I woke with a dull ache pressing through my armor, the cold walls of the small holding cell making me shiver. My head throbbed, and magic still wouldn't respond. Not a spark. Not a pulse. My dagger and bag were gone.
A voice broke the silence, loud and sarcastic. "HEY! Can I get something to drink? I'm dying over here!"
I turned my head and saw a girl, roughly my age, black hair in a short pixie cut with streaks of red and blue. Piercings glinted in the light — nose ring, lip ring — and her green eyes sparkled with mischief.
She leaned closer, smirking. "And the dead rise! Did you party too hard?"
"Where am I?" I croaked, still dizzy from the earlier events.
"Name's Nadia, thanks for asking," she said cheerfully. "You're at the ranger's station."
Hank appeared in the doorway then, a small grin tugging at his lips. "I killed the rabbit, not the girl," he said, nodding toward me. "She was defending herself. What would you have done if an officer suddenly grabbed your shoulder? Scared girl… two grown men? Think."
I blinked, a mix of relief and guilt churning in my chest. Hank had taken the blame for me — saying he used my dagger, claimed the kill. And now, standing there, he looked almost… proud.
Then a small, see-through container slid through the slot in our cell doors. Nadia grabbed hers with a grin. "Finally! Seriously, I could die any second here without water." She clicked her tongue against her teeth, making a faint metallic sound.
I eyed the container. It was strange — compact, self-sealing, like a miniature water skin. After watching Nadia open hers, I did the same, sipped cautiously. Cool, clean, surprisingly refreshing. My mind raced briefly. Poison? Unlikely. They'd already rendered me unconscious — if they wanted me dead, I'd be dead. If it was a truth serum, I had nothing to hide.
Hank began sorting through his few possessions — the same small box he'd carried, the strange fire sticks inside, a handful of green crumpled papers, and a few coins. His careful, methodical movements made it clear he valued what little he had.
When I was released and gathering my things, I leaned toward him quietly. "Why did you tell them you did that? Isn't that… bad?"
He shrugged, a small, easy grin on his face. "I got you out and me in. Free room and board. It's a win for both of us."
I realized then that he was acting for his own reasons and decided not to pry further.
As I moved to the desk to gather my bag, I pulled my water skin out and poured the water from the small container into it. The two guards glanced at each other.
"Didn't you search it? You said it was empty," one said.
"There must be a hidden pocket," the other muttered.
The first snorted. "Yeah… piss poor job searching, apparently."
A door creaked open behind me, and a male voice called out. "Good morning, officers. I'm Adam Dalton. I was called about Nadia…" a in a thick coat came through the door. He had glasses on obscuring his blue eyes, he looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Yes, right this way," an Officer replied.
The other Officer handed me some papers and had me press the tips of my fingers onto a strange small box of hardened oil, leaving circular impressions on the paper. While I was facing that general direction, talking to the officer, I noticed Nadia moving like a shadow. She lifted my dagger from the drawer, silent and precise. I couldn't help but admire her skill.
Professor Dalton stepped forward, adjusting his coat. "All right, Nadia, let's get you out of here," he said, motioning toward the strange carriage outside. Nadia shot me a grin, her green eyes sparkling. "You coming, or are you staying behind?" she asked, tugging gently on my sleeve. "I can give you a ride if you want."
I hesitated, still dizzy and unsure, but the offer felt like a lifeline. I nodded, slinging my bag over my shoulder as Dalton led the way.
The carriage was a strange, smooth, box-like machine of polished metal and glass, humming faintly beneath us as it rolled to a gentle stop.
Nadia handed me my dagger, and I slid it safely into its sheath. She leaned back in her seat, eyeing my bag again.
"You can pull things out?" she asked, surprised. "I thought there was nothing in it?" she asked, frowning.
"Holder's bag," I explained. "Not expensive. A few copper and a silver. You have to connect with it mentally to see what's inside. And unless the owner gives permission, you can't touch anything inside of it."
Her eyes widened. I focused and pulled something out — my sketchbook. She flipped through it, staring at drawings of trainees and memories of my mother.
"Why does everyone have long, elf-like ears in these?" she asked, curious, examining my sketches.
I paused. Nadia, the officers, even Professor Dalton — none of them had long ears. "Because I'm an elf," I whispered. Then, almost instinctively, "Where are we?"
Professor Dalton's voice cut in. "We're here."
I nodded, showing her how to focus and mentally retrieve items from the bag, letting her pull out my sketchbook. "See? You have to connect with it. It won't give just anyone access without the permission from the owner of the bag."
Nadia's grin was wide. "Neat. You could teach me that sometime."
Adam Dalton: "So, Miss Sa'ha. I gather that's you? I've been hearing your conversation with Nadia for the duration of this drive. I think we should talk when we get inside."
I smiled faintly. "I think so as well, it appears we both have a lot of questions."
As we went inside I turned for one final look. The architecture was too unfamiliar— too sharp and deliberate. With a slow deep breath, I knew I was not in the Kingdom of Alveře.