The Place where Dreams Fade (Book Two of the Forgotten Truths Series)

Chapter Sixteen: Little Brother

~Wisp~

(A little before...)

She couldn't take it.

She was done.

The only one holding her back from loosing it, was Rustic.

How could someone... Someone as sick as Edge, want to slaughter a poor little boy?

She had not seen her little brother, Sky, in years. It had been over a decade. He had grown, and changed so much, and yet, he was still easily recognizable. Wisp would not loose him now. Even if she could only save one innocent life today, it would very much be his.

She would not let that— That damned monster! — take his life.

~*~

So here she was. Crawling through this damp dungeon. A damp dungeon full of prisoners, or "wrong doers" as 'Her Highness' dubbed them.

Some crawled around on all fours. Some hissed at her. A few especially messed-up ones had chewed off a few of their limbs. One thing they all shared in common was, that this garlic-ranking prison had stolen their sanity.

Towards the beginning of the loss of her own sanity, Edge had convicted them of horrible crimes. Crimes like manslaughter, sexual assault, suspected terrorists, and, of course, the 'worst of the worst', being a 'traitor' to the Droplet Tribe throne.

Everyone knew that none of these... well, when they were people did any of these.

They used to be people. Real people. People with lives; people with children and loving families. Now, here they rot.

In the past years, Edge would have them leashed up. Treated like a rabid animal. Beaten. Burnt. Always in that arena. Their screams were music to her.

Then, she would throw a few of them in the arena to fight. At one point, Edge regained a bit of her sense. She saw how deformed these poor beings are, and stopped. Then, they were thrown back here. Fed some trashy left overs.

Forgotten.

When they were servants, (Not so long ago) one would dread getting "prison duty." Hidden had it only a few days ago. A couple servants would be selected to clean this place once a month.

Usually not that that well. All of the "prisoners" here have been tortured so much, they can't think.

One time, while cleaning out one of the more mutilated section of these poor beings' place, one bit a newcomer who had come from Leaf Tribe after their home was burnt down to support what remained of their family. Their story was a sad one.

After being bit, the poor guy got a horrible infection. Puss, blood, and, this green gunk oozed out of their wound. The stuff spread like wildfire. Not that long after being bit, they lost it, and 'had to be put down.'

"Regular prisoners" as they are dubbed, get the cells in the back. They are the prisoners with the... cleanest cells. However, they're the ones to get slaughtered by Kawasumi for Edge's enjoyment. The hospitality in Droplet Tribe never lasts too long.

"Wisp," Rustic whispered in a softer tone to her. He snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hm?" She stopped, but jumped back slightly when one of the prisoners nipped at her.

Wisp had forgotten that Rustic was with her. He scared her for a moment, as he was dressed up all in black, as was she, so they would be harder to see.

Suddenly, she felt much more calm. She hadn't realized just how fast her heart had been beating. What they were doing now might end them up in that arena they were heading towards. Maybe as the prisoners beside them.