The Endless Pit of Suffocating Abyss

Possibly a chapter...

(I'm 86% sure that I'll most likely actually include this..
What I'm about to write. The stuff on the bottom] The only reason I'm going to skip a few chapters is because I need motivation. So MAYBE, if I write something to get my mind off this current part. I might be able to continue at the top because I have the story planned out, though I can't figure out how to put it into words)(I'm still coming up with something.. SORRY! Let's just call this character "Arvid for now, okay?)

I don't know which chapter this'll be. Bear with me. 🫵😔

Ajax truly pondered on one question: How was I so... Idiotic? Honestly, he thought he'd know better than to walk up to a drunk man for some apple juice.. And how come he couldn't notice all the signs? Arvid was quite skittish... Ajax just thought of it as an effect of the alcohol. Didn't he mention something about running away from the law? Ajax wondered. Ajax's mind was clouded with thoughts as Arvid kept trying to strike a conversation with the guards that were transporting them to the palace. The fact that Arvid was a wanted criminal began to become deafeningly obvious. Multiple pictures of his smug, charming face smirking on wanted posters. Ajax squinted as he tried to read one of the mutilated papers nailed into one of the walls. 10,000 Mora?! His mouth gaped open, giving the deer in headlights expression. What did this man do for others to get such a prize?

"Aiyah! Seriously, you think I did something wrong?" Arvid said with a nervous smile as he was shoved to the gates along with Ajax. "Come on.. You're all distinguished gentlemen, aren't you?" He smiled harder, attempting to get a bit of mercy while Ajax remained silent, staring at the man with slight interest, even if he got him in this mess. The doors shut loudly behind the group. Ajax only glanced at the corner of his eyes, not risking the chance of getting his sight redirected. "Okay, fine then.. Just listen to me for once... What if.. I stole something really, really precious for you, hm?" Arvid offers. "I mean, imagine this: You two having endless piles of Mora, made by the Archon of wealth himself! Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Ajax side-eyed him, giving him a look that said: 'Don't you dare..' Arvid just ignored him, continuing his meaningless conditions. "Maybe I can get you a good room or two in the palace we're walking into? I do have a friend around here who can put in a good word." Arvid looked at both of them, trying to read their expressions. When they didn't say anything, he spoke once more. "Please? I don't want to come across your general again. Not again.. He gave me a serious beating last time." One of the men slightly reacted to this with a twitch. The mention of their commander caught a bit of their attention, though it certainly wasn't enough to free the both of them.

Ajax sighed while they kept getting dragged as if they couldn't walk. The built-in drawings of multiple people he's never seen on the wall took up a lot more space than necessary, though they weren't as flamboyant like the bold colored silk carpets. They were brought into another dimly lit room, light emitting from a lightly scented candle. Apparently, it wasn't just a room but an office. Ajax examined it with his eyes, not wanting to turn his head--not wanting to even catch a glimpse of Arvid. Arvid immediately began talking... again. "Ohoho, hey there, buddy..!" He said, tone sounding like he's happy, but the fact that he's sweating profusely says otherwise. "What brings you here, hm, Cairo?"
The man sitting on the other side of the desk scowls. "I work here, dimwit." He says bitterly, eyes almost piercing through his supposed 'Friend.'

"Oh, of courseeee.... Ehe.." Arvids' mouth forms a straight, firm line. "You're not going to electrocute me again.. Right?" Cairo gives an unamused look.
"You attempted to poison me, steal my wine, and became an enemy of two states in Snezhnaya within the span of four weeks. I needn't say more." He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Arvid seems to grow even more nervous, eyes darting around in different directions, even peering at Ajax. "You also owe me a lot of bags of Mora for burning multiple ships down."
Arvid chuckles lightly, probably out of fear. "Surely we can figure something out.. friend... I mean, you were the one who gave me those ships. You also promised me a few bottles of wine that night... I just wanted them a little earlier than agreed is all..."
Carios' frown deepened. "I was drunk. I only said I'd give you bottles, not barrels."
"Well... ermmm.." Arvid trailed off. He then suddenly adds. "You were drunk. Maybe your words were slurred!" Ajax's head moved left and right, left and right, looking at the two converse about things he didn't think or know Arvid even had the audacity to do. The attempt at stealing alcohol was quite believable... but becoming an enemy of the state? And I thought I was stupid. Ajax thought humorously.

