"Hah…"
I let out a bitter laugh.
And how could I not? I did so much for the prince, that lying shit, just to end up in this 'beautiful' lodging yet again.
I guess being used and then discarded is a natural talent of mine.
"Ain't that right, friend?"
I directed those words with a crooked smile to a man sitting next to me, bound in chains much like myself.
"Huh? What do you want?"
The young man, his name being Seb if I recall correctly, looked at me with a baffled expression.
Weird guy. I'm just tryna be friendly.
Welp, not to worry! I can always fix up someone like him with a bit of friendly banter.
"That's right, my dearest friend Sebastian."
His face scrunched up like he'd just bitten into a ghillie fruit; a 'delicacy' from my hometown that suppresses your presence, with the downside of having a less than pleasant taste.
"Don't call me that, you freak. Seb - I'm Seb. Better yet, don't talk to me at all."
"Now that's just hurtful. And don't pretend like you don't wanna chat either. Isn't it odd to not be bored after two weeks in this tiny room?"
"No? You're the odd one here, if anything. How can you be this calm when we might never be let out?"
Again with this annoying behavior of his. Why does he always gotta look so annoyed with the world?
We get free food and water here, though slightly murky, and natural sunlight seeps in through the bars above for a couple hours once a day.
People call that a luxury resort with a panorama view in the big cities. Or so I heard from my mother.
Nodding to myself, as if satisfied with my own thoughts, I turned to look at Seb again.
"Well, how can I not be calm, really? The security is top-notch. Hell, we even get our personal guards right outside. This level of safety was only available to royalty back in the day. Tch."
With an exasperated sigh, he leaned against the damp stone wall, looking done with my antics.
"Why do you speak like that? You look younger than me. Haah… Never mind that. What did you even do to end up with a Royal Detention?"
Well, look at him. Said he doesn't wanna talk, and yet the moment I egged him on a bit, the words started flooding out.
I must be really good at socializing. There's no other way it could be, of course. I mean, who wouldn't want to talk with a charming 'youth' like myself?
"Oh, it's nothing much. Quite a bit of a story though. Want the long or the short version?"
With those words, I beamed at him, as if I've been itching to tell what happened for weeks. Which I have.
Something about my smile must have thrown Seb off though, because he very quickly backpedaled.
"Uhh, actually, I'm not interested anymore. Please don't tell me, I can already feel a headache coming from just hearing you for a few minutes."
"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic, friend. It all started years ago, 10 years if my memory serves, when I was, uhh, walking my… my dog. Yes, my dog. It was frolicking in a field of wheat, having the time of its life, when a kid suddenly showed up, asking if he could play with it."
"Uh huh."
He nodded along, looking entirely unconvinced.
"Anyways, years later, he grew up to become the king of this little Stone Cauldron country. Called him 'Little Prince' back then. Ahh, good times, those were."
*clang!*
Suddenly, someone rudely interrupted my thoughts, derailing my story.
"How dare you little wretch speak of the lord in this manner?! Do you want me to cut your jail time short right here and now?"
That sound must've come from the guard that just showed up, having hit our cell's bars with his rock-hard fist.
This old codger's been like this for the whole two weeks, silently standing guard as if oblivious to any discussion from us prisoners, unless someone dared to utter the name of his lord behind his back.
And then he'd always show up fuming, baseless threats spilling out of his mouth - just like now.
I never did understand the loyal type. Why serve the little prince with so much devotion, when he barely even acknowledges your existence? Tsk tsk.
I clicked my tongue more at myself than the guard, realizing that I've done just that, only to end up discarded after showing a bit of defiance.
With a scowl, I turned away from my one-sided friend and looked the guard straight in the eyes.
He returned the pissed-off look, and continued.
"I don't understand. Why would the lord leave someone like you alive? If I had any say in this, I would've had you executed on the spot. Clearly, his intentions are too far out of my grasp."
With those harsh words, he walked away, returning back to his usual post, a dozen meters away from our cell.
Hmm.
After some contemplation, I smiled again and faced Seb, ready to continue my story, but for some reason he seemed very unnerved when I looked him in the eyes.
Ah, shit. It must've slipped out when I got a bit emotional with the guard.
I closed my eyes, controlling my energy to stop it from showing, and, with a deep breath, opened them back up, looking friendly as ever.
But it seemed my dearest friend Seb wasn't gonna let me gloss past the little scare I unintentionally gave him.
