Chapter 15
2019 Words
The sound of chatter woke Lovell as he slowly opened his eyes, regained some sense of the fact he was back in the world of the living. Lovell lifted himself up off the cold stone floor—was somehow refreshing. Once Lovell was up, he looked down at his hand to find they were bound with chains. Lovell followed the chains to see them attached to a single bar. Allowing some freedom within the barred cage.
Lovell glanced around to see the walls were a mixture of stone and metal. As the sound of clanking metal caught Lovell's attention as he looked to see where it came from. Lovell could see two guards escorting a prisoner out past his cell. The two men kicked the man as he screamed in pain before dragging him off. As the two guards left, Lovell noticed at third walk over and sit down across the way. Lovell stood up and moved closer to the bars of his cage.
Lovell could see the open area more clearly, and the way out was to his cell's right. Lovell then turned to see other prisoners moaning and battered in different sections. Filled with as many as five or more other prisoners. Lovell looked back to see if he had anyone with him—but found no one else. Lovell then turned to the guard. He was sitting down as he smiled in glee, watching one of the prison cells.
“Hey, you!” Lovell called out.
The guard rolled his eyes as he looked over at Lovell. Lovell felt a cold chill as the guard started to smile once he saw who called out to him.
“Where am I?”
The guard stood up and walked over to Lovell's cell. The guard was grinning at Lovell. When Lovell noticed the keys hanging on the wall. They were out of reach, but Lovell knew that he could get out if he could trick the guard. Once Lovell knew where he was. The guard reached Lovell’s prison and leaned against the bars.
“Well, sleeping beauty is awake and is asking where he is? Ha! You, good sir, are in the wonderful place of Mourn Fortress,” The guard stepped back to show off the prison, as the guard’s smile grew more and more sinister. “Lead by none other than the beautiful Erin Loinclaw, herself.”
The guard laughed as he walked back to his seat. Lovell stepping back, trying to figure out what was going on. Before hitting the wall and then sliding down. Lovell curled up as another guard brought him food. Opening the gate and setting the meal down beside Lovell.
Lovell looked up as the guard walked out and closed the door behind him. Lovell then turned to the food beside him. It was not what he expected for prison food. The plate and meal were clean, warm, and seemed to have care put into its creation. Lovell looked around to see the other prisoners get something thick and sticky plopped in their cells. Where the guards laughed at them as they watched the prisoners fight over who got to eat.
Lovell reached for his food, figuring it would be the last decent meal before the slop. Lovell felt his stomach growl before eating the food. Lovell ate the food quietly as the sound of clicking caught his attention. Lovell looked up to see a busty female dracoman stood outside his cell. She shifted her weight as she was accompanied by two other guards. They were different from the few prison guards walking around. Lovell stared at the woman as she smiled at him and cradled her chest.
“So, you are Lovell that Hunter was after.” The woman snarkily asked as she flexed her wings. “My name is Erin, by the way.”
Lovell glanced over Erin as she playfully touched her lips and stuck out her chest at him. Lovell’s expression was blank as she continued her act.
“Like what you see, boy?”
Lovell grabbed the food and turned away from Erin.
“No, you’re not my type. Besides, why would I be interested in a nynya(slut) like you?” Lovell remarked at Erin.
Lovell took a bite out of the food. While Erin grew frustrated at Lovell’s comment. Before waving at her men to grab the cell keys. Gritting her teeth at Lovell as she waited to tear him open.
“Well, you seem to be a lot like another person I know—”
Before Erin could finish, a young elf grabbed her shoulder. Before turning to see who it was. The young elf glared at her as her two men were no longer with her. Erin growled as the elf stood his ground. Lovell turned to see what was going on as the young elf spoke.
“Leave Erin now—or you will have to deal with Hunter when he finds out—if he finds out.”
Erin glared before she huffed while trotting off. With the young elf watching Erin walk out of sight. The elf stood in front of Lovell’s cell. Lovell could see that the elf had dark hair and wore glasses as he turned to face Lovell.
“Sorry for her. She always likes that, unfortunately.” The elf apologized, catching Lovell off guard as he sat watching. “Sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Kyle— and you are Lovell—correct?”
Lovell swallowed hard as he felt uneasy talking with Kyle. “Yes, and it seems I’m popular with the Faremin army for some reason?”
Lovell narrowed his eyes. While Kyle stood outside his cell. Kyle could see that Lovell was starting to eye him up. Sighing, Kyle took off his glasses and began to clean them.
“Excuse me for your rough imprisonment and Erin’s behaviour. But my friend—Hunter—the one who dragged you ass here earlier this morning.” Kyle started to explain as he looked over his glasses.
Lovell stared at Kyle, unfazed by his words. Kyle sighed as he put his glasses on. He could see the direct similarities between them but could see the subtle differences as Lovell's eyes started to glow a red hue out of frustration. Kyle scratched his head as Lovell was suddenly shocked around his kneck.
“You know you have a shock collar on to prevent you from using your magic.”
Kyle looked at Lovell to see him huffing from the pain. He was surprised at how well Lovell was able to handle the shock. Kyle cleared his throat before changing the subject.
