Avice slumped backward, leaning her back against the cold, hard stone. "I think that went well," she mumbled. She glanced down and clanged her chains against each other. With a sigh, she rubbed her eyes. "I need to get out of here," she muttered. "I swear to God." 

She forced herself up from the wooden bed and approached the jail bars. The prisoners had seemed wily and unruly earlier when the three men had come down here, but now that they had left, the atmosphere changed. They remained quiet and whispered among themselves. Avice narrowed her eyes. Weird.

A couple of the prisoners caught her gaze and grinned at her. Her skin crawled as she retreated back into her alcove. 

She jumped onto the bed and brought her knees to her face. "Messed up," she said. "Everything is messed up." 

Avice frowned, but the practice and instruction beat into her over the years came to the top of her mind. There was only one thing she thought she should do in this situation. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

Her heartbeat slowed, her mind blanked out, her temperature cooled, her muscles relaxed, and everything felt just a little less painful. She took another breath and decided to piece together what her situation was exactly. 

How did I get here in the first place, she thought. She bit her lip and considered the options. Well, if there were any options to consider in the first place. Nothing came to her head. This whole entire 'thing' was something she never expected to encounter in her life. Did she die and reincarnate? She shook her head. With the bare minimum of what she knew about the subject, she'd remembered that people restart their life from a baby. So her situation now didn't seem to be like that. 

Was she dreaming? She shook that thought away too. The pain she had felt the night before felt as real as it could be. The searing burn that pressed against her skin, the scent of the rain, the cave, and the mud, the intimidating presence of those huge wolves... nothing about it felt like a dream. 

What I did, though, she thought. How did I do that? 

Her mind drifted to what had happened. When she had screamed, a strange, nauseating feeling coursed through her veins. What she had done blasted everyone away from her, and even destroyed the chains out of those gigantic wolves. 

She glanced down at her calloused hands. Then, she sighed. "I know nothing about this place," she said. Grasping the dirty hands of her brown shirt, she frowned. "I need more info..." Bumping her head against the wall, she said, "Ruby, Sam, Kale..."

Last night, after a long grueling day at school, she had finished up her homework, completed her training, and finished rereading her favorite book. She thought she'd get some shut-eye and wake up early and formulate a plan to get the better of her father.

But instead of waking up to a creaking, breaking bed, she came to with a burning sensation eating away at her arm. She looked down and turned it.

Avice gritted her teeth and wrapped her hand around it, wanting to tear it off of her right away. "Another, freaking, tattoo," she grumbled. Her back stung as she said those words, and her face heated up. "No, stop it," she told herself. She slapped her cheeks. "No time for crying. Stop being a baby," she said.

She took a couple of more deep breaths and opened her eyes. Then, she noticed something odd happened in the chamber.

Avice got up and glanced around. The men retreated back into their cells, and a deafening silence filled the room. 

"Hey girlie," the rough man next to him called. She jumped a little at his voice.

She narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. Peaking out, she backed a little when she saw his chained arms reaching out of his cell.

"What do you want?" Avice asked.

"Happened to hear 'ya talkin' earlier. You want outta here, right?" he said, his voice dripping with an infuriating cockiness. 

"I do," she responded. She knew better than speaking to random strangers about her predicaments, but as of right now, everyone around her was the same - people she needed to compromise with to get out of here. Doing anything right now by herself proved impossible.

Avice had a vague inkling about what this man offered her, and if it proved true, she knew it was going to be detrimental to her after she breaks out. The authorities of the town had imprisoned him for a reason. If he had connections outside that can bust them out, she knew that she'd have to meet them and return the favor they'd done for her. That was not something she wanted. The authorities were the people she wanted to gain the trust of. 

Still, she decided to play along. Even the smallest piece of information could prove beneficial. 

"What are you planning?" she asked.

The man snickered and said, "The boys and I are plannin' a breakout. This place is gonna be blasted open."

"Blasted how?" Avice prodded.

"You comin' or not?!" he yelled. She pursed her lips. If she took this offer, it would leave a bad taste in her mouth. She'd still be branded a criminal, and she had first-hand knowledge about how fast information can spread.

