[[picture by: Pavel Filimonov]]
Somewhere outside Bizia
Men stood in salute as the imposing and intimidating aura of the newly arrived man walked through the fort. The man eyed all the guards through his glasses, unimaginable boiling wrath deep in his gut.
Silas had just arrived outside Bizia territory, at a Taycia camp for prisoners, usually spies.
The land was Taycia, and they utilized it to make Bizia look unappealing, as it was right outside where their land ended, and to keep criminals far away from the capital of Taycia.
Silas was now there to ensure that the prison was running smoothly, and the aptitude of guards running it.
As a Holy General, it was one of his responsibilities to ensure the guards under him were acting accordingly to Taycia standards. At least, that is what he was doing as far as anyone else was concerned. Silas's intentions were solely to locate information on his princess's whereabouts. The anger he felt was almost tangible, as he had not heard back from Mamoru since he informed Silas that he had spotted her in Ekapan.
When Silas arrived at Ekapan she was already long gone, and with Mamoru not responding to his pigeon posts, he was on the edge of a breakdown. Silas walked with so much poise it was hard to tell how upset he was, but he was seething.
He had not been paying much attention as he evaluated the guards, as he was waiting to ask the prisoners for any information. Silas figured if he did not get any useful information from the prisoners, he would travel through Bizia out of uniform in search of his dear missing princess.
Princess, it has been over a month... I have not stopped searching, not once. Are you okay? Are you eating well? Are you in danger? I miss you so much, my princess.
Silas thought to himself as a young guard led him to the jail cells, they were dingy and in poor condition. Just how Taycia wanted it.
He searched through the bars to all the poor souls who ended up here.
"Leave," Silas ordered the young man who stood near him making him jump.
"Ye-Yes, Sir, Holy General, Sir." The young man wasted no time in escaping the suffocating atmosphere around Silas.
Silas looked at all the cowering men and women in the cells, they looked near skin and bones, caked with grime. The smell was a whole other issue that Silas could not be bothered by.
"I will make a deal with any of you, filth." Silas finally spoke firmly. "I will release one of you," The prisoners sat up straighter at his words. "If you have information worthy of such a reward." He finished, pacing in front of the dirty cells.
"I want to know the whereabouts of a fugitive," He continued, letting the heels of his boots click against the ground sending a daunting echo through the jail. "She is tanned skinned, brown eyes, dark hair-" Silas was almost wrapped up in his description of Alana, thinking of her after being away from her for so long made him feel faint and lost.
"Does anyone recognize that description?" Silas regained himself quickly.
There were a few low murmurs, but no one immediately spoke up.
Silas had purposefully left out much of Alana's features, so it would be easy to prove if they had real information and if they were lying.
"Real long hair?" A croaky voice sounded from the end of the room. Silas spun on his heel, his heart rate speeding.
"Who said that?" Silas demanded marching in the direction of the voice.
Again no one spoke right away.
"Who said that?" Silas almost growled.
"It was me," A soiled hand raised, drawing Silas's attention to a man that may be in his late thirties. "She has long hair, like really long hair, right?" The man said, his voice sounded as if he had not spoken in days.
Silas was filled with joy and hope, he fought to keep a smile off his face. However, Silas still had no idea that the princess had cut her hair. He had contemplated that she might have decided for a haircut after escaping. But her hair held such fond memories for the two, at least to him, and he had hoped she would not have cut it all off.
"Where? Where did you see her? Is she traveling with anyone? Is she healthy?" Silas sent off rapid-fire questions, as the man crawled his way closer to the bars.
"I saw her in a town about a four-day walk from here." The prisoner rasped out. "She is with two men, and two women..." Silas cringed hearing the word 'men', but he could not be concerned by that detail now.
"And her health?" Silas questioned desperately.
"Well, I only saw her from afar," The prisoner shrugged. "But yes, she looked healthy."
Silas was elated, he now had a place to go, a lead to track. The prisoner was feeling hopeful too, as he added something that halted Silas's joy. "She is short, right? With squinty eyes?"
Silas's mood plummeted; he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
This worthless scum got my hopes up... how unfortunate.
Silas grabbed the keys from a hook on the wall and unlocked the cell. He held the door open for the man to lurch out. Silas's eyes looked almost lifeless as he watched the prisoner steady himself.
"Thank you," The man exhaled out with a smile. Silas's jaw clenched.
"Of course," Silas smirked softly. "I need to take my anger out somehow."
The prisoner's brows furrowed. "Huh?" Was he could make out before he saw the glint of a sword swing down on him? The blade cut the man from his sternum to his stomach, but Silas did not let it go deep enough to kill him too quickly.
The prisoner did not even scream as he was too shocked, stumbling back into the brick wall. The other prisoners gasped and huddled away from the mad man in a Holy General uniform.
"B-but I – I thought you wanted in-information." The prisoner held his hand over his chest, trying to stop the blood from oozing out to no avail.
"I did, and you lied..." Silas swiped his sword again, making an X cut on the man's torso. This time he did scream, the sound reverberating off the cell walls.
"No-no-no, I-I-I didn't, there is a misunderstanding!" The man raised his hands to Silas.
The Holy General was too far gone to accept it as just a misunderstanding. No, to him it was a grievous lie, and anything to do with his princess must be handled to the extremes. In Silas's head he had no reason or rationality, he was blinded by his search for his honey eyed goddess.
Silas stuck his sword into the man's shoulder, another scream erupted through the cellar.
"She is not short," Silas dug his sword deeper into the man's shoulder until an unholy popping sound echoed in the space quickly drowned out by a wailing.
"She is quite tall for a lady; her legs are so long and beautiful..." He pulled the sword from the man's body.
"She hated being so tall... she thought it meant she was not as cute as the other girls..." He spoke evenly, as if unbothered by the screams.
Silas stuck his sword into the man's other shoulder in the same manner.
"And her eyes..." Silas seemed to swoon as forced his sword in further until he heard another pop, and felt his sword move through the man easier.
The prisoner was a sobbing mess and not listening to Silas speak, but he continued.
"Her eyes are so big, like a doll..." Silas pulled his sword from the man.
"They are like staring into pools of honey, and when the evening sun washes over her irises... it makes the most brilliant glow of golden enticement."
Silas stood straighter, feeling his eyes brim with tears, just the thought of having not seen Alana's eyes in so long was enough to make him tear up.
Where are you, princess? Tell me and I will come running...
He looked down at the man, who was passed out from the pain, and bit back a scoff.
Silas swung his sword twice, so quickly it looked like a dancing wave of light, and the man's arms fell by his side with a wet thunk! Blood squirted from the wounds, splattering onto the ground in thick red puddles, the man will be dead soon enough.
Silas slung the blood from his blade and sheathed it on his hip again. He peered over his shoulder to the other prisoners.
"Does anyone else have anything to share?"