It was pitch black and there was the deafening sound of dripping water from the dank ceilings.
There was an infuriating concotion of smells in the air... damp, mould, rot... blood... and sandalwood.
There was a faint glow and muffled sounds from far away.
Moving through the darkness towards the sound, the smells getting stronger.
"Where did they go, you filthy beast?", A vicous voice hissed obceneties, followed by the thud of a fist collision and the rattle of chains.
Instead of braziers of fire on the walls, there were bunches of flowers. Not just any old flowers...
Nightshade.
Wet coughs mixed with a strained laugh answers the harsh voice.
"You'll... never..." the voice coughed again and spat blood.
"...ever... get... them...", the voice began to laugh and the chains rattled with the movement of it.
A man with curly brown hair matted to his head stood in front of his prisoner. The lights in the room from small garbage fires in the corners of the opening in this decrepid place, adding to the stench.
In front of this large, built figure was a man chained by his wrists to the ceiling, kneeling on the floor.
His white hair stained with his blood, his head hanging low. His chest bare and torn open in several places, leaving harsh crimson gashes in his pearly complexion.
The domineering figure in front of the prisoner shook with anger and fumed at the answers he recieved.
"WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?!" he roared at the figure slumped in chains, the body painfully hanging forward, shoulders rolled unnaturally.
The snow white prisoner raised his gaze to his captor. His angelic face blackened from the blows but the most startling revelation...
On the left hand side of his face, from his brow to his cheek gashed open through his eye. He smiled a smile that did not reach his golden amber eyes, his mouth full of blood.
Aurelia sat bolt upright, her breathing fast and her chest stung from working in overdrive. She was smothered in sweat and her hair was plastered to her face. Tears streamed from her eyes.
"Aurelia? Are you okay?", Avilas sat up with her, he put his arm around her waist and leaned around to see her face.
Aurelias eyes were wide with horror. She caught sight of Avilas and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, practically straddling him in fear that he may turn to smoke in her grasp.
In return her wrapped his arms around her and held her close, burying his face in her neck.
Avilas could smell her fear and sadness.
"They hurt you. Your eye...", Aurelia pulled back and looked at Avilas face. She traced a finger down the faint line that sliced through the left side of his face.
"Wait... how do you know...?", Avilas was totally taken aback.
"Aurelia, I always wear a glamour to cover that. How can you see it?" Avilas showed Aurelia the ring he wore on this thumb.
"I notice it when you sat next to tge bed the first day I was here. I saw the difference in the colours of your eyes and saw the scar...", Aurelia felt awful that she said that word. She hated her own and knew if she had a glamour to cover it she would.
"I have it to not draw attention to myself. I am going to take the ring off, tell me if you see anything different", Avilas did not look at Aurelia when he spoke to her. He could anticipate the look she was about to give him.
Avilas removed the ring from his left thumb. Slowly, the thin white line thickened from a little more than a hair width to about a centimeter in thickness. But the most amazing transition was that of his eye. It was no longer yellow, but white.
Aurelia watched in awe as his face changed with the release of the magic barrier. She reached out and touch his face.
Avilas flinched ever so slightly from her touch and quickly put the ring back on. But nothing happened, the scar did not disappear for Aurelia again.
"I was kidnapped and beaten for information a long time ago. I am sorry if my eye scares you", Avilas had still not met Aurelias gaze since she revealed she could see his deformity.
Aurekia reached out to his and cupped his face, pulling him to face her. She was still sat in his lap si it was difficult for his movement to refuse her entirely.
"I am not scared, Avilas. What happened? I dreamed you were chained up, being interrogated about someone. There was so much nightshade in that dungeon...", Aurelia trailed off as she tried to recall the details of her nightmare.
"Was it dark with fires in the corners?", Avilas stared at Aurelia intensely. This could not be. It was a century ago.
"Yes...", Aurelia was confused. Was her dream real? Did it all already happen?
"We need to find out what being Unbound means. It looks like you have more about you than we could have anticipated", Avilas held Aurelia close, he needed the comfort of her arms right now.