"I'll join you," she said. But this didn't matter. She needed to get people's trust. No matter what. 

Bad or good.

Smart or dumb.

Strong or weak.

She needed to be on everyone's good side. That's how she managed to live her life.

"That's what I like 'ta hear," he said. He chuckled. Then he said what he had expected from the start. "You wanna meet my boss and the boys after we get ou-"

"I'm in it to leave," Avice said harshly. "Nothing more. 

He clicked his tongue.

She turned around, ready to get back on her bed when something loud clanged behind her. "Hey brat!" someone yelled from across the chamber. "Lemme on in this crap! Hide anythin' from me, and I'll rat you out, ya hear?!"

"Shut your mouth, 'ya bastard," the man growled. Then, his voice lightened up. "I thought I told all y'all to spread the word. I won't leave a brother out of this jailbreak," he said. "All of you are in on it." The man who had cheered laughed heartily. "And 'sides', you won't rat me out. 'Cause there won't be anyone to rat me out to." He cackled.

Avice's heart jumped. This isn't a normal breakout? she thought. A dark expression clouded her face. This town's in danger. Innocent people are in danger.

As the soldiers had dragged her to her cell, she had forced herself to memorize every bit of surroundings around the tiny building. The streets, the mismatched houses, and the direction the walls faced. After that, the way they brought her down to the cell. She found no openings - no easy way out for them to get out. Except for one path, but that seemed to have been done under magical, mysterious means. 

The man meant exactly what he said. This place was going to be blown up.

It's going to get violent in here, she thought.

Then, something clicked. A smile crept upon her face, and her blood boiled. 

This is a good chance, she thought. Her hands got sweaty and her nose flared. If I can slow these guys down, I can get the authorities' trust. That's it.

However, realizing how twisted she sounded, she shook her head. No, I have to tell them first, she thought. Avice, taught to deceive and trick since childhood, planned on being honest with her captors. She knew better than anyone that she needed to put her little faith into the people in charge. They can do something more. They can warn people beforehand.

She scoffed, laughing at herself. To think there'd come a day where she'd actually try to trust people other than her friends. But she knew. She knew how much bigger than her this situation was.

And another thing came to mind. That person named Dall seemed interesting. The way he spoke to her sounded much different than others'. No hostility came through his voice. In fact, he nearly sounded like he pitied her. That, the fact that he actually spoke to her like another person piqued her interest. His demeanor clued her in on the possibility that he could become an ally.

Now that she'd thought about it, everyone seemed to talk to her like a normal person. There wasn't a sense of pure dread in their voices as they spoke about her, even when she had unfortunately attacked the seemingly big dog of the town. A strange sensation tickled her stomach. Could she actually break her shell and put her trust in some of these people? 

But she laughed that away. 

I'm not going any further than I need, she the ought.

Even then, despite those thoughts, she bet all her cards on the people in charge. Better be them than the Eldreds, people that would attack her on sight. 

Guess this is the perfect chance to put my training to use... she thought. She hung her head. Thanks, shitty dad.

---

A warm, welcome uproar welcomed the young man. A huge crowd comparable to the one gathered in the Mayor's plaza surrounded the gorgeous youth on the majestic white horse. Two Lizardmen slaves with bulky chains strapped around their necks followed at a distance behind him. One sported brilliant green scales while the other's wore dark red ones. They followed silently, their backs tall and straight, yet they kept a murderous gaze in their eyes. Their stiff, thick tails dragged the dirt behind them. 

The man named Oliver Eldred paraded through the heart of the city, waving proudly as he rode made his way through the plaza. He wore a wide smile which instilled a deep joy in the people around him. 

Seeing that the Barbas Family, the leadership of Fora Village, was absent, and that the leading figure in the town Garnell was preoccupied, the respected knight Joseph Mande took it upon himself to be Oliver's guide. Oliver reluctantly agreed. 

Then, he said, "Care to tell me where your leader is, Joseph?"

Joseph nodded. "Lord Barbas has, unfortunately, left for Pasia to participate in the Princess's Birthmonth."

Oliver gave him a soft smile. "The other one."

Chuckling inside, Joseph responded, "He is at the jail, milord. Would you like me to take you to him?"

