Author's note: I would have updated sooner, but the teachers seem to think
we don't have anything better to do than spend hours on homework.
***
The moment's distraction was all it took. Something hit Elessar in the back with such force that he fell to the ground. He tried to spin onto his back so he could at least defend himself, but something pressed into his back, pinning him to the ground. He still held Anduril, but an orc's foot stamped down onto his wrist. Stifling a cry, he lost his grip on his sword, and the orc kicked it away.
Rough hands seized his arms but Elessar fought fiercely against them. One of them kicked him hard in the side, and in the moment it took to recover from the pain they had tied his arms tightly behind him. He kicked out at them, but soon his legs were bound tightly as well, with ropes around his ankles and his knees. He continued to struggle against his bonds, but it was nothing but a futile gesture.
"Keep still!" a harsh voice ordered. He didn't obey. The orcs began to hit him in response. He stopped struggling, knowing it was pointless anyway. He would stand a better chance of escaping if he hadn't been beaten half to death.
One of the orcs grabbed Elessar and flung him over his shoulder. The ropes meant he couldn't escape, but he lifted his head and saw Parlond being treated in much the same manner as him. Parlond appeared to be unconscious, and there was a deep gash across his forehead. He looked round and saw Sal being lifted. To his surprise, Sal wasn't bound, and there didn't appear to be any wounds on him. Still he lay unresisting in their arms, eyes closed almost as if he was asleep.
***
Sal screamed as he felt the blade pierce his heart. He looked down at the sword that was protruding from his chest. The elfish characters were visible even under his blood. Fortune.
He let out another cry as the sword was pulled out, and turned to look at the person who had attacked him. A shock almost worse than the pain filled him as he looked into his own face, and saw the expression of terror on his features. The Sal in front of him gripped fortune with blooded hands and stared into his eyes with fear.
Sal suddenly realised that his vision was tinted red. He had thought it was from the pain, but now he knew it wasn't. He saw through a veil of flames, as his own eyes burned with red fire.
***
Elessar lay bound on a stone floor, where the orcs had left him. He was in a small cell, with no way of knowing what had happened to Parlond and Sal. He was especially worried about Sal. His terrible dreams had made Elessar concerned, but he had collapsed with no apparent sign of injury. Was he suffering from some illness he had failed to see? Elessar felt a great deal of responsibility for Sal, and wasn't sure he could forgive himself if something happened to him.
He didn't have time to worry about Sal, because the door opened at that point, and two men came in flanked by orcs.
"Welcome, Your Majesty," one of the men said, stressing the title.
"Forgive us if we don't bow," the other said. Elessar glared at them, and there was laughter from the orcs.
"Of course, it's only manners that we show you a little more of our home." There was more laughter from the orcs at this remark. They came and cut the ropes around Elessar's legs. The instant the ropes were gone, he kicked out at his captors. He was still and the ground with his hands bound, so he couldn't find well, but he put up a good fight before they managed to hold him still. Elessar glared at the men, but instead of seeming angry they were amused.
"Perhaps if the king wishes to fight like a beast," one suggested, "we should treat him like one." An orc pulled out a metal collar with a chain attached and fixed it around Elessar's neck. It was tight, and pressed against his throat, but fortunately didn't restrict his breathing. They must have had the collar ready, he realised, anticipating his actions. He had done exactly what they wanted.
"A beast shouldn't wear clothes," the other man pointed out. The orcs laughed maniacally as they tore off Elessar clothes viciously. There was nothing he could do to resist. He was ashamed as he lay naked before these foul creatures, but tried to tell himself that it was unimportant. The orcs grabbed his boots and pulled them off, jarring his ankle as they did so for they took little care.
"Now that's more like a beast." The men too were laughing now, and Elessar tried to block it from his ears.
"But a beast should have duties to perform. He mustn't be lazy."
They pulled him to his feet, and then the orc that gripped the chain gave it a tug that almost sent him back to the floor. The men walked out of the room, and Elessar was towed along behind by the chain. The orcs surrounded him, taking away any hope of escape.
He was taken to a large room. He was given a moment to stand and see the contents. There was a wooden table with metal cuffs fixed to it, two blocks of metal that stood close together for some purpose Elessar couldn't guess at, chains hanging from the high ceiling, racks of blades and whips and other instruments of torture. But, dominating the room, was a wooden post that stretched from floor to ceiling. A horizontal wheel was fixed to this post at chest height. The wheel was of almost solid wood, but there was a gap in it.
It was to the wheel that Elessar was dragged. The orcs cut the ropes around his wrists and pushed him into the gap in the wood. It was tight, and the wood pressed into his chest and back. The orcs still held his arms, and pulled them in front of him, locking his wrists into metal cuffs set into the surface of the wood. The chain at his neck was fixed to the post.
