Even after the slow ride I had taken back from The Lost and Found, I still couldn't place my finger on why I had gotten so worked up when Kayne had asked me to pretend to be his fiancé. Whether it was because I wasn't originally from Racaea or I didn't like the responsibility, I couldn't decide. Still, I shouldn't have gotten so annoyed with the two males when they were only trying to joke around. I needed to find them and apologise.

A small glance at the stack of papers on the front desk sent delight into my veins. Apologies would come later when I could actually find them. For now, I would lose myself in the blazing heat and exhilaration of forging a weapon from a piece of metal.

Just as I was about to pick up the first sheet to assess the order written on it, the bell to the front door chimed. "Well I never," a deep male voice began, "you haven't burned the place down yet."

My head shot up from the words I was reading. "Trik!"

The man who had taken me and Auron in as children leant against the doorframe, his head nearly reaching the top. Trik's dark brown hair was a completely different shade to his thick, reddish beard, making his blue eyes more noticeable than other peoples'. He was largely built — muscles pushed through his shirt from years of being a blacksmith and his torso was large from the alcohol and food he excessively enjoyed.

I ran around the counter and pulled him into an embrace, feeling his familiar warmth seep into my body. "Where have you been?" It had been months since Auron and I had last seen him and, even though we were both old enough to take care of ourselves now, we had missed him dearly. Trik was still a father figure to us.

"Oh, you know, around several different countries as usual. I met some peculiar fellows in the Kingdom of Teria and then I made a sword from the Prince of Vahan. After that, I made samples to bring customers in, but that was the boring stuff," he explained as he returned my hug, his chuckle at the end reverberating through my bones.

"Did you not manage to visit Icrodeia this time?" My heart sank before I even heard his answer. Usually, it would be the first thing he mentioned to me when he returned from one of his trips.

"Unfortunately not, kid. I did try, but Icrodeia is being strict about their borders for some reason, especially against Racaea." He mussed up my hair with his large hand. "I'll try to get you another souvenir from there next time though, I promise."

I sighed. "Thank you for trying."

"Did you and Auron go out earlier? The sign on the door is still closed." When I didn't reply, he pushed further. "I thought I mentioned several times to save your excursions for after opening hours."

Auron scoffed from the entrance to his room. "Like you can talk. You head out and don't come back for months during opening hours." Despite his tone, there was still a smile on his face from seeing Trik again.

"Ouch, you wound me." Trik shook his head with a laugh. "I have to leave to bring in customers for us, anyway. The Racaea army asking for replacement weapons doesn't always make us enough money to survive." He held his arms open for Auron to join our hug, but he kept to one side. After all this time and even though there were just the three of us in the room, he was still embarrassed to hug us. His family.

"What's that you're holding?" Auron asked to turn the attention off the embrace he was rejecting.

Trik lifted a piece of paper that had been scrunched in his hand. "Oh, right!" He pulled away from me and opened it up to read what was inside. "This is an emergency request specifically for Sabre."

"For me?"Caution filled my voice and I crossed my arms. "I thought emergency requests couldn't ask for certain people." I was honoured that somebody desperately wanted my assistance, but something didn't feel right.

"Well, this time it's above that rule. The tower is requesting you to make some custom shackles which are to be as strong as possible. They need some for the ankles and one for the waist as well."

"For the waist?" Auron asked in shock. "Why not just for a prisoner's wrists?"

Trik didn't reply, the answer forming on his tongue but refusing to come out. I could make a good guess as to why that was. When faced with a situation where you could encounter torture or death, if the only thing holding them back was shackles around the wrists, they didn't need arms to survive.

"I can do that, though I'm going to need measurements if they're to be custom made."

His tanned skin paled more than I thought it could. "I know. That's why they've also requested you go to the tower yourself to get them and bring stronger, temporary shackles in the meantime."

"I'll get some shackles for you to take," Auron offered, heading back into his room before we could see his startled expression.

The tower. I was headed for the tower. That fact hadn't registered in my mind as I was still processing the shock. It was the most brutal and merciless prison known in the surrounding kingdoms and the guards wanted me. Why not Trik who was much more experienced than I was?

Trik placed his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look directly into his sapphire eyes. "Look, Sabre, the tower is a dangerous place. Go in, get the prisoner's measurements, and then get out. Once you've made the shackles, I'll deliver them so you don't have to go back there." His grip on me tightened. "I don't want you to be any closer to that cursed place than you need to be, okay?"