"Hurry along. I have something important to discuss with him."

Complying with his request, Joseph brought Oliver along across the town. Wherever he went, more people flocked to him, greeting him with gifts and wide, open arms. The majority of these people, Joseph noted, appeared to be the more affluent people in the town. The ones that kept their distance, watching the young lord carefully, seemed to be the opposite. No matter who appeared before him, however, Oliver carried a bright and cheerful smile.

Then, they finally came upon the town's Prison. Oliver wore a pensive expression. "I had forgotten this is what you've resorted to," he said. "Quite advanced for non-Eldreds to use, no?"

"We have the necessary slaves to operate our function, Lord Oliver." Garnell exited the building with a troubled look. "I welcome you to Fora, milord." Garnell then bowed.

"Hello, Garnell," Oliver said. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"A couple of years, yes."

"Ah, of course. after your little incident with the wrong crowd." Ignoring Garnell's frown, he continued on. "Despite that, you've never been one to fraternize with criminals. What kind of prisoner could warrant the privilege of personally meeting someone as important as you?"

Garnell ruffled his mustache. "This person piqued my interest, milord. Nothing more, nothing less," he responded.

"Really, now?" Oliver grinned. Then, the atmosphere chilled, and the two Lizardmen behind him shook. They spoke to each other in a foreign tongue when Oliver thrust his palm out towards them. "Aural," he muttered. Within seconds the air around him electrified. The green one roared in pain, sparks dancing across its skin, and the other writhed in pain. "You're too noisy," he said. Then, with a sigh, he said, "I told them I was going to be fine alone." He shook his head. "Regardless," he said as he lifted his hand. Then, a small grin appeared. "This color," he said. "I see, is Lupin's son here as well?"

Garnell and Joseph gulped. They both knew how Dall felt about the ELdreds, and Garnell especially knew about what a meeting between the two would look like. He wanted to support Dall as much as he could, but under no circumstance could he lie against an Eldred. Especially Oliver. 

"He is, Sir," Garnell said.

"How about you bring him to me. Us three can have a nice conversation, don't you think?"

"Understood, milord," Garnell said. "Sion, if you may please." The Elven slave behind him nodded courteously and entered the building.

The three men stop there in silence. Oliver's smile remained unwavering, and the Lizardmen, after facing their torturous punishment, stood taller than before. Joseph kept his eyes on the ground. He shivered every time Oliver twirled his fingers around in the air. 

The powers of the Eldreds - the only humans on the continent capable of magic. Their prowess and capabilities with the gifts given to them proved terrifying. They had carved their family name into the annals of history. And here stood Joseph, a normal, up and coming knight, directly next to one of them.

His mind ran wild.

Dall's words, and the opinions of many others he'd spoken to rang in his ears. They're liars. They're murders. They're rapists. They're pillagers. They'll tempt you with an exorbitant amount of money and power, and if at any moment you disobey their orders, you'll be ripped to shreds. 

They're just rumors, he thought. Just rumors.

He knew to stay strong and neutral, and that he should trust in the most powerful family in the Empire, but the looks on the Slaves' faces looked just like the ones he'd seen during the Six-Month War. The pain, the anguish...

"How goes the preparations for her Majesty's arrival?" Oliver asked Garnell.

"They're moving on smoothly, milord," he responded. "I expect the village to be ready by tomorrow."

Joseph frowned. Garnell, tell him about the Despairity...

However, before he could voice that thought, the Prison door opened, and Dall emerged from the shadow. He wore a rather obvious frown and casually walked in front of Oliver. 

The young lord simply grinned and looked down.

"Hello there, Young Heir," Oliver said. "Quite a surprise to see you here."

"Good morning, Oliver," Dall said stiffly. "May I ask what you need me for?"

"Come now, that's no way to speak to your elder. Is there anything wrong with small talk?" he asked. "Come. Take me to your residence, Garell."

"Of course, Sir Oliver. Follow me."

---

Once they arrived to their destination, Oliver snapped his fingers. The two Lizardmen pounded their meaty chests and stood on either side of the door. Joseph followed suit and stayed behind outside.

