The rustle of movement and the distant sound of voices buzzed around Karn as the tight grip of the Royal sector guards closed in on him. Just as the steel of their grasp felt most oppressive, a whirlwind of darkness descended from the sky. Kraid, magnificent in his transformation, stood in human guise, weapon gleaming dangerously in the dimming light.
The guards immediately pointed their spears at this sudden threat, their expressions oscillating between fear and determination. Kraid's yellow eyes scanned the situation, making quick calculations. With a sinking feeling, Karn realized that Kraid could only save one of them.
Karn did the only thing he thought he could and pushed her. Ellie, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, was suddenly at Kraid's side. The mysterious figure uttered words in a hushed tone, his tone full of urgency. "Stay strong."
Before Karn could respond, Kraid, with Ellie in tow, forced a path through to the Amber sector's gates, vanishing from sight. The once protective barriers of the Amber sector now stood closed and distant, as if mocking Karn's predicament.
The guards, triumphant in their capture, wasted no time in roughly handling him, almost as if he were a prized pig to be slaughtered. As they paraded him through the streets of Brancourt city, their proud declarations filled the air, "Make way! Clear the path! We have a murderer in custody!"
Each utterance sent waves of shock through Karn. Murderer? The word resonated in his mind, making him sick to the core. An unspeakable injustice was unfolding, and he was at the very heart of it.
Whispers echoed from the onlooking crowd, their eyes fixed on Karn, some with pity, others with scorn. But for Karn, their faces blurred into a sea of confusion. As the weight of the guards' claim sunk in, a deep-seated dread consumed him. Something’s happened to Master Waverly. And worse, had Karn been framed for a crime he did not commit?
His steps, dictated by the forceful push of the guards, were heavy with the uncertainty of what awaited him.
A rather rougher push from the guard sent Karn stumbling into what looked like a towering, darkened fortress. Its stature loomed, casting an oppressive blocky shadow over its surroundings. As he tried to take in the structure, a gruff voice broke his reverie.
"Welcome to the Grimhold Bastion," sneered the guard, his face a mask of malevolent delight.
The name suited the place. The interior felt ancient, with cold stone walls giving off an oppressive chill. The distant clang of metal against stone echoed through the narrow hallways. Contrasting with the external sheen of the well-maintained exterior, the inside felt like a relic from a forgotten age.
Karn barely had time to process his surroundings when he found himself thrust into a cramped cell, the clang of iron bars sealing his fate. As he took a few staggered breaths, trying to steady himself, a familiar face caught his eye.
To his disbelief, Hope and Lady Amber occupied the cell adjacent to his. Their appearances were worn and battered, a stark difference from the last time Karn had seen them only a short time ago.
"Hope! Jocelyne," Karn said in a strained whisper, rushing to the bars that separated them. "What’s going on?"
Before either of them could offer a response, a sharp, echoing sound resonated through the corridors. The chilling clatter of iron against iron made Karn flinch. At the end of the corridor stood a burly man, wielding what seemed to be an iron club, which he was using to strike the bars of each cell in a display of dominance.
"Silence, you wretches!" The man's voice boomed throughout the prison.
Pulling himself up to his full height, the man continued, "For those unfamiliar, I am Warden Grail, the keeper of this fine establishment." His tone dripped with sarcasm. "The powers of this city have graciously given me full dominion over your pitiful lives, meaning I can snuff out your existence whenever I see fit."
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His eyes, cold and devoid of empathy, met Karn's. There was a clear message in that gaze—challenge me, and face the consequences.
As Warden Grail sauntered away, leaving behind a trail of echoing footsteps and suppressed whimpers, Karn leaned closer to the bars, desperate to understand the unfolding situation. The fate of Brancourt, it seemed, was hanging in the balance.
Karn exchanged a look with the others, but the weight of the situation left them all speechless, mired in shared confusion.
Suddenly, the heavy silence enveloping the prison was broken. Warden Grail strode back in, parchment in hand, and as he began to recite their charges, his voice reverberated ominously throughout the stone confines.
"Let it be known," he began, drawing himself up with a flourish, "that you, Karn of the Amber sector, and you, Lady Amber, stand accused of high crimes against Brancourt. You will face the gallows come dawn."
