6. The Pit
It turned out The Pit was as creatively named as it was comfortable. They dragged Arxet down to a stone building near the center of the city, only a few streets south of the ziggurat’s compound. There they stripped him of his armor, tied him up, and lowered him by rope into a pit at the center of the building. It was about ten feet in diameter and twenty feet down, carved out of the solid limestone that made up the island, with a bit of dirt and filthy blankets scattered around the bottom.
Arxet wasn’t alone, there were three others here, two coldmarked like him. One of them, a weasel, had a mark coiling around her arm like a snake, with patterns resembling a whirling wind. The other, an owl, had a pseudo-snowflake pattern plastered across his left pectoral. It was obvious just looking at them that they’d been trapped here for a long long time. Their fur and feathers had lost their luster. They were all dirty, thin, and miserable. They didn’t even acknowledge Arxet as he was dropped in. His head was still bruised from striking the counter, even with the helmet blocking the blow, and the rest of him was sore after being manhandled for two miles until being tied up and thrown in a pit.
It took him some time to fight out of his binds. No one in the pit seemed to have the strength or care to help him, luckily his rat-paws were small and flexible, and eventually he managed to slide one hand out before untying the other and then his feet.
Immediately he began pacing the floor, trying to find a route to clamber up the rough stones that made up the walls. There were places that made obvious handholds. He’d just have to find a route up…
“You’re not gonna find anything.” The weasel woman croaked from her bundle of blankets by the wall. “The top five feet are just about impossible, and you still have the guard barracks around it.”
“Yeah well… they took my stuff.” Arxet grumbled and started up the wall. He wasn’t any master rock climber, but he’d scaled a few short cliffs while circumventing checkpoints and dodging guards on the road in the past.
“Oh no, not your stuff. Stop wasting your energy. It’s only one meal per day.” The weasel glared daggers at the rat as he lost his grip and fell straight onto his ass.
“Yeah yeah… got someone who’s gonna come looking for me at least.” He started on a different route.
“Oh sure, they’ll know to look for you in a pit? Seriously, rat. Just let me sleep. Stop with all the sound.” She tried to cover her face, but was still visible through the tatters. “If someone’s coming just relax.”
“Sure she’s gonna come looking, but I’d rather not end up getting lectured or something. So I wanna be outta here when she turns up. I only have til’ sundown.” He was managing to reach almost a third of the way now.
“Yeah, she’ll find you out of the pit, but stabbed by a guard.”
That was enough to finally give Arxet pause. Yeah, fine. She was right. He was without his armor or weapon, and he didn’t know how to use them either. He dropped down to the floor and wrapped his tail around his feet. “You win, I guess. Congrats. What’d you get pinched for?” He glanced around the room to get a better look at his fellow prisoners, but in the dark he couldn’t make out much. The coldmarks were only visible because of how the white patches always seemed eerily visible in all but the most absolute darkness. The owl seemed fine to ignore him, and the unmarked human was sprawled out and asleep, despite all the noise.
“Supposedly counterfeiting, but I know those coins were real. I think the banker just wanted to fuck me over. Either way, been here three months now waiting for literally anything to happen.” She groaned. “The owl is with the Roots, dunno what he did. He’s only been here a week, don’t expect him to be around much longer. The human stabbed someone in a robbery.”
Thieves and murderers, what fun. Arxet smirked. “Sounds like you and I got fucked over similarly then. The store owner didn’t even say my coins were fake, he and the guards just thought it was suspicious that I had so much.” Sure, some of it was stolen and cheated, but they assumed before they even knew. If people are gonna accuse you of stealing no matter what you might as well get something from it.
“Well, hopefully your friend isn’t coldmarked too or they’ll just get tossed down here with us.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like they’re gonna mount a rescue operation or something.”
Hm. That was a good question. Would Rubis do that? The dragon seemed somewhat mischievous in Arxet’s few interactions with her, pushy sometimes as well. But it’s not like she’d just break into a guardhouse and steal him away, even if she could probably get away with it as a dragon. “No, she’s not coldmarked.”
“Probably will just believe the story anyway then.” The weasel smirked. “It’s better than most places in Fellrock, but people still don’t trust us.”
