Story Writing Game

"Perhaps she does not want to."
The voice startled Hilla as much as it did her captor. She tried to turn her head, but the man's grip on her tightened. She felt him stiffen, and felt the faintest hope begin to rise within her.
"I'm much sure she'd rather come with me- the Caverns of Camelot sound so much nicer than the Stone Dungeons, don't you agree?"
Hilla's spirits sank once again. The Caverns of Camelot was a name known to all within their realm- they were the rumored hiding place of the dreaded Masked Man.
Hilla scowled as she thought of the name. Couldn't they come up with anything better than that? Maybe something more dramatic, or at least not so- well, so original. Since his hideout was the Caverns of Camelot, maybe he could be Sir Lancelot. Or, since he was so evil, why not Malum, the Latin word for evil? Or maybe...
Her musings were cut short by the harsh laughter of her captor.
"Well, if it isn't the Masked Man himself, live and in person. This is indeed an honor- and perhaps it shall prove profitable for the both of us. I was hoping to contact you to see what you'd be willing to give for the sister of the Silent Hawk, seeing as how he's given you so much trouble."
"Indeed- well then I have some good news for you. The girl will come with me and I will give you nothing in return." The man's voice was cold and slightly amused- his manner reminded Hilla rather of Dyran, although more evil and menacing, and she wondered if he had trained Dyran.
The man holding her laughed again. "It seems to me that I'm the one with the advantage right now- I have the girl and the weapon." As he said this he drew up his hand with the spikes and shook it at the foe Hilla had not yet seen.
"Oh? So you do want something in exchange for her?" The Masked Man sounded surprised, and Hilla wondered what he was up to. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw two men step out of the shadows. Her captor must have seem them too, for she heard a low growl rise up in his throat.
"Then allow me to name the price," the Masked Man continued as the other men closed in. "A black eye, a broken arm, and a few hard blows- using the weapon in your hand there. That should do it I think. Unless you have changed your mind and would prefer my original offer?"
"If your men come any closer I will kill the girl- then she would be of no use to you!" Her captor shouted. His voice was desperate, and Hilla trembled as she thought of what might happen next.

Hilla said nothing. Even suggesting her release might bring unwanted results, and she was already in enough pain as it was. She studied the Masked Man as he contemplated what to do next.
He wore a simple mask that stretched across the upper portion of his face with two holes for his deep brown eyes. His jet-black hair was rather short, and combed very neatly. He was clean shaven, and had a sharply angular face that seemed to Hilla almost painfully pointed.
His clothes were interesting as well- a clean, frilly white shirt beneath a smooth black vest, from which Hilla noticed a silver chain dangling- a watch chain. His pants were black as well, and his black shoes were sharply pointed at the ends. The sword at his side was brilliant-the hand guard was a dazzling silver, and Hilla wondered if it was real. Both the hand guard and the sheath were covered in intricate metal work, and strange symbols that Hilla did not understand. Were it not for the mask and the sword, he could easily have been mistaken for a nobleman, or at the very least a respectable businessman.
But that watch chain... there was something strange about it- something oddly familiar. How ridiculous, Hilla scolded herself. There are numerous silver watch chains in the world, and they must all look something alike. But still the thought persisted that she had seen it somewhere before- and as she studied it, the terrible realization dawned on her suddenly.

They walked along the stone passage for a long while, and Hilla wondered where it led to. She was sure this wasn't the passage her and Caleb had been in- the other man must have moved her while she had been unconscious. But Caleb... where was he, and what had happened to him since they were separated? How had he escaped the Masked Man after being weakened by those gasses? She still felt weak- then again, considering her circumstances, maybe that wasn't because of the gasses.
Eventually the Masked Man stopped and turned, drawing a handkerchief from his pocket.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but I'm afraid you must be blindfolded. No one is allowed to know the entrance to my caverns except my trusted men."
Hilla decided to risk his wrath in order to try to figure out his plan. "Even when you're planning on killing them?" she asked in a cold voice.
He stopped, and looked at her quizzically. "I'm not sure where you got that idea. I'm only going to use you for bait- once I have your brother, you will be escorted off the premises. You see, though many consider me a villain, I still have a sense of honor and am a man of my word. I will guarantee your safety to your brother in exchange for his company."

The Masked Man tied the blindfold over Hilla's eyes, being surprisingly gentle with it. "You can't see anything, can you, my dear?"
"No." Hilla muttered. "And stop calling me your dear."
There was a pause, and then the Masked Man said merely, "Indeed. My apologies."
Hilla heard the sound of a door opening, then a gust of wind, and the Masked Man saying, "Watch your step."

The Masked Man chuckled. "Scowling doesn't become you, m'lady."
Hilla pointedly turned her head away from the direction his voice was coming from. He chuckled again. "A few rather large steps down now, watch, or rather, mind your step."
Hilla frowned, though she was grateful for the warning, since she almost fell despite having been told the steps were there.
They continued in silence, broken every few minutes by the Masked Man whistling a low tune. The passage twisted and they went up and down several more sets of stairs. If the Masked Man had been hoping to confuse Hilla's sense of direction, he had certainly succeeded. She wouldn't have been able to find her way out even if she did manage to escape.
Finally they stopped and went through another door. The Masked Man shut it behind them, then untied Hilla's blindfold.
"Well, here we are," he said cheerily, sketching a bow. "Welcome to my humble abode."
Hilla blinked, slightly dazed as she looked around her. In all her wildest imaginings, the Caverns of Camelot had certainly never looked like this.

Hilla merely scowled at him, and he frowned at her.
"Come now, I already told you that scowling mars your fine features; give it up. Although the door shall be locked, you shall be safe here until your brother comes for you- assuming he does come for you." He stared with distaste at the dirty peasant dress she was wearing.
"Although, if you are to keep company with me, I'll have to find something better for you to wear. Garman!" The Masked Man clapped his hands, and a stout, bald man that reminded Hilla rather of a butler appeared.
"Find something suitable for our guest to wear," the Masked Man commanded.
"Perhaps I do not desire your company," Hilla interjected.
"I don't know why you wouldn't," he replied with a frown.
"Hmm, maybe because your a villain, a thief, and the most wanted man in the land," Hilla replied sarcastically.
"The first is a matter of opinion, the second a well-spread lie, and the last- well, since when have you agreed with the government about anything? Your brother certainly hasn't for some time."