The Dungeon of Despair

WRITER'S NOTE: This is a retrospective of Ruth Grealth as she is kidnapped and captured by the Dark Wizard: Gerlard. The following passage can be found in "The Blacksmith's Nephew" Chapter 31. Please enjoy the reading. 

I was laying down on my hay bed just looking towards the ceiling of the cell. I felt powerless there in that cell I have been locked in for three days now. There was no way getting out of there! I have tried everything I could possibly think of, but always came short.

It seemed that the only way out was to say “I do” to the Dark Wizard for my hand. But I don’t want to marry that tyant because I didn’t love him, not one bit. 

In that cell, I felt so utterly alone in there, and the only person that gave her little company from time to time was Orsimin. Yet we have hardly ever spoken to one another. Seeing as how Gerlard treats his slave very cruelly, I wanted to know what the orc was all about. Like was Orismin to be trusted or not for my sake? 

Once Orsimin came into the dungeon with my food and water that one evening, I took the initiative, and finally spoke to the orc calmly, “Please tell me who you are.”

The orc stopped from where he was at the bottom of the stairs. He made a confused look upon his face and goes: “Huh?”

“I would like to know the orc who has been giving me food and water. Please, tell me who you are.” I asked again politely. 

“Master says not to talk to any prisoners,” replied the orc as he began looking around all nervously while walking towards my cell. 

I could tell the orc was very paranoid with the conditions he was at. The orc must have had a better life than all of this.

I next calmly demands the orc: “Well, your master isn’t here and if he has a problem with it, he can deal with me! Now please, tell me, who you are. I have no one else to talk to down here.”

“Okay, my name is Orsimin Wate…” says the orc slave nervously. “I used to be a local fisherman at the Capital. Every day I would work out in the sea, sometimes didn’t come home for a day or two. But whenever I came back, I found my family there waiting for me. My wife Lindurena, and our little boy Tobias would come rushing up to me giving me hugs and kisses after a hard day of work. It was always the best feeling to be at home with loved ones who were always there for you no matter what. 

“We all lived in a house there in the Capital near the sea and the city there loved us. People would come to our house every day to get fresh fish from us. My family would help me out with the business by selling all kinds of fish. From bluegills to cods, to catfish, to salmon, etc. You name it, we got it. 

“Everything was perfect until Gerlard the Dark Wizard casted a shadow unto our home and taken us as prisoners. The Dark Wizard saw my potential of serving the people so he made me a slave but only to him. He threatened my family and I not do anything reckless or else someone will get it. 

“It has been 10 years since my family and I have been trapped here at the Dark Castle. Oh, how I miss my wife and son so very much. I haven’t even gotten to see how my boy grew up to be. He is now 15 years old as we speak.” Orsimin then stops talking and begins to tear up after finishing his story. Seemed like painful for him to talk about it.

I then slowly come up to him by the prison bars. Couldn't help but feel a little sorry for what the orc has been through. Yet one could make up a story so I needed some prove in order to see this through. 

I next asked the sobbing orc, “Are you sure of what you say is true?”

The orc stops crying, turns his body slightly, and shows me a tattoo on his right shoulder that read: “Tobias”. 

Orsimin then replied back saying: “This is the only prove that I have for what I say is true. You can take my word for my family’s sake. I ain’t lying to you.”

Now I really felt bad for doubting such a heartbroken yet kind orc such as Orsimin. I then said: “I’m so sorry Orsimin for everything that has happened to you especially with me not trusting you at first. No one should ever experience what you have been through. There is going to be hope for you and your family, I’m sure of it.”

“You don’t know that though,” replied Orsimin with some disbelief in his voice and eyes.

I calmly replied back: “I may not know but I do believe that there is always hope in the end.”

“How can we rely on hope when we don’t know if it’s there?” asked the orc crouching and leaning against the prison bars.

“Because you have to believe there is in here,” I said as I pointed to my own heart showing him.

The orc looked at me with tears upon his face. There was despair in his eyes. This poor fellow has lost so much hope, and I wish there was something I can do to make him believe there is as such a thing.

He then shook his head and wiped the tears from his eyes with his arms replying back, “I must go now. I won’t want my master to be suspicious and do the unthinkable. Here is your food and water. Have a good rest of your evening. I shall see you tomorrow morning. Good night Princess.”

Orsimin quickly slides the bowl of porridge and bowl of water towards me under the prison bars. He then dashes out the other way climbing up the stairs towards the door of the dungeon.

“Thank you Orsimin, see you soon,” I said as the orc opens and closes the door behind him. 

There I was, once again, all alone with my food and water with no one else to talk to. Not even a rodent or any sort of bug crawling around the floor whatsoever to make any conversation.