsic and Britain. Mokar just so happened to be the same man who "took care" of me while I was in the dungeon.
Thea hadn't been cooperative in the journey to the keep so she had spent a few days in the dungeon as well. She didn't tell me exactly how many days and I didn't ask into it. No point digging into old pains.
This one day Thea and I were both in the kitchen preparing midday meals and got talking again.
"You know Venos I have been trying to figure out how to get out of here." She looked over at me while clearly waiting for my reaction.
"It might not be wise to talk about such things, others might be listening." I wanted to see just how serious she was about getting out. If she backed out of the talk this quick she clearly wouldn't have the stomach to do it anyway.
"I know but.... I just want to go, to leave here and never come back. And I think you feel the same even though you haven't been here as long as some of us." She looked me deep in the eyes, trying to see if she could read my emotions before I said anything.
"You can't read me can you?" It was time to see how tough she really was.
"No." She admitted.
"Then why do you think it's safe to talk to me about these things?"
"I just think that.... I don't know. I just know that you feel the same way i do."
I smiled. "Well you are right about that."
She smiled and turned towards her work.
"It's not nice of you to play with me like that." She blushed but kept her eyes on the vegetables she was cutting up.
"I needed to see how far you would go. I don't want to try and get away from here with someone who is going to back out in the last moment."
"I won't! I want to get away from here!" She had turned and was looking at me with what I could only describe as desperation in her eyes.
I cocked my head and looked at her face. I studied her expression.
"Really? Well then we should do it." I smiled and she replied it with a smile of her own.
I hadn't actually noticed it but Thea was beautiful. She had long dark hair down to her shoulder blades and dark green eyes. I've always had a thing for green eyes.
Two weeks later our escape plans had gotten nowhere. Getting out of the keep was easy. We were sent out to work on most days. Problem was it was always in groups and always had at least one of the privileged guards along. They always kept close watch on everyone who was out to work.
Getting our hands on reagents had proven equally fruitless. I still had my runes but with no reagents they were useless. We had both checked through the stores and rummaged through the kitchen and pretty much anywhere else we could think of.
"It's hopeless." Thea proclaimed when we were both in the kitchen again.
"Nah we just need to keep looking and if necessary come up with a new idea." I tried to reassure her.
"That's what you said last week as well." She sighed.
"Well yes but it's still true." I smiled to lift her mood.
She smiled back but it was obvious she didn't believe me.
"Thea" I grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards me. "Don't give up please!"
I looked her deep into her eyes to show her my determination to get away.
Her expression didn't change but she put her hands on my sides and pulled me closer.
She closed her eyes and we kissed.
I woke up the next day with more determination than I had ever had to get away from The Group. And I would bring Thea with me.
As fate would have it that day we actually did get out. Although i doubt either of us would have agreed to it being this way if we had known.
It wasn't actually as bad as I had first imagined. Tekaran Toi was the sole master and leader of this group as he called it.
I was only getting more information slowly but from what I could piece together after a month was that this group really didn't need all the secrecy. Members were usually out in the woods to hunt various animals for food or monsters for whatever items they may be carrying around. Others would gather lumber from all around the keep or mine in the caves a little ways to the west.
To me this group mostly seemed to be stocking up on materials and trade goods but I couldn't figure out who received all the goods. The keep was big with plenty of storage room but the stocks never grew. Someone was clearly getting the materials we were gathering.
During the past month I had talked quite a bit with Heru. He wasn't exactly here voluntary either but unlike me he had simply been trying to mine in the same mine as this group was. His entry had however not taken him through 4 days in the dungeon of which he seemed quite happy. He had been here for almost 2 years. I didn't plan on staying that long but didn't talk to anyone about that.
Heru had come to accept his place here. He did sometimes admit to longing to leave but he was clearly not ready to accept the risks involved in that.
Heru was out as an accomplice.
I had chatted a bit with Thea when doing work in the keep. She was also not here by choice. In fact no one I talked to seemed to have been one of the founders of The Group as it was known.
Thea had been here for just over 4 years. She had been picked up by Mokar on the road between Trinsic and Britain. Mokar just so happened to be the same man who "took care" of me while I was in the dungeon.
Thea hadn't been cooperative in the journey to the keep so she had spent a few days in the dungeon as well. She didn't tell me exactly how many days and I didn't ask into it. No point digging into old pains.
This one day Thea and I were both in the kitchen preparing midday meals and got talking again.
"You know Venos I have been trying to figure out how to get out of here." She looked over at me while clearly waiting for my reaction.
"It might not be wise to talk about such things, others might be listening." I wanted to see just how serious she was about getting out. If she backed out of the talk this quick she clearly wouldn't have the stomach to do it anyway.
"I know but.... I just want to go, to leave here and never come back. And I think you feel the same even though you haven't been here as long as some of us." She looked me deep in the eyes, trying to see if she could read my emotions before I said anything.
"You can't read me can you?" It was time to see how tough she really was.
"No." She admitted.
"Then why do you think it's safe to talk to me about these things?"
"I just think that.... I don't know. I just know that you feel the same way i do."
I smiled. "Well you are right about that."
She smiled and turned towards her work.
"It's not nice of you to play with me like that." She blushed but kept her eyes on the vegetables she was cutting up.
"I needed to see how far you would go. I don't want to try and get away from here with someone who is going to back out in the last moment."
"I won't! I want to get away from here!" She had turned and was looking at me with what I could only describe as desperation in her eyes.
I cocked my head and looked at her face. I studied her expression.
"Really? Well then we should do it." I smiled and she replied it with a smile of her own.
I hadn't actually noticed it but Thea was beautiful. She had long dark hair down to her shoulder blades and dark green eyes. I've always had a thing for green eyes.
Two weeks later our escape plans had gotten nowhere. Getting out of the keep was easy. We were sent out to work on most days. Problem was it was always in groups and always had at least one of the privileged guards along. They always kept close watch on everyone who was out to work.
Getting our hands on reagents had proven equally fruitless. I still had my runes but with no reagents they were useless. We had both checked through the stores and rummaged through the kitchen and pretty much anywhere else we could think of.
"It's hopeless." Thea proclaimed when we were both in the kitchen again.
"Nah we just need to keep looking and if necessary come up with a new idea." I tried to reassure her.
"That's what you said last week as well." She sighed.
"Well yes but it's still true." I smiled to lift her mood.
She smiled back but it was obvious she didn't believe me.
"Thea" I grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards me. "Don't give up please!"
I looked her deep into her eyes to show her my determination to get away.
Her expression didn't change but she put her hands on my sides and pulled me closer.
She closed her eyes and we kissed.
I woke up the next day with more determination than I had ever had to get away from The Group. And I would bring Thea with me.
As fate would have it that day we actually did get out. Although i doubt either of us would have agreed to it being this way if we had known.