บท 5: 5. Prelude to Freedom
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I woke up later that day to hear more voices than earlier inside of the cell. When I sat up a small pain hit my side causing me to wince and hold my hand to my waist on instinct. Feeling the bandages that were under my palm caused me to be aware of them all. My entire body was wrapped in makeshift bandages.
Looking around the cell, the familiar blue hair pulled my attention to Jellal who was talking to Simon and Erza. The trio were talking to each other in hushed voices and I wasn't able to make out what they were saying.
I raised my hand toward my eye and felt the same makeshift bandages wrapped around my head and covering my left eye socket. When I pressed down on it, I felt my eyelids cave in, a reminder that there wasn't something under them anymore…
"It's nice to finally see you awake, kiddo."
An old man seated next to a wall talked to me. He had a long white beard and his hair was tied up. He wasn't wearing a shirt, which isn't uncommon here, and his face was kind. A smile was stretched across his face that was so large it made him squint.
"A-are you the one that healed me?"
"Indeed. You can call me Grandpa Rob."
"I'm Lyssa."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lyssa," he then gestured over to the other three kids, "They wouldn't leave your side for a second when you lost consciousness."
When I turned my attention to them Jellal and I locked eyes for a second. He looked surprised but immediately started to run over to me, almost tripping over his own two feet in the process. Simon and Erza were shocked by his sudden movements but quickly followed him after seeing me.
"Lyssa," Jellal said with immense relief in his voice, "Thank god you're awake."
"Hey Jellal," I said with a small smile, "Simon, and Erza."
Simon gave me a small nod while the girl gave a bright smile.
"How are you feeling?" Jellal asked.
"Better than I was, I guess. Umm, have you guys seen William since I was out?"
"Yeah. Jellal and I managed to tell him you were with us. He was relieved when he found out. He thought they had killed you."
"I'm lucky I am alive…" I said as I moved my hand and started run my fingers over the part of the bandage where my left eye was.
"I can't believe they did this to you. It's monstrous, I mean, we're still human beings!" Jellal's anger was tangible through his voice.
"Jellal. It was my actions that caused this. I killed one of the guards, after all. I wasn't surprised I was tortured."
Jellal just stared at me as if I was a ghost, "W-Why are you defending them!? After what they did to you!?"
"I'm not. Just saying…it could have been worse…"
"Your eye is gone, and your body is covered in scars and bruises. You were missing a lot of blood when you were brought here, what could have been worse?" Simon said as horror filled his eyes.
"Dead," I said simply.
Silence descended over us, they only thing audible was the sound of Jellal's teeth cracking against each other.
"Hey, its alright," I reached for his hand and tried to offer him a smile to lighten the mood, but he yanked his hand away.
"No. No, its not alright," Jellal whispered, "We're children. We're human beings. We shouldn't be forced to live the life of a slave."
It was obvious something had changed inside him. There was a new burning desire, a new fire in his eyes that wasn't there earlier.
"We will have our freedom," he said, with so much conviction that I found myself believing him. "All of us. Everyone here will be free, so that we will never have to suffer because of what those people have done to us."
I could tell that no matter what I would have tried I wouldn't have changed his opinion. He was set on this path.
"But how would that be possible?" Simon asked.
""Let me worry about that," Jellal said with a smile on his lips. "We shouldn't let others find out too much about this. More chances of the guards becoming aware of whats happening."
"Jellal," Erza asked with obvious concern in her voice, "What are you planning?"
He gave her a smile and patted her head which caused the girl to blush a little.
"Don't worry about a thing Erza."
— * —
The following days we hadn't gotten any word from Jellal about his plans. He had been true to his words and never told us anything.
When I saw William for the first time he looked like he was about to cry tears of joy despite us being forced to work. We hadn't been able to say anything to each other before being taken to our cells, but I had noticed that he didn't come out of the torture any better than me. His ponytail that he took pride in was no more as his entire head had been shaved balled, and his body was covered in just as many bandages as mine. He tried to use illusion magic to make it not seem as bad as it was, but I noticed how both of his pinkies were cut off on his hands and that all of his finger nails were torn out.
