Thin spider-vien cracks slowly appeared in the black ice that encased a young priestess. The flowing blew robes hung weightlessly in the ice as if she was frozen instanly. Long black locks also looked blown back by some sort of wind at the time she was frozen. Her pale white skin was due to years without sunlight and her expression was of disbelief that made the anguish of her condition more believable. A symbol of Mystra stood out around her neck glowing very faintly in the darkness. The cracks grew very slowly, bright red light pulsated within them. What twisted fate befell this girl? The black ice gave no answers, the red pulsing cracks that were continuing to grow gave even fewer.
Light, it was the first I'd seen in years. It could be an illusion, or a nightmare. I've been thrust into darkness so long that I don't remember my own name. There were fates worse than death in this world but reading about them and experiencing them for youself are two very different things.Nothingness, it made every part of your body scream out in terror while at the same time numbing them with the reality which meant that there was absolutely nothing that could be done about it. Eventually, it made you nothing. Hope though, the imperceptible spark of chance, could drive you mad. After so long Hope wound its way around your mind like a serpent and squeezed with every waking moment in the darkness. It was something as undaunting as hope which made her forget. With every hopeful moment her mind turned against her. So I stopped thinking about how to escape my fate, or when it would end or how. I stopped thinking about anything. I gave up.
This was a curious thing. Cracks were new. Light, even as far away and blurry as this was couldn't be mistaken. Like the light at the end of the tunnel. Was I rising toward it? It falling toward me? Perhaps my mind finally shutting down and this was death. The cracks were growing brighter and larger, they slowly turned purple then blue. The light grew brighter, larger. Hope, my enemy, crept into my mind once more like a silent thief. The light began to swirl and began slowly to illuminate the world around me. The cracks widened and something rushed between them. It felt like knives, feeling anything after so long was painful.Something blocked out the light for a moment then it was clear. My savior was the sun. The perfect circle of bright light bore down on me and again hope pushed at me, erging me to take the bait. Bubbles rose from my cell. The pain I was feeling subsided into cold. Hope overcame me, I was rising. My prison was rising toward the sun from the bottom of an ocean. The water turned beautiful greens and blues, colors I hadn't imagined in years. I could see the surface. It moved in a dance with the sky. Light dazzlingly reflecting off each wave. The cracks were near breaking point. Then I felt the rush of energy that I had longed for over the years. Like a lost lover returning from the dead, magic flowed into my soul once more.
This cage could no longer contain me. Energy ripped through what remained of the cage and it sent shards flying through the air. The warm sun fell upon me and I basked in its radiance. Powerful shielding spells encircled my body the force of which pushed at the sea which gave way as water does to such forces. I breathed in the warm air and tears flowed freely from my eyes.
I was exhausted though and fell to the sea, the warm waters flowed over my body and I closed my eyes, focusing for the moment on keeping my head above water and my face in the sun. I felt strong arms pull me up and out of the sea. Their intent was to save me. They spoke languages I didn't comprehend. They shook me and as I opened my eyes an old mariner looked at me through grey beard and hazel eyes and asked "Who are you child? "
"I am the Muse"