“She does trust me is the thing. I have no idea why!” Arxet threw his hands in the air. “She and her mom treat me like I’m family or something! They give me money, buy me expensive armor, feed me and clothe me! I’ve known them for four days! I don’t get it! They just act like I’m being silly when I’m confused too!” He clenched his hands into fists and pounded on his legs to punctuate. It really made no sense. Were they playing games with him? Planning to use him for something? Five gold and a suit of armor was more wealth than he could possibly dream of gifting to a stranger.
“They must be using you for something. How did you meet them?” The weasel’s nose poked out slightly further from under her tatters. Her interest was being piqued.
Arxet got up and started pacing again. Sitting still while he was filled with all this nervous energy was simply impossible. “It’s a damn dragon and a dragon rider! I was in Tanenvil last week! The yearly recruitment drive for the ministry was passing through, they brought a dragon this year! She picked me out of the crowd, grabbed me, and licked me til I was soaked through my fur to scent mark me! Now her rider is taking care of me and I’m supposed to be entering rider training tomorrow! But no, fuck me I guess! Pit for Arxet!”
The weasel could only roll her eyes and withdrew back beneath her rags. “Fine, don’t tell me. But just get some-” WHUMP. The ceiling above them shook, bits of dust and loose clay from the ceiling rained down into the pit below them.
“Ah shit, she’s here.” Arxet crossed his arms and leaned against a wall. “Didn’t realize it was after sundown already.”
All three of the prisoners were up on their feet now. The human seemed delirious and confused, while the owl was staring up at the ceiling with interest. Arxet could hear the guards yelling and running about above them on the ground floor. His smugness could not be challenged in that moment.
The weasel kept her eyes on Arxet. He could spy a mix of disbelief, suspicion, and hope swirling within her through them. “Can you get me out of here too?”
“Sure, anything for a pretty lady.” He blew a kiss at her. Rubis’s sniffing could be heard through the roof as she searched out Arxet’s scent. Small cracks were appearing, and the wood above groaned under her weight. A moment later a roar penetrated the clay and down into the pit, and then the sound of wings. Then nothing.
“I think she just left you behind.” The owl grumbled and sat down again, turning away from them. The human shortly followed his example and laid back down on his side.
“What a rescue attempt.” The weasel sat down to wrap herself in her blankets again with a sigh. “Just stay quiet, dragon guy.”
‘Well. That was embarrassing!’ Arxet slumped down against the wall again with a twirl. It was a surprisingly devastating blow to have Rubis demonstrate he was telling the truth only to leave him behind. He wasn’t a liar in their eyes, he was a loser, something far far more pathetic. ‘So much for rider school. Amjazel shoulda realized she was picking bad stock.’ He closed his eyes and tried to get a little rest.
He’d been flown all the way across the lake, just about died of airsickness, and been shown the lap of luxury for four beautiful days only to be accused without evidence and left to rot in a pit. Typical. At least maybe he could get out of prison in a few years and go piss on their doorstep… His eyes slowly sank closed, and he did his best to get some sleep.
He wasn’t particularly successful in it. Even with the blankets left in here it was impossible to get comfortable. Sleeping in a hole like this was a new low for him that he couldn’t quite endure. He didn’t see that changing any time soon, not to mention that the human started to snore the second time he went to sleep.
When he did eventually manage to drift off his dreams weren’t pleasant. He was back home in Tiskin, trudging through the same mountains where he got lost in the blizzard and developed his coldmark. He spent untold hours in the dream wandering through snow banks and between rocks, trying to find the road or his caravan only to find the blank whiteness of the storm. His forehead burned, he couldn't feel his fingers or feet, his lungs and throat stung from inhaling frigid air. He was going to die. He could feel it coming. It was like he was being drained out of his body with every ebbing ounce of warmth. Suddenly everything shook, he could hear a roar. The silhouette of a dragon emerged in the ice, it was Amjazel. She was covering him with a wing, sparing him from the wind and the ice. This wasn’t right, it wasn’t how the story went. It should have been his mother, finding him too late, half dead and buried in snow. He wanted to fight it, this was all wrong. He tried wriggling away. Amjazel grabbed him and started to shake him. “Wake up, something’s happening, wake up!”
His eyes snapped open. The weasel woman was on top of him and shaking him. “Something’s going on up there!” Arxet’s head snapped up towards the top of the pit. He could hear yelling, the sound of bronze striking bronze, heavy boot-steps rushing about, a wooden door being kicked open.
