Took most of the week off now that things are stabilized with the work project. Also just wanted some time to rest and relax as my shingles are finally winding down. Still got some leftover spots that I have to keep covered, but the pain's finally gone. Wonder what next medical oddity I'll have this year...
Despite having a ton of extra time, I ended up writing most of this today. Still managed to shoot past my target minimum and think I got everything I wanted in there. More importantly, it's actually going up on a Friday this week!
Waking up in a cell should've felt weirder, but it wasn't that different from his normal morning. Despite what he'd imagined, he wasn't freezing in some frigid, stone room with an open, barred window. For starters, the small room was warmer than he'd expected. The mattress was just as worn as his own at the orphanage, with clean sheets and even a second pillow that the sheriff had offered him. The barred wall across from him made things a little awkward, especially when he realized there was nothing blocking the toilet from view. Thankfully, no one else seemed to be around, so he'd been able to go in peace, though not without jumping at every sound.
Waking up early was nothing new, but having nothing to do sure was. Without his usual list of chores to start the day, he'd straightened the sheets on his bed, freshened up with the small toiletry bag provided upon his arrival, and promptly ran out of things to do. He'd wished he'd asked for a book or something, but all he could do was wait.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait very long.
"Mornin' Adam," Sheriff Taylor said as he arrived at the cell door with two plates of food. "You hungry?"
Famished. Adam hadn't missed a meal, in spite of the sounds his stomach made as the aroma of eggs and bacon wafted through the bars. Adam's frantic nod left Sheriff Taylor laughing.
"Me too. I'm not much of a cook, sadly, but then again, it's hard to mess up the basics." Sheriff Taylor shifted the second plate onto his arm, balancing it as his newly freed hand fumbled with the keys. The cell door whined quietly as it eased open and the sheriff sidestepped inside, depositing one of the plates on the foot of the bed for Adam. "Coffee's still brewing, but I figured you could use some warm food and good company after a long night."
Adam preferred the food to the company, but he chose not to say anything, focusing instead on the pile of breakfast. Like Sheriff Taylor said, he definitely wasn't much of a cook. The bacon was a little under while the eggs were a bit over, and he'd clearly overdone it on the salt, leaving Adam desperate for the cup of water he had over on the sink by the end. Still, it was edible, and right now, that was good enough for him.
"Thanks for keeping me company," Sheriff Taylor said as he polished off the last of his eggs and offered Adam his last strip of bacon. "And for not trying to bolt the moment I opened the cell."
"N-no problem." The thought may have crossed Adam's mind. With only one guy between him and freedom, his arms laden with food, anyone would've considered making a break for it. Aura or not, he'd still be caught off balance and off guard. If it worked, Adam might even be able to escape before the inevitable arrival of his accusers. He had no idea where he'd go, but anywhere had to be better than waiting around for Madam de Thom and her entourage.
Breakfast finished, Adam found his thoughts drifting toward the coming storm. He hadn't slept well last night, tossing and turning with thoughts of the looming confrontation. SHeriff Taylor had bought him time last night, but not much. Madam de Thom planned to come by first thing in the morning, and while Adam didn't have a watch, he knew it wouldn't be long. The sun had already crested the horizon, and he knew from experience that Madam de Thom wasn't one to sleep in. And once she got there, Adam had no idea what he'd do.
Obviously, he'd tell everything. Alyssa's abuse. The threats. How she attacked herself to frame him. He had no reason to hold back now, but Alyssa knew that. She'd always known it would happen. Which meant she knew it wouldn't matter.
No one's going to believe you. Why would they? As much as he naively wanted to believe they'd see the truth, he knew better. Madam de Thom was beyond biased on this one, but he knew it looked bad for him regardless. Everyone had heard an attack of some kind, saw Adam run away, and found Alyssa no doubt crying about how he'd turned on her suddenly. He'd seen how terrifyingly good she was at lying and knew practically everyone would believe her. After all, was it so hard to believe that a teenage boy that spent all his time with an attractive woman might decide to take advantage of the situation? The alternative - the truth - sounded too ridiculous in comparison. His chances of convincing anyone were slim to none.
