Chapter 14: Chapter 13: Agony and Atrophy

Rayse stopped mid training and looked around confused. He could have sworn he heard Aleph. It had barely been a day since the search party left,so he believed it was his exhaustion playing tricks on him again.

'Protect the city.' 

It was close to what he told him before, but not quite the same. "Must be hearing things…" He grumbled as he started to make his way back to the front of the house to say goodbye to his friends. He saw the pair running up to meet him, still full of energy as though the day's training didn't even faze them.

He found out why when Brandon started speaking.

"Ray! Did you hear it? Master's message."

"What? You guys heard that too? I thought I was losing my mind! Anyway, I… What?" He finally started catching on that something was wrong.

"We think something bad happened to the search party."  Lacey said.

"Yeah. I've got a bad feeling about it too. And Master's message… I think he wants us to prepare for an attack." Brandon added.

Rayse considered it. It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission by a group of elites. Each member of that team had at least double the mana of any of Rayse's buddies, and this was despite them having gone through most of the hound crystals. Not to mention Aleph and Carrack, too. Could they really have been defeated? Lacey touched his shoulder, stopping him before his thoughts spiral even further.

"Whoah, hey there, Ray. Relax, I don't take it to mean that mister Aleph is dead. I think they might have gotten spotted though. The point is, we have to prepare for the worst. I think we should tell Iona too. This matter's too important to be kept secret."

Rayse nodded, settling into a sort of calm he didn't actually feel. He felt taut, like a bowman's string, ready to be set loose.

"Okay. I assume she'd already left if you guys haven't told her yet. Lace, catch up with her and get her up to speed, then meet me back here. Bran, could you go talk to the head of the militia? We need to prepare for a siege."

"I could leap my way there no problem, heh. What about you, though?"

"I'll be right with you, I just gotta take care of things here first. Gotta lug all our equipment up on the firmaments, for starters. Oh, and bring some crystals with you, absorb as much as you can without feeling nauseous. We might be chucking spears all night, at this rate."

They already divvied up the work, but the trio hesitated as reality crept in. He himself had some misgivings, but Rayse tried to cheer them up as he handed them the mana crystals.

"Remember what mister Aleph said? All we need to do is protect the people. He will take care of the rest. So let's get this done so we don't let him down, yeah?"

He could see his words having an effect. Noone among them really believes Aleph could have been captured or killed. Even if he was, the man was certainly capable enough to pull through. In fact, the knowledge that he was out there fighting right at this moment bolstered their courage.

Brandon stood up straighter, looking more determined by the second. He gave his companions a pat on the shoulder before turning around and taking a weird stance, legs bent and angling towards town.

"Jump!" He shouted, and he was gone. Mana propelled him forward, shooting him at an almost impossible speed.

Rayse looked baffled by what he just saw, which made Lacey laugh despite herself.

"Hahahaha! That's a great face you're making, Ray. I'll be sure to tell him all about it! Windrun!" She pecked him in the cheek, but when Ray turned to face her, she had vanished.

"Damn, I really need to catch up." Rayse said while scratching his head. It was frustrating, but in a way also encouraging to have such talented friends. He turned to gather up the spears and the rest of their gear. He placed them on a wagon Aleph had laying about and was about to make his way into the city before stopping suddenly.

Hmmm, maybe I can… After considering briefly, Rayse jumped into the well and entered the portal.

__________________________________

Aleph woke up in a cell. Stripped and bloody, he hung from chains that bit into his wrists like little razors were embedded into them. Somehow, just looking at it made the pain register. As if on cue, all the wounds in his body began to ache at once, making him almost pass out once more. Still, he could not help but let out another pained scream. He writhed in his chains, but that had the opposite effect. Waves upon waves of pain overwhelmed his senses, contradicting his desire to stop moving. It created a vicious cycle, sending him into more and more fits of agony while trying unsuccessfully to get his body to stop moving.

After what felt like eternity, Aleph finally managed to overcome the pain. He focused on his breathing, in and out, putting him into a sort of zone that put the pain he felt into the background.

"You'll get used to it." A voice gasped from beside him. He turned to see a body almost mangled beyond recognition. His limbs were mutilated to be almost unrecognizable. Bone and organs sticking out in grotesque shapes, he even had an eye hung from its socket. It was a miracle that the man still lived, let alone be in a position to be consoling him like this. He was about to dismiss it as a hopeful delusion when the corpse continued:

"Helps to circulate your mana on your skin. This place…Something about it amplifies the pain you feel." 

Aleph hastily did as he was told, and like a lie, he instantly stopped struggling. His wounds still hurt, mainly the bite marks on his sides, but it wasn't taking all his mental energy to stay conscious now. He sighed, grateful for the reprieve.

