The dingy ceiling of the jail cell was all too familiar to Hitto now. This is my home for life, is what he thought. The idea of taking part in the Warriors Examination was all but gone now. Hell, he’d be lucky even to get a chance to leave at this rate.
“Lawt Prison,” he muttered. “I wonder if they have any good food there.”
“They don’t!” a familiar voice called.
Instantly, the boy jolted up from his seated position and faced the lined bars of the window. "Maximus? Is that you?!"
“Sure is!” the guard chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’ve missed me just because I’ve been gone for a week.”
“But I did,” Hitto laughed. “Your replacement was a complete statue. He didn’t fall for any of the little tricks I was trying to play with him.”
“Ha! You bastard!” he shot. “So it isn’t just me who you’re trying to piss off, huh?”
“Who exactly are you calling a bastard?”
Maximus swung his head around from his crouched position in front of the window of the jail cell. Looming above him were a stern-faced Sir Alfonso and a cheerful Nally. Instantly, his mouth gaped open.
"Please correct your posture," Alfonso snapped. "It is unbecoming for a grown man such as yourself to have his posterior out in full view for the world to see!"
“No!” he stammered.
“I don’t think you can say anything to defend yourself right now, Maximus,” Lady Stenner giggled. “If it makes you feel better, you have a nice butt for an old dude! Your wife must be proud!”
He quickly scampered onto his feet. “I apologize! I didn’t mean for the good Sir or the Lady to catch me in such an obscene manner! And yes, my wife is quite fond-”
“Too much!” Alfonso waved. “I suggest you keep that information in the bedroom. Lady Nally has a few words she wishes to share with you.”
They both turned to face the blonde, who gave a soft smile. “Yes, Sir Alfonso is correct. First, I’d like to thank you for your report and the role you played in stopping the gang. Without your leadership, things would have been very difficult.”
“No problem!” he grinned as he rubbed the back of his bald head.
“Secondly, I’d like to say farewell. I’ve transferred control of your operations to my father, who will oversee the rest of your stay here.”
“What?” he stammered. “Why?”
“For my third reason!” Nally exclaimed. “I will be leaving the Grove tonight… with the boy in that cell!”
“Maximus?” Hitto called to no avail. “Where did he go?”
For a brief moment, he heard his voice. Then suddenly and abruptly, it disappeared. The mundane quietness had returned, and with it, his thoughts.
The idea of spending life in prison made him shudder to the point he questioned why he acted out during the trial. Maybe if he were calmer, he wouldn’t have gotten such a vague sentence. But at the same time, appeasing Sunja and Lord Stenner was not something he could entertain.
Though muffled, voices could be heard from beyond the cell door. There was laughter, loudness, and a sense of urgency in the way they spoke to each other. What are they saying? Hitto questioned.
It was too early for lunch, and the guards who usually delivered it had a "stick up their ass," or in other words, were not too nice. So there was no chance that they were enjoying a little banter session.
Though still lost in thought, Hitto would not have to wait long to see who was behind the door as it began to creak open. In popped the familiarly elegant Sir Alfonso, accompanied by Lord Stenner’s beloved daughter… and a middle-aged bald dude with a baby face and green eyes.
“Hitto,” the head of the guards began. “It is a pleasure to meet you again. Allow me to formally introduce you to Lady Nally Stenner and my personal aide Maximus Mule.”
Hitto’s cheeks puffed as he held in a laugh. “Mule? Like the donkey?”
“Horse!” Maximus exclaimed.
“Actually, you’re both wrong,” Nally giggled. “A mule is both a horse and a donkey.”
“That means we were half right!” they responded in unison.
“Enough now,” Sir Alfonso sighed. “My Lady, please explain your proposal to Hitto.”
“Right!” the beautiful girl clapped. “Hitto, I’ve been watching you for quite some time and have seen your qualities. Become my knight, and I will free you from this jail cell and grant one wish of yours.”
