With the horse, traveling was a lot easier. The town itself was not that big but we moved faster and I got to enjoy some scenery. After just few minutes of galloping we arrived at the other edge of the town. There was almost zero residency here. Just patrolling knights and few restaurants here and there. Melsier and I got off the horse and tied it to a fence. Now we stood in front of a tent which bore the same crest as the one we saw on Lenia's door. I cautiously followed Melsier into the tent.
"Hey. Melsier. I thought we were going to see Helen in the jail."
"We are."
Inside the tent, there was a literal tavern with tables and a bar. Knights sat there, drinking and joking about random stuff. Behind the bar stood a old wrinky man cleaning glass with a cloth. "Hey. Don't touch me!"
My eyes turned towards the commotion. There a woman in her early 30s argued with the guards. 'Alcohol and food in hand. Hmm. Must be the waiteress.'
The woman was wearing a tight brown shirt with an apron on top and a long khaki skirt on the bottom. She argued with the group of drunk knights. "This is my last warning to you all. If you touch me one more time, I would complain to the captain."
The drunk knights began laughing loudly. One of them even said. "Complain to who? It was the captain who informed us about your services… Hehe. Surely, you can do a discount for me?"
"Don't look at them." Melsier's voice startled me. "This used to be the captain office and jail for criminals. Since the plague, the intensity of war from all borders increased by a threshold. To keep our borders protected, the archduchess of Silvertusks moved all of it's high ranking knights to war desolate areas which gave a leeway to these corrupt bastards to climb up the ranks. Due to Cathia being an outskirts state, no one really cares about these matters. The official governor of Cathia city is probably aware of these things but turns blind eye to them as he his entire attention is focused on the war."
I nod as I hear Melsier's words. 'No one cares, huh?'
"Don't worry, kid. I am not going to the actual border it's just near that area. It's only few days. After that, I will probably get a job in some safe city." Melsier mistook my silence as worry.
We walk to the bar table, Melsier waves at the old man. "What do you want?" He asks.
"I am here to see a prisoner." The old man puts the glass down and opens the backdoor which leads to basement. "Don't take too long."
Melsier steps forward and I follow closely.
"Kyaaa! Atleast be gentle!" The animalistic laugh of the knights strangles the waitresses cry in my ears, I decide not to look back as I have bigger things to worry about.
As we descend down further down, the visibility becomes hard as well as there is no source of light. We finally reach down only to see a corriorder full of cages on both sides.
"Don't talk with anyone." Melsier warns me as he walks ahead.
THUD! THUD!
"A child!"
"The man has come with a meal for ussss."
Every cell we passed by held something more of an animal than a man, they savagely smash their heads on the steel bars to gather a speck of our attention. Unfortunately, neither Melsier or me bat an eye to them.
We continue walking to the end of corriorder, the last cell. The cell it self is covered in darkness but for some reason I could see perfectly well in dark. I see a shadowy figure lying on the ground, I don't catch the face as they are facing the other direction. Melsier slightly knocks at the bars and something inside moves instantly.
'Oh no.'
A small feminine whisper manages to escape the cell. "M-Melsier. I-Is that y-you?"
Melsier immediately extends his hands in the cage. "Yes! Hel! It is me!"
Hel quickly runs and hugs Melsier. "Oh love. You don't know how much I missed you."
"Yes. I know. We finally have some good news."
I gulp nervously as I can guess the very next words.
"Y-You do? Did Grandma agree to help us?" Hel asks with a pressing tone.
"No. No. Y-You remember Altaris? The kid we rescued from the dungeon. He knows about a hidden treasure in the unexplored area." Melsier explains with a sense of accomplishment.
"Altaris… Is he here with us?"
"Yes."
In the darkness both husband and wife couldn't see eachother, but I could see them, see their actual state. On one side, I see an almost mentally broken man who is struggling to keep his life together and on other side, I see a strong willed woman who is hiding her own sufferings to ease other's burdens.
"Hello Helen." I greet Helen with much guilt in my heart. Knowing well enough, that their dreams of reuniting are nothing but a glass lie which can shatter at any time.
Helen doesn't know but she is directly looking at me. Her condition is far from good. Hair dishevelled, barely any clothes covering her, marks of sticks all over body lastly the rusty chain around her left leg which tie her like an animal.
"How are… you doing?" Melsier asks with a heavy voice.
Helen immediately chuckles at his question. "Honestly, I am good as I could ever be. I get food every day. Nobody comes to disturb me and the neighbours are nice. Oh! The cell behind you held Ross. He was a nice guy. Always talking about how he has a daughter outside who is waiting for him. I haven't heard from him since yesterday. Maybe the daughter came and freed him."
"Is that so?"
"Yess! I am having fun here. What about the kids? Is Kela eating well? Is Rushian behaving himself? Did Alexia create any drama? Oh! That girl. Haha!"
Melsier doesn't answer to his wife. He is not that dumb. He seems aware of her lies. "Helen."
"Yes?"
"I got a job as a city guard."
"That's- That's incredible! I wish I could kiss you right now."
"After a month. We be freeing you."
Melsier's words fell like cold water on Helen which killed all her façade. "A m-month?" She asks.
"Yes. Can you manage?"
I could see Helen, she was on verge of crying. But she didn't. "Of course. I can manage."
Melsier turned around at the moment Helen began crying silently. "A month then. Altaris will keep checking on my absence."
"Hmm."
"I try to write letters."
"Hmm."
"Remember, I love you."
".....hmm."
I kept glancing back at Helen's crying figure.
Before leaving, I glanced at this inhumane prison one more time and my eyes wandered off onto the cell opposite of Helen. There was nothing inside but a rotting corpse.