But he had to try. "What's gonna happen to me?"
Adam expected some empty promise of safety. Assurances of hope he knew had long since fled. Instead, Sheriff Taylor took a deep breath before answering. "I'll be honest, it doesn't look great, kid. I expect Gael will be here soon with that dimwitted husband of hers. Probably hopin' I'll cave with him around."
"The mayor?"
Sheriff Taylor nodded. "Technically, he's my boss. Law here says he gets to choose the sheriff, so he could give me the boot anytime he wants. Guarantee Gael's been pressuring him lately to do just that."
Adam hadn't even considered that. Sheriff Taylor's snooping at the orphanage carried a bit of a risk, then, and he knew it. Madam de Thom and Alyssa both hated the sheriff, and Adam doubted they kept that a secret. "Aren't you scared he'll replace you?" If forced to choose between his wife and the sheriff, Adam had to assume the mayor would make the wrong choice.
"A man should never be scared to do what's right," Sheriff Taylor answered almost instinctively. "Not much of a man if I don't at least try. Besides, who's he gonna replace me with? Deputy Barnes? I'd be on the first caravan outta here if that happened."
"Is he that bad?"
"Nah. Just inexperienced and naïve." Sheriff Taylor glanced out the window for a moment. "Kid's okay, but he only got the job because of who he is. Katai's a pretty quiet place, but we've had the odd Grimm pop up, not to mention some bandit raids."
"Bandits?" He'd never heard of them attacking Katai. Raiding a caravan on the open road would be easier than a walled town with guards. Or even going after somewhere like Shizukana. They wouldn't stand a chance.
"Not recently," Sheriff Taylor amended. "But it's happened. Usually someone getting too big for their britches and thinkin' they're hot stuff because they've got their aura unlocked. Thing is, the town wouldn't have lasted this long if we didn't have a few of our own."
"Like you?" Adam had seen him fight against the Beowolves. Not only did he have aura, but he wasn't a slouch with a sword, either. Maybe it wasn't just the walls that kept the bandits away, then.
"And a few others." Sheriff Taylor's eyes drifted to the ceiling as he silently counted on his fingers. "Half a dozen of the guards or so, I think. Mostly dropouts from prep schools, but they know enough. Couple had aura but no training, but we fixed that pretty quick. Captain's pretty experienced and made sure they knew how to handle themselves."
That many? It seemed like a lot, especially this far from the capitol. "So why not have the Captain run things for you?"
"Believe me, I wish he would," the sheriff laughed. "Don't tell him I said anything, but he could probably take me in a fight nowadays. But I'd rather have him on the walls than behind a desk if something happens. Maybe I should ask if any of his boys are interested in taking over." He stroked his chin for a moment before shaking off the thought. "Anyways, Gael will probably be here soon to spin me some ridiculous tale and demand your head." Seeing the sudden panic on Adam's face, he hastily added, "Not that it'll happen. We don't hang people just because Gael doesn't like 'em. Wouldn't be much of the town left if we did, I reckon."
That was a relief, though it still left a lot of questions. Questions he needed answers to, even if he didn't really want to ask. "S-so…what is the punishment for…you know…"
"Depends on what they can prove," Sheriff Taylor answered. "Running away isn't exactly a crime, but I guarantee they'll try to stick you with stealing that horse. Might net you a few extra days in here, but I'll see what I can do." The way Sheriff Taylor hesitated didn't inspire much confidence in Adam. "But those won't matter much compared to the main charges."
Rape and assault, he meant. Two crimes that likely carried substantial type of penalties that could see him rotting away for years.
"Gonna be hard to convince them to let that slide, and we're not really prepared to house someone long term. I'll see what I can do, but it's better you know what's coming." Sheriff Taylor pursed his lips before he let reality come crashing down on them. "They'll want you taken to an actual prison. Somewhere far away from here, in one of the bigger cities."
"What?" Prison? With actual criminals? That couldn't be right. He hadn't done anything. Nothing that they were accusing him of, at least.
