Post by mcian on Sept 7, 2023 21:53:04 GMT -5
Jace paced every inch, every trace, of the confining space of his room carefully, searching for any means of egress. It was hopeless. The walls, floor, and ceiling were thick granite blocks. There were no windows, not even slits. Only the adamantine door, with its bars of the same material, allowed air into the room. He had a table, a chair, a lantern, books, and a cozy but surprisingly comfortable bed to rest upon. The door to his cell creaked open slowly and he stepped back still wondering who or what his captors were.
To his utter shock, an ebony-skinned, hooded, man with slim, sharp, but refined and even delicate facial features entered slowly, holding up one hand as if to warn against encroachment of his space. “Stay back, son of Scar. I mean you no harm,” he stated calmly.
Jace was not familiar with this race of humanoids, but he had heard tales – terrible stories of dark-skinned humans who dwelt beneath the earth in dark spaces where none others dare ventured – humans who came to the surface to kill, steal, and kidnap. Had his senses not been well trained, he might have been shaking worse than he was. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“Then you do not remember.”
“I remember leaving Papua, entering the woods, then a pain and… sleep.”
The hooded man nodded. “A simple dart of my people. Very effective in disarming those we might find… difficult.”
Jace rubbed the back of his neck and felt a twinge of pain at a raised spot. He nodded.
“Introductions are in order. I am Jexmir. I am drow… dark elf… and despite that, I probably have saved your life young human.”
“Saved my life?”
“Yes. They were on to you. They know what you saw, and heard, of their plans and the materials on their ships, and to whom they were taking it, and perhaps more. You know too much. Your relationship to your father put them at risk. You had to be disposed of and it was coming to you, even though you guessed it at the last.”
“The Benefactor.”
Jexmir nodded. “Yes. He thought at first he might use you to learn things from your father, but then you accidently heard and saw too much. After that, it was a matter of risk and he could not accept it. You would have disappeared at sea, suddenly, never to be found again… if you were lucky that is.”
“Why do you imprison me then? Why not let me go to my father and tell him of this? This is not behavior of the friend to me you pretend to be. I am no fool.”
“If only it were that simple. You see, my friend and I have a vested interest in the Benefactor too. We seek to discover what he is doing in Papua. We are not fools either. He is not just interested in selling black rock or anything else. He is setting up shop and we must discover his purpose in its entirety.”
“Then why does it matter if I am saved or not?”
“We need information from you, of course. And, when it comes time to explaining our actions to others… say, your father… he will know not only what we did, but what we could have done with you. You see, there will be a price on your head… a steep one. We care not for it, but others will. If you go free, many will seek to collect it. You will have no rest and no peace. Here, you will find both. When we have what we need to know, and the situation has stabilized sufficiently, you will be sent home safe and sound once more.”
”This is insane! I don’t believe it!”
Jexmir shrugged. “That does not matter. It is what we know that counts, and what we do not yet know.”
Jace sat down on the bed, lowering his head. He looked up at the drow. “What do you want to know from me?”
“Tell me everything you know about the Benefactor, his forces, his ship and what you heard him say. Omit nothing, even the smallest detail. His defeat and your freedom rest upon it…”
To his utter shock, an ebony-skinned, hooded, man with slim, sharp, but refined and even delicate facial features entered slowly, holding up one hand as if to warn against encroachment of his space. “Stay back, son of Scar. I mean you no harm,” he stated calmly.
Jace was not familiar with this race of humanoids, but he had heard tales – terrible stories of dark-skinned humans who dwelt beneath the earth in dark spaces where none others dare ventured – humans who came to the surface to kill, steal, and kidnap. Had his senses not been well trained, he might have been shaking worse than he was. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“Then you do not remember.”
“I remember leaving Papua, entering the woods, then a pain and… sleep.”
The hooded man nodded. “A simple dart of my people. Very effective in disarming those we might find… difficult.”
Jace rubbed the back of his neck and felt a twinge of pain at a raised spot. He nodded.
“Introductions are in order. I am Jexmir. I am drow… dark elf… and despite that, I probably have saved your life young human.”
“Saved my life?”
“Yes. They were on to you. They know what you saw, and heard, of their plans and the materials on their ships, and to whom they were taking it, and perhaps more. You know too much. Your relationship to your father put them at risk. You had to be disposed of and it was coming to you, even though you guessed it at the last.”
“The Benefactor.”
Jexmir nodded. “Yes. He thought at first he might use you to learn things from your father, but then you accidently heard and saw too much. After that, it was a matter of risk and he could not accept it. You would have disappeared at sea, suddenly, never to be found again… if you were lucky that is.”
“Why do you imprison me then? Why not let me go to my father and tell him of this? This is not behavior of the friend to me you pretend to be. I am no fool.”
“If only it were that simple. You see, my friend and I have a vested interest in the Benefactor too. We seek to discover what he is doing in Papua. We are not fools either. He is not just interested in selling black rock or anything else. He is setting up shop and we must discover his purpose in its entirety.”
“Then why does it matter if I am saved or not?”
“We need information from you, of course. And, when it comes time to explaining our actions to others… say, your father… he will know not only what we did, but what we could have done with you. You see, there will be a price on your head… a steep one. We care not for it, but others will. If you go free, many will seek to collect it. You will have no rest and no peace. Here, you will find both. When we have what we need to know, and the situation has stabilized sufficiently, you will be sent home safe and sound once more.”
”This is insane! I don’t believe it!”
Jexmir shrugged. “That does not matter. It is what we know that counts, and what we do not yet know.”
Jace sat down on the bed, lowering his head. He looked up at the drow. “What do you want to know from me?”
“Tell me everything you know about the Benefactor, his forces, his ship and what you heard him say. Omit nothing, even the smallest detail. His defeat and your freedom rest upon it…”