Vanilla Climbs Down

Vanilla grabbed the rope and began her descent, heart racing the whole way. There was no sound down below; she wasn’t sure if that settled the nerves or not. Her hands had stopped shaking, but she was gripping the rope rather tight. Her ears felt funny the lower she climbed.

After a while she reached the ground, and looked around the room that bathed in the blue, elven light of the flare that she’d dropped.

“Who goes there?” a voice croaked, sounded dry, like the person hadn’t had a drink in a long time.

“I- I didn’t mean any harm,” Vanilla said instinctively. She’d said it every time she’d ever been caught, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

He was hard to see as her eyes adjusted to the light. He was lying down in the corner of the room, on top of some sort of stone platform. She couldn’t make out his features as he wore a huge cloak with the hood up. After a moment, he sat up, his joints cracking with each movement. The more her eyes adjusted, the less blurry and obscure he became.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. His voice cleared a little, he sounded eloquent, sophisticated.

“I was just looking around. What is this place?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

She stepped closer to him, looking around the room for a doorway to the Undercity. But there was nothing here but walls. Why had the mages of Octoton built this place? And was this man its guardian?

She hesitated before speaking again, unsure whether she could trust him. "I... I was exploring the ruins above and stumbled upon a hidden passageway that led me down here. I never expected to find someone else trapped in these depths."

“So, what are you doing out here?” he asked.

“I stumbled upon this place by accident,” she said, her voice soft but determined. “I never expected to find someone down here.”

He studied her carefully, and she saw his face at last, plenty of creases in it, long dark hair, even darker eyes. “What’s your name?” he asked, curiosity lacing his words.

She hesitated for a moment before replying, “I am Elara. And who might you be?”

“I am Zangard, formerly 2nd Mage of Octoton.” A mage? He must have been the guardian of this place. There must have been a doorway somewhere, maybe it was magical. She’d have to be careful around him. Had she hit some sort of trap when she climbed down and alerted the mages of her presence here?

“What are you doing down here? Shouldn’t you be in Octoton, with the other mages?”

“Alas, I am trapped down here.”

“How come you’re trapped down here? If you’re a mage, can’t you use your magic to escape?”

Zangard merely smiled at her through the elven blue light. “Alas. I was foolish, and my magic doesn’t work like it used to.”

“So, you’re trapped down here?” Then she realised, he was no guardian. He was a prisoner. A prisoner of the mages; he must have been dangerous. She’d have to seriously watch her step now to get out alive. Her heart raced, she had to get out of here as quickly as possible. She really shouldn’t have disturbed this man.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well, I am sorry for disturbing you.”

“Not at all, it is nice to have the company. Perhaps we can play a game?”

“What sort of game?”

“A game of honesty, and deception.”

“That sounds like it could be fun.” Vanilla gulped, dreading whatever tricks he was about to play on her.

“Oh, it does, doesn’t it?”

“What are the rules?”

“It’s simple really. I ask you a question, for every lie you tell, I get to punish you later.”

“But how would you know if I’m lying?”

“Oh, I have my ways.”