“Watch the head”

“I can handle this myself”

“Your arms are shaking, stop trying to play though Sorban, we’ve talked about this!”

“I said I can handle it…”

Sound graced my ears once more.

“Quiet you both! The gate is open”

The voices spoke but I couldn’t see them, nor figure out where they from.

“Carry these two down the lift first, we’ll carry the other three after”

A blindfold covered my eyes, the rough cloth pressed tightly around my face, and it was hard to breath in here, a cold sweat ran down my forehead to my chin and wind was all but present in this place. I could barely feel my hands, and my fingers flickered in response to my efforts to get up.

“I think this one is waking up!” one of them screamed in fear loudly next to my right ear.

“And what in the cryptic hells do you want me to do? Put her back to sleep you mediocre cunt!” the gruffier one responded.

I struggled to move, to respond and defend myself, but my body was still unresponsive.

“Relax you cat, this needle isn’t going to be the worst thing you ever felt.” Another of the voices spoke softly.

I could feel the force of his hands still pressing me down against the hard wooden surface on my back. My hands were still tied with a messy knot I couldn’t make sense of with my touch alone.

“You may think you’ve got us cornered in here” I replied with a smile “But you’d do well to keep your guard up, all of you! Because once I— Agh!”

“Come now cat, save your snarky remarks for later” the gruffy one of the group interrupted me with the blunt sting of an untrained physician “You and your team of curious explorers will have ample chance to tell them to the Mal’Ikh.”

The viscous gray liquid on the syringe made rapid effect on my body and the riptide of empty darkness carried reason and sense away from my body in what felt like a flashing eternity.

My eyes opened once again, I struggled to adjust to the dim and distant lights of the cavernous chamber. The heaviness yet hung in the air, and a dry silence reverbed through the cobblestone surroundings. Time walked with the patience of a stonemason, it was hefty and the world around me felt like being trapped in a sunless ghost town.

My body whole felt like an unshackled breeze strolling the open sea; the soreness remained, but the unyielding restrains on my hands, legs and feet were gone. And the cool embrace of freedom beckoned me forward to the door on the wall. However, as I gingerly touched my neck, my fingers traced the cold, unforgiving metal collar encircling it, a disappointing reminder that custody was still bound to me. Heavy and unyielding, the collar clung to my skin and dulled my senses, its touch caused me a slight but constant pain, and I could no longer feel the attunement of my soul shard.

I rushed to the door standing just a few steps in front of me, ancient and worn by the passage of time. Its once vibrant color had faded, and the layers of peeling white paint now revealed its rusty interiors. An uniform layer of light peeked through the door gap below, a faint orange shimmer that most likely came from a nearby torch or fire.

Maybe I can force the lock open with ice, I thought. My energy is depleted but if I can get out of this cell, I can find my team and plan our counterattack.

“In the face of uncertainty, we find strength…” I muttered to myself with a sense of decision. Quickly peaking through the small gap on the keyhole, scouring for possible threats outside the door. There was none. I placed my palm firmly over the lock and focused my mind, the cold embraced my feet, my legs, my spine and arms and body whole, and then, there came a lancinating pain below the tight touch of the collar on my neck that made me stumble on my back and fall flat on the ground. I could feel as If a thousand needles poked holes on my skin and muscle, penetrating deep inside with a poisonous grip that could be only interpreted as the combined hate of a hundred Mysthralian generations for magic.

I understood then, this collar was no mere decoration to remind me of my miserable position. It was made of Mysthral Steel, a mix of Iron and sand from the black desert of Mysthra. It was an old device which first appeared about two hundred years ago during the Arca Crossings in the lands of Mysthra, back in a time before it became a part of Tenesh over a century ago.

As I lay on the ground, struggling to recover, I realized the true direness of our situation. Our captors were prepared, and they knew our strengths, this collar was designed not only to physically bind me but also to strip me of my magical essence. The Mysthralian Steel acted as a conduit, siphoning off my arcane resonance, rendering me a powerless blob of meat and bone locked in a cage of indestructible rock and steel.

Ominous thuds echoed off the ground and walls beyond the door, someone was approaching. The cadence was deliberate, measured, and purposeful, like the slow and deliberate advance of an unseen predator stalking its prey. Slow and baleful was the rhythm of the steps and they made my tail tense in an involuntary response to the fear that gripped my body in that very moment.
“Open it” a female voice ordered with steel sternness. The unwavering confidence and control in her admonitory tone spoke of her importance.

The jangle of the keys revealed a sense of urgency as the jailer struggled to find the right one. “Aha, there you are sneaky one” said the old man playfully as he placed the key into the hole with the delicacy of a clumsy watchmaker.

The drastic shift in illumination blinded me for a second. She stared into my eyes. I stared into hers. There was no defiance, we both knew just how powerless I was at this very moment and naïve confidence can only get you so far.

Seconds passed.

“Impressive manners!... for a cat.” She scoffed. “Really? No words for me? You must be a smart one,”.

“Who are you?” I replied as I rose to my feet. “I’ve got bigger issues in my hands, no time to chat with messengers,” I said stretching my back. “So, say your piece.” A poor choice of words which got me a prompt slap that set me back on the floor.

“Watch your tongue, Captain, for the consequences of your choices extend far beyond your personal safety.” She reprimanded “I expected someone of your standing would understand that much.”

“Why haven’t you killed us yet then?” I responded as I rose to my feet once more. “If you could, you would have done so already. But you think you may yet get something from us, alas, sorry to say, we’re locked under anti-torture silence spells, so you might as well take your chances now.”

