~Frisson~

~3~

***

I squint my eyes open as new sounds and smell flooded my senses.

"Uhhgg- wha-?"

My eyes slowly adjusted to my surroundings. I was in some kind of weird bedroom. One of the walls was replaced with bars.

I lifted my sore body off the rough wooden floor. A small stinging pain shoots through my palm as I sit up on my knees. I quickly examine and pull out the splinter of wood, tossing it aside.

I stand up and walk to the wall of bars, poking my head through the gap. The hall is empty but I can hear the cries of dragons coming from the other rooms around me.

*What are dragons doing here?*

I pull my head back in and move to the metal door, giving it a firm tug.

"Wha-? Hey!"

I continue to yank at the door handle with all my strength but it wouldn't give. I let out an exasperated sigh and sulked over to the dinghy bed in the far corner.

Using the time to recall how I ended up here, I remembered the thieves and how my dad disappeared. A wave of worry washed over me as I began picking at the tips of my fingers.

Questions raced through my mind too fast for me to comprehend. I was snapped out of it by the sound of footsteps headed my way.

I rush to the bar wall and slammed against it rather roughly, clearly startling the passerby. It was a tall, skinny man in some kind of leather outfit. I didn't dwell on it for long as the questions came rushing back.

"WHERE'S MY DAD!? TELL ME NOW!"

The man stared at me bug eyed for a moment before a sickening grin spread across his face.

"So you're the kid those three were talking 'bout. To think a kid this small was able to cut Harold."

His disregard for my question made me incredibly annoyed. Lining my leg in between the gap of the bars, I reel it back and kick him straight where the sun don't shine.

"FOR ODINS FUCKING SAKE! -SHIT!"

As he crumples to his feet, I yell again.

"TELL ME WHERE HE IS YOU STICK BUG!"

He slowly rises to his feet, a look of pure rage on his face. I stepped back slightly but held my ground.

"Y-you little shit! I'm gonna make you regret that!"

He pulls out a set of keys and uses one of them to unlock the door. I step farther away hoping to keep some distance as he steps inside and locks the door behind him.

"I-I just wanna know where my dad is!"

"I ain't got a clue who you're talking about kid. But it don't matter cause once I'm done they won't even be able to recognize you!"

He lunges at me with fury. I barely managed to dodge but it didn't matter. He grabbed a fist full of my hair and dragged me back toward him, throwing me down in the process.

"NO! Wait! PLEA-!"

*~Timeskip~*

I leaned limply against the side of the bed. The man left a while ago but the pain still lingered. Bruises littered my body and face.