“What do you want?” Wayne asked in a whisper as it came out as ‘Whatd’youwant,’ slurred and looking up at the ceiling with closed eyes.

  Faces in the background stared as Evic, one of the team leaders, stood within their large cell next to Wayne’s stone bed.

  “I, eh... I wanted to talk ‘ta ya... outside.”

  “M’too tired... Tell me here.”

  “Not in front of ev’ryone. You’re not in trouble... Please? I know it’s ya first day ‘n all...”

  Evic shuffled, yet tried not to bring too much attention to himself as eyes glared. Evic bent down slightly, lowering his voice.

  “I... eh... I wanted to apol’gize, ‘bout earlier.”

  Wayne took a deep breath and sat up, “Fuck if I’ll be able to sleep later anyways,” Again, slurring his speech. His arms swung as he slowly made his way outdoors. Evic shut the door.

  “It’s cold out here, so I won’t keep ya...” The weasel fidgeted, “I’m... sorry ‘bout what I said earlier, and, eh... sorry ‘bout... callin’ ya those things. It’s just, eh, t’morrow’s Collection day, and ev’ryone gets a lit’le... edgy when the ‘pines come over ta get... met’l or slaves, what ‘ave ya.”

  “You’re not sorry about dragging me out here?”

  The weasel sighed. He knew they were going to mention this, what got Wayne here in the first place—him.

  “I’ve ‘ad a couple ‘a run-ins with Boss before you got ‘ere. If I ‘adn’t gone out an’ got ya, Boss would’a put me this close ‘ta death. Was either that, or go an’ get ya.”

  Wayne had woken up slightly due to the freezing air, “I want to ask you something.” His muscles now tensed, even though that’s the last thing they wanted to do, “What do you think would happen if every person in here who worked down there died in one night?” He gave a half-hearted motion towards the building they stood beside. Evic shook his head, confused at the question. “They’d make you work. You’d have to swing shit all day.”

  “Look, it was either you ‘r me. I’m sorry. That’s how it is.”

  “That shouldn’t be how it is! None of this!”

  “Well, ya gon’na have ta talk ta Boss ‘bout that. I’ve been at this for years. I got’ta job ta do, and it doesn’t involve me dyin’ cause I din’t do somethin’!”

  “Don’t you care about how people feel?!”

  Evic shrugged, crossing his arms, “If you din’t wan’na hear my sorry I can take it back.” His voice turned apathetic.

  “I don’t need to hear this.” Wayne turned to his left, yanking the door open and closed again with a loud clatter.

  Evic stood still, his feet planted, muttering to himself, “Oh, you’ll hear ‘bout it... I’ll make sure you will.”

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  “Remain silent!” Another Exporine guard stood behind As, keeping his wrists bound with thick rope. The two walked east, the exact opposite of where he needed to go. The now rising sunlight obliterated As’ vision, and it was all he could see.

  “Please, let me go... Please...”

  Following Kail’s directions, As had went in the night, blinded by his destination, only to be ignorant of his surroundings yet again. This flaw had come to a new peak of endangering himself. A menacing looking porcupine had spotted him, dressed head to toe in their suit of rugged iron armor, Brodie helmet and all. Their dented chest plate looked as though it had been abused, passed around to every soldier, and beaten, stomped on, and weathered on purpose to make them seem more formidable. They told As that word had spread of an owl trespassing for no good reason, and he was doing so again. The porcupine ignored his plea.

  “You have been warned, and now you are being punished under the terms set by leader Erinaceus. Foreign trespassers cannot be allowed on Exporine lands. Those found of trespassing must be tried in order to fix unto them a suitable punishment. You will-”

  “I have not done anything! This is not your land!”

  “One more word out of you and you will get no trial!!” Their voice, unlike their armor, now instilled fearful convictions. “Now move!” The guard pushed. “I knew you owls were always trouble.”

  Following many miles, the broken castle showed more and more of its unkempt glory. Reaching the large overhead archway, the wooden door had begun to shed its massive splinters ages ago. Within the walls, the moss grew, just like on the outside, seemingly filling every cracking break and traveling through doorways. The curved stone dome overhead let minuscule rays come inwards, with its blocky, poorly carved windows, making the ground floor even more lifeless. Smaller doors for rows on each side wall, with few porcupines coming in and going out. Torches lined every wall, but they were unevenly placed, forming larger patches of darkness in the grand room. The stepping sounds echoed from many points. It was almost like they were rain hitting the ground.

  “Right.” The guard commanded him to go, forcefully turning As.

  Heading down the steps and turning left, a thin corridor of cells appeared, and the air became warmer and more oppressive. Moisture adhered to the stone slabs that were ever-present; the floor to the ceiling were not only wet, but filled with warm light from the fiery torches, again haphazardly afixed along the stones. In close proximity, cells were crammed near one another, but the sounds were mysteriously silent. Here and there, paws stuck through the misshapen bars, making incoherent motions amongst themselves.

  The person in control took a ring of keys from a hook and continued motioning the owl down the hallway.

  “Stop.” They opened a cell, sticking one of the duplicate keys into the lock, pushing As inside.

  “Please! You’ve made a mistake!”

  Closing the bars in his face, the guard’s armor glimmered a dirty orange. Looking the now-prisoner in the face, they amused them, “We’ll see about that...” A smirk came from the corner of his mouth as he walked back down alone.

  Glancing around, As noticed he had many commodities: a bale of tool reed, an empty bucket, and no leaking cracks in the walls. Sitting himself on what he could call a bed, As felt like letting himself go, almost like relaxing—felt as though he needed to make the best of his situation.

  Further down there hall were two guards chatting with one another. As listened in in the midst of their talking, and they spoke in an accent that said ‘Yes, I will happily work down in the jail.’

  “Tha’ new guy they jus’ brought in? They need to be in ‘ere! The less out there, the more strength we get! A bunch o’ those idiots think we got more than we do! ... They’re stupid, I know! ... Don’t worry, mate, we got it. ‘Bout to be on our way to a bet’ta lifestyle! Those dumbasses won’t know what hi’ em! Think of the opportuni’ies!”

  As knew the guard he lied. It wasn’t their territory, and this was his solidity of that fact.

  Some sources of light here and there in random cells flickered. As thought of himself as somewhat lucky looking up at his.

  At least his cell had a torch.