Chapter Text
Oh stars, that hurt.
Siffrin blinked a few times, their vision too blurry to make out what was in front of them. A headache raged against the back of his skull, like his brain was trying to gnaw its way free. His eye burned, even when he closed it, like he’d been straining it too much.
So, this felt absolutely awful. Because on top of the migraine, he was also really blinding cold. Which he found odd, because his cloak regulated his temperature to a cozy constant. This wasn’t like the chills that had pierced his skin in the House, when he was delirious with Craft exhaustion and fever. This felt as if the cold wind was trying to swaddle him.
…where was their blanket? Hadn’t they fallen asleep in the inn, with their family closeby?
Come to think of it, why were they wearing their bodysuit? His family had pajamas for him to wear under his cloak at night. They weren’t meant to go to sleep in their day clothes. On top of that, was that alcohol he tasted on his tongue? His internal clock told him it was the early morning. He, Odile and Isabeau usually only dared to go drinking if they were sure they’d have a day to spare to recollect themselves, should they get carried away.
Speaking of their bodysuit actually, his side felt weirdly wet. He lifted his hand– or at least, tried to. His limbs felt impossibly heavy, so he could only just manage to shift his hand closer inwards.
…
Something was wrong.
That fact was irrefutable, and it was what got Siffrin to open their eye again, their breath stuttering. He had a raging migraine, had recently drank something alcoholic, was in their day clothes, and he had no memory of any of it. He was confident that his memory loss was not bad enough to wipe out such a specific part of his memory, and certainly not enough to land him in… um…
…where in the stars was he, actually? This wasn’t the inn. He was on iron floors, tucked into a dark corner with a heavy weight on one of his wrists. That wasn’t the inn. The inn had wooden floors, and plush beds, and… and by the stars.
Siffrin was in a cage, wasn’t he?
It was enough to get his mind running. He squinted through the darkness, trying to make out where he was. The only light came from a singular window, and the sun hadn’t yet risen. From the familiar swaying motion of the floor, Siffrin figured he must be on a ship of some kind, but he didn’t remember getting on a ship! The last thing he remembered was… um…
Right, wait, now he remembered. He vaguely recalled that he, Odile, and Isabeau were going out somewhere. A bar, if the remnant of alcohol on his tongue was anything to go off. But he couldn’t remember actually arriving there, nor what happened afterwards.
From the feel of it, Siffrin wasn’t wearing their cloak. Nor their eyepatch, belt, gloves, or shoes. There was a heavy cuff around their wrist, binding them to one of the bars of the cage. The link was long enough for him to comfortably move around, but not by much. The cage wasn’t even big enough for him to stand.
The wet spot he’d felt against his side… Siffrin moved his hand again, now that he was more awake. It was difficult to tell what it was in the dark, but when he touched it, pain shot through his side, making him flinch.
Was that why he felt so woozy? Not just the hangover, but… blood loss…?
What in the world happened to him!?
Siffrin sat up, trying their best not to agitate the wound he couldn’t remember receiving. Had he been stabbed? Or cut with something? He tried feeling the fabric, trying to deduce how he was wounded, but it was no use. It hurt too much to touch, and the blood made it difficult to tell apart fabric from skin. His bodysuit was rather thin– it was easier to move around in, and he never had to worry about insulation because he’d had his cloak.
If nothing else, the wound must have closed. The blood hadn’t been cleaned up, but he didn’t think he was actively bleeding out anymore. It just really hurt.
“Okay… okay, that’s not good…” Siffrin mumbled to himself. He winced at the agitated flare in his throat– god, he was so thirsty. “Odile? Mira? Isabeau? I-Is anyone there?” He hesitated. “Bonnie…?”
No response. Siffrin really was alone here.
Maybe that was for the better– thank the stars none of his family had gotten caught up in this mess. They didn’t even know what they’d do if that had happened.
(What if it was Bonnie? What if your recklessness got Bonnie hurt again? Your faith in King got them hurt once, it’d be no surprise if it happened again because you’re a blinding useless idiot–)
Siffrin shook their head. All he could do was be grateful he was the only one in danger right now. Unless they were somewhere else on this ship, then that’d be another issue altogether, but…
Breathe. Siffrin breathed in slowly, and released it. I need to get out of here somehow.
