"Sam! Pssst. Sam!! Wake up!" Sue's hushed tone reverberating around me stirred my eyes open, a dull red light partially illuminating the small stone room I've found myself in. Chains latched around my wrists and ankles pinning me to a metal chair, facing out of the barred door concealing me in this prison. Outside, the red hue glowing through painted the stone walkway, shining into Sue's prison cell across the way.
"Sue? You're alive?" I asked, wincing at the pounding headache that followed finally speaking.
"For now. I think everyone's here, but every time they get too loud, someone comes to question them." Sue whispered shakily, her eyes darting from side to side as she sat chained to her own chair.
"Who? Who's 'them'?" I asked, hoping I didn't already know the answer.
"Who do you think? Tytos showed up?! No, it's those damned devil-lovers." Sue replied, confirming my assumption.
"Fuck. Fuck, we're so screwed." I said, feeling panic quickly overtaking my mind. Why the fuck did Paul have to start a fight with literally everyone? We'd barely escaped their Pylon with our lives, equipped with plenty of knowledge to warn Paul's father, Winston and the others about these fucking monsters. Winged serpents, traitorous Giants, seemingly endless resources, and some of the strongest individuals I've had the displeasure of witnessing in action. Even from afar, that lightning warriors' furocity alone was utterly terrifying. We could've escaped, maybe even convinced Winston to let us abandon our Pylon entirely and set sail elsewhere.
But no, his shitheaded son had to have a pissing contest with everyone no less than 2 hours after escaping from these animals. No doubt he alerted them to us, and…I suppose socking Paul in the jaw didn't exactly 'deescalate' the situation. Doesn't matter now, all we had left to do was await whatever fate these heathens had in store for us.
"Shut up, don't talk like that. So far, no one's gotten their asses kicked or anything, at least nothing I could hear. Just sit tight until everyone else wakes up." Sue said, gesturing her head to her sides. Tilting my own, I could barely make out the edge of another set of bars to either side of her. Assuming they were prison cells that were filled, we might have better communication. Not sure how it'll help, but anything's better than waiting to die.
"Ugh, h-hey. Cory, is that you?" After around 5 minutes of distant slams of metallic doors, Paul's groggy voice echoed down the hallway.
"Paul? Paul, is that you?" Sue asked, cocking her head to the side staring intently somewhere to my right.
"Sue? Where the hell are we?" Paul bellowed in his signature impatient tone.
"No idea, is that Cory in front of you?" I chimed in, seeing no need to remain unnoticed.
"Sam? Sonuvabitch, is everyone here?" Paul asked.
"Fucking yes, ANSWER!" I yelled, feeling no more patience for this prick than I had in the forest.
"Yeah, yeah he's right here. He's out cold, though." Paul replied, sounding uncharacteristically apprehensive. A loud mechanical click chambered from down the hallway, reverberating slowly out of ear shot. Footsteps clapped across the stone floor, crescendoing until a figure appeared in front of me. Their back was turned, however the dark hair and fine cloth attire was plenty recognizable.
"Good morning, my not so little friends." The man I recognized as the faction leader said, looking up at Sue and I.
"Now, what's a big group of giants like yourselves doing wandering around my neck of the woods? Were we lost?" The faction leader asked through a toothy grin. There was a certain giddiness in his eyes that felt so terribly out of place, being somewhere like this. I suppose it's far more comforting not being strapped to a chair.
"…ah, I see. Then tell me, who's the leader amongst you? I assume you'd wish for negotiations regarding your release, no?" The man said, grabbing Sue's metal bars and leaning in.
"…Paul." Sue said, her eyes locked onto the man's. His head snapped around, looking straight at me.
"And you, what's your name, friend?" The man said, skipping giddily over to my side.
"Sam. My name is Sam, sir." I replied, struggling to look the man in his hawk-like eye.
