Dark Heart and Mind
I sat in the corner and sighed. I had no idea how long it had been since they threw me in this prison. I was alone for hours. Sometimes, the guards passed by, but they wouldn't dare say a word. I didn't know why, but they only looked at me, grim expressions in their faces. They despised me, they couldn't understand that I wasn't one of them. I've never been one of them. I was raised far away from them, by an Orc as an Orc among Orcs who couldn't accept me either. Only the one who raised me, the one I even called father, and the one I called brother really accepted me. Others tolerated my presence, but I never got anything from them without fighting for it – but that was a common thing among Orcs. I was happy that I had so many opportunities to prove my worth. I had forgotten everything that was before.
My orcish foster father said that he'd unite the Orcs one day. That he'd create a future for his people that would make them get the life they deserved. While pillaging was part of the culture, it shouldn't be the limit. He wanted to see the Orcs in their own kingdom, he kept telling me. I loved listening to him and discussing his plans with him. He also insisted that I'd have a respected position in that future. I had forgotten so much.
I was more than happy to fulfil every single order he had for me. It wasn't the first time he sent me to infiltrate the Empire, not the first time I got information for him since the Humans always believed that I was one of them. However, on the last mission, they caught me. I still have no idea how they could have found us, but they had. The Imperial knights rushed the camp we had built just a few hours ago and killed everyone inside, excluding me. I managed to escape while the Orcs sacrificed themselves for me. In the end, it was in vain. I reached a Human village and tried to get through unnoticed. While doing so, I overheard many talks between the Humans. Before, I had never really cared about their small-talk, I was only interested in the things I knew. I realized that the Humans and the Orcs weren't so different.
However, before I could start to ponder about this, the knights found me. They had noticed me when I escaped and rode after me. This time, there was no escape, no battle. They caught me. There was a mage in brown clothes who accompanied them. He just had to wave his hand and I couldn't move anymore. I was helpless, when they enchained me. The mage had a short talk with one of the knights before he and half of the knights were on their way. The knights said, there was someone who wanted to talk with me.
I was thinking about this capture, when I suddenly heard noises and looked up. From far away, I could see light. A tall figure, bearing a torch, was coming my way. I could already hear the heavy armor from afar. When he came closer, I noticed the dark armor he was wearing and knew who it was. It was the very person I had been brought to after the knight captured me. I had never seen anyone else with this armor. It was black with some golden ornaments on it, but that wasn't all of it. Being a magic user myself, I could FEEL the magic of this armor. Dark magic. He put the torch aside and looked at me. The torch allowed me to see his face. It was completely cold. He didn't say a single word, he just looked at me.
"What is it?!” I asked him. I wasn't scared of him – unlike the Imperials. I had heard several tales about him, claiming that he was the most intimidating, living Human. But I was no Imperial, I grew up among Orcs. Orcs don't fear their enemies. He didn't reply. Instead, however, he opened my cell and entered. From this close, I could see how tall he was. Had he been an Orc, he would still be tall in comparison to others. Even taller than my foster father.
"You have only a limited amount of time until the Orcs will be here, Imperial. You should run, you cannot hope to have the power to withstand them!” I told him after some time of silence. When I said "power”, he seemed to be amused. He smiled. He claimed that I had no idea about TRUE power, that I was naïve to trust on others. He came closer and as much as I tried to deny it, his presence started to intimidate me. I blamed some spell of his armor. He removed his helmet and came closer until his face was almost touching mine. I could've tried to use this opportunity to try and kill him to escape, but I couldn't do it. I had to listen to what he told me next, what he whispered in my ear. I had to listen to the dark and sinister secrets, that he told me. My eyes widened, the longer I listened to him,the less horrified and the more fascinated I was by this secrets. It didn't take long until I LONGED FOR knowing more. He whispered of things, unable to describe. I forgot everything I had known, he was filling my mind with things so monstrous and so wunderful at the same time, I couldn't have dreamt of. He talked for hours and the more I listened to him, the more obsessed I became with learning more. More knowledge, more power, there was nothing else I could think about. I completely forgot everything else. It didn't matter anymore that I was imprisoned, it didn't matter that he should've been my enemy, I just wanted power and knowledge, no matter how dangerous it was, I WANTED it. When he stopped talking, I begged him to continue. He told me, that he would tell me more next time we met, but also that he had to go now. Then, he just left.
I knew that he had changed me. He had darkened my thoughts by simply talking with me. Sometimes, I could still hear his whispers afterwards.
The moment he left, I forsake all the plans Rangul had. There was only one thing left in my mind: Power. I longed for it. It was like an addiction and I wanted to see it satisfied. I would find my own ways of gaining power and then seek him out again.
