LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 23: I Want To Indiscriminately Maul All of You Down.
The next day she watches even more soldiers cluster the entrance. The troops have been entirely moved to the town square. It’s completely blocked off by lines of guards and tents. They also relocated the dogs and pigs away. Their security has been heightened so much not even a rat can scurry out the front gates unnoticed both day and night. They’re intent on keeping her in.
The following day she eavesdrops on gossip to learn Rakgar’s demands. He wants Soril to show up by this weekend and if he doesn’t, he’ll start by sending him her fingers, then her toes, then her eyes, her tongue for each day delayed. It makes her want to throw up, so she doesn’t listen anymore. As far as she’s aware of, they haven’t received any return communications from Soril. It’s funny she doesn’t know if this makes her more anxious or more relieved. Either way, her heart pinches. The deadline is rapidly approaching, and she still hasn’t figured out what she could do. There’s only one exit to Feror and it’s completely blocked out.
On the forth day, she is no longer in good shape. Her arms, at this point, are completely numb. Her fingertips turn ice cold and purple. Her spine feels like it’s going to snap from gravity and her legs are bloating with blood. On top of that, she’s also not given any food to eat. Only the occasional douse of muddy rainwater for her to lap up as it drips from her fringe to her lips. Still what’s bothering her most is not the physical turmoil, but the mental.
Her thoughts are getting darker. She’s slowly being chipped away. What if he’s already dead, if the Demon has killed him? Therefore, the complete silence on his end. She shakes it away. No. Don’t think of that. She should focus on how to escape. But she’s completely out of ideas. She can’t come up with a surefire way without being instantly detected and chased down now that there are four guards constantly watching her.
Two are standing directly outside her cell. Two more securing the prison entrance. They change shifts twice a day so there’re a total of eight different people.
The morning four are absolutely disgusting. Slimy bowl haircut bastards wouldn’t stop harassing her about how eager they are to rape her. They like the defiant look in her eyes, they said. The feisty ones are the most satisfying to break. A pretty little witch they can slowly preen into submission and make a dick craving whore. And when she does not give them a reaction, they’ll start throwing pig excrement at her to taunt her into responding. And it soon escalates into rocks and plates and knives. They like watching her bleed and heal like she’s some sort of a caged exhibit.
The night shifters are saints in comparison. The two soldiers don’t seem to know each other that well so they mostly just stand there in silence. And after three shifts of mundaneness, one of the soldiers began leaving post to chat with the entrance guards instead.
The one that’s left behind, a lanky man in his late twenties with dirty blonde hair and a patchy stubble, is always making sporadic glances at her with a guilty look on his face almost resembling pity. But he won’t attempt to start a conversation.
They’re here again tonight. In this exact set up. Three of them, playing cards outside around a table, and he’s quietly standing inside. She catches him staring. He quickly flicks his eyes away. She tries,
“Do you want something from me?” he goes stiff for a second. Then he looks contemplative like he doesn’t know where to start. Before he scratches his cheek and says,
“You just resemble a person that once saved my life.” huh. Is this someone Bathory knows? That self-serving woman saved someone? That’s a revelation.
“Who?”
“I’m probably over thinking things though. She had a massive scar on her face.”
“I did have a massive scar. It’s just healed now.” that makes his eyes widen,
“Really? In Ryden there was a red-haired lady-” oh. Hold up.
“Don’t tell me, you’re one of the Estelian prisoners I freed?” she’s trying to search her memories, that night was so hectic she couldn’t remember all the faces, but it suddenly strikes her,
“Wait. Aren’t you one of the guys that helped me hold that bald slaver down?” he instantly flashes a wide grin, pointing to himself,
“Yeah! That was me! So, it is you! I’ve been wanting to thank you. If not for you, I would’ve been blown up by the dynamites during the ambush.”
“So, you survived. What about the old man and the little boy? Are they also okay?”
“Yeah, they both got out fine in the end. We sent them back to the mainland.” At least that’s some uplifting news in all this dreariness. She can’t help but to smile at that,
“I’m happy to hear that. I’m glad I did manage to make a difference after all.” he seems a little surprised by her reactions,
“You don’t resent us for how badly we’ve been treating you?”
“Of course, I do. Any sane person would. But just because a barrel is rotten doesn’t mean all the apples are too. Though, I can’t say I didn’t fantasize about indiscriminately mauling all of you down once or twice. Especially Rakgar and those four morning motherfuckers.”
He laughs a little at that, “That’s only fair.” before he looks her with a pitying glance,
“You’re really kind, Lady... I just,” he hesitates, “don’t know if I can do the same for you.”
“Was that why you were staring at me? Because you were contemplating if you should free me?”
“Yeah. But even if I wanted to. I don’t think I can.” He eyes towards the three guards outside.
“It’s fine. Truthfully, I was kind of hoping that you would. But I won’t blame you if you don’t. If you really want to repay me. How about just retiring from the army and going home?”
“If I did that, my whole family would be imprisoned.” ah. Guess Estelis has mandatory drafting too huh. Then he reaches into his pockets, pulling something out,
“Oh. But I was told to pass this to you by someone earlier today. He thought you were pretty so he made you something in hopes that it can make your confinement a little less miserable.”
“Huh? Who?” He shrugs,
“Some squire. I don’t know his name.” He winds up his arm,
“Catch, okay?” throwing it towards her shackled hand. She receives it within her palm. Tilting it towards the moonlight. It’s a tiny glass bottle filled with white sand. That’s random.
Who would be casually sending gifts to a hostag- She gasps. There’s a drawing of a black bird with a silver collar on the surface. Wait. Could this be? She feels around the rims. It’s trimmed with wire. The opposite side has a violin. Her heart rate’s picking up in her chest.
Soril! He’s alive! Not just that. This implies so much more. Aside from her, only Soril could’ve recognized this former Estelian prisoner to know who to approach. He’s near enough to be observing. Through all this security? But how? Troops, front gates, the focus has been shifted on stopping her from escaping. That means, she flicks her eyes out the window of the cells opposite her. The back of Feror is left exceedingly quiet with only a few dozen scattered patrols. He could’ve jumped the stone walls or dug a hole, either way, it means he’s infiltrated! Excitedly, she declares,
“I love it. It’s a beautiful gift!”
“Really? I’m glad you do. He seemed to have put in a lot of effort.”