"Listen Sammy, I'm not going to lie to you. You folks aren't in the best position right now, having technically invaded my territory unannounced. Not to mention I caught word you've been here for a while, not even once bothering to say hello. You see how that can seem…suspicious, don't you?" The man said, leaning his elbow against the bars.
"I understand. I assure you we never meant you any harm." I replied, keeping my eyes low. Everytime I met his gaze, I couldn't help but sense how easily this man could end my life here and now.
"Oh wow! Hey, did you hear that, lady? Your buddy swears you guys weren't doing anything to do my people harm. Which I'm sure he knows includes spying on us to gain knowledge over my defenses, or my settlement in general. Is that true?" The man asked, looking back at Sue. I couldn't see her, due to this man standing in the way.
"We…don't have to say shit." Sue replied. The man faced me, laughing while gesturing back at Sue.
"This one. This one I like. The strongest spirits shatter the hardest." The man said, his smile quickly fading away.
"Please. We're just a group of scholars, we're not soldiers. Talk to P-" the man's hand resting on the sliding prison bars clenched tightly, an orange ball of flame illuminating the steel.
"I take it Paul's the one I'm to be asking the majority of my questions, since you've both just confirmed he's your leader. Am I correct?" The man asked after a deep breath. Looking over his shoulder, Sue nodded signaling this was the best move.
"Yes. I'm not sure how many of us you got, but I haven't heard him down here yet." I replied, forcing myself to meet the man's gaze. Sweat dampened my robes from chest to toe, trying my hardest not to shiver.
"That's no bother. Many of your friends are still napping, giving us plenty of time to get to know each other. Unfortunately, I cannot continue our fun in good conscience until your release is discussed. If you'll excuse me." The man said, turning around and taking a single step to my side. His steps paused, the sound three metal knocks clanking on metal following. After a brief pause, the steps resumed further down the hallway.
"Ugh, oh shit, where am I?" Cory's voice echoed through the hallway, halting the distant footsteps.
"Hey, Paul? Paul, wake up man are you okay?!" Cory's voice continued, Sue sharing my look of fearful realization at what Cory had just done. The footsteps resumed only growing louder.
"Dammit, Cory." Paul grunted.
"Oh look! You're awake after all!" The man's voice said. Immediately, the sound of steel bars sliding and slamming reverberated through the hallways of assumed prison cells.
"No, no don't you fucking touch me! What are you doing?" Paul's panicked words grew louder, seeing him pass by my cell being pushed in his chair by this faction's leader. As they passed by, I could've sworn I heard that psychopath humming. Voices of our squad grew louder with every passing moment, indicating they'd finally started waking up.
"Let him go!"
"What the fucks going on?"
"Stop, please let me go!" The pleading voices drowned out the man's footsteps and Paul's wheeling chair until they'd completely left. Everyone's whirring voices flooded the hallway, leaving me utterly amazed how any of them managed to distinguish any word from another. Some openly sobbed, others argued loudly with one another. Of course, the fiery energy pumping through our allies couldn't last long as the ambient ramblings slowly subsided in quantity and volume.
"Sue, what the hell are we supposed to do? They've got Paul, and there's no fucking way we're breaking out of these chains." I said, nearly tearing my shoulder from its socket trying desperately to free my wrist from its metal bindings.
"Relax, Sam. All we can do is hope that psycho was honest about seeking negotiations." Sue replied in a monotone, never bothering to look back up at me from her lap.
"Wow, glad I waited for that fucking plan of yours." I shot back, annoyed at even assuming she had a decent idea how to get out of here. My wand was gone, and I felt utterly drained. Checking my resource pools merited my severe weakness.
Health: 110/110
Mana: 1/199
Stamina: 1/98
Of course, why wouldn't these prisons bleed you dry of your mana and stamina? At the very least they kept us above zero, avoiding the full brutal effects of mana exhaustion. I've never experienced Stamina exhaustion, though I couldn't imagine it hurt any less. After another 20 minutes of waiting for Paul's return with news regarding our future freedom, a blood curdling scream shot throughout our prison.
"MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT S-" Paul's cries cut out by a large rickety wooden door slamming shut. For the next half hour, no one dared to say another word. Not even a cough or sneeze. Eventually, the heavy door swung open down the hall, a melodic whistle accompanied by footsteps thumping closer. The high pitched creaking of wheels turning crescendoed, until the leader passed by with Pau rolling by my cell. Paul was whispering to himself, slowly banging his head into his seat over and over. The leader continued blissfully whistling while pushing him along, his melody piercing through the sound of Paul's cell slamming shut.
"Hey uh, Sam, right?" Their leader asked, peering into my cell.
"Yes, s-sir." I said, fighting my nerves with every fiber of my being to no avail.
"Paul had mentioned you, how about a snack? I bet you're famished sitting in there." The man said, sliding my gate open and walking around me.
"Wait, wait please hold on, I don't know anything Paul didn't kn-" a firm hand grasped onto my shoulder from around my chair.
"Relax, Sam. We're just going to have a chat, nothing more." The man said, wheeling me out of the cell and down the stone walkway. The red light beaming from above was borderline blinding, my eyes focusing at my sides seeing all our squad strapped to chairs in similar cells. Random assortments of serrated blades and saws lined the walls, along with panels covered in buttons outside each cell. Jeneane was nowhere to be found, though I'm sure her cell was somewhere in the other direction. Down the hallway, two figures stepped out from a heavy door that sounded exactly the same as when Paul was carted off.
"I'm begging you, sir. We just want to go home, we have no intentions of harming you or your people." I pleaded over my shoulder, fearing I was about to suffer whatever fate Paul had screamed in again over.
"We'll talk soon." The leader said from behind me, a tinge of frustration in his tone giving rise to anxiety in my chest. The two figures stepped forward, revealing two giants with lighter green skin. Jaia, no doubt, it was no secret amongst the Demigod Giants' factions they'd made allegiance with a damned devil. According to Paul's father Winston,, no one bats an eye at the vexes of H-Grade chosen and their own budding factions, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves against them.
The two figures ushered us through the doorway, entering a cold empty room glowing under a red light. The light flickered across the ceilings linearly down the center, appearing more like an oddly colored fire. They wheeled me in front of a desk in the room, that and the chair behind it being the only furniture in the windowless stone room. Their leader sat in front of me at the desk, crossing his feet on top of it.
"I should probably introduce myself. My name's Korbin, Chosen of Beloris and leader of the Elysium. While it's under rather extraneous circumstances, I was very much looking forward to meeting those touched by Tytos, The Scholar. Pleasure to meet you." Their leader, Korbin said casually, not at all hiding he knew who we were.
"Uh, you as well, sir." I replied, not entirely sure how to take his rather informal attitude. Korbin dropped his legs back down, leaning forward with a contorted face.
"Ahh, don't call me that. I got enough guys calling me 'sir', just call me Korbin." He said, smiling.
"Okay, uh, Korbin. Can I ask why I'm here?" I asked hesitantly.
"Well, Paul was nothing short of an open book. A real treat in all honesty, I can see why you've elected him as your squad leader. Anyways, we've gathered about as much information as we need to arrange a formal meeting with your Pylon leader. Winston, was it?" Korbin asked, appearing genuinely curious everywhere both those damned knowing eyes that burned through my own, sensing a persistent chill down my spine.
"Yes. That is him." I answered, feeling confident he didn't pull that name from nothing. Paul definitely talked, and sold out his own father nonetheless, that fucking rat.
"He informed me all 30 of you had been captured, and it would be another 2 days until another search party is sent out for him. I even know about the little drama you had before my friends found you. He held high regards for your left hook by the way." Korbin continued, my stomach sinking further and further with every accurate detail. Then, he sighed disappointedly.
"Only issue we ran into is, Paul was rather stubborn about the precise location of your settlement. Strange, considering he had little issue with telling me how many of you there were, both here and at your settlement. Unfortunately, we have little time to beg, which is why you had to see Paul in the state he was out there." Korbin explained, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.
