Fallen Stars

Chapter 24

CATHERA

"I could say this is something new," spoken by a bellowing muffled voice from afar. I could hear the loud pattering of boots from a distance.

"It never came to my expectations that the same blood of one your hunters are out there in the middle of the night, sir," replied an effeminate voice of another guy.

It was dark and I could only hear their chattering, muffled by the walls surrounding me. The small space of a room I was situated in was humid and hot as I pried.

Even if thick walls of cobblestone and an iron door that looked like it had closed itself on the most notorious criminals of the country before, I could still hear those two bellowing voices of men talking outside.

The humidity of this place feels so bad that it suffocates me. Moreover, when did I like being barefoot on this rough stone floor? The slightly sticky feeling when my knees and feet slid on it. This must be blood from prisoners who got detained here before.

"Very well, that is not mine to comment about. He is missing and we are doing nothing to her yet than to ask her brother what he knows of this. I will not be allowing these people who hold this case to be hasty on their decisions," the man outside replied. Eavesdropping on them, I am thinking about what that gruff and deep voice is implying.

"Trying to think more modestly knowing that we are now standing under the governance of a new kingship. Aye, sir?" he commented, sounding a short and weak snicker.

"One of the few reasons. What I do know is the majesty went to the neighbouring kingdom, leaving his first son behind. Go and head to your designated post now," he commanded him.

"Followed, Sir," said the effeminate voice before I heard loud and fast footsteps going away. Still, the two remaining boots remained getting louder and louder.

The wound on my neck stings. The pain was searing across the neck, down to my left arm, right near the elbow. I tapped it with my other hand, looking at it. It is difficult to move both of my hands. What should have been a slash from a blade is a crumbling wound, a dark and thick clotting was forming around it. It also was reddish and swollen. I expected to smell iron from it but instead smelled like dead vermin.

The veins around the wound were glowing in a pulsing manner, slightly illuminating the small space around me. The glowing pulse of my veins spreads from the wound, bouncing back and forth as it fades.

Pain is searing on my right shoulder too—the spot where the creature bit me. I can hardly move my right arm because of it. I can't even turn my neck just to get a glance at it.

"Like the son of the king could do any better," the deep masculine voice commented. I could hear him right across the walls. His voice was louder.

I heard the movement of the metal hinges of the door as keys jangled. The slight banging of the penetrated keyholes went along with their indistinct conversation.

Torchlights shone to my face as a widening straight line as they opened the metal door showing a huge guy, dressed like Tygron—but fancier. The one of the two guards on each side of the door, stood stout like the other as he returned the keys to his left waist.

He has pretty thick stubble and long wavy hair that drapes along the collar band of his coat. The thick eyebrows curved nicely defining his forehead with quite aged curves. A few strands of his hair glided on his face as he looked down at me.