The Blue Flames And Rusted Swords

Chapter 6 (Part 1)

We continued riding for over an hour and were burning daylight. It was quiet for some time after that conversation with the Cardan boy. Every once in a while, I will look out to see if the landscape had changed. The landscape was still the same, for it was all plains and distant forest.

The mountains were far out of reach and towered with a dark shade of blue. The clouds were rolling in and blocked the sunlight, causing everything to turn dull.

"Hey." I heard a voice call out.

I looked up from staring into the floor of the wagon. I glanced to see who spoke, and I was met with the eyes of a plump kid with dark hair as mine and the others. He had rosy cheeks and a cleft chin. His eyes were hazel.

He was eyeing me, and so I asked him what.

"Where are you from?" The boy asked.

"Thervian." I said.

I heard some boys make a low whistle even if it was out of sync. I caught many kids' attention, especially the Cardan boy. His eyes widen in shock, and his mouth merely parted open.

I looked around to see their eyes on me, especially the henchmen.

"What? You people are acting as if I stole a piece of jewelry." I said.

"Well, is that how you got here in the first place?" A skinny boy with a man bun asked."Because why is a boy from Thervian doing here, heading to Beydrin?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't even know myself. Look, why don't you ask that guy with the shaved head why I'm here."

"You mean Togen?" Another asked.

"Yeah, that one." I said.

"He's listening to this discussion as we speak." The Cardan boy said at last. "Even if you want to ask him, he's ordered with limited answers. He isn't allowed to have much interaction with prisoners unless it's for investigation or informational purposes."

I looked to my left where a curtain was that separated the people in the front of the wagon from the people in the back. Where at the front was the wagoner and Togen. I scowled just from being reminded of his presence. But I chose to ignore it and face the Cardan boy, who seems to have a lot of knowledge on how this system worked.

"How many times have you been there?" I asked him.

"What do you mean? Beydrin is a one-way ticket." The Cardan boy said.

"Which means once you're there, there's no going back. The prison is made for criminals who are serving life in prison without parole." One boy said.

"And even if you have family, they're not allowed to visit because of many restrictions and precautions. The first day they take you is the last day you'll ever see your family." A boy with a darker skin complexion had said.

Words were darting and pinning me left and right. Now, it came in all directions. I didn't know what to do at this point.

My thoughts went back to Veridian and June. They probably had sought refuge somewhere in the wilderness and were probably looking for me. Worst case scenario... no, not right now.

I could only hope that they're safe and doing fine, especially Mrs. B. She probably had a hard time falling asleep last night, and the thought of that pains me. I wondered how the kids at the orphanage were and wondered if they missed us. I missed them.

"Hey." The Cardan boy called for my attention. When I looked at him, his eyes appeared sympathetic in a way. If i had to be honest, I dont even know if that was the right word to describe it. For a moment, I thought I was looking at Veri but came to the reality that I wasn't. "As long as you don't protest to their orders nor cause any trouble, they won't do anything to you."