Steel rod bars. Poorly made bedframe with hay. Food at sunrise, and food at sunset. Rats in the gutters. The smell of waste and body odor reeked the walls, hallways, and cells. This was a dungeon. The long hallway ran six cells down, walls made of stone, and barely candlelit light. Only four prisoners were in the twelve cells and a guard at the end of the hallway. The dungeon was underground so no sunlight came through. It was almost complete darkness, each cell that had a prisoner in it had a candle burning. Not much was being said, except the guard, sitting at a chair, drinking ale at the entrance and exit of the hallway whistling.
"Today is the day." Someone said in the second to last cell.
"Shut up Khajit scum." Another voice came from across the hallway but a cell closer to the guard's end.
"Do not worry friend, my words are not meant for you." The Khajit said before finally emerging from the darkness and stepping into the light at the cell bars. He was of gray fur with black stripes across his whole body, his bushy tail was also gray with black stripes. Ring piercing's line his pointy ears. The only form of clothing was a waist rag between his legs and waist.
"Really? Tell me then feline friend, who are you referring to?" The other voice replied.
"Mister Judai the Elf up the hall from you." The Khajit said, referring to the prisoner located the closest to the guard on the right.
"Be quiet thief! No one wishes to hear from a liar, a cheater, and more importantly a thief." The Elf, Judai said revealing his head from the cell barred doorway. The Elf had a tan like skin with red bulking eyes. Judai was very thin, boney even.
"Oh? So, quick to forget to your execution as a rapist is approaching." The Kahjit said with a smirk, whiskers turning upright.
"I said be quiet!" Judai screamed at the fellow prisoner.
"Oy, the lot of you, shut it. Trying to read." The guard yelled down the hall.
"Do not worry Mister Gadion. Just fellow men of misfortune speaking. Weren't we Mistering Judai?" The Khajit said swinging his tail outside the barred door and waving it up the hallway.
"Keep it down, all I ask. You criminal scum are still people. Till the chopping block that is." Gadion the guard said with a chuckle. He was an older man, probably in his late fifties. Still a man of valiance. Hair was growing a raggedy white and drenched in sweat from wearing his watch helmet and armor in such a humid area. The body warmth projected heat around this time. Morning. When executions came to be.
"Tell me Mister Judai, since you're going to die. Tell me from one man to a cat. Why did you do what you did?" The Khajit said again, sounding like a pest and annoying.
"I didn't mean to." Judai said, stepping away from the light, sitting down on his bed and leaning his head against the stone slimy damp wall.
"Oh lies I tell you! You confessed to the moment the Breton was going to slay you down before the watch found you." The prisoner from earlier said. "I know of your story Judai of Valenwood. You raped your villages darling after she rejected you for some Breton who was a traveling merchant! How dare you lie!"
"How dare she reject me! I was the Elder's grandson! She should have felt blessed that I'd offer myself to her!" Judai screamed.
"Yes, yes. Do tell us more Mister Judai. Or should I say, your Royal Judai?" The Khajit said before laughing to his own humor.
"I had nothing to hide. She fell for me after it. She could see I was a man more than some pathetic Breton."
"Which is why they found you here in Cyrodil? Trying to flee the Breton who vowed to find you?" The other prisoner kept saying.
"Who are you to talk Dalutius Octane? Murder of his wife's family after you found her sleeping with another man."
"You're lucky these bars are holding me back elf. Or I'd squeeze your eyes into brain." Dalutius Octane shouted, shaking the bars viciously to his cell. Dalutius Octane also wore the thin ragged garment around his waist. His chest was covered with hair. He had a near bald head that was growing back in a black color.
"My, my. This is quite interesting. Do go on." The Khajit said with excitement.
"Dalutius Octane, the homewrecker. Ironic since his wife was the one who slept with a Nord sailor. How did you do it? Because I hear you didn't harm your wife. Went to her family's home and slaughtered her family. How many four?" Judai insisted sarcastically.
"I swear I'll end you." Dalutius whispered.
