by Samuel Small
“So you didn’t get any information out of him before he was arrested?”
“He said something about fruit.”
“That makes no sense. My guess is,” Elizabeth said, “once he realized he was being followed, he sent you away so he could cause all the violence.”
It sounded like a total Dante move, and Jake agreed with her hypothesis but something still bugged him. “Why were they following them in the first place though?”
“Because they’re foreigners, obviously,” Elizabeth said.
“Yeah, but they weren’t following us. If they were, they would have jumped in when…” Jake trailed off and looked at Sara, who was staring on curiously. He gave an uncomfortable smile, “…when that hooded guy attacked us.”
“You mean they’re back?”
“It appears so. One of them just tried to kill us, but fled once that boy interrupted him. I suppose I owe him for the outburst.”
“So after helping us, now they’re trying to kill us?”
“No,” Jake said, and locked eyes with Elizabeth. She looked solemn, but he had to tell her no matter what. “He was after Elizabeth, and just Elizabeth. He only went after me because I got in the way.”
Elizabeth stopped midstride, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with horror. Jake and Sara stopped, his heart hurting for her. She grimaced and clenched her fists.
“So my presence here is putting you all in danger?”
“Don’t worry about it too much,” Sara said. “Dante’s presence puts us all in danger.” Elizabeth looked up in shock at this casual write-off of the problem, but then smiled. Jake joined in.
“Yeah, he’s gotten us almost killed way more than you ever could. Don’t worry, we’ll handle them.”
“Still, I think we should take care of Dante first,” Elizabeth said. “I don’t like to admit it, but if we’re going to have to go up against a strong opponent like that man, I’d like his assistance.”
“The people here seem reasonable enough. As long as he doesn’t act like an idiot while in lock up they’ll probably let him go.”
All three stopped abruptly at the suggestion and winced. They knew they were going to have to break him out.
***
Several shadows branched out over Dante’s body, courtesy of the torchlight just outside the door. The cell was musty, dark, and smelly. He wished he hadn’t put up a fight when they took him here so that he had a better idea of where he was, but based on the temperature and the cold air, Dante ventured to guess that he was underground.
Underground… in the sky? he thought.
He fidgeted with his hands a little more, but it did little to affect his restraints. He figured these guys would’ve used rope bindings or something similar, but these translucent shackles were something else. They glowed dimly with a pulsing light and kept him from using his Sol. He was somewhat familiar with the technology though, as Montasir used to brag about it all the time at the gym, but this shit was unreal.
The worst part was there wasn’t a chain, just two circles intersecting. If there was one, Dante could pull it as far back as he could and kick, it was an escape method he’d been taught at the gym. Likewise, if it was made of rope, well – that would be even easier.
But no, it had to be some hard-ass plastic that kept his Sol suppressed.
There was a metal clang, followed by several footsteps coming toward him, and Dante looked up from his shackles and stared at the door. Initially, they put him in a basic cell with iron bars and a bed, but he was a fairly unruly prisoner so they soon tossed him into solitary confinement. That was a bad move, as it only served to piss him off further.
The footsteps stopped just before the door and lingered for a moment. Go on, open it you fucker, Dante thought as he rose to his feet. He glared at the door, his knees bent and ready to spring as it creaked open. It inched further and further, allowing more flickering light in from the hallway. Once it was open fully, Dante leapt forward and gave the guard a solid kick to the gut. He bent over and wheezed. Dante ducked as some wind rushed just over his head. As expected, they brought back up after Dante’s repeat behavior.
He wasted no time, and gave the second guy a solid kick to the temple, knocking him out cold, then he came back and finished off the first guard, who was grasping his injured belly and trying to sit up. He looked up and down the long hallway to see if there were any more takers, but it seemed like two was all they had for now. He shrugged, then bent down to the guard’s waist, grabbed some keys, and fumbled with them. It was hard to keep them in his grasp with his wrist bound together like this, but he managed.
There was a set of five keys, and after trying them all Dante swore to himself. None of them fitted his handcuffs. Still, one of them had to be for the door, so he smirked and walked down the hallway until he reached it – big and made of iron, super-intimidating if Dante didn’t have the key. He tried the ring, and the lock clicked open with the third one.
He grasped the handle and flung it open, jumping into the new hallway and looking in both directions frantically. To his surprise, nobody met him on the other side of the door. An eyebrow raised, Dante crept down the poorly lit hallway, careful to snuff the noise beneath his feet. There had to be some trick: there was no way that asshole warden was going to let him break out this easily.
Sure enough, after a few minutes of walking Dante found the corridor open up into a large circular room. The walls were adorned with torches, a steel gate at the other end. It was a battle arena if Dante ever saw one. In the center, that asshole warden stood with a shit-eating grin on his face. Dante walked further into the room, annoyed as the man extended his arms out wide, the cuffs of his robe swaying.
“If it isn’t my little problem prisoner. A tenacious one for sure,” he grinned. Dante didn’t want to dignify the guy with a direct response. Instead he played it cool, making an intentional show of surveying his surroundings.
“Quite the battle arena you’ve got here, but I guess you won’t undo these handcuffs so we can have a fair fight.”