"I'll see what I can do," Sheriff Taylor promised. "You're still a minor and I still carry some weight around here. Just…do me a favor, kid. Whatever happens, you have to trust me. Okay?"
Trust him? Sheriff Taylor might be his best hope, but trust was earned, not given. Despite his promises, he sounded like he'd already given up the fight. To be fair, Adam had given up hope as well. Now that he knew what awaited him, he felt even worse.
Before Adam could dwell on it any longer, Sheriff Taylor suddenly interrupted, "Why don't we go ahead and get your side of the story while we wait? Feel free to take your time and go over everything."
"Didn't you say they'd be here soon?"
A distant banging told them it would be very soon. Even from his cell, Adam could recognize the booming voice of Madam de Thom. "Sheriff! Sheriff Taylor! Open up!"
Adam slouched back as he waited for Sheriff Taylor to go greet the new arrivals, but the sheriff just smiled and ignored them. "We've got plenty of time."
Antagonizing Madam de Thom further sounded like a bad idea, but Adam doubted they'd win her over anyway, so he started to tell Sheriff Taylor everything. The start of his tutoring sessions. Moving things to Alyssa's room. The extra attention she gave him. The first time she…took advantage of him. The months and months of torture he'd endured. He didn't bother going into detail on exactly what she'd put him through, but the angry, disgusted look on Sheriff Taylor's face said the man could fill in the blanks easily enough.
The only part he didn't mention was Nila's involvement. She'd already been through too much. If he brought her up, not only would they probably find a way to add that to his trumped up crimes, but then Nila might be brought in for questioning. Or worse, he'd put focus on her again, and this time, he wouldn't be there to stop Alyssa from seeking revenge.
When he finally finished, Sheriff Taylor growled as he said, "For what it's worth, kid, I believe you."
"You do?"
"I do," Sheriff Taylor promised before stretching and opening the cell door.. "Alright. I think I've let them stew long enough. Let's get this over with."
Adam hadn't expected to come along, but when Sheriff Taylor waved for him to follow, he did so without a word. The quiet hall echoed with their steps before a heavy door granted them access to the main lobby of the station. The building itself wasn't that impressive. It was old - possibly one of the oldest buildings in Katai. The thick walls showed some clear signs of wear and tear and could probably use a fresh coat of paint. The tiled floor that might once have been bright and pristine now lay faded and stained. Even the pair of desks looked ancient, though the solid wood held up better than the cheap composite stuff he'd seen at the orphanage.
He studied the room carefully, but only to avoid looking at the people waiting near the door.
"There you are!" Madam de Thom's exasperated declaration felt more like an accusation. Given how Sheriff Taylor had purposefully ignored her, Adam felt they'd both be guilty today.
Speaking of ignoring her… "Mornin' Deputy. You're in early."
"Morning, Sheriff," Deputy Barnes answered with a respectful nod. "Dad asked if I could come in a little early today." He left the obvious reason out.
Madam de Thom, however, had no such reservation. "We wanted him to be here for our testimony. And a good thing we did! You would've left us outside all morning!"
Sheriff Taylor glanced at the clock on the far wall. "Wasn't time to open up yet. In fact, you're about a half hour too early. I haven't even had my coffee yet."
"You can drink it while we talk, then," Madam de Thom ordered. As intimidating as she could be, Sheriff Taylor merely rolled his eyes and stepped to the side to fetch the pot. Unfortunately, that left Adam exposed as three sets of eyes zeroed in on him. One set in particular concerned him. "You! Why aren't you in your cell, you little pervert?"
"Boy deserves to hear the charges against him," Sheriff Taylor answered over his shoulder as he poured two mugs and added some cream and sugar.
"He's not even handcuffed!"
"Why should he be? You aren't gonna cause any trouble, are ya son?" Adam shook his head immediately. "See? Besides, the deputy and I are more than enough to keep you safe if anything happens."
"He's a violent criminal!" Madam de Thom protested, earning a silent snarl from Adam. "He shouldn't be waltzing around like he owns the place after what he did to my daughter."
"Who didn't bother to show up, I noticed."
