With a cough, a dark red stream of hot liquid splashed out of Ruslan's mouth as he jolted awake by a surging, splitting pain in his lungs.
Everything surrounded him was filled with darkness. He didn't whether it's because of the location or because of swollen, bruised eyes. The pain became more and more vivid as another series of coughs came up his throat.
Knowing that he'll throw up more blood, with much struggle, he gulped it back down, refusing to cough. He was eager to tap on his chest in an attempt to calm the pain yet, the moment he tried to move his hand, only a series of clink and clank of an iron chain came and his hand refused to be moved.
Right, I'm in a prison, he suddenly realised. And it's not just any prison, it's a torture chamber.
Unlike before he was passed out when he was surrounded by guards and officers while being subjected to all kinds of torture, the chamber was unusually quiet from the moment he woke up. "Have they finally given up on torturing me?!" The words barely left his mouth before a faint noise of feet thumping on the hard ground travelled to his ears. Or, maybe not. He sighed.
It's him being muddle-headed to think that he would be spared of the torture after trying to assassin the head-minister of Dunemir empire of the deserts. Not to mention, he refused reveal the identity of the one who paid him to do so despite the endless torture. Certainly, they won't spare him.
Head minister Rashid, he's the most powerful individual of the empire next to the emperor Jahangir. So, naturally, his guards are one of finest warriors of the empire. It's no easy feat for a single assassin to break through that iron clad security and reach his sword to the minister's head. It's obvious the assassin was a top notch one. And the fact he endured all the torture and still refused to utter a single word, his employer must be someone of high class nobility.
In three days, even the house fly in the Minister's mansion came to know about it.
"I see that you're finally awake." A hoarse yet clear voice that clearly belonged to a middle aged man rang through the prison. The prison was made of strongest of granites and not a single window was installed. It would be a waste for Ruslan to spare what little of energy left in him to lift his head and meet that guy's eyes. He didn't bother.
And it's not like Ruslan didn't recognize that voice after spending more than 7 years in the Royal Palace of Dunemir. It's Rashid, that old and vicious snake of a head minister.
"I heard that you refused to speak a single word." Rashid's voice was calm on the surface yet, a prey knew it's predator by the heart. Ruslan didn't fail to pick out the killing intent laced in his voice.
"I guess you think that you could get away from the punishment by keeping your mouth shut." He pressed on since he didn't get any kind of response from the prisoner, "You might not be aware of this but, there's a rule in my mansion. Anyone who tries to kill me won't be kept alive for more than three days. It doesn't matter whether you reveal your identity or not." With that said, a faint cruel smirk creeped up his mouth. However, he's yet to extract a word from the prisoner.
Having lost his patience, "It's fine if you don't believe me. I'll engrave in your heart by giving you a torturous death. He said as he waved his hand as if he was giving orders and took a few steps back before a guard walked up with bowl of water and splashed it onto Ruslan's face.
As if thousand flesh eating ants had crawled up on him, every wound on his body started to burn inside out. Despite the blazing pain, he didn't let out more than a low and short grunt as he clenched jaws together. Rashid had no intention of easing up on the torture ever since the moment he stepped in.
He then took out a dagger of his arm's length. It didn't look any different from a regular dagger. In fact, it was a tad bit smaller than the regular one. However, once Rashid gathered his strength in his hands and inserted in his left biceps did it dawn upon Ruslan, it was no ordinary dagger. That thin unidentifiable metal that shaped the dagger actually passed through his bone cracking it up before three more small blades emerged from it horizontally, planting itself into his flesh deep. And Ruslan could predict that once the dagger got pulled out from his arm while the three small blades were still engraved into his flesh, he can bid farewell to his left arms as it would for sure shatter his bones.
A wise man knew when to yield. "I'll tell!" He whisper yelled with all his strength just when Rashid was about to pull it out. A layer terror etched on his bloody face.
"What?! You're giving up so easily? I thought it'd take two more stabs to make you open your mouth." Rashid sneered, mocking. "Alright then, two questions. Who are you? Who sent you after me?"
"I'm called Scarlet Knight."
