Existence

Jared (12.5)

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound of water dripping from the ceiling had been going on for the past hour. Either it rained or someone had reason to slosh water all around up there. A puddle had already formed in the corridor. Sooner or later, it would seep into the cell.

Jared was underground. At least, he hoped he was. The floor and walls of his prison were a dusty brown that he assumed was hardpacked earth. It could've been the inside of a tree. He was one of the few privileged with the knowledge of tree imprisonment... and he had shared it freely with the people he trusted the most. What would the Steward say if he could see Jared now? No, he was going off-subject.

Jared glanced to left, where a row of steel bars was blocking the room's only exit. A torch was sputtering somewhere to the left of the steel bars. Metal and fire. Definitely underground. A tree spirit wouldn't tolerate such things.

"We provided you with a bed for a reason, you know," A familiar voice came from outside the cell as a shadow darkened Jared's already dark cell.

Jared didn't bother answering or even looking up. He knew who it was, and he didn't want to look at the traitorous face unless he absolutely had to.

"But I suppose you are used to sleeping out on the ground," The voice continued. "If I knew you were going to be this way, I would've put you in one of the regular cells. We reserve these for our most important prisoners, you know."

It was quite spacious for a cell, Jared had to admit. There was a bed, a low wooden table and chair, a sink, and a curtained-off area that was the toilet. Jared figured he could walk from one wall to the other in ten to fifteen paces. Not that he'd try any time soon. As the speaker had pointed out, he had opted to sit on the floor the moment he woke up in the cell, knees pulled to his chest as he waited for something, anything to happen.

There was a big sigh as Jared continued to remain silent. "They're asking me why we're holding you captive when it's your sister the Shifters clearly want. They don't understand how big of a problem Sarah's... little memory gap is. And you'll be the one to fix it."

"I bet they don't know the real reason you ordered my capture," Jared finally said.

"Oh?"

"I figured you out. And you couldn't afford being exposed so soon, not with your plans 'coming along'." Jared made air quotes with his fingers.

"And they're coming along quite successfully. So think of your family—"

"Funny," Jared leaned his head against the wall, "I was going to say the same to you."

"—please and cooperate."

Jared closed his eyes. He wasn't going to listen to this nonsense anymore.

"Very well," the little traitor said after a brief silence. "Just... wave the white flag if you care to surrender."

There was a sound of rustling cloth, followed by the retreat of footsteps. Jared glanced over with a frown. Flag?

A white handkerchief fluttered to the ground a few feet away from him. Another reminder of the cruel betrayal. Another reason he should've talked to Sarah sooner. Jared covered his face in his hands. There was nothing he could do now.

"It's my fault. All my fault," He groaned.

"No," a woman's voice spoke up, "this entire thing is my fault."

Jared glanced up curiously in search of the new speaker. He'd been trapped down here for who knew how long with no indication whatsoever of any other prisoners.

"Who's there?" He called, cautiously making his way to the other side of the cell. There was a hole in the wall, far enough away from the bars for guards and other unwanted visitors to ignore it completely.

"Eleanora Storten," the voice replied, louder now that Jared had neared the hole. "Although I'm better known as—"

"Nora of the Wild," Jared finished. "You led the first two village attacks way back when the Shifters first decided to conquer Adventia. But what are you—"

"It's nice to be recognized as a figure of history, be it only a tenth of my actions made public knowledge."

Jared frowned. Nora had disappeared off their radar by the time the Shifters first attacked Solquis seven years ago. He'd assumed she was KIA. How had she ended up here without anyone's knowledge?

"I know who you are as well," Nora added. "Jared Walkman, member of the first Shifter-slayers. One of the few blessed with the Steward's gifts. I never would've dreamed that you—"

Jared let the rest of Nora's words fly over his head as an idea entered his mind. Maybe he could do something from here in his cell after all. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. He needed to get a message across.