"She's recovering," Madam de Thom answered in Alyssa's defense. "You could hardly expect her to come here and face her attacker so soon, could you? First he tried to rape her, and when she resisted, he dared to pull a knife on her!"
Adam couldn't endure her stupidity any longer, the words slipping out before he could stop them. "Is that what she told you?"
Rather than silence her, his words only summoned her attention to him. "What was that?"
"She attacked me," Adam said flatly. She's the one who's been raping me. Has been for months."
"How dare you!" Adam braced as Madam de Thom stomped forward and reared back to slap him, but refused to look away. He wouldn't let her see him tremble.
A hand snatched Madam de Thom's wrist as it descended, stopping her before she could punish him. "I'll ask that you keep your hands to yourself, Gael," Sheriff Taylor instructed, meeting her glare without flinching. "If you can't do that, then I'll have to ask Deputy Barnes to escort you out of the building."
For his part, Deputy Barnes didn't look thrilled at the idea. He slowly sidestepped away, eager to avoid involvement at all costs.
Luckily for him, the tense exchange was interrupted. "Why don't we all take a step back and calm down for a minute."
Madam de Thom wrenched her hand free as Sheriff Taylor nodded. "Sounds good to me, Mister Mayor." The sheriff pointed to a small office off to the side. "Deputy. Why don't you help these two get settled. I'll be in in a minute to hear what you have to say."
"Yes, sir," the deputy dutifully responded, leading his parents into the room as Sheriff Taylor turned back to him.
"When we get in there, I want you to sit in the corner and not make a sound. Okay?" Adam nodded. "Good. Let me do all the talking and don't respond to anything she says. The sooner we let her talk, the sooner we can get her out of here." That sounded like a good enough plan. Whatever happened, having her gone would at least be an improvement. Sheriff Taylor slowly meandered over to the coffee counter and grabbed both mugs before making his way to the dreaded room. "Remember, just follow my lead. Whatever happens, I'll do what I can to help."
As much as he wanted to believe that, Adam couldn't hold out much hope as they entered. Madam de Thom's eyes watched his every step until everyone was seated. Sheriff Taylor took a sip of his coffee, savoring the warmth before lifting the second mug.
"No, thank you." Madam de Thom almost sounded insulted at his offer.
"Wasn't offering." Sheriff Taylor looked just a little too smug as he turned and handed the mug to Adam. "Boy didn't have much of a breakfast this morning."
"More than he deserved," Madam de Thom grumbled. Adam had never had coffee before, but the warmth in his hands felt nice and the smell roused him a little. It tasted more bitter than he'd imagined and burned on the way down, but he enjoyed it purely because it aggravated Madam de Thom.
"Right. Well, I would've liked to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, as it were," Madam de Thom returned her ire to Sheriff Taylor at the comment, "but why don't you tell me what your daughter claims happened last night?"
Madam de Thom began her own version, waxing eloquent about how Alyssa had taken Adam under her wing and tutored him personally for years because he struggled so much in class. Alyssa looked after him, treated his injuries when he got into fights, and went out of her way to be a perfect angel to him, only for him to attack her last night and try to take advantage of her kindness. He'd brought a knife with him and attacked her when she tried to resist.
"He only ran when she managed to break her window and shout for help. Tried to steal that horse, too. Probably thought he could run away again." If he'd been a little faster, he would have. As much as Adam wanted to call out the absolute garbage she was spewing, he stuck to his agreement and said nothing. "Almost wish we'd let him and leave the Grimm to sort things out."
"Honey," Mayor Barnes tried, resting a hand on her arm. It didn't seem to calm her at all. "What my wife's trying to say is that our daughter was the victim of a heinous act last night and we intend to see the perpetrator properly punished."
"Is that so?" Sheriff Taylor asked.
"It is your job, Sheriff," the mayor answered.
"For now," Madam de Thom complained.
"You know I'm all about enforcing the law, Mister Mayor. But let's not be too hasty here." Sheriff Taylor turned his head to Adam, causing him to sit up a little straighter. "Maybe we should hear the boy's side of the story."