"What did you do?" I asked, not having a chance to get a good look at Paul before he got dropped back off in his cell.
"With any luck, and little open mindedness, you won't find out." Korbin replied, scooting closer to the table. Suddenly, a piece of paper manifested from a ball of fire floating between us.
"While I'm sure your people are nothing short of some of the most knowledgeable inhabitants in the entire tutorial, this may be something you're unfamiliar with." The contract flew toward my face, disappearing just before it hit my face. A ding from my notifications sounded.
"Go ahead and check that." Korbin said, sending a wave of fear through my body. Opening the notification revealed the same contract, only I could read over it freely.
"This little contract is a simple precautionary measure, to ensure we have no betrayal among one another. You and your squad are to escort my army to your settlement peacefully. In return, freedom will be granted to all of your own who participate in the escort, as well as sign a contract of their own. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?" Korbin asked, after essentially asking me to deliver his forces to my friends and family.
"And…if either of us violate the terms?" I asked.
"Oh, violators' minds will be flooded with an ancient infernal madness harvestable only from the furthest depths of hells underbelly." Korbin replied entirely too casually. As much as I wanted to doubt this H grade human had access to something as potent as madness energy, claiming it to be of the most potent variety to my knowledge no less, Paul's drooling face started to make more sense.
"…if I refuse to sign this contract?" I asked, my voice cracking nervously.
"I'll flood your mind with madness anyway, and continue asking your people until someone agrees." Korbin answered, again in an unwittingly nonchalant tone. The little time I've had to accompany Paul in his lessons with Winston, I'd learned Devils strong enough to take on chosen had achieved such a status through expletively waging sin in some form or another. Almost all of the alliances made with the 9 Devils of Hell have ended in betrayal, including those formed with one another. Beloris, while renowned as among the most affable Devils in nature, is a monster who lied and cheated his way to power. It's why we were here, to glean whether they were intending on turning their sights on us.
*snap snap*
"Hey, yoo-hoo? Anyone home?" Korbin asked, snapping his fingers and waving his hand in front of my face and pulling me from my thoughts. There was no doubt he'd hurt anyone who refused to assist him, if he was anything like his Patron.
"Fine. How do I sign?" I asked through a clenched jaw. Korbin smiled a toothy grin raising an eyebrow.
"Scroll down the contract, it's at the bottom." he replied. Scrolling down, an empty line with an x beside it sat under Korbin's signature. Willing to accept, my name faded onto the page. A rush of energy channeled through my spirit, entering through my mind and funneling through my body. It was absolutely foreign, and undoubtedly strong.
"Perfect! Well, this went by easier than expected, unfortunately. Fred, can you tell Lonni to gather Tom and his squad for me, big guy? Tell them to meet me at the Pylon building." Korbin asked, looking at one of the Jaia Giants standing behind him.
"Of course, your grace." The Giant replied, promptly exiting the room. Korbin turned his head around to the other Giant behind him.
"James, can you free our new friend Sam here from his shackles? They look entirely too tight on his wrists, I can't imagine that's comfortable." Korbin instructed, looking at my blooded hands from trying to rip free periodically. The Giant nodded, walking behind my chair. With a click, both my wrist and ankle restraints opened. I shot to my feet, my intent fully to pounce on Korbin for foolishly releasing me. The moment my hands touched his desk however, my mind became overwhelmed with a cacophony of whispers, their words like needles prodding at every synapse. My knees buckled, causing me to slam my chin on the desk on my way to the floor.
The Giant had his boot hovering high above my head when Korbin hopped over the desk, putting his arm in front of his massive goon. Granted, this Jaia Giant was only a foot taller, but his brutish nature matched that of every other Demigod that gives our race the reputation of "simple-minded".
"No no, it's okay James. I think he understands what our contract means now. Send another in, I have experience to collect."
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