I need to get up, but my body won't listen to me. I have no strength left.

  The last thing I remember is resting at an inn with my sister.

  The next thing I remember is the air tasting sweet, like honey, and Lutena calling out for me.

  Lutena... Lutena!

  Open your eyes, move your body, stand, get up!

  If your body won't listen to you, force it by all means; stand on your bones if you must; just get up.

  No matter the burden or how heavy it all feels, you need to walk for her.

  A strict, demanding female voice is calling out from in front of me.

  "Finally waking up, are we?"

  "You may take a leave now; I will interrogate this one myself."

  It appears that she was not alone; two male voices are confirming her orders, calling her Miss Mare, before there is the creaking sound of a wooden door falling shut behind me.

  "W-where is my sister?"

  Mare sighs before replying in an annoyed and monotonous manner.

  "You mean the beastfolk Girl? We captured her alongside you."

  "She also tried to tell us this whole fake family sto-"

  Mare smirks and puts her hands close to her face; her voice also livens up a bit.

  "Well, well, well, look at that. As soon as I mention the girl, you are full of energy."

  "You struggled just to get your eyes open just a few moments ago, and now you are staring at me with intense malice."

  The woman in front of me, Mare, has an appearance fitting her words.

  Even while sitting, I can tell that Mare is at least as tall as me, so she must be over 180cm tall.

  Mare's face is rather pale; the shadow under her brown eyes is a light shade of violet mixed with black.

  Wearing a black suit, resembling not that of a soldier but that of a warden.

  Paired with her uniform is a black cap that features the same insignia appearing on her right chest.

  Holding a pen in her right hand, I notice that the white gloves she wears are pretty dirty inward but immaculate on the back of her hand. She must be very attentive to them in particular.

  Going by appearance alone, it is clear as day that Mare is a very hardworking person of high standing.

  "Let's get this over with."

  Mare's expression turns serious again, as does her voice.

  Her expression shifts from a somewhat amused look to an intense gaze.

  Her tone and looks feel like they could crush someone alone; they fill the room with nothing but her voice and a feeling of pressure.

  "A Newman man traveling around with a beastfolk girl, calling her his sister, no papers, no names, nothing."

  "Who are you? Why are you here in Lindisfarne? And who is the girl?"

  "It's in your best interest to tell me everything."

  "Where is my sister?"

  Mare sighs in frustration.

  "Why must it always be so complicated with people like you?"

  Mare tells me that Lutena, my sister, is unharmed while making an air-quote gesture while referring to her.

  "You've heard what you wanted, so start talking, or I will make you talk by force if I have to."

  Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I need to approach this with the utmost care.

  I am alive, and from the looks of it, someone changed the bandages around my chest; these people likely do not have inherent malicious intent against me at the very least.

  There is also this woman sitting across from me; all that is keeping us apart is a table made out of wood, yet they left her alone without any kind of protection.

  I don't think these people would be so careless after going through all the trouble of capturing us.

  There is more to Mare than meets the eye; best to not let my guard down even an bit around her.

  I have no idea how much information they have about me, or rather about us.

  Getting caught lying will only worsen the situation; it's best to play it safe and tell the truth in little pieces, as watered down as possible.

  First, I need to calm down and assess the situation.

  I am clearly getting interrogated, but there is still critical information to be gathered as the person being interrogated.

  As soon as I start talking, Mare starts writing notes on a piece of paper.

  "My name is Theodor Helmr. I am a Guardsman for Hire from the Nation of Lisladan."

  "Uhm... before I continue, would you tell me why I am here and who you are?"

  She lays down her pen and starts tapping on the table with her index finger.

  Her answer sounds so monotonous; she must have said those exact words hundreds, if not thousands, of times over and over already.

  "My name is Mare Nachzehrer, prison warden of the Lindisfarne Prison Facility."

  "You are under suspicion of attempted smuggling of beastfolk."

  Mare picks up her pen again, all while her gaze stays adamant.

  "Now, no more distractions. I will ask, and you will answer. Am I clear?"

  I nod in agreement.

  "Name and age?"

