Rowan was dragged all the way to the prison like a sack of screaming potatoes. The guard pushed a heavy iron door open and shoved Rowan inside a small cell. Then he locked it with a loud bang.
There were already two other prisoners inside. The first one was huge and muscular. He was also sitting casually against the wall with a grin. The second one was was small, thin and glaring like a suspicious chicken at Rowan.
Rowan gulped when he saw them.
Soon, the knight who arrested him dusted off his armor, leaned closer and sneered at the broken sword in Rowan's arms.
"Hah! You're such a fool." the knight scoffed. "You are carrying a rubbish thing like that. It's not even a weapon anymore."
Cardin suddenly shouted like a furious kettle.
"Rubbish?! Come here and say that again, you walking tin can! I dare you!"
But the knight who couldn't hear him only smirked and left them with a dramatic flick of his cape. And the moment the door slammed shut, Rowan sat down on the cold stone floor and burst into tears.
"W-Why is my life like this?" he loudly sobbed while hugging Cardin tightly in his arms. "I still have so many dreams! I haven't even tried the capital's special strawberry cream bun! I haven't visited the giant fairy tree on the Moon Hill yet! I still haven't finished my list of foods to taste!"
Cardin sighed when he heard it.
"Kid, your bucket list is made of snacks." Cardin commented.
But Rowan wailed again.
"I-I'm too young to be in jail! I don't even know what I did! I'm innocent! So innocent! Waah!"
Cardin tried his best to console him even though he had no arms.
"Okay, okay... Breathe in, breathe in, breathe in and never breathe out." Cardin said.
"Wha—"
"Rowan, you're not dying. You're just jailed. So technically, you are still alive."
"But..."
"Didn't you say your goal is to be alive? And look! You're still breathing, right? Congratulations."
Rowan sniffled before wiping his tears with his sleeve while still hugging the sword like a metal stuffed toy. Then all of a sudden, a deep laugh echoed from one of the prisoners.
"Hey, kid." the huge and rough-looking man said while casually waving his hand at him. "Don't cry. You see, crying won't solve anything in this place. It will just makes your eyes puffy."
Rowan peeked at him through teary eyes.
The man looked intimidating. His arms were bigger than Rowan's head. He also had a few scars and a rugged beard. But he was smiling gently like someone who would hand out free candies to children.
Rowan unconsciously relaxed after that. Then he suddenly remembered his dad. Rowan clutched Cardin tighter.
"I hope dad finds me soon..." he pitifully whispered to himself.
The huge prisoner laughed again and slapped his knee.
"How old are you, kid?" the prisoner asked.
"H-Huh? I'm f-fifteen..."
"Oh? You're so young. Then I'm sure your father will find you." he said. "Loving fathers don't leave their sons behind."
Rowan nodded while sniffling.
Behind the big prisoner, the small suspicious chicken-looking prisoner suddenly whispered loudly.
"He's doomed."
Rowan looked at them before he curled up on the floor while still hugging Cardin like a lifeline. But soon, Rowan slowly sat upright while wiping his tears although he was still sniffling like a sad duck. The big and friendly-looking prisoner scooted closer until his shadow covered Rowan.
"Well then." the man cheerfully said. "My name is Tram. Nice to meet you."
He pointed his thumb at the smaller prisoner who was currently hugging his knees and scowling at the world.
"And that gloomy lizard over there is Lucky."
Rowan blinked.
"Lucky?"
Lucky raised his head and glared at them.
"That is my name. And don't ask questions about it."
Rowan quickly nodded but Tram leaned in and whispered to him.
"He's been here five times. He's not very lucky if you will ask me."
Lucky obviously heard it and quickly hissed at them like an offended cat.
"I heard that! And I am very lucky! I would've escaped last time if that guard didn't sneeze because of your damn smell!"
Tram rolled his eyes at him.
Trying to be polite, Rowan slowly pointed his fingers at them.
"So... Are you two friends?" he asked.
Lucky scowled harder.
"No. Absolutely not! I am not befriending lowly people like you two." Lucky sneered at them.
But Tram just shrugged his shouders.
"He says that but he cried like a baby when I shared my bread with him last week."
Lucky dramatically gasped.
"I have allergies at that time!"
Rowan relaxed a little. The two prisoners with him were a little weird but still friendly enough.
"So..." Tram said while resting his huge arms on his knees. "What's your case, kid?"
"I-I was wrongly accused! They said I attacked a knight but I just tripped!"
Tram stared at him for three seconds. Then he burst out laughing. It was so loud that the guards probably heard it from the hallway.
"Hahahaha!" Tram loudly laughed. "You attacked a knight? You?"
Rowan pouted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tram gestured at him from head to toe.
"You look like a frightened squirrel wearing human clothes. You don't even have the arms to hit a knight let alone the courage to do it!"
Even Cardin, who was still in Rowan's arms, made a small sound of agreement.
"Yeah. This lad couldn't even beat an ant so how could he attacked a knight." Cardin also commented.
Rowan suddenly let out a sigh.
"I really didn't do it..."
"Don't worry. We believe you." Tram kindly said. "Your face is already telling us that you were really accidentally arrested."
For once, Lucky also agreed.
"You have the aura of someone who trips over air, kid." Lucky said.
Rowan wanted to deny it. But he really tripped over a flat road once. Or maybe twice. So to distract himself, Rowan asked them back.
"What about you two? Why are you here?" Rowan curiously asked.
Tram proudly puffed out his chest.
"Heh! I beat up a knight." Tram said.
Rowan choked on his own spit.
"Y-You what?!"
Then Tram innocently raised his hands.
"In my defense, he insulted my mustache."
Rowan stared at his upper lip.
"But you don't have a mustache..."
"Exactly! That's why I was angry!"
Rowan slowly nodded his head. Then he turned to the smaller prisoner.
"A-And you, Lucky? How did you end up here?"
Lucky suddenly got offended and threw his hands up.
"I didn't do anything! They say I poisoned my patient but I swear I didn't!"
Rowan blinked his eyes.
"Are you a doctor?" Rowan slowly asked.
"I'm a healer!" Lucky aggressively corrected. "And that old man clearly poisoned himself! He drank twelve healing potions in one sitting! Twelve bottles of potions! Who does that?!"
Tram loudly sighed.
"Then that old man ended up turning blue."
Lucky threw his hands into the air.
"That was a side effect! But he would eventually turned back anyway!"
Rowan stared at him.
"...So did he turn back?"
"No." Lucky admitted. "He stayed blue."
"Oh."
The cell fell silent for a moment. Then Rowan hugged Cardin tighter.
"Fantastic. I died saving the world only to become a sword in a prison cell with a scaredy cat, a mustache-less rogue and a healer who turns people blue. Great." Cardin muttered to himself.
Tram clapped Rowan on his back. It was so hard that Rowan's face almost hit the cold floor.
"Don't worry, kid! You'll be fine here! We've survived in here for days! You can too!" Tram cheerfully said.
"Barely." Lucky muttered.
Rowan sniffled again.
"I hope my dad comes soon..." Rowan murmured in a pitiful voice.
Tram grinned widely.
"Whoever he is, I'm sure he will fetch you here! A parent always come for their kids."
Lucky shrugged his shoulders.
"Unless they're are lost, missing, captured or dead."
"Lucky!" Rowan and Tram shouted at the same time.
Lucky shrugged his shoulders again.
"I'm just saying."