She smiled and turned her head to the ground. A smile that made me realize I may not know just how much they know. Anger swelled within me, an anger that demanded I wash off that zesty grin from her punchable-looking face.

“I admire your composure Captain, truly, I do, misplaced though as it is. I feel I should still warn you though.” She leaned closer and resumed “You will hear stuff, and learn things, things you won’t believe, things you will question, and hate, and deny. Nihrain has led you here for a reason, a reason you and I will discover, and that’s the only thing keeping you and yours alive at the moment. Be as hard-headed as you see fit, but in time—I hope—you will come to senses.” She ended, drastically changing her stern tone into something sincere and soft, like the heart dug advice of an old friend. I’d almost think she meant it.

The bewilderment in my eyes transformed into a steely gaze, revealing the defiance that simmered within me. If she thought she could manipulate me with half-truths and veiled kindness, she was sorely mistaken. I was no pawn to be maneuvered at will.

With a calm façade, I mustered a smile and looked directly into her eyes “You seem to be holding out more than just information. If you believe I will blindly step into this role of the linchpin, then you have sorely misjudged me and my allegiance." I ended and spat to the ground beneath her.

“Hm” she muttered.

A mix of disappointment and weariness exuded from her eyes, her frow revealed a touch of frustration and resignation, indicating that she had come to the realization that further exchange of words might be futile.

However, before I could react, she swiftly moved, catching me off guard. In a sudden motion, her knee struck my side, causing me to stagger and gasp in pain. The surprise attack left me momentarily speechless and off balance. The sheer pain indicated a broken rib.

Her expression hardened; her disappointment now mingled with a simmering frustration. With a firm grip on my arm, so to not let me fall flat on the ground, she turned to the jailer standing nearby and commanded, "Carry her along."

The jailer, obeying her orders without question, stepped forward and clasped his hand around my arm, preparing to drag me away. I tried to protest, but the pain from her knee strike left me momentarily stunned.

“Whe…where are you taking me?” I asked. “We’ll never give in. I already told you…you can’t unmake the spell; I can’t give you anything!” I said, my voice steady despite the throbbing ache in my side.

In a haste attempt to free myself from the hands of the jailer with cryokinesis, I failed to recall the Mysthralian collar still latched to my neck.

“You disappoint me, cat” "she said "But I admire your strength. Rest assured, we will put that resilience to the test."

They dragged me across long expanding and poorly illuminated cavernous paths, each darker than the last, it was as if the terrain itself paved the path ahead as we walked along the cave.

My surroundings grew increasingly ominous and foreboding. The dimly lit passageways soon turned to narrow corridors connected with heavy metal doors, concealing corridors within corridors within rooms, within their dizzying depths. Just how big was this cave anyway?

I strained my memory, desperately attempting to reconstruct the details of the room I had awoken in moments before I found myself in that cell. At first, my recollection was hazy, but as I surveyed my surroundings, fragments of familiarity began to resurface. One distinct feature remained in my mind, a vast expanse looming large above our heads, an open void where a torrent of radiant light cascaded down, reflecting its eye-catching radiance upon the dark surface of the cave. Moreover, an auditory sensation lingered in my ears—a symphony of water colliding with water, a ceaseless, rumbling chorus akin to the grating noise of a waterfall.

We came to a halt. My hands were still tied together with strong cuffs of Mysthralian steel.
“What is it?” I asked with unspoken mockery, “Did you lose your way?”

“Quiet” She replied and lifted open a hatch on the floor. Wooden stairs slid down cascading, allowing us to go into the room below.

“Follow behind” She ordered me as she slid down the stairs, making a resonating thud upon impact, followed by the sound of creaking wood and a large splash of water. The jailer stood patiently behind me, urging me to comply with a warm smile on his old decaying face. I took a cautious glance down the hatch to measure the height of the jump. Below, covered in limited light, the weathered raft beckoned to me, but, before I could fully prepare, an unexpected push sent me flying in the air. I landed on my two feet, barely, letting out a startled gasp that set them both into contagious laughter which caused me to join in for half a second. “I knew cats always land on their feet!” the jailer exclaimed with admiration from above.

Amidst the laughs and giggles, my attention shifted toward the

sight before me. For a moment I doubted my eyes.

It was a beautiful river, stretching far in this dark subterranean world, a mesmerizing gem of natural formation. Crystal-clear waters that perfectly embraced the filtering rays of light from the cave’s ceiling.

The artistry of nature lay inside the underwater world that thrived beneath its surface. Hues of glimmering cobalt-blue and emerald-green imbued my eyes with a sense of enchantment, the vibrant array of colors from the bioluminescent algae created a distinct contrast between the earthy colors of the cave. There were also minerals below the water, enough to turn a dozen miserable families of merchants and artisans into wealthy noble houses.

As I beheld the surroundings, a sense of awe washed over me,

revealing the swelling wonder within my eyes. The woman skillfully maneuvered the paddle, guiding us through the riverside. In that moment, it almost felt as if I had unwittingly enlisted for a guided tour.

"You like it, don't you?" The woman asked.

I jolted subtly as I broke free from my hypnotic reverie.

"What?" I responded, caught off guard by her comment.

"This place; beautiful, isn't it?" she remarked.

"Not interested," I retorted curtly, turning my head away.

She couldn't help but chuckle at my response, finding amusement in my assumption.