"Are you sure he's even capable of doing so much?" Ajax suddenly blurted out. Boy, how he regretted interrupting the conversation. Cairo stared at him with a look that seemed to burn a hole right through his head. The intense eye contact was unsettling, almost as if he were sizing him up. "I mean... he's just a drunkard of a merchant... How could he possibly do something so bad to make himself a target for... uh, for...." Ajax started to trail off, slouching in his chair at the angered glare. "Never mind." Cairo stared at the guards behind the two 'outlaws' - even if it was mainly Arvids' fault.
"Take the kid." He says, seeming to have calmed down. Ajax could still see the fury in his eyes. He's trying to get rid of me.. He realized. "I have to talk to him anyway." Cairo gave a nod at Arvid. Speaking of Arvid, he gave a pleading stare at Ajax, eyes begging him to stay. He clearly didn't want to be left alone with Cairo. As Ajax stood from his seat, pushing the chair into the table, Arvid began to shake his head 'No' multiple times. His mouth still kept its firm line, beginning to form into a devastated expression. Ajax gave him a careless shrug. Slightly smiling, he patted the guy's shoulder, exiting the room.

The second the door closed behind Ajax, he could hear one of them inhaling deeply before muffled yells, and insults started erupting from the shut out room. Ajax winced at the noise. Most of the words were from Cairo. The guards who were supposedly watching him seemed unamused as if this had always happened between the two of them. They're probably tired of it. Assumed Ajax. Trying to get his mind off the non-stop bickering in the room next door, he looked around to observe the place around him. It was.. Fine. There were some unnecessary pillars holding up the large staircase as well as a scarlet red carpet with golden colored edges running along the nicely cleaned floors. Ajax flinched when he heard glass crash into the ground from the other room. One of the guards took their sweet old time as they went to check what was going on in the room at an agonizingly laid-back pace. Ajax scrambled over behind him, peering into the room over their shoulder. "Ow, ow! Ah! Okay, I'm sorry!" Whined a teary-eyed, Arvid. Cairo only seemed to relent when the door was peeked through. A scowl was plastered on his face as he kept Arvid tightly pinned onto the desk. The desk seemed to have been moved by the sudden commotion. It was almost touching the wall to its right. "You seriously didn't have to hit me that hard.." He complains, rubbing his head, which Ajax assumed was where he got smited. Cario dropped his victim, crossing his arms with a blank face as if he didn't even do anything. Ajax wondered if the guy got away with these sorts of things on a daily basis. The guard sighed irritably. This clearly wasn't the first time Cario tried to or actually assaulted Arvid. Arvid dropped onto the desk with a thump on the desk as a barely audible squeak that came out of his throat. Cairo shifted his weight, staring at the untidy desk before grabbing both corners and dragging it back in place, which looked surprisingly easy. He grabbed Arvid by the shoulders, pulling him up on his feet as he quickly patted both of his shoulders at the same time. He adjusted his pulled and messed with collar that almost got ripped off his shirt with an annoyed look before shushing him away. He slammed the door in both of their faces, leaving Arvid, Ajax, and the guards alone in the corridor in awkward silence. Ajax stares at the guards with an expression that shows his absolute confusion. Arvid inhales deeply. "Can we, uh, go now?" He asks, gesturing to the long hallways with a thumb. The guards look at each other while the other glances at the door to their general's office. They shrug their shoulders, not necessarily caring. Arvid gives a look at the much younger boy and bolts.