1 Locked Up Encounter

Elias threw a stone out of boredom. The rock hit one of the old rusty bars sending a metallic clang through the room. Night was in full swing, the only comfort in the night was the moon light entering the window on the far side of the room. Elias, like so many other nights, spent it studding the floating rock. He wondered at the true purpose of such a thing.

He had spent almost a week and a half in the hands of a northern bandit group. He cursed his luck and sent another rock flying through the bars into the temple of a Shrike. It hissed at him and paced around it's cage for a minuet before settling down in another spot in the back of the cage. Shrikes were lizard type creatures the size of wolves. It's practically harmless if not for the fact it's venom was one of the most potent of any scaly creature known.

He looked around the room, besides the Shrikes many other things populated the bandits trophy room. Wolfs, bears, mountain lions, but the majority was probably the beast people. Along the Anjolien River sat many camps of the northern beast tribes. Their people were honored warriors, and for most of the empire, valued slaves. their strength in battle was equal only to that of their working abilities.

Most people of the empire knew the tribes to be ruthless marauders, bandits, and savages. Going out of their way to kill any human they see. This was in fact a lie that had been ingrained in the people of the empire for generations. And to them, bandits who prey on the tribes are just, good solders doing their job.

Most of the tribes people had been heavily sedated, so much so that their will had been broken long ago, made into lifeless zombies. It was truly despicable, and he had no sympathy for the people who do these things. But, in his position he is in no shape to stop what is happening. Many things will have to fall into place in order to fulfill a long overdue promise.

It was then Elias heard multiple foot steps outside the door that lead inside the room. The door swung open and three figures walked in. Two large men and a small hooded figure, a child. One of the large men started to unlock a a cell next to him.

He pulled the cells door open and the other man let go of the child and pointed inside the cage. The child slowly walked in, and the men did not rush their pace. After she was in the man closed and locked the door. They started to walk out when one of the men looked over his shoulder and then walked to the front of Elias's cell.

"Your the man who walked in on our operation here are you not?" "That would be me, kind sir." The man nodded his head and glanced back at the child who was still standing there with her hood down.

"The boss wanted me to give you a note, not sure why, but I had almost forgot so..." The man handed him a folded up piece of paper through the bars. Elias took the note and the man nodded and left. Elias opened the note and read it quickly.

After he had read the last word on the note the paper burst into flames and Elias dropped it. It's shriveled up black remnants caring an unspoken promise was swept up by the wind.

He looked at the hooded figure and counted his options. He sat back down and thought out a plan, a plan of escape.