บท 3: 3. New Friends

"Move it, brats!"

As I was shoved by the guard that was leading us, I fell and hit my chin hard on the ground. He didn't bother waiting for me to get up and chose to instead grab me by my black hair and threw me onto my feet. Our wrists were bound together with iron cuffs that had a red lacrima crystal on top of them. They cut into our wrists as we were brought into the holding cell area. The centre was round and had layers of cells connected by stairs. Each layer had eight cells before moving on to the next one. If I had to guess, we were in the centre of the base of the structure just beneath where the tower was being built.

I walked into the cell we were taken to, thankful when I saw William walking in behind me. I immediately ran into his arms hoping to find some comfort in the presence of my big brother. When the door was locked, I noticed how barren the cell was. It was nothing but stone, with not even a window to look out of. While I was hugging William like letting go was going to be death, a gruff voice came from further inside the cell.

"Didn't expect them to bring in new prisoners."

I turned toward it to find a middle-aged man with shaggy and greying brown hair dressed in dirty and torn clothes. He was skinny, so much so his ribs could be seen through his clothes and his body was sporting bruises and his beard was scraggly and unkempt. William was the first to address him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Bosco. From the southern region of…well, Bosco."

Groaning, he stood up and began to walk towards us. When he did the limp in his left leg became obvious as well as the scrapes and wounds on his hands. When he took his first few steps, William immediately put me behind him and made the illusion of a small flame flaring up in his palm.

"Woah there. I'm not your enemy here. And I wouldn't be casting magic either if you value your life. They tend to kill those that can use magic. I just wanted to see the bruise on your little sister's chin."

When he said that I moved my hand to touch my chin, completely forgetting about the fact I hit it. When I did I quickly let go after I felt a slight sting with my fingers coming away with a small amount of blood.

"Yeah, these guys aren't the kindest. How old are you kids, anyways?"

William answered while the other got on his knees and looked at my chin.

"I'm fifteen, but she's only five."

"Five? Shit…I swear they just keep grabbing younger an' younger kids…"

"Are you saying there are more kids than just the ones they grabbed from our village?"

"Although they do have more adults than kids, theres a lot of kids. Many more…"

He gently grabbed my jaw and lifted it up so he could get a better look at my chin with what dim light we have coming in through the cell bars. His hands were tough, with callouses hard enough to rival the steel bars holding us in, a sign of how used to the labour we were going to endure he was.

"It should be fine. Its only slightly busted. Bruise should be gone by mornin' and the cut in a few weeks at most."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, lil missy. I was a doc 'fore I got put here."

He smiled before going back to the spot he had been in when we came in. A few of the others were already asleep or trying to, so William took my hand and guided me over to a spot where we sat down. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his shoulder. He hugged me and rested his chin on my head.

"Are you scared?"

I nodded.

"...Me too. But we'll be fine. I'll make sure you're safe. Okay?"

I nodded.

He hugged me tighter as we let silence and darkness fall over us. At that moment, it didn't matter whether we actually were brother and sister. We were both scared, easily at the darkest point in both of our lives. We needed each other, to feel that sense of calm in the other's presence.

After all, we were kids that just got turned into slaves…

We both had our worries, but I had him to rely on. And for that, I will be forever grateful…

— * —

I had fallen asleep on William as we were leaning against the wall when a series of loud bangs against the cell bars woke me up with a start. Everyone that was familiar with the process had woken up and started to walk out causing the rest of us to follow them.

When we had stepped out, a round floating device came to everyone and beams if energy attached to the red lacrima on the cuffs of everyone in groups. Me and a few other kids were attached to a device separate from the others, all of us being younger than ten. The six other kids and I were pulled away form the others and sent to a different location. William tried to follow after me, but the guard shoved him into line before he could try and follow me.

My group was led to an area filled with a bunch of rubble and debris with a large number of kids already working there, each of them at a very young age. The kids were collecting rocks and putting them in the back of a cart that would be pulled by adults that were similarly bound by magic tethers down another tunnel to be unloaded. Surrounding us were the a large number of cult members with dozens of doglike beasts that didn't have eyes.

"Stop your gawking and get to work!"

I glanced at the voice and recognised the fat mage that had been there during the raid on my village. Before I could do anything, though, a magic circle appeared under my feet and a familiar ringing pain short circuited my body. I yelled out as the electricity numbed my brain to any thought but the pain running through my body and forced me to fall to my knees.

The pain left every part of me shaking and numb, as if every nerve ending was on fire. I wobbled to my feet and slowly made my way to the closest pile I could find where two other kids were working. Picking up some rocks I started to help them carry them into the crate.

"Are you okay?"

One of the boys asked, his voice was concerned and sympathetic. I murmured my reply without looking at him.

"I'm fine."

"Don't worry, the shock will wear off in a minute. I'm surprised though, most kids usually cry when they're shocked like that…"

I glanced his way, taking note of the blue hair and strange mark around his eye.

"Are you okay?"

"Tingly…sore…but I think I will be..."

He watched me for a few seconds with slight worry etched on his face before continuing his work.

"Is…this all we do all day?"

The other, taller kid answered. He had tan skin and dark hair. I recognise him from the ship and seeing him around Rosemary Village.

"I heard the kids also help in the construction part, small bodies for small spaces. The adults do most of the heavy lifting, we just carry the unneeded waste. But the work might change as the days go by. This is Jellal by the way, and I'm-"

"Simon, right. I think I saw you helping out in the general goods store?"

"Wait, you're from Rosemary, too?"

"Y-Yeah. Lyssa. Nice to meet you."

"Oh yeah you were that kid studying magic…"

"Wait, you know magic?"

"Just a small bit of the principles. I don't know any magic myself."

"Where did you learn?"

"The orphanage caretaker had a book that I read is all."

"You're an orphan."

I nodded my head to Jellal's statement.

"You too?"

He nodded in agreement, but didn't elaborate as neither did I.

Time went by in a crawl, and we couldn't see the sun and had no way to tell what time it was. I myself grew hungry, turning to Jellal I asked him when they'd feed us.

"They'll feed us when we get back to our cell, so just…hold on for now…You'll get used to it."

That was the thing I feared.