Lowest Level

Nashim was heading to the lowest dungeons. Usually he was no surprise in this part of the castle; most of guards and maids knew about his obsession but noone would admit it. But today the elf was wearing a cloak because he didn't want to be recognized. He wanted to be almost invisible, if it was possible. This visit was his secret and he wanted to keep it that way.

When he saw a guard patrolling the corridor, he hid in the small corner until the man didn't go. He was holding the bottle of wine; special gift from lord Rission for the dutiful guards.

Nashim was fleeing through the dungeons like a ghost. When he found a cell he was looking for, he put the hood off, showing his face to prisoners.

There were five of them. All elves. One woman was crying in the corner keeping her legs shut. One man spat on the ground when he saw Nashim. The others looked at him with mixure of hope and resignation in their eyes.

"Traitor." said man who previously spat. He had fury in his eyes; he was beaten but kept the spirit and didn't want to give up.

Nashim made one of his most ugly expressions.

"This traitor is free on high position in the castle and you are lost slaves and soon you will be dead. If that's  make me traitor, yes, I am one. But I did it for you, remember that."

"They...raped...me..." the woman in the corner cried slightly, not looking at Nashim.

"They said we are unobedient." said one of more stable elves. "They want to send us on the gallow."

"Yes, I know" lord Rission looked at him harshly. "I know about everything what happens in this castle. That's why I am here tonight."

"They...ordered....me..." woman in the corner shut her legs even more and Nashim looked at her. She was one of many victims on the system. In every system that allowed humans to use elves as slaves, women were lost forever. Especially as beautiful and ethereal as this one.

"Do you want to give us help, lord Rission?" said calm elf who previously talk to Nashim but the angry one pushed him on the wall. "Don't talk with this shit, you don't see he is one of them already?"

He looked at the boy furiously but when he saw glimps of something evil in his eyes, he lowered look and waved the hand to show that he doesn't care anymore.

"You can count on me or be dead" said Nashim. "Tomorrow, when they will be sending you on the gallow, no one will be guarding the corridor you will be walking by. When you see open cell, run there, it will be on third level of dungeons. There will be opened way to the cannals. Run as fast as you can and when you will be in the river, run even faster, to Rihavar. This is place where elves are still free."

The elves didn't say 'thank you'. Their look was blank. Nashim wore hood once again and left the cells after him. He didn't want to see these faces anymore. It was pain of his race which he always held in heart but every meeting with the victims were tearing him apart like claws of a lion.

"Run away as fast as you can..."