"Do you crave power?"
The Iron Maiden's whisper lingered in the cell...
Clink—
The amulet in Annan's arms suddenly fell. He bent to pick it up. "Sorry, what did you say?"
"Do you want wealth?"
The Iron Maiden's soft voice spread through the dungeon...
Annan chuckled and waved his right hand, which bore the Magic Ring.
A mountain of treasure piled with Gold Coins and gemstones appeared in the dungeon, glittering beneath the light of the magic Oil Lamp.
"There's a joke in Middle Earth: One day, Annan found a lamp. The Genie inside said, 'Now that you've met me, you can make three wishes.' Annan nodded. 'Go on. Tell me the first one.'"
This time, the Iron Maiden was silent for a long while. "Do you want to destroy the Royal Capital? I can help you..."
That piqued Annan's interest. The Iron Maiden had revealed something.
"Do you want to destroy the New Royal Capital, or destroy everything?" he asked.
"Is there a difference...?"
"I want to destroy the New Royal Capital's rulers and exploiters and free the common people, not wipe out everyone in the city."
The Iron Maiden fell into thought. As she did, the entire dungeon seemed to grow still and deep.
"Don't you hate them? Everyone here is complicit. They deserve to be punished..."
"That's where we disagree." Annan spread his hands.
"Free me, and I'll help you..."
"Who are you?"
"That doesn't matter..."
Annan shook his head. "I can't trust someone who won't even reveal her identity."
Would the Guardian Church of the Order Alignment imprison a good person in a dungeon? Would they lock a good person in its deepest reaches, then deliberately leave her behind when they retreated?
"You have to help me, because..."
The chill around him abruptly deepened, and the