Once dismissed from the Warden's office, Nixie found that while he was inside, the pair of guards outside had been joined by a woman. Looking at her, he found it difficult to guess the woman's age. While her face was not marred by wrinkles, her posture and movements gave the impression of advanced age. Unlike the armored guards, she was dressed in a plain gray dress. Around the waist, the dress was pulled together by a simple black ribbon. As soon as the door closed behind him, the woman turned her attention to Nixie.
"Please follow me. I will take you to your quarters." She didn't wait for a reply and simply started walking towards one of the corridors on their left. Without knowing what else to do, Nixie followed.
"Who are you?" Nixie asked once they turned the corner and the guards were out of sight.
"I am Miina. Lady Warden assigned me as your guide," Miina stated simply, her voice soft and quiet.
And however curt the reply was, Nixie was glad that he at least got one.
"I still don't even understand what I am supposed to be doing here…"
His lament was left without a reply from Miina. The pair continued walking through the seemingly endless series of passages and tunnels. The unpleasant moaning and screaming were back, but now that he expected it, it upset Nixie a little less.
"How many people are down here? I mean - how many prisoners?"
Miina remained silent for a while. But just as Nixie was ready to give up on getting an answer, she replied. "We have eighty-seven guests staying here at the moment."
"And how many guards?" Nixie asked, pushing his luck a little further.
"Seventy-three."
Nixie raised his eyebrows. "That is almost more guards than prisoners."
"There were one hundred of them two months ago, but then one of our guests got out of his cell."
It took a moment for Nixie to process what Miina just said. "Are you trying to tell me that one escaped prisoner took out twenty-seven guards? How is that even possible?"
Miina ignored his question, which made Nixie's sense of uneasiness come back in full force. Suddenly, the voices that reached him from a distance seemed to be carrying a threat. The little part of him that was more curious than scared wondered who the prisoners were and if he'd get to see any of them.
The remainder of their walk was spent in silence. At last, they arrived in front of a heavy door made of solid metal. It stood at least eight feet tall and was secured in the surrounding stone by heavy metal studs. Here and there, its surface was marred by shallow scratches and dents, but other than that, it looked impenetrable.
"Watch now," Miina instructed as she approached the door. Only then did Nixie notice a small patch of the door covered in runic carvings that formed an oblong shape. Miina rested her hand against the runes, and symbols glowed in response to her touch.
She took her hand off the door. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then, an unseen mechanism on the other side of the door sprung to life – filling the corridor with a mechanical cacophony of rotating gears and pullies.
"It will open for you as well," Miina said just as the door swung open, revealing a long and narrow corridor behind it. She led Nixie to one of the inconspicuous doors that lined the wall. Nixie counted at least a dozen more doors.
Miina gestured for him to open it. When he did, he found a tiny room with a small table, a simple bed, and a single chair. The only light source was an electric bulb dangling in the center of the ceiling. Folded neatly at the foot of the bed was a small pile of clean clothes. Overall, the room gave the impression of a prison cell, which, considering Nixie's circumstances, was rather fitting.
"Further down the corridor is a bathroom. I suggest that you clean yourself and get some rest. I will come for you in a few hours."
"Thank you," Nixie muttered silently. Miina just nodded, her blank expression never changing. Without another word, she left through the same metal door that led them in here. When it closed behind her, Nixie realized that for the first time in what felt like ages, he was alone.
'At least it's silent here,' he thought – noting with relief that the heavy door blocked out all the noise from the outside.
Nixie sat on the bed and immediately realized just how sore his whole body felt. The trip to this place took a whole week, and during all that time, he'd barely had any time to rest. Had his body not been sticky from being coated by at least a dozen layers of dried sweat, he would have just collapsed on the bed and passed out. As it was, though, he begrudgingly snatched the pile of fresh clothes and went out to search for the bathroom Miina mentioned.
Her mouth was agape, the tip of her long tongue loosely flailing somewhere below her chin. She was on all fours and running through a thick forest. In the distance, she heard battle screams, and when the wind shifted, it carried with it an invigorating scent of blood. Her mad sprint became even more furious as she allowed herself to completely lose all sense of control.
It didn't take much longer until the trees receded and opened up to a large, grass-covered clearing. There were corpses scattered everywhere, but she paid them no mind. Briar's attention was entirely focused on those few dozen men and women who were still fighting. The air was now so thick with the scent of blood that it was almost unbearable to her. Something inside her broke, and for a split second, her vision became clouded. Then, she was shrieking and flying through the air. Her body made contact with one of the soldiers and knocked him off his feet.
Briar's mad shriek only ended when her razor-sharp teeth ripped open the man's throat. The bliss she felt when his bones and bloody flesh were ground by her teeth was indescribable. She felt unstoppable. Something sharp was thrust into her side, but she hardly noticed the pain. Her clawed fingers continued to dig into the mangled corpse pinned under her. Another slash landed, then a blow to the head. It was starting to get annoying.
In an instant, she was back on her feet. She spun around and found herself standing face-to-face with three more soldiers. Her vision became clouded again, but in the back of her mind, she realized that they had recoiled from her when she met their gaze. Friend or foe, she didn't care who they were as she ripped them to shreds. Soon, she was completely covered in their blood.
More carnage followed. She leaped from one fighter to another, caring little about which side she was supposed to be fighting for. Soon, they were no longer fighting each other but her. They slashed and pierced her, swung hammers, and fired arrows. Yet she kept killing and feasting on them. Despite her light build injuries that would immediately cripple any man seemed to do nothing more than merely slow Briar down.