But, wait. If he was on a ship… wasn’t it likely that he was at sea?
Panic shot through him for only a moment, before he realized that if he could still taste alcohol, it must not have been more than at least six-or-so hours since he was… kidnapped? There was no denying it anymore, Siffrin had been kidnapped. If this ship had departed in the night, they’d have to have some sort of light on– no sailor would go out without a light, especially on a cloudy night like tonight. Maybe, if Siffrin could find some way to signal an SOS…
(Why did he know so much about this…? Actually, no, not right now. The headache was bad enough as it was.)
Siffrin squinted, but he couldn’t see through the darkness. He could certainly smell though, and the mild smell of citrus caught their attention. Fish, as well– he’d recognize the smell of preserved fish any day, no matter how Crafted its container was to conceal it.
Citrus and fish, stored on a traveling ship…
…Siffrin had a few guesses. Something came back to him in that moment– in the town of Saufbridge, their most recent and last stop before reaching Bambouche, Siffrin remembered Bonnie pointing out the merchant ships docked. They had excitedly explained that Bambouche had even bigger merchant ships, and that the Saufbridge ships looked weeny in comparison.
Bambouche, Siffrin realized, guilt shooting through him. Bonnie was so excited to get to their sister… we were supposed to leave tomorrow! What’s going to happen if I’m not there? Stars, what if they don’t get to see their sister because of me?
Siffrin absolutely could not let that happen. Maybe he could get back to the inn by sunrise. He could sleep through the rest of the day and night, and then be ready to go by the next morning, when they were all meant to leave. Siffrin would feel so bad if he was the reason Bonnie was delayed in their reunion with their sister. And, also, he was pretty sure that Petronille was starting to get annoyed that they were taking so long– her last letter’s P.S. had been a little… strongly worded.
Okay, Siffrin needed to get out ASAP. He just needed to figure out how.
Ignoring the pain in his side begging him to rest, Siffrin scooted around the cage, investigating the bars. He located the door after a few moments, and the lock to it just a second later. That wasn’t good– the lock was built into the cage, and it needed a key. Siffrin didn’t have any of his tools on him, nor did he have his dagger.
Where was his dagger? He never let go of it. Had it been taken from him? But if he had been at a bar, there would’ve been a lot of people around. And Odile and Isabeau! They would never have let him out of their sight.
…unless they were also drunk. That might do it. But even then, even if Siffrin had been separated from those two, he would have defended himself. And, wait, if he had been defending himself, he would have more injuries, wouldn’t he? Not just a singular wound to the side.
This made no sense. He had no idea what happened last night, and it was starting to freak him out.
Maybe I’ll remember more when I sober up, Siffrin thought hopefully. This light-headed feeling can’t only be the blood loss… it feels like when I’m hungover…
Please, let it just be that. Please say I wasn’t drugged. Someone would have definitely noticed if that happened. Vaugarde bars tended to be almost too paranoid about drinks getting spiked.
Until then, Siffrin shouldn’t be wasting time. He pulled at the door, shoving against it and overall making a wince-worthy amount of noise. It’d be bad if he attracted the attention of his abductor before he got out of the cage.
But no matter how much he fought it, the cage didn’t budge. All Siffrin accomplished was making his entire body ache. He keeled over, groaning weakly at the miserable feeling. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this awful– maybe when he was feverish on Craft exhaustion, pushing himself through the House. Nothing would ever top that for being the worst time of his life, but this could probably go up there on that list, right next to the whole “no one can remember my country” thing.
If he couldn’t get out of the cage, what could he do? There was the chain to deal with, he was still freezing, the pain from their wound was making them feel nauseous, and he still couldn’t remember what happened to land him in this predicament.
Siffrin didn’t know what to do. The only thing he managed to do by the time the sun began climbing into the sky was keep himself awake, and the gift of light let him survey his surroundings a little more. He was definitely right about it being a merchant ship.
Most noticeably, his cloak. His cloak was hung up on a rack nearby, so close yet painfully out of reach. It didn’t seem to be torn or anything, thank stars, but that meant that someone had taken it from him. Someone was taunting him.
