What? Why would I die? asks Dunk. I just have a bad feeling, I tell him. Listen, no one wants to be here. No sane man would attack someone that leaves this place out of fear of a fate worse than death… More time here, explains Dunk. I turn my gaze towards the hallway to see the guards leaving. Where are they going? I ask. Must be a shift change and almost time for lunch, says Dunk. But what if someone tries to escape? I ask. You can’t leave this place unless someone let’s you from outside, explains Dunk. And if you tried magic, the rest would kill you, I think to myself. For a wizard I really didn’t do myself any favors thus far in London, now did I? I barely used any magic. I don’t know what master thought I’d learn here, when I can’t even practice. If I start chanting or trying to replenish any of my mana, they’d think I’m some sort of heretic and they’d hang me, I continued pondering my circumstances. By the way, says Dunk whispering, if you have money, there’s a bar underneath the front gate where you can spend your most time pissed drunk. You can also make some important friends there, if you wanted, says Dunk. I smile back at him. I don’t, I try to tell him. You don’t what? he asks. I don’t know if I want to or care to risk making any friends, I tell him. But I’m your friend, he says as someone with a bloody knife steps into the dungeon.

I am Clitheroe, this is John, Robert and he is Henry, we are here for a certain someone, a husband to a darling Alice who provided us with these here knives, says Clitheroe. Aye, that’s me, says the man next to us. Good news then. Nicholas is dead and you are free to leave, says Clitheroe. Aye. Hope the wife paid you well, says the man in question. She was more than generous, says Clitheroe. We should do something, says Dunk. No, look at his knife, it’s bloody. They already killed a man. Stay still as a statue unless you want to die, I tell Dunk. But if we don’t do anything, says Dunk. If we don’t do anything, they leave and we live. We can’t bring that Nicholas back to life, I try to explain to Dunk. Oh, and a little ba… bird, let us so call it told me that this fellow there is a wizard, says Clitheroe as he points his bloody knife at me. The whole room turns their gaze towards me. The five knock on the door. Let us out, Clitheroe is heard saying. We hear the door open and a woman starts screaming. And we hear the door shut as they start running. The woman hues, cries and wails as the guards rush from their rooms confused at the noise. The woman stops her screams once a guard comes to comfort her. What in the devil’s… says the Guard. We hear the door open and the rest of the guards pouring out. Every other felon in the prison sits as still as a mountain and as mute as a stone, trying to listen to the commotion and out of fear of the guards lashing out towards us. What happened? asks one of the guards the other that opened the door. I don’t know, I was just doing my business by the wall as usual. And when I came back, I saw this woman crying and howling and saw Nicholas dead, explains the Guard. Gather me a jury and go fetch the Sheriff and the Coroner, said the Director.

No one is to leave this prison until the jury and the Sheriff say so! screams the Director as he waves with his hands the guards back to work. Silence fills the air as the guards took their place and the wait for the Sheriff, Coroner and jury started. Eyes began to slowly turn back towards me from all corners of the dungeon. Are you really a wizard? Dunk asks in a quiet hush. What? No. He’s a murderer and probably a liar. I have never seen a wizard in my life. Have you? I ask Dunk. No. Not that I can recall ever seeing one, says Dunk. See? So, how could I be a wizard then? I ask awkwardly. Everyone hear me, the killer lied, he is not a wizard. Do not trust the words of the murderer, Dunk starts shouting as he sits atop his bed. I tug on his shirt trying to get him down and to shut up as even the guards start looking at us. Everything will be fine, says Dunk with a smile on his face. I will die here because of you and I promise, I will take you with me if you say anything else, I tell Dunk. Oh, I would not worry that much about it. Who knows, maybe you will come with me tomorrow, says Dunk. To hell, maybe, I say as I hear a guard announce that the Sheriff arrived. I did not think I’d be coming back so soon, says the Sheriff. We are terribly sorry to have you back so quickly, says the Director. Have you questioned the felons? asks the Sheriff. No, we were waiting for you. Another witness was also this woman here that was found crying outside the prison, says the Director. I will start the questioning, says the Sheriff. I hate my life, I say as I see he come towards me with a wicked smile.

And if you liked the short story and want to support the blog and keep the short stories free, you can always donate at: https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO