Moonhawk 2 - The Blackcrow

Chapter 31 - Grief

Not a single sunlight was seen below the underground prison on planet Walderan. Only giant rocks, boulders, and mud were seen. Roots and a special kind of grass weed could grow between boulders and stone paths, which Captain Hawk and his colleagues were forced to take. Guards from King Ashton's castle grabbed on them roughly to guide them down. General Skylar and two of his crew members were dragged down here as well. Seemed like the rest of Skylar's crew were all on board their spaceship and fled by now together with the Blackcrow- and the Redcloud crew.

Their spacesuits got filthy the more the guards forcefully pushed them to walk faster. The underground prison was huge. Starla, a young rose-colored bean, widened her visor in veneration. But sudden deep growling came from out a direction behind the bean once they reached the prison cells.

Very old prison cells.

Starla assumed they were very old and so was the person inside the cell as well, who began to growl as he saw the new prisoners coming along his grid. The old bean's visor luminous glowed in an evil, bright green tone and stared at the young one. For a second, froze Starla and couldn't walk forward. The guard who guided her behind her pushed her harshly as he noticed that she had stopped walking.

Starla gasped once she felt that brutal push and came back to the realization that she had to walk. Her visor, however, was concentrated as she looked at the old bean inside that cell. Never had she seen such an old bean before. He must be older than Captain Pitch... way older. That stranger wasn't the only one who was caught down here. Several others were trapped, too. Criminals, actual criminals, Starla was assuming in her mind.

After they passed a few more prison cells, they opened two more guards, which were standing in front of the cell's entrance, the grids. With one strong move, Hawk and his colleagues were thrown inside the empty prison cell. Skylar and Captain Hawk got one cell each. Starla was together with her dad inside one, and so were General Skylar with two of his crew members in a separate cell in the opposite direction.

"Urgh!" It was General Skylar who rushed over to the grid, in total frustration and grabbed on to them strongly, only to say the following: "Just wait until Lord Pitch finds out what you guys are doing with us!"

"Save it for another time, General", one of the guards meant. Not impressed by what he just said. "Your threats won't have an impact on us. We're well trained for this duty."

A female crew member from Skylar, who stood behind him, laid a hand on the general's shoulder. She hoped to calm him with the gentle touch and see that General Skylar calmed down. He went deeper inside the cell, until he noticed a muddy, dirty bench in the corner, where he could sit. With a frustrated sigh, sat the general down.

Skylar's reaction surprised Captain Hawk, yet he could understand his frustration. Like he was. Never did Hawk imagine that Ashton would turn against them. He always thought his friend was over that traumatic event after all those years had passed, but it looked like he was still in sorrow and grief. The cold, sticky air went inside their lungs, and Starla got colder. It was dark, too. Darker than the surface. Lanterns were hanging evenly on the muddy walls. Some parts of the prison were decorated like a mining area.

Before Starla could ask her father what they should do now, Skylar raised his voice within the shadows again to ask Hawk one question: "Hawk, what exactly did happen inside the castle?"

Captain Hawk swallowed nervously.
"We might have ended up with a conversation, which my friend didn't take well."

"How great. That's very professional of you, Captain Hawk." That's all the general could say in response.

"There might be a bigger reason behind it, General." A female voice, the same bean who calmed the general down earlier, involved herself.

"There is", Hawk admitted, and looked dreadfully exhausted to the ground. "General, do you possibly remember a certain planet called Jenaja?"