Chapter 18: Interrogation

A small amount of water drip from the ceiling and fall onto the stone floor making a monotonous dripping sound. Neya woke up when a small mouse bites her fingers. She opens her eyes to a dark slimy cell and the pungent smell of death permeates the cell. She rises up from the floor and took a seat on the stone floor.

Panic soon arise in Neya heart as she realizes that she is back in another hole. She looks around searching for Nesto whereabouts but didn't find any sign of him. She is alone in the dark slimy cell with her leather glove gone. She is not going to experience the same thing that happens before.

She notices a bowl of soup on the floor with a wooden spoon ready beside it. She grabs the spoon and hides it in her sleeves. Footsteps echoed down the hallways, Neya back away from the cell bar. She looks at the cell bar, seeing an elf in leather armor with a black military coat and a hand holding a dagger pin on the collar of his coat. The elf stops in front of the cell and turns to face Neya.

The male elf had a pretty normal face, there is no unique or particular feature that stands out.

"Good morning," The elf said.

Neya stays quiet as she stands away from him and careful of the elf on the other side of the cell.

"Do not worry, I'm not here to hurt you," The elf reassure her.

"Do you think I never heard of that sentence before?" Neya said as she reaches into her sleeves.

"You right, but using a spoon as a weapon, doesn't help anyone," The elf said.

The elf words surprised Neya, she takes out the spoon in her sleeves and holds it in her hand.

"Who are you?" Neya ask.

"I work for the Royal family," The elf said.

"How did you know, I have a spoon in my sleeves?" Neya ask.

"It's my job to know," the elf said then he took a pair of leather gloves out from his coat.

"I assume these belong to you?" The elf said.

"Yes, that's mine. Give it back!" Neya said.

"Of course, if you come with me peacefully," The elf said.

"Where are we going?" Neya ask.

"To the interrogation room," the elf said, he unlocks the cell door and gestures her to come out.

"You can bring the spoon if you want," the elf said.

Neya walks to the elf, she grabs the leather gloves from his hand and wears it. The elf walks down the hallway while Neya follows him from behind. Neya grip tightens around the spoon handle, and she readies her heart for anything.

"Where are we?" Neya ask.

"The dungeon under the city," The elf answer.

"W-Where is Nesto?" Neya ask.

"He is in another cell, don't you worry about him," The elf said.

The elf stopped in front of a door, he opens it and Neya peeks inside. She saw a table with two chairs facing each other. The elf gestures her to enters, Neya enters the room and the elf follow behind her while closing the door behind.

"Please take a seat," The elf gesture at Neya to takes a seat.

Neya walks to one of the chairs in the room and sits on it. The elf took the seat that faces her. The elf begins to tap his fingers on the wooden table while looking at her. Neya looks around the small room, finding nothing that stands out in particular while waiting for the elf to speak again.

Neya kept adjusting her uneven chair to find a comfortable spot that she can use. The elf still keeping his mouth tight and not letting a single sound out of his mouth. The silence is slowly becoming overwhelming to Neya so she speaks first.

"Is Nesto okay?" Neya ask.

"He is fine, well a few cuts and bruise," The elf said.

"Cut and bruise? What happen?" Neya ask.

"I don't know, you tell me," The elf replied.

"All I can remember is Nesto buying me a new cloth, and we had a fun day together. But after we head home... someone attacks us," Neya said.

"There was a creature, red skin, two spiral horns, no hair, black eyes. She stabs Nesto in the back. Oh no... I need to see him!" Neya said.

"Do not worry about Nesto, his fine. Continue with your story," the elf said.

"Someone drugs me, I was unconscious. After that, I wake up here. My story is done, let me see him," Neya said.

"What do you know about Nesto," the elf asks.

"He is my friend," Neya answer, her gaze moves away.

"Now, now don't start lying, please," the elf said.

Neya swallows her saliva before speaking, "He is a human, and he is my slave. He saves my life countless time."

"That's all?" The elf asks.

"That's all, please let me see him," Neya answer.

"You can stay in the room for a while, I'll be back," The elf said and stand up from the chairs.

"What?" The elf walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.

Neya dash to the door when she tried to open the door, she found that the door is locked from the outside. She slams the door with her fist.

"Let me see him!" Neya cried out.

"Please!!" Neya cried out.

She slides down the door and seat on the floor. She hugs her knees and was on the verge of crying when she thought of Nesto getting hurt, pains her heat.

*

A few moments before Neya wakes up.

The chains rattle echoed a noise in the cell as Nesto move his hands behind him. The guards have cuffed every part of his body to make sure he couldn't do anything dangerous and forced him on his knees.

Nesto lowers his chins but the chain that connects to his slave collar prevents him to lower it even further. The mouth gag in Nesto mouth prevents him from calling out to the guards or anybody.

An elf walk in leather armor and black military coat with a hand holding a dagger pin on his collar, enter the cell. There was nothing particular about this man look, but Nesto knows that he should never trust this elf.

"I think the mouth gag is a bit excessive, don't you think?" The elf said.

The elf unlocks the mouth gag and Nesto spits it to the ground.

"Where is her?" Nesto ask.

"Who is her exactly?" the elf asks while pretending to not know.

"Don't play dumb, I know who you are. Third Hand, which number should I call you?" Nesto ask.

"Now I know you not some normal human." The elf smirk before continues "My number is 167."

"Where is her?" Nesto ask.

"She is still unconscious," The elf said.

"If you laid a single finger on her, I'm going to break your hand," Nesto threaten.

"Don't worry, I believe you," the elf said.

"But, you do realize what you did right?" The elf said.

"First, you use an offensive magic in the city. Second, you kill an elf but not just any elf. An elf that works for the army. The third is just plain manslaughter," The elf explain.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?" The elf asks.

