2Kyra woke to feel hard stone floor beneath her, cold and rough. There was a sharp stone beneath her, digging into her side. She cautiously opened her eyes, expecting to see the cloaked sorcerer standing over her in the lord's keep. Instead she saw a cavern.
The cavern's eerie blue light came from glowing globes, each one floating in the air. Along the walls were cages, most empty, but some full of horrible things that she couldn't even begin to describe. In the center of the room the floor sloped upwards, leading to what looked like an altar. There she saw the sorcerer. He was standing over something, a shape that resembled a human being. Kyra forcefully made herself concentrate on her surroundings, her eyes avoiding the scene at the altar.
After making her observations it took her a moment to realize that she was in a cell too. She looked around, her head darting from side to side, searching for a way out. The cavern made her feel more closed in than the caged around her. She was in the center of rock, separated from the plains and fields of home. There was nowhere she could run to.
The sorcerer drew her attention back to him as he yelled out the final words of his spell and produced a dagger, with which he stabbed downwards. Kyra could see the dark red blood trickling slowly down through a groove made for the purpose into the sacrificial bowl held by the wizard. She wanted to turn away but couldn't.
The sorcerer held up the bowl, said one last haunting chant and retreated to another room. Kyra looked away from the body on the altar and for the first time noticed something in the cage next to her. It was large, and looked like a lizard. Its eyes were closed and it wasn't moving. Cautiously Kyra picked up the stone she had been lying on and tossed it at the creature.
The beast opened its eyes, showing Kyra golden circles. But she looked closer, despite her instincts. Its eyes weren't gold, they were blue, but were almost filled with what looked like gold lightning bolts. Kyra stepped back.
"What do you want?" The creature asked in a low, gravelly voice.
"I uh, where am I?" She asked. At this point she had decided it was a dream. This couldn't possibly be real.
"Why should I tell you?"
"It won't hurt."
"Fine. You're in a necromancer's laboratory. And if I'm not mistaken you'll be as dead as the rest of his prisoners in less than a week."
Kyra stared at it. " A necro-what?"
The creature ignored her, closing its eyes again. Kyra looked up to see the necromancer coming back into the room. She retreated to a corner of her cage, watching him as he made his way across the room towards her cage. The blue light lit the features of his face, which she saw for the first time.
From the stories the townspeople had told Kyra had always seen sorcerers as old and craggy. This man was young, no wrinkles had even appeared upon his face. His brown eyes were watching her with a sort of hungry glare. Kyra hunched in he corner, acting as small as she could. She could hear the man's staff clicking on the floor as he drew closer.
"Look up girl."
Unwillingly Kyra looked up at the sorcerer. "What do you want me for?"
The man gave a low laugh. "You think I would tell you? You are destined to be the greatest of my servants. I have plans for you girl."
With his last word he pointed his staff towards her. A flash of red light and she knew no more.
Kyra woke, but wished she hadn't. The pain in her head stayed, tormenting her every breath. She reached up to touch her forehead, attempting to soothe the pain. Her fingers touched something smooth and cold.
Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. Her fingers ran over her forehead, and she could feel a smooth gem in its center. There was no obvious wound, the gem felt as if it were part of her.
She looked around quickly, and when there was no sign of the sorcerer let out a sigh of relief. Cautiously, she stood and walked towards the side of her cell bordering the cage of the creature. She threw a rock at the creature again.
"Is there some possible way I could be left alone!" It snapped, opening its eyes.
"No." Kyra said. "What are you anyway?" the bars made her feel at least slightly safe in asking this question.
"None of your business."
"Why are you here?"
"Why do you care."
"Because."
"Argh! Do you not stop girl?" The creature almost yelled.
"No."
It closed its eyes again and she could get no more out of it. Giving up she lay down on the floor and, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, drifted off to sleep.