The Last Flame - Crystal Bow

Chapter 10

For three days, Buckie sat in the prisons. On the second day, two servants had come down and brought him bread and water. Buckie had eaten it gratefully; he was starving and his throat was parched. The servants scurried off quite quickly and he glared at them as they left.

On the third day, King Saphaer visited his cell and stood right outside. "Greetings, Buckie. I will admit, I haven't been here in a while. I have a lot of bad memories associated with this place. I lost a loved one here."

"I don't care." Buckie spat.

"Well, I can't say I didn't expect that response from you." King Saphaer blinked. "Well, Buckie, I hope you've had enough time to think about your actions."

"I'm not some child." Buckie spat. "Making me stay in a dank cell for three days isn't going to make me regret what I did."

"You are a child in my eyes, but still attempted murder." Saphaer blinked. "Buckie, who do you value most in your life?"

"So that you can punish them, too?" Buckie glared at him. "Never."

Saphaer blinked. "Buckie, your home is gone. The dragons have returned and I am looking to make peace with them. If you believe that holding information is going to do you any good, I'll allow them to torture you. It will be a slow and painful death and I'll get the answers I desire anyways."

"You will never get anything out of me." Buckie growled.

"No matter." Saphaer shrugged. "Dragons may be able to torture you and inflict pain on your body, but I can break your mind."

++++

Over the next few days, Saphaer was the only one to come to his cell. Buckie only ate once a week and got water once every three days, when his throat was parched. He found himself saving what little he had, but once Saphaer noticed his precious food and water came even less.

Buckie usually got half-stale bread to eat and still water, but it was something. When the water usually came, he was desperate enough to know not to complain, and he knew that he wasn't in a position to do so. 

Saphaer came to his cell after a week and a half, but he carried nothing. Buckie had recently had water and he expected food, but he glanced at Saphaer expectantly. "Well?"

"Are you ready to answer my questions now?" Saphaer asked.

"No." Buckie spat. "What? Are you going to take my food away? Starve me? Fine."

Saphaer just left without another word. The next day, a servant brought Buckie food, and it wasn't stale like the usual bread. It was fresh and springy and delicious and it filled Buckie up. He loved it so much that he forgot to save it. Buckie winced as he thought of the week and a half ahead. He wouldn't have any food to stave off the hunger.

The water he received the next day was also amazing, and it was clear and rushed down Buckie's throat, cooling it. This time, he made sure to save it, and it kept him going for the next week.

After that, the stale bread and still water just wasn't the same. The still water tasted strange and metallic and the bread's taste made Buckie want to puke. A weeks after the nice meal, Saphaer visited again.

"Hello, Buckie." Saphaer held bread and Buckie realized that it wasn't stale. Buckie huffed and shuffled a bit closer to the cell's bars.

"Are you willing to tell me your secrets now?" Saphaer asked. Buckie frowned and shook his head, and so Saphaer began to eat the bread.

Buckie glared at the tyrant as he wolfed down the entire loaf, making a big deal of every bite and openly commenting on how delicious it was. Saphaer got up and stretched, turning and glancing back at Buckie. "Perhaps next time, you'll answer correctly."

Buckie glared at him and his stomach rumbled. He had just ate, why was he so hungry again? A tremor ran through him. "What did you do to me?!"

"Have you ever heard rules about fae food?" Saphaer asked, and then he left. Buckie watched him and then backed up, pressing his back to the wall and sliding down. He cupped his face in his hands, but he refused to cry.