“The task I am about to give you is of utmost importance but also very dangerous.” A man in a kingly robe declared, reluctance seeping through his eyes.

“If any of you wishes to withdraw then speak up now. Don’t worry, you will not be disgraced nor punished. After all, this task might cost you your lives.” He declared.

But none of the men bowing down to him moved and after a brief moment of silence, a red haired man stood up.

“Your Majesty, it is my sworn duty as a knight to protect you and the Kingdom even if it costs me my life. I know for a fact that the men here with me are more than willing to give their lives in order to secure the peace and security of our Kingdom.” The knight said with great valor.

The King seemed to be touched by his words as it the reluctance disappeared from his eyes. The King then took his scepter and raised it upward, signaling the men who were still kneeling down to stand up.

“FOR ALERIA!” The King exclaimed.

“FOR ALERIA!” The rest of the knights replied.

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“Guhhhuuh!” The man gasped as he was awoken from his slumber.

He realized that he was once again dreaming of past events and with his awakening, he was pulled back into the present.

He found that he was still chained to a dark dungeon cell slightly lit up by torches hung outside.

The dungeon was damp and dirty. It reeked of death and disease, with rats freely running around with no care. Sometimes these vermin would run up to him and nibble at his bleeding feet.

The Knight could not remember how long he has been there nor could he remember how many brutal lashings he has received. It is quite a miracle that he is still alive through the hunger and torture.

The knight wanted to die, yet death doesn’t want to pay him a visit. He always wondered that no matter how much he was tortured, to the point of collapse, that he would still find himself awake inside this very cell.

He realized that he was probably being kept alive but he was confused as to why. From the moment he was captured not once was he interrogated. They simply put him through horrific torture that slowly ate away at his spirit.

As the dim orange light continues to flicker, memories of the past flood his mind every time he closed his eyes.

He could still see it, he could hear it, the screams of his companions who gave their lives so that he could escape, yet their sacrifice was in vain.

He cursed himself deeply for failing his comrades, for failing the King, for failing his Kingdom. He only found comfort in the fact that they were able to send one carrier pigeon back to Lancia before they were compromised.

Suddenly he could hear footsteps coming from outside his cell. Two armored guards then appeared in front of his cell. He could not see their faces, but he could feel their hateful eyes staring at him.

“It seems you are awake, Alerian scum.” One of the guards remarked.

“The day of your reckoning has arrived, blasphemer.” The other guard chimed in, anger can be heard from his voice.

The guards then opened up his cell and removed him from his chains. A cloth was then wrapped around his mouth gagging him, and a bag was placed on his head. The bag prevented him from knowing where he was going to be taken. His hands and feet where then bound chained cuffs.

After being dragged through the floor for a good while, he was then shoved inside a carriage still bound and gagged. He found this to be even strange.

They kept me alive for so long, and now they are taking me somewhere else? The Knight thought to himself in confusion.

If they were going to execute me then why the carriage? Where are they taking me?

His confusion wasn’t misplaced since he rode the carriage for a relatively long time. He also realized that the road had changed due to the fact that the ride became rather bumpy. He knew that was outside of the city at this point.

After traveling for an hour or so the carriage finally stopped and he realized that he has reached his destination.

He was then once again dragged through the floor, only this time he could feel that it change from earth to smooth cold stone. He was being taken inside a stone structure somewhere outside the city.

Where the hell am I? He thought to himself.

After a few moments he was then violently thrown to the ground. The bag on his head was now removed along with the gag.

When his vision adjusted to the illumination, he finally saw where he was taken.

He was now in a black stone room that stretched like a hallway with torches lining the walls.

“It seems you are still alive and well, Alerian spy.” A voice said from behind.

He turned his back and saw a cloaked figure looking down on him. The man wore a dark cloak with white engravings sewn into the fabric. He then realized what this man was. He was now facing a sorcerer.

Realizing that he was going to be executed, he then mustered up the last bit of his strength.in order to blurt out his last words of defiance.

“Y-you.” The knight spoke in a dry voice.

“Hmm, it seems you want to say something. Quickly give this man some water.” The cloaked man commanded.

A cloaked servant then approached him and made him drink a few gulps of water. When he had his fill he then started talking again.

“YOU WILL NEVER WIN, YOU MONSTERS!” The Knight exclaimed.

“Hooh, and why is that?” The cloaked man replied in a mocking tone.

“We have already sent a message back to the King, warning him of your plans!” The knight screamed in defiance.

“I see, you think that the information will help your Kingdom prepare huh? Well to tell you the truth, it wouldn’t matter anyway, since the message you sent did not have all the correct information.” The man explained in a confident voice.

The knight’s heart then sank.

“W-what? How did you know of the message I sent?!” The Knight’s tone now lost all of his defiance and all that was left was despair and desperation.

“Oh, so finally you cracked. Well take this as a departing gift.” The man then gestured with his hand and suddenly something materialized on his hand.

The man then threw it to the floor right in front of the knight. After realizing what it was, the knight’s heart was finally overcome with despair.

It was the carrier pigeon that he sent before they were captured.

“Seriously, still relying on this primitive method. How backwards can you be?” The cloaked man continued to mock him.

“Oh and by the way, if you’re wondering why nobody ever questioned you, it’s because we already peered inside your mind. Sadly you didn’t possess any useful information.” The cloaked man shrugged.

The Knight then looked up to the cloaked man, his face was now of a broken man who felt that he had failed at everything.

“That’s a good face, now you are ready. Keeping you alive al this time was definitely worth it” The cloaked man declared.

“What? Are you finally going to kill me now?” The Knight asked weakly, eagerly awaiting his death.

“No, but from your perspective, it will be much worse.” The cloaked man answered as he went out of the black stone room together with his servants.

The knight then turned around and saw the lights from the torches slowly disappear as their flames were extinguished one by one.

The last thoughts of the Knight were those of his comrades and the King, as he loudly sobbed over his failure.

“I’m so sorry everyone!” The knight screamed in tears as an unknown darkness swallowed him whole.