He tried to make it seem he was calm, but there was no hiding the anger he had when he saw that I had lost my eye. It was obvious in his eyes each time he looked at a guard that he was promising internally to make them suffer, and that just like Jellal he was planning some sort of revenge. A part of me shared his anger, but as a kid there was very little for me to do.
I was weak.
It wasn't uncommon for me to have to be shaken out of a nightmare in my sleep. Either Rob, Erza, or Jellal would try and console me, but the bloody tears that would have to be cleaned out of the same eye socket I was having nightmares about. Grandpa Rob was especially kind, as his kind and warm words distracted me from the phantom pain that still lingered. I had grown extremely fond of the man, and he reminded me deeply of the orphanage matron.
Just like her, he had been part of a wizard guild, and the large emblem on his back was something he took pride in. Grandpa Rob would tell me and Erza stories about his time in Fairy Tail. Apparently he and his friends Makarov, Bob, Goldmine, Porlyusica, and Yajima would cause a lot of destruction when they travelled. When I had tried to start meditating to build my magic reserves again, Rob guided me through it and it drew Erza's attention. She joined me, and robbed described how magic worked to her in further depth.
"Yes, everything begins from you believing with your heart. You can think of tarots, faith, prayer, and such as Magic. Its a miracle that only true believers can experience. Only those who believe that Magic exists, believe in themselves, and believe that they can coexist with everything in nature can use such a thing as Magic."
He himself said that he couldn't use magic anymore otherwise it would be dangerous to his health, but he imparted unto us as much knowledge as he could. Lessons that I'm glad I still remember to this day.
More kids had been thrown into our cell. Just as when I had been approached by Jellal when I first came here, Jellal approached them with a warm smile. Their names were Wally, Milianna, and Sho. Sho spent most of his time crying, the fear and depression he had was obvious and we were all sympathetic. Erza spent her time comforting him and puppy love was evident in his eyes for her. Wally spent most of his time talking to either Simon or Jellal, if not then he was with Miliana. Miliana quickly grew attached to me and Erza and started calling us her big sisters.
Those two words had a heavy impact on me. The only person I really considered familial was William, and I never really interacted with anyone else in the orphanage as I spent mot of my time studying magic. The fact that Erza grew up in the same orphanage and I don't recognise her just supports that. So now, having someone refer to me as the older sibling made me realise how little I had in the orphanage, and made me understand why William became so protective of me. I made a silent promise, likely the same that William made, to do what I can to protect her.
Fearing another nightmare, I stayed awake staring out the small barred window just simply watching the moon. Its lunar presence made me hopeful and scared, both in part of Jella's plan. I wanted to be free again, and to stand under the moon in an open field with knowledge that I'm free from the cult's grasp. I wanted everyone to share that freedom with me, and I wanted to be able to preserve that freedom. They were becoming my family, and I wanted the best for them.
"Another sleepless night?"
The voice of Grandpa Rob startled me out of my thoughts. He lowered himself down and say beside me on the floor.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Family…"
He glanced at me and I can see a sad expression on his face.
"You had a family before this?"
"No," I mumbled sadly, "I was an orphan, and although I remember the face of the woman that left me there, I don't know who she was. William was the only family I had, but then I met them…"
"Well, family can be found even in the darkest of places."
I glanced at him with curiosity. He never really told us much about himself other than his stories of adventure.
"Did you have any family?"
"A daughter," Rob said quietly, "She was a firecracker when she was smaller. Just thinking about her always brings a smile to my face."
"What happened to her?"
"Marriage. She probably has some kids of her own by now, but as parents usually do we lose contact with our kids after their marriage. At this point she must have only assumed I've passed away…but, I still hope that someday I'll see her again."
