Third Person POV
It was now a full week ever since the Colossus of Ultimate Destruction was defeated. And ever since then, it's been difficult for poor Jestro.
Today of all days reminded him of how much pain he caused the realm.
"HEY! HEY CLOWN-BOY!" The guard shouted. Jestro tensed up. That name; he hasn't been called that since....
"I SAID, SNAP OUT OF YOUR DAYDREAMING AND GET MOVING!" He yelled as he rammed his spear in front of him. Jestro flinched back and walked towards Roberto.
This...this is my life now..., Jestro thought as he followed his friend to their jail cell. It's...it's all that dumb cloud's fault! If not for him, I would've had a better life! I would've had friends! I wouldn't be rotting in prison while he's still out there! If not for him, Clay would trust me. Now, it's all blowing in the wind. He clenched his fist as he walked, all of the thoughts crushing down on his conscience.
Roberto could tell he was depressed. "Uh, h-hey, Jestro?" He whispered. Jestro lifted his head slowly. "...don't worry. It'll be okay." Roberto smiled at him. Jestro hung his head again.
No. It won't be okay.
As they reached the castle, the King was standing at the gates, waiting for them. "How'd it go?" The King kept a serious face. The guard took some steps forward. "I'm sorry to report that it may take longer than expected to clean up the mess, my liege." He folded his hands as he bowed his head. The King groaned and motioned for the prisoners to follow him to their slimy cells. Jestro and Roberto were put in separate cells, directly across from each other.
There were never any roommates for the cells, only rats and bugs. The King did that to prevent any "trouble" that would potentially harm the prisoners. It made every day seem longer and longer, days feeling like years, hours feeling like days, minutes feeling like hours, seconds feeling like minutes.
Jestro was freed of his shackles around his ankles and wrists by another guard. He knew that he could attempt to escape with this fleeting moment of freedom. It would just result in more trouble, so he remained still and quiet. Just as Jestro's daydream escaped his mind, the guard grabbed him tightly by the wrist and pulled him to the cot, slamming his head against the wall. Jestro yelped in pain as the guard continued grasping his hand. He put his wrist into a cuff that was chained to the wall. It had a short lead to it, so he couldn't move around much. Jestro looked at the new shackle and then back at the guard. "Heard that you caused delay at the cleanup today. This is what he said to do." He waved the key in his face tauntingly and put it in his armor. "Hey, it's not personal, it's just life." He explained as he walked out the room, shutting the door and locking it up tight behind himself. Jestro pulled at the chain and tried to squeeze his hand out of the tight restraint. He stopped once he saw his hand turning red. Leaning against the cold wall, he stared up at the ceiling. Roberto kept staring at him through the iron bars. "Jestro....I'm sorry." He began to speak. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. You were just doing your commissions." He hung his head. "It's my fault..." His voice cracked and a tear trailed down his cheek. Roberto kept calling out his name, trying to get his attention, but Jestro kept ignoring him. Eventually, he gave up when he heard quiet snoring.
Later that night, as the moon was shining into the dark and slimy cells, the guards were doing their nightly watch. Well, the ones that hadn't nodded off anyway. Roberto woke up to the sound of wet snoring caused by the prisoners all around him. He sat upright in his creaky, old bed and rubbed his eyes. The second he felt awake, he smelt something very musty. Mustier than the smell of the disgusting cell he was being kept in. He walked to the door and said, "Hey, do you smell that?" The guard glared at him and put a finger over his lips. But later, all of the guards began sniffing the air, searching for the aroma.