"There was her father and mother, a grandmother, and their poor young daughter? How many winters was she? Nine? Sick I say."
"I'll beg to be executed if I get to cut your head off shortly."
"Speak, of the story. Was it a woodchopping axe? I know you tossed much of their bodies into the fire except for the heads. Poor wife had to return home to find her family mutilated." Judai continued.
"You got that bloody right elf! I did it! I killed my whore wife's family. The only reason they got me was because a guard saw me racing into the dock to find the Nord with a bloody axe. I didn't go without a fight however." Dalutius explained with a sigh of relief.
"Treacherous. I tell you Mister Dalutius Octane." The Khajit said with a sound of pleasure.
"What is your tale Khajit? How did you wind up here in this fine establishment?" Dalutius asked to the feline.
"I'd rather remain anonymous I'm afraid." The Khajit said with a smile.
"He's Mujan-Ari, a thief stealing from a market and tried hiding in an empty sewer pipe." Galion the Guard said with a smile, taking a deep three gulps of his ale, before laughing. "He must have forgotten the fact that he couldn't swim because it was the reservoir well. So once a child started pumping the water, the backwash flew from the waste and pushed into the town's moat!" Galion finished and began laughing, grabbing his cup of ale and taking a last gulp.
"Mujan-Ari the Cunning is my name and title. I'd of gotten away with it if it wasn't for the boy." Mujan-Ari said with a bit of frustration.
"Not so cunning it sounds." Dalutius said with a chuckle.
"Should of heard the report that the scribe wrote. They found him screaming and hollering for help saying, 'I'll go to prison, just save me!' My oh my I'd have killed to be there." Galion laughed as he tried to pour himself another cup of ale from a wine jug, spilling some on the guard's table.
"As you'd assume, Khajit such as myself do not fare well with water." Mujan-Ari explained.
"You don't say." Said the final prisoner who had remained quiet until now.
"Ah yes, I forgot we had one last guest among us." Mujan-Ari said with his seductive voice.
"What is your name fellow?" Dalutius asked, turning to the cell beside him.
"Eridon." Said the final prisoner.
"What brings you here with us Mister Eridon?" Mujan-Ari asked to the quiet prisoner.
"Just Eridon, and I'm innocent." Eridon said. Judai in his cell began erupting in laughter.
"Innocent eh? Doesn't seem that way." Judai said between his laughing.
"Haven't heard that before." Eridon explained as he stepped into the light. Eridon was a young man, couldn't have been more than past his seventeenth winter. He had ear covering long shaggy brown hair, some hair on his chin.
"Why you're just a mere lad!" Dalutius shouted out in surprise.
"Not yet a Mister Eridon then?" Mujan-Ari asked to Dalutius who couldn't see him.
"Boy looks like he barely has hair on his balls." Dalutius shouted back.
"Eridon, full of youth, what brings you here?" Mujan-Ari asked with a bit of sincerity.
"I witnessed a murder of a guard, a member of the Dark Brotherhood killed him. I was so shocked and scared that I couldn't move. She just turned to me after she slit his throat and whispered for me to be quiet. She walked right past me and over a castle wall. Just before a guard came around the corner to find me there. No judge, no jury, no trial." Eridon explained.
"They didn't believe you?" Dalutius asked with curiosity.
The boy then began to make a mocking child's adolescent voice. "I swear sir, Dark Brotherhood swept in and slit his throat and left the knife! I'm innocent!" Eridon imitated. All the prisoners had a good laugh.
"What about your parent's, child?" Mujan-Ari asked, no longer sounding sarcastic or joking.
"I'm a homeless orphan. Parents died two years ago. Been living on streets, begging and getting work where I could. Hell this is better than sleeping behind the chapel. They used to let me sleep inside. Till I started to stink." Eridon said humbly.
Dalutius sighed. "Boy, if I could get you outta here I would."
"Ay, as would I. We are criminals. You, you have yet to become a man, a mister." Mujan-Ari said with empathy.