“Arxet!” An unfamiliar masculine voice called out from above. “Where in the blazes are you-! Hey- get the hell off of me!” A silhouette breached the torch-lit ceiling from above and fell head over heels into the pit before smashing face first into the dirt at the bottom. It was one of the guards.
A moment passes. Arxet and the weasel exchange a look. The owl was already most of the way up to the top, clambering up the wall without an issue.
The unknown voice greeted the man as he crested the top. “Hey, you. What’re you… ah blazes. Just don’t lemme catch you. Get outta here.” Another silhouette popped over the rim of the top. With the man back lit by torches Arxet couldn't make out any details other than the two huge upward pointing horns. “That you, Arxet?”
“Yeah, that me.” The rat squinted up at the bull man. “Do I know you?”
“No, but a mutual friend asked me to come get you, on account of her not fitting inside. Let me tie a rope to something.” The head disappeared over the edge. “Oh, nevermind, there’s one here already!” The wad of rope used to lower Arxet down before flew over the side in a tangle and landed at the weasel’s feet.
“Lady’s first.” Arxet did his best attempt at a gracious smile, but poured far too much grease onto it.
The weasel woman merely grimaced and scurried up the rope ahead of him. Arxet jumped up after her, not willing to let the human beat him out. As he crested the top a firm hand grabbed him by the scruff and hauled over the rope pulled up after. “I was really just supposed to get you.” The man patted the dirt and grime off of Arxet’s fur. “Let’s find your clothes. The name’s Jiru, I’m Rubis’s rider.”
“Oh. I thought she’d- I dunno.” Maybe voicing his doubts to his rescuer was a dumb idea.
“She couldn’t fit inside in that form and didn’t want to go in along, so she went and got me. She’s outside handling a few other guards. Is the one down there alive? I didn’t mean to send him over the edge, just knock him around a bit.” Jiru opened a door, checked it for guards, and ushered Arxet and the weasel through.
“He was still groaning when I climbed out.” The weasel answered. “Deserves worse, but it is what it is.”
Oh, right. He still didn’t know her name. “Don’t think I got your name, madame.” The rat winked to her.
“Idami.” She scowled back. “Slow down there, lady killer. Us both being coldmarked doesn’t mean anything.”
“Of course, I would never want to overstep.” He shot another grin. “Hard not to swoon after such a lovely night together.”
“You kids should handle your flirting later. We do still need to get you out of here.” The bull busted down another locked door with a flourish and a blast of energy from his hand. Magic. The same kind Arxet was learning this coming week. If being arrested didn’t disqualify him or something. His heart fluttered with excitement at the prospect. He could hardly think of all the payback he could get with rider magic.
“So… you’re a rider and all” Idami started, “But aren’t you gonna get in trouble for doing a jailbreak?”
“Nah.” Jiru shrugged. “They kidnapped a dragon’s chosen for the year. Rubis and I questioned the slimy fucker that called the guards on Arxet for having ‘a suspicious amount of coin’. All guards are bastards and all but I figured they had a limit to it. You were wearing the seal of the line of Amjazel by Tiamat’s tail.”
“They just assumed I stole the armor.” Arxet grumbled in response. “So everyone knows then?”
“No, just Rubis and I. She’s covering for you.” The bull opened up a chest labeled ‘confiscated goods’ and started handing Arxet his armor back. “We know you’re a thief and all, but we do want to help you turn over a new leaf. Locking you up or making awkward situations with Emren and Amjazel won’t help.”
“Why do you even CARE?” The rat snapped as he began to don the armor. None of this made sense to him. People hated thieves. People hated people with coldmarks. Why are these dragons any different? “I’m just some trashy thief who got caught by a dragon and now I get a free pass forever? This doesn’t make sense!”
Jiru clapped a hand on the rat’s shoulder. “’Course you don’t get a free pass, but they didn’t have anything on you. I asked nicely for their evidence and everything before I started busting down doors and they had nothing. And as for why I care? Amjazel sees something in you, and I’ve known her long enough to trust her judgment. So, you’re stuck with all of us until you fuck up royally. Understand?”
“No… but I guess we should get out of here.” Arxet just rolled his eyes at the comment about the dragon seeing something in him before sliding his helmet down and buckling the face shield in place. If he didn’t see it she surely didn’t. Whatever, tomorrow he’d be in the rider’s academy, and in a few months he’d be home free.