In Another Era

Chapter 33: The Death of Hope

"I have heard that the estates in the east are beautiful. Huge, green lands where you can grow your own food. Clean water, too," Jacob said. "Maybe you could go there, ey?"

"East, huh?" Archie replied. "Maybe."

"Anywhere but south, I say. Most that go south never come back," Jacob added.

"Why is that?" Archie asked.

He, too, had heard about the harsh lands of the South. It was mostly full of thick forests, with barely any civilization. Archie had heard rumors of the land being dangerous, and not many dared to venture there. But he had always wondered if there was more to the gossip.

"Monsters, they say. Men that are no longer men anymore. Animals that are bloodthirsty and witches that lust for your soul," Jacob answered, and Archie could not help but scoff.

"Sounds made up, if you ask me," he muttered.

"Maybe it is. But there ought to be some truth in the rumors if nobody goes out there. And whoever does, never comes back, do you not wonder why that is?" Jacob retorted.

"I think I will go north," Archie said to change the topic. "I have never seen snow and I have always wanted to."

"Snow, ey? Sounds nice," Jacob hummed in approval. "You will need one of those thick fur coats, though."

"Huh." Archie frowned. "Now where will I get those from..."

"You will find merchants on your way, I suppose," Jacob reasoned.

"Hopefully," Archie said. "Where will you go? When you are free."

"When I am free?" Jacob let out a dry laugh. "I am in here for life, I ain't gettin' out. Ever."

"Still,if you could then where would you go?" Archie asked.

"South," Jacob answered without missing a beat.

"South?" Archie raised his brows in surprise. "Did you not just say to never go south? What about the monsters and the witches?"

"Humans ain't any better from what I have seen," Jacob replied. "And after being in a prison cell for so long, I want to know what is out there, ya know? See things people are too afraid to. Experience something...something extraordinary."

"I thought you would have wanted to go east. They have good wine there from what I know," Archie muttered, making Jacob laugh.

"My father drank, so I couldn't care less for wine," Jacob stated.

"Oh."

There was only a day left for Archie's punishment. Prison did not feel as lonely anymore now that he had Jacob to talk to, and Kenric would visit him every night. He told Archie about the secret tunnel that Sir Christian helped him discover, and Archie had gotten mad at both of them for endangering themselves. He tried to tell Kenric to stop visiting him, which only made the prince scoff.

But Archie was thankful too forKenric's presence, which made his impending doom a tad bit easier to accept. Now that he did not need to worry about who was behind the theft and who would have tried to frame him, Archie felt free.

He just hoped that Sammy would have listened to him, that he would have taken Archie's savings and saved his own life. That was all Archie cared about.

He could not tell that to Kenric, however. Kenric was torn about the theft and had not lost all hope as he was still attempting to interrogate and get to the bottom of the crime. Archie stayed quiet whenever Kenric spoke of it. He could not tell the prince about Sammy, he knew that Kenric would send his men after his friend in an instant.