Before Adam could say anything, Madam de Thom cut him off. "That won't be necessary."
"Oh?" Sheriff Taylor hardly looked surprised. "So we just punish people on the basis of accusations now?"
"That's not-"
Mayor Barnes cut in, providing a calmer voice before his wife could start shouting again. "No. We want both sides heard in every case, but we have dozens of witnesses that can corroborate Alyssa's story."
"Anyone actually see the crime?"
"No, but he was the only one in the room at the time, and quite a few people saw him running away from the scene. A few even tried to stop him, but failed." As if Adam would let himself be caught that easily. "Beyond that, the weapon used in the attack belonged to him."
Which was why Alyssa had kept it all this time. Because even without the witnesses, it made him look guilty. Sheriff Taylor's brow furrowed a little before he asked, "You let children have weapons in your orphanage? That doesn't seem like a great idea."
"He snuck it in when he first came to us," Madam de Thom countered. Adam hadn't exactly been sneaky about it, though. He'd forgotten he even had it that first day, but he'd been wearing it on his hip when he arrived and no one said anything. Of course, admitting that would point to negligence on Madam de Thom's part, so naturally, he must've smuggled it in and planned this whole thing years ago.
"Regardless, there were only two people in that room at the time," Mayor Barnes summarized. "Someone attacked my daughter with his knife, and afterwards, he was seen fleeing the scene in a panic. On top of that, you yourself caught him stealing a horse to escape. What further proof do we need?"
"First of all, the horse never left the stable, so technically, he didn't steal it." That sounded like quite the stretch of the rules, but Adam wasn't about to complain. "As for the assault accusations, after hearing from the accused, I have my doubts on what really happened last night."
"Doubts?" Mayor Barnes raised an eyebrow at the announcement.
Madam de Thom proved a little more direct. "What are you trying to say, sheriff? That my daughter made the whole thing up? Then who attacked her? Did she somehow happen to injure herself multiple times with someone else's knife?"
The sad part was how dangerously close she was to the truth there. She'd only left off how psychotic Alyssa was in doing it all on purpose to cover up her torture of a minor. If anyone deserved to be locked up, it was Alyssa.
"All I'm saying is that this is hardly the first time I've had questions about your daughter."
That certainly got a reaction. "And I have questions about your fitness to serve as our sheriff!" Madam de Thom fired back.
"Honey…"
"Don't 'honey' me! Do you not hear what he's saying?" Madam de Thom practically spat in the sheriff's face. "He's accusing Alyssa - our daughter - of being some sort of…deviant! He's questioning her very integrity!"
"I'm sure he meant-"
"No, she's right," Sheriff Taylor clarified, silencing both of them. "If I may-"
"You may not!"
Sheriff Taylor ignored her. "Look. This isn't the first time there's been questions about Alyssa and some of the boys at the orphanage."
"How dare-"
Sheriff Taylor raised his voice to speak over her interruption. "Not even the first time she's accused a boy like this." It wasn't? He'd only heard of one other - her last victim - and he'd killed himself. Someone else had actually gotten arrested? Which meant someone else had stood up to her before. "It's been, what, ten years or so? Maybe fifteen?"
That recent? It was hard to remember he'd been there for only a few years himself. It felt like a lifetime. And if there'd been one before him, was it really so hard to believe there were others before that?
"That boy attacked her."
"Just like Adam did, right? Alone in the evening, in her room, during one of these so-called tutoring sessions if I recall. Sound familiar?" Sheriff Taylor let his words sink in before he pressed on. "And let's not forget the others. There was the one that hung himself. Or the one that burned himself so bad, he had to be taken to a larger hospital for treatment. One even just up and walked into the forest." Which might as well have been a death sentence for most people. Adam had to imagine it held true in that case, too. "All young faunus boys that your daughter took an interest in. Either your daughter's cursed, or maybe we should ask ourselves what's really going on in that orphanage of yours."
"That's enough!" Madam de Thom shouted, slamming her hands down on the table as she jumped out of her seat. "I will not sit here and listen to this man besmirch our daughter! Do something!"
