CHAPTER 42: Somewhere Over The Rainbow...
I woke up a short time later, chained to a metal stake that was magically enhanced with some sort of metal magic or a different type of earth magic perhaps? Clusters of stars in the sky above were joined by a waxing moon and the other new, always full moon.
The description for this Revelation shit still glaring me in the face.
I dismissed the note with a mental command.
“Ugh, really… Demon Lord shit? Sooo cliché.”
“You are cliché. Your entire existence is boring and trite.” The deep voice boomed from behind.
“Hey Voldy-more. Was that dragging a random flayed guy around a corner suppose to scare me or something? Lame. The Demon Lord this is just so over used and just, blech. You probably don’t know what anime is but it’s all over that shit. I skip anything with a demon lord.”
“There is no Demon Lord, There are the nine Demon Lord’s. Soon to be a tenth when I bring the humans of this world to heel.”
“Right, and that’s suppose to make it more original, Mr. Choir Boy? And good luck with that. We aren’t exactly the kneeling type if you haven’t figured that out yet.”
I heard him stand from his throne behind me, “You will suffer for your impertinence you FOOL!” The last word rumbled the ground beneath me, “I don’t need them to bend the knee, you can all die.”
I reached both chained hands up to the side of my head and wiped blood away as I situated myself to sit criss-cross apple sauce, “Ha! Did you not want to sound cliché again so you said impertinence rather than impudence? Jesus, this guy. What’ll kill them old age? You needed higher level goblins just to catch me. I’m sure you’ll kill me but I doubt a level 38 dipshit like yourself will be able to take the strongest of us. No, Captain Karaoke, you’ll die like the rest of these alien fuck heads here.”
My world lit up in flames as I resisted the urge to scream. I refuse to give him the satisfaction, his voice boomed again, “YOU will not die so easily. I will destroy your body and mind first, then once your soul is worn down I will harmonize with you and have you kill your very own, Father.”
I remained silent as the burning came again but instead of a hot rod piercing my back I could see the fire Mana that surrounded my entire body as my skin began to char and melt.
My voice was once again rasp from the fire damage, “FUCK! That hurt. Gotta have your back up singers do all the damage huh?”
“I need no one for anything! I AM VOLDR—“
“VOLDRON THE HARMONICA! I know, Jesus Christ, you really like that name of yours huh?”
I was kicked in the face, hard. Almost hard enough to knock me unconscious but they didn’t want that. I did, but they obviously wanted me awake to feel the pain.
One of the Shaman’s stepped in front of the overgrown 3 year old bowing then spoke in a language that my interface had to translate, “Remember your plan sir! He wants a quick death, there is no pleasure in granting—”
I turned and smiled up at Voldrix as his arm shot out grabbing the Castigation Shaman by the head, “YOU presume to instruct ME? KNOW YOUR PLACE SCUM!”
He popped the Shamans head in his hands like catching a fly, he wiped the guck off on his side like it was that of an actual bug. I was covered in the gore as he tossed the body into the fire behind me. He looked over the small crowd and all of the remaining Shamans raced to our position.
“Jesus, look at all the fan boys. Or girls? I can’t tell with these things.”
I was ignored as one of the Shamans who was walking casually cast a spell that traveled out of his staff, I watched the Mana split off then materialize into 3 small invisible walls that violently stopped the racing goons as they crashed into the obstacles. It looked to be the same spell the Goblins used to stop me from jumping out of the window.
I really need to keep Manasight engaged from now on.
The Castigation Shaman walked up and bowed to Voldrix, leaving the others holding their broken faces. When the demon spoke I was more than a bit surprised by the sensual voice that came out, “I am Hildaruse, at your service my lord.”
I looked up at the Shaman with a saucy attitude, “Oh, you’re one of the lady ones? Huh.”
She said nothing, instead she just looked down at me, showing me a real sociopathic smile.
The lead goblin from earlier appeared out of thin air. It must be some sort of teleportation spell because I saw no movement, “Our payment, den we leavin’.”
Voldrix removed a brown burlap sack with something shining a bright white color from within. The sack vanished as the goblin spoke, “OK. Good. Mighty fine doin’ business witcha.”