"Very touching, but he was trialed guilty so in four more moon nights he'll be hung in a public execution." Galion the Guard said drinking more of his ale and reading his book.
"I wanted to try to become a knight someplace. Not sure where, maybe become a squire. Work my way up. Always wanted to test a sword's steel in battle."
"Where I come from friend, we believe after death, a new life will begin." Mujan-Ari whispered.
"One could only hope." Eridon said. Suddenly a pair of footsteps sounded to be coming down a staircase, which was the spiraling steps that led to the underground dungeon. The voices were talking, joking, laughing. Happiness sounded weird to the prisoners. Two younger guards emerged. One with a torch held high. The other carried a tray of basic food. A slice of veal charred, half a loaf of bread, a cup of water.
"Warden Galion, they keep you still here in the dungeon?" The older guard.
"Ay, these old knees aren't getting any better, but my hand is still steady with a blade." Galion started laughing with the two guards.
"Drinking on the job?" The younger guard said pointing to the bottle of ale.
"Wait till your my age boy. You'll drink ale, mead, brew, like water." Galion said laughing, looking at the plate of food.
"Only three dishes?" Galion asked with curiosity.
"Final meal. Going to see a head be sliced." The older guard said with a laugh.
"Right, right. Well, go see him." Galion gestured down the hallway. The two guards stepped down the hallway to the very first cell where Judai was sitting on his bed. The flames from the torch blinded him that made him hold his hand to cover his eyes.
"Judai of Valenwood. What would you ask of your final meal?" The older guard asked, it was now seen that the guard asking was a bearded man who had a scar running down his cheek.
"Red wine, roasted chicken and potatoes would be mighty nice." Judai said quietly.
"Very well, be back in an hourglass." The two guards then began stepping away, almost past Galion.
"Wait, wait. You boys know of any brew upstairs?" Galion asked making the two guards stop.
"Think there's some mead in the kitchen, pass out the prisoners' food and we'll wait for you upstairs and show you it. Be sure not to leave the keys on the table though." The younger guard explained.
"Aye, be up there in a moment!" Galion said with a smile, he quickly chugged down the last of his ale from the cup as the two guards left. Galion placed the key ring on a hook attached to his belt that holstered his short sword. He then grabbed the tray of stale food and walked all the way down to Mujan-Ari, nearly stumbling twice.
"Alright, alright. One for the Khajit." Galion tried to slide the plate through the opening slot that Mujan-Ari took with a courteous nod.
"Thank you Mister Galion, you are far too kind." With Mujan-Ari's tail he reached up along Galion's body and patted him on the shoulder before returning it curled up beside him and into the darkness to eat. Galion then stepped over to Dalutius, doing the same.
"Thanks," was all he said.
Galion then came to Eridon and handed him the last plate. "And one for the innocent." Galion said with flatness in his voice. Before anything else could be said, Galion turned and started moving straight up the stone stairs. For a few seconds that was all that could be heard. Just his footsteps pacing up the steps. Then all that could be heard was the three prisoners chewing their food. Munching away at the poor food. The bread was so stale and tangy that you needed to drink it down with water.
Clunk!
"Success." Came Mujan-Ari's voice as he opened his cell door with a smile. All three prisoners came to their doorways to turn and see that the Khajit was out of the cage.
"By the Gods! How did you open it!" Judai shouted. Mujan-Ari rose his tail and waved it around his shoulder to reveal the ring of keys from Galion's belt.
"I was not named Mujan-Ari the Cunning for just my good looks friend." He said with a smile.
"What are you going to do!? We're imprisoned in the middle of a lake!" Eridon said with poor confusion.
"Well, I wasn't planning to do this alone." Mujan-Ari explained as he walked over to Dalutius' cell and unlocked the door, freeing him.
"You're letting us go? Why?" Dalutius asked with surprise as he stepped out of his cell.
"We're all criminals here, except young Master Eridon." Mujan-Ari said as he stepped over and unlocked the boy's cell door as well.
"Thank you." The boy said looking up at the tall cat.
"Of course, my friend."