"You… What was that? Are you, by chance, one of those? A threadripper?"
He cautiously asked, staring at me like I was some sort of animal that's about to chew him up.
Threadripper.
It's a term that refers to a tribe of people, now extinct, that fed on threads of innate energy which course through every living being. As the name implies, they ripped people apart, tearing the very essence of vitality out of their bodies, to eat it for sustenance.
Though, I hate being associated with those bastards.
After all, I've long been cast out from our tribe for doing something rather gruesome to our founding head.
"Maybe a bit? But worry not, friend. I'm not hungry right now, and I'm much better than those uncultured idiots that tear peaceful civilians apart like string cheese."
Having said that, I gave him my most reassuring smile, and bonked myself playfully on the head in an attempt to appear cutesy.
"E-Eek!"
Seb let out a squeal that sounded way out of character for him, terrified by this new discovery.
Truthfully, we are quite widely recognized among the common folk; tales about the brutality of my kind have spread as horror stories among kids in all sorts of places, remote or otherwise.
"Now, look at me. See? There's nothing in my eyes. Means I'm suppressing the urge to eat you just fine. And, if I may take some pride in it, I used to be the best of my kind at self control! So, how about it? Wanna stop looking at me like I'm some kind of demon?"
Reluctantly - way too reluctantly, damn it! - he raised his eyes and met mine.
After shifting uncomfortably in silence for a little while, he seemed to have come to terms with something, and opened his mouth to speak.
"So, you're not gonna tear me apart. Is that correct?"
"Hah, look at you! Right, yeah, I won't be doing something unsavory like that to my best friend. Naturally."
"Since when am I your friend, huh? I don't even think we've exchanged more than three sentences since getting retained, up until today."
"It's only natural, friend. An enemy's enemy is a best friend, or something like that. You tried to kill the Stone Cauldron lord, yet you survived to tell the tale. We are companions forged in battle, aye!"
"Pff, sure."
With a light smile, he turned away, intending to go back to sleep.
Fucking weirdo. How did he so easily accept being friends with someone like me? Hmm, but I suppose there was no chance of him being normal in the first place, given that he attempted to assassinate the lord himself.
Satisfied with my new temporary companion, I decided to get some sleep as well. Eyes closed, a bunch of thoughts swirled in my head, but the most important one was this:
I guess I'll keep this guy alive for now.
It's strange, but I'm pretty sure he knew beforehand who I was - his scared reaction didn't appear natural at all. Not his breathing, nor his sweat secretion. No, even his heartbeat remained steady, as if in the middle of a casual meal.
Hah, how am I the only normal one out of everyone I meet?
Must be another talent of mine, to attract all kinds of weird characters to myself.
***
I suddenly sprang up, eyes wide open. It's been four hours since I dozed off.
I think it's about time, isn't it?
With a wild smirk, I stood up, the chains creaking under the strain. In one swift motion, I raised my hands, freeing them from the chains. Oddly enough, no noise escaped after the initial clatter of getting up, as if the chains simply untangled themselves, despite being made of enchanted steel.
Rubbing my eyes, groggy from sleep, I looked down at the pieces of metal lying on the floor. Instead of what should've been chunks of metal, two perfectly intact shackles lay on the floor - only each was missing half, the exposed metal ending in what looked like frayed steel string.
I took a step towards the cell wall, the one made from metal bars, and held onto one with my left hand. With a motion as if attempting to tear it apart, I yanked on the steel rod.
Just like last time, noiselessly, the metal was pulled apart like fragile string. The iron bar had turned into steel thread under my touch, bending to my will to wrap around my hand into the shape of a sleek glove.
I did the same with my right hand, ripping apart another bar to create a second gauntlet.
Ahh, that really emptied my stomach. Getting a bit hungry now.
I looked down, checking my appearance. Not exactly presentable, what with the prisoner garments, but it will have to do. Tying up my hair with one of the newly formed steel threads, I looked ahead, towards my destination.
It was time to meet a rude bitch, along with her suspiciously kind sister. I sniffed myself, my expression souring.
Ah, I smell like shit. Figuratively. It was the smell of mold rubbing off on me from the stone walls, to be exact. Didn't want to appear like that in front of the girls, but what could I do? They'll have to bear with me if they want my help.
I nodded to myself yet again, and stepped forward. I had two hours before the guard returned.
It was time to have a little chat.