"What…what was her name?"
"Emelia."
He then turned to face me.
"Just know this, Lyssa. Always rely on those who hold you dear in their hearts. Your friends will always be there for you in your time of need. I myself would have never become the man that I am today without them. Jellal and Simon share a strong friendship with you. I can tell as much just by watching how they worried over you while you were unconscious. Those boys would go to great lengths to protect you."
I stared at him with an unbelieving gaze. Simon and Jellal were friends, I knew that, but I didn't think they had such care towards me.
"W-Why?"
"No one knows," Rob said as a smile crossed his lips, "Its one of the many mysteries of friendship, my dear child. Never forget your friends as long as you have them, and they will never forget you."
I glanced over to the sleeping kids in the cell, memories of William's, Jellal's, Simon's, and Erza's kindness were the beacon I needed while in here and I'm sure that Sho, Wally, and Mili felt the same.
They aren't just my friends. We're all the family we have left.
"I…I don't think I could ever forget."
Rob chuckled as he pat me on the shoulder.
"Get some sleep, dear. We have a long day of work ahead of us."
He stood up and walked away, the orange guild mark of Fairy Tail was emblazoned on his skin standing out as a proud reminder of his history as a mage. It made me smile, knowing how his love for his friends was seeped into his bones.
— * —
The day started as normal as it could in slavery.
Most of th tower's bottom was completed and I had grown used to the cult's harsh treatment. Something was going to happen soon, though, because Jellal kept getting more and more lost in his thoughts.
As we were working I could see Jellal trying to eavesdrop on some guards. He was closest to them so I couldn't tell what they were saying, but judging from the shifting smile on Jellal's face I could tell he had heard something good.
And I was right.
At night, I was sitting in my corner meditating when I felt a tap on my shoulder. The owner of the hand was none other than Erza.
"What is it?"
"Jellal wants you to join us. He said he had something to tell everyone."
I sat up and noticed most of the adults were asleep, and followed the slightly taller girl toward where everyone was sitting on the ground. Jellal gave us a grin as we approached.
"Is something…going on, Jellal?"
"I figured out a plan for us to escape and make it back to the main continent," he said with a triumphant smirk on his face.
"But…but how?"
"I tried to ask him earlier," Simon said with a sigh, "But he wouldn't say anything without you present to hear."
We all stared at Jellal who frowned to himself.
"The guards earlier today were talking about the boats. The same boats used to bring us here. They said that they'll arrive here tomorrow with food and new slaves."
"We are going to take the boats?"
"Yeah. Most of the guards should be busy with the new slaves which will gove us an opportunity to sneak towards the boats and navigate to the main land."
"But why don't we just sneak on board? They'll notice a missing ship, won't they?"
"Because we don't know how long those boats will be staying there or how thoroughly they'll search it. Our best bet is to steal it while its dark and hope we'll be too far gone by morning for them to notice and send a ship to search for us."
"Okay, but do any of us know how to navigate a boat?"
"I can," Wally said, "My brother and I used to go fishing all the time and I've seen him do it. Can't be that hard."
"Doing something and watching are two different things…"
"I…if we are going to escape," Erza said softly, "W…Where will we go?"
"The Magic Council could shut down this Tower," Jellal said after a few minutes, "If I remember correctly…they have taken down other towers already."
"Then how come this tower is still active?" Simon asked.
"They probably don't know of its existence," I said to him, "They've been kidnapping people outside of just Fiore, too, so there might be more than just the ones in the Magic Council's reach. But if we can get out of here we can worn the Magic Council of this one and help everyone else."
Jellal gave me a long stare when I finished talking and I can feel myself grow flustered under the sudden attention.
"What?"
"Thats…exactly what I planned to do after we escape from here. You're petty sharp."
"It was pretty easy to figure out. There isn't really much of a reason for a bunch of kids to try and talk to the highest authority of magic in the kingdom."