Siffrin was still staring longingly at their cloak when he heard the creak of a door. He instinctively stiffened, but resisted the urge to try to hide himself. Whoever it was wasn’t an all-empowering force like the King. This was, probably, just a single person, who… might be mad at him? Maybe he got too drunk and insulted them, or something. If he apologized, and promised to make it up to them… or maybe if he could offer something in exchange for his freedom…
The person who walked in didn’t look particularly scary. They just seemed like somebody you’d pass by on the street. Siffrin blinked, looking them over. He, something told them– this person presented and identified masculinely, with short-cut lightless hair and a neutral expression. He wore a large trench coat over a darkless shirt, far more prepared for the windy sea weather than Siffrin was. The only thing even remotely remarkable about him was his eyes, which were a shade so light it looked almost white. It made his pupils that much more noticeable.
“Um… hello,” Siffrin greeted him, trying their best to swallow back their nervousness. He looked like a reasonable guy. “H-Hey, if I… did something… I’m really sorry. I don’t remember much of last night. If there’s something I can do to make up for it…”
The man walked right past him, not even sparing him a look. He opened one of the crates, lifting the checklist he had been carrying with him.
Siffrin tried again, their words a little softer. “I really need to be getting back to my family. We’re supposed to leave Saufbridge tomorrow, so I need to help them pack everything up. I was supposed to be in charge of helping B– um, h-helping one of them stock up on food…”
The man continued to ignore him. He just continued to check his stores, occasionally checking things off on his board.
This wasn’t good. Siffrin’s chest was tightening again.
“You’re a merchant, right?” Siffrin tried. “A traveling trader? Some of those fruits aren’t from Vaugarde, so you must go around the world. Were you in Saufbridge to trade…?”
Still nothing. Siffrin watched him helplessly, growing increasingly more disheartened by the second. He wasn’t even being acknowledged.
…wait. He knew one way to get his attention. During the loops, Siffrin had gotten so much time to practice. It was like the King said– he could hold it in the forefront of his mind. He had practiced, just as King had. It wasn’t always on their mind, but sometimes, when things reminded him of home, it was far easier to think, that was once mine, instead of the Universe rushing to correct itself.
And as Bonnie once so-gracefully named it: headache blast.
“Did you ever visit the island north of Vaugarde?” Siffrin asked the man innocently. And letting his mouth run before his mind, or the Universe, could catch up, “I heard it traded a lot.”
It worked. The man stiffened, the tell-tale sign of the typical headache striking him in the very front of his mind. He reached up, massaging his forehead, with a tense air to him. Siffrin squashed a satisfied smile, and tried not to think about the implications of the mere mention of their home being used as a weapon.
When the man recovered from the headache, he turned, and Siffrin immediately regretted saying anything. Siffrin wasn’t the best at gauging people’s emotions apparently, but he could say with confidence that the man looked mad.
“That was a dick move,” the man growled. “How did you even do that? Some sort of Craft?”
I can’t use my Craft, Siffrin didn’t tell him, bitterness stirring in his stomach.. My body can’t handle how powerful it is anymore. Stupid blinding Craft exhaustion, and stupid blinding time loop…
“No,” Siffrin replied honestly, meekly ducking their head. “Y-You are a merchant though, right?”
The man slammed his hand over the top of the cage, making Siffrin lurch backwards. The entire cage vibrated with the collision, suddenly making the man seem all that much more intimidating and powerful.
“Shut your mouth before I do it for you,” the man ordered impatiently. “I don’t want to hear your voice. Just sit there and wither. You’re worse at it than most.”
What’s wrong with my voice? Siffrin wondered, right before realizing, than most? Has he done this to other people?
“W-Wait… I still don’t know what’s going on,” Siffrin hurriedly stammered. “Did I do something to you? Or is it that… I’m one of the Saviors? Did the King have a fanclub?”
That seemed to grab the man’s attention. He cocked an eyebrow. “One of the Saviors? You defeated the King?”
Uh oh. If he hadn’t realized that before, then maybe Siffrin should have kept their mouth shut.
“I… helped,” Siffrin offered. It was actually Mirabelle who had defeated the King, but Siffrin didn’t really want to make this situation any worse for himself than it already was.
The man sniffed, squinting at him skeptically. “You?”
