An Oath Forgotten: Chapter 1

Alone in the cold darkness of the dungeon of Crags Cage, Aaron Michus lie shivering and waiting for the turnkey with his meal. He had never been so hungry, and he had no idea for which meal he waited. All concept of time is gone when living in darkness. Aaron spent some time wondering if this was what it was like to be an Ashrat. They live their whole lives in pitch darkness deep inside the fiery mountains of Xach. Night or day, both were the same. Aaron was used to eating five full meals a day which included roasts, steaks, eggs, or even large round plumpcakes on occasion. For a week now his stomach ached. Thinking about what a relatively pleasure full life he had, before they said he defied his lord, only made his stomach hurt worse. And smell of the waste that dripped into his cell would make his eyes tear. Now he was surviving off of scraps of vegetables and maggot covered meats.

Foot steps echoed from outside his cell, and there was a hint of torchlight through the small crack at the bottom of the door. He heard people coming down the stairs. There’s more than one, Aaron thought, his eyes opening wide. His hearing had improved while sitting in his wet cage for what must have been over a week.

Was it a dream, some cruel jape of his delusions? Steps, steps, steps, he was sure they were coming to steal him away from confinement... hopefully. I must be strong, Aaron thought, I have already made my mind up...I think. They'll never bend me. Knights don‘t murder. Not even for his lord. The steps grew closer and louder. Aaron waited for shadows to make gone the small crack of light. It seemed like forever. Aaron sat more still than ever. All he could hear was footfall and in between those, his heartbeat. His anticipation was getting the best of him.

"Please hurry," he croaked out of a dry throat. He no longer wanted food. He now wanted to be brought back to life. He couldn’t have been their more than a week, but it was taking a greater toll than he first imagined possible.

Cold, damp, and worse, dark were the dungeons of Crags Cage deep under ground. The Cell Hall stretched the entire length of the keep. It was surely the longest hall of cells in all of Arcland. And the longest wait Aaron had ever been made to suffer. He had always been tough. Being Captain of the Guard was a tough job, but he had always been in fair treatment. Also he was the son of a great and valiant Captain. He was the second of two Captain of the Guard to receive private residence inside of the keep, and at nine and thirty years he was also the youngest. The rest of the Guard was confined to cramped rooms that would hold as many as three men each.

Now the footsteps were the loudest. Here they come. Must I decide now, Aaron pleaded with himself. They were just reaching his cell now, and Aaron made himself rise to his feet. He could hear their voices now though muffle by the sound of something dragging.

"Curse this hall," it was a women’s voice smooth and shrill. "Didn’t the builders consider people would actually walk its length?"

"Would you rather walk more stairs under earth?" it was the voice of a man. It sounded old and familiar.

"Is that Salomon?" Aaron wondered, whispering quietly.