Aórn awoke with a sharp pain in the back of his head. He went to rub it but realized he was chained. Opening his eyes, he was in a prison cell barred with iron from the outside and a hallway that led to the left, and right. Looking down, black iron bound his hands like handcuffs. A sliver of light came in from an 8-inch gap, barred with white steel, that showed the deserted town square outside.
Getting up, he was poked by some hay that he was unceremoniously tossed upon the night before. He was stripped down to a plain white shirt and grey pants, having everything that was on his person taken away. His bare feet touched the stone floor that radiated heat beneath him.
' Haha.. at least I'm not cold' he thought to himself. Far off, he could hear the city start to wake up now. "All this because I tried to help Graham dethrone a tyrannical ruler... And now it seems the world has played a cruel trick on me" mumble Aórn. He wept softly in the dim morning glow. He wept for his daughter, his wife, and his eldest son. Most of all, he wept as he prayed 'Please, anyone please, save my youngest... My baby boy.. Damn me, but not Kohota... He's only an infant and deserves the chance at life.. Tell him I'm sorry for being so stupid.. Stupid to believe I'd be able to protect him and my family..' He continued softly weeping as slivers of light moved onto his face, shining as it traced the tears running down his face.
He looked outside as he steeled his heart, putting his emotions aside. 'I need to be strong, defiant... I can't give up pitifully like this..' chastised Aórn to himself. He went back to the bed of hay and slept to pass the time.
Shortly after, a guard came over and pushed some food under the cell door. As he did so, he threw an apple at Aórn to wake him up and said "Breakfast is ready, sweetheart" in a gruff, sarcastic voice. Aórn retorted "Please you look hungry, eat this" as he threw the apple right at the guard's nose, breaking it.
The guard cursed as he held his nose and ran down the hallway to the left. "okay so that way to the guard room.." whispered Aórn, mentally making note. He looked down at the stale bread and porridge-like stew in front of him. 'Heavens, I thought they were going to execute me, not poison me!' he thought. He grumbled as he used a spoon to eat with. "This is gonna be a while.."
***
"Gregory, what do you think, guillotine, executioner, or hanging" questioned Kutsiva excitedly. "Milord, I personally think that the executioner would be better. It seems more... dramatic" answered the servant with a dramatic pause for emphasis. "Did you know, I've found out that if the head leaves the body that it can-" sips tea "Still process information for a short amount of time, so... I have decided! I'll behead that traitorous fool with the guillotine" spoke Kutsiva passionately as he ate his breakfast. On the desk where the heads once were, was a tray that had fire-boar bacon, phoenix scrambled eggs, and a biscuit smothered in sausage gravy.
"Sir, as much as you'd like to do happy things like brutally and cruelly killing uprisings, rebels, and basically anyone that displeases you for longer than 5 minutes... You still have THAT to take care of." Scolded the loyal manservant Gregory. "Oh right.. but THAT is boring... Fine, thanks Gregory, now I lost my appetite" as he half-heartedly threw a letter opener at the manservant. Gregory caught it between his fingers and scolded "Remember last time you threw a letter opener? you killed a knight outside the hallway and we had to replace your painting" "Get out Mom" shouted The emperor. "What a child" muttered Gregory. Another letter opener flew right over his head and landed in a poor manservant's head that was carrying a chamber pot to go empty it.
BANG
SPLAT
Gregory glared back at the Emperor who was whistling while looking out the window.
***
Graham sneakily climbed up the stairs of the inn with a bucked of water in his hands. He slowly cracked the door open and saw the sleeping figure that was his target. Without further hesitation, Graham opened the door the rest of the way, only to have Water splash down on him, and a bucket land on his head. "HAHAHA, you thought I'd let you wake me up with a bucket of water. How's that feel Graham? Refreshing enough for you" laughed Bjorn. Dropping his bucket, Graham took the bucket off his head and dropped it with a loud bang. "Oh come now, don't look so angry." Teased the man-child Bjorn. "Oh, I'm not angry, just letting you finish laughing. By the way, sharing is caring" retorted Graham as he threw water all over Bjorn with a smile. Bjorn rolled off the bed before the water got to him. "Okay, outside in twenty, let's meet the mole" ordered Graham as he walked out.
***
Inside an alley in the slums of the fire district, stood a cloaked figure facing Graham and Bjorn. "Has he leaked any information on us" Questioned a hooded Graham. "No, no information has been leaked to the Emperor" responded a gruff voice from the cloaked figure. "What are they planning to do with Aórn then" quizzed Bjorn. "They're going to kill him the day after tomorrow on the guillotine. Knights will be in every exit though..." paused the cloaked figure as he turned towards Bjorn "You could fly out of there.. That's the only plausible option besides fighting your way out" continued the figure.
"I see.. we'll think it through.. anything else" questioned Graham. "I brought as detailed notes as I could make on what they're planning. They used the restriction poison on Aórn" the figure responded as a folder of documents appeared out of thin air to land in Graham's hands. "Not good... Okay, thank you again mole 5, that is all. Go back before you're suspected. The figure vanished as he ran back to the palace.
"I have a bad feeling about this Graham.." voiced Bjorn. "Well we have to go through with it anyway, don't we? It's our fault he's in this mess... Aórn hang tight my friend, we're coming" said Graham to the sky.