BOOK EIGHT
The thought of spending a month in this dungeons consumes me, the darkness wrapping its icy fingers around my soul.
Unable to accept this bitter fate, I begin to pace back and forth, like a caged beast. My mind is racing as I desperately search for a way out of my predicament.
The window, a faint glimmer of light in the oppressive darkness, catches my eye. It's tiny, no bigger than a pauper's coin purse, but it could be my only chance for freedom.
With trembling hands, I scavenge through the room, gathering whatever I can to build a stack of hay to reach the window. My heart pounds in my chest as the makeshift ladder takes shape, the weight of my fate bearing down on me with each passing second.
With a combination of desperation and determination, I begin to climb, hay scratching at my skin, the musty smell of old straw is invading my senses.
The window is small, and the climb treacherous, but with every step, I edge closer to the glimmering light of freedom. I squeeze through the window, the stone scraping against my arms and legs, leaving scratches and bruises in its wake.
A sudden, sharp pain shoots through my arm as it snaps in the fall from the window. I hit the ground with a thud, my vision blurring, the world spinning.
Pain lances through my body as I lay broken and battered on the cold, hard ground. The world around me seems to sway and shift, a sickly, dizzying dance that leaves me feeling disoriented and afraid.
Through the haze, I struggle to stand, my broken arm is hanging limp at my side. Every movement sends fresh waves of pain through me, but I know that I must move, I must escape, before they find me.
With a tenacity that defies my battered body, I stagger to my feet, wincing in pain as every step threatens to bring me crashing back down to the ground. But I'm not done yet, not by a long shot.
My resolve to live and be free, is stronger than this pain that seeks to devour me. Each step takes me further from the castle, each stride towards the city gates a declaration of my defiance.
The walls loom before me, the gates sealed shut, their formidable presence a reminder of the challenges still ahead.
Like a wild animal cornered by hunters, I circle the walls, my eyes darting left and right, searching for a way through. In the distance, the city beyond beckons, a shimmering beacon of promise and possibility.
The night air is still, the silence punctuated only by the sound of my uneven footsteps as I navigate the treacherous shadows.
Suddenly, a figure emerges from the darkness, my heart leaping into my throat as I spin around, only to find myself face-to-face with one of the guards from the city's main gates.
The guard's face is a twisted mask of fury, his eyes cold and hard as he steps towards me, his hands curling into fists. "You're not going anywhere," he growls.
I back away, with my broken arm screaming in protest as I search for a way to escape. But the guard's movements are swift and his rage is giving him a strength that belies his size.
He raises a long thorny whip, ready to strike.
The guard's blows are relentless, each strike landing with a sickening thud, the sound of breaking bones and torn flesh filling the air. I collapse to the ground, my body broken and battered, my vision blurring.
The guard, his eyes wild with lust, advances towards me, his hands ripping at my clothes, exposing my flesh to the cold night air.