“Of course not. You’re a prisoner.”
“Your security seemed a little lax, though. It’s almost like you let me escape.”
The warden threw his head back and cackled, the disgusting sound bouncing off the walls and echoing throughout the room. The sound felt hot, as if the bastard was whispering right into his ear. It made Dante even angrier, and he clenched his fists tightly.
“We hardly ever get prisoners in this docile country, let alone rowdy ones like you. I love having an excuse to get out of the office and exercise.”
Dante bent his knees and readied to charge the guy. He hadn’t gotten a good chance to size up his Sol before: he was busy kicking the shit out of his employees and this asshole just went and blasted him from behind. The next thing he knew, he woke up in solitary. Still, he had a general plan: rush down and knock ’em the fuck out.
The warden extended his hand out and gathered wind into it. It rushed and swirled, and his robe lashed out from the storm. As soon as he let a knowing smirk creep onto his lips, like he knew he was going to win before the match had even started, Dante’s anger boiled over and he charged. With his first step, the warden let a massive amount of energy escape his hand, and Dante darted to his left to avoid it. Bits of concrete, fucking concrete, knocked into his ankle then fell to the floor. That attack would have killed him for sure if it had hit.
Still stomping forward, Dante moved from side to side. Now that he was getting closer, the warden was getting worried, and letting his attacks out without any strategic thought. Dante smirked, then jumped into the air, spinning and preparing to take the smug warden’s head off. The guy didn’t make it that easy though, of course, and he ducked under as Dante sailed past him. He landed behind him then tried to punch the guy on instinct, but he couldn’t use his fists with these damned restraints. As Dante tried to regain his composure he found something solid jamming into his chest. The blow wasn’t bad, but it mad
e him hesitate for a moment, and that was all the warden needed. Before Dante knew it, that one attack became two, then four, then six. Each one jerked his body and sent him backing up. At last, a blow came and caught him dead in the forehead, forcing him onto the ground. He slammed into the solid floor and pain erupted in the back of his head. He tried to breathe but couldn’t.
Soft footsteps came to him as Dante stared at the ceiling, which seemed impossibly high and distant. The view was obstructed by the warden’s smug face bearing over him, smirking as if he hadn’t almost lost that fight. “I hope that’ll be enough out of you for the night. I really want to get some sleep now.”
“Fuck you,” Dante spat.
***
A simple sunray through the window gently woke Jake up, and he almost arose from his slumber happy and renewed, but his unconscious mind drifted into reality, and his eyes bulged open. Dante was in prison, and he’d surely have to deal with that. Then he sat up and looked around. He was also dwelling in an absolute crap shack, the walls chipped as if someone took a sledgehammer to them, the room dusty, and the bed creaky and lumpy. He couldn’t believe that in his half-asleep state he was able to find any peace at all.
Jake yawned and got out of bed, stretching and making his way to the closet where his uniform was kept. He unfolded it and began to put it on, thinking back to the conversation last night.
They’d all agreed to discuss the fine details of their plan today. It was late, Sara was shaken up, and they didn’t fully know what was going on. The lingering question of whether or not they needed to break Dante out raised its hand in the back of Jake’s mind, but he willed it away. He wasn’t keen on opposing this entire country, which supported and celebrated Lennon as a fierce opponent, and since breaking Dante out required temporarily going without him, their strongest member, he really didn’t want things to come to that. With any luck, they’d be able to negotiate his release.
Looking into the mirror as he ensured that everything was in order, Jake saw his face contorted into a grimace. They wouldn’t be able to negotiate anything, because Dante wasn’t apt to act like any kind of model prisoner. Honestly, they were lucky he behaved for as long as he did.
After attempting to smooth his hair down – which gently floated back up, as noncompliant as always – Jake stepped out of the battered dorm and into the fresh field. The lush grass swayed in the breeze and the air had the slight cool tinge of early morning. Jake took in a lungful and walked toward the bench, which had been replaced promptly, where his two companions waited for him.
Sitting down next to Elizabeth, Jake shared a look of apprehension with the two girls. There was heavy silence for a moment, as each waited for the others to start up the discussion.
“I think—”
“The first—”
Jake and Elizabeth both spoke at the same time, stammered, and looked into each other’s eyes. Elizabeth’s were a glorious pool of blue, but she quickly jerked them away and muttered that Jake should go first. He wanted to ask for her opinion, but knew it would just lead to a ‘go ahead’ match, and besides, he was pretty sure her line of thinking was similar to his own anyway.
“I think we should see what’s going on with Dante first. I doubt they’ll be releasing him anytime soon, but we should stop in and check just in case. For that, we should go to Lennon.”
“I don’t think Lennon’s the best bet right now,” Sara interjected. “He seemed really angry last night.”
Jake recalled the man’s face, contorted into a rage he thought he’d never see on such a placid person. Jake did suspect that there was something unnatural about it, although at the time he wasn’t sure. He had a slight inkling of what it might be now that he’d slept on it, but he didn’t want to act on only an inkling. Sara was right. He nodded.
