Noir Hero part 4
#4 of Noir Hero
Part 4: The City
Milo kept distant from me then on out, speaking to me only when necessary. We continued our journey for another three days until we had reached Flame city. The massive brick walls stood tall, a perfect symbol for the city responsible for the kingdom's soldiers. Several other travelers were coming and going through the city walls. Many of them were large and muscular teenagers, here to train even more to be part of the royal army, others, were slim women with large breasts. In a city filled with men, a smart woman could easily lure an unknowing drunkard into bed with them and be off with their money by morning.
Milo held the strap in his paw that was connected to my collar and proceeded to lead me through the city. I kept my head down low and avoided looking at others. Being lead around public in only a slave collar and bare fur like this was humiliating. I was a living example to little children what would happen when you break the law. I would hear mothers whisper in there children's ear what I am, others snickering at my position, and some would were even speaking openly how they thought I was lower than dirt for being a slave.
We made our way down the cluttered streets packed with people and venders towards are final destination. The Guard Tower. It was here where Milo and I will part our ways and be done with each other. I could feel the frown form on my muzzle at the thought. I had grown fond of this wusky that had saved my life, only to end it all the same. I do not know why I feel this way. I had saved his life as well. My debt to him is paid, yet I still feel sorrow at the thought of our departure.
"Well, we are here. Time to collect my reward and rid myself of you." said Milo plainly, as if I was not there. He tugged on the strap and we continued towards the Guard Tower. Every city had one near the edge of it. It was a place where each city's knight could command the city guard, assign watches, and hold the scum of the city. It would also hold me until the otter could come to collect me. I would more than likely be kept on the ground floor, for I was a temporary prisoner. The only benefit of this was I would be able to stare into the sky while I could. Knowing the otter, he will keep me locked in that horrid cell till I die, only after beating me within an inch of my life. The thought scared me, but brought me comfort. To know that my painful existence would soon end so I could live a peaceful afterlife pleased me.
Milo and I entered the Guard Tower to find a giraffe maintaining the front desk. He looked away from his paper work and looked at us with excitement in his eyes. By the looks of the tower, we were the first people to enter.
"Greetings citizens!" said the guard with much delight in his voice. But he looked at me closer, causing me to hide my face as he noticed the collar. "I mean citizen. How may I help you and your slave today?" Milo tugged me closer to him and spoke in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Yea, I'm here for the money for this mutt. I've dragged him here from the forest and now I want my five thousand gold pieces." The giraffe gave us a puzzled look and then began searching through at stack of scrolls in a nearby shelf and finally pulled out one and unrolled it, revealing my wanted poster.
"Ahh! Here it is. I guess you are right, this isn't your slave. He was requested to be here about four weeks ago by Sir Stonefall." The giraffe got up and walked across the circular room to a painting on the wall. He moved the painting off the wall to reveal a safe. He began to fiddle around with the locking mechanism and opened it up to reveal a small fortune. There must have been over three million pieces of gold in that safe alone. The giraffe grabbed a small burlap sack and walked back over to us and handed it to Milo.
"There you go five thousand gold pieces as promised for the return of one runaway slave. Is there any other way I could help you today?"
Milo just shook his head "No. I'm a through with the mutt. I got the money. That's all I care about. I will be leaving the city. Do with the mutt what you want to." And with that Milo turned away and walked out the door.
I stood there motionless, trying to explain to myself Milo's sudden change in behavior. It seems only not so long ago that he was kind to me. Now the canine I was growing fond of had pulled a one eighty and left me without a second thought about it. I guess Milo was right from the beginning. He only wanted the money.
The giraffe was talking, but I didn't listen to a word of it. I was lead into a decent sized cell with a mat and sack on the ground. This would be "home" until the otter came to turn me into a corpse after his lethal fun with me. I dragged my feet on the stone floor to my barred window and looked out to see the sun set.
I will only get to see these a few more times before I die I thought. My days are numbered, and I had already accepted my fate.
