Opal sat in the murky darkness bound and gagged by filthy, coarse rope. The only illumination in the dank cave came from the one beacon in the far corner.
Unexpectedly her tormentor stepped into the dim light. She whimpered in fear as he started to slowly walk towards her. As she thought of the horrifying crime about to be committed one single tear streamed down her cheek as he blocked the only light.
When Opal woke up after crying her self to sleep she felt the burn of the open cuts rubbing in the dirt. He had whipped her over and over again for hours with a villainous grin on his filthy face. Just as she rolled over he walked in again which was strange, he never came back so soon before. He crouched in front of her and removed the gag from her mouth, this was the first time he had made contact with her since he first took her.
"Are you ready to tell me how to get to the magic source". He asked gently, it was the first time he had spoken to her.
"Never! I will never betray my mentor!" She said with a voice filled with fury.
" Very well. You shall die here. But mark my words, death will not come quickly". He said with a look of regret on his poorly lit face. He left quickly without re-binding Opals mouth.
Opal awoke to the soft murmur of voices getting louder.
".....feel right. Alea, I think we should let her go."Said the voice she had memerized from the night before, It was Ferde. Ferde was the name she had given to her tourturer.
"No, she stays. We need to get that information out of her. We need to get to the power source. And you will do everything I tell you to." The woman who must be Alea said, annoyance tainting her voice.
Opal went back to sleep, deciding she was too exhausted to listen to the rest of their conversation. She dreamt of escaping and returning to her family, to her sister, to Tula.
She awoke with a start. It was Ferde. He shook her awake and unbound her hands and feet. Her groggy mind couldn't register what was happening until he spoke.
"...on, we are gonna get out of here. I can't bear to see you in so much pain and suffering any longer." He said this with such passion one single tear slid down his cheek.
He pulled out a sharp blade and started sawing at the thick, almost vine-like rope. After about a minute she was free of the restraints and was elated, until she saw the bloody rings that circled her wrists and ankles. Ferde cringed as he saw them when they stepped out into the dim moonlight.