"But how are we getting to the ships?" Erza asked, "The only way out is through the front gates…"
"Not particularly."
All of us blinked at his statement in confusion.
"What?"
"There is a basement where they store the food," Jellal said, "I went there once, and I'm confident I saw a trapdoor there. We can use it to swim out from underneath the tower and reach the ships by sea. No one should notice us climbing into the boat as we take it out to sea."
I thought about it, and everything seemed thought out. If we don't get caught and we can figure out how to sail then we just might be able to get out of here. I turned to look at the others to see a few looking nervous.
"I…I can't swim," Milianna said.
"I'll carry you," Simon said.
"Who else doesn't know how to swim?" Jellal asked.
Sho and Erza raised there hands, both looking equally embarrassed.
"Alright," Jellal said, "Those who can't swim will just go with someone that can, and that way we'll be able to escape from the tower and find a ship."
"When are we doing this?" I asked.
"The ships leave at the end of the week, so we have to do this in two days."
"T…Two days?" Simon said shocked, "Isn't this a bit sudden Jellal?"
"This might be the only chance we'll have in a long while. We don't have a choice."
He was right.
If we didn't try and escape then we were going to be stuck on that island for years to come.
"I'm with you on this," I said with determination lacing my voice.
He gave me a glance and smiled.
"Thank you Lyssa."
He stared at the rest of the group who all stayed silent. They were worried, and I was too. Erza stared at me with calculating eyes before turning to Jellal.
"I…I'm coming too."
"Erza?" Simon said in surprise.
"The little red head had determination in her eyes that made me happy to see.
"It's like you said Jellal. I…I'm not scared at all."
"I know. If this plan is successful and we warn the Council, we can have our freedom again."
Freedom.
It was a feeling that I had abandoned all of remembering. To be able to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. To wake up and just enjoy doing what you enjoyed without worry. It was something we all craved, and at that moment we were close to achieving it again.
You'd sooner find me willing to die then abandon that hope.
"I guess I'm in also," Simon said, "Its a chance to see my sister again."
"If my big sisters are going then I'm going too," Milianna said.
"Me too," Sho piped up.
Jellal smiled to himself staring at us all.
"Then we will have our freedom. I promise."
— * —
We came back to our cell two days later without any pomp and circumstance. I glanced at the blue haired boy who gave me a brief nod in response. He probably had everything ready.
All we had to do was wait for him.
I took a deep breath to calm down the nerves before eating from the same slop I've been fed for the past five years. When Erza sat next to me I found it strange because she usually sits near Grandpa Rob to listen to his stories when we eat.
"L-Lyssa?" she said after a few minutes of us eating in silence.
"What is it Erza? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I am, theres just," she took a deep breath before looking at me with a small smile, "Do you like Jellal?"
I stared at her in shock for a few seconds, the crush she had on the boy was obvious to all of us. I couldn't help but be surprised when she asked me that.
"Where did that come from?"
"W-Well, its just..Jellal seems to look at you sometimes when he isn't doing anything," Erza mumbled, "I…I was just wondering…?"
She looked adorable in that moment as she turned as red in the face as her hair is. It was an understandable crush, after all. Jellal was someone that tried to make everyone comfortable and happy, he was someone we all looked up to.
"I don't like him like that, Erza. He's a good friend, and nothing more. We'll probably stay friends on the outside…but other than that…"
I shrugged and let the sentence finish itself.
"Why did you ask, though?" I asked with a smile growing on my lips, "You like him or something?"
Her face immediately flushed a deeper shade of red ad I couldn't help but burst into laughter as she stuttered.
"Y-You're mean…," Erza whined as she punched me playfully in the shoulder.
"You two look like you're having a fun time," said the very subject of our conversation.
Erza gave him a shy smile that he returned before he kneeled in front of us.
"Everything is set," he said softly, "I've already talked to the other. We leave tonight."
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