Found You

How can a woman dressed in bright green clothes disappear so quickly? There was no way she could just up and vanish without a single warning. With her attire, any man would love to shove their greedy and grim covered hands all over her. Especially in this establishment. I don't know what infuriated me more, her vanishing and not telling me what she had planned, or that someone would even dare pray on her. I had to find her fast before someone else decided to grab a hold of her.

How did I casually hunt for someone while my heart was racing and my panic was starting to spike. I had no doubt she could handle herself if things went sideways, but I would still rather be at her side if things did turn sour. I knew I made her mad when I vented my frustrations on her, but not enough to abandon me in a crowd full of horney men and lustful women. Soon I would be seen without a partner, and then the crowds would start rolling in. If I turned down service, people would get suspicious and that would send of many red flags.

I bumped shoulders with rough and rugged men as I pushed my way towards the stairway. That was our end goal so if anything, she would find a way to make it their. It was only a few feet away, but the gathering only made it harder to beeline it straight for the stairs. When I had finally reached the pillar close to the door, I managed to wedge myself as much as I could against the wall and started to desperately scan the crowd. It wasn't until shouts across the room could be heard, that I realized what she had done.

"What was that you said boy? I think you said you wanted your ass whooped." A gruff looking man stood up. He had black slicked hair, and a cowboy hat dawned on his head. Two simple daggers sat tied to his waist. He wore rough and rugged raw hide pants and vest, completely exposing his chest and rough layer of hair. It was matted and entertwined together as he brushed up against a younger man. The guy was probably no older that 20. Long light brown hair that cascaded down both sides of his face, bright green angry eyes, long nose, and skinny features. A cloth pants and shirt sat hanging loosely from his body.

The interaction was weird and rather interesting to watch as they both got into each other faces. I wasn't even really sure what they where arguing about until Seria emerged from the crowd, a bright light gleaming in her eyes. I let out a low chuckle as she came to stand at my side and watch her handy work unfold. The more they argued, the more the other criminals got riled up and joined in. It wasn't until the fight finally broke out and everyone went nuts. The guards around the entry way where forced to enter the throng of fighting and break it up. Of course, this gave us the oppurtunity to sneak in while they where occupied.

By skirting the edge of the pillar, we snuck into the dimly lit hallway. Carefully and with haste, we followed the winding staircase through what I could only describe, was a well chisled out stone stairway. Very few torches lit the staircase, not leaving much room for us to be able to navigate our way down, but some how we managed to without getting hurt.

"That was some great work back their Seria. I obviously couldn't have done that better myself." I couldn't help the grin that broke across my face. Honestly I was proud of her quick thinking. Neither of us have been in training for very long, but she was able to use her wits. Although I was still kind of upset with her about not telling me her plan, I couldn't complain that she got us safely through to the dungeon.

"Well, when you are an orphan, you learn a few things on the streets. It's all about survival, and if you want to live, you have to play by their rules." Her tone was bland as she spoke. It was hard to understand how she felt or what she knew because I lived an entirely different life than she did. I didn't have to struggle for food, or worry about and education, or even where my next bed was going to be. I never had to worry about getting sick and finding help either, all of that was handled for me. Whether it be because of my parents, or because I had a roof over my head. I didn't have to fight each day just to live. I couldn't imagine what that was like.

"I couldn't know or imagine what your life was liking growing up. But it won't be like that now. As long as you live under the Princess's command she will have your back. We all will." She huffed angrily and stopped on the stairs. I stopped as well, wondering why she was reacting the way she was. I thought she might be angry with me again, but her eyes said something different. They where distant as she stared down the staircase.

"I know what you are trying to do, and I want you to stop. I appreciate that you are trying to care and make me feel like one of you, but you and I will never be on the same level. I was born in the cruel world and have seen horrors you probably never will. I have experience what it was like to feel alone, having no one to rely on and that won't change because of a few nice words. You grew up in warm house with adoring parents, and a job. You have been coddled your whole life and have no idea what its like to sleep on the cold ground day in and day out. So, just stop. Leave me alone and let me do what I know best. Surviving." With that she continued down the stairs.

To say that I wasn't wounded by her words would be a lie, but I also could understand why she was reacting the way she was. There was no love out in the streets. I have seen beggers or even hardworkers dressed in dirty rags with barely enough money to feed themselves. I have watched the rich walk all over them as if they where nothing more than rugs. Spit at, cursed at, and I have watched them die on cold days. Withered away until they where nothing more than skin and bones. She could trust someone who didn't live in the same world she did, because they wouldn't understand the way she worked or the way she thought. But I wouldn't let her push me away, not like that.

So we continued to silently climb our way down the stairs. But as we reached the bottom, her descent became slower, more hesitant. The cold air slowly rushed us, causing her to shiver aggressively as her exposed skin turned icy cold. Knowing she would only refuse if I offered, I pulled off my fur lined cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. But I didn't have enough time to gauge her reaction as a long steady creaking noise could be heard up ahead. The dark hallway wasn't as lit up like it was upstairs.

A few torches flickered with the light breeze of the wind, casting ghostly shadows into wrought iron cells. There where no torches in these small rooms, so it was hard to distinguish if there was someone inside them. Pillars appeared between the spaces against the wall between each cell. It just seemed like one endless hallway until it merged off at an intersection, and kept going. I hoped that Maxwell was going to be easy to find, otherwise this was going to be a long night.

Feeling a bit nervous, I started walking into the dimmly lit hall, hoping that there wasn't any prisoners that would give us away. But as I peered into each cell, it seemed that they weren't inhabited. Only a dark outline of the cell could be seen, and each one smelled more horrible than the last. Rotting flesh, dried blood, and old urine caressed my nose. I wanted to retch up my dinner, but even if I wanted to, it wouldn't come out. I was glad our dungeons where not like this. We had maidens in and out all day cleaning the place so it wouldn't smell this horrible.

A long moaning and creaking noise of metal on metal echoed down the halls like an old mournful ghost. It creeped me out and raised goosebumps across my skin. The deeper we got, the colder it became, and the more I felt like fleeing. This was not a place you wanted to be held up in. It felt more like hell than a prison. But we continued on, checking cells and losing hope as we passed each one. I would continuously check over my shoulder to see how Seria was doing every now and then, but she remained a statue of emotions. If she was feeling any bit of distress, she was hiding it behind a well built wall.

I was starting to give up hope that we would ever find him, until a bought of coughing grabbed my attention. It sounded all to familiar. I quickly grabbed Seria's hand, not really thinking about anything other than Maxwell. Racing down the halls, I listened and followed the rough and wet sounding coughing until we came to an opening. It was a round stone dome with chains hanging from the walls and ceiling. Two steel cells sat on either side of the door way, and in one of them propped against the wall, was a terrible looking Maxwell.