Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Chiuso.

The roaring sound of rocks hit by wood, hooves stomping the ground with vigorous violence, the sound of the breeze crashing against the harsh structure in movement, no traces of sun rays within the coffin, the cold smell of rusting metal pervading every sense; this is what met the bard at their wake, their jaw still hurting from the impact a day prior… a day… Just where were they now? Looking around they felt a sinking feeling deep within their soul once more, they were surrounded by darkness, no ways to look outside the prison they were stuck in, memories slowly returning. Utgard figured that the people that had kidnapped them were most likely shipping them off somewhere, perhaps to act as a sort of slave, ripping the last feeble tears of freedom that they had left directly from their grasp, taking away the one thing left of their being. Their breathing sped up, panic started to set in, their eyes tearing up once more, each limb trembling in fear and anger, why did they have to put up with this? What had they done to deserve the endless hardships the world threw at them? They must have done something to piss off whatever higher being looked on from above… Was this because of the sermons they tried their damndest to avoid? Was this some sort of divine punishment they had brought upon themselves by being a deviant?

 

Putting the baggage aside, the bard slowly looked upwards, noticing that the entrance to what they assumed was their carriage was blocked off, an iron gate held closed by a lock, its bars heavily rusted and reeking of old. Despite the ruinous state that they were trapped in, they were quick to start devising plans, perhaps the bars were weak enough so that they could force the door open by charging into it… But then they realized that there must have been guards outside, people prepared to apprehend them the moment they stepped out of their cell… And so, they sat against the wall, grasping their deep purple locks, their mind still racing wildly. 

 

A light broke the darkness of the cage, the front door of the carriage spreading open, the sun’s fury flooding into the dim prison, causing Utgard’s eye to recoil in response. A silhouette towering against the bright waves crashing into the room, its details initially impossible to distinguish, the bard’s poor golden eyes stinging in pain, as the door closed as suddenly as it opened. With the light’s access cut off, the prisoner was finally able to identify the individual standing before them; those same marble-like scales, those crimson eyes, a muscular figure standing in front of the metallic bars, its sheer size shocking the musician, striking utter fear within them. The reptile looked at them, noticing the young musician’s trembling and their teary eyes, hanging a lantern onto the wall and lighting it up, their figure more distinguished in the dim flame’s wake. 

 

They donned a light plating of armor, which covered areas unprotected by their own scales, decorated with metallic details that were molded to resemble bones. Their eyes pierced Utgard, the two locking gazes, a stern look opposed to the bard's terrified gaze. A grunt left their oblong muzzle, before they spoke, their tone heavy and monotone; -"...I apologize for our means…"- he stated, looking directly at Utgard, his distinct voice shaking the bard even more, the prisoner could notice a specific mark, below his left eye, two concentric circles, the circumference of the outer one spiked, as both are split my a rough line, more akin to a cut. Breaking the silence, he continued; -”...I was tasked to retrieve your person in the least lethal way possible, and I see it left its mark.”- His gaze moved over to the bard’s bruise, which they held, still visibly pained. 

 

-”My current task is to watch over you, and make sure you don’t do anything… drastic, per say.”- He spoke once more, waiting for any sort of question from his prisoner. And they had many, they desperately wanted to know what they had to do with all of this, why out of all the victims they had slaughtered they were the only one that was left alive, they wanted to know just who did this to them, if they had anything against them… and they wanted to know who the man standing in front of them was. But, seeing no response, the reptile let out a sigh, his expression one of… disappointment? as he opened the door of the carriage once more, walking outside and closing it behind them. Utgard looked at the lantern that they left hanging on the wall, and began thinking. He must be outside of the carriage, waiting for the bard to do anything so that he could catch them red-handed, they were sure that anything he did was just a pitfall for them to fall into. They were stuck like this, and knew that there was no way for them to realistically make it out alive if they were to escape, they reasoned that they would have either been tracked down with much ease, dreading the possible punishment that their captors could afflict upon them, this wasn’t gonna be like how the reverend slapped their face, or tugged at their arms, no, they knew fully well that these people were possible of unspeakable and cruel actions, and they knew that pissing them off was an awful move. On the other hand, they thought that even if they did manage to escape their captor’s clutches… they would be completely lost, god knows how far they were from “home”- hell, they didn’t even know if they had a home to go back to… and there was also the very real risk they constantly ran, to face another beast like the one they saw that day… and perhaps they wouldn’t be as lucky this time. 

 

So, they sat in the carriage, motionless, they felt the weight of the world on their shoulders, a sense of hopelessness they were familiar with, they stood still, alone, their only companion being the uninterrupted roaring of the wooden wheels, crashing against the rocky roads, the neighing of the horses, the deafening crashing of the wind… they closed their eyes, imagining themselves outside, feeling the wind brush against their skin, lifting their hair, having it wave around, weightless like a cloud, those same wishes of freedom that invaded their mind becoming the only solace they had left. They thought themselves inside a field, the green grass that they had never seen, yet were told marvelous stories about, the sprawling nature that they wished they could have lived for themselves, they wanted to go back to a time long gone, before even they existed, their very soul was drowned by a sense of nostalgia for a peace they never felt, a calling to stand within nature’s grasp, a nature long dead.