Do I really look that pathetic? “I mean, I was there. I’m still counted as one of the five Saviors, so, um… can you please let me go? I promise I won’t tell anyone–”
The mere thought of release seemed to amuse the man, because he barked out an awful, scathing laugh. Siffrin shrunk back, discomfort and anxiety making his lips habitually curve upwards. Nervous smiling was yet another habit he had picked up from the loops, and had become a bit of a tell-tale sign for their family that he wasn’t feeling the best.
“Gems, you think I’ll let you go?” The man snorted incredulously. “Not a chance. You’re worth way too much for that.” He smirked, a thoughtful look crossing his eyes. “A Savior, yeah? You were with that old lady and rambunctious young man, weren’t you? They wouldn’t shut up about saving the country.”
Oh stars. Isabeau must have had a few more drinks than what he probably should have. Siffrin didn’t confirm or deny, opting to simply stare downwards. He’d said too much already.
“Then I’m willing to wager that kid and anxious young lady were with you, too,” the man mused, and Siffrin’s blood ran cold. “You five, huh? Yeah, you seem like a clever enough lot to take down the King. And yet you were the one dumb enough to follow me outside.”
…Siffrin did what?
“You don’t remember?” The man grinned. “Oh, you were happy enough to accept whatever drinks I bought for you. By the time you were done, you could barely stand. I had to help you outside… it’s really so lucky you kept asking me for a sleepover. Bartender never suspected a thing.” He leaned down, looking so smug it made Siffrin feel sick. “I’ve never seen someone so eager to get abducted before.”
Clocktower, sleepover?
Siffrin could barely breathe. In their drunken haze, he started reciting loop lines. And if Isabeau was busy boasting about their adventures to defeat the King, and Odile was watching over him… the vigilant bartender wouldn’t have thought anything of it, if Siffrin happily walked out with someone he asked for a sleepover.
“You looked shocked,” the man observed. “Wasn’t expecting to be such an easy target, were you? It worked out for me though– I’ve never seen anything like this cloak of yours. As soon as I figure out how to replicate its Craft, I’m going to have a fortune.”
“W-Wait. Even if I was drunk, why didn’t I fight you?” Siffrin asked. And more outright, “Where’s my dagger?”
“You tried. You put up a crab of a fight,” the man told him. “...you didn’t have a dagger though. Not sure what you’re talking about.”
So I lost my dagger… before? Did Siffrin leave it at the inn? Surely not– he never went anywhere without it.
It didn’t make sense. “But I always have my dagger–”
The man slammed his hand on the top of the cage again, effectively making Siffrin’s jaw click shut. Their heart was thundering in their chest, alight with fear and sinking dread. All he could think at this point was that this was my fault, my fault, it’s all my fault.
“Would you be quiet!? I told you I’m tired of hearing your voice!” The man shouted, apparently having grown impatient with him. “If I hear one more peep, I’m going to turn this ship around and grab one of your friends, too! You wouldn’t want to put that kid in danger, would you? Or how about that young man you wouldn’t quit admiring?”
Bonnie. Isabeau.
Perhaps seeing the horror on his face, the man continued darkly. “I don’t imagine that young lady would fare too well here. Or maybe that old lady…? Old bones don’t do well on ships. Certainly not anchored underwater, neither.”
Mira. Odile.
Siffrin understood the threat. He covered his mouth with his hands, trying frantically to hide the terrified smile that might be making him look like a total maniac right now.
He’s going to kill them. If I say anything else, they’re going to die.
After a few beats of their silence, the man stood up fully again, satisfied. "That's more like it.”
Siffrin kept his hands pressed over his mouth even as the man returned to his inventory, carefully charting through everything. He couldn’t stop shaking, and not just because of the cold.
Mirabelle, Odile, Isabeau, and Bonnie. They could be in danger. If Siffrin was stupid enough to say anything else, then, then–
And not just that. It’d be one thing if Siffrin had been forcefully picked up from someplace, but he had walked out with this man. He didn’t know what the man had been doing to make Siffrin uncomfortable enough to fall back on his loop script, but because of that, Siffrin had been kidnapped. And more than likely, no one had thought twice about them leaving, especially if all eyes had been on Isabeau and Odile.
Siffrin was still quiet when the man finished taking inventory, and he remained quiet as the man left. He didn’t know if he was simply too scared to speak, or because he knew that if he did, it’d just be an echo of the time loop he had left behind.