“What else do you want?” the boy growled.
He wasn’t about to trust her just because she proposed letting him out. If she’s anything like the others in this stupid compound, there is a chance she has some hidden agenda up her sleeve. Nobody is to be trusted, especially after the trial.
She placed her index finger against her lips and tilted her head up. Seemingly unaffected by his rude response, a soft yet elegant smile graced her face. “Looks like I got found out,” she laughed. “It's true; what I’m proposing to you is completely unfair. You will go through many dangerous places and get chased down by my father for breaking out of jail. Still, I think it beats life in prison.”
“It does,” he responded flatly. “But why me?”
“Because I want to be my own person.”
“What?”
“Let me explain,” she began. “To tell the truth, my father and I don’t have the best relationship. He is extremely sexist and limits all opportunities I have to help the compound. As a result, I am almost always ignored. That’s why I want to be my own person and leave this place.”
“Then do that,” Hitto frowned. “Be your own person alone.”
“But I’m not strong enough,” she wilted. “And I know that. I can’t do it alone, and that’s what I hate. But if I can at least get your help, I won't be relying on my father, which is a step in the right direction. Instead, we can both grow and become independent.”
“Alright,” the crimson-eyed boy sighed. “I have no reason to refuse, so I’ll accept your proposal.”
Nally’s eyes widened as a majestic ear-to-ear smile etched its way onto her rosy face. She lunged into Hitto’s arms, catching him off guard as she nuzzled against his chest. “Thank you!” she beamed.
“Whatever,” Hitto blushed, pushing her off. He held her by her shoulders and stared into her ocean-blue eyes. “I don’t understand why you're willing to trust a prisoner. I could betray you the moment we leave the compound.”
Nally’s bright demeanour slightly shifted as a soft sigh escaped her lips. “That’s fine. I don’t expect you to trust me, but I want to put my trust in you. If you wish to leave the moment we escape the compound, you are free to do so.”
“I would never do that!” Hitto practically yelled. “Unlike others, I keep my word, and I honour trust. Let's work together, and I’ll see if you’ll earn my trust.”
“Great!” she smiled. “So, what is your one wish?”
Hitto looked the girl up and down, then blushed. She was beautiful. Just being her companion was already a treat. Could he really ask for more?
“Hitto…” Sir Alfonso jumped in with a rather menacing expression. “I know you are an adolescent youth, but please do not act on impure desires. Lady Nally approaches you with purity, honesty, and integrity.”
The boy shook his head rapidly as Nally ended their little embrace. “I know that!” he stammered, still tomato-faced. “I’m still thinking!”
“Impure thoughts!” Maximus croaked.
“No!” he responded adamantly to Nally. “I already know what I want.”
“What is it?” she laughed.
“To take part in the Warriors Examination and fight the strongest people alive.”
Her eyes lit up. “I was also planning on joining the Warriors Association! We can do it together before we begin our journey.”
“The Association?” Sir Alfonso repeated, stroking his goatee. “The examination for this year is just ten days away. If you leave tonight, you’ll make it in time. I can also give you both a letter of recommendation, so you don’t have to pay that exorbitant entrance fee.”
“Yes, please!” Nally responded, heading towards the cell exit. “Alright then, it's settled. Hitto, I still have some stuff to prepare for our departure, so sit tight. I’ll be back to get you tonight!”
Sir Alfonso and Maximus also made their way over to the exit. “It is farewell from us as well,” the head guard smiled. “The next time we meet will most likely be in Tondon. Stay safe.”
“Sounds good,” the boy waved. “And thanks for everything!”
Later that night, just as promised, Nally returned. She sported a sky-blue button-up shirt paired with a black leather chest plate that adorned her upper body. Completing the look were a black skirt, tights, and sizable leather boots.
In her hands were two knapsacks – one the same colour as her shirt and the other a cool grey. She eagerly lifted the latter into the air. “This one is yours! Inside are some new clothes and a map. Also, I didn’t know if you wanted it or not, but I left that axe of yours right outside the cell.”