The answer was enough to root out the hearts of many gathered in the prison. The Blood Knight. Not many had seen him in person but, certainly, almost everyone in the empire knew of him. The mysterious assassin who had stirred up the whole empire by assassinating the eldest Prince of the empire. Yet, that was only tip of the iceberg as he had also assassinated quite a number of heinous criminals which even the Palace officers have a hard time on arresting. There had never been a single mishap in his assassinations which made the Head minister into a lucky one to have escaped.
He didn't know what to feel, his emotions complicated, "Then, who hired you to assassinate me?" He asked in a low, cautious voice.
"Ah, that..." Ruslan started and gave pause for a few minutes, an expression of deep reminiscing pasted on his bloody face that was illuminated by the fire torch a guard held. Just when Rashid was about to lose his patience, "I don't know." Ruslan finished.
An assassin who almost succeeded in bolting his head away from his body, who refused to utter a single word even after three days of extreme physical torture, who finally opened his mouth only when he felt that he might lose his limbs if he kept silent any longer, and inthe end, he says he doesn't know who hired him. You wasted three days on the answer 'I don't know'. You playing me?!!
Rashid was so furious that he almost pulled out the dagger tangled in Ruslan's flesh and bones. Almost, until a guard rushed into the prison, breathless and bloody, barely alive as he stumbled to the ground. "My lord!!!" He called out, his voice hoarse.
"What happened?! What's going on outside?!!"
Hearing his growl, a few guards quickly evacuated the place to go and check outside while a few stayed behind, on guard, quickly going into battle mode. "It's the crown prince!!" The injured guard announced, terror etched on his bloody features. "He- he said he's here to arrest you!! He broke in with the imperial guards when..- I tried to stop them!"
Rashid didn't have eyes behind his back to see the young assassin at that moment, he missed the strange smirk appeared on the young'un's face.
Rashid quickly went out as well, leaving the injured guard behind without a care. He was in no mood to care, he was furious. He maybe a corrupted official in the imperial court but, even his own wife never knew that side of his. Not to mention, even if it was the crown prince of the empire, he's still one step lower than him in power hierarchy in the imperial court. And that brat who's still wet behind the ears dared to break in to my residence to arrest me without any evidence?!
Surely, bind with heavy iron chains, Ruslan couldn't follow them outside to see the happenings. The prison too covered up that not just light, even the sounds from outside barely reached in. Left in the darkness filled with grave silence, without even the sound of wind breeze, Ruslan's thoughts stretched long.
What would he do once he got out of here?! All he did for the past 7 years in the Palace was to follow to orders. When he was born, he was forced to follow the rules of his noble household as the first born of the generation. When he turned 9 and was yet to achieve what his father expected of him, he was sent into the wild to live with an old man and he was once again in a situation where he had to follow the old man's orders. Leaving the place at 20, he came across the Second Prince of the empire and managed to attract his attention resulting in him becoming the personal guard of the second prince. Once again falling into the chain of following the orders he was given.
For half of his life, he was so used to listening to orders that he didn't know what to do once he gets out of this cycle and gains freedom.
For the first 4 years of him following the Second Prince Bahram, he always had the opportunity to closely observe the crown prince of the empire, Darian. The guy lived a carefree life with servants lining up at his beck and call. Despite being the crown prince of the empire, the guy couldn't care less as he spent day and night immersing himself in woman and wealth, ignoring the state affairs that fell under his responsibilities. He took everything he was given by birth for granted. However, whenever Ruslan came across him, his highness was always smiling, looking like he couldn't get any more happier.
Was that freedom? Was he happy?
Ruslan used to wonder until he was ordered by Prince Bahram to assassinate the ingrate crown prince. The freedom and happiness you gain without any effort doesn't last forever. He learnt that day.
He was yet to figure out what he was gonna do once he gets his freedom when he heard another series of footsteps echoed through the prison. A familiar pair of footsteps they were. The one he was too used to that he could tell what that person was thinking just by hearing his footsteps.
"Does it hurt?" The man who just stepped in asked calmly, his expression unwavering. He showed no hurry as he got rid of the iron chains that were restraining Ruslan.
It was the Second Prince, NO- now, the Crown Prince of Dunemir, Prince Bahram, his master.