A Kingdom of Bones

XII | twelve

I'm glad for the distraction. I much rather follow Ellis to the barracks than find my mother, who might scold me for reacting like I did to West or call me crazy for what we saw in the forest. Or both, which seems most likely.

"Should we try to tell someone else?" I'm finally confident enough in my voice to speak, having been scared it would be hoarse from holding back the urge to cry. Telling someone else would be the most logical thing to do, but if West catches wind of it he might accuse me again of trying to scare everyone and starting up trouble. And then I can really lose what little credibility I might have right now. I would have thought being the Queen's replacement would come with more trust and less rules, but it seems like I am still just the impulsive younger sister to West. I wonder how long it will stay that way.

"Like who, princess?" He looks down at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Vik? Rolland? Anyone who might listen." And anyone that would be trustworthy enough to not run and tell West, but I don't add that part.

"And then what will we do? Go out and look for it? Maybe we should just forget what we saw. Your brother doesn't seem too worried."

I stare at him in surprise. "Because he didn't see it, we did. All we really need are men stationed around the fence." How could he not want to tell anyone? What we saw was not normal, he said himself he's never seen anything like it. What if there are more out there? Or it somehow followed us to the village? No one will be prepared for that.

"Yes, but we'd need West to tell them to do so."

"Or Vik." It seems obvious enough to me, Vik has power here too, and Vik won't be nearly as dismissive as West had been.

"If West doesn't believe you, what makes you think Vik will?" Ellis asks, grabbing a branch and pulling it out of his path. He holds it until I pass then lets go.

"Vik listens," I say after quickly thanking him, "Even if he doesn't believe me, he'll do what will make me most comfortable. That's just how he is."

"If you believe so," he doesn't sound convinced. I take a deep breath in frustration. Why does no one ever believe what I say? "We can go tell him after our stop at the barracks."

I release the breath and nod, feeling slightly relieved. Ellis was the only one who saw it, he should know the risk it could pose to us. If he would have been against me on this, I'm not sure what I would have done. Probably something stupid.

It's not long before we arrive at the barracks, which is just a measly wooden building like the rest of them, only this one actually has iron bars on the door and the lone window. I expected something much bigger and stronger looking than this. How could this old building keep hostage a Mimic that destroyed an entire ship of men? But then again, how could a fence as weak-looking as the one around the village keep out anything in the Unmarked?

"How could that hold a Mimic?"

"It cannot," Ellis says nonchalantly. I whip my head towards him fast enough to make my vision blurred for a moment, "It's the chains that bind it that will." he finishes after seeing the worried expression on my face. He smirks, "The chains are Rhodian Iron, it can hold even the most powerful Giant if it is welded correctly."

"So nothing to worry about?"

"If it's welded correctly." he smirks again and I shove him to the side. I've come to realize that Ellis frustratingly can't be serious for more than ten minutes at a time. It made him interesting, but irritating at the same time. "No, there is nothing to worry about." He reassures me as we reach the barred door. Up close I can see that it's already open, a crack formed slightly between the wood and the iron. The heavy metal groans as he pushes it to the side, but the wooden door gives him less trouble and he holds it open for me. I walk inside, not expecting the noise and the stench, like someone wiped down the walls with a bucket and a rag of sweat and mildew. I gag and tuck my noise into my shirt, making Ellis snicker at me.