Different worlds

16. Behind the bars

POV: Aisha

I open my eyes and immediately squint so that I can get adjusted to the light in the room. I look around me, I was in a cell illuminated by a row of candles on the walls, on the dirty floor, to my right, was Kalatril knocked out cold.
I try getting up so that I can walk to him too help him but something accompanied by a metallic sound keeps me down on the dusty floor. I look at my feet and hands and frown. Shackles.
What the fuck had happened?

I try recalling my last memories and a shiver goes down my spine when I do. Did I really end the life of a man two sweet children called 'dad'? Not only that, I had displayed weakness in showing Kalatril my tears. What was he going to see in me now? Probably what I truly was, the scared little girl that had been saved by her dad at the cost of his life. I sigh, this wasn't the moment to take a trip down memory lane.

And look at my satchel that thankfully hadn't been taken away when suddenly my throat starts aching and I ask myself if it is because of my recalling of the past events or if it was the seer's touch had effected me more than I had feared. I was still thinking about the seer and trying to figure out why the heck it was there but understanding the current situation is way more important right now.

I look around the room again, we were obviously in some sort of cell or something, I could see no sunlight but I could clearly feel a draft, indicating that it was probably night time. I sigh, not out of anger but of relief. I don't know how Kalatril managed to get us capture but at least I knew a few details that could help us get out. I wonder how my ears and tail didn't pop out but right now wasn't the moment for me to question how strong Kalatril's magic was.
I still needed to know how exactly we got here though.
I turn my head to Kalatril's body slumped against the wall and call out his name. He doesn't budge the first time but when I shout loud and clear he bolted up awake, his head turning and looking around him, when his eyes laid on me, his face contorted into a small grimace.

-What happened?, I ask, trying my best to not show my shame of knowing that he had seen my face covered in tears and regret.

-We got captured, I think we are locked up in the city's noble's dungeons. I am sorry, I did my best to fight back but the army was well prepared, he answered lowering his head a bit.

-From the moment manage to escape, it'll be fine. And even if we don't make it out, I won't be able to kill you with my own hands anyway so chill.

For some reason my words don't seem comforting to Kalatril but I don't think too much about it.

I rack my brain for and idea, what could we do to escape?
Just as I am about to ask Kalatril if he had a pin, the sound of wheels and then of a key unlocking the door was heard and we both tense up.
A tall man with grayish hair came in with a deranged look, a small wheeled table pushed in front of him. I couldn't see what was on the trays placed on top of it but I could distinctly smell a certain kind of metal and leather.

The man stopped suddenly and turned towards us with his psychotic smile.

-What a pity that such young blood is locked up in here, but that isn't my fault, isn't it? You both should have thought twice before committing the crimes you did. So logically, it's okay for the army to punish you for your actions... with that, he lifted a wooden club from the table, nails had been screwed into some places, making me fill with worry, but there is a way for you to get beheaded once immediately at the capital without going through unneeded pain, answer the questions asked, truthfully, and without resistance and there will be a chance for you two. So, do you wish to cooperate?

I bite my lower lip. If it weren't for this shackles, I would try to knock him out, but since they were settled firmly on my wrists and heals, that wasn't an option. It might not be obvious for Kalatril that the army sparing us was a big fat lie since he was so naive, but I knew, the emperor's army was cruel and would behead a five year old child if that same child had stepped over the line.