Episode 3.5

My right hand grabs Nora's arm. Then I start running, pulling her along behind me. Into the crowd, taking the fastest route to the point where I spotted the guard.

I lose track of what's happening behind me. Only the screams of the men reach me.

"Cut off the path for these beasts!" shouts the guy who seems to be their leader.

But our attempt to escape ends abruptly. Nora, whom I'm dragging along behind me and who can barely keep up with my fast pace, trips and falls. She pulls me down with her.

As we stand up again, a big guy stands in front of us. I try to pull Nora in a different direction, but another man blocks our path there. Three more men appear, forming a circle around us, where I simply can't find an escape route.

"Where do you think you're going, girls?" one of the men calls out, grinning at us amusedly, already aware of the outcome.

Nora presses her trembling body against mine. I can hardly control myself anymore. Fear rises within me. This is not how I want things to end.

"Behave, and we'll be kind to you," he calls out, grinning. "If not, it doesn't matter." The thought seems to amuse him even more.

"Damn it!" I exclaim.

The big guy looks to his comrades. "Which one of these girls do you want first?"

His comrades look just as amused as they focus on us.

I'm trembling all over now.

My gaze shifts to the guards, searching for the black-haired one, but I can't find him. Even if I could, these guys don't seem like they'd let a guard spoil their fun. Plus, the other guards, like before, seem to have little interest in what's happening here.

"Hands off the girls!" a roar echoes through the room. A voice I've heard before. "These two are under my protection! And if anyone touches them, I'll decide what happens to that person!"

The big guy in front of me, as well as the other four, look to the one who gave the order.

They're distracted, and I immediately seize my chance. My hand grabs Nora's to pull her away. But once again, we only end up facing one of the prisoners who blocks our way. Another guy.

"Don't interfere, Musator!" one of the men shouts. "Why do you care what happens to these beasts, or do you want them for yourself?"

The man in front of us squats down to us, gently running his hand over my cheek.

"Don't worry, you two!" he says. "You're safe!" He gives us an encouraging smile. "As long as our boss protects you, you have nothing to fear, as long as you don't provoke him."

Nora starts to cry. Immediately, the guy envelops her in his arms, trying to comfort her. Tears well up in my eyes too, which I can barely hold back. I'm so damn relieved and glad to be away from those guys. Even though I can't quite believe everything is really over yet.

My gaze goes to the man who saved us.

This Musator is familiar to me. He's a very large, corpulent guy who sits at our table during meals. He practically shovels the mush, which everyone else struggles to swallow, into his mouth. That's why he caught my attention.

"Because some of us still have decency and manners!" Musator shouts. "None of us need to prey on little girls!"

He glares threateningly at his counterpart. "If you don't disappear immediately, you'll regret it!"

The men fall silent. Cursing, they follow Musator's instruction by retreating.

Musator crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"Primitive idiots!" he snorts.

"No one here dares to mess with our boss!" the man behind me calls out.

"Hey!" suddenly, a voice I've grown very familiar with speaks up. The black-haired one makes his way through the gaping crowd. "Why do I bother stepping down from my pedestal when all the work here is already being done for me?" The guard approaches the big guy, pouting in front of him. The black-haired one isn't exactly short, but he still has to look up at the other.

After a brief moment, he turns to me.

"Are you both alright?"

After a short hesitation, while I look at Nora, I nod. The prisoners around us look at the guard, as well as Musator, with confusion.

It's Musator who addresses the guard.

"In gray today?" the big guy remarks, tapping the uniform of his counterpart.

The guard nods. "My boss thought it was time for me to gain some experience here."

Musator bursts into laughter. "In other words, you screwed up, and this is your punishment."

"Not quite!" He joins in the laughter and scratches his head awkwardly. "His exact words were: You're always getting involved in every brawl, you'll probably like it better down there than here!" He sighs. "I'll be down here indefinitely. So please, leave me some work to do during that time."

The next thing the black-haired one says is more serious. "How's our great ruler's honored guest doing?"

"You mean tyrant, rather?" corrects him the big guy with a snort. "Haven't checked yet."

"I better go check on him! No one wants anything to happen to him." As the guard goes to check on Moriphos, not only a few of the prisoners, including Musator, but also I, follow him. Nora remains with one of the men.

A circle has formed around the time traveler. What I see then makes me recoil in horror.

A broad grin spreads across the face of the man standing in front of the time traveler. A few drops of red fall from the blade of the knife in his hand onto the ground. Moriphos, standing in front of him, wobbles on unsteady legs, pressing his hand against a heavily bleeding wound. It's not the only one on his body, but apparently the most severe.

"Give up the weapon, or there'll be trouble!" the guard growls at the prisoner. When the prisoner doesn't comply with the demand, the guard disarms him with a quick move of his hand. "Get out of here!" His gaze is warning on the prisoner.

The prisoner immediately complies with the demand.

He and a few others leave the scene.

The guard briefly looks at Moriphos to assess the severity of the injuries. Then he turns to Musator. "Get this guy to my temporary colleagues so they can take him to the infirmary."

Two of the prisoners immediately follow the instruction.

When one of them tries to put his hand on Moriphos' shoulder, it is shrugged off by the time traveler.

His gaze briefly shifts suspiciously to the guard. But he knows his wounds need to be tended to, so he follows the other prisoners.

The others get back to work. I also want to disappear and check on Nora, but the guard holds me back.

"You'd surely do me a great favor, girl," he addresses me.

My gaze, now fixed on him, is suspicious. "Depends on what I'm supposed to do," is my response.

"Nothing bad!" he assures. He grabs my wrist, and with a quick step, he leads me to the cafeteria. He leaves me alone briefly in front of it, only to come back with a long package in his hand. "You just have to go in there..." He nods towards the cafeteria door. "...and give this to her..." The black-haired one hands me the package. "...my great love."

The guard smiles at me. I, on the other hand, scrutinize the package for a while, then my gaze turns confusedly to him.

Tosa didn't seem to like him very much.

"It was just a joke!" He laughs. "This is a gift for Akara. She knows what it's for. But..." The guard winks at me before continuing. "Please say it's from a secret admirer." He ruffles my hair with his hand. "If you do that, I'll reward you with a few more of those delicious fruits."

First, I fix my hair, while glaring angrily at him. But then I fulfill his wish.