Voldrix showed an evil grin, “Would that mage of yours like to partake, or perhaps Grosp?”
The goblin responded matter of fact, “No thanks. We bonny hunna’s not toiturers.”
He vanished into thin air. This time I saw the smallest trickle of Mana shoot off from his position to the west, at least I think that’s what I saw but it could have been a bug in the fire light.
Voldrix reached down plucking my stake from the ground. I saw the same type of Mana that was in the stake circulate through his hand as he easily removed the static stake from the ground like he was plucking a flower.
He slowly and purposefully dragged me over the fire as he walked around his throne and pushed the small stake into the thick stone of the monument.
I was left hanging with my arms fully stretched above my head, and my toes barely touching the grass below.
“Getting kinky now are we?”
I tried running Blood Cycle to heal the burns but received a notification as the skill died out,
[Offensive and Defensive Skills Suppressed]
Shit. So I can use the utility skills but no defensive or offensive spells or skills. Alright.
He laughed maniacally, somehow enjoying the words meant to get under his skin, “If you’d like.”
I wish I could take those words back as soon as I said them. That was the last thing I’d like.
The lady Shaman who I would be referring to as Hildy from now on, came around the corner with another chain.
A man with a bag over his head.
Manasight showed his Mana circulation looking stronger than most of the other humans chained in the area. Hildy dragged him over the fire onto the other side of the throne, passing him to Voldrix who hung him up with a smile like a child hanging his first wrestling metal on the wall.
Voldrix used his dagger-like fingers to stab into the man’s chest, causing him to react in pain.
“Fuck you Celine Dion!”
The voice was warming to my ears and heart yet crushing to my soul, since I knew what was to come.
I finally struggled to free myself.
I kicked off the wall with one leg to spin the chain a bit then placed both feet against the stone monument and pulled. Voldrix laughed at my attempt, obviously knowing something I did not. I pushed my strength stat to the limit as I pulled with all of my might. The rough stone beneath my feet punctured skin as blood dripped to the ground below.
Hildy came over and held out her arm as Voldrix removed the hood from my Fathers head.
A roaring torrent of flames spewed from the Shamans hand on my left side as I looked to my father.
I refused to scream as my body was burned once more. The pain was so great as my health plummeted, my refusal was denied as a silent airy scream escaped my mouth while I continued to burn.
“FUCK YOUUU!”
My Father began struggling seeing me aflame, “STOP! Leave him alone!”
My muscles were exhausted by the flame more than the escape attempt and I fell face first against the stone wall, my health critical for the first time since being dropped off in this literal hell hole.
A quiet, excited whisper escaped Hildaruse’s mouth followed by a chilling laugh, “Not yet, he he, no no no.”
I was spun back around to face the outside world as a tiny streak of green Mana traveled from the finger of Hildaruse and lifted my health out of critical.
We locked eyes for the first time, “Save your strength kid.”
The remaining Castigation Demons stood in front of us with a handful of Undead. Behind them, I could see the skittering eyes of the mutated beasts. The goblins were now missing, nowhere to be seen. Voldrix stood in front of his throne with Hildaruse at his side.
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“Hey Voltron, is this the rest of the Choir?” I asked getting a laugh from my father.
Voldrix turned to me with a repulsive smile, “Why yes, and we will be adding a few new additions as well.”
“Guess I wiped most of them out, huh?”
Voldrix was unbothered, “No matter.”
My father laughed but also I think I registered surprise on his scarred and deformed face, “Good job kiddo, there were quite a bit before.”
The 3 remaining Shamans each dragged a human in front of Voldrix and his right hand lady.
One was the man from last night. The other 2 also had the same odd symbol carved into their bodies, the one woman had it carved right into her face. I stared longer at the etching in her flesh as the shamans pulled out small sacks of their own.
Shit, that’s Jon’s wife...
The shamans began pouring some sort of white powder on the ground, one created a large circle while the others drew that same symbol only, the lines were different.
It finally clicked what I was seeing. They were fucking notes on sheet music. In the middle of the circle were the notes C-E-G#. On the face’s and backs of the humans were B-F, the devils interval.
What is the obsession with this shit.
