The ringing once again appeared in his ears, by the time it was already normal, his hope of the new found reality the boy found himself trapped in, being just a dream, was crushed, as he woke up on damp hay, the stench of dried grass filling the steaming room, as the only few rays of sunlight which somehow were able to reach the cell he was held in warmed up the air. Shining directly on his naked torso, its warmth tickling him slightly, awaking him.
Rusted metal bars made up the door of the cell, its walls made up by dried clay brick, straw was used in the plaster connecting the many dirt blocks to form whatever building he was kept in. The halls were lighted dimmly with candles, even with the hole over his head, the few bits of sunlight only barely lit up the room.
The halls were eerily quiet, nothing seemed to move, only a few distant shouts and cries were able to sound to him from the walls arround him, the cries of a woman faintly reaching into his cell. Sometimes louder, sometimes quieter, the boy didn't want to picture what ever was happening to her. Standing up was easier, still his hunger was making it hard for him to completely get up to his feet, as he stumbles towards the metal bars. He held his face against them, the metal was much colder than the air, his eyes taking a peek through the whole pathway, looking in both of his directions, dimm golden lights were lining up to his right and left, cells making up the whole room.
In the distance there it was, a staircase of mud leading up to a shut wooden door, his only real way to the freedom which he was robbed of, as they took him as prisoner. Just as the boy risked a peek, the door was opened, fear struck the youngling, he fell on his back, mud tainting his back and leather trousers, only now, as he was backing up against the wall he noticed it on his body, not getting alot of time to admire it, as the heavy sounding steps came closer to him.
He slowly got up, balancing on the mudbrick wall behind him, standing atop with unbalanced feet, as the clunking of the boots came closer to his cell, he struggled to breathe in the damp air, both of his eyes glued to the right side of the metal bars, from which through he awaited who ever brought him here.
A hooded man, seemingly broad enough to fill out the hallway completely by his own appeared, he stopped slowly, turning to the boy in a slow motion, his head slightly sunk, after a while of staring at him through the holes of his mask, he unlocked the door patiently, his sight seemingly not looking away from the boys face.
The metal door squeeked as it got opened by his bandaged hand, which after it let go of the doors lock, turned to the boy, his palm reaching at his direction. "Na'av sarbahrm." A deep voice toned from the dark holes of the iron mask, the hint of curiosity was overshadowed by the gentle tone of his wording.
The boy wasn't able to awnser, he didn't know how to, was the word he said a greeting, or somesort of command to follow him, the boy looked up to the man who towered over him, with a critical glace. He was for sure ment to take the mans hand, if he didn't, the chance of him being able to escape would deminish. The success of his escape was determened by the trust he'd be able to gain of these people.
"Na'av.. sarbahrm." The boy mumbled to the man, his palms against the walls, as his ankles softly shakened. He gambled his freedom away with every move he made infront of this man, the slim golden chain arround his hood must be a symbol of his position in this building he was stuck in. From what he faintly recalled, there were two of these kind which must have taken him to this place. Was he the leader?
Warmly the man chuckled, his amusement thin, but enough to push his mask off his face, his hand reaching out further to the boy, as he revealed his pointy black beard, his bushy brows sternly pressed against eachother as he looked down to the boy with a thin smile. The boy hesitated once more, as he took his hand, the difference in their size was enough to spark the question of how old he was in this world, as everything arround him seemed much bigger.
The man gripped firm onto the boys hand, not harshly, but enough to make sure he wouldnt let go of his lead. With him the boy went out of his cell, the floor visibly cracked appart in some places, the mud much dryer than the cell floor. The man pushed open the once distant wooden door, revealing a lighted outer area of the building, roped men like him arround, sitting on the same mud floor the boy laid on.
Four were grouped up, sitting on their knees, enjoying what seemed to be tea, their clay cups only held up by two of their fingers, "Sarbahrm a'far." one said, nodding to the group, his cup held up, before the others followed his actions. "Sarbahrm a'far, Hij'bim." The bearded man told one of the four, which held up their cup another time in their direction as they passed by. The boy following their gestures eagerly, as he struggles to keep up the pace with his uneasy joints.
The lit up room gave away to a wall the boy was able to see through the giant windows, only mere meters away from the building they came out of, the boy awed, as he stepped out from the clay roof, which gave protection to them from the suns light. The man covered his face again, as he stepped into the sun, the shines reflecting from his mask, as they headed for another building, merged into the wall, which made up the compound. The barren ground of the outside was riddled with holes, mostlikely, the same kind which gifted him the sunlight that awakened him.
Inmidst barren walled off dunes, the building towered over the two, sporting the same height as the walls, the boy turned arround the see the building he walked out of, his eyes awing at its size, mostlikely being twice the height of the wall he headed into. The building on the side looked much tinier than before, as they entered, two more robed men greeted them, they mumbled the same phrase. So the boy was right, what ever it was that he said, must've worked like a greeting.
Before he could relize, they stood before another door, the man pushing open the massive wooden door, revealing a dusted workspace, dated books and papers flowing up the sides of the walls, a dark wooden table in the middle of the space, the two chairs behind and infront of it seemingly part of the same set. Their dark colour looked out of place, not fitting with the orangy-grey mud which surrounded the two.
A candle was hanging over their heads, shining its orange glow onto many dusted glass-jars stored atop wooden shelves, hammered into the clay. The man closed the door softly, letting the boy slip from his hand, as he placed himself onto the wooden stool, his arms resting atop the dark wood, as he signaled him with his fingers to the other chair.
"A'khadit." he said quietly, in a soft undertone.