It was the afternoon, and not only had the man not yet come back, but Siffrin still hadn’t figured out a way to get out. Though that had led to another concern.
Siffrin could say with confidence now that they were overseas. There was no telling how far they were from land. And even if Siffrin did get out, what was he going to do? Overpower the man, injured, and then steer the ship to land? Siffrin only knew how to use paddleboats and some types of fishing boats! This was a merchant boat, and even if Bonnie had said this one was a smaller one, it was still pretty blinding big. Siffrin was more likely to crash it into an island than safely dock somewhere.
But the longer Siffrin sat here, the further they got from their friends. Assuming he escaped right now, the nearest town was either Bambouche, or Saufbridge. And both of those were pretty far from each other. It would take an entire day of travel to reach one or the other, and boats could cover that distance in half the time by traveling over water. There was no telling where Siffrin was right now. He could be on his way to Ka Bue for all he knew!
There was something Siffrin had managed to do though. When he had been trying to fight off the man last night, he must have had enough restraint to not use his Craft. Siffrin found the weak hum of energy at their fingertips, however weak it was. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He’d have to make good use of it. Odile would be mad at them for using his Craft like this– after he wore himself out during his fight with Loop, most of his Craft had grown so powerful that his body simply didn’t have the energy to handle using a lot of it.
(The thought of Loop made their heart ache. He lifted his hand to his face in the secret fourth sign, hoping that maybe Loop would answer, that Loop could help them, but they were gone–)
Rebuilding that energy wasn’t impossible. Siffrin just had a really bad habit of forgetting that he wasn’t supposed to be using their Craft. Last time he tried to use Tear You Apart, he had thrown up and passed out mid-battle. He would really like not to fall unconscious in the middle of his escape– if this man caught them again, Siffrin was sure he would just kill them.
Siffrin would have one single shot. A singular attack to use. He absolutely could not waste it.
No matter where Siffrin ended up, he needed off this ship. Maybe they could seek help from some locals– it’d be embarrassing, sure, and he’d never be able to show his face in that town or city again, but it was better than being killed. He just hoped that he wasn’t gone long enough to delay Bonnie’s reunion with their sister.
The next time the man came in had to be in the late afternoon. He was carrying a small sack with him– was there something inside?
“Found a place to dock,” he said, approaching the cage Siffrin was in. He leaned down, offering the sack through the bars. There was a wide grin on his face. “Go on. Food for you.”
Siffrin looked at him, then at the sack, and back at him, uncertain.
“Come on. I’ve got to feed my hostage, don’t I?” The man encouraged, his smile growing. He shoved the sack closer to Siffrin, ignoring the way they flinched. “Eat it.”
Siffrin was awfully hungry. Their migraine hadn’t gotten any better, and they would need the strength to get out of here. His family would probably call him foolish for accepting food from his captor, but he was so tired, and in so much pain, that he didn’t care anymore.
Thank you, snack leader, for this delicious meal.
Shaking off the thought, Siffrin hesitantly accepted the sack. The man watched him almost eagerly as he tentatively opened the top, peering him.
What he saw inside made him drop the sack, lurching backwards with a horrified yelp.
There was– Siffrin was used to dead animals, he hunted his own food sometimes for stars sake, but, but–
Inside the sack was a cat with its neck twisted backwards.
The man threw his head back and roared with laughter, making Siffrin feel infinitely worse. He pushed himself as far away from the sack as he could, feeling sick to his stomach. Actually, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was about to throw up. That poor cat– people kept cats as pets! They were common in the farmlands to chase off pests! Siffrin didn’t know where that cat had come from, or even–
Oh stars. Oh stars oh stars oh stars. That cat came from Saufbridge.
Do you remember, bright one?
Siffrin’s stomach turned, and he retched into his hands, bile rising in the back of their throat. A fist, squeezing, squeezing, and they looked so small in the King’s large hand–
“Here’s something, actually,” the man was saying, dropping a durian through the bars. Siffrin caught it instinctually, flinching as its spiky exterior dug into their palms. “Heh. If you can get it open, you can have it.”
The man was still laughing as he left the room. Siffrin stared after him, breathing shakily.
Cruelty. This was cruelty. The cat, the fruit, this–
Did Siffrin do something wrong? He thought after he escaped the loops, he’d be okay. He’d have his family to fall back on. But the thought of their family seeing them like this made them feel sick.
