2. Aurel
2
AUREL
T he chains bite into my scales, a constant reminder of my imprisonment. I flex my muscles against them, hearing the familiar clink of metal on metal echo through my underground prison. For centuries, I've lived in darkness, trapped by dark elf magic that pulses through every link of my chains.
The stale air reeks of dark magic, a constant reminder of that cursed night. My coils shift against the cold stone as memories flood back. I'd been hunting in the Shadowmist Forest, tracking a herd of moonhorn deer, when the first binding spell hit. The magic had crackled through the air, raising the scales along my spine.
"Careful now," one of the dark elves had whispered. "This one's different."
I'd laughed then, arrogant in my power. "Different? I'll show you different." My tail had lashed out, catching two of them across their chests. But there were more. So many more.
Their spells had come from all directions, each one designed to weaken, to bind, to chain. My magic, usually flowing like a river through my veins, had sputtered and died. The chains they wrapped around me burned with ancient runes, each link forged with spells meant to drain and suppress.
"The great Aurel," their leader had sneered, yanking my head up by my hair. "Not so mighty now, are you?"
I'd spat in his face. The beating that followed left marks that took weeks to heal.
They'd dragged me here, to this pit beneath their mansion, securing me with more chains than necessary. Their fear was obvious - they knew what I was capable of. What I still am capable of.
"Keep him alive," the leader had ordered. "He might be useful someday."
Useful. As if I were some tool to be stored away until needed. My fingers trace the runes etched into my chains, feeling the magic pulse beneath them. They'd thought they'd broken me, but they'd only given me time. Time to plan. Time to wait.
And I've waited long enough.
"Another day in this shithole." My voice comes out as a rasp, unused and harsh. Above me, footsteps echo through the stone—the sound of my captors going about their meaningless lives.
I coil tighter, my tail scraping against the rough floor. The motion sends waves of discomfort through my body, but I welcome it. Pain keeps me sharp. Keeps me focused on what matters.
"When I break free..." The words taste bitter. How many times have I made this promise? The dark elves' magic courses through the chains, burning wherever they touch my flesh. "I'll crush every last one of you beneath my coils."
A drop of water falls from somewhere in the darkness, hitting the stone with a steady rhythm that's driven me to the edge of madness more times than I can count.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Like a timekeeper marking the endless stretch of my captivity.
I lean my head back against the cold wall, my scales rasping against the stone. The magical barriers they've placed around this chamber pulse with a sickening light, casting shadows that dance across my prison.
"Centuries." I bare my fangs at the darkness. "You think you've broken me? You think this pit will hold me forever?" My laughter echoes off the walls, hollow and bitter. "I am Aurel. I've watched empires rise and fall. And when I get out of here..."
The chains rattle as I shift, testing them for the millionth time. "You'll learn what true vengeance means."
A flicker of energy brushes against my senses, so faint I almost dismiss it as another hallucination. But no—there's definitely something there. Someone. Above me, moving through the mansion's corridors with faltering steps.
My tongue flicks out, tasting the air. Human. Female. The magical signature is barely a whisper, like a candle flame about to sputter out.
"Well, well." I shift in my chains, stretching my awareness upward. "What do we have here?"
The presence pauses, and I catch fragments of emotion—despair, resignation, a bone-deep weariness that makes my lip curl.
I close my eyes, focusing on that weak thread of energy. She's carrying something, moving slowly. A servant then. The dark elves always did prefer human slaves for their menial tasks.
"Broken thing," I murmur, probing deeper with my magic. The binding spells crackle in warning, but I've learned to work around their edges. "So close to giving up. So ready to fade away."
Perfect. The corners of my mouth lift in a sharp smile. After centuries of failed attempts, maybe what I need isn't strength or complex magic. Maybe what I need is someone small. Someone desperate. Someone who can slip through the cracks my captors have overlooked.
My coils shift against the cold stone, scales scraping as I process this unexpected discovery. "How the fuck can I sense her from down here?" The binding spells should block all magical connections, yet somehow...
I press my palms against the wall, extending my magical awareness upward. The chains burn in warning, but I ignore them. This connection, though faint, feels different from anything I've encountered in centuries of imprisonment.
"Magic." The word tastes like possibility on my tongue. "But not dark elf magic. Something..." My fingers trace the wall, following the thread of energy. "Something raw. Untapped."
A cold smile splits my face as possibilities unfold in my mind. The dark elves, in their arrogance, must have missed it. They see humans as nothing but tools, too weak to possess real power. But I know better. I've seen what desperate humans can do when pushed to their limits.
"Poor little thing." I laugh softly, tasting her despair in the air. "Ready to give up. Ready to die." My tongue flicks out, catching more of her essence. "But you might have one last use, hmm?"
The chains rattle as I shift position, focusing my concentration. If I can just reach her mind... make her aware of me...
"And if you prove useless?" I bare my fangs at the darkness. "Well, what's one more broken human in this cursed place?"
My tail slides across the floor as I consider the possibilities. The dark elves would never suspect such a weak creature. They probably barely notice her existence.
"Come closer, little mouse," I whisper, though she can't hear me. Not yet.
The energy signature moves away, but I memorize its feel. I'll find it again. I'll have to be careful—humans are fragile things, easily spooked. But with the right words, the right promises...
I bare my fangs in the darkness. "Finally. A way out."