The Sacred Blade

Chapter 13- Another New Friend?

I pouted for a while back in my cell, seeing as how I didn't have anything else to do. I just sat there and did nothing. Absolutely nothing. I felt more useless than I had when I first arrived, and I felt like Minora should've just left me in the forest to die, attacked by whatever magical creatures roamed there. I had no plans. No weapons. No strategies or tactics to use. I was hopeless. 

 Then, I decided that I could either do some more nothing, or I could take a nap. Laying my head onto the cold, dirt floor, I closed my eyes and fell asleep, thinking how many times a "happening" would have come in handy while in Elysium, yet sadly realizing that not once since my arrival did any occur. I let the blackness of the cell embrace my mind. 

"Hey, you! Get up!" a voice shouted, forcing me awake.

I fuzzily rose, feeling like I had hardly slept, trying to get my bearings. Still in the cell. Still with absolutely nothing and no one. Hooray. 

The voice shouted again at me from behind the iron bars, sounding more young and higher-pitched than the bothersome guards, and not quite as menacing and rude as everyone else in this place. Of course, I need more evidence before I can make a conclusion.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." I grumpily muttered. I never was Sleeping Beauty in the mornings; I was more like a dog that got run over, brought back to life, and stomped on by a stampede of elephants. I think you get the picture.

"Here. Your rations." A slight figure reached for the keys, as I could see by the lantern that he made sure to attach to his belt first (no doubt new protocol, credits to me). After what seemed like forever, the sounds of metal clanging against each other, he eventually turned the lock, opened the door, quickly put the bowl of "food" on the ground to prevent another incident, and hurriedly closed it.

"Thanks," I mumbled to the already locked door. Then I had a thought- this is a kid, probably around my age, maybe a bit older. He's going to try and act as manly and macho as the other guys, but he really isn't on the inside. He could be my ticket to freedom if I could get on his good side. Maybe I do have a chance to make it out of here alive after all!

"Hey, wait!" I called through the bars.

He paused, clearly annoyed, and caught off guard (pun intended) that I was speaking to him. While he stood there, I got a better look at him. He had lightly colored brown hair with a splash of freckles across his nose. His eyes were a bright, electric blue and he carried himself like he owned the world, which didn't really match his simple garb. He only had a tan tunic and leggings, worn-down black boots, and a faded leather belt that held the lantern and a sheath that I presumed held a weapon I did not ever want to be pointed at me; no soldier uniform or armor, unlike his older compatriots.

"We are not to fraternize with the enemy," he recited like he had struggled to memorize it until he got it down to perfection, which made him sound a bit like a medieval robot. Clearly, he was proud of himself for being the poster child for Theneaus's army. 

Congratulations. I thought. You're working for a madman. Does that really make you proud?

"How sweet," I retorted, still sore sleeping on the floor and being awakened. I knew that I wasn't off to the best start, so I followed it up with a much sweeter, "What's your name?"

"Be quiet, prisoner," he commanded, and I won't lie, I was tempted to obey. But I didn't. 

Sorry, not sorry.

"Fine. Be that way," I pouted, hoping that maybe feeling sorry for me would be a better angle. "You'd get lonely too if you were cooped up in a cell all day with no human contact."