The cat. Bonnie. That man, he would kill Siffrin’s family if he could, and if that’s what he did to a cat, what would he do to a child? Or to Mirabelle, so sweet, like a plum, and maybe if Siffrin pretended this durian was a plum, he could stomach eating it.
What would he do to sweet, funny Isabeau? Former-Defender Isabeau? Would he win? Maybe Isabeau could defeat him– but this man was surely smarter than that. He was smart enough to kidnap Siffrin undetected from a public space. And if Isabeau was like Siffrin at the time, intoxicated and thoughtless, then, then–
And Odile. He already had thoughts for Odile. He would weigh her down and drown her. That’s what he had said earlier. That’s what he would do to Odile, and it would be all Siffrin’s fault–
Horrible, graphic pictures filled Siffrin’s mind. He squeezed his hands tighter, but the spikes dug into their palms, and it hurt, but–
And another, and another. Stars~!
Siffrin dropped the fruit. They turned onto their side, curling up on the ground with their hands clasped over their mouth.
It hurt. It hurt to think about. It hurt to think, period. Siffrin couldn’t take in a full breath– it felt like his lungs were collapsing in on themselves, trying to suffocate him from the inside out. No matter how awful it had been, how faux they felt, at least Siffrin had had their family in the loops. At least Siffrin knew that they could keep them out of danger no matter what happened, because he was strong, and he could use that strength to keep them all safe.
Right now, Siffrin couldn’t do anything. His family could die, and he was too weak to do anything about it. Stuck in a cage, incapable of saving anyone.
It was at times like this Siffrin really wished he could cry. But their body wouldn’t let them. So instead, he shook, and he thought of stars.
The sun was beginning to set by the time Siffrin felt the boat slow to a complete stop.
The bag was starting to smell bad. He hadn’t been able to open the stupid frustrating blinding durian, even when he did try biting into it, shell and all. The only thing he accomplished by doing that was making his mouth hurt.
However, he did find another use for it. The chain wasn’t as strong as Siffrin initially thought it was. Or, as much as the thought sickened him, it was simply worn from past use. He didn’t even want to think about the implications of that.
But, in the first good news of the day, Siffrin managed to break that chain. By bashing the durian over it more times than Siffrin cared to count. It had finally snapped, leaving Siffrin’s arms and shoulders exhausted. He couldn’t get the cuff off though, which was unfortunate, because Siffrin felt like the blood flow to his hand was starting to be cut off.
This was good though. Siffrin wasn’t bound anymore. And, the ship had stopped, likely at that place the man mentioned they’d dock. If Siffrin could just get out of this cage, they could make a run for it. At a boat dock, there’d surely be other people around– maybe if Siffrin screamed loud enough, someone would come to their aid.
It is getting really late, though… Siffrin thought worriedly, trying his best to peer out the window. He had been in this awful cage for an entire day. Will anyone even be at the dock?
Surely there’d be at least one person. Although that would mean it would be just one innocent person, against this very dangerous man… who Siffrin still had no idea what was capable of…
Don’t overcomplicate it, Siffrin scolded himself, shoving the chain back into place. It was getting dark enough that, unless the man looked closely, he shouldn’t notice it was broken.
Siffrin’s waiting paid off, thankfully. When the man came back into the storeroom, he came straight towards the cage. Siffrin shrank back, schooling his expression into a wary one. No one said Siffrin wasn’t an actor, after all, and he could not allow himself to be afraid right now.
It was either Siffrin escaped right now, or he died. Fear was absolutely not an option.
“One of my buddies docked here a couple of days ago.” The man smiled, showing off his teeth. “He wants to see the special cargo I got.”
Siffrin’s heart sank. He has a friend? Calling for help wouldn’t be an option, then. Siffrin would have to make a run for it.
On that note, if this man had a friend, would trying to hide in whatever town they were docked at be safe? What if this man had other connections? When Siffrin was so powerless and weak, it’d be easy to capture him again. And that would certainly mean death.
A forest. I have to find someplace to hide.
The man crouched down, producing a key from one of his pockets. Siffrin tried not to look too tense. He had a plan in mind, he just needed to execute it perfectly. Which, knowing him, would not go over well. It took them so many loops just to reach the King for the first time– how could he be trusted to make it out of this situation? He didn’t have Time Craft to protect him this time.
