Smoke rose from his mouth. Small but icy gusts made everyone shudder. “Perhaps the last night” he thought to himself. The door opened and a short figure with a pointy hood entered. Some grumbled but kept to their sleeping corner. Some assembled in front of the iron bars, peeking between them. He however, faced the other direction. He looked out the window and stared at the full moon.
-Prisoner 7! Prisoner 7? Are you there?
Pointy hood took a step toward the holding cells, but froze midway for little less than a second. After walking a few more steps forward, he came to a halt after which he peered into the cell of an old, skinny man. That man was Prisoner 7. He didn't seem to pay Pointy hood any mind for whatever reason. Pointy hood, perhaps a bit shaken, opened up with a few nervous words.
-I’m taking you out.
Awkward silence ensued. For a while.
-I don’t suppose that has a double meaning, does it?
Pointy hood relaxed his shoulders. Maybe there wasn't anything to worry about after all. Pointy hood grabbed a key from inside his tattered brown pants and slowly pushed it inside the lock to Seven's cell. Once free, Seven followed Pointy hood outside, where there stood four men in shiny chain armour. Prisoner 7 looked at the guards. Each one of the guards had a belt from which a short dagger hung.
-Are none of you going to handcuff me?
No response.
-Well, fine by me.
He shrugged his shoulders. Afterwards they all, except Pointy hood, carefully looked at each other from head to toe while they walked uphill a gravel pathway surrounded by some luscious fauna. Prisoner Seven looked back at the prison. It stood erect in the midst of an otherwise untouched forest meadow. "What a waste" he had thought to himself. Lost in thought, Seven walked into one of the guards. Pointy hood had all of a sudden stopped at the top of the small hill they were climbing.
Stolen story; please report.
-Duck.
If you blinked, you’d miss it. One slash and the four heads launched from their once connected throats. The smuggest of smirks found its way onto the face Pointy hoods face. When he turned around however, that smirk turned upside down really fast.
-Seven! Why didn’t you duck? You imbecile!
His voice cracked up as he finished his sentence. Tears rolled down his cheeks followed by him shouting Seven into the vast night sky while the guard looked on with trembling feet. Pointy hood grabbed a sword he had hidden inside his pants and stabbed the guard multiple times while still screaming Seven into the darkness of night. It was hard to tell that the guard was wearing any armour at all since Pointy hood managed to slash through it like a hot knife cutting through butter.
After having mutilated the corpse of the guard beyond recognition and some more, Pointy hood hunkered down in the grass and stared at the moon. For a while nothing happened. The sweet chime from the nearby crickets and the calm but cold breeze were the only sounds present. Then, Pointy hood’s view of the moon got obstructed by another tall, slim, pale man much like Prisoner 7.
-So, did you find Bavo?
-He didn’t duck.
-Guess he’s dead huh. Well, I more or less expected this to happen and therefore I prepared a reserve plan for you.
-He’s dead, I killed him. There’s nothing left that we can do.
His eyes teared up again.
-If you still have some fighting spirit within you, I heard from one of my underlings that there’s a sacred relic hidden inside the treasure chamber of Hearthrow castle. With that relic I’m sure that me and my church-underlings could help you resurrect him.
His eyes beamed. He rolled out of the grass and looked at the archbishop with wide open eyes.
-You will walk east to Ytter, village of the old mountain, and ask for directions.
He took a step toward Pointy hood and looked at him with sharp eyes as he began speaking louder.
-Before you go, listen carefully! The castle is inhabited by a mad witch and you will not! I repeat, not! Say her name, for it is cursed!
-Ok, what’s her name then?
-It’s Her- Ha, ha! Almost got me there you rascal! Now go! We’ll kick some life into my brother when you return.
-Ok, bye.
Pointy hood then quickly scattered down the hill and disappeared into the surrounding forest. The sound of crickets died down and the trees started whispering. They whispered disaster. Oh no.