  "Theodor Helmr, 25 years old."

  "Region of origin and reason for coming here?"

  "Born and raised in Lisladan, we never meant to come to Lindisfarne; I don't even remember crossing any kind of border."

  Mare sighs before telling me to continue in an annoyed manner.

  "Current and all Previous Occupations?"

  "I am nothing but a traveler now; my only previous occupation was as a guardsman for hire for the King of Lisladan."

  "Alright, onto the most important topic then."

  "The beastfolk girl you are traveling with, tell me everything about her."

  ...

  If they had any information on Lutena, they would probably have killed us on the spot; it's safe to assume they have nothing on her.

  I need to answer carefully; one wrong step and it's over for us. I don't care what they do to me, but I need to keep that girl safe by any means.

  "What's wrong, Mr. Helmr? Is your silence your answer, or will you start talking?"

  ...

  "My sister's name is Lutena; she is just that, my sister."

  "Beastfolk can't have non-beastfolk children, so you are telling me you two are an exception?"

  "... Lutena is a born Newman."

  Mare lets out a small chuckle before going back to a strict and demanding tone.

  "Mr. Helmr, I've heard many lies in my career, but none as stupid as this."

  "We checked both your bodies thoroughly; we could clearly identify you as a Newman male."

  "Your so-called sister, on the other hand, although she has almost no beastfolk features, could almost pass as a Newman."

  Mare clasps her hands together before raising her voice a bit.

  "But as far as I am concerned, I have never seen a Newman with horns on his head."

  Mare neatly holds up her paper and starts reading about some bullet points she had written down.

  "Mr. Helmr, you told me so little, and so little of it is actually believable."

  "An ex-Guardsman for Hire, traveling with a Beasfolk Girl across half the continent just to end up here."

  "There is also the rather big issue that Lutena's story is a bit divergent from yours."

  This is bad; I have to steer this in my favor somehow.

  "Lutena is Newman; she just got cursed by reading a book from a sketchy vendor. Her horns are not those of a beastfolk."

  Mare smirks once again; her smile and presence make her appear to be towering far above me.

  "A cursed book, you say? Do you have it with you or can confirm its existence in some way?"

  "We burned it as soon as the curse took effect so it could not spread further."

  "A curse with no bodily harmful side effects besides sprouting some horns?"

  "Yeah, that is right; it must be due to us having burned the book immediately."

  "Mr. Helmr, Lutena did not say a single word about being cursed, but she told us that you are not siblings; rather, you are her father."

  "It all just does not exactly add up now, does it, Mr. Helmer?"

  Damn it, I am not good with these kinds of confrontations, and I am losing what little leverage I've had.

  "It's complicated; we are a family, I can assure you one hundred percent."

  Mare rests her head on her fist, like a bored kid in a lesson.

  "Why does it have to be complicated? Just provide proof of your words."

  "Without anything to grasp at, it just does not add up, Mr. Helmr, none of it."

  "A tall, bulky man in his mid-20s, with black hair, going around with what seems to be a very rare type of beastfolk with blonde hair."

  "Let's say you are not blood related; it still is way too convenient to end up here in Lindisfarne after traveling across half the continent."

  "You must know that Lindisfarne has strict laws regarding beastfolk."

  "Mare, I am telling the truth! We have no ill intent towards Lindisfarne or its people; we just want to continue on our travels."

  "Truth is born by proof of word, Mr. Helmer; so far you've provided me nothing that could be regarded as such."

  Mare stands up and raises her voice, making sure nothing else could overrule her.

  "Look at the chains around your hands and feet; those are made out of crystallized coal. Try as you might, you won't be able to use magic."

  "In the off chance that you somehow manage to remove them, be warned that we will react accordingly, resulting in harsher punishment."

  "What are you getting at here, Ma-"

  "Theodor Helmr, you are being imprisoned on suspicion of beastfolk smuggling."

  "Your total sentence will be decided in due time; the minimum time for smuggling is 15 years."

  "In the case that your story does end up being true, you will be released, and new Papers for the Girl will be handed out to you."

