Chapter 5

Alg returned the next day seeming cheerful. He greeted Rhian with her breakfast and sat next to her as she ate.

“Did you think about what I said overnight?”

Rhian nodded as she ate.

“And?”

Rhian had given much thought to what Alg was asking. “What is it that you really want? If you can be honest and clear with me I can be honest and clear with you.”

Alg was silent. He considered his words carefully. “Very well Lady. Since you will not leave here without my permission, I shall be honest with you.” Alg paused letting the meaning of his words sink in before continuing, “As you well know, the lady you met yesterday is to become queen. Her name is Maica. She does not love the king. In fact she and I are partners and lovers. The plan is to kill the king once the wedding is over and Maica is confirmed as queen. There will be a time of mourning after which we will announce our love for one another and be married to rule this kingdom and conquer our neighbors as we wish. Sadly though, I suspect we both know this plan is a lie we are telling each other. For I know that when Maica is queen and the king is dead, I shall be here in this dungeon with you as the accused murderer of the king. I have bigger plans though. The time is here for great power to be unleashed and the power will be given to the one who is in the right place at the right time,”

“So what does any of that have to do with me?”

“You don’t see my Lady?” Alg was surprised. “You can be queen. I can kill Maica as I will anyway, knowing what she has planned for me. You can take her place and become queen of this kingdom once the king is dead.”

“You expect me to participate in deceit, lies and murder?”

“It is a life far better than living in this dungeon.” Alg replied matter of factly. He was cold. He spoke as if murder was a daily occurrence like the common cold.

Rhian shuddered and wondered how many people he had murdered already.

“And I am then accused by you of murder and hanged for treason giving you the kingdom all wrapped with a pretty bow.”

Alg laughed loudly and his voice echoed through the empty cells around them. “You do have a fantastic imagination. We can truly be fabulous partners if only you will see things differently. I can see why you would think the way you do my Lady but I assure you, it serves me to have you in place as queen. I have no yearning to become fat sitting on a throne. Life is too short. I have far greater things planned than ruling a kingdom.”

“What could be greater than that?”

“The power which is to be unleashed is more than any king or queen could ever wield. I shall be as a god when I have that power.”

Rhian nodded trying to think as he spoke. “So kill Maica and the King and become Queen. What else do you demand for my life?”

“The knowledge of how to travel to your world.”

Rhian paled. “Why? There is nothing for you there.”

“You are wrong my Lady. There is plenty for a new god in a new world. Once I have the power I seek, this world shall be too small.”

Rhian swallowed. “Go to hell. I have nothing but good intentions and will not harm my world by giving people like you access to it. You would seek to plunder and destroy it at any cost. I assure you though that you would suffer the greatest defeat you could never imagine. My world has weapons the likes of which you cannot begin to think of.”

“Why then should you be afraid? You would be letting us walk to our own destruction. Would that not serve you?”

“Of course it would. But I will not do so at the expense of my family for I have no doubt you would destroy them first.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because entry to my world is through my home. I think it is you who do not see the possibilities of your actions. By denying you access to my world I will be saving your sorry ass. But perhaps your mind is too small to understand that.”

In an instant Algwad rose to his feet and pulled Rhian to her feet by her neck in both his hands. Her food bowl clattered to the floor after which there was only the sound of Algwad’s breathing, his face right in front of hers.

“Your insults will not save you. I seek a better outcome than her Majesty does but if you will not work with me and give me something I can work with, and keep you alive with, then I may as well kill you. Quickly. It may surprise you but I seek more than service to lady Maica and there is a place in my world for you too but the price for that freedom is information and trust. If you will not give me that, then I assure you I will find my own way without you. And when I do, if you are still alive, I will have no further need of you.”

Rhian was struggling to breathe and Algwad let her down slowly until her feet touched the ground again.

“I will add that Lady Maica knows nothing of the book. If she knew, things will be quite different; she would supervise your torture personally to gain all knowledge about your sorcery. So, while I may not be your best friend, I can still help you if you help me.”

Rhian was silent.

“Very well, let me give you the first taste of your alternatives.” He unlocked the cell door and then grabbed her arm in a vice like grip. Then he turned and left the cell pulling, almost dragging her behind him. They walked further down the corridor away from the direction he came from when he came to see her.

He walked so fast that Rhian nearly fell a few times but managed to stay on her feet. She had to run to keep up.

They rounded a corner and stopped before another cell. His torch cast some light but not enough for Rhian to see inside. He opened the cell door and dragged her in after him. He walked around the cell and lit torches in the sconces on the walls. After the first torch was lit, Rhian inhaled sharply. In the center of the cell was a large table. There were four rope loops on the table, two at each end. Rhian knew immediately that they were ties for hands and feet. They were far enough apart to keep the prisoner stretched out as much as possible. The table top comprised of two parts divided in the center and had wooden slats as opposed to a single piece of wood for the top. The slats at each end curved downwards as if they were rolled up. Between the slats were holes and Rhian could see sharp pointed needles which could be raised up through the holes to pierce the prisoner on the table. The table had dark stains on it which became clearer as Algwad finished lighting the torches.

He smiled enjoying the fear he saw written on Rhian’s face. “It is beautiful. For torture anyway.”

Then he picked her up quickly and laid her down on the table. She struggled and screamed but Algwad slapped her hard. The pain caused her to stop resisting. Algwad tied her legs to the table first and she cried out in pain as her hip joints protested against the abuse of her legs being tied so far apart. Then he tied her hands to the table. She cried out again. It felt as if her arms were being pulled from their sockets.

“Welcome to your new home,” he said with distaste. “How this works is that the two halves of the table are pushed apart by the turn of this lever.” He indicated a lever at the top right end of the table. As that happens your body stretches more and more. I can continue until you simply tear in half but the more interesting option is when I release this other lever over here,” he indicated another lever. “The needles are released. They won’t pierce your body sufficiently to kill you. What they will do, is pierce your body in strategic places which will weaken your body structure and you will slowly come apart from the weakened structure of your body and the pressure stretching you in all directions.”

Rhian said nothing as she squirmed trying to get as comfortable as she could which was impossible.

“But before I start with that, I will start with smaller torture and see if that works before I tear you limb from limb so to speak.”

He turned and walked over to a table on the wall. He searched briefly and then picked up an object. Rhian noticed it was a block of wood. When he returned to stand over Rhian he placed the block of wood under her elbow.

“I will add that the damage to you from torture is irreparable. So when I break your arm at the elbow now you will never be able to use your arm again. So this really is your last chance. Besides, I can always replace you with the man that comes with a book and searches the forest.”

Rhian had wanted to know what had happened to Andy. She would not let Algwad know she knew Andy but at least she knew Andy was still free and safe. But if she died on this table he would not be safe for much longer.

Algwad turned again and walked over to the bench where he picked up a mallet. He returned to Rhian and, without a word, raised the hammer over his head and began to swing it down.

Rhian closed her eyes, turned her head away, and screamed.