Part 13

“Argh!” Knight awoke with a start, finding himself carried by some-sort of lizard-human crossbreed. It was much worse than that as thousands of crimson orbs stared into Knight’s eyes.

The thing wasn’t even looking at Knight. It was facing forward, booming through the tunnels.

Released with a smack, Knight hit the hard floor. Putting an end to his thoughts on who stick spider eyes on this creature.

Looking around, he noticed his not so familiar cell.

Knight turned around to see the creature towering above him. It was cackling from who knows where. Knight gulped, feeling its oozing insanity. Luckily, it would only be cackling alone as it walked outside. As tone pillar slamming Knight in.

It wasn’t long before he noticed a small girl staring at him. Until Knight began to stare back. Shifting her gaze, she stuttered.

“Th-Thank you for...s-saving me.”

Knight sighed when he felt her fear etched within those words. ‘What is with her. I won’t do anything.’

“Hey, come on.” He replied pleasantly, making sure not to fright her. “I can’t accept your gratitude when you’re afraid of me can I?”

The girl slowly shifted her gaze to Knight, meeting his kind eyes, immediately turning away. “That’s…t-true...”

The girl didn’t buy into his fake kindness, yet she knew he wasn’t a bad guy. He had attempted to save her after all.

“Well, let’s get a bond then. We have some more mining tomorrow so, let’s have a nice chat then.”

“B-but…the guard.” The girl reminded Knight.

“Oh, yeah,” Knight spoke, not fazed by the reminder. “I think we’ll still have some bonding”

* * *

“Ahhh, bliss.” Knight relaxed, deep in reverie. He had to occupy himself with something after all.

“Oooh, please.” As Knight continued fantasising, the small, real girl had stood up. It looked like she wanted to inform the dreamer of something. Yet, his creepy mutterings were scaring off the idea.

A couple of minutes passed and the girl finally found the resolve to tell him. Although Knight was unaware of the pitter-patter of bare feet as she walked across the cell.

“Errm, ex-excuse me, master?” The girl stuttered as she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Yes, yes. I’ll get to you when I’m done with her?”

“…”

To make mistaking her for a girl in his fantasy worse, he had clasped her small hand; bringing it to his lips.

“See? I’m finished and now I will do anything you…want.” Knight’s voice trailed off as his consciousness finally broke from his fantasy.

“I-I don’t w-want anything, master.” He had scared her from telling him what she wanted.

One word rang in his head, ‘Pedophile, pedophile, pedophile’.

“No…”

Another set of words entered his head, ‘officer, he’s assaulting a minor.’

“NOOO, I’m not like that!” He exclaimed, letting go of the girl’s hand, backing away.

Realising the need for an apology, he suddenly bowed. “I’m sorry!”

The girl, startled from the sudden action, tripped. This brought Knight to a sudden realisation among the self-inflicted predicament. ‘Now’s my chance to act like a true knight and get her on board for an escape!’

“I am truly, truly sorry for startling you, my lady. I shall help you up.” With the facade of a knight, he extended his right hand out towards her. Would she accept?

The look on her face suggested she didn’t want to. Yet, she did.

“Err. O-okay, kind sir.”

“...!”

That phrase made Knight’s day. He blushed at the statement, before covering it up. ‘I love older girls. I love mature women.’ He wouldn’t accept that blush and luckily for him, he could get away with it as the girl hadn’t noticed. At least, she acted like she hadn’t.

As Knight’s thoughts strayed yet again, the girl decided to let out her information.

“You d-didn’t understand the guard did you, sir.” Knight’s attention was firmly on the girl after he was called sir yet again.

“Er, no. I’m actually surprised you can. I’m not from anywhere near here”

“Ah, yes. I did have a t-tough time. Your lan-language isn’t kn-known to most in this world. S-so it took me quite a while. But with this p-power, I can translate anything.”

‘Tough? That’s damn good even with whatever the power is. I didn’t even pass French.’ Knight thought, nodding his head.

“Anyways, the g-guard was telling you that you will be mining somewhere else tomorrow.”

“...!”

This put Knight into deep thought, the girl continued talking but Knight didn’t listen. I won’t be mining there? That sounds like I’m still going to be mining somewhere. Come to think of it, the place where I hid had a dozen skeletons mining. Don’t tell me. Knight had a bad feeling.

“That is all.” The girl ended the information with a soft tone.

“Wa-Wait! I saw you near some skeletons that were mining. You must know what happens there? That’s where I’m going right.” Knight let out his questions all in one breath.

The girl caught off guard by his information, seemed to think it was better left unasked. Despite this, she hesitatively told answered.

“Y-yes...you will be mining there b-but I do not know what happens the-”

“Escape with me," Knight blurted out. “I found a way to escape, come with me”

The girl showed no hesitation in her soft answer, though she was definitely scared to do so, “I’m s-sorry I have to st-stay here.”

“For fucks sake.” Knight sighed, “Hey, you owe me one. You have to obey this command, don’t you? I helped you out back there. And besides, I need you if I want to escape.”

The girl's critical thinking was thrown off, “Y-you threw that pickaxe?”

Knight nodded slowly, ‘What was she thanking me for before then?’

“I...think... Do you have a plan?” the girl asked standing patiently; her head tilted, awaiting an answer. Her dazzling golden eyes had hope. Hope that there was a way of escape, despite her reluctance to rebel. She was a kind and troubled girl and maybe a much-needed saviour stood before her.

“ Maybe...so, you can reproduce anything... Anything you have a hold of? “Knight confirmed.

“…? M-most things.” She replied, surprised at the sudden reply that was not the answer she hoped for.

“Right. You can speak every language of this world then?”

“Y-yes…” She confirmed, puzzled at what Knight hoped to achieve.

‘That’ll be useful when we get outside and we’ll be able to slow the guards down if this plan fails…yes, that’ll have to do’

“Well then, you bet I have a plan!”

The shy girl had her saviour. She had a very surprising saviour. A very lazy saviour. But, nonetheless, a saviour.

With that slight thought of hope lighting her dark view of life, she wrapped her small, dirty body in a multitude of white rags. Watching her potential saviour clad in a white tracksuit. Or the very unusual piece of clothing to the girl.

The girl was afraid of talking to people, but this was the first person that she hoped would speak to her. After all, she hoped this strange person would be that saviour she had longed for since she left her home. Although this scarred girl didn’t realise this growing hope she held. Nor the strong desire to be saved engrained within each scar that carved into her.