Dall patted his shoulder, thanking him for sticking around. Joseph nodded, and saluted, bumping the bottom and top of his fists together in front of his chest.

Dall entered just behind Garnell and Oliver. He had a mini-heart attack when he remembered that two wounded soldiers had taken up the majority of the room. However, he noticed that the two of them had been evicted from the room.

Must’ve been transferred to the clinic. Thank the gods.

Oliver sauntered to the couch as he unbuttoned his black coat and plopped down on it. He threw his feet up on the low table in front of him.

Garnell made quick work with his tools. Within minutes, the aroma of sweet tea filled the air. He set three cups down and poured the tea slowly into each. Once he placed a cup in front of Oliver, Garnell asked, “What are you here for, milord?”

“I’m just passing by. I’m on my way to your capital,” he said, delicately sipping his cup. “Is it not important to greet the First Princess a happy birthmonth?”

Dall stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed, his eyes fixated on Oliver. “Why?” he asked abruptly. Oliver gave him a strange look. “She’ll be leaving Pasia to visit your District in the next week. There isn’t a need to go out of your way to personally visit them, is there?”

“I understand that, but isn’t it rude to not welcome them when they’re so close?” Oliver said. “I think it’s more important to ask why you are not in the capital. To disregard royalty in your own home and instead show favor for a small town… Have you no shame, Greatsword?”

Dall grit his teeth. “So did you leave all your work to your brothers back home?” Dall said.

“Did Barbas leave his own to Garnell?”

He glared at Oliver. Garnell interrupted and said, “I’m sure princesses Irisel and Cyrilia will be happy to see you sooner than later, Lord Oliver.”

Not Cyrilia, Dall thought. She knows better.

“Thank you, Garnell.” Oliver took another sip. “I’m also here for something else.” He set the cup down and folded his hands together. “Did an Eldred Slave pass by here recently? Human female, brown hair, generic appearance?”

The first thing that came to mind was Ava, the girl he had just met underground. Is he here to reclaim her?

“A couple of my subordinates lost track of her around a week ago when she mysteriously attacked them. She did some pretty major damage to them, so I’m looking for her.”

‘Mysteriously attacked them’, Eldred Slaves can’t attack their masters. And a week ago? Compared to the night before?

Garnell nodded and said, “We have indeed met the girl, sir.” Dall sighed and shook his head. He too knew the dangers of tricking an Eldred. Even if the girl intrigued him, it wouldn’t be of any use if Oliver planned on taking her away. “She is in the Jail.”

“Is that so…?” Oliver muttered. He sat still for a short moment, breathing in and out. Cool breezes gently brushed by. The Spirits, Dall thought taking a sip of his tea. Then, Oliver shrugged. “Well, you have her now, so it’s all fine, I guess. Just make sure she gets punished for her crimes, got it?”

Dall nearly coughing up what he'd drunk. “Wha-”

“Anyways, I’m leaving now.” Oliver stood. “I appreciate your courtesy, Garnell. I bid you a wonderful day.” He left the building in a hurry.

The two remained there, the gentle crackling of the fire breaking the silence. Dall pounded his fist against the wall. “Damn bastard,” he growled. Garnell watched him with weary eyes.

Joseph silently entered the room and heaved a huge sigh. “He’s left the town.”

“If only he couldn’t use magic,” Dall said. "That family parades around, wielding their gifts like wild animals. Disgusting."

“Relax, Sir,” Garnell said. “You’re not the only one frustrated.” He sighed. “So did you learn anything from our prisoner?”

Dall narrowed his eyes. “I have. And there are two different stories,” he said. “The only question is whether we trust the Eldred or the Eldred Slave.”

“We shouldn’t trust the slave,” Garnell said. “I don’t wish to think it, but Oliver himself may have been her master. She could have been sent here to distract us.”

“But her Slave Mark, Garnell. It was different. I don’t think she’s truly enslaved. She spoke freely.” Garnell pursed his lips. “Besides what kind of distraction would that be?” Dall asked. "If anything, I think-"

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A piercing, deafening bell rang.

Dall’s eyes widened. He shoved the door open and stepped outside.

Arrows rained down from above.

“Bandit raid!”