Space Between

4: The Unassailable

Viridian could hardly stand up straight. The area around him was pitch black, and the air was polluted and moist. He located his eyes to a pair of steel bars as the mud crawled down his body and matted his fur as it dried. The bars were stretched out and waved across a wall by a dimly lit candle. Outside, he saw a head turn to the side, revealing it's muzzle. It opened it's mouth and spoke again in an old, grumbling voice.

"There you are." she said. "I was wondering when you'd wake up. Took you long enough..."

Viridian tried to focus on the old woman. The shape of her face was silhouetted by the candlelight. "I want your name. What is it?" she forcefully asked.

Viridian's mind was gray and barely struggling to stay awake. He attempted to answer.

"U-um..."

"You stuffing mashed potatoes in your ears?" she growled. "I asked for your name!"

The frightened fox stammered and repeated himself in a clearer voice. "Viridian." he answered.

"That's a stupid name." she laughingly insulted. "Sounds like your mother thought you were a girl and tried to drown you in a flower pot afterwards."

Viridian rushed up and clutched the bars and felt the rust scrape on his paws. "Ebony. Ebony the wolf. Do you know him?" he begged. "Where is he?"

The woman gasped and spoke after. "Ah, Ebony." she said. "He was accepted back into town a little while ago." She then murmured grouchily.

"Damn fool shoulda rotted in the forest like deserved." She bursted in cackling laughter and continued. "Get this. Some mother kicked her child in the head for sleeping while fishing in the river. Then Ebony comes to aid the little brat, and then goes on some nonsensical rant about how we're living like a bunch of vultures tearing eachother's hearts out over rotten meat."

She let out a nasty cough. "If I could, I'd throw him off a cliff again. Make sure he bleeds his brains out real slow."

Viridian pressed his face against the steel bars. The rust smudged his muzzle. "Can I see him, please?" he begged. The woman scoffed. "Sweetie, your red little tail ain't stepping foot outta here until I say so."

Squishy footsteps were heard walking down the mud. The jailer turned her head. A sleek, tall wolf revealed his face from the shadows. He turned to the jailer, then to Viridian. He spoke very quietly and seriously to him.

"You, fox. Ebony needs a word."

The old jailer threw her head to the man and shouted angrily. "What is this, are you telling me how to do my job? Who do you think you are, some baby faced golden angel descended from the heavens with divine right?"

"Ebony said it's important. He just got back here from near death, and I want it to stay that way."

His voice grew deeper with hostility. "If you'd like, I'll gladly show you what your insides look like." he responded. "Or you'll let me take the fox with me and your dusty, rotten body will stay in one piece. So what will it be?"

The jailer didn't speak a word. She took the key out of her pocket and unwillingly thrust open the door. The man placed his paws on Viridian's back and they both walked out of the jail cell and into the darkness. Viridian looked back at the jailer, who gave an unhappy sneer.

Within the shrouded darkness the man guided Viridian through the deep tunnel, as if he lived in the damp, cold place his entire life. He took a sharp turn to the right, where an old door guarded the exit. Small bits of sunlight crawled through the cracks in the wood. The man halted Viridian.

"Ebony couldn't come down here because he was busy making amends with some people who... weren't as pleased at his arrival." He stared down at Viridian and spoke in a deep, serious tone. "When we head into his house, you're going to let Ebony say what he has to say, then get out." he said. "If I hear any more than that, I'll make sure that's his last conversation with you. Understood?"