The cold, damp air clung to Stick’s skin as they paced the confines of their cell. The stone walls seemed to press in, their silence deafening. Only the faint hum from the adjacent cell broke the monotony, a cryptic tune that sent shivers down Stick’s spine. The melody was haunting, an otherworldly lullaby in a place that had forgotten hope. A sudden tapping echoed through the dungeon, faint at first but growing louder. The sound grew sharper, accompanied by the soft shuffle of footsteps. A shadow stretched across the part of the stone wall in Stick’s vision. The tapping stopped with a sharp thud, followed by silence. Stick’s gaze shot upward, toward the grated hole in the ceiling. Light spilled through as a man emerged from the shadows, Stick’s gaze shot upward, toward the grated hole in the ceiling. The glow flickered faintly, never steady, as though it couldn’t decide whether to illuminate the space or retreat into darkness. He wore an impeccably tailored yet antiquated coat, its details gleaming in the uncertain light. The man’s smile was playful, almost boyish, which made Stick uneasy.

  “Stick, the Prized Possession, and Hadvar,” the man said, his voice smooth and unhurried. “What an unusual combination of characters.”

  “And who are you?” came a sharp demand from the adjacent cell.

  “I didn’t expect you to remember.” He tipped his head in a mock bow, the lamp swaying slightly in his hand. “Call me Ed.”

  Stick frowned. “What do you want?”

  “Ah, straight to the point. I like that,” Ed said amused. “I’m here to offer you something rare: freedom. You see, you two self-proclaimed heroes have caught the attention of some very influential people.”

  Heroes?

  “And what’s the catch?” Stick asked warily.

  “Always a catch, isn’t there?” Ed’s grin widened. ”I propose a test. A question to decide your fate. Answer wisely, and you’ll walk free.”

  Stick remembered his first day, when he was brought before the Baron. He thought about it for a second, but ultimately nodded in agreement.

  “Heroes and fools are on two sides of the same coin,” Ed began, pacing slowly. “When you want to flip the coin from heads to tails, the top calls the change foolish. The bottom, however, thinks it’s heroic. I think you are fools for trying to flip the coin. You think you are heroes. Well, what is it then? Are you heroes trying to help the fools or are you fools standing up to the heroes?”

  Stick racked his brain around the question. There’s no way to know the correct answer if it’s a matter of perspective! What do you want to hear, Ed? That I’m a fool in Carnifex’ eyes? That’s what it takes to let me out of here?

  A tense silence followed.

  ”So what you’re saying,” Hadvar finally said, “is that you’ll find fools and heroes on both sides of the coin.”

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Ed’s smile grew enigmatic, but he didn’t react further. The lamp flickered, its light dimming briefly before regaining strength. What? Was it a trick question?

  ”If you want to flip a coin from the bottom to the top, you let one side rise and one side fall. When you’re at the bottom weak heroes need to take what weak fools won’t give, so that they can become strong heroes to face the top. The weak bottom flips the strong top on its head. I saw myself as a strong hero at the very top once. Now I’m a weak fool here at the bottom. If you let me out of here, I’ll flip that back on its head.”

  Ed nodded and turned his head to Stick, his face unreadable. The flame in his lamp danced, the shadows around him growing restless. Something clicked, when he heard Hadvar’s answer. It wasn’t about either or. No correct or wrong. The coin only ever flipped one way. The question is how I see the coin flip.

  “But what if I don’t want to take advantage of the weak fools to become a strong hero?” Stick asked, making PP meet his eyes. ”I like fools. Fools bring levity during hardships. Fools are selfless so others can strive. I think it’s wrong to step on the weak fools at the bottom instead of asking for help from the strong fools at the top. It’s easier for the weak heroes to take action when there are strong fools taking responsibility. You might think of people who give rather than take to be fools, because most of the time they don’t get anything in return, but I believe that risking everything to help others makes fools the heroes among the heroes to me, even if you don’t call them that. Some people have to be that selfless for others to strive. You out of all people should understand. After all, aren’t you a strong fool offering to free us in the first place?”

  Ed remained silent. He waited for Stick to give his answer.

  ”Without the selfless sacrifice of the Great Fool Arslan, we’d have no Carnifex rising to the top. I want to follow his example and allow the weak heroes to rise strong enough to flip the coin, even if it costs me my fall. Without Arslan there’d be no Stick. So if you let me, a weak hero free, I’ll make sure to become the strongest fool this world has seen.”

  Silence. Then, out of nowhere Ed cackled. The lamp’s flame leapt high, casting sharp, jagged shadows around the room.

  “Interesting perspectives. I like your answers equally.” He turned to Hadvar. “But you, dear Hadvar, already had your chance and mucked it up.”

  The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

  Ed’s voice softened, yet carried an edge of menace. “One last question: what happens when us strong fools finally get to rule?”

  He tossed a pair of keys to Stick, who caught them instinctively. The flame in the lamp flickered one last time, its glow receding into shadow as Ed vanished into the darkness, leaving only the faint glimmer of light fading into the distance and the question lingering in the air. Stick stared at the keys, his hands trembling. Who is that guy?

  https://www.patreon.com/IgLu_Books