Juro was dragged out of the courthouse and thrown into the back of a horse-driven wagon. Chained, bruised, battered, and scared, he sat down in the dirty wooden floor, resigning to fate. After two hours of the uncomfortable wagon ride brought them to the outskirts of the kingdom. The Blacklist Prison stood out as a fortress.
High fences bordered the tall, multi-turreted building. In one of the fences, a huge metal drawbridge was lowered over a lake filled with piranhas to admit the wagon. The wagon was taken into a dark entrance room before it was searched thoroughly. After confirming that the wagon wasn't sneaking anything inside, Juro was handed to the prison guards and the wagon was sent back out.
Once he was changed into the grey prison attire, he was escorted to his prison cell, still in chains. After he was locked up, the guard asked him to put his hand through the gate which he did. The chains were removed from his wrist and taken away.
Juro turned around and looked at his cell. A single bed laid bare on a squeaky metal structure to his right, resting against the far wall, a sink and a toilet without toilet paper. He sighed, having finally accepted his fate. He would probably be executed in a week or so. Given his situation, he found solace in death than living a life of pain like he was a monster.
But still, he didn't want to die without getting the culprit who actually killed his uncle. He pondered on this for hours before the alarm for dinner was rang. The cell doors swung open and inmates walked by, chatting nonchalantly. Juro looked at a few faces and hung his head in fear.
_These people are hardened criminals. I shouldn't be seen in here with them!_ he thought. At first, he didn't want to go out, but when his stomach began to growl, he stood up and went into the main courtyard.
The courtyard was a square space about seven hundred meters wide. From his cell block, he could see the whole place. The canteen were to his left, the guard posts were all the way across at the right corner beside a gate that, Juro guessed, led to the wardens' sleeping quarters. Inmates scattered all around, giving the new guy no attention at all. He went over to the canteen and collected his meal. However, when he turned around, he smacked into a huge man standing behind him, pouring his food all over him.
"Sorry, really sorry," he said quickly and tried to clean the man's shirt. The man grabbed his hand and squeezed hard. By this time, the other prisoners were already gathering around them, putting them into a fight zone, a space in a crowd where conflicts are solved through combat. Juro could feel his tarsals creaking as the man continued to crush his hand.
"You think apologizing will be enough?" the man said. "You gotta fight to settle any disagreement. That's the only rule in here. Now, square up. Let me bash your face in."
He released Juro's hand and stepped back. Juro winced as he rubbed his hand. This was a bad way to start his first day in prison. He knew these people wanted a fight and they wouldn't let any one leave without seeing a few punches be thrown.
He knew he would be taken out by the first punch that hit him so he tensed up to receive the attack. The man reared back his huge arm and threw a heavy punch. Juro closed his eyes tight, waiting for the blow to land. Nothing happened.
Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the huge man squealing like a dork while an old man twisted his finger. "He already apologized," the old man said. "If that's not enough for you, then you'll have to face me." He released the finger and stepped back. The huge man however didn't attack. He just threw them a couple of stink eyes before shouldering his way through the crowd.
The watching inmates began to leave. The old man stood with his back to Juro so Juro couldn't see his face. When everyone had gone back to whatever they were doing, he faced Juro and smiled warmly. "Sorry about that. These idiots has only one means of entertainment and so they don't allow a fight to escape their nose. My name is Samura, by the way." He extended his hand.
Juro shakily took it. "M-My name i-is—"
"Juro Hadashi. I know who you are, what you're here for. I know everything." Samura stopped smiling and Juro saw the experience written all over his face. "Come with me, Juro. We have quite a few matters to discuss."