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "All work you get assigned and finish in here will be compensated in the case of your lawful expulsion."

  "Further information about your case will be conveyed to you via prison staff."

  Mare walks over to me, still in shock, and she whispers into my ear before leaving the room.

  "A fine Newman like you should know better than to meddle with these mudbloods."

  It didn't take long for two other Guards to arrive; they put new handcuffs on me.

  Compared to the old ones, these resembled more like massive black blocks of iron.

  This material, the chains and handcuffs, are made of this crystallized coal; it feels like it's growing heavier by the second.

  No... rather than it growing heavier, I am getting weaker!

  I can feel my blue heart beating, but my body is growing wearier by the second, like a fire slowly but surely running out of fuel.

  If I don't put my all into it, these cuffs will pull me down and force me to kiss the floor.

  One of the guards takes the chain attached to the handcuffs and lifts it up, making it possible for me to stand up at all.

  His uniform is almost a one-to-one exact replica of Mare's except for the hat.

  "Inmate 178, we will now escort you to your cell."

  "As per the procedure for individuals that have been assigned a high-risk rating, you will be put into solitary confinement under special terms."

  "Change of clothing will be provided in due time."

  I was already worn out before the incident at the inn; now with these new restrictions around my hands, even standing took quite a toll on me.

  Looking over my shoulder at his colleague and then at a watch he got out of his pocket, the two guards nodded at each other.

  "One minute."

  One minute – that's the amount of time they gave me to catch my breath.

  With deep and heavy breaths, the reality of the situation is slowly catching up.

  We, or at least I, am a criminal on foreign ground; as far as the laws are concerned, I might not even be eligible to have someone vouch for my innocence.

  "Move."

  And with that, one of the guards held the chains on my cuffs up and dragged me along the prison while the other followed behind me.

  The entire prison was a horizon of steel and stone; my confusion would soon be lifted when we walked through an area with a barred window.

  I could catch a glimpse of what essentially was a big courtyard area with a caged fountain in the middle.

  At the end of the courtyard were several entries into a mountain; it was not that this prison was connected to a mountain; rather, this entire prison is inside a mountain.

  I couldn't make out much more from my little peek, but one thing stood out: all I could hear were male voices from outside.

  After a few more minutes, we arrive at the end of the escort, a long hallway with no windows or even air holes.

  With every step I was dragged along; the air noticeably grew heavier.

  We finally stopped at the very end of the hallway, at the last cell. The door was unlike the standard bars I've seen up to now.

  There was no handle, just a small opening at the side of the door, barely enough to put your hand into.

  Both Guardsmen needed to put their all behind them to pull this massive chunk of iron open.

  The room itself was just as barren; it was just that, a room.

  There was literally nothing in it besides dust, not even a window; calling it a cage would be a compliment.

  "Get a move on, inmate 178; this will be your new home until your case processes."

  Despite my back hair standing, these people changed my bandages and thus must have looked after my wounds.

  They likely harbour no inherent ill intent towards us; it's best to play along for now and rest as much as I can.

  I just hope my sister can bear with it until this all resolves...

  "Let me go!"

  That soft-spoken, frightened voice, Lutena?!

  There she was, at the other end of the hallway, overgrown blonde hair, light blue horns, my sister, Lutena.

  Mare is dragging her along by a thin black collar, appearing to be the made out of the same material as my chains.

  Making her way through at the other end of this hallway, overgrown blonde hair, light blue horns – my Sister Lutena.

  Towering in front of her is Mare, dragging her along by a thin black collar; it appears to be made out of the same material as my chains.

  My little sister, the only family I got, laid in chains before me.

  Her clothes are now nothing more than some brown rags with holes at each end.

  Drawn onto them, on the right side, slightly below the shoulders, is the number 177 in black ink.

  As I call out my sister's name, both Mare and Lutena come to a halt.

  Turning towards me, she immediately calls out my name and tries to push towards me, only to get yanked and thrown back by the Warden.

  "Mare!"

  My family lying on the ground, crying and calling out to me while this fiend just stands there, seemingly enjoying it all.