"Hello! I believe you're forgetting someone here!" Judai shouted as he shook his cell door hard.
"If you free him, I'm killing him." Dalutius said bluntly, facing the elf.
"For Daedra's sake let me free!"
Just then, the prisoners started hearing footsteps approaching down the stairs. Only one, stumbling. "That must be Mister Galion." Mujan-Ari whispered, he then turned to Dalutius. "How would you feel about killing Mister Galion, Mister Dalutius?"
"What am I? Your henchmen?" Dalutius asked with frustration.
"I am a thief, not a fighter. Unless you expect young Master Eridon to subdue Mister Galion, I'd suggest you think fast." Mujan-Ari elaborating. The footsteps could now be heard getting closer. As well as whistling.
"Quick, back in your cells, keep them unlocked. Mister Mujan-Ari, get Galion to come down to your cell. Then Dalutius can attack him from behind!" Eridon explained. Mujan-Ari smiled.
"Clever boy, quickly now!" Mujan-Ari whispered, running back into their cells, shutting the doors, but keeping them unlocked. Finally, the footsteps came around the corner with Galion the guard holding four bottles of mead.
"How's the food boys?" Galion laughed taking a drink from one of his bottles.
"Actually Mister Galion, I wanted to ask you if you could look at this bread. I believe there's mold upon it." Mujan-Ari said solidly.
"Are you really questioning the quality of food as a prisoner Mujan?" Galion asked placing his hands on his hips.
"Would only take a second, I would not like to eat something bad and make a mess of the cell for you to have to clean it up Mister Galion." Mujan-Ari explained.
Eridon kept his head turned up the dim lighted room to see Galion turned to Mujan-Ari who had squeezed his head out the doorway bars to show the corner of his face. Eridon's heart was pounding. He could feel sweat gathering across his forehead, his hands were shaking. He tried his best to look casual. But he wasn't doing too well. The thought knowing that Dalutius was going to kill Galion that it was scary. Eridon looked to him at his left, his face was pressed to the bars, hands gripping the cage door. Eridon couldn't take his eyes off the scary glare that Dalutius was making. It looked as though Dalutius was out of his mind, an animal. He was becoming primal. Galion then started walking down the hall, his thick steel boots clanking on the deck. Eridon counted in his head the number of steps he was taking, hearing them get closer. One after another.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Before Eridon knew it, he saw Galion appear, walking down the hallway. Galion smelled of nothing but alcohol, it reeked off him like waste from cow. He turned to look at Eridon. His heart was pounding. Galion stopped.
"What's wrong with you boy? You're sweating like a pig." Galion said straight forward before continuing. "Look like you've seen a ghost boy."
"Just scared of Mister Judai." Eridon said quickly off the top of his head.
"S'hould be, don't worry. He'd be dead at high noon." Galion attempted to say while stuttering his words. Galion turned and began walking to Mujan-Ari's cell. "Alright you cat freak bastard, let's see this mold." Galion said. Behind him, the cell door to Dalutius started to creak open until a loud screech of rusty hinges squeaked. Galion turned around to find Dalutius charged into him.
"What the-!" Galion shouted before being tackled into a wall. The candle that was above it was winded out, leaving the corner of the room dark. The two men were struggling so hard and fast that the air was drafted left to right, causing the candle flames wave. Eridon was having a hard time to see the fight, he could only see moments of it. The two were heaving and puffing air. A groan would erupt with a sound of a punch. Eridon then heard a sword being drawn. Dalutius was heard giving a loud groan while heaving.
"In the name of the law, stop!" Galion yelled from the darkness. But from the barely lit hallway and noises, the two were very much far from stopping. Eridon could see as a moment of candle shined on the two, Dalutius was behind Galion with an arm held out and locked by Dalutius. The arm that Dalutius had pinned and locked was Galion's sword arm, short sword in hand. Eridon watched as Dalutius snapped Galion's arm in half, breaking the elbow. The last thing Eridon got to see before the candle waved the light away was Galion drop his sword.
The two began struggling again. Both huffing and puffing.
