The smells of the Green Sea, mixed with the stone and sweat of the people outside poured through the small brick-sized hole in the Prisoner's cell. He sat and smelled, thinking on his childhood growing up among its trees. His mother would tell him stories of the heroes that came before him. Some that stood for what they believed in, others that fled and were never to be seen again. Sometimes he'd pretend to be them with his sibling, fighting in wars and battles whose victors and losers had both likely turned to dust by now. Maybe they were out there doing that now. Maybe they were looking for him to bring him home.
No, I don't think they'd be doing that, he thought as he ran his fingers along the rivers of his stone floor again. It's been too long. They probably don't even know I'm here.
A door opened up down the hall, and footsteps started making their way to the cell, echoing loudly among the empty cells. The Prisoner sat with his back against the wall, the stone somehow still cool despite the heat he can feel coming from outside. After a few moments, a Goblin in a guard's uniform stepped into view carrying a tray of food. His ears were slightly lowered and tucked back.
"O-oh good, you're already against the wall," he said nervously as he unlocked a small section of the gate to slide the tray through on the floor. "I guess you're used to this, huh?"
"It's a routine at this point," the Prisoner said. "You bring the food at this time every day, and I sit against the wall."
The guard laughed nervously.
"Well you mean from this day forward, right?" The guard asked.
"And every day before this... Except every so often you miss a day, but then we're right back at it."
The Guard cocked his head a bit.
"I don't know if this is some kind of trick, but today is my first day," the Goblin Guard said. "I was only hired yesterday."
The Prisoner paused and stared at him.
"No I'm sure it's always been you," the Prisoner said. "You're Dryn, right?"
"Well yeah, how'd you know my name?"
"Young Goblin Boy, recently recruited, nowhere to call home, sad and alone?"
"Hey now, that's a little personal..." Dryn said, his ears twitched slightly. "I was working in a Tavern when the Warden asked me if I-"
"If you wanted the job, and it felt odd because you had never met the Warden before, but it felt like he knew you," the Prisoner continued for him.
Dryn nodded.
The Prisoner sat and thought for a second. What does it mean? I don't understand, why does he not remember me? Am I going crazy?
"Anyways I'm going now. There's others I need to bring food to," Dryn said before he started to walk away.
"Have a good day! Oh... Well, I mean.... Sorry it's a habit."
The Prisoner waved a hand dismissively.
"Let the Warden know that I'd like to speak with him," the Prisoner said.
"I can try... The Warden is a little tricky to get to most the time," Dryn said, his ears lowering again. "Since there are no shipments from Four Roads coming in anymore, he's been involved in a lot of conversations."
"What happened to Four Roads," the Prisoner asked, concern building in his voice. He moved closer to the bars and Dryn stepped back. "There's people I know, and people I care about there..."
Dryn took some deep breaths as he calmed himself down and looked down the hallway.
"I wasn't there obviously, but I heard some people talking," Dryn said as he took a step forward in a hushed voice. "Turns out the people in charge here might be losing their grip. There were a few deaths, and now we're not meant to head into the forest in that direction at all."
The Prisoner leaned against the bars in deep thought. "Do me a favor, Dryn." The Prisoner said in a hushed tone. "My beloved is from that town, and... Well, I know I'm a prisoner here but..."
Dryn took another step closer.
"I don't know what I can do, but... Maybe I can ask the War-"
Just as Dryn got close enough, the Prisoner grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him hard against the bars. Dryn was knocked out instantly and collapsed as the Prisoner dug through his pockets and grabbed a ring of keys.
"No hard feelings, Dryn," the Prisoner said as he found the correct key and unlocked his cell. He dragged him in before closing and locking the door. "But my Family needs me."
The Prisoner took off down the hallway, his bare feet not even leaving an echo behind.