There were two chained up girls with starkly contrasting appearances, locked together in a single jail cell. One thing they did have in common, though, were their garments.
They were both wearing white - or at least what used to be white - tattered rags. The two girls looked completely out of place donning the standard issue jail outfit, and for good reason. They were never meant to end up here in the first place. After all, both were of royal descent.
Lyrael lamented her unfortunate fate, biting her nails with a distraught look on her face. Then, unable to bear the silence any longer, she asked her older sister:
"Hey, Nyra. You think he's really just left us for good?"
"Hah! That bastard. Why did you believe a thing he said in the first place? No, the bigger issue is that I even listened to you."
"..."
The younger sister, Lyrael, simply looked down in guilt, clearly recognizing her fault in their predicament.
Still, it's not fair to put everything on me. After all, big sis was also swindled by the man.
That was right. They both ended up falling for the lies of a single, inconspicuous young man around their age.
He'd promised to help them out, even providing solid evidence of how he could do it - on the condition that they distract the Stone Cauldron lord for a few minutes. The way he acted, it was almost as if he could read people's minds, his actions strangely convincing.
The young man, who referred to himself as simply...
Ugh, thinking back on it, it wasn't a simple introduction at all.
Running a hand down her face, Lyrael recalled the spectacle he put on when she inquired about his name.
"Hehe, I'm glad you asked. My closest of friends - of which I have none right now - refer to me as Ori, but you can call me Oreanthalys, The Seventh Talon."
How did I respond back then? That I'm going to stick to simply calling him Ori, I think.
Right, and this Ori character sweet-talked the both of them into believing he could steal the lord's first-grade vitality pills, and that they'd get a fair share of said pills as long as they got the job done. Scarily enough, he even predicted the exact amount of time the lord would be distracted for, as well as how long a sentence all three would get, down to the day.
So, with all that in mind, the sisters had faith that Ori knew what he was doing.
And here they were, two weeks later, still stuck in a cell with no Ori in sight.
"Ahh, that damned bastard! Why's it always gotta be the pretty ones doing the most deplorable shit?"
The older sister, Nyra - who looked much more like a wild beast when compared to Lyrael - tugged on her tangled hair and gritted her teeth, seething at her own mistake.
"Who are you calling a bastard, you bastard?"
*Flinch*
Both sisters, despite their differences, flinched simultaneously at the sound of an oddly relaxed voice.
"Y-You! What took you so long, fucker?!"
While Nyra was busy popping off at Ori, Lyrael, with as smug a look as she could muster, patted her older sister on the shoulder, her expression screaming 'told you'.
"But what took you two whole weeks? Didn't you say you'd come pick us up in just a few days?"
Lyrael asked, curious about what could've gone down to throw their plan off. At the same time, her eyes wandered toward Ori's metallic gloves, woven into an oddly captivating pattern.
"Ah, that? I lied."
"..."
"..."
At those words, both sisters shut their mouths, stunned expressions on their faces.
"You see, since you guys are royalty, I was sure you wouldn't agree to sit in a slammer for two whole weeks. So, I just lied about how long it'd be before I got you out. Hehe, sorry."
Ori playfully apologized, tongue out.
What the fuck.
I can't with this guy. And the worst part? He wasn't wrong. We definitely wouldn't have agreed to the plan if we'd known we'd be here this long.
Still, Lyrael wasn't planning to forgive him that easily. But that was something to take care of later. Right now, she had a more pressing issue on her mind.
"So, how are you planning to get us out of here? Wait, I think I get it. Hand the pills over. That should give us enough strength to break out, just like you did, right?"
Proud of her deduction, she looked Ori in the eyes, waiting for him to hand over the pills. It made sense, really - there was no way he would've broken out of his cell otherwise.
"Ahaha… well, you see, I still haven't actually gotten the pills."
With a clearly unapologetic look, he smiled.
This time, it was Nyra's turn to be shocked.
"Huh? What do you mean, you haven't gotten the pills?! Wasn't that the whole plan in the first place? For us to distract the lord while you snuck in and stole them? No, never mind that. How did you even escape your cell without the enhancement from those?"
Lyrael found herself nodding along with Nyra's outburst.
Was that also a lie, then? Did he just take all of them for himself?
For a moment, she once again felt that they'd been betrayed, before quickly noticing an inconsistency.
No, that wouldn't make sense. Ori'd have no reason to seek us out if he'd already gotten what he needed. So there must be more to this.
Lyrael's gaze sharpened, and she stared Ori straight in the eyes, waiting for an explanation.
"My, my, aren't you a smart one? Well, my dear friend Lyrael, I can tell from your look that you've figured something out. But before that, let me free you. We'll chat more on the way."
He reached out toward the bars. With suspicion, she waited to see what he was planning.