"He deserved it," Nesto replied.

The elf sigh, and smile after hearing the answers.

"Yeah, you right. He does deserve it. Zati Hution, an inspector for the guard's division and secretly one of the ringleaders of a gang in the city," The elf said.

"But it was not your call to give, you are not the jury and the executioner," the elf said.

"Still, all that is subsidiary compare to you using magic. The first human to ever use magic," the elf said.

"I doubt that the cause of you using magic is natural. It must be got to do with the crystals in your back," the elf said.

"So the myth of silver flame is true. I always thought it too far-fetched to be true, yet here I am," The elf said.

"For a Third hand, you speak too much," Nesto said.

"I thought we were having a conversation," The elf said.

"Just tell me, what going to happen after this?" Nesto ask.

"I don't know," the elf replied.

"Then what are we doing right now?" Nesto ask.

"Talking," The elf replied.

Nesto rolls his eyes and sigh.

"There someone else wants to see you, but before I leave. Can you tell me, how did you manage to use magic?" The elf said.

"Madeleine," Nesto said.

"Madeleine, bless her soul. Well, that explains a lot," The elf said.

"It's time for me to go," The elf said as he turns his back to Nesto.

"167, can you tell her that I'm fine and give her leather gloves back," Nesto ask.

"What makes you think I have the gloves?" 167 ask.

"I notice it in your coat," Nesto said.

167 let out a short laugh before speaking, "you truly are one of a kind."

"Of course, I will be sure to tell her and give the gloves back," The elf said before walking out of the cell.

The elf walks past the cell, the moment Nesto lost sight of him, another elf came. But this time the elf is wearing an expensive metal armor with beautiful carving and red cape with Jackal emblem carve into the shoulder piece. Nesto smile when he walks into the room.

"I always thought we would meet at a bar or somewhere else," Ariamnes joked.

"Prince, I'm glad to see you," Nesto said.

Ariamnes sigh before speaking "Still with the prince thing. How many times did I tell you to call me using my first name?"

"Too many, but I just can't simply call you by the first name," Nesto said.

Ariamnes sigh.

"I heard you kill an elf?" Ariamnes ask.

"Are you angry at me?" Nesto asks while a feeling of guilt rise.

"Of course I am. You kill an elf in my city, do you know what kind of trouble you caused for us?" Ariamnes ask.

"I plead to them to let her go, but they won't listen. Then he hurt her, my mind just snap right at that moment," Nesto said as he remembers that night.

"Do you even know about her origin?" Ariamnes ask.

"Yes, she is the daughter of the Greed King, who once was the enemy of Targia," Nesto answer.

"Knowing full well what she was, you still choose to serve under her. Her father tried to conquer our land and the cause of death for most of my men and... Eilna..." Ariamnes said, crossing his arm.

"She not like her father. She has been through so much pain in her life. She is a good kid, but she just doesn't have the chance to prove it," Nesto said with conviction in his voice.

"Is this some kind of your sick suicide fantasy? Are you raising that girl so one day she could kill you?" Ariamnes ask with a tinge of anger in his voice.

"You do know who you are, right? You're the silver flame, your the reason why his father army lost that day. You are her enemy," Ariamnes said.

"Does she even know that?" Ariamnes ask.

"No, I kept it a secret from her," Nesto answer.

"Oh, Yana... After Eilna gone, you were broken to the point of no return, for the first few months after the war you tried to kill yourself. I can't remember how many times we had to stop you and comfort you. We try to give you another purpose to live, and it works." Ariamnes said.

"You were happy living a life of a slave, what happens?" Ariamnes ask.

"You're asking me? You know what happens!" Nesto suddenly burst out in anger.

"That stupid law that you make, they had to cast me away. I was back in my empty life, living without Eilna is just not possible for me. You think I didn't try to move on? I try goddammit! But living a life without purpose is the same as being dead, to me," Nesto explains.

"But if you think a single moment that me serving under her is some kind of sick suicide fantasy or some other redemption bullshit then you are wrong," Nesto said.

"I want to serve under her because she been through so much pain and manage to escape it, yet she still doesn't lose hope, she doesn't despair, she tries to live on, not like me. So serving under her is a huge honor to me," Nesto continues.

Silence befalls on them both before Ariamnes speak again.

"Guards remove his cuff," Ariamnes order.

The guards in heavy armor enter the room and begin unlocking all of the chains and cuff. The cuff drop to the floor making a noise so do the chains rattle as it falls to the floor. Nesto rubs the bruise around his wrist that came from the cuff.

Ariamnes offer his hand to Nesto. He grabs it and Ariamnes pull him up so he could stand.

"Then you better get strong because her mother has put a huge bounty on her," Ariamnes said.

"What, Why?" Nesto ask.

"I don't know why. On the day that Targia announces its new law, her mother suddenly puts a bounty on her daughter's head," Ariamnes said.

"That explains why the Third hand is here," Nesto said.

"Don't worry about them, you need to worry about the bounty," Ariamnes warn.

"I can't tell her about the bounty if she found out, it would difficult for her to live her lives," Nesto said.

"Your call, but I'm sending her to Baxorth Academy," Ariamnes said.

"Why the academy?" Nesto ask.

"That place is on neutral ground, her mother men won't reach her there. So you only have to encounter the bounty hunter," Ariamnes explain.

"No, I mean why the academy? Why not protect her here?" Nesto ask.

"I don't want any murder in my city, beside things could get difficult if the queen of Weyshers found out that we are harboring her daughter," Ariamnes said.

"I guess that makes sense," Nesto said.

"Let's go meet, your master," Ariamnes said as he walks out of the cell while Nesto walks beside him.