 

As they let their mind run rampant, the creaking of the wheels slowly began to settle down, the galloping of the steeds turning into a peaceful trot, the noise of the wind slowly subsiding… they were stopping, for whatever reason, were they at their destination? Surely it was too early for that, as the cart fully stood still, the bard could hear people talking from outside their carriage, albeit with difficulty; -”...Boss asked a meeting”- a feminine voice spoke, her tone stern and dry, -”You should attend as well, brute.”- as she spit out the comment, more footsteps could be heard getting farther from the carriage, another voice springing up, -”...A meeting while stocking up... that’s new.”- Utgard recognized that as the reptile’s voice, his steps also resounding on the ground as he left the carriage unguarded… If they were gonna do anything, this was their chance. 

 

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Despite the dreadful knowledge of what awaited them in case they failed, or even if they actually were to succeed, they reasoned with themselves that they’d rather die by nature’s hand than be enslaved, be robbed of their life, become an utter nobody.

 

They shuffled towards the metallic bars holding them captive, looking at the lock, despite the evident rust piling onto it, it was very clearly sturdy enough to survive them bashing into it, they were gonna need something more to break it apart, their mind racing through past memories, tomes they had read, anything that could get them out of this situation… and they settled on it. Their mind brought them back about a book they read, which treated magic, how mankind had discovered how to tie control over the elements to their own vocalization, transforming enchanting hymns into weapons of destruction. Knowing fully well what awaited them, they took deep breaths, prepared for the pain. A tune began to swell from deep within their throat, followed by waves of agony, but they couldn't afford to stop, as they concentrated more and more, the spark of a flame forming in their hand. They kept the melody going, uncaring of the torture they put themselves through, this was the price they were willing to pay to live, As they held the flame to the lock, slowly melting away at the lock, breaking it in a short time. Seeing the molten metal hit the floor, they immediately stopped, the price of their actions catching up to them, but they couldn't afford to care. Grasping their neck, they slowly opened the door, cautiously making sure as to not make any noise, taking a peek outside of the carriage to make sure they were alone, which fortunately, they were.

 

And so, they began running, swift like the breeze that they wished to experience one day, their golden eyes darting, shifting between looking behind and looking ahead, they weren't being followed yet, but they knew that it was simply a matter of time, and not long after, they could hear angered yells swelling from the camp, their breathing speeding up. They were terrified, the deafening roar of the mob not far back almost caused them to freeze still, but the harsh reminder of what awaited them kept them going, the fear of torture, the very real possibility that their blood could be spilled. 

 

However much they ran, however…

 

They weren’t safe.

 

And so, despite their best efforts to hide their traces, to muddy up their steps, fate caught up with them, an arrow flying directly through the back of their knee, flesh rent asunder with the same ease of a paper being torn. The shock of the impact caused Utgard to have a split second of clarity, as they stumbled, quickly losing balance and falling face-first into the muddy ground. They held back screams, looking at the tip which protruded out of their leg, blood leaking out of it at a steady pace, causing the bard to gag, the sight viscerally disturbing to them. They attempted to tug back at it, the lancinating pain pervading their entire leg with each pull, their breathing getting heavier, their panic rising. Mustering up whatever strength was left in their body, they ripped the bolt out of their limb, screeching in pain before collapsing once more. The once distant footsteps got louder and louder, a figure stomping their foot directly in front of the bard, who trembled in response; -"...y'know, I expected you to not fuck up your job on the first day, lizard boy."-, He spoke, his voice vibrant, but charged with stinging disappointment, he kneeled, his light brown eyes meeting Utgard's teary irises, his face curling into a devious smirk. -"I… apologize, sir."-, the bard recognized that voice instantly, the low tone and the trembling shame exuded, making it clear that it was their guard. -"Well, at least you didn't run off with 'em… so, s'an improvement over my last guard."- He let out a resonating laugh, most of the mercenaries behind him joining in, as he grasped at the back of the bard’s head, lifting them up by their hair. -”...And you…”- He spoke once more, his voice shifting to a deep and dreadful tone; -”...I know fully well that you’re smart enough to never pull a stunt like that… but…”- He slammed the bard’s head down into the mud, watching their struggle to breathe, taking in every moment of the spectacle, before lifting their head up, watching them cough out pieces of dirt, and slamming them back down, rinsing and repeating, before slamming them down one last time, letting go. -”...You should be thankful I chose to take care of you myself instead of gettin’ Valentina to do it… she might not have been as merciful as me.”- He let out, scraping his hand onto the ground and walking off, speaking one last time; -”Get them back by the carriage, we’re ready to move out by noon.”-. 

 

The men began to take their leave, each and every one of them shooting glances at Utgard, the only person standing with them being their guard, who after looking at them, defeated, lifted them up. The bard, despite everything, despite his great fear towards this figure, felt… a… radiant heat coming from him, as he spoke softly; -”...I apologize for my failure.”- his voice tortured, as if he was holding back tears, leaving the young musician confused, as they slowly passed out.

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