The last bit was directed at a very reluctant mayor. "Sheriff, I'd ask you not to make such baseless accusations against my daughter." The flowery words did little to calm Madam de Thom, and Adam had a feeling the man would be in for a world of pain once they got home. Then again, he'd chosen to marry the hag and was defending her demon of a daughter, so Adam didn't feel any pity for the man's personal hell. "Regardless of your feelings in the matter, I believe the evidence in this case is overwhelming. Adam Taurus is guilty of assault against my daughter."
And just like that, Adam's hope evaporated. As fun as it was to watch Sheriff Taylor go at it with Madam de Thom, the mayor's simple words condemned him.
"So that's it then?" Sheriff Taylor asked, though he sounded more resigned than surprised. "We just sacrifice the boy and pretend nothing strange is going on here?"
"I am merely doing my job," the mayor stated, "and I expect you to do yours."
Adam had read about fancy trials and court proceedings, but that was for the big cities. Out here, justice was handled a little more directly. The mayor had the authority to settle disputes and even rule on criminal proceedings. His word was law.
And the law was firmly against Adam.
"Fine," Sheriff Taylor agreed.
Adam shot out of his chair in a flash "What?!" But he'd promised! How could he just give in so easily?
Sheriff Taylor locked eyes with him and shook his head quickly before turning back to the mayor. "We've got room here. I can fix up one of the cells to house him for a few months."
"Months?" Madam de Thom seemed to disagree. "Try years, Sheriff."
"Years?" This time, it was the sheriff's turn to object. "He's just a kid, Gael."
"He's a monster." Adam shrank at the word. "I don't want him seeing daylight until he's too old to come back to my orphanage. If it were up to me, he'd celebrate his fiftieth in a cold cell."
"Thankfully, it's not up to you." Sheriff Taylor gave up on reasoning with her and focused on her husband. "C'mon, you know this is wrong. You really gonna throw this kid's life away just because she tells you to?"
"No," Sheriff Taylor relaxed at the denial, right up until Mayor Barnes finished, "I'll do it because the law demands it."
"But we can't take care of him for that long," Sheriff Taylor protested. "This ain't a daycare."
"That's not your concern," the mayor replied, rising from his seat as he concluded, "nor is it Katai's."
"You can't be serious."
"I am," he assured the sheriff. "As the facilities of Katai are not suitable for long-term detainment, Adam Taurus shall be sent to the colony of Kesseki, where he will serve a sentence of thirty years for the crimes of attempted rape and assault with a deadly weapon."
"Thirty years? Are you out of your mind?"
"A suitable caravan with appropriate guards will be paid to escort him to his internment within the week," the mayor continued. "Until such time, he will remain in a cell here under your supervision. Is that understood?"
"Then consider this my notice of resignation," Sheriff Taylor shot back. "Two weeks, and I'm out of here."
"If you can't uphold your mayor's rulings, then you're not fit to be sheriff. You're fired."
"Not your call, Gael," Sheriff Taylor fired back. "Just because you spread your legs for him doesn't mean you rule this town."
"You son of a-"
"Two weeks," Mayor Barnes agreed.
"But he-"
"He knows the laws better than you, Gael." Adam had never seen Sheriff Taylor so worked up. Not that it helped him at all. "Appointing a new sheriff requires two weeks to identify and review applicants. I'll help you pick a new one, then I'm out of this crap hole."
"We don't need you for that," Madam de Thom insisted. "Deputy Barnes can serve in your place. He might even become your replacement."
"Then may the gods have mercy on you all when the Grimm come."
The adults in the room continued to argue and banter about pointless garbage while Adam sat in the corner, wide eyes fixed on the floor. His heart raced and felt like it might explode as the reality of his punishment set in. Thirty years. That was more than double his life so far. He wouldn't quite make it to Madam de Thom's goal of fifty, but he'd ring in his fortieth birthday in a cell. All because one man decided his fate for him. The same man whose daughter had gotten him into this mess. He'd spend practically his whole life suffering because of this corrupt family.
