Chương 8: Chapter 6 - The Prisoner 1/2

While the training yard had barely been a training yard, the prison was certainly still a prison. While some of the other walls in the keep were broken or cracked, as soon as they turned down the hallway toward the prison door, the stones were immaculate, freshly replaced and well mortared. That did nothing to help with the sudden chill that came with turning the corner. The first part of the walk had happened in silence, with Alyssia either biting her lip or screwing her mouth shut each time she could have spoken.

Karina, for her part, was feeling pinpricks on her skin as their time in the Cathedral dragged. She understood that she wasn't wanted here. She understood that all of the answers she was looking for were somewhere outside of these walls. Even her meeting with Dashun, which had been an anchor for information, was now locked behind her, and her arrival on the other side of the protective barriers.

Alyssia sighed again as they approached the door, slowing before she grabbed a key ring that had been–almost casually–left beside the prison door itself. Clearly, they weren't worried about a demon smoke walking in and releasing whoever was in there. Just as Alyssia was flipping through the keys, Karina spoke up.

"So, what did our prisoner do?"

"Hm?"

"The prisoner, what did he do?" Alyssia's lips tightened again.

"And does he know he's coming with us?" Alyssia put the key in the door before turning back to face her. Karina waited. She was about to trust this man on a road full of demons. Dashun calling him a companion wasn't enough.

"Should we be worried about his crimes?" She tried another angle.

"No, we shouldn't," Alyssia said, "it's complicated but…" She trailed off, which was just as well; 'it's complicated but' was something people only said when they knew they were wrong.

"I do not like Volrick, but he is eager to be free and attempt the path of redemption," she said.

"We have nothing to worry about if Dashun trusts him as a companion." Karina still didn't budge.

"Do you trust him as a companion?"

"My trust has nothing to do with it–""Cut the bullshit," Karina said. Alyssia jumped.

"Pardon?"

"Alyssia, I understand that you do not wish to accompany me–""That is not true, Hero. I simply wish to–""You want to stay. You're being told to come, and I probably need the guidance, so I'm not going to say no," Karina said.

"We're doing what Dashun wants, but he's not here. If you're going to guide me, I need you to be honest with me."

"My candor in this situation will do nothing to–""I need to know that you're not just saying what you're supposed to say," Karina said.

"If you think bringing him will get us killed, tell me now." Alyssia took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I think Volrick is an asshole," she said.

"If I had my preference, he would stay in those cells and as far away from me as possible."

"Great," Karina said.

"Then he can. Let's go."

"We were told to bring him."

"And we're leaving," Karina pointed out.

"I'd prefer to have one companion who is fully with me than two who want to kill each other. We can–""No." Alyssia sighed and looked back at the black steel of the prison door.

"Regardless of my opinions on his personality, he is a useful ally. I wouldn't exactly call either of us subtle."

"He's a thief?"

"His original imprisonment was actually regarding forged documents, but he has persistently found other people's possessions in his pockets," she said.

"Even with your offer of leaving, Hero, it's best that we at least speak to him."

"Here I was worried he'd stabbed someone in the middle of the night," Karina said.

"He would have been executed," Alyssia said the same way someone corrected another's grammar: a little too seriously for anyone in the conversation to enjoy. The door opened with a well-oiled smoothness. A metal door on metal hinges felt like it should have made some sort of noise, but instead it silently glided along with Alyssia's push. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Hero, once we're in there–""Please tell me that is somebody opening the door," a too-fast voice called from somewhere down the stairs Alyssia had just revealed.

"Ever since that bang earlier today, there's been nobody here, and I'm going stir-crazy."

"That would be Volrick," Alyssia said.

"He sounds fun."

"That would be one way to put it, Hero."

"I can hear that someone is talking up there, but you're not speaking loud enough for me to understand it," Volrick yelled up the stairs.

"Even if you're not coming down, could you speak up? I want to know what's going on." Alyssia shrugged and offered a weak smile. Karina stopped her before she could descend.

"If you only came out here for the summonings, why bring a prisoner?"

"He was brought to join a hero on a redemption quest," Alyssia said.

"I wasn't supposed to be joining one myself. I hoped someone else would have the pleasure."

"What can he do for us, beyond steal things?"

"He can get into places he isn't welcome and persuade people he belongs there." Alyssia glanced down the stairs.

"I would prefer to have him explain the rest. Then you'll understand why I find him exhausting."

"I can still hear you talking," Volrick called.

"And with luck, he'll be a distraction for the demons before one of them gets him…or before he runs off into the city and never comes back," Alyssia said. When Karina didn't immediately match her tone, she turned back.

"Pardon, you told me to have candor."

"I appreciate it," Karina said before nodding Alyssia forward. If nothing else, she liked knowing the level of hostility that would surround her if they ever ran into demons. Upon Alyssia's first steps onto the stairs, Volrick called up again.

