Not long after the short conversation of Hardy to Aunt Minky. The silver armored knightly soldiers that was escorting Hardy to prison came back with a spare of peasant clothes for the prisoner. Its arrival was just about time as Hardy already finished his food a while ago. However, the clothes in question seems like it wasn't washed in many years, one look at the long-sleeved shirt being an oversized white with yellowish spots and with seemingly unwashed trousers that looks like painted with mud doesn't really gives one a confidence of cleanliness, but Hardy really didn't have any choice but to wear what was given. Besides, his old clothes were torn by Vandaldor to his face a while ago with his nasty fetishes before they met Eustadd Erons.
Finally wearing these sketchy clothes, Hardy felt like he was a walking duck, donning a fresh wet shit of a pig. It's only saving grace was that the smell of the clothes feels fine for him, which is like any other fresh new clothes.
"Put your arms behind you." One of the soldiers flatly commanded.
Hardy did what he was ordered, and without resisting, the soldiers bind his arms again by his wrist tightly. It's quite painful, but he knew that as much. This is nothing compared to his earlier torture. Afterwards, the soldiers' resumes guiding him to his real destination: Prison Cell.
Before he left the kitchen, Aunt Minky left him with farewell words that felt foreboding:
"Be careful now Hardy, you might see unsightly things down there!"
"Right-o!" He replied, but what he really wanted to say is 'What do you mean!?' Nevertheless, he'll know when he sees it, as always as it had been in any event.
At the main hall, a dozen of Beastkins and Humes is at hard work, with its reception full of people with each to his or her own agenda of complaints and needs. In fact, the people only took a quick glance at Hardy or did not give him any notice at all when he passes through. It might be the noise and the hustle and bustle of everyone the reason as of why. Even so, Hardy felt very awkward for his situation till they pass a two-storey tall wooden twin door.
Once outside, after his bare feet sets unto the reddish brick hued road. He felt being tortured again, as the touch of bricks below felt like stepping into a freshly heated charcoal. It was very unpleasant that he voiced it out to the knightly soldiers' escorting him,
"He-Hey lads! Care to give me any kind of footwear?"
The soldiers only gave him a glaring glance, then still went on into their own business.
"Oi! Do you even speak!? Have some consideration on me will ya!?"
"Please shut up sir," One of them soldiers sternly replied at him, "The prison is just a few blocks."
"What the!? Ya know what? Ploughing shite on you! Go back to your mama's arse!"
The soldiers did not even bulge on everything he says. Then, as if his torture didn't end there, by the time he glances away at these arse escort of knights he had from frustration, He saw a brown mare and gelding, escorted by a leash by some beastkins wearing peasant white shirts and trousers that were as if painted by mud coming from the left side of the road at the nearest intersection. It is the same what Hardy was wearing this moment.
"!"
But that's not what's important. What matters are the identities of horses they're leading. Just by a glance, he always knew those love snouts, and those brownish hues that was not dark, not light. The mare and gelding he had always cared for in passing years,
"Arthuria? Lancelot?"
Then he shouted loudly with gusto,
"Arthuria!! Lancelot !!",
as if the seething pain from his feet were never present to begin with, He suddenly becomes agitated like a forest beast being captured by a net. If his escorts were not firm at grasping his leash from his rope behind him, he could have got away from them. The two soldiers wrestle him and took a firm hold at his upper arms, incapacitating him more, and forcefully drags him away from his beloved family
"ARTHURIA!! LANCELOT !!"
However, no matter how Hardy tries to move or call, Arthuria and Lancelot's going farther away from him. He was close, yet so far from them. He could only so but grit his teeth in despair in wake of this moment.
***
Hardy being in a sullen mood had him ignored all things as he thought of his beloved mare and gelding being captured also. But the gladness of seeing them safe also holds his mind in relief. The thought also, unbeknownst to him, had help him ease the burden of bearing the scorching bricks under the sun. Also, he did not bear noticed that he finally was about to descend from the stairs below from some back alleyway. The location looks sketchy enough to be a public prison. Why this place was hidden from the public eye? He wonders.
*clang clang*
One of his knightly escort knocked twice at the greenish iron door. At the upper middle of it was a small rectangular shaped peephole, someone behind it slides it open, then closes it as quickly as it had been opened. Within a few second, a clicking sound of the iron door was heard twice, the sound of being unlocked, and with grating noise, it was opened by pulling from the inside, in which the area was cover with dimness. Candles flicker in few areas, most of which was mounted at a small chandelier by the wall, near the corners of the iron cells, but it was so few in numbers that inside the actual cells, there's almost no visibility can be seen.
After the sound of the door closing, there was only silence. Even the guards of the prison and his knightly escorts only so much give a sign language to each other. They do not speak inside. Hardy became curious about this.
Still being led by the soldiers that became his knightly escorts, Hardy kept silent as not to break the muteness of the room as he walks through the poorly cemented floor. with each step he took, the dirt and wetness slowly accompany his feet as he observing his what will be his new abode for only a god knows for how long.
"…"
Truth to be told in Hardy's perspective, this place may pass as some kind of a labyrinth for newcomers like him. All corners look exactly the same if one is not very attentive enough. One or two knightly guards are making rounds around this area, and that's that.
Then, by the time he glances by the cell on his left, in which was near to his face, He saw something red inside it. He furrowed his eyes to get a better look that by a force of habit,
"…what the!?--", he spoke in enough volume to be heard throughout the prison cells. All of the ones who was escorting him glared at him without his knowledge, and suddenly
"rAaAAAAAGggGGGH!"
A beast suddenly emerged… no… not a beast he thought, but a bona fide wolfish Beastkin.
"roaaAaGh!"
Their snouts and arms forcefully pass through the bars and has stuck between it, their teeth's showing their fangs like a rabid animal. Then one after another, different kinds of beastkins appear visibly behind the bars and did more or less the same action. Some of which are with a rabbit features, a catlike, a dog, monkey. All of them are unhinged, and they had become some kind of a ravenous monster that only lives by feeding. The eerie silence earlier vanished without a trace as if it weren't there to begin with, only the roar and growl noises of many animals ringing in the ears of whoever sane in this place at this moment. Hardy was shaken about this and could only state words that could make his exact sentiment into this event,
"In Aliya's grace… what in the ploughing name!?"
Nevertheless, even with this fearful sight, the men of House Erons who are with him could only express in a frustrated sigh, as if this thing happens many times in the past. With just an eye contact to each other and a slight nod, they already knew what to do. One of them had ran off deeper in this prison, and one of the knightly escorts assures Hardy that,
"Don't worry, this is normal."
"What!?" Hardy bellows, "Where ploughing part of this is normal!?"
But they had refused to elaborate further and moved forward with him. Hardy was only given a mind-boggling thought to occupy his own mind, and he was irritated by this, More so with the idea that he will live beside this horror for a time. Hardy could only despair on the unknown of what will happen next to him in this forsaken place.