Adam hated them. He hated all of them. Alyssa for the hell she'd put him through. Madam de Thom for siding with her. Mayor Barnes for condemning him unjustly. Deputy Barnes for…well, for being a Barnes. Even Sheriff Taylor for bringing him back in the first place.
For that matter, he hated all of Katai. It had always been a prison to him, now that he thought of it. He'd been locked in the orphanage, left to wallow in misery and pain so the rest of the town could ignore his existence. Not one of them had ever even considered rescuing him. Not one of them had ever cared for him. Instead, they'd put a corrupt politician in power and let him ruin another life just to pacify his wretched wife.
He hardly heard whatever arguments carried on for the next ten minutes or so. Barely noticed when Sheriff Taylor led him away and locked him in his cell once more. Whatever apology Sheriff Taylor gave fell on deaf ears as Adam rolled over in his bed, pulled the covers up, and silently cried himself to sleep.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Five days.
Well, three days, now. That was how long Adam had until the caravan arrived that would take him away. Adam hadn't slept much since his sentence had been decided, only catching brief naps haunted by nightmares that jolted him from his sleep. The most recent had everyone he knew - Alyssa, Erik, Nila, and even his dead parents - laughing as he was dragged away in a caged wagon pulled by a team of Beowolves. He'd screamed himself awake in a cold sweat, only to find the empty cell surrounding him once more.
Would he even get this much privacy in prison? He had a feeling the answer was no. He'd likely have at least one cellmate. Someone older and stronger than him. He'd be the new kid surrounded by violent criminals, some with nothing to lose. They'd probably make Alyssa look merciful in comparison after a while. If they didn't just kill him for the fun of it.
Not that he had much to live for.
Thirty years. Minus two days, his brain unhelpfully pointed out. Thirty long years of pain and suffering, all because he dared to stand up to Alyssa. He'd done everything she demanded, but the moment he dared to oppose her, she'd thrown him away like an old toy. He'd endured so much, and it all meant nothing. He hadn't protected his friends. Nila hadn't been spared because of his so-called bravery. In the end, all his obedience earned him was time.
Thirty years of it in some gods-forsaken cell.
Adam had always been alone, but he'd never been without purpose before. What could he do? He had no one to protect. No goal to aim for. His best bet would be to keep his head down until he was cast out of a cell into an even harsher world with no hope. He'd have no job, no lien, and no friends to turn to in his hour of need. He didn't even know where the heck Kesseki was or what it was like. For all he knew, it could just be a giant prison with some houses for the guards to live exactly where he'd want to spend the rest of his life, however short that may be.
Adam had to wonder if he'd run into one of Alyssa's previous victims there. Sheriff Taylor had mentioned another that got arrested for the same thing. Adam had to imagine he'd been sent to Kesseki as well. If he was still there, maybe Adam could find him and they could team up. Watch each other's backs and what not. All he had to do was look for another faunus a little older than him.
Those plans would have to wait, though. The door to the cell block creaked open, letting Adam know he wasn't alone. Odd. It was too early for breakfast. The sky outside was dark with even the stars and moon veiled behind clouds. The only light that dared grace his room was from the streetlamps of Katai.
Adam lay still, watching his cell with barely cracked eyes as he pretended to be asleep. Even in the low light, he could clearly see the new arrival as he hurriedly approached the cell door and pulled out the familiar ring of keys.
"Wake up, Adam."
"Sheriff Taylor?" What was he doing here?
"Get up. It's time to go."
"Go? Go where?" He wasn't meant to leave for a few days still.
"Does it matter?"
No. No, it didn't Adam scrambled out of bed and rushed to the door, keeping as quiet as he could to match Sheriff Taylor. "What's going on?"
"I'm not about to let another boy's life be ruined by those two," Sheriff Taylor promised, leading him down the hall. "I've got a friend of mine who owes me a few favors. He runs security for a caravan that is leaving this morning. Convinced him to take an extra passenger."
Him. Sheriff Taylor had arranged to smuggle him out of Katai. Concern flooded through Adam at all the uncertainty. Where would they go? What would he do? How would he survive?
