Paralyzed (Tboah!AlbeCale)

37) He's the perfect pillow, your honor

A/n: includes depictions of a minor panic attack

Part of him was scared that he had gotten caught by kidnappers skilled enough to go after royalty, and part of him felt relieved that the suspense was over. At least now he would know what was inside the carriage and might be able to find clues.

Escaping was a separate problem that he would let his future self deal with. He was the type of person to live in the moment, since that was the easiest and most fun.

Also, he was pretty confident that these guys weren't the type to torture someone who wasn't their target. The person who hired them was a different story, but at least these kidnappers had basic manners.

Cale was tied securely in rope which moved on its own probably due to magic, and a small burlap bag was placed over his head and neck.

'Fuck. I guess finding clues is going to pose a challenge.'

The carriage door was opened and Cale was placed inside. He was very happy that he wasn't thrown, and sat down feeling no resentment towards these kidnappers. This was a surprisingly nice experience.

He couldn't say the same about the person sitting across from him though. He couldn't see them because of the bag, but he heard their soft breathing. Depending on how much of a fight they put up, they would probably have a few injuries.

Cale still had his spatial pouch in his inside coat pocket which held high grade healing potions, but he didn't particularly want to heal this person who was also hired to kidnap the crown prince.

Shifting in his surprisingly comfortable seat, Cale slowly got a feel for what the layout of this carriage was. The shades on the window next to him were pulled down, and there was no extravagant detailing on the walls.

It seemed that the inside of this carriage was just as simple as the outside.

Clink.

Cale turned his head towards the sound of chains rubbing against each other. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs.

'Should I speak? No wait, if they were going to kidnap the crown prince, they might come after me for a game of hostage after figuring out my identity.'

The mystery prisoner in this carriage was probably wearing a burlap bag as well, which was why Cale's first goal was to get his own off as soon as possible. 

It was pretty difficult to move his upper body because of how tight the magic ropes were, but he could still move his neck. After about five minutes of struggling, he had shifted it a little to the point where he could see his lap.

It was dark inside with no light sources at all, so Cale had to struggle to make out what was around his legs. Yep, even the floor and seats were basic.

He clicked his tongue in frustration and let his back fall against the padded seat. His body was doing that weird thing again.

'Ugh— now is not the time...'

Not only was he feeling achy because of his recent illness, but his stupid body kept ramping everything up.

His heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, senses, and an overwhelming feeling of self awareness was kicking into high gear the longer he stayed restrained by rope in a dark and chilly area.

This reminded him of something he couldn't remember, and it really pissed him off. It happened last time on the dungeon stairway as well, and it scared the shit out of Cale every time it happened.

He was forced to panic just from experiencing certain sensations, and he didn't know why. It was even scarier because there was a stranger sitting close by who would probably want to kidnap him the second Cale revealed his identity, and the bag over his head kept him from seeing his surroundings.