Don’t overthink it. Just do it.
The cage door opened. Siffrin crouched.
(Just attack.)
Siffrin lunged forwards, his fingers extended in the Scissors sign. It was far more difficult to do without their dagger in hand, but even getting slapped by Piercing Craft should hurt like hell. The man shouted in alarm, rearing back, which gave Siffrin enough leeway to pull the rest of the chain out of the cage.
He darted to the side as the man made a swipe for them, blood dripping from a large slash across his face, and once he was behind the man, he pounced. Siffrin grabbed the end of the chain, threw the half-loop over the man’s head, crossed his arms to secure the chain, and pulled.
The man choked, his hands automatically reaching for his neck. The height difference made it just a little bit of an awkward angle, but it didn’t matter. If anything, the angle made it hurt even worse, as Siffrin pulled as hard as he could in opposite directions, pushing his arms as far as they could go. The man stumbled, nearly falling back on Siffrin– he clawed and kicked in all directions, trying his hardest to strike Siffrin, but he simply couldn’t.
As the man’s struggling began to dangerously cease, Siffrin loosened his grip on the chain. He pulled the whole chain back towards himself, and without checking to see if the man was breathing, he grabbed his cloak under one arm, booked it.
His side burned as he ran out of the room, vaulting himself up the first slope he saw. Siffrin made it out to the deck before he heard the infuriated, wordless scream of the man behind, sending adrenaline spiking through his limbs.
Go, go, go go go! Don’t think don’t wait just run JUST RUN–
The boat was docked at a town, thank the stars. There was another boat docked nearby– that man’s friend, Siffrin was sure!– and lots of beach. As Siffrin ran, he tied his cloak around his waist, not daring to obscure his vision for even just a moment to put it on.
“I’LL KILL YOU!” That man bellowed chillingly close behind him, urging Siffrin’s feet forwards. He bolted down the ramp onto the dock, wood creaking beneath his bare feet as he hurried towards land. “HEY!”
The dock was long, and very big. This town must be accustomed to trade, Siffrin thought– they could see other boats at nearby docks, ones that looked huge in comparison.
But, wait. These docks alone were really big, and Siffrin was rapidly running out of stamina. He wasn’t going to make it before the man either caught up, or Siffrin’s legs gave out on them.
Fear pierced his heart. No, he couldn’t be caught– he needed to be there when Bonnie reunited with their sister! He needed to wear the clothes Isabeau made, and adventure more with Mirabelle, and see Odile’s homeland with her! He couldn’t die here, not now, not now–!
Something slammed into Siffrin’s shoulder. Something sharp, and piercing, and it, it hurt an awful lot.
Siffrin didn’t know which foot was in front of the other. Their hand flew to their shoulder, and something snapped as his hand collided with– with something long, and–
–and there was still something buried in their shoulder. And Siffrin couldn’t reach it, and it hurt, and Siffrin was sure he was gasping like a fish out of water, and–
–and the water! The sea! Under the dock!
This was going to be cold, but Siffrin was already freezing, so who cares. He turned on his heel, and with the terrifying picture of the man storming towards him, he jumped forwards. He had a split second to hear the enraged shout of the man before his head was submerged underwater.
Salt water stung Siffrin’s wounds, and it took a conscious effort not to cry out. He lashed out in all directions until his hand whacked one of the poles of the dock. He frantically backpedaled towards it, hoping whatever splashing he was doing would just look like the waves.
This chain was really coming in handy, because it was easy for Siffrin to hold onto the pole with it. He wrapped the chain around the pole, which was thankfully just thin enough for Siffrin to hug onto. His head broke the surface, giving him the opportunity to inhale deeply, his chest desperate for air it struggled to take in.
The relief didn’t last for long, as he was promptly barraged with a wave, but he’d take fighting the ocean over being killed at the hands of that man.
“GEMS ALIVE!” The man roared, nearly loud enough to shake the entire dock. He continued shouting angry things as he stomped across the dock, but by now, Siffrin was more focused on holding onto the pole. He’d stay here for as long as he had to, no matter how agonizing it was.