Those fears were quickly tossed aside considering the alternative.
"He's a good man. Told him what happened and he agreed to get you out of here. Figured a life on the road was better than thirty in a cell."
Adam couldn't disagree with that one. "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me," Sheriff Taylor answered. As far as the mayor knows, you'll be on your way to Kesseki soon. As long as you're out of Katai, he won't care. Katai might not care about what happens to you, but that doesn't mean I'll turn a blind eye to someone in need." Sheriff Taylor eased the lobby door open, poked his head out to scan the area, then waved for Adam to follow. "C'mon. We'll get you in a wagon before the town even wakes up."
The pair slipped silently through the town, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. Not that it mattered much. Katai slumbered on, uncaring and unaware of the plot to escape. Behind the inn, the organized chaos of a departing caravan greeted them. A large, muscular man in a red shirt broke off in their direction.
"Adam, this is Jean LeGume," Sheriff Taylor announced after a firm handshake between the men. "He's the one I was telling you about."
Jean Legume eyed Adam critically, scanning him for some unknown purpose. Adam shifted nervously, studying the man in return. The single bit axe strapped to his back looked heavy enough to sunder a tree as easily as an Ursa, especially wielded by the man's monstrous arms. His sleek, black hair was pulled back and tied into a short, low ponytail with a simple, red band. A thick, brown belt cinched the fabric of his shirt tightly against his stomach, the golden buckle shining in the lights of the inn. Black trousers tucked into a tall pair of sturdy, brown boots to complete the rather simple outfit. It was the attire of someone used to being on the move in the wilderness.
Whatever Jean LeGume had been looking for, he must've found it. "Hm. Not as bad as I'd imagined. He'll do." And with those words, the man stomped back to the caravan and adjusted the saddle on a dark horse before checking with one of the merchants about something. It was too far away for Adam to hear over the noise of everything around him.
"Stick with Jean and do whatever he says," Sheriff Taylor instructed. "He'll keep you safe."
"Where should I go?"
"Wherever you want," Sheriff Taylor shrugged. "You're free now, Adam. Just don't come back to Katai. For your own sake."
"I won't." Adam had no desire to ever see the town again. He'd miss Erik and Nila, even if the latter wouldn't miss him. Other than them, he hoped to never see a single person from the wretched town ever again. "Thank you."
The words didn't feel like enough, but Sheriff Taylor simply nodded in understanding and walked him over to one of the wagons. Adam climbed aboard and carefully squeezed in between a few boxes. Within the hour, the caravan started out, taking him away from Katai for good.
He had no idea where he was going. He only knew it had to better than where he'd left.
So glad to say farewell to Katai. Like Shizukana, this arc lasted longer than originally planned. Absolutely hated dealing with Alyssa all this time. She was a necessary evil that has been a thorn in my side for months now. Sadly, we also lose Erik and Nila, but their involvement was already winding down anyways. I'd also be remiss to not mention MrsTheGoose constantly trying to get me to write descriptions for Pika such as "Pika shooed" or "Pika chewed" just for the lols. Sadly, it never felt right, as he wasn't really a comedic character. Oh well.
Spent plenty of time researching criminal penalties for Adam's charges. Thirty years may sound like a lot in some areas, but other places have a minimum of twenty even before you add in the weapon. Most places would probably escalate it to an aggravated case thanks to the injuries with the weapon, which would almost guarantee a maximum sentence. In some places, that might only be twenty years. Others had life. Figure thirty is a fair balance here. Well, fair to the mayor. Not so much Adam.
We are gearing up for the third arc of the story. Adam is free of Katai and setting out on a new adventure alongside someone I've been holding onto for a long time. The outfit and name definitely aren't hints to his allusion, though his character won't exactly match in the end. Just thought it would be fun to have a very specific allusion for someone that'll be interacting with Adam a lot in the near future. But more on that later. For now, I'm just excited to see Katai in the rear view and can't wait to get into a rather important arc with some special things planned.
Next chapter: Adam learns about life on the trail and starts planning his next steps.