“Hunter was ordered by Lord Demora to kill you. Yet Hunter and I—” Kyle started as Lovell looked up at him in disgust. “No—Hunter felt it was necessary to bring you in alive if possible if you were who he thought you were.”
Lovell glared at kyle as he huffed from the pain. Lovell missed most of Kyle's words. As the shock caused his ears to ring, tuning Kyle in and out.
“So, I’m wanted dead, by whom again—Kyle was it?”
Kyle took a deep breath before leaning closer to the bars as he put on an act—smiling at Lovell.
“Yes, you are wanted dead. By the Faremin king himself—Lord Demora! Hunter was the one with the orders and…” Kyle trailed off as he thought about Hunter.
Kyle became distraught, and Lovell noticed it right away. Seeing that Kyle was worried about something. Lovell stood up and slowly walked over to Kyle, curious as to why Kyle trailed off. Lovell narrowed his eyes as he drew closer. Lovell could see the pain overtake Kyle. Lovell hesitantly reached out and touched Kyle’s hand. Kyle fell to his knees, and Lovell followed him down. Lovell felt he was safe with Kyle as he asked him what was wrong.
“Is something happening between you two?”
Kyle looked into Lovell’s eyes. Kyle could see Lovell was actually concerned for him as he turned away. As to hide, his tears welling up.
“You see, Hunter is suddenly changing, to where he is more…more emotional than he should be…” Kyle trailed off.
Lovell raised his brow as he sat on the ground. Kyle trying everything in his power to not show more weakness towards Lovell.
“Is it such a bad thing for Hunter too—” Lovell began to ask?
Kyle cut Lovell up as he rushed to his feet. Glaring at Lovell, Kyle’s eyes were red from the anguish.
“Yes, it is! Hunter is the best of the best and to be troubled by trivial emotions like…”
Tears ran down Kyle’s face. Lovell stood up, feeling like he was in a mirrored world of unknowns, as he closed his eye. Lovell took a deep breath as he walked back to the back of his cell.
“Light can be darkness, and darkness can be light.” Lovell quoted Ulva’s words.
Kyle looked up at Lovell. While Lovell slid down the wall. Kyle furrowed his face as the confusion washed over him from Lovell’s words. Lovell looked to the ceiling as he remembered what Ulva had told him.
“Someone told me that they are two sides of a coin but are really, two mountains with the fine line being a valley or ocean between them.”
Kyle shook his head, trying to understand what Lovell was trying to convey before slowly standing up.
“I don’t get it, that is preposterous to think that—” Kyle began to protest.
Lovell looked deep into Kyle’s eyes. Kyle could see Lovell was serious about his words as he stepped back.
“Your serious, aren’t you?”
Lovell nodded as he shifted his weight to become more comfortable.
“Yes, I am since I have darkness fever. And to me—it like Hunter is just as lost as I am. We both don’t know if the roles we were placed in are what we are meant to do, and all we do is stumble around think we are doing the right thing.” Lovell smiled at the thought.
Remembering what Gale had asked Flora. Then closed his eyes, trying to imagine what Hunter might look like. As he looked up at Kyle with a soft expression of bonding.
“Besides—he has you—a friend he can trust unless others say otherwise.”
Kyle started to relax as Lovell re-ensured him. Kyle smiled back as he began to walk away before remembering something.
“Oh! Before I forget, Hunter was the one who killed Morris ten years ago on that day.”
Lovell felt rage build as Kyle told him this. Lovell quietly sat, waiting to see Hunter as he remembered how he killed Morris. Lovell could barely remember the day as he could recall a man laughing as Lovell ran up to Morris’s lifeless body.
“Now, how to properly introduce myself to you, Hunter?” Lovell growled as he glared from the shadows of his cage.
An hour passed when Lovell notice a young man walk down in front of his cage as they punched the adjacent wall. Where they turn the corner. Lovell could see they had honey blonde hair and a slim build—similar to his own. Lovell grinned as he felt his rage turn into glee.
“You seem to be fighting yourself, their Faremin?”
The young man turned to look at Lovell, who was glaring in glee from the shadows. Lovell took a chance to see if they were Hunter.
“Do you feel guilty for kill Morris or are you finally growing a real heart because of some kindness—that you have yearned for was too much for you to handle?” Lovell crowed.
The urge to kill them rose up as the words spilled out. As Lovell's joy-filled glee turned back into hatred.
The young man walked over to Lovell’s cell and leaned against the bars. Lovell could see the young man looked identical to him, sending a shiver up Lovell’s spine as he stood his ground—even with his hands bound.
“Well, you act a lot like him.”
Lovell figured out that this young man was Hunter from the way Kyle was describing him. Lovell got up and walked up to the bars to meet face to face. Curious about what he meant, Lovell steeled himself for Hunter's advances.
“You mean Morris?”
Lovell clenched his fists tight as he became poised to strike. Lovell glared at Hunter, making sure that he did not take his eyes off him. Hunter rests his arm on the bars. Lovell was thrown off by how calm Hunter’s eyes were as Hunter answered the question.
“No, I mean Azoth Wolf—also known as Terrance Krisnik!”
Lovell’s eyes widened at the words as Hunter stared back at him.
- Writer