  With a smile that is almost going from ear to ear, there is not a speck of guilt written on her face whatsoever.

  "Get this man into his cell immediately; his antics are starting to get on my nerves."

  "At once, Miss Mare."

  ***

  What a drag.

  I was hoping my men would already have escorted the prisoner into his cell by now; these two must have slacked off again...

  This one, one-seven-seven, also is getting on my nerves way too much, insisting she is a Newman despite her appearance.

  Even after our testing team provided additional, irrefutable proof of her not being Newman.

  But what pisses me off the most is the fact that this female is still calling out to her partner in crime.

  The Family story also never gets old.

  Nightskins and Newmans don't mix, and even if they would, it's still a beastfolk at the end.

  *sigh*

  Just more of the same, just this time the smuggler really is barking like one of his wares.

  He is calling out to me while trying to force his way beyond the tight hold of my guards.

  Even with his mana being sapped, he somehow is putting up quite a struggle.

  ...

  Ah, curse the heavens; now he is slamming his fist against his own chest, a dog and a monkey...

  I need another coffee if this charade goes on for any longer; just confess already and let's get this over with.

  *Hmm?*

  One of my guards just hunched over with a strong nosebleed, and this smuggler, Theodor, steam is rising all over his body.

  "M-m-mare!"

  Looks to me like he managed to output slightly more than what get's drained by his cuffs; this just got a tad interesting.

  Going by how his shaking and slurred his speech, this must be close to tearing him apart right now.

  "Let go of the prisoner and perform first aid; I will handle this."

  "Understood!"

  And just like that, he is sprinting at me like a man storming into war.

  Going by his speed and the fact he is steaming, he must be a body-enhancing pyro type: body-pyro.

  Still acting like one of his uncivilised goods, he leapt right at me as soon as he got into distance.

  At the very least, he seems to be using his head this time around, aiming for my mine with his handcuffs.

  The sound of cracking metal quickly pierced through the air.

  He perfectly hit his mark and crash-landed behind me afterwards, right next to 177.

  "Lutena! I will get us out of here, just you wait; we will leave this place together!"

  "And how exactly are you planning to do that, Mr Helmr?"

  He turns in shock, followed by a quick glance at his hands, only to find his cuffs cracked while not a scratch was on me.

  I interrupt his vain struggle to get back up, grabbing him by the throat lifting him slightly above me.

  ***

  With an adamant grip, my entire body is being lifted above her own.

  Adding the weight of the cuffs and chains to my body, she is holding up around 140kg right now.

  Just like that, without even a tiny bit of shaking in her grip, she is holding me above her.

  "Quite literally out of steam, are we?"

  She puts the index finger of her right hand, the one she was holding me with, under my chin, pushing up on it, forcing my head upwards and forcing my mouth shut.

  My blue heart is starting to beat slower now; I am not strong enough to go beyond the boundaries of these cuffs anymore.

  While my blue one is calming down, the red one is beating like crazy, my pulse is skyrocketing.

  It beats faster with every audible click of the heel as Mare walks me down the corridor.

  Her adamant grip on my throat is slowly suffocating me.

  After what felt like an eternity, she stops to what seems to be my own 'four wall" for a while.

  Loosening her grip a bit, she lifts her index finger from my chin and pulls my face closer to hers.

  While i am gasping for air, taking deep breathes and try to calm my panic, the devilish woman smirks while showing her teeth.

  "Got anything you want to say to me?"

  "I am all ~ears"

  Catching my breath for just a little more, i glance next to Mare to lock eyes with my sister.

  Her eyes sunken, staring at me while holding back tears.

  With a forced smile, i console her, it's the best i can do right now.

  "I've got this, trust me, we go together"

  Mare sighs before i could feel her grip tightening again.

  "Is that so?"

  In an instant I found myself inside the cell, with my back to the wall.

  With an intense sharp pain that felt like molten iron coursing through my entire body, I barely managed to not pass out immediately.

  Last thing I remember is seeing Mare's fiendish grin once more before the massive slab of iron in front of me closes off the room with a loud bang.