"Wait, no stop!" Galion screamed outloud. It was sudden but Eridon could hear pure fear in his voice. 'Stop, please! I beg-!" The sound of gargling started and a hissing. Eridon tried to see but he could see anything. Only when the candlelit fixed, he found Dalutius with Galion's short sword covered in blood in hand. Behind Dalutius was Galion on the ground, but Eridon couldn't see what had happened with him in the way. Eridon pushed open his cell door as Mujan-Ari did the same.
"Mister Galion, no more." Mujan-Ari said tumbling his fingers through his whiskers.
"Wonderful, wonderful. Now can we release me from this damn cell?" Judai shouted, begging. Mujan-Ari stepped over the corpse of the once drunk Galion. Mujan-Ari tumbled through the ring of keys and emerged a separate key that slide into the lock, tumbling the gears open. Releasing the Elf, who stepped out of the cell into the candlelit.
"We should get going before someone comes down here." Dalutius explained as he took the boots from Galion's corpse and sliding his toes into the soles.
"We should hurry on then." Eridon explained softly. Trying to keep his eyes off the dead body. But he couldn't help it. He looked down to see Galion's eyes wide open with a gash across his throat. Blood drenched the dry sand that lay on the floor. Dalutius removed Galion's chest rig of armor, and took off the shirt. The body was limp and simple looked like a stiff board. The tall man handed Eridon the shirt, still covered in blood. But at least it would keep him a little warm. Dalutius took the armor and put it over his shoulders. Dalutius took a dagger and handed it to Mujan-Ari.
"Might need it." Dalutius said.
"Mujan-Ari needs no blade. My wits are my weapon."
"Suit yourself," Dalutius said handing Eridon the dagger.
"Why not give me it?" Judai said irritated.
"Because I don't like you."
Without any more word to be said, the four prisoners raced past the guard's table and up the spiral staircase. Eridon tried to keep his breath low. The fearing tension of running into someone kept rising in his chest the more they went up until finally then came to the top which was a guard's quarters. A large pot was burning over a fire, fresh stew from the smell of it. Eridon couldn't help but lick his lips. He savored to take a taste. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good meal. Four guards' beds were lying around in the corner, neatly made.
The walls were made of the same rock down below in the dungeon. The place was truly meant to keep those underground in, and those outside out. Eridon then found a window above one guard's bed, revealing sunrise. It was the first time he saw light in, how long? A week? Month? It'd been so long he couldn't keep track of the days. The window was a simple box shape. No bars or glass. From the war stories, he always heard, it was meant for archers to fire arrows within the walls.
The skinned fur of a black bare was lying on the floor, mouth gapping wide as though it were going to try to catch a fish at a river pass. On a table in the corner was a board game made of carved wood half-finished to be played. There were two barrels in the other corner. Lastly was a desk that had ink, a quill, and four gold coins. Apart from that, nothing was else in the room except for the lanterns around the room on hooks.
Mujan-Ari held up a finger to tell the group to wait. He then quietly tip-toe ran across the room to an open doorway where two guards were talking. Mujan-Ari moved so quietly that Eridon couldn't hear him, and he was right there watching him. The Khajit then slowly took the door handle and gently closed it quietly without alerting any guards. The remaining prisoners then stepped into the room from the staircase.
"Now what's your plan for getting out of here?" Judai said irritated.
"Thought we might be able to sneak our way out, but too many guards. Can't get past them unless we fight. Which'll bring more guards. More guards no good." Mujan-Ari explained looking around the room.
"I can't kill sober armored young guards while naked either." Dalutius said in a whispered.
"I'm aware friend, need not to worry." Mujan-Ari said as he raced over to the table of coins and drew all of them, tucking them into his waist cloth.
"Disgusting, don't tell me you plan to use those." Judai whispered holding his nose.
"Mujan-Ari has no pockets. Do Mister Judai? How does Judai expect to get away broke?" Mujan-Ari said patting his undergarment with a smile.
"If we don't escape they'll be useless." Eridon said flatly.