If he hadn't taken the pill, what was his method? Maybe he bribed a guard into giving him the keys? That sounds like something this sly guy would do.
"Why're you looking at me like that? Cursing me out in your head, are you? Well, not that I care."
Damn, he caught on.
By now, he had his hands on the cell bars, though no key was visible. The next second, they simply unraveled - like they were made of regular cloth.
What is this? I've already tried hitting them with all my force, and I can clearly feel the energy emanating from the metal. It's certainly enchanted… how did he do that?
An idea flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
Yeah, right. There's no way he's one of 'them'. They've been extinct for sixty years.
"Ahh, please stop staring at me so intensely. I might just get a bit too hungry to control myself."
***
After I left my cell, I headed straight for the sisters' confinement. The guards would be out for another two hours - as I'd learned from the lord before our fallout. They'd be busy performing a ritual of sorts, one meant to keep the lord's health in check due to his innate condition.
Of course, I'd learned all of that back when I was friends with the "little prince." He only does these energy infusion rituals once a year, so the timing was crucial. With how much planning it took me to set this up, I won't get another chance like this. Nothing is allowed to go wrong. And for my plan to succeed, I need the little one's help.
Convincing them to work with me was easy enough - just a few smooth lies mixed into my actual plan, and they were on board.
That said, the older one was a pain in the ass. The only reason I even included her was because Lyrael lacked the confidence to follow along with my schemes on her own, but seemed to draw strength from her sister's presence.
Just then, I saw a distant cell in slightly better condition than the others around.
It appears they get the princess treatment even in a situation like this. I might be ever so slightly jealous.
I finally approached their cell, only to hear Nyra badmouthing me.
After our little quarrel, I reached out and tore their cell walls apart, just like my own. This time, I had the metal wrap around the rest of my arm, up to the shoulder. That would be necessary for the upcoming fight.
Just then, Nyra's fear flared up aggressively.
Hah, she must've figured out what I am.
The irregularity of her heartbeat and the look in her eyes told me as much.
Clamping a hand over my mouth to stop myself from drooling, I proceeded to release her younger sister Lyrael from the shackles, making sure to avoid direct eye contact. It wouldn't do me any good to instill fear in her as well.
Ah, but there's a good chance she already knows, despite her casual attitude. I noticed some tension for just a bit; she did lock eyes with me for a moment, so that'd make sense.
"Ahh, that's much better. Thanks!"
Lyrael put on a brave front and raised her thumb, trying to appear strong.
Probably acting overly confident to avoid fueling my hunger. I'll have to thank her later.
"Glad you're holding up just fine, even after the rough treatment from the guards. Didn't think someone of your upbringing would do so well in a situation like this."
I approvingly patted her shoulder, at which she flinched but quickly hid her hands behind her back.
"May I ask a question?"
She looked at me warily.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Are you… Are you really what I think you are?"
With great difficulty, she mumbled the words out. But it seemed she regretted asking, as her already timid frame became even smaller.
"Mhm, that's right."
I winked, trying to lighten the mood.
"…"
It didn't help one bit.
"Right, now that we're all ready, shall we proceed with the main part of the plan?"
Suddenly, her older sister, Nyra, shot up from her sitting position and glared at me.
"Hey! You forgot to free me as well."
"Oh, that? Yeah, you're staying here for now. I got you put in for a couple of months. Just hold on tight."
What was said as a lighthearted comment was met with threatening silence.
Nyra looked pissed.
Whoops, maybe I should've lied and said I'd get her out sooner. Her look alone could kill a man right now.
In a low voice, I spoke to her.
"Hey."
Taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor - or perhaps sensing how serious I was - she quickly averted her gaze and plopped back down onto the floor.
"Fine, just promise you'll actually free me when the time comes. Or I won't forgive you."
"Wow, you complied fast. What's with the sudden change?"
"What do you mean? It doesn't take a genius to notice how ready you were to get rid of me if I became a problem."
She smirked, having come to terms with the situation.
Tsk, that's exactly why I hate dealing with her. She's far too smart. Well, what's good is good. I really don't like needless slaughter.
That said, not all violence was unnecessary. Just like now.
The door behind me opened, and one of the temporary guards walked in.
"What the hell?! How did you get out?"
Though shocked, he acted quickly, forming a peculiar gesture with his fingers. If he finished conjuring the sorcery, all the other guards would be alerted, and then we'll truly have no chance.
Not that I'm planning to let that happen.
With a smile, I cracked my neck and took a step toward him.
"In the name of the Stone Cauldron, you shall face immediate execution for an attempted prison break!"
He shouted, ready to spring into action the moment he finished the conjuring.
"I've been starving for the past two weeks. Thanks for showing up just on time. Hahaha!"
And with a mad laugh, I lunged at the guard.