The Dragon Lord's Wish

Ep 5: Hope

Where I am is warm. I have no pain. I feel as if I am drifting through dreams of stars and night skies. Arms take me into an embrace, and I feel safe.

I hear a man’s voice say, Don’t give up.

I cannot see anyone, but I know that whoever is holding me won’t hurt me and I know I am safe there. I think to myself, Maybe I’ve passed on. Maybe I finally get to rest now. No more running.

But fate would not be that kind. I awake screaming as hot fluid is poured down my back and legs. I’m shaking. I fight to stand but it is just too much. I put all my weight in my hands. Pain radiating from my injured shoulder. I cry out and he laughs.

“This could all be over if you just say yes,” he says in a low whisper in my ear.

“Never,” I spit back.

“Mmm, very well darling.” He gives me a disappointed look before spinning on his heel and skipping to the great brute standing in the corner. “Louis, bind her again since she is so eager to suffer.”

He flounces with his cane towards the door of my cell, almost dancing.

“See you in an hour darling, don’t get too comfortable,” he says slyly as he saunters down the hallway before disappearing up the stairs.

Louis approaches me but never looks at me directly. He works in silence. My skin is numb in some places, while in others the pain is excruciating. The bastards had poured hot oil on me to wake me up. Pieces of my skin were sloughing off onto the rope Louis was tying me up with. I begin to softly cry, swallowing the sobs not wanting to let anyone know how much pain I was in.

“I’m sorry, my lady, I have no choice. He owns me.”

My eyes snap to Louis, but I noticed he never opened his mouth. I look around realizing that no one else was close enough to talk to me. My cell was isolated from the other prisoners. Now I must really be starting to slip. There is no way this man had any regret for what he did, let alone call me a lady. I’m no w***e, but I’m nowhere near a lady either.

“Do not speak out loud, Master Chappon has ears everywhere. Think what you want to say to me, I will hear it.”

I gasp as he tightens my chain to the wall again, forcing me to crouch.

“Why did you call me lady? I am not royalty,” I ask.

Louis stops what he is doing. He looks pensive, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

“Where did you come from?”

I’m annoyed. He answered my question with another question.

“I was found outside a tavern 3 years ago with a head wound. I don’t remember anything before that.”

His eyes snap to me as if in disbelief.

“You must escape here. If he finds out who you are, he will keep you prisoner forever,” he says with an urgency I don’t understand. I motion to the chain.

“Seems I already am,” I smirk at him.

“Please free yourself, leave this place. You must!” He looks into my eyes, and I can see the panic settling in his face. Before I can ask him what he means by free myself, we hear a sing-song voice pierce the silence of the dungeon.

“Oh Louuuuuiiiiisssss! I do hope you don’t take too long, my pet; you know I don’t like to be kept waaaaaitiiiiiing.”

Louis’s shoulders drop and his body trembles.

This man is terrified of Chappon. I don’t understand why when Louis could crush him like a bug.

Louis must have heard me think this as I see his body still, and he faces me. Anger flashes in his eyes, making them look almost black. He balls his hands into fists, making his knuckles white. When he finally released them, I see that the tips of his fingers look odd… Could those be? Claws?

Before I can get a better look, he places the blindfold on me and then the gag as well.

“I’m sorry my queen, please do not give up. Listen closely and you will be guided to escape,” he then gets up, I hear his footsteps go out my cell and then my cell door closes.

What the devil did he mean I would be guided? No one was down here to help me! And why did he call me his queen? He must be mad. Perhaps that is why Master Chappon has control over him.

I sit there for a few minutes gathering myself. I’m going to die down here, and no one is going to miss me. I think if I had any tears left, they would have been spilled then. I needed water soon. My lips were cracking, my mouth had no moisture, and I could feel the skin on my back and legs tightening from the burns I had received.

I try to settle back into my routine, but it just hurts too much. Every time I move, I cry out in pain. I’m so tired. Maybe I can rest my head against the wall as I crouch. I do for a few moments and sleep takes me almost immediately.

I wake up as the clasp cuts off my air supply. I had fallen out of my position and was choking myself. I find my footing and crouch once again. I can feel my body giving up. I know that if I decide to give up that its over. I can’t give him the satisfaction. I will fight until my body can’t take it anymore.

“Madame?”

That voice!

My head turns towards the back of my cell.

“Madame, nod if you can hear me.”

I nod vigorously.

“Good, madame to get out of here you must use your magic.”

I still. How did the voice know I practice magic?

The voice is you, you daft girl. This is all a hallucination you are creating.

“I assure you I am no hallucination nor am I a figment of your imagination.”

I begin to panic.

“Madame, please be calm, for I am your guide. I am here for you in times of great need such as this. Please allow me to help you out of here.”

Should I really trust a voice? Could it be one of Chappon’s tricks? He would do some twisted things like let me think I was escaping only to strike me down again.

“Madame, we do not have much time before Chappon comes back. We must work quickly.”

I haven’t got anything left to lose. All my worldly possessions had been lost due to thieves. My only friends didn’t even know my real name. I don't even know my real name. The only reason Chappon knew mine was because of the sheriff that frequented his establishment had told him when he first took me captive. The filthy, pathetic excuse of a man.

“Help me,” I think, hoping the voice can hear me.

“Feel your bindings as if they were a part of you. Once you can do that you can undo them and then we will get you out of here.”

Gods, how was I supposed to do that? I had only ever used my magic to heal. That was all I knew how to do.

“You use your magic to become a part of another person to guide their body in healing. Imagine you are stretching your magic to heal the ropes. Then imagine them coming undone and dropping to the ground,” the voice replies.

How in the world could the voice know I use magic, let alone what I used it for? When I start questioning whether I should trust it, I realize the worst thing that can happen is nothing.

Here goes nothing, I think to myself.

I close my eyes. My magic isn’t very good and takes a bit of concentration and energy. My heart feels like it is beating stronger and with a purpose. I imagine light coming from my heart and going out from my center. I imagine strings of light flowing down my arms to my fingertips. I imagine the light tangling itself along the rope making me one with the rope. The image of the knots appears in my mind, and I gasp.

I had only ever used this magic for healing and never thought of visualizing while I did it. Now I feel truly witless. I never thought of that before. The knot is so clear in my mind that I can decipher how to undo the knot. The light starts going to the ends of the Much to my surprise, the rope drops, and my arms are free. I stay still for a minute, shocked at what just happened.