There were moments when Briar was perfectly aware of what she was doing. There were also moments when her mind would go completely blank. Her memories of that day were hazy, interlaced with each other, and blended together. She wasn't aware of when the fighting stopped or how long she fought. At some point, her mind returned to her, and she found herself sitting on a blood-stained patch of grass, surrounded by piles of half-eaten corpses. All sound of battle had died down.
Looking around, she could see that there was no one left alive.
Briar opened her eyes and was welcomed by the all-too-familiar sight of her cell. Was it right to even call it a dream? It was not like she needed or even could sleep… at least not that she could remember. But the solitude and lack of stimulation were getting the best of her. Every now and then, she would catch herself reliving past memories. These moments were always fleeting, but they were a welcome, albeit rare, treat. They were the closest thing to being free that she could hope for.
She stood up from the cold floor and stretched, the vision of blood-stained grass quickly fading from her memory. Before she could begin her usual routine of pacing up and down her cell, a sudden noise from behind her cell snapped her to attention. In the blink of an eye, she was at the grate, scouting out the situation.
Her pointy ears twitched as she tried deciphering the cacophony of metal screeches and thuds approaching the corridor. It didn't take long for the mystery to resolve itself, as in her view came a large, shabby-looking metal cart loaded with an assortment of bowls and large canisters filled with unidentifiable gray substance. What interested Briar more was the pale-looking man pushing the cart.
In the dim light of electric lights that illuminated the corridor, his face looked tired and ragged. Briar almost chuckled when she saw him. In the simple gray clothes he was wearing, he reminded her of a mouse, an impression further strengthened by his twitchy eyes warily scanning his surroundings. Each step he made was slow and meticulous, as if he was expecting something to jump at him any second now. Inadvertently, Briar smiled.
Her smile widened into a toothy grin when his eyes finally fell on her. The reaction was immediate. He came to an immediate halt as if he suddenly froze. With the cart now still, the hallway was once more dead silent. Briar cocked her head to the left and then to the right as she examined the man further.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, the hungry part of her was getting excited. His heart was beating so hard it was like a drum beat to her. He didn't look particularly strong, but still athletic enough that he would make for a fun chase. She quickly pushed all those thoughts away.
Suddenly, she realized that she was still grinning and staring at him silently. That wasn't how most people acted, was it? He was probably starting to think that she was a weirdo. Confirmation of that came almost right away.
"Oookay," the man silently whispered to himself as he slowly looked away. He steered the cart
a little further away from her cell door and leaned against it to get it moving again.
'I am messing this up!' Briar reprimed herself. 'Quick say something!'
"Hello there, new friend! I'd ask how it is going, but you are here, so things are not that good, eh?
Her cheerful voice cut through the gloomy corridor like a knife through butter. The man's eyes went back to her, filled with surprise. It took him a moment to regain any semblance of composure.
"Mhh, no... Not really," he finally answered.
"Can't tell I am surprised. I mean, this place is cold and damp, and it smells weird. Not to mention all those weirdos out there who just can't shut up for five minutes! You should be really glad you stumbled onto me. Because I am not like them at all! What's your name?" Briar unloaded on him quickly, words practically flying out of her mouth.
The man opened his mouth as if to reply, then promptly shut it again. "I… think I need to go," he muttered as he began to once more turn away. Briar was dejected by that, but not yet ready to give up.
"Waitwaitwait! What's the hurry? It's not like anyone here is going away anytime soon. You've got time. I don't even know your name yet. I am Briar, by the way."
"It's Nixie," he said and shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I really need to go."
"No, no, no. It's fine. I don't want anything from you. Really! Nothing at all! I just want to talk to someone a little. I've been stuck in this cell for so long, and I've got nothing at all to do. You have no idea how boring it gets."
Judging by the look on his face, Nixie remained unpersuaded, albeit maybe ever so slightly less tense.
"Well, it's not boring for me right now. I really can't stand around and talk now. Sorry."
The rickety cart got moving again, and despite Briar's best attempts, she couldn't get Nixie to stay any longer.
"I really enjoyed talking to you, Nixie! Hey, at least promise you'll come back when you can, friend!"
He was already out of her sight, but she still heard his muffled: "Sure."
For Briar, that one short word lingered in the air long after the cart disappeared in the distance.
'Will he really come back?'
Vladimir sat on his bedroom balcony and absentmindedly observed the streets below. Early spring had brought pleasant weather, but with the sun already behind the horizon, the air felt cool against his bare chest. Only a few people milled about—mostly well-dressed aristocrats and their servants. Even though the gas lamps illuminating the streets were few and far between, Vladimir saw every detail.
There was a subtle hint of excitement in the air, at least for him. One of his little plans would likely come to fruition tonight. Lazily, he took a sip from the wine glass that he was lazily turning in his hands. The bittersweet taste of expensive wine was a pleasure he only rarely allowed himself. He stayed like that for a little while longer until his silent contemplation was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.
"Enter," he stated, his voice calm and pleasant. Vladimir didn't even bother to look at the newcomer.
"Apologies for disturbing you, my lord. A messenger just brought the letter you've been expecting."
"Thank you. Leave it on my desk, please."
The sense of excitement intensified, but Vladimir didn't show it in the slightest. Behind him, his servant did as instructed, then, without a word, retreated from his master's bedroom. Vladimir waited a few more moments after the door closed before gracefully rising from his chair.
Just as he expected, placed on his mahogany bedroom table was a delicate-looking silver tray with a single, neatly folded envelope. His sharp senses caught the smell of expensive perfume before he could even make two steps toward it. A small smile spread on his lips.
Without hurry, he ran his finger over the thick, expensive paper. A single letter 'T' was the only marking on the envelope. Vladimir carefully opened it and quickly read the contents of the note inside. It was brief, but after finishing it, he found that his smile had broadened.