Elessar didn't understand what the purpose of this thing was. Unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long to be enlightened. One of the men pulled a level and the post started spinning. With a jerk the wheel moved, pressing painfully into Elessar's back at the same instant that his arms were yanked painfully at the wrists. He had no choice but to start walking as the wheel rotated.
The rough floor was painful beneath Elessar's bare feet and he couldn't pause for even a moment without being yanked forward by the motion of the wheel. The men were smiling cruelly as Elessar circled the post repeatedly.
"Perhaps we should leave the beast to his task."
They left, the orcs following. Elessar continued his walking. His feet were soon sore and his arms ached from the position they were held in. The cuffs were tight around his wrists, and his hands were short of blood. He walked on, step after step, with nothing but his aching muscles to take his mind of his worries. He wondered if the men would be putting Sal and Parlond through this as well.
Time passed slowly, monotonously. Step, step, step. He walked round and round in circles as the wheel moved onwards. His legs were sore and his feet agony. He was sure they were bleeding. He wasn't meant to walk barefooted like this. He wouldn't have thought this could be as tortuous as it was.
He wanted to rest. He wanted to sit down and take the weight of his feet for even a few moments. He stumbled, and as he slipped his body was yanked against his wrists, pulling painfully at his shoulders. His feet were dragged along the floor for a while before he could stand again and keep walking.
How many hours had he been walking? He stumbled again as his eyes began to close with fatigue. He had slept badly the night before because of Sal, and this exercise was taking its toll. He regained his footing and walked onwards, but it was a shorter time before he stumbled the next time.
He must have stumbled and continued at least ten times with the long intervals between them growing shorter each time. Finally his fall caused a laugh. As the wheel turned, he was put in a position to see the doorway. The men were standing there, watching him. Elessar could make out the orcs behind them.
"It seems the beast is tiring," one said as they crossed to the wheel. Elessar forced himself to stay on his feet as the wheel continued turning. They watched him for a long time, until even his self-control wasn't enough and he fell. This time as he fumbled to regain his footing his legs gave out beneath him. This was greeting by more laughter as he was towed along.
Suddenly the wheel stopped, and the orcs released him. Exhaustion taking control, Elessar fell to the floor. He fought weakly against the orcs as they grabbed him and pulled him from the wheel, but he didn't have the strength. He slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness.
***
Author's note: I would tell you what's going on with Sal, but that would be too nice. I'm going to be evil and leave you in suspense.
***
The moment's distraction was all it took. Something hit Elessar in the back with such force that he fell to the ground. He tried to spin onto his back so he could at least defend himself, but something pressed into his back, pinning him to the ground. He still held Anduril, but an orc's foot stamped down onto his wrist. Stifling a cry, he lost his grip on his sword, and the orc kicked it away.
Rough hands seized his arms but Elessar fought fiercely against them. One of them kicked him hard in the side, and in the moment it took to recover from the pain they had tied his arms tightly behind him. He kicked out at them, but soon his legs were bound tightly as well, with ropes around his ankles and his knees. He continued to struggle against his bonds, but it was nothing but a futile gesture.
"Keep still!" a harsh voice ordered. He didn't obey. The orcs began to hit him in response. He stopped struggling, knowing it was pointless anyway. He would stand a better chance of escaping if he hadn't been beaten half to death.
One of the orcs grabbed Elessar and flung him over his shoulder. The ropes meant he couldn't escape, but he lifted his head and saw Parlond being treated in much the same manner as him. Parlond appeared to be unconscious, and there was a deep gash across his forehead. He looked round and saw Sal being lifted. To his surprise, Sal wasn't bound, and there didn't appear to be any wounds on him. Still he lay unresisting in their arms, eyes closed almost as if he was asleep.
***
Sal screamed as he felt the blade pierce his heart. He looked down at the sword that was protruding from his chest. The elfish characters were visible even under his blood. Fortune.
He let out another cry as the sword was pulled out, and turned to look at the person who had attacked him. A shock almost worse than the pain filled him as he looked into his own face, and saw the expression of terror on his features. The Sal in front of him gripped fortune with blooded hands and stared into his eyes with fear.
Sal suddenly realised that his vision was tinted red. He had thought it was from the pain, but now he knew it wasn't. He saw through a veil of flames, as his own eyes burned with red fire.
***
Elessar lay bound on a stone floor, where the orcs had left him. He was in a small cell, with no way of knowing what had happened to Parlond and Sal. He was especially worried about Sal. His terrible dreams had made Elessar concerned, but he had collapsed with no apparent sign of injury. Was he suffering from some illness he had failed to see? Elessar felt a great deal of responsibility for Sal, and wasn't sure he could forgive himself if something happened to him.
He didn't have time to worry about Sal, because the door opened at that point, and two men came in flanked by orcs.