Night had passed and it was a new day. The giraffe had worked through the night with no one else walking through the doors aside from other guards who were there to collect their daily pay. A courier was summoned to deliver the message of my capture to the otter. The courier entered the tower and looked at me and that's when I recognized him. He was the same artic fox from my village, the same fox that lead me to my death because of our love. I stared through the bars of my cell with pure rage. He was the cause of all of this. He fled my house without another word and left me to be sold as a slave. If he had shown up to take me away, I would not have been forced to live this life of pain and misery. Now my blood is soaked in his fur without him even knowing. He looked as fit as ever and well fed. He looked at me with no concern or recognition of who I was. He simply sneered at my disgusting form, took the letter, and was on his way.
The days slipped by me with no affect. I had lost track on the little sense of time I had left. After seeing the fox again, after so many years, something inside me just, broke. I tried to sleep one night and I had a dream. I was back in the woods. Everything was peaceful in the world. The birds sang their cheery songs, the sun shown throw the tree tops, and there was no danger to be sensed. I was dressed in actual clothing. Not rags like I have for several years, but actual clothing. The collar was even gone from my neck. There was something else about the place that made it seem calming. I turned around and I knew from what I saw what made this forest escape so perfect. Only a few feet from me, with a caring gleam in his sapphire eyes, was Milo.
I woke up screaming. This wasn't right. I should be over him. He left me to die. He brought me here. Yet, somehow, he was there, in my dreams, making me feel loved. A feeling I had longed forgotten. I was hyperventilating, a cold sweat on my forehead. There was a noise coming from outside my cell and a candle was lit. The giraffe guard came to the door and banged on it.
"Hey, Mutt! Stop making so much racket! Your master will be here tomorrow so shut up and let me get..." The words never left his mouth, for before he could say a word, something made the candle flicker out, and there was a sickening crunching noise. A loud thud was heard next, and then there was an odd noise. I had retreated to the back of the cell, scared for my life. The Moon night had illuminated part of the doorway, and I could see a dark robed figure motion for me forward with a gray paw. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I forced myself up off the floor and slowly made my way to the door. The paw held a pair of keys, and unlocked my door. This must have been the strange noise form earlier, the noise of keys.
I stepped out and was grabbed by the figure. He wrapped his arm around my waist and I was pulled in close to the figure and our muzzles met. I was startled, but did nothing form letting the fur stick their tongue in my maw. I found myself wanting to wrap my own arms around the fur and suck on the tongue inside my muzzle. Something inside me wanted to believe this was a dream, but the feel of the strong arms holding me close just seemed to be... real. The figure removed its hood and I was too stunned for words. I began to feel the same tranquil feeling from my dream as I saw the same caring gleam in his sapphire eyes.
"Milo... What? Why are you here? I thought you only wanted the money." I whispered
"I did," He said, "but when I left the city, I couldn't stop thinking about you. So, I had to come back. But not immediately, I had to make it seem like I had left." I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I was still troubled by something.
"But, in the city, you treated me liked dirt. Why?"
"I didn't want to linger on my feelings for you, so I wanted to be gone before I would feel anything towards you. I was scared Keba. Scared of feeling anything for you, but I made my choice. Now we have to go. Quick!" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the door. I almost tripped on something on the floor and I knew it was the body of the fallen guard. Somehow, I felt no guilt in his death.
We made it to the door when Milo turned to me and handed me some fabric, and told me to put it on. I took it and saw it was a long black robe and hood. I quickly threw the robe on and asked him why I had to.
"This way, you cannot be easily seen. It may be night, and you may be filthy, but you still have a shining white coat. This will better our chances at escape." We ran out of the tower and towards one of the gates.
"Hold on." He said calmly. He looked around and whispered back at me "Stay calm. Act natural. We get through here, we're home free." I took a minute to take a deep breath and grabbed Milo's paw in mine and we walked towards the gate. I held my breath, kept my head low, and tried to stay calm; making sure my fear scent would not make itself know. Milo must of know I was scared, for he stood closer to me and acted as a support to help me stand. We made our way through the gates and walked on the trail until we were alone.
"Come," said Milo, "there is a lake not far from here. We can relax there. You can finally relax Keba." And that's when it hit me.
I'm finally free