Entry No. 11

By Kylie Kinslayer
She felt the sun on her face and grass under her feet. She was free. Free to go where she wanted, free to do what she desired. Happiness, which was foreign to her, did not even begin to describe the feeling. She began trotting and looked at her majestic wings. She started to stretch them out to see if they worked after all these years. Could she do it? Could she still fly? As she began to feel her feet lift from the ground, a loud noise from upstairs awakened her.

Sudiva slowly opened her eyes. The elation she felt was snatched from her quicker than people left after getting what they sought from her so long ago; a single tear. Month’s later bucketfuls could have been had. Dread sank in ever quicker, just another dream. As the bone piles and stalagmites slowly came into focus she laid there and tried to remember the last time she had even thought about trying to escape, let alone made an attempt. It had to be months, maybe even years. In all honesty she had no clue; her ability to tell how much time passed was long gone. There was no way to tell if hours or days had passed. No beautiful sunrises witnessed from the Mountains of Avarice, no cool crisp flights among the stars to tell night from day.

The sadness she felt for not being able to tell night from day paled in comparison to the void within her when it came to wanting companionship. She grew to realize she had taken it for granted. Early in her captivity she had more people around than she liked. She even grew irritated at the never ending multitude of people pouring in to yell Cah. More than once she wanted to snap the head off the next one, just to feel the skull crush under her powerful bite. Those feelings soon subsided. The crowd had stopped seeking her. It dwindled to nothing but the occasional pack of stragglers who tried to take the life from her body. Once it got through their thick heads an imprisoned Sudiva is not a submissive one; that too had ceased.

Another loud noise from above broke her out of her downwardly spiraling thoughts. She began wondering about the activity in the Throne Room. To go so long with inactivity and have it busy again struck her as odd. She wondered what horrors Astaroth turned loose upstairs that once again made people seeking treasure venture to such a forsaken place. Greed is what usually brings them to Covetous and anything worth taking was sure to be protected by hordes of beings who intended to guard it. She started her trek towards the steps hoping to hear or see some of the battle. Thoughts of how many times she had drudged back from them disheartened by another failed attempt of escape began to creep in. Snap out of it, she thought. She would not allow the depressing thoughts to seep in and strangle what little excitement she stood to experience. It’s sad, but true. With only bone piles to keep you company, even strange noises are exciting.

Making her way through the doorway she eyed the top of the stairs. They looked different. The magic that sealed her in was missing. For a brief second she felt hope, but she rapidly squashed it. She would not fall for the cruel joke Astaroth had laid for her. Surely he had removed the spell from the top of the stairs and placed it inside the hallway which led from what would eventually become her tomb to the throne room. She would not let him crush her any more. Never again would she get her hopes up, just to have them crash down upon her once again. She had sworn that to herself the last time she lay sobbing by the water when the misery sank in. As she continued she thought to herself, fool me once shame on you, fool me thirty times shame on me.

Nearing the top of the steps she could not detect a trap. Cautiously she walked, with every step expecting to spring a trap that would end her existence. Countless times she wished Astaroth had just killed her, it would have been less painful. That single thought changed her outlook. If  a trap was laid she would meet it with joy. An end to the torment of solitude is all she wanted. Each step hoping it would be the last. As she walked she saw the horrors of Covetous slink back into dark corners as she approached. She found herself longing for them to strike as one. She would not resist. She would not lift a single claw in defense. She would close her eyes and let them take her. She pushed on.

Before she realized it, sunshine hit her in the eyes. She stood in disbelief. Surely this was yet another dream. In the initial stages of her captivity she wondered if there would be a happy ending to her plight. She often daydreamed about huge battles being fought to secure her freedom. Basking in the celebration of victory as thousands greeted her upon her release. She thought to herself, how fitting it was to have a solitary ending.

She stood basking in the rays of warmth contemplating where she wanted home to be. She thought of an underground area that was a short walk to an open sky, both beautiful and magical. Yes, that would work. She had a bit in common with one inhabitant they both had claws and powerful jaws. The thought of leaving word for any seeking her was promptly dispelled. She had sacrificed much for Sosarians, they would have to sacrifice time to find her. Sudiva began trotting and looked at her majestic wings, only this time it was no mere dream. As she took flight she thought, I have always had a soft spot for pixies.
End

Location Notes
Just in case the clues in the final paragraph keep you guessing, Sudiva’s home to me would be in Ilshenar at The Serpentine Passage. She has been isolated far too long and would not choose another barren wasteland. The Serpentine Dragon, Pixies, Centaurs, Wisps and the occasional traveler would be more than enough to combat the alienation she has endured.