I turned to my father, “Dad! Did they draw on you?!”
I finally saw how beat he actually was, his body was covered in scars which meant he sat here for days being tortured as they let his normal health regeneration heal him. His entire body was covered in burn scars.
“No.” His voice was shaky, I never heard him this way before, “You... you shouldn’t have come here Rick.”
“I wasn’t leaving you here alone for this dickhead wannabe devil to do whatever he’s done.”
The screams started once again.
My father yelled over the noise, “Be Strong!”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I was trying to be strong through all of this, but honestly, I was wavering now that I saw him in the shape he’s in. However, his words did seem to push into my mind as I felt the doubt leave.
The screams played through the melody one time then the powdered substance spread throughout the grass started glowing a fiery orange color. The Shamans left the circle and flames erupted upon their exit. The 3 humans lifted into the sky above, screaming as the multiple symbols carved and burnt into their bodies lit up with the intensity of the sun. We watched as they transformed into grotesque monsters right in front of our eyes.
It was as if their skin was sucked in through their navel, it was like watching a cartoon where someone gets sucked into a small vacuum of some sort. They were walking, talking écorchés, medical models of skinned humans.
[Flayed Tritone—Level 20]
[Harmonized Native]
“What is the fucking obsession!? JEESUS! WE GET IT! You like the sounds of dissonance! Go dye your hair black, cut your bangs to match each other and crab walk everywhere you go while playing breakdowns! NO ONE CARES YOU FUCKING DWEEB!” It was time to be the high school bully.
An old face walked around the corner laughing, “Allow me Lord Voldrix, Please.”
“You can be in the band too Linda, go with them back to Sera-shit and leave our planet alone.”
Voldrix nod his head at Linda Schmidt and she proceeded to spit right on my face.
“AURGHH. Fuck you, Linda!”I could feel the skin melting away from my face as I groaned the pain into rage. She spit on my father and his chest melted as he screamed, “You fucking bitch! I will kill you this time!”
Voldrix sat back in his screaming throne as we were moved in front of the flames at his feet.
Voldrix spoke to the Flayed, “Go, bring more to join your ranks.”
“Hey Hildy, you’re too good to work for this shitty choir boy, let us go and we’ll kill him then you can rule these demons.”
“My name is Hildaruse, you will learn this and you will learn to love Voldrix by dawn. Hehehe”
“We’ll see, ya ugly fuck.”
The real pain began as she ran a blade across my waist and peeled me like she was skinning an animal. Like they were going to stuff my skin and make a taxidermy version of me standing by the throne with a thumbs up.
As the skin peeled up she blew fire from her lips like an oxyacetylene torch. I passed out from the pain but was somehow woken up right after by some sort of shit torture magic.
Voldrix drew a ritual circle underneath the two of us, starting with my father. Once the circle was finished a Shaman walked in and my father began to spasm. Both of their movements grew choppy and erratic. Lights flashed and I could barely make them out.
I finally understood what was happening as Voldrix finished the circle around my feet.
It was as if the circle were it’s own dungeon as there was a visible time distortion. My father had been tortured hundreds of times within seconds.
All of a sudden the world slowed almost as if time itself was frozen around us. Everything but the throwaway Shaman with my father and myself with Hildy moved slower than watching grass grow.
My father was currently on fire screaming from the pain in the other torture cage or whatever they’re called. My torture began in kind.
Hours, days, weeks, passed by as I was slowly tortured, the pain never ending.
I tried to feel out the Mana in my shackles as the time past us by. Each day trying to replicate it unsuccessfully.
I knew it was some type of Nature Mana, like stone and metal since it felt, looked and moved just like Earth Mana but I couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard I tried.
I couldn’t figure out the missing ingredient.
If I wanted to replicate it to escape my shackles, I had to know exactly what it was. I failed.
The worst part was the psychological torture of listening to my father being tortured over and over again.
The shamans would step out for a word and we would be trapped for days in the same position while they stepped backwards, spoke one word, then walked back in to continue.
I don’t know how much time passed inside the circle before it wore out, it felt like a month.
Only minutes went by outside.
The magic from the circle finally finished and time moved normal again although the pain did not stop.