"Boy's got a point." Dalutius said considering the barrels to find them empty.
"Mujan-Ari is thinking."
"Thought you were supposed to be Mujan-Ari the 'Cunning'." Judai whispered as he stood in the corner, arms crossed. Clearly scared. Eridon felt the same way.
"Mujan-Ari is cunning. Just needs to think." Mujan-Ari said looking under the beds for something of use.
The prisoners searched everywhere amongst the room, but could not find anything. They were so quiet that when the door knob started to turn, they all heard it. The door opened to reveal a guard, completely stunned.
"Hey! How did you all get out!" The guard yelled. Dalutius immediately drove his shoulder into the door, crushing the guard's arm between the door and the doorway. He let loose a wild scream, the prisoners could hear other guards shouting and approaching. Dalutius took the short sword and swung it into the guard's bare arm. The steel cut deep into the bone halfway through. The guard on the other side screamed even louder than before. With another swing of the sword, the guard's arm was lying on the floor, and the door closed. Dalutius pushed his back against the door to prevent anyone from opening.
"Get something to block the door!" Dalutius shouted out. Mujan-Ari and Judai immediately turned to one of the beds and grabbed it. The two carried it and jammed it against the door as Dalutius stepped out of the way for a second. Eridon rolled a barrel over and shoved it behind the bed to try to prevent it from sliding out.
"Great! We're trapped!" Judai shouted in a panic.
"I'd say turn ourselves in, but then we'd be at the end of an axe like the elf rapist." Dalutius said flatly.
"We need to do something!" Eridon shouted out, looking among the three other prisoners.
"Mujan-Ari is still thinking. Keep your hearts at ease friends, we still have time." Mujan-Ari said circling his crooked whisker with a finger.
"You fool! You got us all killed!" Judai screamed out at the Khajit.
"Correction Mister Judai was meant to die today anyways." Mujan-Ari said with a smile and chuckled softly. Eridon kept looking around the room while the men argued. He could hear the guards had found something and had begun ramming it into the door. Eridon turned to look out the window. Wishing he could at least have fresh air again. To see freedom again. Wait. Wait a moment.
Eridon then ran over to the window and poked his head over the ledge to look down to see that they were only five men's height up from the ground. Then at the edge of the island was a small little rowboat with two oars on hinges with some rope wrapped around a pole in the ground.
"Hey! I think I got a way out!" Eridon shouted. Immediately the three men quit arguing and joined Eridon at the window.
"Smart boy," Mujan-Ari uttered, rubbing his furry paw on Eridon's head.
"Can't jump it though! We'll surely break something." Judai explained in great fear.
"If only we had some rope." Dalutius said with regret. Eridon then looked around to see the bedsheets of the guard's beds.
"The sheets! We could make a long rope if we tie them all together!" Eridon said grabbing two bedsheets and began tying a knot.
"Do you really think cloth will hold us?" Judai said.
"Mujan-Ari would rather die trying than to a sword." Mujan-Ari said grabbing a bedsheet and tying a knot onto the opposite end of Eridon's. Judai then reached down and started making another with the final bedsheet. Dalutius kept the sword in hand and watched the door. Eridon franticly made a double knot with the two bedsheets. Without any time passed, all four bedsheets were tied together. Mujan-Ari then began tying it to the bedframe closest to the window, throwing the length of the makeshift rope out the window. There was a short bit of distance between the rope and the ground.
"That'll do. Quickly, young Master Eridon should go first being the lightest." Mujan-Ari explained.
"Well quick, let's get the boy going!" Judai shouted. Mujan-Ari lifted Eridon up over the window ledge. Eridon gripped the rope and waited a moment to see if the knots would hold. They would.
"Worry not friend. Don't look down. Just go." Mujan-Ari said with a smile and wink. Eridon swallowed down his pride and began going hand under hand down. As he went down, he kept looking up at where Mujan-Ari was. Still in the window, smiling at the boy. Eventually after what felt like forever, Eridon was above the ground and let go. Falling on his bottom hard, but alive. Eridon gave a thumb up to Mujan-Ari. Next coming down was Judai who was much quicker coming down. Probably because he feared being killed. Without almost seconds, he was at the bottom with Eridon. In the room was finally Mujan-Ari and Dalutius.
