Prison of Thorns

I was sure I had died for a second there... But being dizzy before the winged knight's final attack made me unsure of having been impaled or just hit in the head by the spear handle again... Well, just be able to think and be aware of what happened probably meant that I was still alive, and soon it was confirmed, when I was finally able to open my eyes, revealing the small room... With bars on the window and doors.

As I slowly started to wake up and become more aware of my surroundings, I realized I was in a Roseblood dungeon... And that the damned backstabber was still out there, taking the bottle to his boss... I couldn't lose time stuck in here, I needed to get out, now!... But how?

Just as I started to think, a guard walked nearby. Little armor he carried, but it was clear just from the symbol engraved on it that it was Roseblood soldier. He could only smile smugly after seeing me.

"Finally awake, eh? I never thought the kingdoms of your filthy continent would go as low as recruiting women to their army just like the rebels do", he said and laughed a little, almost making it sound like we were at war even if we weren't. "I guess they are really desperate, huh?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't recruited by anyone"

"As if I would believe in that... Why are you here then? to visit our most glamorous empire? Sorry, you don't belong here. And I know why you're really here, you're a spy from that stupid continent, aren't you?", he said, crossing arms... But suddenly he just sighed and approached the bars of my cell, looking at me in the eyes.

"Well, come a little closer, I have a question for you", he said and in no position to do much, I just complied... When I was close enough, he grabbed me by the collar, pulling me against the bars.

"Look, I know one of that filthy kingdoms must have sent you here to spy on us or get something important. Tell me, who sent you? What did you get? What did you come after?!", he said and pulled me again and again against the bars, trying tog et info out of me.

I resisted, however, getting my leg through the bars and kicking here where it should hurt the most... While he was in pain, I gave one well-deserved punch in the face and then retreated away from the bars, to safety.

"What's happening here?", a man said, looking at me and then at the soldier. He was probably another guard, but he seemed to be wearing much heavier armor and a larger sword than the guard in front of me... Higher rank, I suppose.

"Ah, sir. I was just interrogating this spy, but she attacked me. I am sure she was sent by-"

"Shut up, Oliver. I told you already to not go making assumptions about the prisoners... With the little info we know, she might be just a civilian that got lost near the volcano... Or who was called by fire, explaining why the volcano was strange yesterday... Or she can be, yes, what you claim, a spy... But while we don't know you have no right of doing this, do you hear me?", he said to the soldier... Feeling a bit defeated, the soldier looked down a little, but didn't seem ready to just give up.

"Loud and clear, sir. But-"

"No buts, just get out of here!"

Without much of a choice, the soldier complied with the order and walked away, angrily and giving to me a threatening glare before leaving. I could only sigh in relief after he was gone... I wonder, however, what will happen when they discover I am from Coventry?

"I am sorry for his behavior... He has potential, but still got a lot to learn", the man said, keeping a serious expression on his face. "Either way, you're not someone that can be seen everyday... Your physique suggests you're a fighter, but the only female fighter I have ever seen is part of the rebellions, in their desperate action of defeating us... Are you not one of them?"

"No, no... I am no rebel...", I said and bit my tongue, preventing myself from saying more in defense of myself... I almost ended up saying I was from Coventry to defend myself.

"Well, I believe you... Never in my life I have seen the volcano behave so differently and, coincidentally on the same day, you appeared. If Fire trusts you to get near the volcano, then so should we... But don't get me wrong, freeing you is not up to me"

"I understand... I will wait for the truth come to light, then...", I said... And suddenly felt hypocritical, wasn't I backstabbing this mean just like the criminal had done to me? I guess we both did for the same objective, survival...

"Yes, it's for the best... Now, if you excuse me, I have matters to attend...", he said and then he walked away.

Soon, I was alone again in that cell... It was time to stop thinking about matters like the lies I just told this guy and focus on my escape plan. The first thing I did was examine the window...

On the outside, I could see the glamour of a city, with tall beautiful buildings, or maybe they were just huge houses. It was strange, however, that only the area around seemed to have these buildings... The buildings farther away were either too small to be seen or nothing was build too much far from here. Regardless of the view, escape through here was nearly impossible... The bars were sturdy and the fall would be very harmful, if not lethal.

I looked at the cell door... All made of the same sturdy bars, but this one had a keyhole... Meaning, have the key would allow me to escape through it, at least easier than it should be to escape through the window. I will find a way to get it... Is the key always kept hanged somewhere or do the guards carry them all the time?

It was searching through the bars to see where the key must be kept when I looked at another cell and suddenly, it hit me... Beech and Jeffrey were nowhere close... I needed to find them to make my escape out too. It seemed like this was going to be far more complicated than I first thought...