Five Little Sacrifices

Chapter 23

"Do you want us to wait here or accompany you?" one of the guards asked.

"We'll be fine", Freed assured and Laxus lifted Felix from his shoulders.

The guard nodded and closed the door after him.

"Which one of these is Lucados' cell?" Laxus asked as they started walking. It seemed like most of the prisoners weren't even interested about them, not paying attention while they walked past. They couldn't reach out to them, nor could they use magic. Some of them were even chained on the wall.

Felix grabbed a tighter hold of Freed's hand walking just beside his parents. This place was scary. Until now he had thought it would be exciting to visit a dungeon, but the reality was so different from what he had thought in his mind.

"We take a turn left and walk up few stairs", Freed said and they turned left when there was another hallway crossing the one where they were walking.

Finally they stopped in front of one of the cells. It was no different from other cells, but the number above told them it was the right one. That and the figure who was sitting and leaning his back against the wall behind it.

The old man's long hair had still that slight glint of green, just like his beard that had been growing few years already. Long scythe-like cowlicks were still pointing down, crossing each other and old, turquoise eyes were lifted up to see who stopped in front of his current home.

"Would you look at that", he chuckled. "They told me I would have visitors soon, but who would have thought it's my favourite grandson with his husband."

"Fiancé", Freed corrected.

"Oh my, so the wedding is still waiting? I'm so sorry."

"Like hell you are", Laxus grunted annoyed.

Lucados stood up and his posture wasn't that straight anymore, as his back was slightly hunched. He looked down at Felix who was nervous, not sure if he liked that old man. Freed and Laxus didn't seem to like him as well.

"And this here must then be my great-grandson, from who you're denying his rights as the heir of the Zaldevil family?" Lucados asked.

"There is no Zaldevil family anymore", Freed said.

"Hmm... I wonder", Lucados muttered stepping closer to the wall made out of bars of magic sealing stones. Felix gulped as he saw his great-grandfather closer and he hid behind Freed. "Such a little coward", Lucados tisked narrowing his eyes and Felix flinched.

"Hey, you might not be able to use your magic but I can sure as hell roast your ass with my lightning", Laxus warned angrily.

"I'm aware of it."

"We don't have time to hear your insults", Freed said crossing his arms. "We actually have a reason why we came to meet you."

"Really? I'm so honoured", Lucados smirked. "There's still some use for an old man like me."

"What do you know about men called Emmett, Ichabod and Humphrey?" Freed asked and Lucados thought about it a moment.

"I don't recall that I have heard about them", he finally said. "Since you came all the way here to see me even though I was sure you would never come meet me again, that means they are causing some troubles for you. What's the situation?" Lucados asked and he sounded genuinely curious.

"I'll go wait with Felix near the door", Laxus said lifting Felix up. There was no need to tell everything in front of him, he had still hard time to forget what happened to Jish-Ahrna.