I was sent into a trance as time passed. The only thing I saw was my health draining then recharging. Over and over again.
I was brought back to a distant memory once again.
I was riding my bike outside my house, I remember this day.
I was 11 years old, about to deal with the first pile of shit the world threw at me. My mother and father were sitting on the porch watching me race up and down our quiet little side road, Cole was inside on his new bulky computer. It was a beautiful summer evening, not too hot, just the right temperature to not sweat like a pig.
I rode back up to the top of the dead end hill, looked both ways then started pedaling. I pedaled my tiny legs off down the smallest hill in the state as if I were at the top of the mountain.
I zoomed past the house then the neighbors house where my turn around was.
Right as I started to turn my bike, a car ran the stop sign up, turning at the hill and gunning it down our 50 yard side road like it was the quarter mile drag track.
I raced toward the side of the road as my parents stood to attention and my mother yelled for the car to slow down.
My back tire and leg were clipped by the car and I went flying off to the side of the road with a broken leg, just a scared crying little kid who thought he was about to die. My father made sure I was alright and hopped in his truck and sped off. My mother brought me to the hospital to get my first cast.
I stood in the middle of the road, unsure why my memory brought me here, then I heard laughter behind me.
“Haha. I beat the shit out of that kid.” My father walked up beside me as we stared off at the setting sun, “Come on let’s go sit.”
We walked up the porch to the same old metal couch swing.
We both took a seat, “Well. How are you here? Or are you a figment of my imagination?”
“I don’t really know. I feel like I’m me, but how the fuck would I know if I wasn’t?”
“True enough. You chased that guy down?”
“Oh yeah. He hit my kid with a car and drove off. Of course I did. Fuck that kid.” He responded still amused.
“Well, yeah. I guess he deserved it. So what now?” I asked.
“I thought we lost you to the rapture shit. I’m happy to see you alive, but obviously not under these circumstances. I don’t know how much longer I can watch them do that to you without crumbling.”
“Same. What do we do?”
He turned his head to me and had tears in his eyes. Definitely nothing I thought I would ever see, “Well, I’m pretty sure this monster is going to kill us, but he will probably kill me before you since he has something against you, so there’s a chance you can get out of here.”
“Just don’t egg it on. Arthur should be here soon to help.”
“Arthur? He’s a good boy... I’m tired Rick.”
“I know. We’ll get out and you can go to the safe zone we received from the dungeon and then chill with mom and not worry about fighting monsters anymore.”
He looked out at the sunset, “Whatever you do, make sure you do it for yourself. You’ve been through enough but there’s always more, We’ll make it through this next part together, don’t worry kiddo.”
“AHHH!” I was snapped out of the memory to see my organs being slowly and methodically removed from my body in front of my own eyes.
I looked to my father who smiled somehow even though he was being skinned, again.
I drifted again.
Was that really him?
Was it just my own fucked up head trying to deal with the pain?
Voldrix stood to his feet and pointed down at my father.
I raged to try to get loose.
The Shaman dragged my fathers exhausted body to Voldrix and dropped him in front of the large Demon.
Voldrix smiled at me, staring at me the entire time.
My father moved to attack Voldrix.
I screamed, “No!”
I pulled at the chains with everything I had once again. I tried to summon a health potion but I wasn’t able to remove anything from my inventory. The chains must have some sort of suppression effect.
My father punched at Voldrix who easily caught his punch.
He snapped his fingers shattering my fathers arm then followed it up by slowly snapping every limb he had right in front of me.
He unshackled my father as I screamed. Voldrix dragged him so he was right in front of me.
My mini-map popped up and I laughed.
“You will feel despair.” Voldrix’s voice boomed down at me, “You find this amusing?” He asked sounding genuinely confused.
I looked around the field smiling, “Yeah, you forgot something dickhead!”
Voldrix laughed confidently as he humored me, “Ha! And what would that be?”
I pushed through the pain of the fire and whipping on my skinless back as I stood to my feet locking eyes with the wannabe choirboy, “I AM NOT... THE MAIN CHARACTER!”
Hildaruse moved to strike me into silence and obedience but she fell backwards to the ground.
All Hell broke loose.