"Welcome, Your Majesty," one of the men said, stressing the title.
"Forgive us if we don't bow," the other said. Elessar glared at them, and there was laughter from the orcs.
"Of course, it's only manners that we show you a little more of our home." There was more laughter from the orcs at this remark. They came and cut the ropes around Elessar's legs. The instant the ropes were gone, he kicked out at his captors. He was still and the ground with his hands bound, so he couldn't find well, but he put up a good fight before they managed to hold him still. Elessar glared at the men, but instead of seeming angry they were amused.
"Perhaps if the king wishes to fight like a beast," one suggested, "we should treat him like one." An orc pulled out a metal collar with a chain attached and fixed it around Elessar's neck. It was tight, and pressed against his throat, but fortunately didn't restrict his breathing. They must have had the collar ready, he realised, anticipating his actions. He had done exactly what they wanted.
"A beast shouldn't wear clothes," the other man pointed out. The orcs laughed maniacally as they tore off Elessar clothes viciously. There was nothing he could do to resist. He was ashamed as he lay naked before these foul creatures, but tried to tell himself that it was unimportant. The orcs grabbed his boots and pulled them off, jarring his ankle as they did so for they took little care.
"Now that's more like a beast." The men too were laughing now, and Elessar tried to block it from his ears.
"But a beast should have duties to perform. He mustn't be lazy."
They pulled him to his feet, and then the orc that gripped the chain gave it a tug that almost sent him back to the floor. The men walked out of the room, and Elessar was towed along behind by the chain. The orcs surrounded him, taking away any hope of escape.
He was taken to a large room. He was given a moment to stand and see the contents. There was a wooden table with metal cuffs fixed to it, two blocks of metal that stood close together for some purpose Elessar couldn't guess at, chains hanging from the high ceiling, racks of blades and whips and other instruments of torture. But, dominating the room, was a wooden post that stretched from floor to ceiling. A horizontal wheel was fixed to this post at chest height. The wheel was of almost solid wood, but there was a gap in it.
It was to the wheel that Elessar was dragged. The orcs cut the ropes around his wrists and pushed him into the gap in the wood. It was tight, and the wood pressed into his chest and back. The orcs still held his arms, and pulled them in front of him, locking his wrists into metal cuffs set into the surface of the wood. The chain at his neck was fixed to the post.
Elessar didn't understand what the purpose of this thing was. Unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long to be enlightened. One of the men pulled a level and the post started spinning. With a jerk the wheel moved, pressing painfully into Elessar's back at the same instant that his arms were yanked painfully at the wrists. He had no choice but to start walking as the wheel rotated.
The rough floor was painful beneath Elessar's bare feet and he couldn't pause for even a moment without being yanked forward by the motion of the wheel. The men were smiling cruelly as Elessar circled the post repeatedly.
"Perhaps we should leave the beast to his task."
They left, the orcs following. Elessar continued his walking. His feet were soon sore and his arms ached from the position they were held in. The cuffs were tight around his wrists, and his hands were short of blood. He walked on, step after step, with nothing but his aching muscles to take his mind of his worries. He wondered if the men would be putting Sal and Parlond through this as well.
Time passed slowly, monotonously. Step, step, step. He walked round and round in circles as the wheel moved onwards. His legs were sore and his feet agony. He was sure they were bleeding. He wasn't meant to walk barefooted like this. He wouldn't have thought this could be as tortuous as it was.
He wanted to rest. He wanted to sit down and take the weight of his feet for even a few moments. He stumbled, and as he slipped his body was yanked against his wrists, pulling painfully at his shoulders. His feet were dragged along the floor for a while before he could stand again and keep walking.
How many hours had he been walking? He stumbled again as his eyes began to close with fatigue. He had slept badly the night before because of Sal, and this exercise was taking its toll. He regained his footing and walked onwards, but it was a shorter time before he stumbled the next time.
He must have stumbled and continued at least ten times with the long intervals between them growing shorter each time. Finally his fall caused a laugh. As the wheel turned, he was put in a position to see the doorway. The men were standing there, watching him. Elessar could make out the orcs behind them.
"It seems the beast is tiring," one said as they crossed to the wheel. Elessar forced himself to stay on his feet as the wheel continued turning. They watched him for a long time, until even his self-control wasn't enough and he fell. This time as he fumbled to regain his footing his legs gave out beneath him. This was greeting by more laughter as he was towed along.
Suddenly the wheel stopped, and the orcs released him. Exhaustion taking control, Elessar fell to the floor. He fought weakly against the orcs as they grabbed him and pulled him from the wheel, but he didn't have the strength. He slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness.
***
Author's note: I would tell you what's going on with Sal, but that would be too nice. I'm going to be evil and leave you in suspense.