The King of Thieves Book 2: The War of the Region

Chapter 4- Prison Life

             She woke up on a wooden plate inside of a jail cell. Dakota looked around and saw her father on the other side of the bars. He was sitting on a chair, without his helmet, looking at her.

             She saw that his hair, which was black when she was younger, was a grayish color, probably from the stress of his job. He also had different armor from Zax Lan Kotarnack. Instead of iron armor, it was black steel with bronze as an outline.

She saw him look up at her as she sat up on the prison bed and gave him a death glare that her mother would give him, but it was much worse.

"The last time I saw that look, it was on your mother. That was when you were kidnapped by those rebels." He said as he chuckled.

"I was never kidnapped, I went willingly." She said with a rude voice. She continued with the glare as she said it.

The general sighed as he looked at his daughter." Do you know how much it hurt us to see you vanish, if it wasn't for you going willingly, your mother might still be alive." He said as he went from a passive tone to a more subtle and hostile one.

             "What do you mean?" She asked as her hands tightened on her bed.

              "When you were taken, your mother wanted us to get you back, even if it involved Rasani. When he heard about it, he talked to me and it was an impossible ransom. Eventually, your mother began to become a liability and was willing to join the rebels so she could get her back. He found out, and she was executed, by me." He told his child as she shed a tear.

" Brian was there to, wasn't he?" She questioned as she held back her other tears. He nodded and she laid down again.

             "Why do you listen to him, Rasani?" Dakota asked as the general. His eyes went to be slightly sorrow at the question.

             "I work for him because we are friends. We have been ever since he was a child. He met Conan on the streets heisting food. Rasani saw me protecting children from guards. I owe him my life for it. But, we were also friends with his brother. Zandasi let him see us and we became allies in Dourmakell." He told her as she took in the information.

             "That's how I met my friends. When they got me to Zax Lan Kotarnack, I was scared. I was at lunch, all alone, until Zlandi invited me to their spot. They were my only friends from anywhere." She added as her dad listened. They talked for hours and hours until nightfall. Finally, he left and she started to sleep.

             She woke up to a door opening. It was still night as she tried to make out the figure. He came into the jail cell and came over her body. As the moonlight fell on his face, Dakota screamed. Rasani then picked her up by the collar and stabbed her with a knife.

             She woke up screaming and breathing heavily. She felt her stomach to find out that no hole existed and it was all just a simple nightmare. She sighed with relief and fell back to sleep.

She awoke the next morning to her father bringing her some breakfast. He slid the tray under the cell door to reveal some bread, fruit, and a glass of water. She started to eat as her father began to speak.

             "Someone is here to see you. He came from a long ways away." He said as she gulped down the water.

             "The only person or people I care about seeing is either the Resistance or Dylan." She said as her father grew frustrated.

             "As in the false king and the one that gave you his mother's engagement ring. That little thing means that the prince or heir to the throne will intend to marry you." He said as Dakota looked at the jewelry.

             "Well then, I guess I am going to keep it on." She said as her dad became even more irritated. A moment of silence fell between them as she changed the subject.

             "I see you have a different sword from Kotarnack." She said as her father pulled it out.

             "Indeed, it is new after the incident. Rasani made a new one for me out of mithril. Unlike the usual iron blades, this one is unbreakable." The general said as he ran his hand down the blade.

              "Admiring the new sword I see." Came a voice from out of the shadows. They both turned to a silhouette inside of the shadows. "If you could give a few moments General." Said the man as he pointed to Dakota's father.

General Dabagar got up from the chair and left, nodding to the man. He was hooded, with a navy blue cloak, and gold chain link tying it together. The man flipped down the hood to reveal horror to Dakota.

Rasani knelt on the ground with one knee, almost as tall as the girl, and he gave a soft grin.

"I haven't seen your face for so long." He said, having a tinge of guilt and sorrow to his voice, but keeping a strong and serious tone.

"You are a monster, nothing more, and nothing less than a diabolical beast," She said as she shrank to his level, only inches from his face. He chuckled under his breath for a quick second. "Also, you are dangerous to peace."

             He laughed while getting up off his knee, but staying eye level. "Silly girl." he laughed while she raised an eyebrow. Before she knew anything, he had his hand around her throat, and her feet dangled from the ground.  He was at his full height of six feet tall.

             "If you think I'm dangerous now, you haven't seen anything yet." He roared in a terrifying tone which hate and anger. Her eyes filled with fear, as both her eyes and the eyes full of hate, anger, and death itself connected in contact, only having less than an inch between both faces.