“Great, thanks! But will these clothes fit me?”
“Of course, they will!” she exclaimed while placing the bag down next to him. She then took a seat directly across from him as a smug expression peeked its way onto her face. “Don’t forget, I’ve been watching you. I’m pretty confident that I know your build by now~!”
“W-What?” the boy stammered, reaching for the bag. “Don’t say it like that. You sound like a complete pervert.”
“My bad,” she replied cheekily. “Alright, hurry up and get changed so we can get out of here.”
“Sure,” he responded while opening up the main pouch. His eyes quickly scanned the contents inside - a grey shirt, some black dress pants and a leather vest. Inside the other pouch was a pair of leather boots. “Can you step outside so I can change?”
“Whaaat?” she responded. “But I wanted to watch you!”
“So you are a pervert!”
After a bit of convincing, Nally finally agreed to leave. Just as she had said, the clothes fit him perfectly. Plus, the fabric felt ten times more comfortable against his skin. All in all, the fit felt tailor-made.
“This isn’t half bad,” the boy chirped while doing a little three-sixty spin. “Much better than those prison rags.”
“You can say that again!”
His eyes drifted towards Nally’s voice, who had slightly opened the cell door and was peeking in. Quickly, he covered his chest. “Pervert!”
“But you’re already dressed!” she giggled. “Anyways, let's go over our plan quickly before we leave. Take a look at this.”
The blonde pulled out a large scrolled-up paper from her knapsack and sprawled it out on the ground. She then lit up a torch as Hitto made his way over – revealing a map with a single large land mass on it.
“Look here in this bottom left corner,” she pointed. Her finger landed in an area that was dominated by vegetation. “This here is my father's territory, Stenner’s Grove. And not too far from there, to the right, is a small town called Vika. We will head there before continuing on to the capital.”
Hitto squinted his eyes at the page as he tried to make sense of what Nally was saying. Her hands constantly moved against the paper as her speech became all but inaudible. Soon, he found himself completely zoning out as the colours on the page began to pop out at him like a puppet fairy-tale play.
“Did you catch the pigeon?”
“What?”
“I asked if you caught what I said!” Nally pouted. “Or do you need me to repeat it again?”
“Sorry…” he slightly chuckled while scratching the back of his head. “What was it?”
Nally took a momentary pause, furrowing her brows at Hitto. A little snort escaped from his mouth upon seeing her expression.
“What’s so funny?” she protested.
“Nothing! Sorry again, but your angry face just doesn’t cut it.”
She crossed her arms. “Do you want to hear the plan or not?”
“Yes, please!”
“Alright,” she huffed. “As I said before, we will be heading to Vika first as a stopgap before we reach Tondon. Thanks to Sir Alfonso writing up a recommendation, we won't have to pay the entrance fee.”
She then reached into her knapsack and pulled out a large brown sack. It jingled in her hands as she shook it around slightly. “This money I’ve slowly saved up is just over eight hundred ducats. We will use it to join a guild – the Adventurers Guild, once we complete the examination.”
“Why the Adventurers Guild?”
“So you really weren’t paying attention?” she sighed. “My goal is to become my own person, and I want to do that by seeing the world and understanding it for myself. Your goal is to fight strong people, which can also be achieved through exploring the world. That guild lines up the most with our goals while allowing us to stick together.”
“Makes sense,” Hitto nodded. “But how are we leaving here? Will we have to break out?”
“Nope,” she smiled. “The Mercenary Guild is in charge of all activity related to the jail and surveillance. We can leave whenever we want with no problems, Sir Alfonso guaranteed~!”
An image of the elegant man grooming his beard and going, “Oh ho ho!” crept its way into Hitto’s head. “Lucky us!”
“Right!” Nally tooted happily. “With that all out of the way, let's start making our way over to Vika Town! We have ten days until the examination!”
