Protector

tee

The memory was broken as suddenly as it had began, cut off by Kippenger's voice entering my mind. I ignored him (something I'd gotten quite good at), my attention solely fixed on the boy chained to the cell wall. For that boy was someone I had honestly given up hope of ever seeing again.

Jaron Eckbert.

My brother.

And yet there he sat, alive, if barely, and less than ten feet from me. A vacant expression covered his features, one filled with a grief I knew I had only felt once before, when I had found out about my family's deaths. Who had he just lost? What had he just witnessed to steal his mind? Shoving my questions and emotions down, I forced myself to tune back in to what Kippenger was saying.

"...robbed of their king, within days Carthya will be extinguished like a candle in the breeze." He finished, a sickeningly satisfied grin on his face.

Then he turned to rest his gaze on me, advancing. I shrunk back a little, truthfully a little worried about what he might do to me. Especially with my brother here, a new bargaining chip he'd never had before. My fears were confirmed when he pulled out a cloth and crouched before me.

"Let's not bother the king, dear," he said as he grabbed my head and covered my mouth and nose with the cloth. I kicked and struggled, but not only was I incredibly weak, Kippenger was a very strong man, trained to overcome and hurt people.
The last thing I saw before a black void of nothingness took me over, was Jaron, having finally noticed his cellmate, staring at me with disbelief in his once vacant eyes as I slipped away.

———————————————————

I woke to a whisper. Not the evil, malicious whisper of the devils laughing at me, something I knew they often did, but a gentle, worried whisper of someone who genuinely cared.

"Hunter," it said. "Hunter?"

I slowly peeled my eyes open and found myself leaning against the wall with a gag in my mouth. Everything was blurry for a moment as I blinked away whatever drug had knocked me out. I focused on the owner of the whisper; Jaron. He was still chained to the wall, but all of his attention was on me.

"Tee?" he asked with hesitation in his voice.

So many memories and feelings filled me at that single word. He was the only one who had ever called me that. Truthfully, he was the only one who could get away with calling me that without getting maimed. I so desperately wanted to answer, but as the gag made verbal communication impossible, I simply nodded. A smile broke across his face and I saw relief and tears in those green eyes that mirrored my own.

"Are you alright?" Was his next question, ridiculous as it was. Neither one of us was alright. I answered with another nod. I was okay as ever.

He was silent, scanning my face as though searching for information on it.

"H-How long have you been the King's prisoner?"

I hesitated before nodding for that one. I didn't really want to discuss that topic. After a second I nodded slowly, hoping my meaning would get across.

"How long?" He said it low, anger inching into his voice.

"Weeks?"

No.

"Months?"

No.

"Years?"

Yes.

His smile was long gone, likely for a while.

"More than one?"

Yes.

"Blink how many."

I did.

"You-You've been here since the beginning?" He had gone very pale, and with a jolt of guilt, I noticed how sick he looked.

"This is all my fault," he choked out.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to calm him down, but he interrupted my efforts with a word.

"No."

I lowered my eyes. It was no point arguing. After all, stubbornness ran in the family.