"That is someone walking down! Come on, be a friend and have a chat. If that's Yerson, I promise that I'll be better this time." There was a second door at the bottom of the stairs, which, when opened, revealed that they hadn't abandoned their prisoner in complete darkness. In fact, he seemed to have the run of the place. The room beyond the door was a long hallway with cells set on either side–most with wooden bars, though some at the back had the same black iron as the doors.

All of the doors were open, save for a final one between Karina and the cellblock itself. In the middle of the hallway, half a dozen beds had been dragged together and shoved to form one massive platform of rough-looking but thin cotton sheets and stick bed frames. Lying down on that bed was an ash-skinned man. As he sat up, his amber eyes locked onto Karina.

"Who's that? Is that a hero? You've dressed her like one of the heroes and–Alyssia! My favourite little priestess! It's so nice to–" He raised his hands as he switched from simply sitting up to being cross-legged on the bed. When he shifted, the white locks of his hair fell to the side and revealed tattoos on the right side of his scalp that matched the colour of his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry about all the jumbled words. I'm not used to getting more than one visitor at a time," Volrick said.

"Hello, how are you? What brings you here?"

"Volrick, right?" Karina suggested.

"Jeez, give everyone my true name there, Alyssia?" he said. After glaring daggers at her, he cracked a smile.

"I'm just kidding. It doesn't do much. My dad was a hero, but–uh, my name is mostly protected. You got a name?" he asked Karina.

"Hero."

"Oh! You're right out the circle then," he said before turning to Alyssia.

"Hey, does this mean you're letting me out? Finally gonna get to go on a big journey like the old man? Is it my turn to get impaled by an Ovinash?"

"An Ovinash?" Karina repeated.

"With luck, we'll never meet one," Alyssia said.

"But yes, assuming the hero is fine with you tagging along, you'll be leaving with us today–""Today?" he asked.

"Wait. You're fresh, but how fresh are you? It's sometimes hard to tell how long it's been down here but–""Summoned yesterday," Karina said. Alyssia flinched as she spoke. Maybe that was the wrong answer. Either way, Volrick chuckled the way you did when you saw someone get properly hurt.

"Holy, that is fresh, and they're sending you out there?"

"Yes, by orders of Dashun, we will be heading out to return to the protected lands tonight."

"Tonight?" Volrick asked.

"Hey, look, I would, but I think I might be busy."

"Volrick."

"I had big plans for all this furniture," Volrick said.

"So I don't know–""Volrick, you're not going to say no to redemption."

"Well, it would be stupid to deny it, because who knows when you'll offer me another one?" Volrick said.

"But at the same time, you do need me to agree to come with you and–I haven't heard an offer that–""By the Rays."

"You're negotiating?" Karina asked.

"Am I supposed to join up with you, sight unseen? What's your class?" Alyssia shook her head.

"Well, that's an odd response and oddly suspicious," Volrick said as he scooched forward on the bed. Once his legs were properly off the side, he dug through the blanket for a moment to find a dusty jacket that looked like it had been expensive at one point.

"Look, hero. The thing she doesn't want me to say is that you actually do need me to agree to go with you. Otherwise the experience divide gets all messed up." Karina checked, and Alyssia nodded, even though she clearly wasn't happy about it.

"So, look, I don't know if I'll be asking for much. I'm in a little bit of a bind here, and you are offering me freedom."

"Great," Alyssia said.

"You're right, we're offering you freedom. Shouldn't take anything more than that."

"But–Before I stick my neck out for you just based on what some old people in white robes say, I would like to talk for a moment. Ask some questions."

"Ask away," Karina said. She didn't have to answer anything, and if there were questions she shouldn't answer for a reason she didn't understand–such as 'what is your name' until earlier today–Alyssia would point her in the right direction.

"You want to talk with the church lady right there?" he asked.

"Come on, you gotta have questions you'd prefer–""Volrick, just drop it and–""Sure," Karina said, which caused Alyssia to snap to her.

"Like I said upstairs to Alyssia, we want to trust each other going into all of this, which means that we're going to have to be on the level."

"Hero, you don't have to indulge him."

"You're right, I don't have to," Karina said.

"But I am going to. And if he tries anything funny, then we leave without him." Alyssia turned away from Karina. She didn't have to vocalize anything for everyone in the room to understand that she didn't like this. Volrick stood and strode over to the pair, leaning against the metal bars that separated them before flashing a pointed smile at Alyssia. His teeth were either naturally sharp or had been carved into points.

"Don't worry, Priestess. We'll be done in a minute." Alyssia offered one more glance to Karina, but stopped short of begging her to reconsider.

"I'll await you outside, Hero. Let me know if I'm unlocking his cage." Volrick turned the smile to Karina, but neither of them said anything until the door closed behind Alyssia.

"Well, shall we begin?"