Karn's heart raced. "Gallows? For fucks sake, there hasn't been a trial! You can't just—"
"Silence!" Grail's shout cut through Karn's protest.
Hope's voice rose in defiance, "This isn't justice! This is murder!"
Grail's voice, sharp and mocking, sneered at them. "Oh, isn't that rich? You cry out for justice, yet stand accused of the very crime you denounce."
Karn's fingers clenched tightly around the cold bars of his cell, his anger bubbling close to the surface. But he knew, deep down, that anger alone wouldn't free them from this nightmare.
If only I had my damn book, he thought bitterly.
Lady Amber, though visibly shaken, maintained her poise. "You know full well, Warden, that the law requires a trial. A fair trial." She sighed deeply, her eyes darkening. "Lord Amber is away. If he were here, this travesty would never—"
"Ah, but that's just it," Grail smirked, interrupting her, "With Lord Amber away in Sorina, there's no one to stop us from carrying out our justice. Convenient, isn't it?"
Karn clenched his fists. "What crimes are you accusing us of?"
Warden Grail unrolled a scroll and began to read a litany of false accusations against Karn, ranging from conspiring against the city to stealing vital resources. Then, turning to Lady Amber, he read a set of charges that sounded eerily familiar. They were old crimes, previously pinned on the deceased king.
Hope watched in disbelief. "And what of me? What is my so-called crime?"
Grail's gaze slid over to Hope, a lecherous gleam in his eye. "While your friends face the rope, you will be spared the noose. But your fate might be even grimmer. You will serve. Serve until your last breath."
The threatening implication in his tone made Karn's blood run cold. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, the entrance to the prison cells was thrown open, and a struggling girl was dragged in by two guards and her forehead was bleeding profusely.
“Ralina!” cried Hope.
Karn swore. “What did you bastards do to her?”
The guards ignored him and threw her unceremoniously into the adjacent cell. As she regained her footing, Ralina's eyes darted around, taking in her fellow prisoners. "Karn," she whispered, horror evident in her voice, "what is happening?"
They ambushed her, Karn deduced, noticing the fresh blood dripping from Ralina's head wound. Seeing her struggling to maintain her balance, guilt gnawed at him. She had always been formidable; to see her in this state was heart-wrenching.
As the weight of their situation bore down on them, Karn realized they couldn't wait any longer. They had to devise a plan.
Warden Grail's laugh echoed in the damp cell as he leered at Ralina. "Ah, another fetching servant for us."
Ralina, despite her weakened state, mustered enough strength to spit blood at him. The warden, taken aback by the sudden defiance, stepped back in revulsion.
Then, in a flash of anger, he lunged at her through the bars, only to be met with a low, threatening growl from Ralina. He hesitated, and for a moment, a hint of fear crossed his eyes before he retreated.
Warden Grail stepped back, taking a moment to adjust his crumpled attire. He fixed his gaze on the women, his voice dripping with menace. "Trust me, with the amount of iron I have in this place, I doubt you'll be causing me any trouble."
Karn's attention was drawn to the sash the warden wore. Its distinct markings revealed the man's allegiance to the Royal sector. The pieces started to fit together in his mind. This warden was likely operating under orders from Marcella's influential parents. Their reach, it seemed, was even more extensive than Karn had previously suspected. Yet he could never have imagined that the young girl's hatred would lead to such a vindictive scheme.
Chuckling to himself, Warden Grail sauntered away, his laughter echoing through the corridor and leaving a chilling resonance in its wake.
Desperation clawed at Karn as he scrutinized every inch of his cell. If there was a way out, he needed to find it. But the stone walls offered no hints, and the iron bars remained solid and unyielding.
Ralina, looking noticeably pale, slumped to the ground, every movement pained. Her fierce facade from earlier was fading rapidly. Hope immediately knelt beside her, softly speaking words of reassurance, ensuring she remained awake despite her injury.
Across the dim cell, Lady Amber whispered urgently to Karn. "Do you think the others could assist us? There must be a way out of here."
Karn pressed his face against the cold bars, hope and despair waging a battle within him. "If there's one thing I've learned," he murmured, "it's that we never truly stand alone."