I nodded, breathing deeply as Auron reemerged.

"These are the strongest ones I could find. They're for the wrists and ankles though, I doubt any of us have ever made a shackle for the waist before." His hands shook as he glanced between the metal clasped in them and me. "Do you think they'll accept me in your place? I don't want to force you to go there."

Trik shook his head. "The tower's guards are strict. They'll only accept her to go and get the measurements."

"I've got this," I announced to reassure both myself and the two males. "It's not like I'm taking a tour around the place. Besides, I can take care of myself. A few prisoners won't be too tough to handle."

The large blacksmith let go of my shoulders and stepped out of the doorway, a small smile forming. "Be quick, kid. I believe in you."

"If you don't be careful, you'll have trouble to put up with from the both of us," Auron added. The shackles became heavy weights as I stepped out from the blacksmith and made my way to the tower.

It wasn't too far away from where our shop resided on the outskirts of the castle's grounds and could be seen for miles around. The prison that stuck out against the skyline was built from a deep onyx stone which was certain to not let any light through its gaps. There weren't any windows dotted along the walls as the founders hadn't wanted to include any unnecessary means of escape. It wasn't the most beautiful structure in Racaea, though there was still a small amount of decoration on the outside. Silver, steel rose bushes lined the perimeter of the tower and vines of the same material climbed up the stone, creating an enchanted feel to the prison.

As I approached the entrance which was surrounded by at least a dozen guards, one of them rushed up to me, digging her spear into the ground as she stood before me. "Are you Sabre?"

"I am indeed." My hand reached for my pocket to make sure my measuring tape was still in there. I hardly ever removed it as I needed it a lot for my work, but knowing my luck, it was sure to disappear when I needed it most.

"Then follow me." She went up to the steel doors with a meticulously crafted lock on them and they opened for her. A frustrated beckon of her hand when I remained frozen where I stood forced me to head over too.

I was going to head into the tower and then come back out unscathed. My lips couldn't help but smile, excitement fighting against the fear building within me. I betted not many people could have claimed to have done the same thing.

"Before we enter, do you have any weapons on you?" The guard stopped suddenly, nearly making me walk into her. When I shook my head, she continued, "good. As we head through the maze, stick close by my side so you don't get lost. If you do end up straying from our route, your best hope is to stay where you are so one of us can find you, but even then you're likely to be a lost cause."

My eyes widened as she announced the rules. Weren't they supposed to know the labyrinth that filled the walls of the tower like the backs of their hands? Couldn't they just easily find me again? Why was she making it sound so serious? Perhaps she was just over exaggerating for the sake of it.

"If you encounter any strange noises or people within the maze, do not acknowledge them. We will not be held responsible for any injuries or death that may occur due to this."

"Wait! What do-"

The guard glanced at her watch. "We don't have a lot of time before the next shift. Let's get moving." Without warning, she fled into the tower's darkness, leaving me behind at the front.

I quickly sped after her, barely able to make out her figure in the shadows of the twists and turns of the maze, the only light being the few torches placed along the ceiling. Screams echoed all around me, making it difficult to decipher where exactly they were coming from, but I did as I was told and turned a deaf ear to them. How many people were being kept in the tower? Nobody had entered for years. Why was this prisoner so special?

After a short while, we arrived at a flight of stairs which we climbed, taking us to a cell with three strong locks on the outside.

"We're here. Once I open this door, there will be another guard on the inside that you can hand the shackles to so you can take the measurements. Get them quickly so we can leave the same way we entered."

I nodded, swallowing my anxiousness. One of my hands gripped the shackles and the other already reached for the tape I had brought. In and out, I told myself. Just like Trik had said. However, when the door swung open, I couldn't help but admire the room.

Across the walls hung several weapons of every kind — swords, axes, whips, daggers. If you could place a name to it, it would be there. Some of them I recognised were made by my own hands. Doubt arose in my chest as to whether they should be kept in the room, but I didn't think the guards wanted to keep leaving and entering while a torturing was in process. In the centre of the cell was a steel chair fastened tightly to the floor, holding the prisoner captive. He kept his eyes trained to the ground, ignoring the two other people standing in front of him.

Across from me were a man and a woman, anger filling their expressions, that I could easily identify. It was the High Fae Queen and Kayne.

Why do you think Sabre was specifically asked to make the shackles for the prisoner?