Vanilla Plays his Game

She sighed impatiently, there was nothing down here, and she had to get out and get to safety, but she had to be careful. If she tried to run away, he’d probably use some sort of magic on her. Maybe he’d not seen the rope yet. Maybe she could find the right moment to sneak away. “Alright, I’ll play your game.”

“Excellent.”

Vanilla tried to be careful, wondering what this man might be capable of. She had a dagger on her, but nothing else.

“First question, then. What’s your real name?”

Saliva caught in her throat; she gulped to clear it before speaking. “I already told you my name, it’s Elara.”

Through the dim blue light, there was a beaming smile from Zangard’s face. Vanilla felt the sweat stick her tunic to her back.

“Where are you from, Elara?”

“Agrazza.” The reply was curt, trying not to let him hear any nerves in her voice. She stared at him intently.

“Hmm. So, what are you really doing down here?”

She gulped, then wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her sleeve.

“I- I was just exploring the ruins above and came across the hole in the ground.” She hoped it had sounded convincing, but she felt the nerves in her throat with each word.

“Alright, enough questions for now, let’s see if you were telling the truth.”

“And how are you going to-”

Tell me your real name.

“Vanilla,” she said in a voice devoid of emotion. She felt at her head, as though she’d suddenly been hit with a headache.

Your full name.

“Vanilla Lightfoot.” What was that? It was like he’d talked to her without speaking, and it wasn’t a question. It was a command. One she had to follow.

Where are you really from?

“Novilla.” She put her hand over her mouth, feeling disbelief that she’d just told him that. The voice had got her again. It sounded exactly the same as him, but seemed to infiltrate right through to her head.

“Two lies so far, Vanilla. It’s not looking good for you.”

What are you really doing here?

“I was told this was the location of the Undercity. I came to steal the treasures that lie beneath.” She placed a hand over her wide-open mouth.

“Hmmm. Intriguing.”

“What did you just do?” She sat down, holding her head in her hands.

“Oh, I merely controlled your mind. It is my power.” Zangard looked at his callused fingers. “Now, we agreed that if you lied to me, you’d be punished. What shall I do with you?”