"Who are you? What is this place?"

"You dare not recognize this one's heavenly form!? Why I ought to… sigh, nevermind. It is fitting that one whose luck landed him in this godforsaken place would only get to see this kingdom's new dawn in such a state. But I suppose my current form is quite fitting in this environment. Behold, for I am Vaynard Mios, eligible bachelor, heir to the throne and most importantly, the last face you will ever see. Friend, welcome to the pit of Agony."

What a talkative corpse, Aleph thought. He suspected that the mana flowing through this Vaynard's body was doing more than allay the pain. This world's magic keeps showing him wonder after wonder. He made a mental note to research this for later.

A much more pressing issue was taking his attention. Agony… Was this the herald that captured me? He had faced heralds before. The four of them occupied the highest position in the army of the abyss, second only to the Demon Lord. They each had powers fitting their epithet, usually personifying it in its extreme. Aleph already got a taste of this creature's agony, and now he was trapped in its lair.

He scanned around the room trying to look for a way out. They were stuck in a prison cell dimly lit by torches. The walls and floor looked like smoothed out rock lined with sigils that he recognized as demon script. He doesn't recognize these ones, but he assumed they made breaking through impossibly difficult.

There wasn't any sign of his gear, either, though he could sense the emissary's heart somewhere down below. He hoped the rest of his equipment was there as well.

His thoughts went to his disciples. He hoped his message reached them. It took the last of his strength to send out a warning as he was being crushed by the herald. It would have been hours, maybe days since he lost consciousness. He wished that he bought them enough time to prepare.

A series of heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the room, interrupting his thoughts. Aleph turned to the one beside him, but was surprised to see him deathly still. Even the telltale signs of breathing weren't present. He turned back towards the cell doors in time to see a massive form lumbering into view. It was the herald who captured him. Its mouth split wide in a smile, as if it was happy to see him awake.

"Good morning, my pretty! I see you've been acquainted with the prince, hee hee hee! This place isn't much, but I would hope you could get along. You will be roommates for a while, after all." 

Unlike the emissary, who had learned human language for negotiations, this one spoke entirely in demontongue. Aleph had learned it in his previous life, but he did not expect it to be useful so soon.

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"Shut up, you buffoon. My lord has forgiven your failure to capture the enemy's leader, but I am not as amused." A voice answered from beyond the cell. Aleph watched as a creature floated out from behind the herald and to the front of the door.

"Open this cell. I wish to speak with the prisoner. We shall see if this one has anything of value."

Still giggling, the herald stretched out one of his limbs towards the door. This appendage carried the keys to the cell, which it nimbly inserted it into the lock. The smaller creature entered, stopping face to face with Aleph.

He looked at the newcomer. He seemed to always be floating if his underdeveloped arms and legs are any indication. He had a large bulbous head and a neck and torso that definitely couldn't support it if gravity had its way. Still, it seemed pretty sinister as it observed Aleph's state. It spoke in english to address him, confirming his suspicions. 

"You. How did you access our teleporters? Where is the captain? Where has he placed his troops? What of his troops' army composition? How much does he know of our plans?"

Aleph stayed silent, but was beaming with the implication: Carrack and his men had escaped. His expression angered the newcomer, which pleased Aleph even more. He had by now realized that this smaller one was also a herald, but they kept him alive for a reason. It seemed to him that Carrack was a high priority target, one high enough that even the possibility of knowing his whereabouts had saved his life.

His mirth got cut short when something struck him from outside his vision. It flashed white from the pain as blows rained down upon him.

"Insolent! Disrespectful whelp!"

He desperately covered his body with mana, but it was ineffective. Whatever was hitting him was bypassing his defenses. Soon, he was writhing from agony once again. He could hear the bigger one laughing from outside his cell, clearly enjoying the display. Its random collection of appendages swayed about as if in celebration, though whether it was of his pain or his companion's irritation, Aleph could not tell.

Seconds passed as the smaller herald collected his breath, eyes darting back and forth between the herald of agony and the battered soldier contemptuously.

Aleph felt himself being pulled forward. He screamed as his wrists bit even deeper into the chains with such force that he thought it would fall off. He was face to face with his torturer now, and through his tears he could see the herald's face twisted in rage. He reached out his hand towards Aleph, who braced himself for the worst.

It didn't come. Seconds stretched by as Aleph, eyes closed, waited for something to happen. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all, and that was including his wounds. He risked a peek at his captors, if only to confirm that this newcomer's touch hadn't instantly killed him, and instantly regretted it. His fully healthy body had become emaciated, as if it were rapidly aging. The spot where the herald was touching was blackened, rotting at his touch. He beamed at his prisoner, showing toothless gums.