“Right, then we should go to either the Grand Priest or Floff to see what’s going on,” Jake said. “I’d prefer to go to Floff, since he seemed to at least respect Dante, but either would do.”
“I think you might get your wish,” Elizabeth said, her eyes focusing on something in the distance. Deep within her pupils, Jake could see the silhouette of a man getting bigger as he approached them. Catching her glance, he saw the Grand Priest himself walking casually toward them, several guards at his side, Floff also among their number. Jake and company immediately got out of their seats, being sure to give the respect the man deserved.
When he saw them rise at his presence, a smile formed on the Grand Priest’s lips. He folded his arms behind his back and spoke.
“I’m sure you’re all very concerned as to the status of your comrade. I can assure you that he is relatively unharmed: any injuries he has received have been minor and the result of self-defense against his own aggression.”
“Sir,” Jake interrupted, “may we see him?”
“I am not sure. The warden gave a report that he was a very difficult prisoner” – Jake knew it – “and that as a result he’s being kept in solitary confinement. That being said, the warden didn’t seem too displeased when he told me this, so I don’t think it’s out of the question that he’d allow visitation. I can’t guarantee anything, but if you wish to try I will not stop you.”
Jake thanked him and turned to Sara, who he thought would be happy at the slight ray of hope, but she only stared at the Grand Priest as if she were expecting a catch.
“With that out of the way, there is another matter to attend to. I appreciate you all taking the time to explore the monuments and getting to know this area’s history, however I hope you understand that after this most recent incident I will have to restrict your nocturnal activities. The south monument, which is so integral to our history, was almost damaged in the fighting last night, and we as a nation can not afford to lose it.”
“I understand and respect your decision,” Jake said. He was lucky that was all they were getting. The Grand Priest nodded his approval at Jake’s compliance, thanked him for his cooperation, then turned and walked away, along with his constituents. As the group turned, Floff stopped for a moment, his lips pressed together as if he had something to say, but he ultimately shook his head and followed the group.
Well, they’d received some useful information and didn’t have to seek it out. Jake turned to his comrades to discuss their next move.
“I suppose at least now we know where we stand with the government here,” Elizabeth muttered.
“Yeah, but we’re essentially on probation,” Sara said.
“It could be worse,” Jake said, plopping back to a seat at the bench, his eye fixed on the group as they became smaller and smaller silhouettes. “Considering that the group Dante attacked seemed to be a protected class and all.”
Elizabeth took a seat next to him. She had a hand under her chin, and her eyes narrowed at the ground. “Despite being a warrior class…”
Ah, so she noticed it too.
“We can debate the specifics later,” Sara said, interrupting Jake and Elizabeth’s brief momentum of telepathy. She stood over them, commanding, with her hands on her hips. “First we have to go and see Dante, and try to negotiate his release. If that dragon shows up again and he’s not here we’ll be toast.”
Jake and Elizabeth exchanged a glance, then looked up at Sara. “I know what you’re getting at, but I doubt that the government here would let us fight that thing, even with Dante.”
“Did you ever figure out why specifically they won’t allow it?” Elizabeth asked, leaning toward him on the bench. She was only a hair’s breadth from touching him, and it made him a little nervous, but she didn’t seem to notice the proximity issue at all, only looking up with curious eyes. He couldn’t handle staring into them, and looked away while giving his explanation.
“Uh, nothing on them specifically, but I figure it has something to do with an ancient female warrior who they worship around here…”
“I’ve seen her image carved into that monument,” Sara said. “Although it was strange, the section that
Dante said would have contained the Malice looked broken.”
“Well, it is an ancient building so that’s bound to happen,” Jake said.
“Yeah, but I mean the rest of the place was really nice. It looked intentional.”
Intentional? Jake wouldn’t understand why a place so engrossed in its history would try to destroy a section of it, although he didn’t think Sara was mistaken either. She wasn’t Dante after all, so a deduction of hers was about as good as one he made himself as far as he was concerned. Still, they couldn’t sit around and discuss how they were going to get clearance to fight with one of their teammates imprisoned, they had priorities after all. Jake made special note of what Sara told him and placed it in the back of his mind for later consideration. Rising out of his seat, Jake took a few steps forward, then turned to his bewildered companions and beckoned them on. He figured they’d know what he was getting at.
“I thought we already agreed to find out what was going on with Dante first. Come on, let’s go,” he said.
***
After asking around the prison wasn’t hard to find, and Jake and company were standing before it by early afternoon. Jake was temporarily caught off guard by the structure, which could have been a one-story building, but then he thought back to the people and culture of the area. The citizens were abnormally calm and the warriors strong. It looked like they were less likely to have criminality in the first place, and couple that with the deterrence of strong warriors like Lennon and Jake doubted they needed an extensive penal system. He shrugged and walked through the door, which was open and inviting despite the purpose of the building.
As he stepped in, he noticed a young man in the robbed attire of the guards of this nation, who was casually perusing a book and looking bored out of his mind. Isn’t ignorance bliss, Jake thought and smiled. He moved closer, intentionally putting extra weight behind the steps, and the drifting guard jumped up in shock, then took in the three people and leapt out of his chair.