"Go, Mujan-Ari has a plan to keep them busy." The Khajit said to Dalutius. Mujan-Ari grabbed the bear hide off the ground and held it above the fire till it started to catch ablaze. Once the flames were going to touch his paws, Mujan-Ari threw it onto the barricaded bed and door. Quickly the wood began to catch fire, and guards could smell the smoke. Dalutius then turned to the window and began climbing down the rope with Mujan-Ari right behind him. The two began going down quickly, reaching the bottom in time to see smoke fuming out the window.
"To the boat." Mujan-Ari said with seriousness. The four prisoners then began sprinting to the boat. Judai arrived first, jumping into the boat and grabbing an oar. Eridon followed behind, with Mujan-Ari and Dalutius behind them. Dalutius used his blade and sliced the rope from the pole as he passed it. Mujan-Ari quickly leapt into the boat, leaving Dalutius to push the boat.
"Leaving me to push it!?" Dalutius yelled at Mujan-Ari.
"Mujan-Ari cannot swim." Mujan-Ari said sarcasm. Dalutius groaned and then started pushing the boat till he was waist deep. At that point, Mujan-Ari and Eridon helped pull him into the boat. Mujan-Ari and Dalutius took to the oars, paddling the water hard. They worked in sync. Suddenly an arrow landed right in between Eridon's feet. He looked to the lodged arrow in the ground, and back to the stone dungeon prison to see four guards, shouting at them, one with a bow knocking another arrow.
"Paddle faster! They're firing at us!" Judai shouted in fear.
"Calm yourself friend. We will be out of range in a few moments." Mujan-Ari was correct. The next arrow that flew landed a boat length from where the four prisoners were at. Another arrow followed, only to be so far away to not be threatening. Before Eridon knew it, the guards were beginning to be out of sight.
"We… we did it!" Eridon yelled with glee. Arms high in the air.
"Mujan-Ari told all we'd escape." Mujan-Ari said with a smile as he continued to row the boat. Judai got to his knees and began praying.
"Sweet lords. I thank thee for sparing my life." Judai cried with joy.
"I don't see why you're thanking your gods." Dalutius said bluntly.
"Why? I'm alive! We escaped!"
"Did you forget?" Dalutius asked leaning forward to look deep into the Elf's eyes. "Your execution is today at sunrise."
Eridon watched in almost a second Dalutius pierce the end of the short sword into Judai's chest. The tip punctured his chest, Judai was in completely shock and took a deep gasp. Dalutius grabbed Judai's shoulder and pulled him into the blade as he shoved the sword in deeper. The steel stuck out Judai's skinny back covered in blood. Judai's mouth started to gather blood and rain down the corners of his lips. He gasped for air as Dalutius tugged the sword free, causing Judai to go limp. The man then grabbed the elf by the arm and pulled his upper body over the edge of the boat. Then grabbed his feet and threw him into the ocean. Eridon couldn't believe it, Judai was still breathing. He landed in the water, unable to move, he sunk under, gone.
"Told you if you freed him I'd kill him." Dalutius said, dropping the sword and grabbing the oar to start rowing again.
"Mujan-Ari cares little. If you spare him." Mujan-Ari said calmly.
"You're the smart one, I imagine you'd know a better way out of his sort of situation than I ever would." Dalutius said, turning to Eridon who sat at the stern of the boat, scared. "I don't have any plans to kill you kid. Without you, we'd be killed by those guards. Let's keep it as a truce. Once we get back on our feet. We consider going separate ways, deal?" Dalutius offered.
"Truce, friends." Mujan-Ari said with a smile.
"Truce…" Eridon said, looking at the water where a cloud red blood started to dispense into the murky blue water around it, leaving no trace of the three remaining escaped prisoners.