"Do you like it? This is a special gift, given to those who disrespect me. Ka ka ka ka ka! There's still a while left, so I suggest you enjoy the view. Unless… tell me what I want to know and I promise you a swift end."

Aleph squirmed frantically at this point, trying desperately to get away from his captor's grip. He was prepared to rip his other arm out from its socket if it came to it, but the same invisible force held him in place. He felt so weak. 

He felt his consciousness fading once again, only this time, he feared he would no longer wake. He fought to stay conscious, biting his lips to induce pain, anything to stay awake. He refused to leave the children to fight these monsters on their own. 

Aleph's entire right arm was blackened now, and he could not move it even if he tried. Even the very chains that held him showed signs of weathering; whatever sorcery was done upon him, it was more than mere rot.

He held on to the littlest string of consciousness remaining as his body started to break down. He was on the brink of death when the herald's touch receded. Aleph looked up to see him with his back turned, looking at the Herald of Agony's enraged figure.

Agony tore the door off its hinges in a fit of anger, reaching inside to pull the other herald out and pin him to the ground. There was an invisible bubble around the smaller one, rendering him virtually unharmed, but the large one paid it no heed, repeatedly smashing him onto the prison floor.

"He's MY toy! I let you hit him for fun, but that atrophy thing is a no go! Take it back, you meanie! Make him feel pain again!"

"Unhand me, fool! Your methods have not yielded results, and so I took it upon myself to-"

"Rrrrrahhh!" Agony was unconsolable. He threw Atrophy straight through the wall to the outside, letting sunlight shine through. Through his teary eyed vision, Aleph saw cracks form on the surface of Atrophy's barrier. Agony followed through, hitting Atrophy with anything his other limbs could get his hands on: bits of debris, torture implements, even random demons were smashed across the other herald. It went on until Agony stopped in place, held by the invisible power that Atrophy possessed.

"ENOUGH!" He screamed, and then suddenly, Agony was nowhere to be seen. A crash in the distance confirmed his location, but Aleph had no time to worry about him. Atrophy was looking right at him once again, floating menacingly towards his location.

"I'm surrounded by idiots! You! Tell me where Carrack is, before I feed you to the hounds! I will-" 

He was interrupted once again, this time by a massive metal claw that caught him in mid air. Aleph heard bellowing in the distance as Atrophy was pulled, presumably by Agony who was quite a distance away. Distant sounds of fighting began to ensue.

This is an opportunity, Aleph thought, but he was simply too weak to do anything. He looked around once again, desperate to find something, anything that could get him out of this crisis. He could still feel himself fading, even his sense of panic slowly giving way to resignation. He bowed his head at last, praying for the overgod to at least spare Hios when by chance, he saw something shining on the hole on the floor where Atrophy got smashed into. The sun shone through the broken walls and into the floor below, revealing several items, including his equipment. 

Aleph roused his mana one more time, hoping to retrieve his potion belt. It hovered in front of him in a second, lined with little glass vials full of healing fluid. One of them entered his mouth directly, and he bit into it, causing the liquid to travel down his throat, revitalizing him immediately.

Moments later, more flashes of light erupted from the floor below, and suddenly Aleph was free from his shackles. He wrung his wrists, trying to encourage blood flow, but his right arm remained blackened and numb. The wounds from Agony's claw had also barely healed. 

He spat out blood and broken glass and downed another healing flask, staring at the unmoving corpse beside him. It hadn't moved nor said a word during the entire encounter, once again making Aleph doubt whether the voice he heard was real or not. 

"...Vaynard?" Aleph asked, just to make sure. The corpse immediately talked back to him.

"Friend, I would appreciate it if you would release me from my shackles. It would ill serve Mios if its future monarch falls in such a place. Hurry, before those bastards find out what's happening."

Aleph did so, more out of morbid curiosity than actual desire to help. This creature was almost inhuman, but how it used its mana had a lot of utility.

Aleph struck the shackles much more forcefully. It was a lot more sturdy than the ones that bound him. Eventually, the corpse fell to the ground. Aleph offered it a healing flask, but it sprang up immediately, regenerating in real time.

It was miraculous. In seconds, a tall, well built young man stood to face him. He pushed back his newly grown blonde hair and bowed.

"My sincerest thanks, my friend. The shackles were inhibiting my healing ability. Now let us make haste. I sense more heralds converging on us, and we are ill prepared to take out one, let alone all eight."

Aleph nodded and reached out for the rest of his gear, only to stop and turn to his new companion.

"Eight? But a demon lord could only command up to four of those beasts."

Vaynard smiled at his words, though this one did not reach his eyes.

"As expected of Carrack's elite, you are quite knowledgeable. But alas, that information is outdated. For you see, we are no longer dealing with one Demon lord. Over the last few months, we've been dealing with two."

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