Finally...

You had finally done it. At last, you had opened the vault which contained the secret of the Owlks...

The seals broke and fell to the ground as the darkness of the subterranean lake settled in, only the dim flame of your lantern illuminating the path ahead was able to guide you as you looked toward the spanning void of tunnel ahead.

You take a steady breath and venture forward, only the soft sounds of the lantern flame filling the silence.

Further and further you walked until reaching an elevator that descended below, landing you in a well kept room with an identical lantern flame across from you. One of three sources of light visible to aid your vision.

Two lamps burned brightly, your own and the one left unattended. But a third source garnered from the window left a soft beam of white, peculiar light resting in the center of the circular space that split your flames.

Two gleaming eyes in the darkness... gazing, hidden from sight and situated above the inanimate, lit lantern before a long, clawed, hand covered in a bleak mossy fur cupped it by the handle.

With a groan of metal, the lantern this mysterious figure held had focused it's beam on you and revealed your silhouette to the creature.

It let loose a loud howl, reminiscent to the other inhabitants of the stranger but with a hint of something more somber... it did not seek to attack you, not like the others...

Everything was beginning to make sense, the burned house in the lake... the scratched portraits and the burnt reels... these creatures had shunned one of their own for eternity. In fear of the unknown, they had locked the prisoner away and erased the evidence.

The somber howl died down as The Prisoner shambled out of the pitch-black darkness, their figure still remained shrouded and yet, you felt safe. Pitying even, for such a gentle creature to succumb to a cruel fate like this was truly heartwrenching.

It remained idle, as if waiting patiently for you to speak.