The Dreamscape - Part 2

Days. Weeks. Months. Who was counting anymore? It seemed like an eternity.

This day began just like any other for the frei. The cold cobblestone floor, the sounds of agony filling his ears. The dark, inhospitable cell he awoke in every day in what seemed to be an endless loop. He pressed up against the steel posts that made up his cell, just as he did every day, and began screaming to help. However, today someone responded.

“Ryder…” The voice was soft, muffled, barely audible.

"“Y-yes, yes, what is it!? Pray, speak again!” Ryder’s voice quick, the sound of desperation and shock apparent.

“Ryder…” This time, as he listened, the voice was much more pronounced. It was deep and close by. Perhaps in the very next cell over?

“Pray, pray, help me! I need assistance! I cannot live this way any longer!”

“I cannot help you, Ryder. You can only help yourself,” the voice spoke again, very calm and collected for their current situation. The sounds of moaning and pleading became more distant in the background.

“Wha-? Who are you!? What do you mean!?”

“Listen. There is little time. You must break free. The spark. That inspiration and motivation for magic is the key.”

“How will that help, pray tell? I have not the inspiration needed. What may I do?!”

“In time you will see. You will find it. Just know that you have the power to break this curse on your own.”

“You are not helping! You say we have little time, yet you refuse to give me any worthwhile information! What am I to do!?”

“Believe in yourself.”

Ryder paused. Believe in himself? What was that going to do? He had no magic here, wherever here was. He also didn’t really think himself able to do much, especially in such circumstances like this. The frei took a few deep breaths before a list of questions were rattled off in succession.

“Pray, tell me who you are.” Ryder stated calmly.

“You will find out soon enough, Ryder.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Much longer than you.”

“Why are you in here?”

“You put me here.”

Ryder, amidst the groaning from the other cells around, looked puzzled. No, he didn’t do this, this creature, person, whoever...was wrong. In fact, he was very wrong. It wasn’t he who put him here, it was Erryd.

“You are most mistaken, I would not do such a thing. This was Erryd’s doing. My...shadow self.”

“Ryder, you must understand. This is not Erryd’s doing. It’s yours.”

Ryder, confused, shook his head, face scrunched. “No, you are wrong. Erryd did this.”

“Erryd is apart of you, Ryder. In essence, you did this to me and yourself. Now fix it!” The deep voice boomed.

Ryder pushed back away from the bars of his cell in surprise. Who the hell was this yelling at him? Just as he did, the door creaked open and the sounds of chains clanking on the floor could be heard. One by one, each cell was opened, agony filled the halls, and the cell was closed.

Ryder tried to drown out the screams by closing his eyes and repeating to himself over and over, “Believe in myself. Believe in myself. Believe in myself…”

As the door of his cell burst open, Ryder’s eyes opened and the frei charged forward with all his might to push the giant aside. He charged out of the cell, a smile growing on his face as he broke free of it.

Though the frei was free, it was short lived.

THUMP!

As he began exiting the cell, everything went black.

Ryder felt the cold floor as his consciousness came back. He was being dragged across the floor on his chest by his ribbon. As he looked up, he saw a large colorful figure with a head of fire behind the cell, looking at him as he was being dragged across the floor. His vision blurred as he slowly lost consciousness.