5

The prisoner.

Spear.

The cries.

After that, the one-eyed, purple-skinned boy guided the Ranger to the dungeon. The clown ended up putting his hand on my shoulder and I pushed it away violently before running away. Eventually, I saw the purple guy come out of a room and I slipped inside. I had landed in a corridor where cells appeared on either side. I had reached the end and I had dropped to the ground. I had finally fallen asleep.

- You are awake! Saw a voice next to me. Rubbing my eyes, I saw in the cell closest to me, a boy with red eyes. It was the prisoner I had faced with my spear. I didn't answer, turning my face away. I had fallen asleep right next to the dungeon containing the teenager I was supposed to kill. It was my luck.

- Thank you for not having killed me, he threw me, seeming to want to attract my attention.

- Leave me alone if you don't want me to fix this mistake, I snapped.

"You're being tough," he sneered. But I seriously thought you were going to stab me. He was the only one… I cursed myself for not having succeeded, for having shown too great a state of weakness. This memory made me sick.

- Do not rejoice too quickly. They might come and settle your account on their own… I said before remembering a detail. Finally, when they have another human on hand since only we can kill a Ranger. The young man burst out laughing.

- It's a pipe, we're not supermen, anyone can kill us. She bullied you. I immediately felt anger welling up inside me. What was this clown playing at? Did she play a trick on me?

- So it's even worse for you, they'll come and kill you soon, I concluded. The teenager laughed.

- You're wrong, it's not their style. They are not murderers. I looked at him, taken aback.

- Do you have a memory problem or how is it going? Need I remind you that not an hour ago they asked me to kill you? The young man with red eyes looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

- First news, it was yesterday, you must have slept more than you thought, he told me. Second info, I don't know why she reacted like that, but sentencing someone to death is not her style. Maybe it was a bluff. I had slept so long? This news startled me. I quickly blinked back into the conversation.

- A bluff? I was the one holding the spear, if I had decided to kill you, she couldn't have done anything, I pointed out.

- She's very fast, she would have easily countered you, laughed the prisoner. I was taken aback by his reaction.

- Why do you trust him so much? I remind you that she locked you up in a dungeon. Besides, if you were stealing confidential information, there's a problem with your trust and loyalty.

- It's not in her that I don't trust. I believe in the Queen and her Royal Guard, it's others I don't trust.

- Others? I asked, surprising myself at my curiosity. Usually, I didn't care what was going on around me.

- I can't tell you more.

- Why?

- I don't know you, he pointed out, how could I know if I can trust you?

- You're right, you can't, I told him. The fate of others doesn't matter to me as long as nothing happens to me.

- However, you could not kill me whereas, if I understood well, that played in your favor. I glared at him.

- It has nothing to do with you, I spat. Don't talk about a subject you don't know. The ranger placed his hands in front of him in a sign of appeasement.

- Ok, no problem, he agreed. I wouldn't insist. You are Eudora, right? I looked at him suspiciously.

- How do you know?

- I read it in the confidential files. You are the secret weapon. My interest was immediately piqued.

- Can you tell me more about it? I asked, wanting to understand what they wanted from me. The prisoner shrugged.

- I may be a thief, but I'm not a snitch.

- This subject concerns me, I have every right to be kept informed, I was indignant.

- I completely agree with you, he confessed. But it's not for me to tell you.

"The Ranger responds to whatever suits him," I said bitterly. The prisoner burst out laughing. What are you laughing at? I was annoyed, having the unpleasant impression that he was laughing at me.

- You use the word Ranger, but I'm sure that deep down, you don't know what it means in this world, he declared. Then call me Kalidas, or Kal, whatever you want.

"You're right, I don't know, but I don't care," I grumbled, not liking the way he laughed at me. And I wouldn't call you anyway. Kalidas put a hand to his heart, falsely touched.

- You break my heart, he said in a voice wanting to be plaintive.

- And you just break them for me, I got annoyed at his behavior. Kalidas burst out laughing.

- I love your repartee. I gave him an exasperated look before turning away. Did he like my repartee? Well, he wasn't going to hear the sound of my voice anymore, I didn't want to do him that honor.15th

I suddenly remembered that it had already been a day since I had fled after having broken down, at least, around. Nobody wondered where I could have gone. It was amazing, considering they needed me for I don't know what… But deep down, I didn't care. I never wanted to have to deal with these people with delirious physiques again. And even less to this winged clown. She had played a trick on me and I wasn't ready to forgive her. The next time I saw her, I intended to make her pay for her actions. I felt pure hatred pour into my blood. She was going to regret it. This time, I intended to make him pay without delay.

Maybe I had been unable to touch the prisoner, but I had been taken aback. I would take intense pleasure in making her suffer between my fingers.

- I wouldn't like to know what's going on in your head, it doesn't look very pretty, commented the prowler. I let out an annoyed growl.

- You have nothing else to do but look for lice? I scoffed. Kalidas pointed to the four walls holding him back.

- I'm locked in a cell, you're the only distraction I have.

- Too bad for you that I'm not staying, you'll just have to rot alone in your home, I commented with a smile of satisfaction. Kalidas looked mischievous

- That's what you think.

- Without wanting to break your hopes… whatever all things considered, it's my intention, they don't seem to want to let you go. You know too much, I pointed out.

"You're right about that," he admitted. But what Ranger would I be if I wasn't the master of evasion? As soon as my stay seems long to me, I will leave without difficulty. I looked at him in amazement.

- Are they dumb enough to keep an escape-capable prisoner unguarded? I wondered. Kalidas shrugged.

- Deep down, I should be thanking you. Usually, they would have paid more attention to me, but you seem to be taking all of their attention. I laugh weakly. I wish they didn't care about me and left me where I was. For once I didn't claim all the attention.

- They are idiots, I say simply in a dry tone. A smile appeared on the prisoner's lips.

- You want to know how I plan to get out of here? He asked me, visibly proud of himself.

- I do not care.

- I am an excellent climber, he confessed, ignoring my remark. We are underground and the cells allow me to see the sky, I will just have to climb.

- Happy for you, I say ironically.

I heard a door slam and Kalidas stepped back into his cell. Footsteps sounded and down the hall, I saw the boy with electric hair and the girl with fox ears appear. When they saw me, they came briskly in my direction.

- You are the! We've been looking for you everywhere since yesterday, cried the teenager with midnight blue hair. I didn't answer, having anything to do with it. My conversation with Kalidas was about to end. Not that I was saddened, quite the contrary. But it was the longest conversation I had had in years. It had to be said that I didn't like the exchange. I just didn't like people.

- Come Eudora, the queen is waiting for us, warns the vixen. I burst out laughing. Didn't answer, having anything

- I have absolutely nothing to do with your damn queen and your needs, I laughed. Besides, you can tell him that it's out of the question for me to come to his aid. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore, I said putting all my hate into my words. The two teenagers exchanged a look.

- You have no choice if you want to go home, the boy told me, playing the same little game as the clown. I stood up, staring at them.

- I have nothing to do with your blackmail. I hate being manipulated. I would find a way to get home myself. The vixen bit her lower lip.

- We behaved with you like real balls, she admitted. But basically, there was never any question of blackmail. We used this pretext for you to listen to what we have to tell you. Afterward, you will be free to choose what you decide to do. I frowned. On the other hand, I wasn't going to hide here until the end of time… I suddenly had an idea. Ok, I was going to follow them in hopes of getting home, but not without a plan B.

So I walked towards the two atypical beings, agreeing to follow them. Then, before we left the place, I stopped.

- The prisoner, the one with the red eyes at the bottom, he plans to escape by climbing his cell.