Gilded Cage~ Shapeshifter Rebirth

Chapter 34 |Past~Arina|

I was being pushed into a cellar brutally by the guards. The shackles that suppressed me was still on on. I calmly found a corner and huddled there. 

After one day, as expected Ralph came bumbling in. 

"Look what I have here. If you still have hope that your master will save you, it's better to drop it now," Ralph boasted while showing off the sword he held with his gloved hand. 

The appearance of the Sword of Fate had been recorded down in details. There were even several drawings of the Sword. It's not an extravagant sword, with not a single jewel decorating the pommel or the sheath, as some people might expect. It looked even like a practice wood sword. The special thing about the sword was that the grip of the sword and the sheath were made from a five hundred year old tree. 

That tree was originally set on fire by a group of rebels. The tree was well respected by the villagers, saying a god resided inside the tree. Before the tree was fully burned to ashes, the first Duke of Cregan, then a nobleman, passed by the village. He suppressed that group of rebels and put out the fire. The remaining wood was used to craft the Sword of Fate by a master craftsman who resided in that village. Legend said that craftsman had the power to bless or charm objects, by now I believed that. Maybe that craftsman placed a charm on that sword so that only the first Duke could hold it. 

I remained silent at Ralph's gloating. 

"I am going to win that wimp. Hahahaha." He laughed in his annoying voice. Annoyance filled me but I had to pretend I was not affected by him. Luckily my training kicked in. 

"I bet that wimp is still hiking up the mountain. I dare say he will still be climbing up that mountain when I return to the safety of my room. Hahahaha, idiot. If he has to blame, blame his weak Manor, why didn't his Manor assign more useful tools for him. You look like you can't help much. What's your power?"

I remained silent. 

"You don't have to tell me. I will find out soon enough." 

Ralph clapped his hand and one of the two guards who was always beside him stood forward. Among the two guards, one had enhanced hearing which allowed him to hear on people who were within a certain distance from him, as for the other Carlisle speculated that he had some sort of teleportation power.

The guard sliced the air in front of him with his sword and the space ripped. It became a hole. He quickly grabbed me and dragged me through that gaping hole. When I crossed the hole, I was inside a courtyard. I recognized the flag flying in the distance, this was the Orion Manor. With just a second, I went from a place that took us a week to get to on carriage back to the capital. No wonder Ralph seemed so assured that he could get the sword before Carlisle. 

"Bring her to the prison, I don't have the mood to torture her tonight." Ralph waved his hand to dismiss his guard and me. The guard who created a hole out of nothing to transport us back was panting heavily. Ralph didn't seem to notice that. Must be the repercussion biting him. He seemed to be unable to transport more than 3 people. The guard who had enhanced hearing was left in that town at the foot of the mountain.  

I was immediately grabbed by other guards who were on standby and taken to the prison. They were so sure I couldn't escape, they just did a simple search to make sure I was not hiding any hidden daggers on me. Then they pushed me into a prison. I winced as I bumped onto the wall, no doubt pulling open some of the wounds from the attack. I sighed and began to wrap my wounds again with the cloth I tore from the hem of my dress. After settling in, I quietly observed. They were really quite sure that the shackles could hold their prisoners in. The guards only walk passed my cell once during the entire night and it was at the time when it's nearly dawn, judging from the tiny window near the top of the wall. Even a young child could not get pass that window even if the child could reach that high up. 

When sunlight shone through the tiny window, I finally closed my eyes and drift to sleep. I was woken up by a splash of cold water all over me. Now I knew what a cruel thing it was to do to someone in cold winter. I was shivering all throughout. 

"Now tell what secrets do you have on my brother?" Ralph sneered. 

I kept my mouth shut, my teeth clattering. My training would not allow me to open my mouth so easily. 

"You don't want to anger me," Ralph smiled coldly. He banged his fist through the pillar, it shattered into many pieces instantly. According to rumors, Ralph took after his grandfather and his ancestors before, he had the power of inhumane strength. I had no idea why their manor mastered with sword, they should have gone with hammer. 

I still looked at Ralph coldly. I knew even if I started to tell him hundreds of secrets, he would not trust me one bit. He knew I had received training and might even suspect me if I spilled too easily. That whole demonstration was just a show, to frighten me, to make me think twice. 

He gestured his guards and then another bucket of water fell over my head. I shivered even more severely. This continued for some time. After an hour, he had had enough. He was more impatient than Carlisle, that time we spent the whole afternoon interrogating Diane. 

He sneered and said, "Never mind. I have ways to make you speak. I wonder what kind of power you possess? To be a guard for that wimp, you must have some useful powers. That wimp has such weak power he doesn't let others know what he has. Hahaha."

"You don't want to say? Never mind, you don't have to tell me. Orion Manor has a lot of talented people." He snapped his finger and an old man walked into the prison. 

"Master Ralph," he greeted reverently. 

"Let's see what power you possess." He smiled evilly. "Sometimes, suffering from the repercussion of one's power is the harshest torture. Not drenching you in water or hitting you, isn't it?"

The old man walked to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. After a second and remove his hand. He reported, "Master Ralph, this prisoner here has the power to shape shift."

"Shape shift. What can you shift into? You must be quite powerful for Carlisle to keep you. I wonder what repercussions shape shifter had. Let's find out."

I still looked calmly at him. I was not afraid, he could not force me to use my power.

"You thought I can't force you to use your power? You're wrong. I can." He smiled evilly and called, "Change her shackles."