For now, Siffrin stayed hidden, focusing on trying to even out their breathing. The waves were trying to tug them back outwards, and when he didn’t budge, they shoved him further inwards, and the constant fight to keep his grip on the chain was starting to tire him out. Worse yet, now the chain was wet, and it was slippery and difficult to keep a hold on.
By the time the docks were sufficiently quiet, the sun had completely set. Siffrin was not very eager to try and stay afloat all night, nor did they want to be stuck here when it was pitch black. That man had surely left the docks by now– or maybe he assumed Siffrin drowned, preferably– so the cover of darkness should be enough for Siffrin to slip into the forest. Or maybe this town would have Defenders! If he found a group of them, maybe they could help him!
Mind made up, Siffrin hesitantly let go of the chain, and boosted themself forwards.
It was far more difficult to actually reach the beach than Siffrin would have liked. The ocean seemed eager to make this as hard for them as possible. The waves threw themselves over his head more times than he would like, and the once-helpful chain kept tangling them up and throwing them off balance. The added weight of his cloak was further complicating things, too.
By the time Siffrin did finally make it to the beach, pulling himself inland enough that the waves couldn’t claim him right now, he was thoroughly exhausted. He laid in the sand for a few minutes, gasping for air, and trying his best not to lose consciousness. Their entire body throbbed like one giant bruise, pain blistering in his side and shoulder– stars, there was still something in him, wasn’t there?
Siffrin reached over, tenderly feeling the wound. He flinched back, hissing weakly, as the pain flared through his body. He couldn’t pull whatever was there out, and he didn’t have anything to wrap himself up with even if he did. They had their cloak, sure, but the wound was at such an awkward angle, and his cloak was probably so dirty by now, it just wasn't a good idea.
Dirty. Siffrin really shouldn’t be lying in the sand like this. He needed to get his wounds treated before something got infected. That’d definitely slow everyone down, even more so than Siffrin already had.
If Siffrin had the energy left, they’d feel guilty for getting kidnapped. Bonnie was so, so excited to see their sister, and now Siffrin had gone and spoiled it.
Maybe I can get back to Saufbridge by tomorrow, Siffrin thought dizzily. With a grand amount of effort, he rolled onto his stomach, putting their hands on the ground and pushing themself onto their knees. If I just… start walking now… maybe I can make it by tomorrow night…
Siffrin’s elbows buckled, and he heaved as he nearly went face-planting into the sand. His arms shook under his weight, the pain in their side and shoulder being enough to bring tears to their eye. Stars, it hurt so blinding bad.
Someone help me. Siffrin parted their lips in a wordless whimper, pained tears dripping onto the sand below. Someone please. Help me. Help me. Help me. I need to get back to my family, I need to…
“Um, hey! Are you okay?”
Siffrin lifted his head, blinking hard.
It was a woman, running up to them. Her skin was a dark tan, her lightless hair tied in a twin braid that flowed out behind her. She wore sandals, and a tank top, which with how cold it was out here, she must be crazy.
The woman– a young lady, maybe around 19 or 20– crouched down next to him, and Siffrin nearly knocked himself over with how hard they flinched.
“Hey, it's alright. I'm just wondering why you’re out here,” the woman said. She gazed at them rather intensely, as if picking apart every little detail of his face. “I can’t recognize where you’re from…” She looked back out towards the sea. “Did you wash up?”
Siffrin wanted to tell her what happened. But she looked an awful lot like Bonnie, and all Siffrin could think of was a little body being crushed under the might of the King's fist, and a cat with its head twisted backwards, and it was all his fault… all my fault…!
“Woah! Hey, you’re bleeding!” The lady realized with a surprise exclamation. “Here, I’ll carry you back to my place. It's really close to here, and I can patch you up.”
Without warning, the woman touched his shoulder– the non-injured one, thankfully– and helped them sit up fully. The clink of the chain made her look down, and he watched her eyebrows furrow.
“What is…?” The woman stared down at their chain for a few moments, confusion shifting into concern. “You’re wearing… a cuff.”
Siffrin was too tired to do anything but sit there and try not to fall back over. The gruesome images of their family being killed by that awful man swam through their head, making it difficult to look this woman in the eye.
“...just… try to relax,” the woman advised, standing up. “This might hurt like a crab.”
Hah, Siffrin thought as she leaned down, their vision beginning to darken. She even talks like them, too.